We were at the OSCARS of racing at the end of the season and were so honoured and delighted that two of our graduates were recognized and won awards. BEACH BEAUTY was unanimously elected as the country’s best in the CHAMPION OLDER MARE category and ALONG CAME POLLY was voted the CHAMPION TWO YEAR OLD FILLY. It was such a great evening to celebrate these two horses success with their connections as both of these fillies have long stories behind them and it made their win even sweeter.

We would like to congratulate all of the Equus winners that night and Ambleway is delighted to be connected to some of the stars who made it all happen! The Champion Stud Summerhill had LOVESTRUCK to thank for their amazing season. Progeny of the successful stallions Jet Master (THUNDER DANCE,JET EXPLORER and CHAVA DE OURA), Kahal (LOVESTRUCK, EASTERN GREETING), Dynasty (BEACH BEAUTY and JACKSON) and Judpot (ALONG CAME POLLY) as well as Miesque’s Approval (ORANGE BLOSSOM) were also spelled or schooled at Ambleway.

A Special end of season Congratulations goes out to the following horses and their connections that featured in Graded races this past year:

LINK MAN                               Won the Grade 3 JHB Spring Sprint

CHANGING OF THE GUARD Won the Grade 3 Matchem Stakes  

CHAVA DE OURA                   Won the Grade 3 Cape Classic and was 2^nd in the Grade 1 Cape Guineas                             

JACKSON                               Won the Grade 1 Champions Cup

                                                2^nd in the Grade 2 Green Point Stakes

                                                2^nd Grade 1 Queens Plate

BEACH BEAUTY                    Won the Grade 2 Premier Trophy

                                                Won the Grade 1 Paddock stakes

                                               Won the Grade 2 Drill Hall Stakes

                                               Won the Grade 1 Garden Province Stakes

                                               3^rd in the Grade 1 J&B Met

ALONG CAME POLLY          Won the Grade 1 Thekwini Stakes

                                               2^nd in the Grade 1 Allan Robertson Stakes

                                               2^nd in the Grade 1 Pretty Polly Stakes

LOVESTRUCK                      Won the Grade 1 SA Classic

THUNDER DANCE               Won the Grade 1 Empress Club Stakes

JET EXPLORER                   Won the Grade 2 Greyville 1900

                                              3^rd in the Grade 1 Champions Cup

                                              5^th in the Grade 1 Durban July

EASTERN GREETINGS       Won the Camellia Stakes Grade 3 with KALAAM also placed

BULSARA                             2^nd in the Grade 3 Xmas Handicap

MISS OCTOBER                  3^rd in the Grade 3 Graham Beck Memorial Stakes
KINGS TEMPTRESS           Won the Grade 3 Three Troikas Stakes

                                              3^rd in the Grade I Fillies Guineas
FORMATION                        2^nd in the Grade 3 Acacia Handicap

Congratulations to these successful horses and their connections and all the other performing in the country’s feature  races this past year!

The final big race meeting of the year turned out to be terribly exciting with JACKSON returning to his best to win the Champions Cup G1 and ALONG CAME POLLY sealing her Champion 2YO title by winning the G1 Thekwini Stakes. The win by JACKSON was an extremely emotional one, as it has been a long road getting the big horse back to the form he showed during his two Grade 1 wins as a three year old. Watching in the Drier box at Greyville with Brett Crawford, the Mitchells and Longmores, and a team of supporters, the house nearly came down when he made his run through the field and it will be a moment to be remembered for some time. That win made JACKSON now by some distance the highest rated horse still in training in South Africa.

ALONG CAME POLLY had run two very good races in Grade 1 company on her previous starts and duly enjoyed the step up in distance to the mile on Gold Cup day in the Thekwini Stakes G1. She hit the front at the top of the straight and no one was able to make any inroads into her lead the whole way down the stretch. Congratulations to Brian Burnard and Gavin van Zyl as well as to Duncan Howells who trained her up until after her first start when she was purchased by Mr Burnard. The filly finished second or first in every Grade 1 race for 2YO fillies this season and so deserved her championship title. Congratulations also to Varsfontein and their young sire Judpot.

Overseas racing continues in full swing in both Europe and the USA. We had a number of exciting performances by South African horses to watch with Soft Falling Rain running a very credible second in a Grade 2 in his first start in Europe. It is a pity he has lost his unbeaten record but realistically it was his first start in over 140 days, in a different country, under different conditions, he was giving weight all round, he was forced to lead from the start, and he was beaten by another top G1 horse – and so one can hardly be disappointed! On the same day The Apache flew the South African flag proudly winning, but losing on objection, the Arlington Million G1 – the most prestigious grass race in America outside of the Breeders’ Cup. That is his third international Grade 1 second place finish this year and he has been a joy to watch. Not bad for a South African bred to have earned over $1million this year alone – a dream horse to own by any standards! A week later and another second for De Kock’s South African internationals with Shea Shea finishing a close second after starting favourite – again the race not quite going as he would have wanted it with 20mm of ran the night before and perhaps getting a little further back early than he would’ve liked. The Apache was purchased from the National Two Year Old sale for only R80,000 and so hopefully one of these babies that arrived from the sale this week will follow in his footsteps.

We were at the National Two Year Old Sale and were delighted and honoured to receive the sales topper - a son of Silvano the Champion Stallion. The sale was a difficult one to purchase at because of the demand for similar horses , but it was overall a buyer s market especially if you did so on the first day! The overall price of the sale was up on the Friday and the average was 30% up and the median was nearly 50% higher than last year’s sale - well done to the TBA!

Ambleway was delighted to be sent individuals by top stallions to school including Silvano (2), Jet Master, Var, and new successful stallions Judpot(3^rd top price) and Sail From Seattle . We were also sent horses to back by proven stallions Count Du Bois and Windrush as well as super individuals by Miesque’s Approval, Alado, Newton and Lateral. The Silvano colts were really special and the top priced horse will be trained in KZN by successful conditioner Dennis Drier and the other super son of Silvano be trained by the up and coming conditioner Duncan Howells. Thank you to you both for sending your horses you purchased to Ambleway to be schooled

On the track we were happy to see the Drier yard being successful on 4 occasions when MASTER OF MY FATE, DANSEUSE, KITCO and TAKE OFF were led into the winners enclosure. MASTER OF MY FATE is a handsome big son of Jet Master and in his day made plenty at the National Sale as he is so well bred being out of Promisefrommyheart. He won again in such easy fashion being piloted by his top class jockey Sean Cormack, who again gave him a hands and heels ride. He is destined for a great future so his purchase by the Papageorgiou family may not have been in vain. The filly DANSEUSE notched up another win, as she had won her last start, for the Shanks Syndicate, of BEACH BEAUTY fame. This was her 4^th win for them. KITCO won easily and will make a huge contribution at the Avontuur stud as she is by Var and is  well related being closely connected to the recently retired champion Princess of Victoria. Well done to the Taberers and Pippa for her win. The last win by the team was very meritorious as TAKE OFF has definitely improved with the longer trip. She won for her team of owners and breeders who bought her dam FLIGHT QUEEN here from Australia: Messrs Greg Blank, Ian Van Schalkwyk, Miles Dally Alan Gooderson and Gill Drier. Congratulations to you all!

The day at Clairwood rounded off the week with a superb Ambleway double…..ORANGE BLOSSOM and AIR PATROL won for their connections. The former won her 4^th race for the Duncan Howells team and Ian Van Schalkwyk(who is having a great month as GANESH had also won for the Pettigrew yard)and AIR PATROL,whom was always loved here because of his action ,won again for the Garth Puller team and his new owners!

In Gauteng the St John Gray team were successful with the well related filly DANCE ALLEY, being a half sister to their star Dancewithedevil, and BREATHLESS a daughter of the filly ZIP IT UP that was schooled here some years ago. The Ferreira yard was victorious for Roland Bouwer with TWILIGHT ELVA a fast daughter of Captain Al. Congratulations!

There is a long list of horses that have been in the money and do need watching in their next starts:

NOMENCULTURE,TERRA NOVA, ZEZINHO BELO, CODE RED,SO YOU THINK,OWLS DO CRY,PANAMA MAN,SAMMY SILVER,MIGHTY MO,GLITTER ALLEY, BADGER FRIENDLY,WILD TYPE,ROMAN LEGION,FIGHTING FORCE,GREEN LINE,TULLYNALLY,UP AND RUNNING and IMPERIAL JET

We were also very sad to hear the passing of Trevor Armitage. He has played his part in many peoples lives especially the Shanks Syndicate, and of course is a well respected breeder from Kroonstad in the Transvaal. The joy BEACH BEAUTY brings to the team will be balanced by his loss.

Enjoy the racing

Jane