It is the silly season again as everyone gets closer to Xmas one has more functions to attend and celebrations have started! It is both a happy time and also a stressful time for some .......but let’s focus on the happy times. (Image Oratorio x Fine Feather)
It is a great time for racing in the Cape and the Sizzling Summer Season has begun, in Gauteng the racing has hotted up and in KZN it is supposed to be quieter as it is the off season.........
Let’s look at each of these areas..... Firstly at home in KZN we attended the Breeders Awards where the venue at Bellwood Stud once again was outstanding and the food was awesome. The awards evening was a little controversial and created much discussion as BEACH BEAUTY was found to have been bred in KZN and as expected she won number of awards: She was the Older Female Champion, Outstanding
Middle Distance Female, and last, but not least, Horse Of The Year. Sylvie Armitage and her mother, Minou Armitage(who represented the late Trevor Armitage), went up for plenty of the Trophy’s presented to the KZN adored mare. Her dam, Sun Coast, also was the winner of the Broodmare Of The year Award.
The evening was compared by Martin Locke and many of the awards went to people that have sadly retired now (George Rowles and Rodney Clarkin etc) and stallions that have gone to greener pastures (Kahal and Fort Beluga).... with the exception of Karin Render , who was awarded the Anita Akal Industry Award for all that she has done for the racing industry... a most well deserved Award.
Of great interest to the racing public were the returns of last year’s Equus Horse of the Year –Legislate and Futura, both by Dynasty, who ran in the Greenpoint Stakes. Legislate won the race very convincingly and Futura ran on very well for a place! On the same day GENERALISSIMO competed in the Selangor Cup but showed that he is a sprinter ,and a very talented one at that, ....the race was won by Act Of War(also by Dynasty)who was steered home to an easy victory by Pierre Strydom who has now booted home his 5000 winner! Even top jockey Michael Roberts did not win as many as 4000 races!
In Gauteng in the Summer Cup, Louis The King returned and he remained a “king” by showing his opposition a clean pair of heels to give trainer Geoff Woodruff a great days racing as he also won other features on the day.
In the Gardenia Handicap over 1000 meters, a listed race, TIGER QUEST finished 4th to a fast daughter of Bold Ellinore being by Trippi ,a stallion that is currently appears to be doing great things at the race track . TRIPLE APOLOGY. He was sold by Ambleway on last year’s Ready To Run Sale! Another graduate of that sale was ALYSA’S PRIZE who after having run a few promising places won her maiden for her connections in the Cape.
Dennis Drier must have been happy with yet another son of Trippi, TRIPTIQUE winning in the Cape. He had just been beaten in his 1st start then followed this up by an easy victory for his connections. The Drier yard featured in KZN, under Stuart Ferry, when CANADIAN CLUB started off a quick winning double at the polytrack at Greyville.This track may not be every ones favourite but it appears that some trainers and horses have really done well here.....
Craig Eudey also scored a quick double starting off with the Miesque Approval filly NIGHTS ON BROADWAY. She had been rested and it was great to see her win her 2nd start back! Yours truly was one of her happy owners alongside the jubilant Craig Eudey himself! The other trainer who must have been very happy was Wendy Whitehead when she won with LADY CARTER! Both of these horses were bred at Scott Bros by Des Scott.
Duncan Howells may have had a quieter time at Greyville as he was waiting for the grass to re- open at Scottsville, and he sounded the alarm bells when his filly LITTLEBLACKNUMBER won her first race back for her connections. In the same race LADY CARTER and IMPERIAL FABERGE were placed!
There is a list of horses to follow that should win soon including:
SHOW ME HEAVAN, ACROSS THE LAKE, INDIAN CONNECTION, HAWAIIN SUN, ELUSIVE LADY, VARIKATE, BREATHLESS, FIREWOOD ,SABRE TOOTH ,HUNTING OWL, KINGS ARCHER,TARGET FIVE ,VOGUE WOOD,VISION QUEST,D’VASH, LE CHAT D’AMOUR,SEA FEVER , ICE GODESS and BAY ROUTE
Watch these horses win soon!
We are so excited with racing at the moment as we have had some real luck......long may it last! We have had our stars home to rest (SARATOGA DANCER and BARBOSA) and sadly for us they are both going to their respective trainers.
BARBOSA left us already and has benefitted from his break here. He has freshened up and is ready now for more work at Summerveld with Stuart Ferry. SARATOGA DANCER has been gelded and had a month off here and goes into more work at Ashburton this week.
We are also delighted with the foals and mares that are coming back home next week......the foals are awesome and the mares are in foal too!
Thank you all at Clifton Stud for all of your hard work! We expect a smart filly by Oratorio x FINE FEATHER, a leggy colt by Kahal x AIRBRUSH and a strong colt by Kings Apostle x Western Intrigue home. We have already got a very large STRAWBERRY FLEECE home and she is in foal to Irish Flame .He maybe stout but was a star and is by the current stallion Dynasty who is doing so well at stud! For those whom are unaware ....FINE FEATHER won 7 races and has produced all winners for us at Ambleway. She is the dam of PHANTOM FIGHTER, BARBOSA, KANEVARO, STRAWBERRY FLEECE and KALUMUS! LEGEND FIGHTER and FIREWOOD have yet to win and, now we wait with abated breathe for the filly by Oratorio.
We are away for Xmas from 23 December until 26 December and Ambleway will be in the hands of our able assistant Rachel White who can be contacted on 079 561 3703 for any information regarding your horses or if you want to visit them. Enjoy your racing...that is all for now!
Jane Trotter
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