Firstly can you believe that it is already the second month of this year – and it is flying by so quickly..........I hope that everyone had a good festive season and new year and with it some sort of a break before we get into the new year that is upon us. (Image: Jet Explorer) 

The racing season is changing now too as the Sizzling Summer Season in the Cape was finished this week end and now we can focus on the Gauteng season.

It has been so busy in the Cape what with the Cape Premier sales on then the following week end the racing itself heated up to an appropriate climax with the Met day at Kenilworth.

We were at the Met and it was a great days racing with us from Ambleway having a graduate runner - JET EXPLORER in the race. He had run a promising 4th in the Queen’s Plate, so this together with the scratching of Legislate, he was the hope of both us and the Snaith team.

However this was not to be, as the race was actually won by one of the horses that I saw at last year’s Met day and whom I have been punting for most of the year- Futura. He was favourite and after winning the Queens Plate (albeit against all odds) he was fancied by all to follow up again....this he did in a manner of a true champion!

The Met day started off with a bang when the Dennis Drier trained BALKAN won the first race! She had been running over different distances (this was back to 1000 meters) and against strong fields, so it was not surprising to see her in the winners enclosure for her happy team of owners. Well done to Avontuur Stud for breeding this daughter of the legendry Horse Chestnut! Dennis was back in the 5th race with an easy win by TRIPTIQUE. This was his 3rd consecutive sprint win for “Takkie Town” owner Braam van Huusteyn and partners. Having been narrowly beaten into 2nd spot in his debut he looks like being a serious sprinter in the making. He is another son of the successful sire Trippi and was bred by Moutonshoek.

Apart from these two winners on Met Day we had 5 other graduates win around the country over the same week end! HOLD THE LINE, MURMERING SKY, SEA FEVER, OH BOY and THRESHOLD won to give Ambleway graduates a tally of 7 runners in a week end !

HOLD THE LINE was out for a while and he ran a good place after his gelding. This op obviously paid dividends as he improved beyond reason to win by over3 lengths and was given a hands and heels ride by the successful jockey-Sean Cormack and the Drier yard. A few of his opposition were scratched but he was so full of running I don’t believe that they would have made any difference to the result. He won easily for his team of owners including Colin Naidoo, Messrs Singh , Nair and Deokyranain. He is a full brother to ORANGE BLOSSOM( Miesque Approval ) who had won six races for her connections, and was bred at Spring Valley Stud

We then had another graduate win over a sprint of 1000m at the same meeting at Greyville- ACROSS THE LAKE won her second victory for her owners Messrs De Beyer, Kotzen, Smith, Greenwood and De Jager. This daughter of Lake Conistan has an interesting story behind her... she was bred by her owner Peter De Buyer and taken to the KZN sale in 2013 by Ambleway. She had a weak dam line so only got onto the sale because she was such a nice specimen... The rest is history as Glen Kotzen bought her and he successfully trains and has a share in her!

The next winner was in PE- MURMERING SKY, and she was successful wearing the familiar Graham Beck silks for her new trainer Alan Greef. She has now notched up her 4th career victory and she is by Jallad out of a US mare that we schooled for her well known owner-FAR OFF THUNDER. The mare herself had already won 4 races for Graham Beck and this filly, her first foal, has won over 1400 although her dam won up to 1900! She was bred by Highlands Stud farm.

At Scottsville we had 3 winners ....

SEA FEVER , supporting the silks of the successful owner of Futura-Jack Mitchell won his 2nd start very convincingly for the formidable team of Sean Cormack and the Drier yard. He had undergone an op for his breathing problems and this was obviously successful-the op was performed by the able surgeon Johnny Cave (from Dr Baker’s practise). He won over a sprint distance and it will be interesting to follow him over further, as his dam won up to 2000meters! He is a son of the sprinter Argonaut and was bred at Cheveley Stud.

The Drier yard were again in the pound seats in the next race when OH BOY won his debut for his well known owners Knut Haug , David Abery and Gary Player. Although he was not expected to win, as he started at longer odds than his stable companion, he gave his owners much excitement over this sprint distance. He was bred at Varsfontein Stud by Carl and Amanda de Vos and is by Judpot

The last winner of the week end was that of THRESHOLD over a sprint distance of 1000meters. He won his 4th career victory for a very happy Charles Touzel and conditioner Craig Eudey. He has been running very consistently and this son of Right Approach looks like a stayer but sprints –so who can tell until they race......he was bred by Wilgebosdrift Stud

We have had a few graduates win races around the country including –MORPHEUS,HUNTING OWL,CRIME VICTIM and HEART OF WINTER.....

MORPHEUS won again for owner Knut Haug over 1450 meters. This son of Silvano notched up his 3rd win for him under Pierre Strydom and his 2nd win for conditioner Dom Zaki. Well done!

At Scottsville we have been successful with HUNTING OWL and CRIME VICTIM for KZN Champion trainer-Duncan Howells. The former, HUNTING OWL is also a son of the successful sire Silvano and he ran on so well from behind suggesting that he will win over further than 1400 meters for his owner Michael Leaf. He was such a lovely specimen at the Two Year Old Sales in 2013 that he had to dig deep into his pockets to secure him! He won well after running good places before he had won....

The son of Bezrin, CRIME VICTIM won again over 1950 for owner Mr Reardon and although he surprised the commentators, as he won from coming last into the straight, this gelding certainly showed the opposition a clean pair of heels once he got going! He has been gelded and one wonders if this does not help him focus on the task at hand!

The next winner was in Kimberley-HEART OF WINTER won a sprint of 1000 meters for her new connections. She had been raced in KZN by Duncan Howells and her speed was always there being by Rebel King out of Ruby Heart , but she had not put her best foot here .

KAMIKAZE also broke her maiden in Kimberley for her new connections and she got up to win by a half length having been placed before that win. She was bred by Gill Drier and Peter De Marigny out of their mare Port N Lemon.

There is a list of horses that need following that should win soon...

MCGEEK,OVERBERRY,EASY LOVER,OTHER BRUDDA,MAN OF HONOUR,TIGER QUEST,GOLDEN ANSWER,MASKED GIRL,LEGEND FIGHTER,TOPAZ RAIN,INSPECTOR CASEY,AVARICIOUS,DEONS WISH,HOWAMI,SILVER HONEY,MIESQUEROK, ULTIMATE TIGER and LITTLEBLACKNUMBER

Follow them as they should make the victorious winners box soon....

I did not attend the Cape Premier sales the week before the Met but it sounds like records fell..... the prices were very high, the highest yearling ever purchased in SA was over 5 million Rands, and the average increased by 12% and the median increased by 14% on last year’s sale. It proved very difficult to buy horses as there was so much money around- this is good for the industry

It looks as though although it is in its infancy, that the Cape Premier sale which is only 3 years old, is becoming a show case on South Africa’s auction scene.

Let us see if this trend follows at the TBA Sale in later February at the Paarl area of Val De Vie. We will be attending that sale so if anyone has bought a yearling and wants it grown out and later schooled give me a call on my cell 082 800 40 48

That is all for now

Enjoy your racing

Jane Trotter