The Gauteng Season is in full swing and we have had graduates compete in some of the Features there....

SAME JURISDICTION was expected to run well in The Gauteng Guineas but due to her interrupted preparation and a poor passage in the race, she finished 5th. She took part in the SA Fillies Classic and was drawn well, ridden by an experienced jockey in Anton Marcus, and she started favourite to win this race. It was almost over, but the wet going found her out in the last few strides, and she was beaten into second place by the filly Sirens Call –the winner of 2 legs of the Wilgebosdrift Triple Tiara! What a pity for SAME JURISDICTION as this was her race!

On the same evening at Meydan we were placed 2nd with a gutsy horse in the Dubai Gold Cup over 3200 meters! Trained by Mike De Kock, the SA Bred horse, STAR EMPIRE showed us all his staying ability by running a great second....he is so consistent and has remained such a useful stayer in Dubai!

What an exciting days racing for us locally to watch!

The Juveniles are now coming out in full swing and among the winners is a horse that came 2nd in his debut at Scottsville, and then won his second start at Greyville over 1000 meters for the Jonssons! VOUS ET VAR won a very good race as he had showed his connections Nic and Benji Jonsson and his conditioner Michael Roberts that he has plenty of speed . He won an impressive race and is by Var bred at Avontuur Stud! Well done to all as he is such a nice type of horse and should go on from here......

Nic Jonsson was featured again when his speedy filly by Ashawees –MARIA ESTELLA set the pace and won easily at Greyville over 1000 meters on the polytrack- her debut run. This filly is really fast, she burst out of the gates from an outside draw and had the race won very early for rider Keegan De Milo and conditioner Michael Roberts! Well done to all her connections and to Boland Stud who bred her!

“Chestnut N’ Pearls before she left Ambleway”
CHESTNUT N’ PEARLS made it look so easy in the second race for Maiden Juvenile Fillies over 1200 meters at Scottsville. She was not primed to win but she did it in fine style in her debut for her connections-Jaap van der Vendel, Mark Currie and Mayesh Chetty and the Drier team! Well done to all of you as she has been prepared and taken to The 2014 Ready To Run Sale at Germiston for Nutfield Stud by Ambleway and this daughter of Horse Chestnut looks a serious contender to follow. Second in the race was another graduate of Ambleway-DURBAN BLUES. This daughter of Ashawees was fancied by her connections to run well and she did not disappoint them! Messrs Benji Jonsson and Nic Labuschagne were there to watch her with her conditioner -Michael Roberts who was very chuffed with her run!

A juvenile that should win soon is CHRONOLOGICAL who was placed second in her 2nd start at Scottsville she just found one horse to beat her on the day! She was trained for enthusiastic race goer Brian Burnard by Duncan Howells. Watch her as this daughter of Mogok is well related being a half sister to the useful sprinter MISS ARGENTINA.

A daughter of Mambo In Seattle- TALES OF MAMBO ran on for 3rd at Scottsville. She was bred at Nutfield Stud and also prepared and sold by Ambleway at the 2014 Ready To Run Sales at Germiston.

We had a lot of graduates winning in KZN including.....SKY CASTLE, FIREWOOD, BALTIC AMBER,GOLDEN ANSWER,HOT RESPONSE and OH BOY

SKY CASTLE and OH BOY won at different tracks for the same team at the Drier yard. They were both ridden by the in form- Sean Cormack - and the Drier yard. SKY CASTLE broke her maiden over 1600 metres in easy fashion for Mike Fullard and James Drew who bred and own this daughter of Jet Master out of the useful mare Rei Rei! Well done team, as she had been fancied by all as she had run places previously!

OH BOY had run and won his debut at Scottsville over a sprint of 1200 meters then run a 5th at Greyville. On his return to Scottsville he won again for his connections over 1400 meters and boasts an amazing record of two wins from three starts for David Abery, Knut Haug and Gary Player! Well done to Varsfontein Stud who bred this son of by Judpot. Watch him over ground when he races!

The evening that 3 graduates from all different stables won on March 20 at Greyville was such a special eve of racing! Graduates won including FIREWOOD, BALTIC AMBER and GOLDEN ANSWER and each horse is worth mentioning........

FIREWOOD started the successful evening off winning a sprint over 1400 meters on the Polytrack impressively by nearly 3 lengths. This gelding by the ill fated Horse Chestnut out of FINE FEATHER has done really well for his connections winning two races and having been placed twice in his four starts! The Drier yard and Sean Cormack can start to map out his future with a smile!

His owners\breeders are already excited with him....Bruce Campbell, Rod and Jane Trotter and Rob Alexander and the Apache Syndicate......roll on the Winter Season here in KZN!

The next race was won by BALTIC AMBER for the Howells yard. He had been off since his maiden run and he won well for them over a mile on the turf. I have to congratulate Cathy who picked him at the Two Year Old Sale in 2013 for his owners Duncan and Edwin Foster.....being unfashionably bred by Alado he really looked a special horse to her! Well done!

The third win of the evening was by the fancied GOLDEN ANSWER over a mile on the turf. She was conditioned by an elated Corinne Bestell for racing enthusiast and owner Erich Buhr and won her race by a good margin beating home the favourite, another graduate , BIRKINS BEST. She is by the stallion A P Answer who sired two winners at that meeting!

A P Answer had already sired HOT RESPONSE the previous week at Greyville. She was conditioned by Craig Eudey for her owner\ breeder Charles Touzel. Congrats must go to them both as she won over 1400 meters at the odds of 10-1. It must have been amazing to have been there.....

We had graduates win in other centres as well.....

PRETTY SPECIAL, ROMEO BRAVO, OTHER BRUDDA and SAN VINCENSO. PRETTY SPECIAL won a Work Riders Race over a sprint distance for Alec Magua her owner and breeder. ROMEO BRAVO won over 1800 metres for his new connections- George Uren (who also trained him) and V Mathews who lease him from the Drews and Fullard partnership. OTHER BRUDDA won over1900 meters for Mr’ Tekkie Town’– Braam Van Huusteyn and his new trainer Mr Paddock.

SAN VINSENSO won again for his connections Louis Van Wyk and Anthony Govender in Kimberley over1800 meters. This gelding by Right Approach is trained by L Human and has done so well for his team there!

Quite a number of our Ambleway graduates have featured in the money and because they have finished close up they deserve following in their next few starts including.....
SEA FAN, ULTIMATE INCA,TOPAZ RAIN,INDIAN CONNECTION,FIRST SEA LORD,KINGS ARCHER,,BIRKINS BEST,HUNTING OWL,IMPERIAL FABERGE,LE CHAT D’AMOUR,UMOYANA,SUPERTUBE,O’BRIEN,ICE GODDESS,MISS ARGENTINA,TALES OF MAMBO,SLEWSGATE,QUEEN DELTA,MASKED GIRL and AVARICIOUS

The Cape Thoroughbred sale book 2 was held over the long week- end in March. We were delighted to get sent 3 yearlings from the sale to grow out and later school. A son of Horse Chestnut-HORSE GUARD, and two fillies by Ashawees and Black Minnaloushe. Thank you to the connections of these 3 yearlings for entrusting them to Ambleway!

The sale showed that the Champion stallion Trippi lead the market with a son of his making 1.3 million rands, followed by sons of Noordhoek Flyer, Western Winter and Dynasty. The top priced filly was by the useful sire Captain Al .

The top price yearling was down on last year, however the median price of 90k was higher than the last two years even though the colts median price was down and the fillies remained static- according to Karel Medeima. The overall results indicate the stronger buying power that was evident in the middle market.

The next sale is the Cape Thoroughbred Sale at Emperors Palace and the National Sale at Germiston on the 22, 23 and 24 April. There have been plenty of champions bought there at the National Sales, and we will see you there! If you purchase any babies you are welcome to send them to Ambleway to be schooled for training.

That is all for now

Enjoy your racing....

Jane Trotter