This last season has arguably been remembered by the brilliant fillies that have graced the turf around the country. Igugu won nearly every race she ran in including the July and could easily lay claims to being the best racehorse in the country; Val Dar Ra was clearly the best sprinter in the land winning 3 features consecutively this season and beat the colts as well as the fillies; Dancewiththedevil won all the feature races around up to a mile also beating both colts and fillies, and the star juvenile Princess Victoria beat her own age convincingly in both features she contested. Well done to the fillies this year as they are bound to be rewarded at the end of the seasons champion gala-event the Equus awards

We were delighted on July day to have horses run very well in 3 of the big races;

" BULSARA (pictured on July day) ran on for 5th place in the July, " PREDESTINATION was beaten into 2nd spot by a whisker in the Grade 2 Gold Vase, " BEACH BEAUTY ran on really well into 2nd spot in the Grade 1 Garden Province. She has been a model of consistency having won the KZN Guineas and looks to be one of the best of her generation and it would not be a surprise to see her get rewarded at the forthcoming KZN awards function.

These three horses are running on KZN Champions day at the end of July. On that day BEACH BEAUTY and IRELAND compete in the Gold Bracelet a Grade 2 event over 2000 metres; PREDESTINATION and GOLDEN PARACHUTE compete in The Gold Cup a Grade 1 event over 3200 metres and BULSARA runs in the Champions Cup a Grade 1 event over 1800 metres. Other runners to watch on the day include IN LIKE FLYNN, DANCE TO THE STARS, FRENCH REEF, DORIAN GRAY, ZIZOU and PHANTOM FIGHTER

The KZN sale was held at a new venue this year -the Sun Coast Casino. The actual sale prices were disappointing for the sellers as there were lots of yearlings unsold and scratched from the catalogue. The median price showed a drop from last year with colts selling for R35,000 and fillies for R20,000. The general weak pedigrees of some of these babies may account for the lower prices. Cape sellers Daytona sold the top priced yearling for R 310,000, by Right Approach, and Boland Stud prepared and sold most of their stock well including a daughter of Windrush. We were delighted to get 6 yearlings from the sale - 2 by proven sire Kahal(2), Captain Al(1), and new stallion Miesque Approval(1),Bezrin(1) and Requim(1). These have all settled in now and are currently being prepared for training.

Apart from horses coming from the KZN Sale to be prepared for training we have had 4 yearlings come from The Cape Premier Summer Sale. These horses were purchased in January then sent to grow out at their respective stud farms until July. We have been sent two well boned fillies- a daughter of speedy Var - HLATAKULU, and a daughter of Fort Wood out of Frostbite; as well as two well grown strong colts by Jet Master - CHAVE DE OURO and by Royal Applause - FACING FURY.

The next sale is the two Year old sale over the 12, 13 and 14 August at Germiston. There are a large number of yearlings that will be going through the ring and we shall be there to assist buyers and take home youngsters that require preparation for the track.

Quite a few of the juveniles purchased at last years sales are now winning on the track including REIGNING RUBY, MIGHTY MARS and IKHATI. REIGNING RUBY was purchased at last years KZN sale and followed her placed debut by a good win over 1200 metres for Ian Longmore and Dean Haymen. They bought her half brother this year by Bezrin and he is also going to the Vaal trainer Stan Ferreira to train. The Spectrum gelding MIGHTY MARS surprised all at long odds to win over 1200 metres at Scottsville even beating his more fancied stable companion! Well done to all of his connections-Erich Buhr, Greg Blank, Alan Gooderson and Jimmy Burgess as well as conditioner Dennis Drier. Dennis must also have been thrilled with the facile debut victory of the filly IKHATI. She was purchased at the Ready To Run sale and was sent here to rest for a few months. She won her first start easily over the minimum trip of 1000 metres for Mayesh Chetty.

Other older horses to have won lately include; OUR BUDDY a son of Western Winter trained by Alec Laird won over 1160 metres for his team of owners Messrs Wilson, Wernars and Stephen. COUNTRY ROSE a daughter of Camden Park notched up her 2nd career victory for Andre Fouche and conditioner Jeff Freedman. ART WISH the strong son of Strike Smartly pulverised his field to win by 8 lengths over 1450 at the Vaal for Robbie Sage and owner-breeder Mrs Oppenheimer.

SEA OF ICE has been fancied to break his maiden for sometime for Justin Snaith. This tall son of Western Winter seems to have taken time to mature and won well over 1600 to beat the favourite. Pat and Henry Devine were delighted with his win as they have been very patient with him. They were also successful with JET INTO THE WIND who is trained by Mike Bass over 1400 metres. He is the son of the current champion stallion Jet Master. I know it is an exciting and stressful time for them as the race for the title with Captain Al is very close!

LAMORNA won again for the Sydney Cassel family over the sprint distance of 1000metres, and she was successfully conditioned by Michael Roberts who recently relocated to train at Summerveld. RULES OF ENGAGEMENT has been knocking on the door for St John Gray and this time made his opposition look ordinary winning by a big margin of 5 lengths at the Vaal over 1200 metres.

FIRST AND FAST has come to Ambleway to be prepared on behalf of her owners Des Scott and Andy Williams for a new life at stud. She won her last race for conditioner Duncan Howells over 1400 metres before retiring.

We had a very rewarding day later in the month when 3 of our graduates won on the same day! KALAAM, FRENCH REEF and WILD TYPE all won their respective races at the Vaal and Greyville. KALAAM has been a very useful daughter of Kahal winning 2 of her last three starts and notching up her third victory to date for Roland Bouwer. She was bred by Kjell Foundation and has been a wonderful filly for Stan Ferreira to train! FRENCH REEF seems to enjoy Greyville and won a gutsy race for the Young family over 1600 metres. It looked like he had been beaten and he came back with a good rattle to keep his head in front where it mattered for conditioner Craig Eudey. WILD TYPE won his last start at Scottsville and he showed his versatility to tracks by winning again over 1400 for Mrs Oppenheimer. He is trained by Gavin Van Zyl.

The following meeting Dennis Drier had double success with two of Ambleway graduates HAPPY HEART and WILD GINGER. HAPPY HEART won easily over a sprint distance to win by over 3 lengths. She was acquired at the Graham Beck Reduction Sale for Hassim Adams and this daughter of Dynasty looks very useful. WILD GINGER won for her breeders Joe Jackson and Trevor Torgius who race her with Mark Stones over 1400 metres. Well done to all.

At the next meeting Ambleway graduates were successful in another double when ASSESSMENT and DIVINE RIGHT won! Craig Eudey trains the tall son of Fort Wood who dug down deep at the line to get in front of his opposition. ASSESSMENT is raced by a team of enthusiastic owners Messrs Felix, Longmore, Griesel, Haymen, Mc Connel, Phillips, Roberts, Touzel and Vermaak. The next race was won by over a length by another Dynasty filly DIVINE RIGHT. She won again for Alec Laird and her team of owners Messres Wernars, Stephens and Wilson who had already won with OUR BUDDY.

In PE we were thrilled to see the win of TIGJERBEECH as she has been knocking on the door for sometime and she won for her new connections.

Well done to all of the above successful connections.

We have a long list of horses that need to be watched in their next few starts; MEDICIAN WOOD, HOWYA, PREDESTINATION, PHANTOM FIGHTER, STELLAR SEASON, GRAND NATIONAL, OVERBERRY, SILVERHEATH, CHRYSTAL BAY, KRUGER RAND, SEXY SALSA, DRAWBRIDGE, TWO TONE, AVILA, GRAMMATICA, CUCUMBER ALLEY, GREEN LINE and ZIZOU.

That's all for now!

See you at the races

Jane Trotter