EXCITING RACING GOES TO THE CAPE

Racing has moved to the Cape where all the top horses are competing in big races there. First to come back from a break was JACKSON who ran in a Pinnacle Stakes that was strong enough to be a feature race! He ran a gutsy 3rd to Variety Club who won the 1400 meter race but he did show that he was back, especially over a distance short of his best! The filly Princess Victoria taking on the best of the colts here and she ran an honest 5th. These three horses met again in a feature, the Grade 2 Green Point Stakes over a mile and again the match race was on between Variety Club, the country's champion miler, and JACKSON the top classic colt ! Variety Club won from the front and JACKSON ran on strongly from behind to run a comfortable second. CHANGINGOFTHEGUARD ran on for fourth spot!

We were delighted with Dennis Driers first winner in the Cape…CHAVE DE OURA. He won the Cape Classic a Grade 3 event over 1400 meters to show the locals he has arrived in the Cape. He beat Tevez, Black Toga and Sanshawees, who came 2nd, in the process. This was the colts 3rd win in a row having only been unplaced in his debut and he certainly gives Knut Haug a big interest in the forthcoming Cape Season. He is a son of Jet Master and is out of a Complete Warrior mare, Knut having paid R650,000 at the Cape Premier sales for him. It looks like he will pay his way!

Soon after this race was run COMPTESSE DU BOIS all but won the Diana Stakes G3 over the same distance. She took the lead and was caught on the line with a head up head down situation, the winner being Valdivia. This daughter of Count Du Bois has really done well under the training of Justin Snaith for her owners Anant Singh and Team Valour. The filly MADAME ROONEY, who has also done well for herself ,ran on for 4th place.

Back in Kwa Zulu Natal we had the first of the International Jockeys competing here at Clairwood. Frankels jockey, Tom Queally, was very popular and he and the other riders showed their mettle during the meeting. At the same meeting we were delighted with the win of LOVE STRUCK in the KZN Betting World Guineas Trial a listed race over 1600 meters. This horse was gelded and it has really worked wonders, having won his last start by over 6 lengths! This progeny of Kahal was 3rd to The Hangman in the Grade 1 Premier Champion Stakes so really deserved this win for conditioner Paul Lafferty and owners Alesh Naidoo and Anthony Govender.

We returned from the recent Ready To Run Sales feeling very happy! The prices were higher than expected and overall it was a tough sale to buy at! The market was strong and it was up on the last year's sale by over 20%! There was a lot of interest in foreign horses by well performed stallions and by local top stallions Jet Master, Trippi and Var etc. The sale prices were much the same as the National Sales were.

The average of R229,000 was only a little less R233,000 of The Nationals! The median price of R150,000 was much the same as the National sales.

We were delighted to have sold our 9 horses ranging from the top sale of R500,000 down and our average price was R238,000 and the median was R200,000 both above the sale prices! Our Australian colt by Casino Prince, HIGH STAKES, was bought by Mike Azzie for young new patrons for R500,000. On the first night we sold two horses for a lot more than expected. The filly by Toreodor x Make My Mellenium(a half sister to Jet Master) reached R475.000 and was purchased by Enrico Verdonese for his new owner. Her breeding potential was lifted the following day when Festival Of Fire won the Starling Stakes, a Grade 3 race, for Mike De Kock at Turfontein. We were also thrilled with the interest shown in our Eyeofthetiger colt SABRE TOOTH. He was bought by Sean Tarry for R280.000 with plenty of bidding to get his price so high. He was a super mover and this certainly caught the eye!

Overall it seems that this sale is on the up as people who pin hooked from earlier sales and had bought world class sires progeny sold well. The top price was for a son of Tale Of The Cat that was consigned by Summerhill. He had been shipped here as a weanling and had developed into a super colt. Die Kat was sold for the 3rd highest ever price at this sale! The previous two top priced horses were also by foreign stallions Rock Of Gibralter and Galileo (the World's top sire)

Following on the strength of this sale, we now have 12 horses from Scott Brothers to sell from Ambleway. These horses are being schooled and prepared to sell from the farm for Des and Robin Scott. They are in great condition and have been handled a lot, so it makes our job easier!

There are 3 two year olds by new sire Atso (An unraced son of Kingmambo) the fillies are out of well known mares Blue lavender, Flying Filly(who is by Fasliyev) and Pretty Groovy.There are also 3 fillies by well known sire Miesque Approval(also by the Mr Prospector sireline) out of dams Timelss Tune,Vaudeville and Dolphin Coast. There is a smart colt by him out of Heartbreaker, herself a good racehorse!

The Scotts are also selling progeny by their new well bred son of Danehill, Overlord. There are 4 fillies and a colt on offer……the fillies are out of Cool Summer, Carte Express, Angel Child and Vulcan Bomber. The only colt is out of Fourth Avenue a well bred mare being a sister to Special Parade. We will discuss these horses more in the next newsletter. Until then please feel free to phone me about them or do come and see them for yourselves.

We have been lucky on the track with Ambleway graduates wining doubles at recent meetings……LOVESTRUCK and THRESHOLD won at Scottsville, PUT THE KETTLE ON and LOVESTRUCK won later in the month at Clairwood and in Kimberley DYNAMIC DYNASTY and HEN PARTY won!

At Scottsville THRESHOLD opened up the success story by winning again for Charles Touzel. This colt by Right Approach on conformation looks like a stayer so he was tried over further however the jockey felt his speed and trainer Craig Eudey brought him back to the minimum trip and he now boasts two wins in a row! Well done!

LOVESTRUCK won his race very easily by over 6 lengths to back up his good two year old form over 1400 meters! He then followed up this win later in the month with a win in the Guineas Trial! Anthony Govender has had a successful month as another of his horses, SAN VINCENZO won for him and his partner Louis Van Wyk. This son of Right Approach won his maiden over a mile for Paul Lafferty after running some promising places.

PUT THE KETTLE ON won again for James Drew and Mike Fullard over 1400meters. This daughter of Dynasty has been very consistent having started 12 times for 3 wins and 6 places for the Drier yard. Stuart Ferry who is running the yard in Dennis absence must have been thrilled with her win as in KZN is has been so wet and difficult to get horses fit. In fact it has been difficult to even have race meetings! They purchased her at the Graham Beck dispersal sale last year.

In Kimberley another progeny of Dynasty, DYNAMIC DYNASTY, that was bred at Highlands Stud, and also sold at the Graham Beck Reduction Sale, broke his maiden very easily by the margin of 5 lengths for the Visser family. Later that day a daughter of Sarge which was bred, owned and trained by St John Gray made the frame over 1800 meters. HENS PARTY is out of the mare SCUFFELBIRD that was schooled some years back at Ambleway.

WIND AT YOUR BACK, a son of Windrush, also won for his connections in Kimberley over 1200 meters. He was also sold at the Graham Beck Reduction Sale by Highlands Farm having been prepared by Ambleway. The combination of Ambleway and Highlands Stud farm has had a successful month with plenty of the horses prepared by Ambleway for them to sell, have won races!

A filly by Jet Master, QUICK DELIVERY, won again in PE for Des Scott. This big daughter of the great ill-fated stallion is out of Carta Expressa, and is a half sister to the Overlord filly we are selling here who is also a nice mover and forward going! She won her second race for trainer Gavin Smith over 1200 meters and does not look like stopping here!

There is a long list of horses that have been running close up and deserve to be followed in their next few starts including……..ROLL CALL, FESTIVE INTERLUDE, GOLDEN SLIPPER, KALINAGO, MIKES CHOICE, LAMORNA, FACING FURY, TWILIGHT ELVA, JET EXPLORER, HALLOWED, COME WITH ME, GRASP YOUR DESTINY, MR PATMAN, LORD LEIGH, RUBY QUEEN, ROMAN LEGION, GANESH, THE IT GIRL, BADGER FRIENDLY, SHARK ATTACK, SHIMMERING JET, WATCH THE SUNSET, NOMENCULTURE, COLOURFUL JET, COSMOGENIC, SACRED CALL, WENDYS MAN, NEVER FOREVER, TWO TONE, and IRISH MAID

We are delighted to have two colt foals born…a Toreodor out of STRAWBERRY FLEECE our Western Winter mare, and an AP Answer colt out of our Jet Master mare AIRBRUSH! It is really exciting to have babies to watch grow out and I wish fellow breeders the best of luck with their foals! It must be a really busy time on all the stud farms now!

The KZN Breeders Awards dinner was held last week and congratulations must go to all the hard work put into the game by all who were recognised there. Dancewiththedevil was voted the Horse Of The Year for the second time and congratulations are in order to our supporter St John Gray her owner, breeder and trainer, and to all at Hadlow Stud who have played their part in raising her. We wish her well in the UK. We have had a few of her relations here at Ambleway and the best to date so far is DANCE ALLEY.

That's all for now……enjoy your racing!

Jane Trotter