Dr Anna Peggram and her daughter Tara
Horseracing doesn’t always have to revolve around bad politics, greedy men in suits, perceived treachery and betting turnovers. The feelgood side of the game was illustrated at Durbanville on Wednesday after Joey Ramsden’s Corday had shed her maiden to win the third race. A story emerged of a good deed rewarded and an owner who loves her horses for more than the stake cheques and the supposed glamour.
Well known Cape Vet Dr Anna Peggram was on course to lead Corday in after the strapping chestnut had disposed of Mystical Moon after a shortlived duel in the last 200m of the 1300m race.
The winning margin actually flattered the dwarfed runner up after jockey Greg Cheyne had the whip knocked out of his hand earlier in the running.
Corday,who like all of the good doctor’s horses are named after a character in the ER episode she happens to be watching when they foal down, is a daughter of Sorrento stallion Royal Air Force, out of the one time winning Model Man mare, Model Star.
Model Star was rescued by Dr Peggram when she was called out to a farm in Agter Paarl seven years ago.
“Elize Clews, who owned the Engles Clews Stud and Clewthorne Stud, died of cancer at the end of 2007. I was called out by her son on New Year’s Eve to assess the horses on the farm. He was from Kimberley and wasn’t a horsey person. The old lady had done her best in her final months but some of the horses were in poor condition. We walked around with a few passports and a microchip scanner and tried to find out exactly who was who. There was an unregistered stallion running around and covering everything. It was chaotic. All the while this grey mare with a foal at foot was following me all over the place,” she recalled.
Corday looking relaxed before her win
That mare was Model Star, a rather modest one time winner, who had registered her sole win at Fairview on 17 July 1998. She was ridden by Glyn Schofield and was a daughter of Model Man out of I’m A Star (by I’m Exclusive). According to Dr Peggram she was trained by Mike Bass but the records show that she ended her racing career with Reza Van Reenen in Phillipi.
“I’m a sucker for the English thoroughbred look and she was that typical fleabitten grey. Absolutely beautiful!” she says as only a horselover could.
The new owner worked out that Daylami was the perfect match for Model Star but after travelling her up the coast to be covered, Model Star never got in foal.
Dr Peggram continues: “I really liked the breeding and I then sent her to my own stallion Noble American. That produced Clooney, who raced for Dean Kannemeyer. Then I decided that a big stallion like Royal Air Force may do the trick and bulk up her progeny. Model Star was very light of bone, feminine and quite small. She couldn’t produce a truly commercially sales product so Jet Master made no sense. I couldn’t afford the service anyway! So I took her to Royal Air Force. He is beautifully bred and a magnificent specimen. And along came Corday, ” she said.
Joey Ramsden’s British sense of humour a plus
Corday went into training with Joey Ramsden last August. She has taken time to come to hand in view of her size but this was only her fourth run.
Why Joey, we asked?
“All my trainers have been top guys, but Joey is the only one I have had success with to be honest. This was my fifth winner with him. And I’m British too, so we understand each other. And I appreciate his off the wall sense of humour. The fact that I have known him since he was 23 also helps! And his team is fantastic. Ricardo Sobotker is always at stables to give me feedback. Fiona rides my horses and keeps me in the loop. The grooms are my chums and I know them all. Just makes good sense and for enjoyable racing,” she said.
Greg Cheyne rode a balanced race without the whip
The late Mrs Clews owned the Braashee filly Indiscreet Fantasy, who famously beat Dog Wood to win the 1998 Gr1 Cape Fillies Guineas when trained by Mike Stewart.
She was a rights campaigner and a thorn in the side of the SA Turf Club Stewards for many years in a well publicised dispute.But that is a saga for another day entirely.
Model Star died last year. She was called upon to foster twin warmblood foals by Karin Koep at Rivendell Stud in Franschoek and spent her last days there.
Her last foal, named Nero, a half thoroughbred / warmblood is owned by well known local horsewoman and equine photographer, Tracey Robertson.
Note:
Greg Cheyne and Richard Fourie were the most successful jockeys on the afternoon with a double apiece. Fourie is now exactly 20 winners adrift of S’Manga Khumalo. The jockey title race could still be very interesting!
