On Saturday 26 October 2024, Kommetjie Storm (Elusive Fort- Adorable), the 3yo full sister to champion racehorse and now sire, Kommetdieding, hacked up at Turffontein to win her maiden at her second start by 5 lengths, easing up.
Kommetjie Storm in the National Yearling Sales ring (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
She was the sales topper at the 2023 BSA National Yearling Sales, and already that R3.2m price tag looks cheap with her obvious paddock value.`
Bred by Barbara Sanne’s Oldlands Stud, she earned the highest auction price of any Elusive Fort yearling, and it is thus particularly pleasing that she has started her racing career so well. Kestorm Investments (Mr K Pillay) should have a lot of fun with her.
She continues Elusive Fort’s incredible record of 96% winners to runners out of Captain Al mares.
At the other end of the scale, El Romiachi, an 8 year old gelding by Elusive Fort out of Scent of Victory, made his 100th racecourse appearance at Fairview on 1 November 2024.
Centurion El Romiachi wins under Louis Mxothwa last Friday at Fairview (Pic – Pauline Herman)
He started his career in Gauteng, and took 22 runs to break his maiden. A few wins and places followed in his next 22 runs. and he then relocated to Alan Greeff in Port Elizabeth, for whom he won 3 on the trot.
In August 2022, the 6yo with 55 runs under the belt, was put on the online auction, and acquired for just R5000 by the astute Zietsman Oosthuizen in partnership with Mr George Chrisochos.
He rewarded his new owners with a win in June 2023, and has stayed sound and competitive, regularly placing, but came into his 100th run some 460 days after his 8th win.
He was overdue for some relief from the handicapper, and significantly, was dropped 6 points just prior to this run.
The winning connections – Louis Mxothwa, George Chrisochos, Corne Oosthuizen, Hanco and Dad Ziets, and ABC’s Dave Scott (Pic – Pauline Herman)
Zietsman is a very good horseman and has a shrewd grasp of the MR system.
He gave his passionate owners, and the public, confidence that his old soldier had a good winning chance. Well ridden by the strong Luyolo Mxothwa, he just prevailed in a tight finish, beating the much younger, early favourite Union Rose, by a neck.
Never mind that this was a lowly MR 70 handicap- the excitement of a plan well executed was a joy to behold.
El Romiachi has now earned more than R750 000 in stakes in 7 seasons of racing, and his toughness and durability is a credit to his breeder, Adv Altus Joubert, of Riethuiskraal Stud.
