In an editorial ‘Snaith Lauds Operators’ which was published on www.sportingpost.co.za on Monday 7 March, SA Champion trainer Justin Snaith said the only negative in SA racing at present remains the export situation.
“They would like me to send a horse to the USA but it takes me two weeks to get a horse from the Eastern Cape to Cape Town. They have to sit for two weeks in quarantine even if they return a negative PCR test. The horses we buy at the sales in other provinces will have to sit in quarantine halfway back to Cape Town before being allowed to go to their pre-racing centres. The question I have for the experts is, how is all of this seen to be ‘moving forward’” said Snaith.
Justin Snaith (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
Robin Bruss writes that Justin Snaith opines the local constraints of the EU protocol to move horses between Provinces as being unbearable and he is probably right to complain – especially since its been 11 years of suspension by the EU and we religiously must observe their requirements to re-open whilst we interminably wait for their inspection team to arrive – one of these days.
However, It is difficult to be sympathetic to his complaint when the USA route for export is an OVERNIGHT flight Johannesburg to New York with no pre-travel quarantine and he and most others who have Gr1 horses have NO appetite to take it up
The outstanding Victory Moon
We used to have a spirit of adventure and a willingness to reach for the stars – Ipi Tombe from Zimbabwe winning in Dubai and USA in a global campaign; Lizards Desire from PE going to Dubai to be beaten a whisker in the $10m World Cup and then succeeding in Singapore’s $3m race; Paris Perfect from PE ran 3rd in the Dubai World Cup; Barry Irwin’s South African purchases winning Gr1’s across America, Dubai and Hong Kong. South African Gr1 winners in Australia and even New Zealand; Victory Moon Horse of the Year in Dubai; Vercingetorix Gr1 winner in Dubai.
Vercingetorix in action at Meydan
We are the proverbial underdogs breeding tough, sound horses that surprise other countries, we punch above our weight on the world’s stage! We are proud to give it a go ! No challenge is too large to rise above! Right ?
Well, no.
When the door opened to America, I truly believed that we could take a South African team of top horses to the world’s stages, win Gr1s in America, springboard back to Dubai, hit the highspots of the $20m Saudi Cup, re-open the global interest in our country, our horses and our values. What an opportunity to re-establish our place in the global market.
We can attract travel sponsors, we can engage a new generation of supporters as we head to the horse olympics and show what we have got.
Well, no.
Actually only one horse in War Of Athena has emerged amongst our Gr1 stars to want to take the shot. The rest prefer to stay at home.
Roy and Rose Waterman-Wentzel with War Of Athema – keen to take on America (Pic- Chase Liebenberg)
Even the lure of a $40,000 (R600,000) travel incentive to cover the flight charge (kindly offered by Breeders Cup USA Ltd for our contenders) is not enough.
Let me explain why I think we should be taking the shot:
Jet Dark’s Longines Global Rating is 120, Kommetdieding 119, Captains Ransom 116 – as judged not by South Africans, but by the panel of expert handicappers from 19 countries. So can our best horses be truly competitive globally ?
The $20 million (R300 million) Saudi Cup a week ago was won by local Saudi horse Emblem Road (Rated 113) earned $10 million (R150m); 2nd was Country Grammar USA(Rated 115) earned $4 million (R60m); 3rd Midnight Bourbon USA (rated 115) earned $2m (R30m); 4th local Saudi 7yo Making Miracles (Rated 114) earned $1,5m (R22.5m); and 5th was the Uruguay 7 year old horse Aero Trem (rated 114) earned $1m (R15m) for running 5th.
Prize money goes down to 10th ($300,000 or R4,5m).
Our top 3 horses ranked above the first 5 home in the Saudi Cup.
If the World thinks our horses are good enough for a race like this, why don’t we ?
Is a R300 million purse not enough? Saudi also pays for free complimentary horse flights from USA and return. Plus there is no entry or acceptance fee for the race and free travel tickets and 5 star hotel stays are given to the connections.
So why ?
Is it that we no longer have confidence in ourselves, our own abilities and the horses that we breed?
Is it that we have been so long in the cold, we have forgotten our heart and soul and we see every challenge as an impossibility?
Ed:
Robin Bruss is a multiple Gr1 breeder and has bought and sold horses in all 5 continents, achieving the distinction of selling the great American champion Animal Kingdom from Barry Irwins’s Team Valor to Australia’s Arrowfield Stud and then going to Dubai to watch him win the $10m Dubai World Cup 2013.
He introduced Barry Irwin and Andreas Jacobs to South African racing, as well as a plethora of stallions that have had long term significant impacts for the breed.
As an industry player, Robin has served as a director of the NHA , was a member of the TBA council, a Trustee of the AHS Trust, and was one of the founding members and first CEO of Cape Thoroughbred Sales.
