Sands of Time – July 1994

3 – 9 July 1994

Sales topper at the 1994 Natal Winter Yearling Sale is a Bush Telegraph colt out of 5 time winner Miss Evert, appropriately named Mac The Brat. Consigned by Frank Freeman’s Boland Stud on behalf of John Stubbs, the colt is knocked down to Laurie Jaffe for R110,000. Prices are up overall, with the aggregate rising 12% and the average price up 11% to R19 350. Top vendors are Kildaragh Park Stud. However, it’s less good news at the mixed sale a few days later. Top priced mare is the Harry Hotspur matron Mary Hotspur in foal to champion sire Foveros, who sells to Richard Birch for R45,000. Rising costs are forcing breeders to scale down and it is a bargain-basement sale. The 123 lots gross R737 400 and 31% of the catalogue fails to find a buyer. The weanling market also suffers, with only 20 of the 30 weanlings selling, the best being a Qui Danzig colt from Kingswood Stud, selling for R15,000.

The R60,000 Tony Ruffel Handicap run over 1600m at Newmarket during the first week of July is a very useful consolation race for late-maturing three-year-olds and Jean Heming provides an upset with her Damascus Gate gelding, Circus Gate wins by ½ length from Tobie Spies’s Autumn Song.

In the Durbanville Oaks, the Del Sarto filly Bacio, famously nursed back to health by trainer Andries Steyn and jockey Garth Puller after a mysterious poisoning, records her fifth win from ten starts with Puller in the saddle. Mike de Kock, fielding a string at Summerveld for the season, produces a shock winner of Greyville’s 2400m Gr3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup when B and C Division campaigner, Oriental Examiner beats home dual Gr2 Woolavington winner Sweet Secret to win going away by the best part of a length.

On 9 July Gary Alexander saddles 6 winners on the Turffontein’s 8 race card. Ironically Alexander is sick in bed and misses it. All six winners are ridden by stable jockey MJ Odendaal. Golden Taipan disappoints in the Gr2 Durban Merchants Handicap, which is won by Prince Of War, finishing strongly from off the pace to win going away from Midnight Run. James Lightheart takes the honours in the Ladies Mile when Patrick McGivern brings bottom-weight Overflame home by the shortest of short heads over Tingo Tango.

10 – 16 July

There is a major upset in the R60 000 Joseph Dorfman Memorial Futurity over 1200m at the Vaal when George Tambourlas trained Roman General outclasses his more fancied rivals. The 3200m marathon Durbanville Cup has been on the winter programme at the Cape for as long as anyone can remember and Royal Voyager, ridden by Mark Neisius in the Swynford Paddocks silks, puts up a game performance to beat the filly Knots Landing with the Eastern Cape challenger Stateway in the minor place.

There are strong feelings of dissent among the Cape administrative ranks post amalgamation, with the financial position precarious, threatened grooms strikes, lack of funding to build stables for visiting horses and the state of the Milnerton track as well as frustration among admin staff and officials. This seems reflected by the weather and torrential rain lashes the Western Cape resulting in the Winter Challenge needing to be rescheduled. The first leg remains unaffected, but the third leg (Listed Milnerton 2000) is moved ahead of the second (Kenilworth Challenge) due to track conditions and won easily by Model Future for Mark Khan and Mike Bass. Filly Shepherd’s Moon showed designs on the Guineas with an easy 5,75 win over the colts in the Listed Cape Breeders Stakes. Jungle Warrior makes a useful start to his stud career with son Western Rocket looking useful, racking up three wins, including the Gr3 JWS Langerman Futurity, before going into the Gr2 Clairwood Park Juvenile Futurity. Western Rocket hits the front with 400m to go and keeps finding more to hold La Fabulous at bay by a ½ length. First and second past the post are both saddled by Clairwood conditioner Neville Pearce.

17 – 23 July

The in-form Gary Alexander yard’s winning spree continues when he saddles the winner of the R60,000 Jack Patience Futurity Stakes over 1200m at the Vaal. Beryl Marquard, who races in the well-known Beck colours, races handily and finishes best to win by ¾ length. Unbeaten in 2 career outings, Beryl Marquard also qualifies for the added Futurity Stake.

The R25 000 St Andrews Paddock Stakes over 1800m at Arlington is a triumph for Stanley Greeff, who saddles the first two past the post in 4/1 chance Delta Swing, ridden by Dougie Whyte, and Little Arc, partnered by Charles Roberts. In other EC news, Dion announces that it will continue to sponsor the EP Derby for R100 000. Smart three-time winning Transvaal runner Shoe Danzig (USA) filly Dancing Danzig is drawn in the bush for Greyville’s 1400m Gr2 JB McIntosh Fillies Classic, but she starts an 18/10 favourite. Jockey Rhys van Wyk sits off the pace, before unleashing his run some 300m out, producing a flying finish to short-head Joyous Dancer with Noble Prophet only a neck further back third. The 1994 renewal of the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes at Ascot proves an eventful one. Walter Swinburn is dislodged from Ezzoud, who proceeds to cause havoc. However, Michael Kinane rises to the occasion. Switching King’s Theatre in and out to avoid the jinking Azzoud, he navigates a clear passage and drives King’s Theatre to a 1 ¼ length victory over White Muzzle with outsider Wagon Master 2 ½ lengths third. It is Kinane’s second King George and a third victory for trainer Henry Cecil for owner Sheikh Mohammed.

24 – 30 July

Gary Player-bred Broadway Flyer may have missed the Derby, but puts himself in line for the St Leger with a good win in the Gordon Stakes at Goodwood. Henry Cecil is back in the winner’s enclosure again when Distant View lands the Gr1 Sussex Stakes in course record time.

Back home, the Tibouchina Stakes is won by Outstanding Star (Aus), who comes from a long way off the pace to outgun Fair Model by a length in an exciting finish. With Empress Club having left for the USA, Flaming Rock was the sole remaining big crowd puller. Having enjoyed a successful racing season since his stud debut, the 1994 Mainstay was to be his swansong. His entry into the parade ring was greeted with applause and he cantered down the short-priced favourite. However, it was another Irishman who took the honours. A lack of pace played right into the hands of jockey Mark Sutherland, having his first ride after a two-week suspension for interference aboard Surfing Home (USA) in the Rothmans July. He was 2 lengths clear at the 200m mark and despite Flaming Rock’s best efforts in the final stages, there was three-parts of a length separating them at the line. Rothmans July discard Out Of Step, one of the backmarkers into the straight, flew up late for third money as did minor place getter Take A Walk (NZ). The lack of pace was illustrated by the time of 1:51.90 for the 1800m. The result is best summed up by Harwyn Witherspoon who opines “Unfortunately true pace in races over ground is something of a rarity these days. One of the reasons is the absence of stable pacemakers, but the fault lies not so much with trainers as with the general system of final feature race fields by invitation.” The more things change, they more they stay the same!

Four-year-old Home Guard (USA) filly Selborne Park notches up her fifth win in the 1800m Final Fling Stakes at Kenilworth, ridden out in a driving finish by Freddie Macaskill to outgun Administrator’s Trophy winner Display Model by ½ length. The final leg of the Cape Winter Challenge (which should have been the middle leg), is run the same day. Wreford, saddled by Derek Dalton who finished second in both previous legs, canters down favourite, but has to be content with second yet again, as victory goes the way of Great Swinger with Gerrit Basson on board. However, there is some consolation as Wreford has accumulated enough points to win the series plus an additional bonus of R20 000 for his owners Mr Jack Howsley and Mr Gordon Murray.