Many of our horses are in the process of being vaccinated or about to be vaccinated. There is a new and strange deadline set up for this process and all the horses have to be vaccinated within a short time period. So, as usual, we are busy adhering to these new regulations, writes Joey Ramsden.
It is all a bit of a pain really as there is still very little light to be seen at the end of the African Horse Sickness tunnel, apart from more vet bills for the poor owners.
We live in hope that this will change. We keep getting told it is going to and it will be wonderful to see some progress. I know there are some people who are working tirelessly on this and I am sure one day they would love to see that glowing light as well.
However, as I said, it is a pain for the trainers as horses have to be put out of work and rested. While we already take temperatures on a regular basis, during this period we have to monitor them closely and keep an eye out for that dreaded spike.
It has been a quiet week in many respects with no racing this weekend but rather on the Monday, the day after Women’s Day. Sadly we had no luck at the races.
Good Sale
The extremely successful Cape Thoroughbred two year old sale was held this weekend.
We managed to bag a couple from fresh sires, namely one by Biarritz. He seems to have got off to an incredible start. We also bought a smashing colt by Bold Silvano from John Everett’s Narrow Creek Stud. Let’s hope they both do whoever purchases them proud.
Now is the tricky part: hunting for someone to pay for them or I will have Cape Thoroughbred Sales queen and queen of the cash, Amanda Carey, beating a path to my door.
There was a great selection at the sale and something for everyone and there were no complaints about unrealistic prices. I thought there were some smashing horses that went for reasonable money and while there are always a few people who grumble, I think most people were happy. I wish everyone the best of luck with their new purchases.
Cape Awards
Coltrane – deserved award
We also had the awards dinner last week and it was lovely to pick up a few with the fantastic Act of War and one of my great old friends, Coltrane. Both are really enjoying a nice winter break in Natal and I am looking forward to seeing them come back in the near future, hopefully not too well tanned.
I am off to the Equus awards being held tonight, followed by a swift trip back home and then back again as there is another sale to be held in Johannesburg in a couple of days. It is a bit like playing gin rummy: sometimes one is holding a few too many cards and at the moment I could be caught out with one too many in my hand.
Shergar Cup
As a whole, I think racing round the world is a bit quiet.
There is certainly nothing to get too excited about locally apart from keeping an eye out for the late maturing two/three year olds.
Over in Europe we had the much renowned and probably not too successful Shergar Cup, which was won by a woman. It just goes to show the quality that is being generated round the world on the riding front. It would be nice to produce a successful young lady over here and is something I would look forward to and really hope to see.
England won the Ashes. I wonder in what type of disguise I might find Mr McCurdy when I travel up to Johannesburg this week? I don’t think anyone can believe what a limp display the Aussies put up this time and their interest just does not seem to be there.
Is there perhaps too much money on offer from the Indians? Are their eyes on the prize from those nations rather than the traditional Ashes series of the past?
It is certainly a question well worth asking after their total abject failure in this year’s Ashes tour.
The Boot In
There are so many Arsenal fans out there and it was great that West Ham got one up on them at the Emirates. I received some sporting texts and others that cannot be printed. I have a feeling it is going to be a long and hard football season. One thing is for certain: Manchester City just appears to buy anyone willy-nilly with no real thought whatsoever.
It almost seems to be a case of buying just so no one else can have them. It makes a complete farce of the fair play rules which were initiated some time ago. It now looks like they are about to sign an extremely expensive striker, Edin Dzeko, who could not get a game at Chelsea a couple of seasons ago and was thrown out.
Let’s hope he is not a half time specialist.
www.joeyramsden.com
