Red Ray
Red Ray, only seventh on his Meydan debut in January, will not run again in Dubai this year – and nor will any of the other Markus Jooste-owned South African horses.
Racing manager Derek Brugman explained: “The horses travelled to Dubai too poorly this time and there is no point in trying to get them ready to race. We will give them a month off and then decide what we want to do with them.”
Yorker, winner of last season’s Summer Cup, Horse Chestnut Stakes and Champions Challenge, is expected to join Mike de Kock’s base at Newmarket in England but with others much will depend on whether the American authorities grant Brugman’s request for a more reasonable approach to the final part of their quarantine restrictions.
He said: “We have asked if they will excuse the C.E.M. (Contagious Equine Metritis) requirement in which they insist – after the 60-day quarantine lockdown – on a further month in C.E.M. quarantine during which the colts are required to test-breed to two mares.”
Derek Brugman – in no rush
The problems that this would cause with an entire horse about to go back into training can be imagined and apparently many American vets are of the opinion that the stipulation makes little sense.
Cape Guineas winner Act Of War, top of the list of South African-based Jooste horses both in terms of ability and overseas potential, returned to Joey Ramsden’s yard last week after having a break following his shock Investec Cape Derby defeat on Met day.
Brugman said: “We are in no rush with him. If he doesn’t go to Durban we can keep him in Cape Town for his four-year-old campaign. We are not going to put him through the American requirement and nor are we going to do three months in Mauritius with horses just standing in camps.”
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