Dual Eclipse winner Songbird made her debut for the Natie Kotzen yard in the second race at Greyville Wednesday. Or does she?
Songbird won 13 times – 9 Gr1’s!
The formbook shows that the 3yo filly is no thirteen time winning dual champion daughter of Medaglio d’Oro. She happens to be a Summerhill bred daughter of Brave Tin Soldier having her first start.
The National Horseracing Authority provides guidelines to the naming of horses in its latest newsletter
While it appears that Songbird – aka America’s Sweetheart – does not appear to be on the IFHA’s list of restricted horse names.
But surely the spirit of permitting a filly to be named after a star who retired just last year as a nine-time Gr1 winner of $4,692,000 and a dual champion in her homeland is simply not right, or in the spirit of the sport?
See the list of protected names here
Last Saturday, the Royal Air Force colt Aeronautica won at Flamingo Park – on Tuesday the Captain Al colt Aeronautical ran second in the final event at the Vaal. Neither are champions – yet – but allowing names that close is also surely inviting confusion and error.
The NHA states that with names registered and not protected, the following criteria are provided as a guideline during which registered names will not be reused:
- In the case of stallions, 15 years after death or 15 years after the last recorded year in which they covered mares (whichever is the sooner) or at 35 years of age if no death is reported.
- In the case of broodmares, 10 years after their death or being put of stud 10 years after the last recorded year in which they were covered or produced a foal, or at 25 years of age if no death is reported.
- In the case of all other horses (colts and filly’s), 5 years after their death, or at 20 years of age if no death is reported.
It’s all very puzzling.
