Garth’s Gazing At The Skyline

Summerveld trainer Garth Puller’s R200 000 Fever Tree Stakes victory at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday with the 6yo African Skyline was a feelgood moment in a tough game, even if the handicapper has thrown a wet blanket on the celebrations of a win by a 6yo that hadn’t banked a first cheque for 721 days.

Veteran horseman Garth Puller wouldn’t have stuck it out this long if he didn’t believe that there was something in the pipeline, and it’s worth noting that the Bruce Le Roux-bred soldier son of Mogok has earned at 73% of his 30 starts over 5 seasons – that was long before the days of the luxury of generous appearance monies and the like!

A horse he describes as ‘a beautiful good-looker with the heart of a lion’, Garth is frustrated, but not surprised, by the NHA handicapper’s decision to hike African Skyline’s merit rating to a 102.

“He hasn’t won for ages. The handicappers slowly dropped him to a 98 where he becomes competitive. On Sunday we had him in a good space, things went his way, and he wins bv a long head and they knock him back to a 102! He’s a six year old. How much improvement do they actually believe he has in him? Do they think he’s going to Hollywood? I wish!” muses the veteran horseman who explains that African Skyline is one of those ‘truly special horses’ who run their heart out every time – irrespective of the distance or the company.

“He is not fashionably bred and I bought him for next to nothing. He is no star but, as I say, he is a trier of note. But practically every time he runs second, they pushed him up 3 pounds.  He is a horse with a will to compete and a winning spirit – but the handicapper has broken his heart over and over again. He was racing off a 104 as a four-time winner forever. Then when I moan, they tell me he is earning. But they don’t get it – it’s one thing running second and another stopping him from winning. He beat Field Marshal by a head on Sunday – with the penalty he won’t beat him again.”

On a positive note, the Hollywoodbets-sponsored Garth says that the staunch partners love their horse and they leave it all up to him. African Skyline is raced in partnership by Cathy Steele, Gerald Kalil, Garth and Tony Tombe, and has won 5 races with 17 places from 30 starts for stakes of R584 000.

“I’m fortunate to have friends as owners. Cathy has been around forever. Gerald is a great supporter of my yard and enjoys the best of luck – which happens to good people! Tony is married to the late ‘Big Race’ Joe Byrnes’ daughter and lives in Cyprus. But he is on the phone daily – he follows our racing closer than most people do here! He loves the game, and is on top of the programmes and changes. The collective passion is inspiring!”

Garth then switches back to African Skyline.

“He has had a sore back and the tracks get heavy and their tails go up in the air. But he gets love and treatment and he bounces back. He had a pelvis joint issue recently. And Sunday we arrived – it’s 1500m, there’s a bit of rain about, and the ground is soft. But you know he’s going to give his all. And Serino (Moodley) has mastered the art of waiting until the edge! A great ride and a happy moment – even if it was two years down the line,” laughs Garth, who adds that he buys all his horses himself, keeps them happy, and races them while they are enjoying it.

“They are fascinating creatures. I have his half-brother African Dusk. He’s an Ideal World and has won 4 races. A very different sort of horse. But with plenty of heart too. It’s in the family.”

Bred by Bruce Le Roux, African Skyline is a son of the multiple Grade 1 winner producing Storm Cat sire Mogok, who retired in July 2019. The winner is out of the once winning Trippi mare, Sunrise In Africa.

Interestingly, the Sporting Post’s ‘Time Is Money’ sectional timing team had African Skyline down as the fastest 400m to finish clocker at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday. Don’t mention that to the handicapper!