A collection of opinions and thoughts on all aspects of horse racing from around the world.
The official going at Fairview was soft with the penetrometer reading at 28.Tellytrack on-course presenter Gavin Venter, a top former jockey, kept stressing the need for jockeys to ride with restraint.
Defying the legend of the very best of the Marvel Comics, top Cape heavyweight rider Bernard Fayd’herbe had Superman and colleagues at sixes and sevens at Clairwood today.
Phumelela and the NHA appear to have worked themselves into a corner following the handling of the Maselle-RA Bonus challenge. Assertive leadership will be tested as the authorities need to move quickly to explain what happened.
The care of racehorses after they have retired from racing is a burning and sensitive public issue. Jockey Chris Taylor runs for his life and the love of the horse when he takes on the Comrades Marathon on 3 June
Great anticipation as the R1-20 Soccer 13 hits the Totes on18 May. Hopefully the host company Svenska Spel will be stepping up and pumping some of that profit back into SA horseracing in the form of a sponsorship. Maybe we are dreaming?
It is not often we see a horse come back from the brink to rally and win in the manner that Adobe Pink did at Kenilworth today.Full marks to Richard Fourie for a ride of sheer brilliance.
Trainer Mike De Kock appears to have a bottomless pit of promising youngsters. Vettel won the Highland Night Cup at Clairwood on Mother’s Day and gave notice that he could develop into a useful sort in time.
Winning trainer Brett Crawford was humbled by the presence at Kenilworth today of maestro Terrance Millard, after he had trained the winner of the Listed Olympic Duel Stakes named in his honour. Reflective Image looks a promising sprinter in the making.
The underdog downing the champion is always great entertainment. Jockey Sean Veale pulled one back for the lesser lights at Greyville on 11 May.
The Golden Horse Casino Sprint raceday at Scottsville on 26 May is shaping up into something special. The star of the show could well be the Var bomb Valdivia. Vaughan Marshall holds a strong hand this season.
Racing folk somehow love to see their fellow man fall. PE race-caller Alan ‘Bumpy’ Schoeman got his wires crossed at Fairview today and now certain quarters are calling for his head.
Just 48 hours after Cheeky Wink’s smart win at Tipperary, the Kieswetter and Heffer families enjoyed another champagne moment at Sandown
The number of entries compares favourably in quantum with recent years, with 58 first entries received in 2024, 60 in 2023, 68 in 2022, 53 in 2021, 52 in 2020, 49 in 2019, and 69 in 2018
Ironically, it was a colt which provided Alan with a first Gr1 success, this being Alec and Gillian Foster’s homebred Cereus, who landed the 2001 Gold Cup at Hollywoodbets Greyville, his victory completing a momentous double on the day, with the Gr2 Golden Slipper having gone the way of juvenile filly Tatler, a great-great-great grandaughter of Sun Lass!
JP van der Merwe is not the only guilty party in the matter. In simple terms, he is the only rider to have exercised the NHA’s offer of an Acknowledgement Of Guilt and moved on with his life
