The former SA champion trainer has enjoyed extraordinary success with the Captain Al progeny and the speedy 3yo Victoria Lavelle put her hand up as a decent sprint prospect
Less than a length covered the first four home in the 1000m contest and with a good mix of fillies from across the country, Carry On Alice’s connections will be feeling decidedly bullish with the Gr1 Cape Flying Championship as her short-term target
Jockey Grant Behr emerged from the gigantic shadow cast by his veteran colleague Karl Neisius to show that he can ride feature winners if just given the opportunity
Captain America produced the heroics for a superbly clinical victory at Kenilworth on Saturday, when disposing of SA Horse Of The Year and his former stable Futura in an exciting finish to the R400 000 Gr2 Green Point Stakes
The versatility of the superb champion producing stallion Captain Al was demonstrated again when his lightly raced son Fulcrum dug deep and showed serious stamina reserves when winning the R150 000 Listed Java Handicap run over 2450m
Multiple champion jockey Piere Strydom, who rode a recordbreaking 5000th winner earlier in the season, was deservedly acknowledged with a special achievement award for his incredible feats in the saddle
Sarah Whitelaw reviews the year’s big race results and the likely candidates for the 2015 Equus Awards
South African horseracing welcomed a high-class locally bred sprinter to the stallion ranks when the superbly talented Captain Of All rounded off his illustrious track career with a glorious third Gr1 trophy
A thrilling blanket finish to the R400 000 Gr2 Track & Ball Derby had the Scottsville Sunday crowd on their feet, with Anton Marcus getting the dual Gr3 Algoa Cup winner Disco Al up on the nod to shade July candidate Hot Ticket
Captain Al was to sire the winners of the last three races on the Kenilworth card, as the Snaith’s speedy 2yo Jo’s Bond beat a field of older handicappers in the final event.
“I told you guys that he is a top horse.I have never had a Captain Al before but this is exciting. If he goes 1600m they can all come. I’m over the moon, I can’t talk,”
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
Andrew Fortune made it three winners on the Family Day public holiday as Tenango breezed home to win the Gr3 feature
