16th February 2018
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After the fun and games at Scottsville on Wednesday, a false start to the opening feature on Rising Sun Gold Challenge day at Greyville on Saturday drew gasps of shock and horror from punters and connections
Anton Marcus started 2016 with a bang and the first three days of the new year saw him notch up seven winners on three different racecourses
“In 2002 at the end of the winter season at Summerveld with Charles Laird I said I was keen to go to work in Dubai. After a few phone calls to Mickey Goss the job at Godolphin was mine…”
The Charles Laird galloper is in something of no-man’s land on the log for the CTS Million Dollar which will be run at Kenilworth on 23 January 2016
Trainer Charles Laird is something of an icon in the land of the Scottsville Gr1 speed legends. Today he bids for his fourth straight win in the R1 million Gr1 Tsogo Sun Sprint. He returns with last year’s champion Normanz, who also puts super-sire Var in line for a hat-trick in this prestigious speed contest
A freak accident cast a cloud over the 2015 KZN Champions Season opening day at Greyville on Saturday. Last year’s Vodacom Durban July winner Legislate was withdrawn at the start of the Drill Hall Stakes
As Brugman pointed out, there should be more to come from the gelding when he is trained for the race rather than the stalls but the Mike Bass-trained winner is also expected to show improvement at Turffontein.
The 3yo speedsters clash in Sunday’s R150 000 Non-Black Type Durban Dash. The recent Betting World Oaks winning combination of Charles Laird and Anton Marcus hold a strong hand in the 1100m contest with the Summerhill Stud bred Kahal filly Pej, whose recent collateral to Friday’s Gr2 Post Merchants winner Varikate is looking decidedly attractive
‘I must be honest and say that as a purist I was not excited about the change to the race conditions. But from a selfish viewpoint, I knew it was the perfect race for her.’ – winning trainer, Charles Laird.
Milestone for young jock and a hat trick for trainer and owner with a glorious double for super sire
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
