The Milnerton-based Vaughan Marshall yard are well and truly back to form. They celebrated a winning hat-trick on the Kenilworth Saturday programme, with the Western Winter gelding Exelero producing a sparkling performance after a 17 week break – MJ Byleveld rode all three winners
In a very open handicap, where a case could be argued for a spectrum of prospective winners, we are siding with the experience and fitness of Azzie’s Brooks-Club who is the selection to beat Samogan and Solar Triptych
Trainer Dean Kannemeyer has the best recent record, having won this race four times in the past thirteen years, and he will be hopeful of a big showing from his luckless Cape Winter Triple Crown pretender, Power King
The East Cape Derby winner Desert Swirl showed that he stays all day, much like an unwelcome relative, when he powered through late to nab his well-travelled companion, Gothic.
The purity and timelessness I refer to is stamina, an inherent trait of the Thoroughbred that has been so consumed by speed over the past several decades it has all but disappeared. What trickle of stamina, or at least what resembles stamina, that does remain is frowned upon by owners, trainers, and especially breeders…
“It was a choice of going to Turffontein or taking them to Durban and I was not prepared to go to Summerveld with them.”
Milnerton based trainer Vaughan Marshall is planning an ambitious campaign for his exciting classic prospect Mljet who is now back in Cape Town
Cape challenger outstays his opponents to win East Cape Derby on a day of prawns and record breaking attendance at Fairview
Cape duo clean up in whirlwind golden streak in Fairview raid that has the punters smiling
Brilliant 3yo filly pulls one back for the girls in the R750 000 Gr1 Mercury Sprint
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
