The connections of the Querari filly Bavarian Beauty have acknowledged the National Horseracing Authority for acting proactively and assisting them in a situation that had the potential to have ended unhappily.
After issuing a media release on Monday 21 January, wherein they dispelled apparently outrageous rumours doing the rounds on social media ahead of the Gr1 winner’s engagement in the R7,5 million Cape Racing Gold Rush at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday, a spokesman for Playgate SA contacted the Sporting Post on Tuesday.
Bavarian Beauty and her happy connections after her Grade 1 success as a 2yo (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
He said that given the recent months of negativity and speculation, it was worth outlining for public information, a courteous and welcome move by the NHA to inform them in advance that they could be in breach of the rules.
This came about after, given their security concerns, the connections of Bavarian Beauty had decided to base her at a spelling farm in the Cape ahead of Saturday.
It’s a fairly unique situation, and not many folk may be aware of NHA rule 50.8, which states that no person shall enter or start a horse for or in a race if such horse is or has been, 50.8.1: at a registered spelling farm at any time during a period of 14 days prior to a race or, 50.8.2: at an unregistered spelling farm or a stud farm at any time during a period of 30 days prior to a race.
“The conspiracy theorists have been busy on social media, fuelled by the negativity and events of the past few months. And here is a case where the NHA, if they were indeed as vindictive and malicious as some would believe, could simply have said nothing and then scratched our filly before the race on Saturday, based on a breach of the abovementioned rule.They stepped forward and drew our attention to the matter like gentlemen. This allowed the trainer and owners to ensure that we were not contravening any rules, and make alternative arrangements,” he added.
The Sporting Post attempted to obtain a comment from the Western Cape Stipendiary Stewards, but we were unable to reach any official on duty.
The Cape Racing Gold Rush will be run at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday.
