SOUTH AFRICAN HORSERACING : The world, it seems, is waking up...

The world is waking up to South Africa (Duncan Walker)

The achievements of South African runners abroad and the listing of three South African-breds among the top 20 horses in the world at present, is at last drawing recognition from the international community of the merits of South African breeding, and the standards of the South African racing industry as a whole. In an article in the UK’s June issue of Thoroughbred Owner & Breeder, Andrew Caulfield considered the subject serious enough to warrant a dedicated article. Here are some of his observations:

“It makes an interesting exercise to look at the type of stallion on which South Africa’s success has been based. The top ten stallions (2006/2007 season) in South Africa included eight imported stallions, mainly from North America, and two home-breds by imported stallions, and it is an identical situation during the current season to April 1.”

The South African thoroughbred has rapidly been gaining momentum, thanks in part to the Dubai Carnival, with many of them advertising their merits on a global scale since the start of the new millennium. Fine examples include, Spook Express, Alexandra Rose, Tara’s Touch, Crimson Palace, and Trademark and many others in Hong Kong, Australia and France. More recent Dubai winners include Victory Moon, Grand Emporium, Lucky Find, Oracle West, Wolf Whistle, Yard-Arm, Surveyor, and Jay Peg.

“It is a fair conclusion to say that South Africa’s burgeoning reputation has been based largely on top-class bloodlines, rather than outstanding performance, and, interestingly, almost exclusively without shuttle stallions.”