READY TO RUN PANEL 2010 : CONSIDER THE VERDICT

Emperors Palace Ready To Run Gallops Panel
(Photo : Gareth Du Plessis)

EMPERORS PALACE READY TO RUN SALE
7 NOVEMBER 2010

The Ready To Run gallops have come of age, Friday’s crowd guaranteed that. We’ve seen incremental attendances every year in the past ten, yet despite the weather and the 16 degrees outside, the numbers spiked by 30%.

Somebody said we’re in a deep recession, and you might’ve believed them if you hadn’t been at the gallops. The public obviously like the package, the R2million Emperors Palace Ready To Run Cup, its associated “trials”, the best trophies in the game, the past performances of its graduates, and the six cheque payment scheme. The Ready To Run has put the “buzz” back into racing, and the turnout at last year’s big race and the sale the next day, confirmed it.

One thing that’s grown as quickly as anything though, is the popularity of the gallops panel. You might have expected it, given it’s composition, but it’s not only the preferences of these men, it’s the banter that goes with it. Collectively, they bring almost 250 years of bloodstock and racing experience to the table, and given their CV’s and where they stand in the pantheon of our sport, you’d expect them to put their fingers on a few jewels, particularly when you weigh up what we spend on their entertainment the night before! You might even expect them to treat the gallops with a measure of frivolity, but seeing them at work, tells us why they’re all at the top of their respective professions.

If you’re familiar with the past, you’ll know each judge is asked to pinpoint his choice of the three colts and the three fillies most likely to excel in next year’s Emperors Palace Ready To Run Cup. That’s different to pinpointing the long-term classic prospects of any particular horse, and it’s also apart from identifying the fastest horse in the sale. What it’s really about, is finding the horse best equipped to compete for R2million on the first Sunday in November as a three-year-old, and that’s very “task” specific.

It’s little surprise then that they should be as strong as they are in pointing to certain individuals, but as last year’s Victor Ludorum, and in an attempt at maintaining his own credibility, Graeme Hawkins kicked for “touch” this time, nominating a further six, in each category (see Hawkins’ Pick Six to be published shortly).

And just to make sure he’d covered the ground, Mike de Kock generously pointed to the overall performances of the Solskjaers and Way Wests. It seems as a group, these grandsons and granddaughters of the greatest southern hemisphere stallion of all time, were impressive enough to warrant their own mention.

THE READY TO RUN PANEL

GRAEME HAWKINS	Colts	Fillies
	28 (VAR)	100 (FORT WOOD)
	54 (ROYAL ACADEMY)	137 (KAHAL)
	55 (HUSSONET)	159 (MUHTAFAL)

JEHAN MALHERBE	Colts	Fillies
	55 (HUSSONET)	98 (CAPTAIN AL)
	61 (ELUSIVE QUALITY)	159 (MUHTAFAL)
	21 (KAHAL)	42 (KAHAL)

EAMONN CULLEN	Colts	Fillies
	21 (KAHAL)	84 (EYEOFTHETIGER)
	34 (KAHAL)	98 (CAPTAIN AL)
	61 (ELUSIVE QUALITY)	144 (CAPTAIN AL)

MIKE DE KOCK	Colts	Fillies
	2 (SOLSKJAER)	42 (KAHAL)
	34 (KAHAL)	98 (CAPTAIN AL)
	55 (HUSSONET)	159 (MUHTAFAL)

JOEY RAMSDEN	Colts	Fillies
	24 (MUHTAFAL)	10 (WAY WEST)
	49 (NATIONAL EMBLEM)	13 (ROCK OF GIBRALTAR)
	61 (ELUSIVE QUALITY)	48 (SOLSKJAER)

SEAN TARRY	Colts	Fillies
	55 (HUSSONET)	10 (WAY WEST)
	134 (RIGHT APPROACH)	81 (CATALOOCHEE)
	143 (DANSILI)	159 (MUHTAFAL)

MICHAEL ROBERTS	Colts	Fillies
	49 (NATIONAL EMBLEM)	42 (KAHAL)
	54 (ROYAL ACADEMY)	84 (EYEOFTHETIGER)
	150 (KAHAL)	103 (WAY WEST)

DEAN KANNEMEYER	Colts	Fillies
	55 (HUSSONET)	98 (CAPTAIN AL)
	61 (ELUSIVE QUALITY)	13 (ROCK OF GIBRALTAR)
	150 (KAHAL)	159 (MUHTAFAL)

Dates to remember :

Saturday 6 November 2010 - Raceday
Emperors Palace Ready To Run Cup

Sunday 7 November 2010 - Auction Sale
Emperors Palace Ready To Run Sale

For more information please visit :

www.tba.co.za
and
www.summerhill.co.za