FINDING SAND SUCCESS FOR THE EMERALD CUP

Ready To Run graduate, Phunyuka, winner of the 2009 Emerald Cup
(Photo : JC Photos)

R600,000 EMERALD CUP (Grade 2)
Vaal, Sand, 1450m
24 September 2011

David Thiselton
Gold CircleThe Emerald Cup, the richest sand race in Africa, will be run in just over a week’s time on Saturday, September 24 at The Vaal and it is a good time to look at what characteristics a horse needs to have success on this surface.

In America, where most racing takes place on dirt, early speed is everything and horses that are likely to have uncontested leads will usually come in for heavy support. This is in complete contrast to turf racing where horses that go off at top speed make defeat a virtual certainty as they will more often than not be swamped in the straight. On sand or dirt the front runners don’t get swamped because horses coming from behind are unable to produce the same sort of acceleration they can on turf due to the lack of traction.

On the 1000m Vaal straight, front running horses can obviously be caught from behind and this is particularly the case when the sand is heavy (generally speaking the sand surface will be faster if there is a lack of wind as the moisture from the watering will be retained). However, it is still noticeable that horses that have the ability to race handy and stay on will do well on the Vaal sand.

On turf, the lack of a turn of foot costs them in the finish. While they are running on at one pace, other horses with a strong turn of foot might be flying past. On the other hand the lack of traction offered on sand to the latter type of horse often blunts their turn of foot and they may not be able to get to the one-paced sort running on steadily in front.

Thus one can say that the two types of horse that generally do well on sand would be those that can maintain a high cruising speed throughout or those that can produce a sustained finishing run from behind. However, those horses that rely on a short finishing burst at the end of the race are better off on turf. Turf tends to be far less tiring on a horse, so speed holds better, leading to horses being tightly bunched. But on sand, horses that do not have necessary cruising speed are likely to be further out of their ground and there is the added factor of kickback which could see them fall even further back.

As far as action goes, good turf horses often tend to waste very little motion in their stride and have a much lower, daisy-cutting action. The rhythm a horse displays on the way down to the start on turf can be a good indicator of how it will run. However, on sand, it is more difficult to pick out horses on the way to the start, as “shuffling” actions often do well on the surface. It might be better to look at the form and see how handy the horse lies in the running and whether it can stay on all the way to the end of the race.

Pedigrees are also a useful indicator. In South Africa the progeny of Danzig line sires do well on sand and this particularly appears to be the case in races from sprints up to 1400m. The progeny of Mr Prospector line sires appear to do well over all distances on the sand. Some examples of Danzig line sires are National Assembly and his sons Announce, Sarge and National Emblem as well as Alami, Bezrin, Qui Danzig, Joshua Dancer, Modern Day, Classic Flag, Alado, Newton, Way West, Lizard Island, Fastnet Rock, Makaarem, etc. Some examples of Mr Prospector line sires are Right Approach, Western Winter, Kahal, Count Dubois, Windrush, Goldkeeper, Muhtafal, West Man, Lecture, Miesque’s Approval, What A Prospect, Malhub, Hobb Alwahtan, Fan Club’s Mister, Clash By Night, Parade Leader, Modus Vivendi, Tiger Hunt (female line), Albarahin (female line), etc.

There are of course sires outside of these lines that tend to produce good sand runners including Fort Wood.

However, using some of the trends mentioned in this article as a guideline can add some value to the traditional form studying methods that are heavily influenced by turf racing in South Africa.

Extract from www.goldcircle.co.za

FAMILY BUILDING : Don't ever shut the door

Sire of Mystic, Albarahin
(Photo : John Lewis)

The outcome of Thursday’s main event at the Vaal was a timely reminder that us breeders often appear to have a short-sighted vision, driven no doubt by the commercial imperatives of the desire to cull. All too soon, we’re often guilty of prejudging a family’s destiny, based most times on a perception of the saleability of a mare’s progeny. The result is, by the time the subject mare has had as few as three or four foals, and the commercial returns have not quite met expectations, we quickly resort to the chopping block, forgetting just as suddenly, all the good reasons for the mare’s acquisition in the first place.

Mystic’s lightening closure for victory in the 7^th on Thursday; recalled the value of patience and the underlying purpose of family-building. We’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating; at Summerhill our mating policies are not driven by commercial outcomes alone. Truth is, they never enter our thoughts. Rather, we prefer the process of trying to breed a racehorse first, and then trusting the market to respect the result by paying a fair price for the progeny.

While there is a possibility this policy can cost you in the sales ring to a certain degree, there is little doubt of its contribution to the respect you earn when you breed a Champion.

Returning to Mystic, he’s a son of a bread-and-butter stallion (Albarahin), out of a mare (Vanish, by Coastal) who herself was the subject of some derision as a foal and as a weanling, when some of our number at the time doubted her value as a prospective runner, let alone a broodmare. But we’d ventured this far for a reason, and Vanish’s dam, the Lyphard mare Cahard, like her own sire, (a diminutive, natty little model of a horse,) had been bought out of the memorable Nelson Bunker Hunt dispersal, with the long road in mind. Here she was, producing an equally diminutive result, (notwithstanding Coastal’s 16.1 ½ h.h,) in the effort to get something with range and scope.

Vanish was spared the “knackers” and leased to an erstwhile customer of Summerhill, Brian Burgess, where she displayed the lion-heart at the races, accumulating four victories in fairly competitive company, despite her “tinyness”. The rest is of course, a matter of history.

Besides Mystic, she’s produced 100% winners from runners, including the 9 time Group One winner Disappear, who was the first to get the ball rolling in what has become a celebrated affair between Muhtafal and Coastal mares.

So where is the parable? Breeding is a long term process and it demands endless patience. The reality though, is that with few exceptions, with the benefit of judicious selection, quality stockmanship and proper husbandry, you can get a respectable response from most mares and we’re reminded at this time of a conversation we shared with Lionel Cohen a few years back on this topic. You see, we’ve a common thread with Lionel on this score, and in a discussion about flawed physical specimens in the broodmare population, he simply said “we can always breed this out, can’t we?” Applying this principle, the rare likes of Lionel have produced one good horse after another for so long now, no-one can gainsay the weight that accrues from great stockmanship.

The Summerhill runners... they just keep on winning.

Ntabankulu
(Gold Circle)

MEGAN ROMEYN - Just because the boss is away enjoying a well deserved break doesn’t mean that the rest of the farm, or the Summerhill runners, get a day off. This last week our Ready To Run graduates proved yet again the merit and value of the Ready To Run programme, with wins around the Nation.

Getting the week off to a great start at Scottsville on Sunday was the Dennis Drier-trained Ntabankulu, or “The Big Mountain” if translated from isiZulu, in the Maiden Plate over 1000m. This promising son of Summerhill super sire, Muhtafal out of Cousin Linda, and half-brother to Rebel King, quickly got into his stride and kept pace with the rest of the field. He then surged and held onto a narrow but impressive win from the rapidly approaching Greenspan.

Tuesday at Arlington saw Jamarahin, a daughter of Albarahin out the Harry Hotspur mare, Jamaican Summer, recording her first win in the Maiden Plate for Fillies and Mares over 1800m. Maintaining a steady pace throughout the race, she sneaked up in the straight, and at the 200m mark was in the clear. She recorded any easy win from a fast finishing Barinia who made a remarkable come-back from the rear of the field.

Then it was the turn of Catmandu’s half-brother, Ecole Militaire. This graduate of the 2007 Ready to Run, by Deep Sleep out of  Gypsey Spirit, recorded his 5^th win when he mowed down the field in the MR 96 Handicap over 1400m at the same course. Biding his time and hanging just off the pace initially, he openend up to cut down the brave Chopsticks at the 100m mark, winning comfortably going away.

So while the boss is away our horses do not play – they win!

A KZN Midlands Autumn... the weather is great and the horses are flying!

Heading to work on a Summerhill Autumn morning
(Michael Nefdt)

We’d be mistaken for thinking that it is actually winter now as we’ve been treated to one of the most spectacular autumns in a while. The trees on the farm have put on a show that has left us amazed by the variety of colours that have revealed themselves. The horses too have been enjoying this halcyon period, and the farm in general has been enjoying this period of calm before our upcoming Stallion Day and the foaling season which is rapidly approaching.

Meanwhile around the country our Summerhill runners have been keeping the flag flying high.

On Monday at Turffontein it was the girls who came to the party. Fakazi, by Albarahin and out of the Rambo Dancer mare Particular Passion, opened the day’s racing by winning the Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1600m for Paul Matchett. Her half sister, Sweet Chilli also won her race, the MR 69 Handicap over 2000m, in convincing style for our friend, trainer Stuart Pettigrew and our long-time friend and owner, Philip Diedericks.

Yesterday, it was our two 2006 National Sales graduates Notforpublication and El Padrino who made their mark at Clairwood. Notforpublication, trained by our long-time friend Ivan Moore won the Graduation Plate over 1200m. Leading from start to finish, this son of Summerhill Super Sire Muhtafal, showed his class by recording his third career win, and in so doing beating the highly regarded Mutadarreg. Not to be outdone, another son of Muhtafal, El Padrino, out of our good friend Steve Sturlese’s mare, Dot Dot Dash held on gamely to win from start to finish from a fast finishing Do It Like Dane.

 

The Magnificent Seven (Sorry, eight!)

It wasn’t only the weather that shone brightly over Summerhill this past week, it was the results as well. Eight winners including three of the four races at Greyville on Friday evening, and you can’t ask for more than that.

For the record:

Horse                                                  Trainer

Ketchup (Slew The Red)                          Gavin van Zyl

Field Rose (National Emblem)            Tracey Woolard

Cape Tango (Kahal)                                       Mike de Kock

Wave Dancer (Rambo Dancer)             Dennis Drier

Thandolwami                                                     Craig Eudey

Lloyd Africa (Albarahin)                           Mark Dixon

Baharain’s Jewel (Albarahin)                   Dennis Drier

No Limits                                                              Wally Tolmay

Thandolwami (Gold Circle)Barahin’s Jewel (Gold Circle)Wave Dancer (Gold Circle)Cape Tango (Gold Circle)