SOUTH AFRICA ABUZZ WITH SASCOC TRIPLE CROWN FEVER

Pierre Jourdan
(Photo : JC Photographics) 

R2,000,000 SA CLASSIC (Gr1)
Turffontein 1800m Turf
27 March 2010

There is always a buzz around when a horse capable of achieving great things bursts onto the racing scene and Pierre Jourdan looks to be one of those stars in the making.

Jack Milner writes that it is 11 years since Horse Chestnut became the one and only winner of the SA Triple Crown and many pundits believe Gary Alexander’s charge could follow in his footsteps. However, Pierre Jourdan has still got a lot of work to do.

Pierre Jourdan, a R60,000 purchase from the Summerhill draft at the 2008 Emperors Palace Ready To Run Sale, took his first step towards securing the R2million Triple Crown bonus by winning the Gauteng Guineas over 1600m on 28 February. His second step, and possibly his toughest, comes at Turffontein Saturday when he contests the R2million SA Classic over 1800m. This is probably the most competitive of the three races, with arguably the strongest line-up of the three.

Should he take victory on Saturday, Pierre Jourdan will then need to win the SA Derby over 2450m on 24 April to claim the SASCOC Triple Crown and secure his name alongside those of racing’s immortals.

“I have always been of the opinion that Pierre Jourdan would prefer the 1800m trip and I am confident of a big run again on Saturday,” said Gary Alexander yesterday. “Whether he will stay the 2450m trip only Saturday will tell. Personally I think he should.”

It is hard to oppose Pierre Jourdan for the SA Classic. He has done nothing wrong, having won five out of six starts and losing the other by the narrowest of margins to fellow Ready To Run graduate, Havasha, who could be his chief rival once more.

There is no question about Pierre Jourdan’s ability but there does remain some doubt about his ability to stay 1800m. Being by Parade Leader there are no stamina doubts on his sire’s side but his dam, the Qui Danzig mare Vin Fizz, only won distances between 1000m and 1400m.

However, the manner in which he took the Gauteng Guineas, coming from a long way back to mow down the opposition, indicates the distance should be no problem. He beat eight of his opposition easily in the Gauteng Guineas at Turffontein and it is hard to make a case for any of them turning it around.

Of the seven newcomers, only three look to have the class needed to win a race of this nature and they are all trained by Mike de Kock. The impression from De Kock and assistant trainer John Buckler, is that Ancestral Fore and Irish Flame may need their runs here while Happy Valley may lack experience.

“Ancestral Fore has not been here too long,” said Buckler, “but he’s been putting up good work at home. It’s difficult to assess his chances on the big day but his main objective is the SA Derby.”

“Irish Flame is another who has not been here too long. Since arriving on the Highveld he has put up some good work and he does have a favourable draw. We are expecting a good run from him and we will know a lot more about him after this race.”

He added that Happy Valley, who has won both of his starts to date, was yet to arrive in Johannesburg from Durban. The grey may not have beaten anything of note but he could not have been more impressive in his victories.

The draw is another concern for Pierre Jourdan and young rider Derreck David as he will have to jump from barrier No 14. Gary Alexander, though, pointed out that in the Gauteng Guineas his charge found himself cut off from a good draw and over 1800m at Turffontein, especially if there is a good pace from the start, the draw should not prove fatal.

The Mike de Kock runners have to be his main dangers but based on the stable comments, one has to be with Havasha. “He has a wide draw to overcome again this time but he is fit and he is looking good. He should be right there,’’ said Buckler.

Havasha should also prefer the extra ground as his dam Juniper Berry, ironically trained by Gary Alexander, won over 2400m. Havasha has Piere Strydom in the irons and he should go closer than the 2.75 lengths he was beaten in Guineas.

Look out too for the outsiders, Ernie Anderson’s Nyakatho and Tyrone Zackey’s Smanjemanje, two more products of Summerhill’s 2008 Ready To Run crop. Anderson was distraught after the Guineas as his runner suffered serious interference and had to drop to last and come again. He did remarkably well to finish just six lengths back.

One should also not forget that in January he flew late to run Dingaans winner Curved Ball to half a length and a repeat of that run will see him at least finish in the places.

Galileo’s Galaxy has been most consistent having finished second in the Dingaans and the Cape Guineas, and then third in the Gauteng Guineas. However, it is hard to see Charles Laird’s runner turning around his Guineas defeat by Pierre Jourdan and Havasha, although he should be somewhere in the firing line.

Pierre Jourdan’s prospects of winning his first Grade 1 race only adds to the anticipation of what should be a brilliant day’s racing with no less than seven feature races including the SA Fillies Classic (Gr1), HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes (Gr1), Pretty Polly Stakes (Gr3), Protea Stakes (Gr3), Man O’ War Sprint (Gr3) and the Caradoc Gold Cup (Gr3). The first race goes off at 1.45pm, the SA Classic at 4.45pm and the final event is scheduled to be run at 8.30pm.

5 RUNNERS... 5 WEEKS... 5 BLACK TYPE PERFORMERS...

Nyakatho
(Photo : JC Photographics)

ONE ADDRESS…
THE SUMMERHILL READY TO RUN PROGRAMME.

Merchants Stakes (Gr2)	1st ARABIAN MIST for Gary Alexander
Memorial Mile Stakes (Listed)	1st VANGELIS for Gavin Smith
Sea Cottage Stakes (Listed)	2nd (1/2 length) NYAKATHO to sensation, Curved Ball for Ernie Anderson
Secretariat Stakes (Listed)	3rd (3/4 lengths) DANSE TO DESTINY for Charles Laird
Silver Stakes (Listed)	3rd ONEHUNDREDACREWOOD for Gavin van Zyl

For more information please visit :
www.summerhill.co.za

or contact

Kerry Jack +27 (0) 82 782 7297

Tarryn Liebenberg +27 (0) 83 787 1982

ANOTHER WEEK IN PARADISE

Click above to watch Double Dash on Cape debut
(Footage : Tellytrack)

COMPLIMENTS TO THE STRENGTH OF LAST YEAR’S READY TO RUN DRAFT

The 2008 version of the Ready to Run sale came off an unprecedented high a week ago, with exceptional performances from the four chief protagonists for this year’s Emperors Palace Ready to Run Cup, which at R1,5 million has maintained its status as the fourth richest race in the nation. There must’ve been those who’d been lulled into a sense of believing they were a cut above anything else in the field, and that they could reasonably expect to take home a major share of the spoils. Meaning it just wasn’t possible to see a repeat.

Just as we were beginning to believe that the compliments to the strength of last year’s draft had all been paid, and that the next big statement on the quality of Summerhill breds would be the ‘Cup’ itself, the events of this week turned everything on its head.  First, Charles Laird stepped out a R1 million graduate in Muhtafal’s son, Blue Voyager, who strode away on his race course debut by three lengths, relatively unextended. 

As soon as the “Voyager” put his hand up, Charles took another to the track on Thursday in the form of Bhusende, and while he cautioned punters before the race that the horse was probably three weeks off ready, as the son of Australian champion sire, Flying Spur, set foot on the track, you could see the class. He came home under a hand ride from Anton Marcus, putting away some well-fancied sorts in the process, and he also joins the fray next Saturday.

Before the meeting was out, Ernie Anderson stepped out Ivan Snyman’s Labeeb colt, Nyakatho, who flattened some fair form by eight lengths, in the process telling us that whatever Blue Voyager and Bhusende had done during the week, he could do just as well. No doubt, when the judges meet on Tuesday to settle the final field, they’ll have him among them.

But that wasn’t the end. Richard Fitzgerald has been nothing if not an exceptional customer of Summerhill, and he was unfortunate following the 2008 sale to lose the Labeeb half brother to the Gold Cup hero, Desert Links, in a float collision a day later.  Determined to turn that around, Richard put up his hand at R410 000 again last year, this time for another Labeeb from the family of Pick Six and Bridal Paths, and on Saturday, Garth Puller sent out Double Dash at Kenilworth against some excellent form, for the first time over a mile. Young Chris Puller never moved on him riding him hands-and-heels, as he strode away in impressive style. Lamentably, this one’s not destined for the “Cup”, but like the other three, he looks like a “Black type” horse in the making.

We know that customers already have consummate faith in the product we send to the Ready to Run, so we’re not trying to prove that point. What is encouraging from the events of this week, is the strength and depth of the horses that’ve stepped out since the sale, many of them indicating their worth as potential big race performers. For the record, thus far we’ve had 26 individual winners from the Summerhill draft alone, and there are at least 18 among the placed horses thus far, who look like they could become “motor cars” in the future.

We know you’re expecting this, but there are more where those came from. We look forward to your visit to Block A during the course of this week, where it will be our pleasure!  

 

R1,5 MILLION EMPERORS PALACE READY TO RUN CUP
7 NOVEMBER 2009

EMPERORS PALACE READY TO RUN SALE
8 NOVEMBER 2009

For more information please visit :
www.tba.co.za and www.summerhill.co.za

THIS RIVER’S NOT FLOWING : IT’S A TORRENT

Click above to watch Team Nyakatho
(Footage : Tellytrack)

R1,5 MILLION EMPERORS PALACE READY TO RUN CUP
7 NOVEMBER 2009 

If you were a marketing man charged with promoting the Emperors Palace Ready To Run Cup next weekend, you’d be pinching yourself right now. Already dubbed by more than one expert the strongest field of Three Year Olds this season, the events of the past three days have turned most fans’ predictions on their heads, leaving the betting market in “murky” waters.

Going into Tuesday morning, the entries were beginning to develop a nice, settled look about them, and if it weren’t for the fact that there was a supplementary stage today, that would’ve been that. Havasha at the top of the boards; with a run, the R2,2 million sale topper of last year, Trafalgar Legacy would’ve been close behind; and on the strength of the way he finished on Saturday, Pierre Jourdan might’ve been bracketed alongside. Only a short head would’ve separated them from Smanjemanje, but let’s not discount the 3,25 length battering the filly, Fisani, gave to her field from the outside draw the previous Tuesday.

These were the protagonists, or so it seemed, but the turmoil set in as early as Tuesday. Charles Laird sent out a R1 million graduate of the sale in the form of Blue Voyager, who kicked off at the prohibitive odds of 8/10, and came home as an odds-on favourite shot. He was immediately declared a player for the big one on Saturday 7^th.

It’s not Charles Laird’s style these days to settle for a single entry though, and while he’d been under plenty of pressure to prepare him for the event, he stepped out Bhusende for his debut effort amid the showers of yesterday afternoon. Not yet biologically three (he’s a late November foal), the son of the Champion Australian Sire, Flying Spur, got down, literally, to business in impressive style to make his a winning “opener”, catapulting himself right into the reckoning.

There will be those that ask how a colt of this class should still be wearing the Summerhill colours. There’s a story to it. Bhusende means the same as Mahala (or “Free” in Zulu), and it seems buyers took this literally, as this fellow came under the hammer at last year’s Emperors Palace Ready To Run Sale. He cost close to R700 000 to land in South Africa, yet the last bid of R250 000 was tended by an England-based pal of the Mooi River farm, and they quickly assembled a small partnership to hold the horse. Another likely to make the cut for Saturday is Mluleki, and Paul Matchett will send him out wearing the Summerhill colours as well. He was passed out at R60 000 on account of a lack of interest.

The history of the Ready To Run has plenty of these stories. The outstanding stayer and quadruple Group One performer, Amphitheatre, was one who left the ring unsold with the modest reserve of R30 000 on his head. He went on to earn something approaching R1,25 million, in a career which saw him miss a cheque only once in 35 starts. The international performer Imbongi, now the earner of more than R3 million in stakes, was another neglected child when he passed through the ring unsold, the last bid in the vicinity of R50 000. Two Guineas and a Drill Hall Stakes later, he was sold for a considerable sum to a Middle Eastern Sheikh, who’s well on his way to getting his money back, and will surely do so, with a bit of luck at next year’s Dubai Carnival.

That’s not the end of the tale. Going into the last on the Vaal card yesterday, it looked all over for Charles Laird’s two imports who’d shown encouraging form in their debut efforts. It was not to be though, as Ivan Snyman and Ernie Anderson’s Nyakatho, cruised home by an increasing 8 lengths over the last 300m of the race, and he pretty much sealed his place in the line-up for Saturday with this effort. Nyakatho comes from the other end of the scale, costing a relatively modest R100 000, which his connections will return if he just makes the first four in “The Cup”.

 

R1,5 MILLION EMPERORS PALACE READY TO RUN CUP
7 NOVEMBER 2009

For more information please visit :
www.tba.co.za and www.summerhill.co.za