AT HIS BEST, BETTER THAN THE BEST...

Mullins Bay
(Photo : Greig Muir)

…AT THEIR BEST.

A fortnight ago, he chalked up six winners,
as you know.

Last Saturday, Gary Alexander’s Divine Grace
flew from last to first in a matter of strides.
And Tony Rivalland will tell you Still Dreaming
is the best-named horse in training after her first start.

Like MULLINS BAY, they just get better.

EMPERORS PALACE SUMMER READY TO RUN SALE
School Of Excellence, Summerhill Stud, Mooi River
20 February 2013

Enquiries :
Tarryn Liebenberg +27 (0) 83 787 1982
or email tarryn@summerhill.co.za
www.summerhill.co.za

BLUERIDGE MOUNTAIN ALL CLASS IN KLAWERVLEI MAJORCA STAKES

Click above to watch Blueridge Mountain winning the Majorca Stakes (Grade 1)
(Image : Gold Circle - Footage : Tellytrack)

KLAWEVLEI MAJORCA STAKES (Grade 1)
Kenilworth, Turf, 1600m
2 February 2013

Michael Clower
Gold CircleBlueridge Mountain (Arg) (Giant’s Causeway (USA) - Skyline Drive View (USA) paid tribute to the combined training talents of Gary Alexander and Joey Ramsden in the Grade 1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes, with jockey Anton Marcus muttering about “divine intervention” when quizzed about his awesome starting skills on J&B Met day at Kenilworth Saturday.

The race looked open 200m from home, but Blueridge Mountain got her head in front and stayed on to win by 0,5 lengths from last year’s runner up, the Brett Crawford-trained Frequent Flyer.

The Mike Bass-trained favourite Hammie’s Hooker was next best ahead of Jet Aglow and Razzle Dazzle Rose.

According to Derek Brugman, the Ingrid and Markus Jooste-owned winner may go with Variety Club to the States.

Blueridge Mountain was consigned by Summerhill Stud to the 2011 Emperors Palace National Yearling Sale where she fetched R2 million, the second top filly of the sale. Her career record now stands at 3 wins and 2 places from 6 starts.

FINAL RESULT

#	LBH	Horse	Kg	MR	Dr	Jockey	Trainer
1	0.00	BLUERIDGE MOUNTAIN (ARG)	56.0	96	14	A Marcus	Gary Alexander
2	0.50	FREQUENT FLYER	60.0	102	5	G Hatt	Brett Crawford
3	1.50	HAMMIES HOOKER	56.0	103	4	K Neisius	Mike Bass
4	2.50	JET AGLOW	56.0	104	10	G van Niekerk	Glen Kotzen
5	3.25	RAZZLE DAZZLE ROSE	60.0	99	16	B Fayd’Herbe	Yogas Govender
6	3.55	ALL IS SECRET	56.0	100	11	M Byleveld	Vaughan Marshall
7	3.60	REFLECTIVE IMAGE	60.0	92	6	R Fradd	Brett Crawford
8	4.00	THUNDER DANCE	60.0	105	12	K Teetan	Brett Crawford
9	4.40	HALFWAY TO HEAVEN	60.0	87	9	M Odendaal	Eric Sands
10	4.80	VIVA MARIA	60.0	105	8	A Delpech	Mike de Kock
11	6.80	BELOVED BETTY	60.0	100	7	C Puller	Glen Kotzen
12	7.30	HURRICANE KATRINA	60.0	102	1	F Coetzee	Justin Snaith
13	7.40	HAPPY ARCHER (AUS)	60.0	104	2	P Strydom	Sean Tarry
14	8.65	BAMBINA STRIPES (ARG)	60.0	95	13	S Cormack	Dennis Drier
15	9.05	CASH REGISTER	60.0	91	15	B Lerena	Glen Kotzen
16	25.30	BUTTERFLY GIRL	56.0	93	3	M Guyon	Mike Bass
		Late Scratchings
17	0.00	SUPER ELEGANT	60.0	99	12	F Anthony	Piet Steyn
18	0.00	EUROPE TO AFRICA	60.0	94	2	Reserve 2	Greg Ennion

Extracts from Gold Circle

Enquiries :
Linda Norval +27 (0) 33 263 1081
or email linda@summerhill.co.za
www.summerhill.co.za

BLUERIDGE MOUNTAIN SHOWS HER METTLE IN SCEPTRE STAKES

Click above to watch Blueridge Mountain winning the Sceptre Stakes (Grade 2)
(Image : Gold Circle - Footage : Tellytrack)

THE GRAHAM BECK MEMORIAL SCEPTRE STAKES (Grade 2)
Kenilworth, Turf, 1200m
19 January 2013

David Thiselton
Gold CircleThe Gary Alexander-trained Blueridge Mountain (ARG) (Giant’s Causeway (USA) - Skyline Drive View (USA)) proved her class in the Grade 2 Graham Beck Memorial Sceptre Stakes over 1200m at Kenilworth Saturday when beating a good field under a finely judged ride by jockey Glen Hatt.

The racemeeting was held in honour of the late great owner and breeder Graham Beck.

Blueridge Mountain, who is owned by Ingrid and Markus Jooste, is being taken care of in Cape Town by Joey Ramsden and he revealed that she had enjoyed a much better preparation than she had for her last start in the Grade 1 Avontuur Fillies Guineas, when running on from a wide draw. Hatt said the Argentinian-bred filly had always impressed the Ramsden yard and had “only really come right in the last two weeks.”

Her sire Giant’s Causeway, known as the “Iron Horse” in Europe due to his unbreakable courage, gets them to stay and Blueridge Mountain could be an interesting runner in the Grade 1 Majorca Stakes on J&B Met day now that she is back to her best.

The Vaughan Marshall-trained All Is Secret, last season’s Equus Two-Year-Old Champion female, vied for favouritism with the progressive Dennis Drier-trained Sunshine Rock, who was coming off a win in the Listed Laisserfaire Stakes over 1100m. They jumped off at 13-10 and 16-10 respectively. The Brett Crawford-trained Reflective Image, runner up in te Laisserfaire and third in the Grade 2 Southern Cross Stakes over 1 000m, was the only other horse in single figures at 15-2. Blueridge Mountain was allowed to go off at 14-1, despite Anton Marcus, who rode her to victory over 1200m at Clairwood on her debut, saying in an earlier post-race interview that he rated her a danger.

Sunshine Rock, drawn high, led from All Is Secret on her inside, while Blueridge Mountain was travelling comfortably in behind them. All Is Secret began getting the better of Sunshine Rock 200m from home, but Blueridge Mountain burst through late to beat her by 0,75 lengths. The Drier-trained 50-1 outsider Miss October, who has always been held in good regard, jumped well for the second time in succession, but this time she went through with her effort, unlike in the Laisserfaire, and ran on well to pip a running-on Reflective Image for third with Sunshine Rock next best.

Blueridge Mountain was consigned by Summerhill Stud to the 2011 Emperors Palace National Yearling Sale where she fetched R2 million, the second top filly of the sale. Her career record now stands at 2 wins and 2 places from 5 starts for earnings of R223,425.

THE GRAHAM BECK MEMORIAL SCEPTRE STAKES (Grade 2)
Final Result

#	LBH	Horse	Kg	MR	Dr	Jockey	Trainer
1	0.00	BLUERIDGE MOUNTAIN (ARG)	56.5	91	9	G Hatt	Gary Alexander
2	0.75	ALL IS SECRET	56.5	100	7	A Marcus	Vaughan Marshall
3	1.15	MISS OCTOBER	60.0	91	10	G Schlechter	Dennis Drier
4	1.25	REFLECTIVE IMAGE	60.0	92	5	K Teetan	Brett Crawford
5	1.75	SUNSHINE ROCK (AUS)	60.0	95	8	S Cormack	Dennis Drier
6	2.75	SWEET ARIA (IRE)	60.0	85	3	K Neisius	Brett Crawford
7	4.25	COMTESSE DUBOIS	60.0	99	6	M Yeni	Justin Snaith
8	5.50	MONEY SURGER	60.0	89	2	G van Niekerk	Piet Steyn
9	7.50	SUE FOR PEACE	60.0	93	4	M Byleveld	Dennis Drier
10	7.70	LAKE DRAWSKO	60.0	89	1	B Fayd’Herbe	Justin Snaith

Extract from Gold Circle

Enquiries :
Linda Norval +27 (0) 33 263 1081
or email linda@summerhill.co.za
www.summerhill.co.za

COOKIE MONSTER OUTFOXED IN SECRETARIAT STAKES

Click above to watch the 2012 Secretariat Stakes (L)
(Image : Sporting Post - Footage : Tellytrack)

SECRETARIAT STAKES (Listed)
Turffontein, Turf, 1400m
8 December 2012

The Right Approach gelding Fantastic Mr Fox showed himself to be well above average when registering a gutsy win in the R135,000 Listed Secretariat Stakes run over 1400m at Turffontein on Saturday.

Piere Strydom took Sean Tarry’s Serissa up to lead early from King’s Bridge and Istiqraar. The eventual winner Fantastic Mr Fox and the second-placed Cookie Monster were well back at this stage.

Serissa faded disappointingly early (he was to run a shocking 37 lengths tailed off last) as Muzi Yeni took Istiqraar to the head of affairs at the 400m marker, with Victory Call and Cookie Monster unleashing their challenges

In a driving finish Fantastic Mr Fox finished with a flourish and went on best to just beat Summerhill Ready To Run graduate, the Roy Magner-trained Cookie Monster by 0,35 lengths in a time of 85,35 secs.

Fellow Summerhill Ready To Run graduate, the Gary Alexander-trained Waka Waka, stayed on well for third, while Istiqraar was one-paced in fourth.

The favourite Virtuosity jumped from the best of the draw, but could only run fifth and 2,50 lengths behind after looming up dangerously.

Secretariat Stakes (L)
Final Results

#	LBH	Horse	Kg	MR	Dr	Jockey	Trainer
1	0.00	FANTASTIC MR FOX	60.0	86	10	F Herholdt	Paul Matchett
2	0.35	COOKIE MONSTER	57.0	80	7	JP van der Merwe	Roy Magner
3	2.25	WAKA WAKA	58.0	82	11	M Mienie	Gary Alexander
4	2.30	ISTIQRAAR	57.0	80	9	M Yeni	Mike de Kock
5	2.50	VIRTUOSITY	56.5	79	1	S Brown	Leon Erasmus
6	3.25	REGAL STRIDE	60.0	86	3	C Little	Gavin van Zyl
7	7.00	SAMMY SILVER	56.5	79	6	S Khumalo	Chris Erasmus
8	7.25	VICTORY CALL	53.5	73	5	* J Greyling	Leon Erasmus
9	9.00	TURNSTONE	56.5	79	4	R Simons	Paul Matchett
10	18.00	KING’S BRIDGE	59.5	85	2	R Danielson	Greg & Karen Anthony
11	37.00	SERISSA	59.0	84	8	P Strydom	Sean Tarry
		Late Scratching
13	0.00	PEANUTS	59.5	85	5	S Chambers	Roy Magner

Extract from Sporting Post

PIERRE JOURDAN SEEKING SUMMER CUP SIZZLE

Pierre Jourdan poses with Phumza Tiya ahead of the 2012 Sansui Summer Cup
(Photo : Peter Morey Photography)

SANSUI SUMMER CUP (Grade 1)
Turffontein, Turf, 2000m
1 December 2012

David Thiselton
Gold CirclePierre Jourdan could be a big runner in tomorrow’s Grade 1 R2 Million Sansui Summer Cup in which he carries 58kg off a merit rating of 106 compared to topweight of 60kg off a merit rating of 116 last year. He is also long overdue a change in luck.

The Summerhill-bred gelding was slow away in his last start, the Peermont Emperors Palace Charity Mile, when squeezed out and then badly bumped by a horse coming across which made it hard for him to make up the ground in the fast going on the day. He also met interference in his previous start in the Grade 3 Joburg Spring Challenge over 1450m and could have finished second instead of fourth behind the classy Link Man.

The Gary Alexander yard must be wondering if Pierre Jourdan will ever get a clean race as he also had bad luck through the Champions Season, including in the Vodacom Durban July. However, he is now four points down the merit ratings since his last win in last year’s Charity Mile and he has the in-form maestro Piere Strydom aboard.

In last year’s Summer Cup, Pierre Jourdan finished last, but it appearedded on that occasion that he was over raced. Although Alexander said he would have preferred him to be a touch closer to the inside, the wide draw of 13 is just about ideal for Strydom who will be able to choose where he wants to be and is a master of slipstreaming. Alexander also hoped that he would at least have a chance of staying out of trouble from that draw and added that his first two runs of the season were preparation runs for this race and despite his rough race last time out, Pierre Jourdan had returned sound. “He is doing well and his prep has gone quite nicely,” Alexander said. “He hasn’t done too much wrong.”

Alexander felt he had a few other chances on the day. He reckoned the Trippi colt No Prisoners, with Strydom up, would be a “big runner in that field” in the second, where he is quoted as even money favourite. He gave Radiant Rock “a place shout” in the tenth, despite odds of 33-1, as she “always without fail tries her heart out.” He added that the 2000m trip would suit Mystic Tigress, a 10-1 shot in the eleventh.

Extract from Gold Circle