THE FIRST WEEKEND IN NOVEMBER

Keep your powder dry…
(Photo : Gareth du Plessis)

EMPERORS PALACE READY TO RUN SALE
4 November 2012

The Emperors Palace Ready To Run Sale is the best source,
pound-for-pound, of quality race-horses in the land.

It reminded us again last week.

1st GUIDED ARROW for Yvette Bremner
1st CHEKECHE for Yvette Bremner
1st EMPEROR AUGUSTUS for Mike Azzie
1st BLACK WING for Brett Crawford
1st JEWEL OF THE NILE for Mike Azzie
1st IN THE FRAME for Paul Matchett
1st HAVASHA for Yvette Bremner

KEEP YOUR POWDER DRY
FOR THE 1ST WEEKEND IN NOVEMBER.

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

GAUTENG COLTS AND FILLIES GUINEAS : LOVE IS IN THE AIR

Igugu (Aus) - Gauteng Fillies Guineas (Grade 2)
(Photo : JC Photographics / Summerhill Stud)

“THE BLOSSOMING GUINEAS ROMANCE”

If you’re anything of a statistician, you’d be forgiven for believing there was a blossoming romance developing between graduates of the Summerhill paddocks and the Gauteng Colts and Fillies Guineas. The procession led by Mike de Kock’s Igugu and Charles Laird’s Hollywoodboulevard in Saturday’s renewal of the Fillies Guineas marked the fourth victory for the farm in the past three seasons, commencing in 2009 with Imbongi (Colts Guineas), the exacta of Pierre Jourdan and Havasha in the Colts, and Fisani in the Fillies equivalent in 2010.

It’s a fairly conventional bet that, together with Ebony Flyer, the duo of Igugu and Hollywoodboulevard are the best Three Year Old fillies in the land, and race goers have a mouth-watering prospect to look forward to when this trio finally race in KZN this winter. For the time being, its one all between the Summerhill pair (Hollywoodboulevard prevailed in the R1,5 million Emperors Palace Ready To Run Cup,) while Igugu took her revenge over the extra furlong Saturday, and the latter will be looking to avenge her half length loss to the “Flyer” in the Cape Fillies Guineas.

This was the first outing for Igugu since Sheikh Mohammed acquired Summerhill’s residual interest in the filly, and she is now headed via the Triple Tiara for the Vodacom Durban July (Africa’s greatest horserace) on the first Saturday in July. Quite apart from the huge sense of reward our old friend Andre Macdonald must be feeling for his R1 million purchase, Igugu’s win is another feather in the cap of “Sheikh Mo’s” already spectacular summer of racing bliss. His big pay day, it seems, looks likely to be a month hence at the Dubai World Cup meeting.

Summerhill graduates celebrated a few other big cheques on the weekend, as Arabian Mist suffered an exasperating defeat under top weight in the Hawaii Stakes (Gr2), Fisani approached her best again in the Acacia (Gr3) with the riding tactics, Dolomite went close in the Aquanaut (Gr3), and Maji Moto gave notice he is a Stakes class racehorse with a two-in-a-row romp in the last.

PIERRE JOURDAN HAS SANSUI SUMMER CUP IN HIS SIGHTS

Gary Alexander - Joburg Spring Challenge (Gr3)
(Photo : JC Photographics)

R2 MILLION SANSUI SUMMER CUP (Grade 1)
27 November 2010 

Pierre Jourdan on Saturday showed he will be the horse to beat in the R2million Sansui Summer Cup when the field for that Grade 1 race lines up at Turffontein on 27^th November.

The son of Parade Leader, who had the racing world on its feet on 1^st May as he attempted to become only the second horse to win the South African Triple Crown, made a successful return to racing following a 161 day break.

Irish Flame may have shot down his Triple Crown hopes but Pierre Jourdan announced to the world that he is back by winning the Grade 3 Joburg Spring Challenge over 1450m at Turffontein on Saturday. Trainer Gary Alexander admitted beforehand that he was not sure what to expect from his charge but said he would be happy for him to finish in the first three. Pierre Jourdan drifted from 12-10 to 16-10 but came back like the champion he is. He looked well enough on his way to the start and produced his usual finishing burst when asked for an effort.

Jockey Andrew Fortune had him in midfield on the heels of Havasha, one of only two horses to have beaten Pierre Jourdan, while Exclaim ‘N’ Exclude went to the front. “The panic button was always in my ear”, said Fortune. “At the 400m mark I pulled him out, in a little bit of a panic. I slapped him once and he just went to finish it off”.

He came forward in the centre of the track accompanied by Captain Scott and surged ahead late. Fortune said Pierre Jourdan “dug his toes in”, but he had done enough to win. Galanthus, who went off at 66-1, sneaked up late to get within 0,50 lengths of Pierre Jourdan with Captain Scott a short head adrift in third.

Fortune gave all the credit to Pierre Jourdan. “I didn’t think it was a great ride. I didn’t trust him at all, but he was good enough. As jockeys, all our lives we hang around to ride horses like this”.

Alexander said Pierre Jourdan will next race in the Grade 2 Peermont Emperors Palace Charity Mile on 6 November followed by the Summer Cup three weeks later. “There’s a lot more to come from him”, he predicted.

The fillies race went to Mike de Kock’s Igugu, who is now unbeaten in three starts. Jockey Randall Simons had her near the back of the field but when he switched her out for a clear run, the 22-10 favourite easily passed the front runners to win by 2,75 lengths from outsides Queen Mira and Stella Mia.

Headstrong set a decent pace but faded and could only manage fourth, 3,50 lengths behind the winner.

De Kock, who is in Mauritius for Johnny Geroudis’ wedding, had previously said he saw Igugu as a contender for the Grade 1 SA Fillies Classic over 1800m next year.

Article by Jack Milner in The Citizen, Monday 11th October

THE STRANGENESS OF COINCIDENCE

The Summerhill Gallops
(Image : Hartford House/Summerhill Stud)

“TIMING IS EVERYTHING IN RACING”

Timing is everything in racing, and with the Emperors Palace Ready To Run gallops scheduled for Friday next week at Summerhill, a fortuitous boost would serve as a great advertisement.

Whether they are victorious or not, the fact that this weekend sees an assembly of high quality Ready To Run graduates entered for their first prep runs of the season, advertises the sale in its own way. At Turffontein on Saturday, the Joburg Spring Challenge (Gr.3) and the Joburg Fillies & Mares Challenge (Gr.3) sees no fewer than four Ready To Run stars lining up, while the two Pinnacle Stakes straddling the Features, include a Gold Bowl hero in Winning Leap, a Merchants ace in Arabian Mist, a dual Stakes winner in Battlestar Express, and a top performer in Hurricane Force, coming to the party, while Greyville is host to the Michaelmas Handicap where the top weight is Keats Drift.

Reverting to the features for the moment, last season’s Highveld “firelighter”, Pierre Jordan makes his seasonal return, alongside the horse that was runner-up in both the Gauteng and KZN Guineas, Havasha, while among the younger brigade, the unbeaten Galileo sophomore, Igugu, joins an auspicious cast for the Fillies and Mares challenge with fellow Ready To Run graduate, Mgedi.

Looking at prospective candidates for this year’s R1,5 million Emperors Palace Ready To Run Cup, we see the Mauritian-owned Single Tempo strutting his talents in the opener, while the impressive Way West filly, Honolulu, aims to make it two in a row in the fifth.

Talking of next week’s events (on which there’ll be bundles of news in the course of the week), including pen pictures of all the Ready To Run candidates trialling at Summerhill this Saturday before the gallops proper) we’re anticipating a throng of visitors to the farm for the big day (Friday 15^th October). We already know of guests from four countries outside South Africa, who’ve signalled their intent to be here, while Thursday night is the scene for a coming-together of a fistful of the nation’s celebrity horsemen. If you’re wanting to rub shoulders with these guys, you’d want to get hold of Hartford House urgently to make your dinner reservation. Sadly, there’s no longer any room at the inn itself, but it’s possible you might still get dinner at South Africa’s No 1 restaurant.

Proceedings for Thursday evening kick off with a Horsemen’s opening of the new Al Maktoum School Of Management Excellence (not quite complete, but in good enough nonetheless), a “breathtaker” by the leading traditional dance troupe in Africa, and a meal to knock your socks off. The bulk of the judges (Mike de Kock, Dean Kannemeyer, Joey Ramsden, Michael Roberts, Jehan Malherbe) are entering their fourth year as such, and will be presented with their honours certificates and some special gear to honour the event.

The Emperors Palace Ready To Run Sale
TBA Sales Complex, Sunday 7 November
Summerhill Gallops, Friday 15 October
Six cheque payment scheme.

Terms and conditions apply.

Tel : 27 (0) 33-2631081 / 27 (0) 33-2631314
Fax : 27 (0) 33-2632818 / 27 (0) 33-2632414
Email : info@summerhill.co.za

IT’S NOT QUITE HINDSIGHT...

…BUT IT’S ALMOST 20/20

There’s a reason the world’s biggest horse players have gravitated to Ready To Run sales. This game’s about running, and this way, you get what you see, not what you think you see. But at Summerhill we’ve gone much further. You see, we understand the value of information, and we’ve taught the world how to provide it.

We’ve brought you a panel of the nation’s top experts to help with selection. We’ve committed the gallops to TV, DVD and our website (www.summerhill.co.za), and our riders have provided rare insights on the candidates.

We’ve also given the nation the richest breeders sponsorship in the country and a race worth R2million. Besides saving you as much as R50,000 in keep charges, we’ve made it possible for every player to play. With up to six cheques* to make your purchases.

On a single  weekend, when Ready To Run graduates Imbongi won the Zabeel Mile in Dubai, Hear The Drums became the winningmost racehorse in history and Fisani won the Fillies Guineas, Pierre Jourdan and Havasha led the Aussies a merry dance in the Gauteng Guineas.

The Emperors Palace Ready To Run Sale
TBA Sales Complex, Sunday 7 November
Summerhill Gallops, Friday 15 October
Six cheque payment scheme.

Terms and conditions apply.

Tel : 27 (0) 33-2631081 / 27 (0) 33-2631314
Fax : 27 (0) 33-2632818 / 27 (0) 33-2632414
Email : info@summerhill.co.za