HORSE CHESTNUT TO PARADE AT L'ORMARINS QUEEN'S PLATE

Horse Chestnut
(Photo : Drakenstein Stud)

HORSE CHESTNUT
(FORT WOOD - LONDON WALL) 

David Thiselton
Gold CircleHorse Chestnut, whom many consider the greatest thoroughbred racehorse to ever set foot on the South African turf, will parade between races 5 and 6 on L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate day on January 8.

It will be the first time he has returned to the scene of his finest hour, Kenilworth racecourse, where he not only performed the rare feat of winning the J&B Met as a three-year-old, but passed the post a record eight lengths clear.

It is fitting that he will be present for the probable most intriguing race the course has seen since that heady day in January 1999, for this year’s Queen’s Plate sees another turf legend, Pocket Power, make an attempt at world history.

But in his path will be the three-year-old filly, Ebony Flyer, who is causing almost as big a stir as Horse Chestnut did when he was the same age.

Horse Chestnut, a chestnut son of Fort Wood, was bred by Harry and Bridgett Oppenheimer’s Mauritzfontein Stud. Mike de Kock, the current South African Champion trainer, selected him off the farm to join his Randjesfontein yard in 1997.

One of the details De Kock remembered was that, most unusually, he could fit almost two fists in the throat area between Horse Chestnut’s jowls, a test he always does to check the potential breathing capacity.

Horse Chestnut immediately made his mark, winning his debut in a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1000m at Turffontein on 20 December 1997 by a facile 5,75 lengths. His only defeat came in his second start on 10 March 1998, when finishing third in a Grade 3 race over 1000m at Newmarket.

However, he was not himself that day and it proved to be only a temporary blip.

As a three-year-old he swept all before him and besides his J&B Met win he became the only horse to ever win the Triple Crown, which consisted of the Grade 1 Cape Guineas, the Grade 1 SA Classic and the Grade 1 SA Derby.

The Derby was his final appearance in South Africa and few will forget how he sauntered clear of the field without appearing to come out of an exercise-like gait, winning by just under ten lengths while jockey Weichong Marwing stood in his saddle and blew a kiss to the rapturous crowd.

De Kock then targeted the Dubai World Cup and sent him to America to prepare.

His first overseas start was in the Grade 3 Broward Handicap over 1700m on the dirt with Mike Smith aboard and, as the commentator said, Horse Chestnut proved himself “everything they said he was”, scooting clear to win by 5,5 lengths.

Tragically, he suffered a leg injury in training shortly thereafter and had to be retired.

His American caretaker trainer spoke of Horse Chestnut’s astonishing performances in training, whereby he appeared to be cantering but was recording phenomenal times, a description that would also have fitted his SA Derby win.

It is a factor that weighs heavily when trying to envisage what this great horse might have achieved.

After his retirement, having won nine out of ten starts, the Oppenheimers sold the majority of shares in Horse Chestnut to America’s most famous stud, Seth Hancock’s Claiborne Farm in Kentucky, which has been home to legends such as Bold Ruler, Mr Prospector, Nasrullah, Nijinsky, Secretariat, Danzig and many more.

Horse Chestnut sired 61% winners in four crops in the USA, among them 28 stakes horses, including Grade 1, 2 and 3 winners. His progeny has earned in excess of $10 million.

In 2009 he returned to South Africa, having been secured by Johan and Gaynor Rupert’s Drakenstein Stud. Horse Chestnut settled into his beautiful new surrounds immediately and his happiness was epitomised by the rare friendship he struck up with his sire colleague, Trippi. Stallions often have to be separated by metal bars, but this pair nuzzle each other when leaving their stables together and if one leaves alone the other will call for him.

Horse Chestnut was accorded 80 mares in his first season and got 72 of them in foal. He stands at a fee of R35,000.

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L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate

ALBERTON'S FINEST BOYKIE... MIKE DE KOCK

Mike de Kock - Racehorse Trainer Extraordinaire
(Photo : Emirates Racing Authority/Mike de Kock Racing)

“…likely to have five or six of the
Durban July final 20”

Mike Moon
The TimesThis country has a gift for producing outstanding individuals in many fields - thoroughbred racing included. 

The list of homegrown superstars includes Mike de Kock - racehorse trainer extraordinaire, respected wherever hooves thunder.

We know all about De Kock’s feats abroad, burnishing the name of South African thoroughbred racing and breeding wherever he goes. No trainer in the world ranges as fearlessly.

But it’s at home that he’s displaying supremacy at the moment.

At Clairwood last weekend, De Kock saddled the winners of three of the five graded races on the card. He had a fourth trophy denied by a boardroom ruling on in-running interference, and was not far off in the fifth big one.

This tour de force capped a recent golden run, including the Canon Gold Cup the week before - when he sent out Ancestral Fore to overturn decades of precedent and sling dung in the faces of “experts” who said a three-year-old couldn’t prevail in the marathon. Yuck, spit.

Big Mike’s stake earnings for the season are approaching R19-million. That’s R2-million more than the season record - and there are three weeks of the term still to run.

It culminates in the Durban July on July 31, and who would bet against our hero scooping that too. He trains 11 of the 51 horses entered for the race, and is likely to have five or six of the final field of 20 - including favourite Irish Flame.

Mike de Kock grew up in Alberton in the 1970s and ’80s, alongside the old Newmarket racecourse, and fell in love with horses and racing at an early age while gazing over fences at the wondrous beasts as they trained and raced.

A school friendship with David Ferraris, son of Ormond - a training legend - led to a job as a stable hand.

By December 1988, De Kock was a full assistant trainer with Ricky Howard-Ginsberg. When his boss died suddenly of a heart attack, the yard’s leading patrons agreed to let the promising youngster take the reins.

The rest is history. After proving to be reasonably good at his job, in 1995 De Kock got a phone call from Bridget Oppenheimer, offering him horses to train. Figuring this was a prank call, he sarcastically brushed off the well-spoken woman and hung up.

An amused Mrs O got her stud man-ager to call the brash southern suburbs boykie. A swift apology to the grand lady of the turf proved to be a launching pad to propel De Kock to the heights of international racing.

For one early Oppenheimer arrival at the De Kock yard was a colt destined to become South Africa’s best racehorse of all time : Horse Chestnut.

MIKE MOON : MAKING HISTORY IS NOT OLD HAT

The unveiling of the South African Horseracing Museum at the TBA, Gosforth Park
(Photos : TBA / Jean Stanley)

Please click thumbnails above to enlarge…

OF SOUTH AFRICAN HISTORY,
A TRIPLE CROWN TEST AND INTERNATIONAL WARRIORS

Mike Moon

We’ve become a trifle blasé about being “part of history” in this country.

We’ve lived through great political change, and are about to be subjected to another nation-changing shindig under the intense gaze of a fascinated world.

Yet I sense we’re not as breathless, honoured and excited about making history as we used to be.

One is reminded of that clichéed old curse: “May you live in interesting times.” It could well be said these are interesting times, yet so many people seem intent on whingeing, stirring up fear and loathing, and exhibiting tendencies of one colour or another.
Whatever.

In racing, history is rushing at us even faster. Indeed, it hove into view this week and threatens devastating strikes over the weekend.

The opening of the racing museum at the Thoroughbred Breeders Association HQ in Germiston on Wednesday came at a timely moment.

A sidelight to the three-day National Yearling Sale that gets under way this evening, the well-appointed museum’s fascinating chronicles of racing heroes of yesteryear might inspire buyers to go that extra furlong to break bidding records at the country’s premier auction.

But the history-making is set to start earlier in the day, at 4.15pm, with Port Elizabeth’s unassuming Arlington racecourse the unlikely backdrop.

That’s when a phenomenal sprinter called Hear The Drums starts as hot favourite to eclipse the South African record for most victories. The seven-year-old gelding has already won 32 times, equalling a record set in the Dark Ages.

Then tomorrow at Turffontein, Pierre Jourdan makes his momentous bid to claim the Triple Crown - and to join legendary Horse Chestnut as the only horses to do so.

The gangly gelding, trained by Gary Alexander, has impressively won the first two legs of the multimillion-rand treble - the Guineas over 1600m and the Classic over 1800m - and now steps up to the 2450m of the SA Derby.

To win the Triple Crown, a horse must beat the best three-year-olds over distances from a mile to a mini-marathon - in eight short weeks. It’s a fearful test, and, if he passes it, Pierre Jourdan’s name will live in racing lore forever.

There’s further rich scope for history-writing at Turffontein.

In thoroughbred breeding literature, names of graded race achievers are always printed in bold - or black - typeface, and it’s the burning desire of every racehorse owner and breeder to gain this seemingly trifling recognition.

There are no fewer than eight “black type” races on the Turfies card - including the R2million Champions Challenge - and a herd of horses will compete for extra ink with absurdly high hopes riding on them.

Then, on Sunday, two South African rags-to-riches horses seek to write the country’s name large at the great racing arena of Sha Tin in Hong Kong.

Imbongi and Lizard’s Desire vie for the Hong Kong Mile and the QE II Cup respectively.

Now who could be blasé about all that?

Date	Time (ZA)	Horse	Race	Distance	Track
23 April 2010	16:15	HEAR THE DRUMS	Arlington Flying Five	1000m	Arlington
24 April 2010	15:20	PIERRE JOURDAN	R1,5Million SA Derby (Gr1)	2450m	Turffontein
25 April 2010	09:55	IMBONGI	HK$12Million Hong Kong Champions Mile (Gr1)	1600m	Sha Tin
25 April 2010	10:35	LIZARD’S DESIRE	HK$14Million Audemars Piguet QE II Cup (Gr1)	2000m	Sha Tin

Extract from The Times
South Africa
23 April 2010

IT’S NEVER BEEN BETTER : RACING FANS SPOILT FOR CHOICE

The Computaform Sprint (Grade 1)
(Photo : Computaform /Phumelela)

THE SA DERBY, SA OAKS AND THE COMPUTAFORM SPRINT

There’s been an awful lot in the news and on television about Pierre Jourdan and his crack at the SASCOC Triple Crown next Saturday (24^th April), but there’s a helluva supporting cast around the SA Derby, including the SA Oaks (Salutation has a go at restoring the fortunes of a family which last tasted Group One glory with Last Watch in the SA Classic equivalent of yesteryear).

But for race goers, the other very serious diversion on Champions Day, revolves around the Computaform Sprint (Gr1), which has thrown up its own retinue of legends over the years. This year’s renewal must rival, if not outpoint any of its predecessors, with three individual champions taking on one another in what might arguably turn out to be the fastest 1000 metres the world has ever witnessed, given its history of 55 seconds scorchers.

The protagonists include the mercurial Mythical Flight, champion juvenile and multiple Grade One sprinter Warm White Night, and last year’s Computaform ace Private Jet.

Yes, a Triple Crown bid at a mile and a half, and a world-class dash at a 1000 metres, with nothing but a hair’s breadth separating the candidates on their best exposed form.

One thing’s for sure, the result will be tight; there will be no Ussain Bolt surging away from a gathering of street joggers this time, and it will be a wonderful prelude to a assault on the Triple Crown by arguably the best Three Year Old we’ve seen since Horse Chestnut.

What a day for racing.

R1 Million COMPUTAFORM SPRINT (Grade 1)
Turffontein 1000m
24 April 2010

FINAL FIELD

No	Horse	Kg	MR	Dr	Jockey	Trainer
1	PRIVATE JET (ARG)	60	115	4	P Strydom	Geoff Woodruff
2	WARM WHITE NIGHT	60	114	1	A Marcus	Charles Laird
3	MYTHICAL FLIGHT	60	113	11	J Geroudis	Sean Tarry
4	INTELLECTUAL	60	110	6	R Danielson	Herman Brown
5	SOUTH COUNTRY	60	106	9	A Fortune	Gary Alexander
6	STRIKE PARADISE	60	105	7	B Lerena	Dominic Zaki
7	LIGHTENING LECTURE	60	102	10	S Khumalo	David Nieuwenhuizen
8	OPENING NIGHT	60	95	5	M V’Rensberg	Clinton Binda
9	LAUREAL MAN(BRZ)	58	92	3	D David	Brett Webber
10	NOBLE HEIR	57.5	105	8	A Delpech	Dennis Bosch
11	GOLDEN SECRET	57.5	88	12	*JP v’d Merwe	Mike Azzie
12	ESTEREL	55.5	101	2	F Naude	Dianne Stenger

PIERRE JOURDAN TO REST AFTER TRIPLE CROWN CHALLENGE

Pierre Jourdan and Derreck David
(Photo : JC Photos / Summerhill Stud)

NO VODACOM DURBAN JULY FOR PIERRE JOURDAN

David ThiseltonPierre Jourdan will be given a break after the Grade 1 SA Derby over 2400m on April 24 at Turffontein and will not come down to Durban for the Vodacom Durban July.

The magnificent Summerhill-bred gelding by Parade Leader will earn a R2million bonus if he wins the SA Derby and thereby become the first horse since the great Horse Chestnut to complete the Triple Crown.

Trained by Turffontein trainer Gary Alexander, he was an easy winner of the first two legs, the Grade 2 Gauteng Guineas over 1600m and the Grade 1 SA Classic over 1800m. The racing public are waiting with bated breath for the final hurdle.

Alexander realises the magnitude of the possible SASCOC Triple Crown achievement and said magnanimously after his last win, “He no longer belongs to us. From now on he belongs to the racing public. He is the people’s horse.”

Dean Alexander, assistant to Gary, said that there had been offers for Pierre Jourdan and there would no doubt be more if he won the SA Derby, but added that if he stayed in the Alexander yard he would be giving the KZN Champions Season a miss. “He is still immature and has had a tough season,” said Dean. “He deserves a break.”

The Alexander siblings, Gary, Dean and Julie, sat around a table together at Summerhill Stud on a November day in 2008, as ardent supporters of the Breeze Up Gallops and the subsequent Emperors Palace Ready To Run Sale.

Late in the afternoon the always high-spirited Dean led the table banter and it was obvious that the trio had no inkling that they had just seen a horse they would later regard as the best the yard had trained. “He had all the right lines,” said Dean, referring to his conformation. “He didn’t put up a specially good gallop, but was an athletic sort and had everything we look for in a horse.”

Pierre Jourdan was knocked down to the Alexanders for a mere R60 000 and Gary took a share along with one of the yard’s loyal patrons, Emilio Baisero.

Dean has little doubt that Pierre Jourdan will stay the 2450m trip of the Derby. “He did it the hard way in the SA Classic. He came from a wide draw and hit the front early in the straight. “He always relaxes in the running and there seems no reason why he shouldn’t stay.”

He described Pierre Jourdan as a very laid back sort when back at home, although added that like most top horses he knew he was good.

The Alexanders are steeped in racing and are all too aware that horses like this don’t come around often. They are subsequently enjoying every moment of Pierre Jourdan’s career as is their father, the former top jockey, Duncan Alexander.