NOW FOR THE GOOD NEWS

TBA Sales Complex, Gosforth Park, Germiston, South Africa
(Photo : Leigh Willson)

EMPERORS PALACE READY TO RUN SALE
TBA Sales Complex, Gosforth Park, Germiston
6 November 2011

We’re not sure whether we’ve got this quote exactly as the sage of Omaha once said it, but Warren Buffett is famous for timing his investments to the tee. “Be fearful when the greedy are greedy, and be greedy when the greedy are fearful”. It seems that international thoroughbred investors had his advice in mind at the principal American and English sales last month, when a new tide of buyers from across the world ensured increases in average and median of 30 and 40% plus. That was before the recent EU deal on Greece, before US retail sales posted their increases, and before a spate of healthy reporting from Fortune 500 companies in the States.

In South African terms, it was before our president earned his brownie points with the announcement of an arms deal probe, the firing of 2 ministers, and the suspension of his Police Chief, and the conclusion of the evidence in the Malema disciplinary enquiry. The mood in the country has already moved into positive mode, and earlier this week Stats SA announced a net increase of almost 200,000 jobs in the formal sector. It’s remarkable how quickly things are developing, and here in the Golden City, we hear encouraging stories from retailers, casino and factory floor operators, that the “worm has turned”.

At the sales grounds, traffic is pumping, lending some credibility to a 17% uptick in visits to our website, and it seems Ready To Run fever is reaching a point where it will soon be notifiable. Credit applications at Bloodstock South Africa are well ahead of last year, and it seems the adage “the Ready To Run is all about fun” has taken deep root among racing fans. We’ve always known it, but it’s worth remembering the optimistic natures of racing people, who seem to bounce back before the rest of the economy. Toss in a bit of the farsightedness, the enterprise and the guts for which our countrymen are renowned, and the faith we’ve always held in South Africans, and you have all the ingredients for a good sale.

But this is a deep draft of quality thoroughbreds deserving of respect, and whilst you might accuse us of bias, no less a judge than Michael Azzie made a turn at Block A yesterday, and after inspecting the Summerhill draft, frustratedly announced he had 42 on his (long) shortlist, a phenomenon he’d never experienced at a sale before. He is among those that remember the early days at the Ready To Run, when he took home the top-priced colt of his year, Imperial Despatch (R65,000!), and turned him into the unbeaten champion juvenile of South Africa. He also recalls the fickle rapidity with which we tend to dismiss the progeny of certain sires, forgetting that fashion comes and fashion goes. Some years ago, when Desert Team was “dead and buried”, we consigned 4 of his youngsters, and all 4 of them told us on the gallops at home that they deserved some respect. Alan Greeff took home a Gold Cup Gr1 winner, Cereus, David Goss a Gr2 heroine, Dot Dot Dash, St John Gray a St Leger ace, Stud Master, and the late Roy Howe, Captive Audience, a 5-time winning filly who beat the colts under top weight in the B division.

The moral of the story : “watch the gallops”. These horses don’t know who their father is, and if the evidence is that they can run, it doesn’t matter who the hell their parents are. Good horses come from both patrician and plebeian backgrounds, with almost equal regularity, and there is no sale that exemplifies the successes of the rich and the not-so-rich quite as emphatically as this one. It’s also worth remembering that everything in our draft has had the benefits of a Summerhill upbringing, and if that can’t enhance your prospects, whatever your origins, nothing will. Simply put, it’s the best upbringing of a racehorse known to man.

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

THE BEST OF THE PRESENT GENERATION...

Al Maktoum School Of Management Excellence Theatre
(Photo : Leigh Willson) 

…ARE READY TO CREATE THE BEST OF THE NEXT

Continuing the extracts from the Summerhill Sires Brochure for 2010/2011. Are you on the mailing list? If not then please let us have your details and we’ll gladly ensure you get a personal copy when it’s published on the 1st August.

“A British Olympic rider staying at Hartford House, recently witnessed a passing string of Thoroughbreds on the Imperial Despatch track; he was at once mesmerised. Here was a gallery of the old masters, as glorious a gathering of the good Lord’s finest creatures as he’d witnessed. It was their Zulu riders though, that really beguiled him, as much at one with the horses as he’d known.

When he enquired of the lead rider where he’d learned his trade, the response was quick. “I was born to ride horses, sir.” He might’ve been talking for his fifteen colleagues as well. You never want to underestimate the Zulus. Our British forebears made that mistake at the Battle of Isandlwana in 1879, and it’s never been forgotten. There is only one nation on earth, whose name is known to every airline pilot on the planet : “Z” for Zulu. And it’s not only because they’re great horsemen.

It’s a little known fact that the Hong Kong jockeys title, the most sought after in the world, has been in South African hands for 17 of the past 18 years. Yes Sir, we were born to ride horses. There’s more to this pony than a single trick of rugby players, cricketers and shopkeepers.

It’s also a little known fact that no country of South Africa’s size, has produced so many world class businesses. By a country mile. There’s something extraordinary about the history of this paradoxical land of creativity, conflict and enterprise, that lifts us as a nation. The 2010 Fifa World Cup tells us that’s a fair statement, and if you need any more convincing, look at what Investec have done for England’s greatest horserace.

At Summerhill, whatever else they may be, our people are paragons of enthusiasm, good humour and curiosity, Renaissance people in an era that needs them. Every farm has a personality, but very few get to spell it with a capital “P”, and that’s the reason we’ve made the investment in the educational advancement of those who make their crusts here.

There are already three learning institutions at Summerhill. A créche, a preparatory school, and a life skills mentoring class. The “prep”, with just 65 pupils, has fashioned a mayor and two junior international athletes in recent times. The mentoring class has seen the award of 36 overseas scholarships to people who’d never ventured too far from the boundaries of Mooi River in their lives. These are the “home runs” that get us up in the mornings.

And that’s what’s prompted the development of our School of Management Excellence. Its erection honours the contribution to the South African sport of racing in general, and to the people of Summerhill in particular, of the Gainsborough Stud of the late Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Maktoum al Maktoum. As the first institution of its kind in the southern hemisphere, its erection fills a void in the needs of an industry involving billions of dollars in investment, but woefully short on the educational opportunities this facility will deliver.

While it’s still just a “work-in-progress”, a visit to the Summerhill website (www.summerhill.co.za) will confirm what we think you’ve known for a long time. At Summerhill, we don’t do things in half measures.”

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

Fighting Talk : The pace is Hotting Up

Mike de Kock and Justin Snaith (Summerhill Stud)

                                               
On Tellytrack’s “Keeping Track” programme at the beginning of the week, “Mr. Racing” Graeme Hawkins, hosted a panel of experts for the purposes of discussing the forthcoming Champions’ Season in Kwa Zulu Natal. The panelists included the veteran jockey-turned-trainer, Garth Puller (who’s as shrewd a judge of form as anyone we know), Parade Magazine’s editor, Lance Benson, and visiting high-profile trainer, Justin Snaith, who’s just concluded a marvellous summer season in the Cape. While their topic concerned the final few months of the season, it’s increasingly clear that the emerging clash of the generations is what’s going to dominate the headlines until August.The discussions centered on the forthcoming Gr.1 races, but the events to which the discussion kept reverting irresistibly were the Gold Challenge (Gr.1) (at Clairwood Park on the 14^th June), and of course, Greyville’s Vodacom July, (5^th July). These two races were obviously topical because of their significance in the context of the whole winter programme, but they also carried a different kind of curiosity in the aftermath of Friday evening’s events in the Drill Hall Stakes (Gr.2). Indeed, in the midst of their review of the Drill Hall (which was pretty well “glossed over” because it didn’t end up with the result everyone was expecting,) there was an insert on last year’s Horse Of The Year, Pocket Power, obviously prepared in advance of the outcome of the Drill Hall.

The overriding issue, is that there appears to be a growing respect for the current crop of Three Year Olds, following recent victories over their elders in the Gomma Gomma Challenge (Gr.1) (by Eddington,), J.J.The Jet Plane in the Computaform Sprint (Gr.1,) and Imbongi’s demolition job on Friday, which included Pocket Power and three other former champions, in the Drill Hall.

Let’s begin by acknowledging Justin Snaith’s outstanding talents as a trainer, besides being a really nice fellow. We’ve always enjoyed having the odd horse in the Cape trainer’s yard, as there’s no lack of enthusiasm in the team, their client communication is quite exceptional, and they live in an optimistic world, which means you think you’ve always got a chance. Some people like to get the news as it comes, others like good news, and we think racing is a “good news” business. As long as there’s hope, there’s a vestige of enthusiasm.

Justin is invariably cock-a-hoop about the prospects of his horses when they’re well, and he was no less so about the chances of Dancer’s Daughter in the Gold Challenge, Russian Sage’s prospects in the Daily News, and both of these horses’ expectations in the July. To the degree, in Russian Sage’s case, of volunteering the contents of an sms sent to Mike de Kock right after Imbongi’s win, congratulating him on the one hand, but on the other suggesting the result might’ve been otherwise had Russian Sage, supposedly in his “new” guise, been engaged. Now that’s “war talk” if every we’ve heard it, particularly as the “Russian” appeared to be in reverse when Imbongi whistled past in the Guineas.

What strikes us (if not amazes us) is the almost dismissive respect people have shown for Imbongi’s form. When he ran away with the Gauteng Guineas in early April, he had behind him the Gomma Gomma winner, Eddington, the duel Classic hero, King’s Gambit, the Dingaans winner Lion’s Blood and the Computaform Sprint ace, J.J.The Jet Plane, all flat to the boards in their attempt to stay in touch, but comprehensively out-punched in the finish. The excuse proffered by the professionals was that the pace had been slow, and that there was a prospect the result might’ve been different in other circumstances.

So Imbongi came to Durban having to prove himself again in the KZN Guineas, this time against a horse (Russian Sage) who’d been running with considerable merit at distances from 1400 metres to that of his Cape Derby victory over 2000 metres. Despite significant interference late in the race, Imbongi comfortably overpowered the “Russian” in the closing stages. On that occasion, (and there might’ve been merit in this, though how much we don’t know), the excuse was that Russian Sage needed the run. It was no different on Friday evening in the Drill Hall, where all of Floatyourboat, Pocket Power and Bold Ellinore were on first outings after a break. While Pocket Power was apparently well over his J&B Met-winning weight, the reality is, he was doing his best at the end, with little sign of a shortage of condition. No doubt, the Drill Hall will have brought him on a ton, and with the expectation that he’ll be more effective over the 1600 m of the Gold Challenge, they’ll believe that the 3.5 length beating he took from Imbongi will be reversed. That may be so; we’ll see. For sure, there’ll be no shortage of fans rooting for all sides, come June 14th.

Of course, there’s quite a bit of emotion and sentiment riding on the “unwanted” Imbongi at Summerhill right now, and we’re hopeful of a bold showing when that time comes, on this occasion, hopefully, without excuses from anybody. The suggestion that the 1600m trip will suit Pocket Power better, ignores the fact that in Mike de Kock’s view, it might just do Imbongi better as well, so this is a contest we can all look forward to.

Dancer’s Daughter will be lining up in the same race and so will the rest of the nation’s best milers, but for now, on the basis of history, they all have Pocket Power to beat. Yet on the basis of the crude form before us, Imbongi is the man of the moment.

For our part, this is what the game’s about, and it’s a vindication for those that saw in Imbongi the class he’s showing now, when he first revealed himself a likely sort as a youngster on the gallops at home. Heavens knows how many great ones did the same for the Ellises in the old days. Mowgli, Panjandrum, Sentinel, Magic Mirror, Cape Heath, Alyssum, they all come to mind. And then for us, Imperial Despatch, Icy Air, Amphitheatre, Emperor Napoleon, Bold Ellinore, Disappear, Dynamite Mike…

Latest arrivals : 11 August 2010

2 August

 Filly  by DYNASTY ex SADLER’S BELLE. Sadler’s Belle is the unraced half sister to the Gr 1 millionaire SHAH’s STAR.  As owner Herbert Smith (Equine Admin) commented in The Sporting Post “This is the first Dynasty foal born in South Africa. Sadler’s Belle is a Brashee mare which makes this filly inbred to the great Sadler’s wells 3x3. She is a well made, athletic filly and is a very well balanced individual. The future looks very exciting.”

5 August:

Filly by MUHTAFAL ex CLAIM TO FAME. This filly is a 3/4 relation to the very good listed winner [and Gr 3 placed] NONDWENI; this is also the family of IMPERIAL DESPATCH - ARCSA Champion 2yo colt.

6 August:

Colt by LABEEB ex FOREST EDGE. Forest Edge was the winner of 4 races.

8 August: 

Filly by REQUIEM ex SHIRLEY SINGER (first foal). Shirely Singer was a 2-time winner. She is out of the listed place getter NORTHEN SINGER (own sister to TRAVEL NORTH and WORLD TRAVELLER) and is a half sister to RHAPSODY IN RED who won 6 races including the Gr 3 Henry Eatwell Memorial Handicap (4th in the Gr 1 SA Fillies Sprint).

Colt by REQUIEM ex PROUD AND TRUE. Proud and True is the daughter of the listed place getter PROUD TURN. She is a half sister to the Gr 1 winner PROUD PILGRIM. This is also the family of THE EDEN PROJECT, BOLD PERSIAN, BOLAND PRIDE and KASHAN.

Colt by ALBARAHIN ex RAINBOW LADY. Rainbow Lady was a winner at 3. She is out of the Gr 1 placed RAIN SHOWER and is a half sister to 8 winners.