A KING'S RANSOM... AND A BIT MORE

Gitano Hernando
(Team Valor International)

“An excellent example of what one rich man
will pay to beat another one.”

The Dubai World Cup on Saturday is the richest day in racing. All told, just short of $30 million (at yesterday’s exchange rate, more than R200 million) will be dispensed to the lucky connections of the days participants. The big race itself is worth $10 million (just about double its nearest pursuer in global money terms,) and that amount to just short of R70 million, which would buy you 14 good sized, up-and-running farms with implements and even some stock, in our district.

If you could scoop just the first prize in the World Cup itself, (more than R40 million) you could instantly become the biggest farmer in our district, and that illustrates what it is to own a good horse.

When you think we live on some of the finest and most productive agricultural land on the planet, that we have one of the most reliable climates, and that our way of life is incomparable, winning the World Cup or any one of its subsidiary races, is something every horseman dreams of. And considering how little is needed to get there (Lizard’s Desire, beaten a whisker last year and the beneficiary of more than R20 million in prize money for that effort alone, cost R40,000) and Bold Silvano (the morning line favourite for the event until his scratching on Sunday, cost a tad over R200,000), you begin to get an idea of the value South African thoroughbreds represent in the international market.

Another illustration of value, is the sale yesterday by Summerhill client, Team Valor, of their American Group One winner, Gitano Hernando, to Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov for a figure said to be of the order of $4 million (almost R30 million). If the betting is anything to go by, he’s no Bold Silvano, but it’s an excellent example of what one very rich man will pay to beat another one.

BOLD SILVANO OUT : THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY

Click above to remember Bold Silvano’s win in the 2010 Vodacom Durban July (Gr1)
(Image : Gold Circle - Footage : SABC 3)

DUBAI WORLD CUP
26 MARCH 2011

We may have had a good weekend at the Cricket World Cup, victory over Bangladesh ensuring we top our group, but South Africa suffered a helluva blow in the equine version of the World Cup, scheduled for this weekend. The news filtered through about mid-day Monday, that Mike de Kock’s big World Cup hope, Bold Silvano, had injured himself in a training accident, and was to be withdrawn. He was probably the biggest chance we’ve had at winning the race, (remember, we were a whisker second last year, with Lizard’s Desire, and Summerhill graduate, Paris Perfect, was a commendable third the year before,) but Bold Silvano stood out as the 22/10 betters’ choice, ahead of the European champion, Twice Over (who’s now the “chalk” in international markets). “He worked well Sunday, but seems to have tweaked or pulled something. We cannot actually put our finger on it immediately but it is enough to rule him out. It’s a great shame as he is a genuine World Cup horse. It has not been easy with him this season but we will be back next year. At least we have back up in the shape of Golden Sword, who will take his place”, lamented De Kock.

In another major defection, Ed Dunlop’s European Champion filly, Snow Fairy, has been pulled out of the Sheema Classic (Gr1,) where she was bound to have started favourite.

We had just posted the anticipated fields for the World Cup and the Sheema Classic when we got the news, and we were on the point of mentioning that the cards had pretty much stacked up as we had anticipated, despite all the rumours to the contrary. As we saw it, Bold Silvano and Musir were to be South African’s big hopes in the World Cup, with Golden Sword aimed at the Sheema Classic. River Jetez was our choice for the Duty Free along with stable companion, Raihana and Herman Brown’s Bankable, while Mahbooba and Reem take on the colts in the UAE Derby.

Our own man, Imbongi (third in last year’s Duty Free,) has always been slated for a shot at the Godolphin Mile on the more forgiving tapeta surface, where De Kock tells us he’s a money chance. The other outstanding South African slated for the evening is J J The Jet Plane, who just doesn’t seem to like synthetic tracks, so Lucky Houdalakis has no choice but to go for the Al Quoz Sprint, as opposed to the Golden Shaheen.

Our best shots at the number one slots now rest with River Jetez and J J The Jet Plane, it seems, but what an extraordinary blow for a little country like ours, to lose a candidate of Bold Silvano’s calibre, when the eyes of the world are upon you.

Never mind, we’ll be back, and it might just turn out that it will be in both versions of the World Cup. That’s the way of our world.

PARIS PERFECT FEARLESS IN SAUDI ARABIA

Click above to watch
Paris Perfect in the 2009 Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup
(Photo : Robin Bruss - Footage : The King’s Cup) 

PARIS CONTINUES TO BE PERFECT

The first of two ex Port Elizabeth stalwarts to make names for themselves in the international world, was Paris Perfect (by Muhtafal), followed this year by the herculean efforts of Lizard’s Desire by Lizard Island.

While Lizard’s Desire is presently battling laminitis in his adopted country of Dubai, Paris Perfect has started twice this season in Saudi Arabia, where he has produced two magnificent performances. Looking at the latest pictures of him in the winner’s enclosure following the Um Elqura Universal Cup at Taif Racecourse in Saudi Arabia, where he carried the “impossible” impost of 61kg to a three length victory over 2,400m (we always thought the distance well beyond him) over Danat Fahad (by Giants Causeway) and Nemerbader (by Singspiel) in third… it seems he has developed again in stature.

Bred and raised at Summerhill for some of our staunchest clients, Peter and Gail Fabricius, Paris Perfect is another advert for his grand sire, Muhtafal, whose progeny seem to get better with age. For those that thought Paris Perfect’s memorable third in the richest race in the world, the Dubai World Cup, was a once-off fluke, you’ve now got food for thought.

Information courtesy of Robin Bruss

2010 WORLD THOROUGHBRED RANKINGS

Lizard’s Desire - 14th in World Thoroughbred Rankings
(Photo : Singapore Turf Club)

PORT ELIZABETH HAS ANOTHER CONTENDER

Just over a year ago, a graduate of the Summerhill paddocks, Paris Perfect, flew our flag in the richest race in the world, the Dubai World Cup, in finishing a gallant third to Well Armed, who the previous year had gotten a head in front  of our resident sire, A.P.Arrow, in the same event. This catapulted Paris Perfect, a previous Horse Of The Year in the Eastern Cape, into the upper echelons of the best racehorses in the world.

Current World Thoroughbred rankings, calculated to the end of May, reveal another East Cape graduate, Lizard’s Desire among the top twenty. In fact, he ranks at 14th. Knowing the international ratings prejudice against horses from the southern hemisphere, he might even be better than rated following his exceptional showings in this year’s edition of the Dubai World Cup, Hong Kong’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the Singapore Airlines Cup a fortnight ago.

Given that he was a long way behind the top horses in this country (having won the East Cape Derby (Gr.3), and run a well beaten second in the KZN Derby (Gr.2), we wonder where an animal like Pocket Power would rank if the world were to turn its radar screen in this direction. For that matter, when it comes to three year olds, and with all the attention on England’s Epsom Derby, and America’s Belmont Stakes this weekend, ask yourself where the likes of Pierre Jourdan, Noordhoek Flyer, Bravura, Irish Flame and Bold Silvano would stand with their international contemporaries.

Click for detailed analysis…

THE WORLD THOROUGHBRED RANKINGS
1 December 2009 - 23 May 2010

#	Rating	Horse	Country	YOF	Sex	Trainer
1	126	QUALITY ROAD	USA	2006	C	Todd Pletcher
2	124	BYWORD	GB	2006	C	Andre Fabre
2	124	PACO BOY	IRE	2005	H	Richard Hannon
2	124	ZENYATTA	USA	2004	M	John Shirreffs
5	123	ESKENDEREYA	USA	2007	C	Todd Pletcher
5	123	FAME AND GLORY	GB	2006	C	Aidan O’Brein
5	123	GOLDIKOVA	IRE	2005	M	Freddy Head
5	123	VISION D’ETAT	FR	2005	H	Eric Libaud
9	122	CRANFORD CLIFFS	IRE	2007	C	Richard Hannon
9	122	DREAM JOURNEY	JPN	2004	H	Yasutoshi Ikee
9	122	GOOD BA BA	USA	2002	G	Derek Cruz
9	122	MAKFI	GB	2007	C	Mikel Delzangles
9	122	SACRED KINGDOM	AUS	2003	G	Ricky Yiu
14	121	LIZARD’S DESIRE	SAF	2006	G	Mike de Kock
15	120	COLLECTION	IRE	2005	G	John Moore
15	120	GLORIA DA CAMPEAO	BRZ	2003	H	Pascal Bary
15	120	KINSALE KING	USA	2005	H	Carl O’Callaghan
15	120	LOPE DE VEGA	IRE	2007	C	Andre Fabre
15	120	PRESVIS	GB	2004	G	Luca Cumani
15	120	SPANISH MOON	USA	2004	H	Sir Michael Stoute
15	120	SUPER SAVER	USA	2007	C	Todd Pletcher

International Federation of Horseracing Authorities

PICTORIAL TRIBUTE TO TEAM LIZARD'S DESIRE

Please click above to watch a tribute to Team Lizard’s Desire
(Photography : Singapore Turf Club)

SINGAPORE AIRLINES INTERNATIONAL CUP (Gr1)
Kranji, Singapore, 16 May 2010

Congratulations to
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum
and the indomitable
Mike de Kock Racing team
on an outstanding victory.

www.summerhill.co.za