MICHAEL BOOYSEN'S 2011 PRE-GALLOPS TIP

LOT 17 NANDI (AUS)
Danehill Dancer (IRE) - Celtic Queen (IRE)

Michael BooysenMany a top graduate of the Ready To Run was “tipped” by the men closest to them. The jockeys and the grooms. The nearest thing to a sure thing.

Michael Booysen has been running the Ready to Run division for 20 years. He has an eye for a top horse and says that this years draft is a standout group.

Michael’s tip :

Lot 17: Nandi (AUS) - A strongly made balanced filly. She is an easy filly to work with and continues to do well. We see lots of scope and potential in her work. 

Summerhill Gallops
Friday 14 October

The Emperors Palace Ready To Run Sale
Sunday 6th November

*Six cheque payment scheme for qualifying buyers.

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

LONG SERVICES : LONG SUFFERING

Long Service Awards Presentation
(Photo : Al Maktoum School Of Management Excellence)

SUMMERHILL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

Whatever you do in life, you need a point of differentiation in order to separate yourself from the masses. In the retail trade, they call it the unique selling point. Without the cash to pick whatever we needed in order to cash in on the best genetics, we had to find things we could be better at, so that we could find the small increments that took us to the summit.

Whilst they do not rank in any particular order of importance, the first item you should address, is the selection of your team. When we first kicked off at Summerhill, there were but six people on the staff, and they lived in difficult circumstances in what is these days known as “Old Compound”. One of the best pay-offs in our lives, was the decision to pick the best people we could find.

That we succeeded was evident at the School Of Excellence last week, where no fewer than six of our staff received their 20 year service awards. Another five got their 10 year “gongs”, and their names should be recited for posterity.

Team Member	Years Of Service
Michael Booysen	20
Bongaan Shangase	20
Fikile Mchunu	20
Zap Molefe	20
Tryphina Molefe	20
Moses Nkabinde	20
Reginah Hadebe	10
Patricia Mathe	10
Mhle Molefe	10
Brenda Bhengu	10
Thobile Booysen	10

Siyabonga Providence Ndlovu, Mthokozisi Sithole, Mondli Mbanjwa, Kgotso Halane, Sbonelo Zuma, Siphamandla Mthabela, Lenos Mondle Ndlovu, Joseph Mhlongo, Khombisile Ndzimande, Themba Zuma and Patricia Mathe received literary awards from their mentor, Anne Kean.

Thabani Ndzimande, Delani Mtshali, Richard Hlongwana, Marius Losch, Mesuli Mthembu, Mziwethemba “Dassie” Stuurman, Frederick Makerman and Precious Sibisi were handed First Aid certificates from the school’s head, Heather Morkel.

Quite remarkably, the Molefe family chalked up 3 long service awards on the same day. Zap and Tryphina (Mum and Dad) 20 years, daughter Mhle 10 years in the service (front-of-house) team at Hartford House.

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

GOODNESS, LAST WEEK WAS A REAL SWEAT...

Investec Stallion Day
(Photo : Gareth Du Plessis)

“Catch our breath?
There’s catch-up to contend with first…”

Goodness, last week was a real sweat. The days entering the Vodacom Durban July are always frenetic at Summerhill, with visitors from all over the show, preparations for July Day and Investec Stallion Day, and then the Winter School Of Excellence. You’d think, with all that behind us, we’d be able to catch our breath for a moment, but that just isn’t the case.

Much of our Managements’ attentions are concentrated on these events, and so there’s catch-up to contend with first. Annet Becker and her team are industriously beavering on stallion recommendations for the forthcoming breeding season, we’re preparing ourselves for the arrival of the first foals (usually the last week of July), and the barren mares, which have occupied the heights and expanses of what we call Grasmere farm, are being prepared for their return to the lowlands.

For the past three or four months they’ve commanded the heights and the views of Giant’s Castle and the Drakensberg, and they’ve been “queens of all they’ve surveyed” in the pastures of Summerhill. It’s time now for them to get their teeth and their systems into some “green stuff”, so that as the days grow longer and the season approaches, their bodies and their minds get into breeding mode, in the belief that summer is nigh.

Of course, this isn’t the case (that summer is close), it’s just that the Jockey Clubs of the world have decreed that breeding seasons in the respective hemispheres, should start in the dead of winter. With such an unnatural system, we have to respond in an unnatural way, by stimulating summer as closely as possible.

In the Stallion Barn, Greig Muir has his horses in peak shape, something which Stallion Day demands of us anyway, and it won’t be long before he’ll be pre-breeding the stallions to check that all is well with their fertility and their health. He is also preparing himself for the arrival of Bankable, who’ll be joining Visionaire as one of the new kids on the block. We’ve heard from those connected with Bankable during his racing career, what a lovely animal he is, but it’s reassuring to hear from the veterinarians and the quarantine authorities who are attending to him now, that he’s the knock-out he’s reputed to be. Both he and Visionaire have predictably, attracted plenty of attention in the bookings department and they will be choc-a-bloc by the end of the month.

Tarryn Liebenberg and Michael Booysen’s team have their hands full with the best Ready to Run draft in a long time, with the first Mullins Bay and Ravishings pulling some superlatives from their jockeys. Igugu and Pierre Jourdan’s “one-two” in the “July”, was a timely reminder that this is the sale of all sales, and if this lot are as good as we think, there could be some fireworks come November.

On the “paper” front we’re working flat out to ensure that the 2012 edition of the Summerhill Sires Brochure and DVD reach the postman on time. Those visiting the farm over the Gold Cup meeting, will be the first to get their hands on it.

Tomorrow we’ll publish the next extract from this year’s brochure.

COURAGEOUS MEMORIAL MILE VICTORY FOR VANGELIS

Click above to watch Vangelis in the Memorial Mile (Listed)
(Footage : Tellytrack)

VANGELIS
2009 MEMORIAL MILE (L)

Regular followers of these pages will be familier with the tale of Vangelis; the strapping 6-year-old Kahal colt out of the Northern Guest mare, Northern Singer, who at just two months of age revealed a distinct lameness in his shoulder which he carried right through his yearling year.

Bred on the same lines as Emperor Napoleon (the deadly cross of Kahal on a Northern Guest mare), Vangelis would undoubtedly have been one of our top commercial prospects of his year at the sales, but he was scratched from all his engagements, including the later Ready To Run Sale, while we were contemplating his future.

The answer came in the form of a folklore character here at Summerhill, Michael Booysen, a Zulu gent who was abandoned on the farm at the age of six or seven, who suggested that we treat Vangelis’ condition as a “mechanical” lameness, and that we “ride” him through it. In the end, his advice was prophetic, and within two months of us starting with the horse, he began to move with only a hint of lameness.

That he still carries this condition to a small degree, is as much a testimony to his courage and will to race, as it is to Michael’s instincts as a horseman.

On Friday at Arlington, we again witnessed this profound courage as Vangelis took a fighting victory in the R125 000 Memorial Mile (Listed) under jockey Warren Kennedy for trainer Gavin Smith.

Going into the race, Surfin’ USA topped the betting boards in his bid for a third successive feature win, with Vangelis seriously backed to challenge.

Breaking quickly, Hurricane Silver went into an early lead and turned for home with a two-length advantage over Mazar-E-Sharif and West Coast Gold, while Vangelis was held up on their heels and Surfin’ USA outpaced at the rear, seven lengths off the speed.

In the final dash to the line, Hurricane Silver quickly shrugged off Mazar-E-Sharif and West Coast Gold, but Vangelis fought through fully extended to nab Hurricane Silver by a neck, with fellow Summerhill-bred, Ecole Militaire, powering home for third.

Congratulations must go to our old mate Robert Muir, who five years ago happened to be staying at Hartford House on one of his frequent visits from the United States. Robert caught sight of Vangelis on an early morning exercise session and promtly purchased a half share from the late Colly Fram.

With this victory, Vangelis takes his career statistics to 10 wins and 10 places from 24 starts, proving that patience really does pay.

READY TO RUN TEAM SELECTIONS : PART 4

EMPERORS PALACE READY TO RUN SALE
8 NOVEMBER 2009

In this fourth and final segment of a four part series, we bring you the selections of those closest to the Summerhill Ready To Run Draft; the riders, grooms and managers in the Ready To Run Team who have an enviable record in pointing out the “obvious” talents.

Following are the “Top 2” colts and “Top 2” filles of  Michael Booysen, John Motaung, Justin Andrews, Tarryn Liebenberg, Sandile Booysen and Annet Becker.

For your ease of reference, please feel free to print this page by clicking the “print” icon in the posting footer.

MICHAEL BOOYSEN

LOT 78 EMPEROR AUGUSTUS (C) Kahal Roman Dream	LOT 91 UNNAMED (C) Deep Sleep Spring Meeting	LOT 28 BOYSENBERRY (F) Cataloochee Juniper Berry	LOT 32 UNNAMED (F) Kahal Kaminsky

JOHN MOTAUNG

LOT 136 SOWETO (C) Way West Claim To Fame	LOT 11 POCKET ACES (C) Muhtafal Game	LOT 28 BOYSENBERRY (F) Cataloochee Juniper Berry	LOT 66 KASASSI (F) Kahal Princess Sassi

JUSTIN ANDREWS

LOT 136 SOWETO (C) Way West Claim To Fame	LOT 37 FORMULA FIELDS (C) Malhub Longfields	LOT 118 BUKA WENA (F) Cataloochee Anouk Aimee	LOT 30 ZEFNAH (F) Kahal Kahzima

TARRYN LIEBENBERG

LOT 11 POCKET ACES (C) Muhtafal Game	LOT 55 INDLALIFA (C) Muhtafal News Roller	LOT 89 EMAKHAYA (F) Street Cry Soneria	LOT 98 SILVA PEARL (F) Silvano Swiss Pearl

SANDILE BOOYSEN

LOT 43 ANATOLIA (C) Hobb Alwahtan Mediterranean	LOT 132 SOCCER CITY (C) Solskjaer Choice	LOT 88 ROYAL OVERTURE (F) Sarge Skagway	LOT 14 GENTLE LOOCHEE (F) Cataloochee Gentle Breeze

ANNET BECKER

LOT 147 ISILIVA (C) Malhub Dance On Silver	LOT 46 IWAYINI (C) Cataloochee Mininski	LOT 32 UNNAMED (F) Kahal Kaminsky	LOT 36 SANDBAR (F) Kahal Lizmay Creek

 

EMPERORS PALACE READY TO RUN SALE
8 NOVEMBER 2009

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