NHLAVINI : THE PASSING OF A LEGEND

Nhlavini
(Photo : Summerhill Stud Archives)

NHLAVINI (SAF)
(National Emblem (SAF) - Valley Mist (SAF)

The frenetics surrounding the Cape Premier Yearling Sale and the J&B Met, and the speed at which the social goings-on were taking place, made us oblivious to the fact that the World Economic Forum was in full swing in Davos. Sadly, and significantly for us, we even missed the death in relative infancy, of our ageless champion, Nhlavini. If you’re chalking up the great names of those that grew up here, he’d be up there with the best : we speak of St Pauls, Mowgli, Sentinel, Magic Mirror, Panjandrum, Dancing Duel, Imperial Despatch, Spook and Diesel, Pick Six, Igugu, Pierre Jourdan, Rebel King and Imbongi.

For that matter, the Markus and Ingrid Jooste’s colour bearer would’ve ranked with best anywhere. Apart from Pocket Power, he must be the only horse to have lined up six times for an Equus Award, where he walked away with the championship on three occasions as the nation’s leading sprinter, the last time at eight years of age. The Brits will tell you that the Zulus are feared for their exploits in battle, and Nhlavini (Zulu for “playboy”), would stand right alongside the warrior kings, Shaka and Cetewayo, as a racehorse.

A championship class campaigner by any standards, he got more than he would’ve anywhere else in the hands of Charles Sydney Laird. We use his name to emphasise his ancestory, as a clue to the expertise that made Nhlavini what he was. There was a sentimental attachment to the progeny of National Emblem in general in the Laird family, but nowhere was it stronger than it was with Nhlavini. Religiously, at the end of his winter campaigns in KwaZulu Natal, his trainer sent him home to his birthplace, where he occupied the sacred paddock which in the 60s, housed the multiple champion sire, Masham, in the shadow of the great eucalypts of Hartford House.

Rested, the brave soldier always returned to the fray, always faithful, always true. This was especially so in his latter years, when it seemed his heart was willing but his limbs could take no more. His master was always masterful, and it was a measure of his great respect for the great horse that in his latter years, there were only two races on the official calendar. The Diadem Stakes and the Cape Flying Championship, at six, seven and eight. His three consecutive Diadems and two Flying Championships (some still say three) tell us the respect was mutual. His harvest was three million and more.

His father’s tally at Summerhill alone included some fifteen Stakes winners, among a litany of Black type scorers, the best of them (Nhlavini, Rebel King, Carnadore, all champions, Decorated Hero, Princely Heir and Lotti), trained by Charles Laird, while top-liners, Fez (Gr1), Royal Emblem (Gr1) and Thekkady, were also inmates of our paddocks carrying the National Emblem hip- sticker on their backsides.

Further Information :
Linda Norval 27 (0) 33 263 1081
or email linda@summerhill.co.za
www.summerhill.co.za

LOW FLYING CAPE FLYING CHAMPIONSHIP

Click above to watch JJ The Jet Plane’s last run in South Africa; The Mercury Sprint (Gr1) in July 2010
(Photo : Gold Circle - Footage : Tellytrack)

CAPE FLYING CHAMPIONSHIP (Grade 1)
Kenilworth, Turf, 1000m
21 January 2012

For as long as we can remember, the time-honoured Cape Flying Championship (Gr1) has been one of the better subscribed sprints in the land. That there are only six competitors for Saturday’s renewal would’ve been remarkable if it weren’t for the fact the line-up includes three current champions, the emerging rocket, What A Winter, the amazing filly Val Da Ra, and it marks the return of the globe-trotting international Group One hero, J J The Jet Plane. He hasn’t been seen on a South African course since July 2010, and that was at the end of an unbroken sequence of seven consecutive victories.

JJ of course, has a strong genetic connection with Summerhill and Hartford. His mother was a Stakes-winning daughter of the world record equalling broodmare sire, Northern Guest, our most famous resident, and she was bred here by Gordon Sigcau, brother to the reigning King of Pondoland, Mpondimbini Sigcau. The family traces to an old Hartford taproot, so this man’s prowess, up there with the best sprinters the country has known, is not surprising.

Equally unsurprising is the size of the field. Champions have always got something to prove when pitted together, but when at best, all the others are doing in the line-up is running for fourth place money, you may as well reserve your talents for other fish. Whatever the outcome though, the presence of these three champions guarantees purists one helluva contest.

For the record, Summerhill’s recent history in the event surpasses all-comers. In the course of the first decade of this millennium, graduates of these paddocks took the laurels three times (Nhlavini in 2005 and 2006, and Rebel King in 2009) while each of them were runners up in other years.

FINAL FIELD

#	Horse	Kg	MR	Dr	Jockey	Trainer
1	J J THE JET PLANE	60.0	122	3	B Fayde’Herbe	Lucky Houdalakis
2	WHAT A WINTER	60.0	117	6	K Neisius	Mike Bass
3	COPPER PARADE	60.0	108	4	G Hatt	Joey Ramsden
4	CAPTAIN’S SECRET	60.0	107	5	M Byleveld	Mike Bass
5	RABATTACHE	60.0	107	2	R Fourie	Glen Puller
6	VAL DE RA	57.5	111	1	A Forbes	Dennis Drier

OF WAR ARTIST, REBEL KING AND UNCLE TOMMY

Rebel King
(Photo : Kerry Jack)

LIVING IN CLOVER

Those that watched Thursday evening’s big sprint in Dubai, will have noticed that Rupert Plersch’s War Artist came home smoking. This is not only great news for a long-time client of Summerhill, but it also franks the talents of a graduate of our paddocks. Rebel King was born into an “impossible” era of great sprinters in South Africa. As a son of National Emblem, he already had great shoes to fill from a Summerhill perspective, as he was the successor in the same yard (champion trainer Charles Laird’s) as the great Nhlavini, the only horse in history to line-up six consecutive years as an Equus Awards finalist.

As if that wasn’t enough, Rebel King also happened to arrive on the sprinting scene at a time when National Colour was blazing her trail, and the emergence of the spectacular Mythical Flight was taking shape. As if repelling these two horses was not already enough of a challenge, he came to the Natal Mercury Sprint (Gr.1) two seasons ago for yet another encounter with the odds-on Mythical Flight, at level weights over Clairwoods’ 1200m track.

At last, he came to conquer the horse that had beaten him in the Computaform Sprint (Gr.1) in Johannesburg, and having just got the job done, and with victory looking like it was in the bag, War Artist flashed up to beat him by a neck.

Of course, we know that War Artist has gone on to Group race glory in Europe during the past season, as well as running a narrow third in the Prix de ‘l Abbaye (Gr.1) Longchamp’s showcase for the best sprinters in Europe. Again, at Dubai’s Meydan Thursday evening, War Artist showed his mettle by lowering the colours of a strong field of sprinters, reminding us of his battles with Rebel King.

Very recently, our Bloodstock Manager, Kerry Jack, visited Rebel King at his new stallion home at the prestigious Klawervlei Stud (translated, literally, “clover vlei”). There’s hope in the Klawervlei quarter that he will be the successor to his own illustrious father, National Emblem.

Patronised by the owners of more than a hundred broodmares in his first season at stud, he’s an obvious hit, and a tribute to the horses graduating from our paddocks. His half-brother, Uncle Tommy, was 2009’s highest priced yearling at all sales in South Africa last year at R2,5 million, knocked down to the bid of Mike Bass acting on behalf of the doyen, Graham Beck.

REBEL KING cruises in Cape Flying Championship

Rebel King with Anton Marcus aboard
(Photo : Gold Circle)

A polished performance by Rebel King lead to his richly deserved victory in Saturday’s Gr1 Cape Flying Championship. For the Charles Laird stable, Rebel King’s win adds to the superb double by champion sprinter Nhlavini in 2005 and 2006.

Racing South Africa reports that as the gates opened, Port Elizabeth star Hear The Drums and KwaZulu Natal visitor Battlestar Express immediately engaged in a battle for the lead, with the Gauteng challenger, Rebel King, settling just a couple of lengths off the pacesetters. The chestnut quickened into the lead at the furlong mark and although strongly challenged by Blue Tiger on his inside, he maintained his advantage to the line to score a rather cosy neck victory. Blue Tiger held on to the runner-up spot from his fast-finishing stable companion Gaultier.

A dual Gr.2 winner prior to this victory, Rebel King had mixed it up with some of the finest sprinters in South Africa. He finished runner-up to champion Mythical Flight in the 2007 Computaform Sprint and chased home War Artist and JJ The Jet Plane respectively in the last two renewals of the Mercury Sprint. Rebel King entered the Cape Flying Championship off a tight runner-up effort in the Gr.2 Merchants Stakes at Turffontein and a fast-finishing third behind Blue Tiger in the Gr.2 Diadem Stakes. All credit to ‘caretaker’ trainer Joey Ramsden for supervising the winner’s preparation since that run and saddling Rebel King in the absence of Charles Laird, who is currently in New Zealand.

Joey Ramsden said : “It’s been tremendous fun having him, he’s very intelligent, a real thinker. Hats off to his devoted groom Joseph, who has done a wonderful job.”

Five-year-old Rebel King, a  R210,000 yearling purchase, has been a consistent moneyspinner for his connections, boasting an enviable record of seven wins and 13 places from 22 starts, with stakes earnings now in excess of R1.5million. Still an entire (a rarity among South African-bred older males), victory here has obviously boosted his prospects as a potential stallion and his pedigree certainly warrants him a place at stud in time to come.

Bred at Summerhill Stud, Rebel King is one of seven Gr.1 winners sired by champion and top sire National Emblem, out of Cousin Linda, a half-sister to stakes winners Lucy’s Lad and Cousin John, both sons of Jallad.

Grandam Cousin Lucy never raced, but earned her place at stud as a daughter of champion sire Foveros and Gr.3-placed Luciennes, the dam of Gr.1 Garden Province winner Lyrical Linda (also by Jallad), Gr.3 Peninsula Stakes hero Acacia Woodland (Fort Wood) and Gr.3-placed five-time winner Tolme (Model Man). She hails from one of Highlands Farms’ leading families, that of Elevation full brothers Duc Du Orleans (Gr.1 SA Nursery) and Gr.2 winner and multiple Gr.1-placed Count Du Barry, as well as Persian Wonder siblings Gay Mam’selle (Natalia Stakes) and Big Swinger, who finished second in three Gr.1 Guineas.

The Trainers Championship : Dejavu? Or not?

Mike de Kock and Charles Laird
(Heather Morkel/Kayleigh Leisagang/Rock Cart)

Those that follow these things will remember the blanket finish our top three trainers found themselves in last year this time. The final throw of the dice revolves around the Champions Day meeting on the last weekend of July each year, and anyone with a realistic chance of taking a title, whether trainer, jockey, stallion or breeder can make a last lunge for the laurels here, and get away with it, such is the prize money on offer.

As the big day approached last year, Charles Laird held a marginal lead over Mike de Kock and Geoff Woodruff, as formidable a trio of horsemen as you’d find anywhere. And on a day of ups and considerable downs, Geoff Woodruff  revealed what a man he is by leap-frogging two of the world’s best exponents of their art in the last big race of the year, the KZN Derby. Don’t worry, boys, we know the pain. Who could forget that at the self-same gathering in 2004, Summerhill twice snatched the lead in the Breeders Championship in the course of the day, with epic victories in both the Juvenile Grade Ones, only to be denied in the Champions Cup, the last race on the last day of the last week of the racing year! Maine Chance were the heroes, and we couldn’t have gone down to a better outfit.

The tightest contest this season revolves once again around the trainers title, and while our old mate Charles Laird holds what seems a comfortable advantage of half a million Rand odd, you can never count Mike de Kock on the ropes till the Big Lady’s had her say. Our relationship with the Laird family goes back to father Russell’s era, where mutual admiration of the “old way” led to the acquisition of two exceptional performers in First City and Gun Drift, the latter a winner of the Computaform Derby. Since then Charles has trained any number of very serious campaigners associated with the farm, including National Emblem, his best son, Nhlavini, Bianconi, Pick Six, Amphitheatre, Decorated Hero, Princely Heir, etc.

Ironically, if his first title aspirations are to be upset, a major contributor from Saturday’s meeting could be the Summerhill-bred (and part-owned) Imbongi, who with Forest Path, could be the biggest prongs in a formidable Mike de Kock challenge. As good a mate as he is, we all know how many titles Mike has won in his time, and we know that while we’ll be rooting like hell for Imbongi, he would understand our need to box in Charles’ corner for his first national Trainers’ Championship. He’s worked his butt off, is a consummate professional, and if he pulls it off, he’ll have had to beat what is arguably the worlds’ number one racehorse conditioner in the process. There can be no greater tribute to either of them, and as the Classics have always stated, “may the best man win”.