Monday, May 14, 2012 
(Photo : Chasing A Dream by Les Carlyon)
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of the Realm, Empress of India and Protector of the Faith, a picture of royal composure.
Bob Hawke, trade unionist, punter and former Prime Minister of Australia, goes for the whip.
Monday, July 5, 2010 
Click above to watch
Big Red Mike winning the 2010 Queens Plate (Gr1)
(Photo : The Star - Footage : Woodbine)
While Americans celebrated their Independence day, their neighbors to the north also enjoyed a grand celebration with Sunday’s 151st running of the Queen’s Plate at Woodbine, the oldest Thoroughbred horse race in North America. Moved back in the calendar this year to accommodate the royal visit of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip, the first race of the Canadian Triple Crown was won in hard-fought fashion by Big Red Mike (Tenpins), from Hotep (A.P. Indy) and Roan Inish (Elusive Quality).
“This will probably be one of the most memorable days of my life,” said co-owner Dom Romeo. “I have been in racing and breeding for 35 years. I bred this horse, which makes it much more satisfying. Our hopes were always to win the Queen’s Plate and The Queen being here is magnificent. It’s very exciting.”
Big Red Mike kicked off his career with a second place finish sprinting over Woodbine’s main track in November before getting the job done next time out 6 December. Making his seasonal debut over seven panels on 11 April, the robust chestnut showed good early speed and came up 3/4 of a length short of the victory. Asked to go past a mile for the first time against allowance company on 2 May, Big Red Mike had to settle for third, but rebounded in his latest to collect a narrow victory in the nine-furlong Plate Trial Stakes against fellow Canadian-breds on 13 June.
Given a 5-1 chance for the big dance, Big Red Mike quickly rushed up to take command and lead Hotep through opening splits of 0:24.43, 0:49.39 and 1:14.31.
Maintaining his pursuer comfortably at bay turning for home, Big Red Mike dug deep and proved best with a game performance over the Sam-Son Farm runner.The sole filly in the field, Roan Inish, closed well for third.
“He ran very relaxed, he gave me no problems,” said winning rider Eurico da Silva. “He was so focused. I went to the lead easy and he did the job. This horse ran so hard today and I’m just so proud of him. I’m going to see the Queen today!”
For 58-year-old Nick Gonzalez, who celebrated his 1,000th career win last month, it was his first Queen’s Plate win with his first starter in the first jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown. It was also the first Classic victory for Dom and Frank Romeo’s Terra Racing Stable. “I’m pinching myself to see if this is real,” said Gonzalez. “I left it up to Eurico. I thought it was going to be a jockey’s race. My wife (Martha), son and I were jumping up and down so much that it’s just kind of a blur in my eye right now.”
Extract from Thoroughbred Daily News
Wednesday, August 6, 2008 
Greig Muir, Nerine Pienaar, Francois Pienaar and Bruce Gardner
(Grant Norval)
Summerhill is blessed in its visitations by famous names, and as celebrated as any among our friends is Francois Pienaar, captain of the 1995 World Cup winning Springbok rugby team who famously donated his No.6 rugby jersey to Nelson Mandela on that historic occasion. Francois first came to Summerhill courtesy of a friendship with one of our oldest customers, Bruce Gardner, and his lovely wife Jo, and they were back at the farm on a nostalgic visit on Friday. It used to be that the party included the coach of that great team, Kitch Christie, who has sadly passed on since then. But it is evident from the picture above, that Francois has lost none of his zest nor love of the competitve nature of the horseracing business.
At the height of his Springbok’s seventeen consecutive victories, Summerhill introduced Francois to racing courtesy of a filly whose name was appropriately changed to Amabokoboko, as an acknowledgement to the achievements of his side. It was in his association with this filly that Francois rediscovered the meaning of humility, on an evening that he, his lovely wife Nerine and the Gosses were invited to join Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for supper on her gracious boat, Britannia. As we mounted the gangplank, he lamented the fact that Amabokoboko had finished 2nd on five consecutive occasions, only to be reminded by the Summerhill contingent that after 17 consecutive victories, it was time he learnt to lose!!
During the course of the evening, much of which Her Majesty spent talking horses with our party, which included cricketer Jonty Rhodes, Bafana Bafana captain Neil Tovey and former Natal and Western Province sportsman and erstwhile “Star” editor Richard Steyn, the Queen enquired of Francois what the secret was to his and his fellow forwards great size.
In typical diplomatic Francois Pienaar fashion, the retort was short and to the point:
“Mielies, M’am!”.
Monday, August 6, 2007 
Way WestThis morning heralded the arrival of Way West’s very first foal, and we’re delighted to record the fact that it was from a Northern Guest mare, which in some respects heralds the beginning of a new “nick” for the old legacy. This is a quite exceptional colt out of Claim To Fame (who descends from a mare purchased from Queen Elizabeth II), and pleasingly, he is a dark bay like his father, with a spectacularly good looking head and great bone.
Heather MorkelThe lucky breeder is Heather Morkel, long-time CEO of Vuma Feeds, and now that she has taken time out to be with her family, head of the Marketing and Sales division of Africa’s top horsefeeds manufacturers. Another feather in the Heather cap.
