ANOTHER WEEK IN PARADISE

Click above to watch Double Dash on Cape debut
(Footage : Tellytrack)

COMPLIMENTS TO THE STRENGTH OF LAST YEAR’S READY TO RUN DRAFT

The 2008 version of the Ready to Run sale came off an unprecedented high a week ago, with exceptional performances from the four chief protagonists for this year’s Emperors Palace Ready to Run Cup, which at R1,5 million has maintained its status as the fourth richest race in the nation. There must’ve been those who’d been lulled into a sense of believing they were a cut above anything else in the field, and that they could reasonably expect to take home a major share of the spoils. Meaning it just wasn’t possible to see a repeat.

Just as we were beginning to believe that the compliments to the strength of last year’s draft had all been paid, and that the next big statement on the quality of Summerhill breds would be the ‘Cup’ itself, the events of this week turned everything on its head.  First, Charles Laird stepped out a R1 million graduate in Muhtafal’s son, Blue Voyager, who strode away on his race course debut by three lengths, relatively unextended. 

As soon as the “Voyager” put his hand up, Charles took another to the track on Thursday in the form of Bhusende, and while he cautioned punters before the race that the horse was probably three weeks off ready, as the son of Australian champion sire, Flying Spur, set foot on the track, you could see the class. He came home under a hand ride from Anton Marcus, putting away some well-fancied sorts in the process, and he also joins the fray next Saturday.

Before the meeting was out, Ernie Anderson stepped out Ivan Snyman’s Labeeb colt, Nyakatho, who flattened some fair form by eight lengths, in the process telling us that whatever Blue Voyager and Bhusende had done during the week, he could do just as well. No doubt, when the judges meet on Tuesday to settle the final field, they’ll have him among them.

But that wasn’t the end. Richard Fitzgerald has been nothing if not an exceptional customer of Summerhill, and he was unfortunate following the 2008 sale to lose the Labeeb half brother to the Gold Cup hero, Desert Links, in a float collision a day later.  Determined to turn that around, Richard put up his hand at R410 000 again last year, this time for another Labeeb from the family of Pick Six and Bridal Paths, and on Saturday, Garth Puller sent out Double Dash at Kenilworth against some excellent form, for the first time over a mile. Young Chris Puller never moved on him riding him hands-and-heels, as he strode away in impressive style. Lamentably, this one’s not destined for the “Cup”, but like the other three, he looks like a “Black type” horse in the making.

We know that customers already have consummate faith in the product we send to the Ready to Run, so we’re not trying to prove that point. What is encouraging from the events of this week, is the strength and depth of the horses that’ve stepped out since the sale, many of them indicating their worth as potential big race performers. For the record, thus far we’ve had 26 individual winners from the Summerhill draft alone, and there are at least 18 among the placed horses thus far, who look like they could become “motor cars” in the future.

We know you’re expecting this, but there are more where those came from. We look forward to your visit to Block A during the course of this week, where it will be our pleasure!  

 

R1,5 MILLION EMPERORS PALACE READY TO RUN CUP
7 NOVEMBER 2009

EMPERORS PALACE READY TO RUN SALE
8 NOVEMBER 2009

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

56.08 FOR CHIEF MAMBO

Click above to watch Chief Mambo’s 56.08
(Footage : Tellytrack)

“RUN OF THE WEEK”

Chief Mambo (Malhub x Bal Gal) claimed his second victory from three starts in a very quick 56.08 over 1000m at Clairwood on Wednesday.

This son of Malhub was bred by Richard Fitzgerald, trained by Garth Puller and piloted by Anton Marcus.

What's Annet Becker doing today?

Annet BeckerAnnet is the farm’s Broodmare and FoalCare Manager, but she also has under her responsibility last year’s foals (just turned yearlings) until the Ready To Run sale is behind us, at which point these horses are taken over by Tarryn Liebenberg and Michael Booysen. Annet plays a pivotal role in the intellectual side of our business as well, stimulating discussion on such issues as strategy, direction and promoting changes in the way we operate. Such is the energy of youth that the exuberance sometimes needs a little tempering with the wisdom that comes only with age (those of us that fall into the latter category like to think this is necessary, if only to maintain relevance in the affairs of the business!).

Thulani Mnguni
Richard HlongwaneAnnet came to us following her graduation from Ondersterpoort Veterinary School, and a three year stint with one of the great farms of the world, Juddmonte, in the United States, and she has brought an important dimension to our business. Her assistants include Richard Hlongwane (who inherited the yearling prep responsibility from the Mbanjwa family some seven or eight seasons ago), and already has some 15 years experience under his belt with yearlings, (Richard is a graduate of our international scholarship programme), while Thulani Mnguni (who has the broodmares as his responsibility and attends to all the teasing,) knows every single mare on the farm intimately. He is another graduate of a stint at Sheikh Hamdan’s Derrinstown Stud in Ireland.

Douw CoetzeeDouw Coetzee, another of Annet’s assistants has just recently returned from the United States following a three year stint with Becky Thomas’ Lakland Farms (famed for their Ready To Run sales consignments in the States), among many other things. Douw’s family have long been associated with ex Minister of Agriculture, Hendrik Schoeman and his massive farming enterprise near Heidelberg in the Eastern Transvaal, and he came to us as an accomplished endurance rider.

Apart from caring for something of the order of 180 yearlings, Annet’s responsibilities right now keep her desperately busy as the foals have started to come in numbers, and she is a touch behind with the dissemination of our panel’s mating recommendations for all the mares on the farm, not to mention those belonging to the multitude of outside clients who wish to visit the stallions.

Ashley McNabbRichard FitzgeraldAs pressured as Annet is to get the on-the-farm customers mating profiles concluded, for every one she completes, she gets another request from outside, and it’s the Devil’s own task to get over the present hump. Not that she’s complaining, as she knows this generates business for the stallion division, and as the busiest stallion division of its kind on the continent, keeping it there demands extraordinary dedication, not to mention ingenuity.

Of course, it hasn’t helped that we released the new Sire’s brochure this week, as that in itself, coupled with the results at the Emperor’s Palace Two Year Old sale, has stimulated further interest in the stallions, generating additional work for this girl. However, if she didn’t have broad shoulders and one of the quickest minds on the property, we’d be feeling sorry for her, but she gives as good as she gets. She tells us she should have the back of this mammoth undertaking behind her early next week.

The Ready to Run : The Malhubs are Shining

Its early days yet, but we are well into the business of schooling youngsters destined for this year’s Ready to Run Sales, and we have a few early observations.

MalhubFor some time now, we’ve been touting the virtues of Kingmambo’s Group One winning son, Malhub, who blew away the World Champion Sprinter Johannesburg on his big day at Royal Ascot in the Golden Jubilee Stakes (Gr.1). We also know that Malhub glorified himself that season with three more performances out of the top bracket, running first or second in all four of Britain’s big sprints, never further back than half a length. Among his adversaries, besides Johannesburg (leading first and second crop sire in the States), were Invincible Spirit, the leading first and second crop sire in Europe, and Kyllachy, who has just concluded a memorable Royal Ascot with his first crop of three year olds.

The Malhubs were a taking lot when they first arrived, and we have been talking about them ever since, but the real test for any stallion’s progeny is the racecourse. The first glimpses one gets of the potential talent of these horses, is when they first reach the track, which is the stage we are just getting to now.

From the time the Malhubs were born, our Broodmare and Stallion staff alike, proclaimed them the most athletic foals since the first crop of Northern Guest. They are not just athletic, they have good substance, powerful back ends and plenty of depth. Now, we’re able to report that they are not just good walkers, but good movers as well as quick in their paces, and that is where the excitement lies. They learn quickly, and as they pick it up, they have a great way of going. Speaking to Dennis Drier this morning, he reports the same on both his Malhubs. And we know what an accomplished horseman he is.

We will know in another couple of months how good they really are, but at this stage, we couldn’t be asking for more. No doubt, this will be music to the ears of our big pal Richard Fitzgerald.