ST PETERSBURG CONTINUES GROUP SUCCESS

Solzhenitsyn
(Photo : News Australia)

ST PETERSBURG (AUS)
Nureyev (USA) - Miss Bold Appeal (USA)

Solzhenitsyn (NZ) won the Group 3 Lord Mayor’s Cup over 1600m in Australia last week for the second year running. The son of St Petersburg (AUS) who stands at Summerhill Stud in South Africa’s picturesque KZN Midlands, is out of Tri Victory (NZ) by Victory Dance (IRE). A 12-time winner, Solzhenitsyn also won the Group 1 Toorak Handicap over 1600m at Caulfield in Australia and placed twice in Group 1’s and a Group 2 down under.

Named after a Russian novelist and activist, Solzhenitsyn won by a short neck from Commands colt Transporter, with Epic finishing one and quarter lengths off the leader in third position.

In South Africa, Blushing Peter (out of Elegant Blush by Jallad) placed third in the Grade 3 Protea Stakes as well as placing fourth in the Grade 1 South African Nursery. He is trained by Sean Tarry and bred and owned by Fred Crabbia. St Petersburg’s other Bold Black Types from Australia and Macau include Chartreuse, Barlinnie, St Peters Gift, Russian Conquest and Fantasticprivilege.

St Petersburg is the sire of 167 progeny to race to date, producing 85 winners (50.0%) with earnings of over $6.6 million which include five Stakes Winners and two Stakes places.

St Petersburg is the only son of Nureyev standing in KwaZulu-Natal, out of the mare Miss Bold Appeal by Valid Appeal. A good-looking dark bay stallion with an outstanding temperament, he is a half-brother to Triple Grade 1 winner in the USA, Jersey Girl as well as 8-time winner Partition and sire Bold Expectation in Australia. He belongs to the immediate family of Two-Year-Old USA Champion sire Foolish Pleasure, Beldale Lustre, Valid Expecations and Little Expectations.

A stallion that stood privately prior to relocating to Summerhill Stud, St Petersburg has produced winners (and Stakes Winners) in New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong.

St Petersburg won three races in Australia at age 3, 1000-1200m and placed twice. His wins include the Group 3 VRC Chivas Regal Stakes (1200m) and the SAJC Fraar Handicap (1000m). He placed fourth in the Group 1 VRC Lightening Stakes (1000m) and Group 2 Ascot Vale Stakes (1200m) before a tendon injury prematurely ended a career that promised great heights.

Extract from KZN Breeders

JACKSON AND POMODORO IN QUEEN'S PLATE QUEST

Jackson wins the Investec Cape Derby (Grade 1) from Variety Club
(Photo : Gold Circle)

L’ORMARINS QUEEN’S PLATE (Grade 1)
Kenilworth, Turf, 1600m
12 January 2013

David Thiselton
Gold CircleSpeaking about jockey Karis Teetan’s tactics aboard Jackson in Saturday’s prestigous Grade 1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate over 1600m at Kenilworth, trainer Brett Crawford said it would likely depend on his initial perceptions of the pace.

The four-year-old Dynasty colt was dropped out from a wide draw in his last start in the Grade 2 Green Point Stakes over the 1600m of the tighter Kenilworth Old Course and had too much to do in the straight, so was never going to catch Variety Club, although he ran on strongly for a 2,5 length second. However, Crawford did not discount a repeat of those tactics and said, “Saturday’s race is on the new course (which has a considerably longer straight) and obviously on the Old course it was harder to make up the ground.”

Crawford also pointed out that Variety Club had drawn wide this time, as opposed to pole position in the Green Point, which brought about the possibility of a change in tactics with Teetan’s initial reading of the pace likely being the key factor in how the horse’s race would pan out. He confirmed Jackson to be in great shape having come through his final gallop very well.

Jackson is drawn at 13 in the 15 horse field, with his chief rival Variety Club drawn on the very outside.

Sean Tarry’s Vodacom Durban July winner, the ever-improving Pomodoro, has drawn nicely in 7 and looks to be a major threat to Variety Club, who holds the unofficial crown of South Africa’s top miler.

Pomodoro, a four-year-old Jet Master colt, is unbeaten since a shoulder niggle was discovered before his famous Vodacom Durban July victory. The niggle might have explained why he shifted badly late when dead-heating in the SA Derby and almost certainly explained why he cantered down to the start so poorly before staying on for fifth in the Daily News 2000. However, since then Pomodoro is unbeaten, winning the July by a whisker from an impossible draw and then being most impressive in his two comeback races this season. He flew at the finish to beat some good sprinters over 1200m on November 13 and then toyed with some useful sorts over a mile in his last start.

Those wins have left people questioning whether he might just be something special and Saturday’s race will likely answer the question. However, Tarry erred on the side of caution, “He is better as a four-year-old and did nothing wrong as a three-year-old. The distance of the Queen’s Plate won’t be a problem as he won that 1200m race and won the Tony Ruffel over 1450m of the Turffontein inside track as a three-year-old. But I think Variety Club might just be a better miler.” Ace jockey Piere Strydom rides Pomodoro.

The Joey Ramsden-trained Variety Club, however, has to overcome a draw of 15 in the 15 horse field but does has champion jockey Anton Marcus aboard. Tarry said, “I can’t see much pace in the race, so Variety Club will probably overcome the draw with ease, unless Jackson keeps him out. Jackson is a top horse in his own right.” Jackson is drawn two berths inside of Variety Club in 13. Tarry continued, “We have no complaints about our draw.” He mused, “The pace might be forced by the jockeys wanting to keep Variety Club and Jackson out. However, in Variety Club’s favour is his phenomenal gate speed, which should allow him to get to the front virtually for free. Also, due to the use of false rails in South Africa, jockeys out here are not as tactically aware as their overseas counterparts. They don’t have to worry about getting a run in the straight and can afford to sit on the rail in behind horses. This is a contributing factor to the generally slower pace of races out here, especially at Kenilworth where jockeys are reluctant to lead due to the prevailing South Easterly headwind.”

lqp.co.za

Extract from Gold Circle

THE CAPE GUINEAS : BATTLE OF THE BULGE

Anthony Govender with KZN challenger, Love Struck
(Photo : Supplied)

CAPE PREMIER YEARLING SALES GUINEAS (Grade 1)
Kenilworth, Turf, 1600m
22 December 2012

There’s an almighty war brewing this weekend. History tells us that KwaZulu-Natal has been the traditional battleground between the tribes that eventually made up the fabric of the nation, and while that may also apply to the racing world when we get to the championship events that define the season in May, June and July, the opening salvo among sophomores has always been the Cape of Good Hope Guineas (also known as the Cape Premier Yearling Sales Guineas (Gr.1). The entrants inevitably include a bunch of budding youngsters whose reputations are fresh and largely undented, so expectations are high and hopes are in the stratosphere. With few exceptions, the field embraces the protem leaders in their respective provinces, and this year is no different. The host region is headed up by the first four home in the principal Guineas trial, the Selangor Cup (Gr.2), Joey Ramsden’s narrow winner King Of Pain, seven-time Guineas-winning trainer, Dean Kannemeyer’s Capetown Noir, whose late charge told us he may be the better of the first two over the extra furlong, Act Fast and the fast-improving Trippi colt, Paterfamilias, who has a good “Derby” look to him.

While Jo’burg form had been confused by the fact that they’d been beating one another early in the season, The Hangman’s authoritative victory over the additional furlong in the Dingaans (Gr.2), left no doubt as to whom the dominant one is at this stage, and Sean Tarry’s charge goes to Cape Town with a big reputation to look after.

If the betting is anything to go by, it seems Western Cape bookmakers have scant regard for the form in KwaZulu-Natal, where the generation leader, by some stretch, is Summerhill-bred Love Struck. Mind you, the Cape have made that mistake before on the rugby field at considerable cost, and if owners Alesh Naidoo and Anthony Govender’s pronouncements on his well-being are anything to judge him by, Love Struck could just be the value in Saturday’s field.

We’ll be talking to a few of the principals during the week, and we’ll keep you posted.

Cape Premier Yearling Sales Guineas (Grade 1)
Final Field

#	Horse	Kg	MR	Dr	Jockey	Trainer
1	KING OF PAIN	58.0	107	5	B Fayd’Herbe	Joey Ramsden
2	CAPETOWN NOIR	58.0	103	4	K Neisius	Dean Kannemeyer
3	THE HANGMAN	58.0	103	6	P Strydom	Sean Tarry
4	BLACK TOGA	58.0	101	3	A Marcus	Vaughan Marshall
5	LOVE STRUCK	58.0	99	1	K Teetan	Paul Lafferty
6	CHAVE DE OURA	58.0	97	8	S Cormack	Dennis Drier
7	TEVEZ	58.0	96	12	G van Niekerk	Mike Bass
8	ACT FAST	58.0	95	9	M Byleveld	Vaughan Marshall
9	PATERFAMILIAS	58.0	95	2	G Hatt	Mike Bass
10	SANSHAAWES	58.0	94	7	M Winnaar	Piet Steyn
11	UNENCUMBERED	58.0	85	11	R Fradd	Justin Snaith
12	EPIC TALE	58.0	82	10	A Domeyer	Maike Bass

EMPERORS PALACE READY TO RUN SALE 2012 : DAY 1

Top Lot - R1.5 Million
Lot 47: Mystical Star (Jet Master x Leading Dame) (F)

EMPERORS PALACE READY TO RUN SALE
TBA Sales Complex, Germiston
2nd and 4th November 2012

The first day of the 2012 Emperors Palace Ready to Run Sale ended on a high, with both aggregate and average up on last year. Day one saw the aggregate rise from R12.17 million to R13.08 million, while the average increased from R166,712 to a healthy R210,968.

The median jumped impressively from R80,000 to R180,000 - which is a tremendous achievement in what is widely considered to be a still troubled market.

The first day of trading was headed by a filly who fetched R1.5 million - thus equalling the 2011 sales topper overall. She is by the great Jet Master, who also sired the session’s top priced colt. Consigned as lot 47 by Summerhill Sales, the session topping filly is named Mystical Star. An own sister to the top-class international galloper Lizarre, Mystical Star was purchased by Adriaan van Vuuren - who originally came to the sale with just R100,000 to spend, but went home having bought the session’s top priced lot!

The top priced colt on day one of the two day event was lot 31, an unnamed Jet Master colt. Consigned by Balmoral Stud on behalf of Cheveley Stud, the colt is a half-brother to G1 winner Ivory Trail. He was snapped up by Sean Tarry for R1 million.

Summerhill’s Mick Goss, was euphoric after the sale, saying, “All that we hoped and planned for 26 years ago, has finally come to fruition with this sale. I have not experienced such a tremendous buzz around a sales ring for many a year, but I feel that the success of this sale is due to a cocktail of factors. Our partnership with Bob Yearam and Emperors Palace has not only provided tremendous hospitality for would be buyers, but has also helped create this electric buzz around the sale and its ongoing success with buyers.”

Tom Callaghan, CEO of the TBA, was equally upbeat after the sale, commenting, “The sale was helped by a stronger catalogue, and it is great to see international interest in this sale. There has been a fantastic attendance on day one of the sale, which bodes well for the final day on Sunday. The sale has also been assisted by the big marketing drive around Saturday’s big race.”

The sale contines on Sunday at 2pm.

Please visit www.tba.co.za for full list of results from day 1.

Emperors Palace Ready To Run Cup • Saturday 3rd November
Lots 1-75 • Friday 2nd November 17h00
Lots 76-202 • Sunday 4th November 14h00

Read more about the
2012 Emperors Palace Ready To Run Sale

For more information please visit
www.tba.co.za

THE CUP PREVIEW

Click above to watch the Winners Circle Emperors Palace Ready To Run Cup Preview
(Image : Emperors Palace/BSA - Footage : Winners Circle)

EMPERORS PALACE READY TO RUN CUP
Turffontein, South Africa
3 November 2012

Andrew Bon presents a Winners Circle insert featuring a few of the ‘talking’ contenders for the 2012 edition of the R2,5 Million Emperors Palace Ready To Run Cup to be staged at Turffontein, Saturday 3 November at 16h00.

He also interviews Gary Alexander, trainer of defending Peermont Emperors Palace Charity Mile champion, Pierre Jourdan as well as Tom Callaghan (Bloodstock South Africa CEO) and trainers Mike de Kock (Lonesome Dove and Emaliyami), Geoff Woodruff (Killua Castle), Sean Tarry (Tinchy Stryder) and Roy Magner (Cookie Monster).

Emperors Palace Ready To Run Cup • Saturday 3rd November
Lots 1-75 • Friday 2nd November 17h00
Lots 76-202 • Sunday 4th November 14h00

Read more about the
2012 Emperors Palace Ready To Run Sale

For more information please visit
www.tba.co.za