TRAFALGAR LEGACY SOLID FOR BASIL MARCUS IN SINGAPORE

Click above to watch Trafalgar Legacy winning in Singapore for Basil Marcus
(Photo : Summerhill Stud - Footage : Signapore Turf Club)

SGD75,000 Class 3 Stakes
Singapore, Turf, 1600m
9 January 2011

South African trainer Basil Marcus and Australian jockey Ronnie Stewart are proving a successful combination in Singapore after notching up their second winner this past weekend when Trafalgar Legacy took out the SGD75,000 Class 3 Stakes over 1600m on Sunday.

Leading from the outset, Trafalgar Legacy scored a commanding two length victory over Knight Spirit (John Powell) with Tarankali (Sam Subien) a length-and-three quarters away third.

Trafalgar Legacy gave the Basil Marcus-Ronnie Stewart combination a second win over the weekend after striking with Good As Gold on Friday.

The victory was Trafalgar Legacy’s first in nine starts in Singapore having been successful once in two starts in South Africa before his arrival.

Marcus produced a great training feat, jumping Trafalgar Legacy up in grade from Class 4 company, at the same time relishing a weight drop.

“He had been extremely unlucky in a number of his races so far,” said Marcus. “It is deserved reward for the horse. I thought that by putting him up into a Class 3, it would be a benefit for him with the drop in weight. With his misfortune in his previous races he hasn’t been able to recover with the weight that he has been carrying. I’m just delighted for the horse to have finally broken through for a win and I’m also delighted for the connections which include Newbury Racing and Summerhill Stud.”

Marcus also praised the winning ride of Ronnie Stewart who judged the pace “beautifully”.

Stewart said it wasn’t his plan to go out and lead but he was happy to do so when he did find the front.

“I have ridden Long Haul a few times and I thought if I could track him I would have too much zip for him,” said Stewart. “When he (Long Haul) hesitated in going to the front I was happy to do so. I got it pretty easy and held him together for as long as possible. I was happy to stack them up and he showed a good turn of foot when I asked him for the effort. I don’t think he’s finished with winning races here just yet.”

Having five minor placings to his credit - three seconds and two thirds from eight starts prior to Sunday’s victory, Trafalgar Legacy had banked almost SGD50,000 (ZAR 265,000) in prizemoney.

A four-year-old Australian-bred entire by Rock Of Gibraltar from Toolighttoquit mare Lady’s Light, Trafalgar Legacy took his prizemoney to around SGD95,000 (ZAR 500,000)with this success.

Extract from Basil Marcus Racing

TRAFALGAR LEGACY (AUS) (Rock Of Gibraltar (IRE) - Lady’s Light (USA) )
4 Year Old Chestnut Colt
Owner : Newbury Racing Stable
Trainer : Basil Marcus
Jockey : Ronnie Stewart
Win Time : 1:35:85
Singapore Career Record : 1 Win, 7 Places, 9 Starts
Singapore Career Earnings : SGD95,000 (ZAR 500,000)

Trafalgar Legacy is a graduate from the Summerhill draft of the 2008 Emperors Palace Ready To Run Sale.

RACE RESULT

#	LBH	Horse	Horse Wt	Jockey	Trainer
1	0.00	TRAFALGAR LEGACY	458	R Stewart	Basil Marcus
2	2.00	KNIGHT SPIRIT	491	J Powell	Brian Dean
3	3.80	TARANKALI	490	S Sam	John O’Hara
4	3.90	CLINT	542	V Duric	Cliff Brown
5	4.20	LONG HAUL	547	O Chavez	HW Tan
6	4.50	MARTIAL ART	527	D Beasley	Laurie Laxon
7	6.80	THE DANCER	463	B Vorster	Patrick Shaw
8	7.30	JOHN OF ARCH	522	O Placais	David Hill
9	8.80	RUSSIAN SAFARI	486	M Kellady	Steven Burridge
10	8.90	FINSTOCK ROAD	440	R Fradd	Patrick Shaw
11	10.70	ANAK LUTONG	476	M Au	HK Tan
12	12.00	SILVER ELEMENT	488	I Andy	Stephen Gray

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THIS RIVER’S NOT FLOWING : IT’S A TORRENT

Click above to watch Team Nyakatho
(Footage : Tellytrack)

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

If you were a marketing man charged with promoting the Emperors Palace Ready To Run Cup next weekend, you’d be pinching yourself right now. Already dubbed by more than one expert the strongest field of Three Year Olds this season, the events of the past three days have turned most fans’ predictions on their heads, leaving the betting market in “murky” waters.

Going into Tuesday morning, the entries were beginning to develop a nice, settled look about them, and if it weren’t for the fact that there was a supplementary stage today, that would’ve been that. Havasha at the top of the boards; with a run, the R2,2 million sale topper of last year, Trafalgar Legacy would’ve been close behind; and on the strength of the way he finished on Saturday, Pierre Jourdan might’ve been bracketed alongside. Only a short head would’ve separated them from Smanjemanje, but let’s not discount the 3,25 length battering the filly, Fisani, gave to her field from the outside draw the previous Tuesday.

These were the protagonists, or so it seemed, but the turmoil set in as early as Tuesday. Charles Laird sent out a R1 million graduate of the sale in the form of Blue Voyager, who kicked off at the prohibitive odds of 8/10, and came home as an odds-on favourite shot. He was immediately declared a player for the big one on Saturday 7^th.

It’s not Charles Laird’s style these days to settle for a single entry though, and while he’d been under plenty of pressure to prepare him for the event, he stepped out Bhusende for his debut effort amid the showers of yesterday afternoon. Not yet biologically three (he’s a late November foal), the son of the Champion Australian Sire, Flying Spur, got down, literally, to business in impressive style to make his a winning “opener”, catapulting himself right into the reckoning.

There will be those that ask how a colt of this class should still be wearing the Summerhill colours. There’s a story to it. Bhusende means the same as Mahala (or “Free” in Zulu), and it seems buyers took this literally, as this fellow came under the hammer at last year’s Emperors Palace Ready To Run Sale. He cost close to R700 000 to land in South Africa, yet the last bid of R250 000 was tended by an England-based pal of the Mooi River farm, and they quickly assembled a small partnership to hold the horse. Another likely to make the cut for Saturday is Mluleki, and Paul Matchett will send him out wearing the Summerhill colours as well. He was passed out at R60 000 on account of a lack of interest.

The history of the Ready To Run has plenty of these stories. The outstanding stayer and quadruple Group One performer, Amphitheatre, was one who left the ring unsold with the modest reserve of R30 000 on his head. He went on to earn something approaching R1,25 million, in a career which saw him miss a cheque only once in 35 starts. The international performer Imbongi, now the earner of more than R3 million in stakes, was another neglected child when he passed through the ring unsold, the last bid in the vicinity of R50 000. Two Guineas and a Drill Hall Stakes later, he was sold for a considerable sum to a Middle Eastern Sheikh, who’s well on his way to getting his money back, and will surely do so, with a bit of luck at next year’s Dubai Carnival.

That’s not the end of the tale. Going into the last on the Vaal card yesterday, it looked all over for Charles Laird’s two imports who’d shown encouraging form in their debut efforts. It was not to be though, as Ivan Snyman and Ernie Anderson’s Nyakatho, cruised home by an increasing 8 lengths over the last 300m of the race, and he pretty much sealed his place in the line-up for Saturday with this effort. Nyakatho comes from the other end of the scale, costing a relatively modest R100 000, which his connections will return if he just makes the first four in “The Cup”.

 

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

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

OF MARKUS JOOSTE, AIRPLANES AND BLUE VOYAGER

Markus Jooste and Blue Voyager
(Photo : Heather Morkel/JC Photographics)

WHEN IT GETS DOWN TO VOYAGER, OUR BOY MARKUS
TAKES A BIT OF BEATING

If there’s a more travelled businessman in South Africa, we’d like to meet him. We’re sure if you get your hands on Markus Jooste’s diary, you’ll find he spent as many nights on an airplane bunk as he did in his own home in the past twelve months, and SAA have probably run out of minerals to describe his class of Voyager card.

If you were tuned into the first at Turffontein Tuesday, you would’ve come across a new definition for the word “Voyager”, as the million Rand son of Muhtafal demolished an expectant field on his first racecourse appearance.

As a graduate of the Summerhill draft at last year’s Emperors Palace Ready To Run Sale, a performance of this class catapults Blue Voyager right into the front line of contenders for the R1,5 million Emperors Palace Ready To Run Cup, prize restricted to graduates of last year’s sale, and while he’ll be short of experience, what he proved Tuesday, was he won’t lack for class.

There were three millionaires in last year’s sale, the R2,2 million Rock Of Gibraltar colt, Trafalgar Legacy who sparkled on debut during the KZN winter season for Basil Marcus, and last week we witnessed an encouraging first attempt from the Galileo filly, Insasa, when the daughter of Europe’s best stallion was an underprepared fifth for Michael Azzie over the minimum trip. Those that know Galileo will tell you they only find their gears beyond a mile, so this was heart-warming.

With a run, Trafalgar Legacy and Blue Voyager will be many people’s idea of starting favourites for the big event, which is hardly the sort of news the connections of Havasha, Pierre Jourdan, Smanjemanje, Mahubo or  Fisani would want to hear.

But for racegoers, this has to be music for the ears. The handicappers have been saying for a while now, this is looking like a vintage crop of Three-Year-Olds, and the best evidence lies in the early entries for the Emperors Palace Ready To Run Cup.

Roll on Saturday 7^th November.

 

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

POUND FOR POUND... BEST "BIG TIME" RACEHORSE SALE

(Please click above to enlarge…)

EMPERORS PALACE READY TO RUN SALE
8 NOVEMBER 2009 

1:15pm Wednesday 22 July. Scottsville. A landmark moment in Ready To Run history. A R2.2million graduate of the Summerhill Ready To Run draft, the son of Rock of Gibraltar comes home lonely. First time out, he’s most people’s idea of the starting favourite for the R1.5million Emperors Palace Ready To Run Cup. Maybe a stallion prospect of the future.

At the other end of the spectrum, in Africa’s richest race on the sand, R90,000 “steal” Phunyuka, leads them a merry dance in the R600,000 Emerald Cup.

It’s war out there. North vs South, “haves” against “have nots”, stallion prospects against geldings.

And last year, the fillies spoilt the party for all of them.

Reality is, with Summerhill’s Ready To Run, there’s a horse for everyone. And if you want to really know the facts, go to www.summerhill.co.za and click Ready To Run.

Besides, there’s a substantial saving for the customer on the costs of keep, and the best education of a racehorse anywhere. Plus the bonanza of a ticket in the sweep for the fourth richest race in South Africa.

Restricted to graduates of the Emperors Palace Ready To Run.

CUP CANDIDATES : MERIT RATINGS AS AT 14 OCTOBER 2009

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

MERIT RATINGS

HORSE	SIRE	SEX	MR
SMANJEMANJE	Kahal	C	96
ASHJAAN	Malhub	F	93
HAVASHA	Kahal	C	92
SECOND WORLD	Second Empire	C	91
KHETHANI	Labeeb	C	91
ONEHUNDREDACREWOOD	Malhub	F	90
PIERRE JOURDAN	Parade Leader	C	89
DIGNIFICATION	Muhtafal	F	89
TRAFALGAR LEGACY	Rock Of Gibraltar	C	88
MAHUBO	National Emblem	C	85
FISANI	Kahal	F	83
SICOCO	Muhtafal	C	83
MANNEQUIN	Kahal	F	82
COCOA ROSE	Kahal	F	82
VUMANI	Malhub	C	81
SMART AL	Al Mufti	C	81
SMANYO	Second Empire	C	81
——————————————————————-	——————————	——-	——
KWELA-KWELA	Muhtafal	F	80
NYAKATHO	Labeeb	C	80
BUKA MINA	Slew The Red	F	80
GUNG HO	Labeeb	F	80
ROSETTA STONE	Jet Master	F	80
WARMONGER	Kabool	F	80
HOLD THE GOLD	Captain Al	C	79
HEY MON	Requiem	C	78
SNOW SPECIAL	Spectrum	C	78
I’LOLLIPOP	National Emblem	F	77
MABHALANE	National Emblem	C	77
I’GEM	Kahal	F	76
MLULEKI	Muhtafal	C	76
CRY HAVOC	Caesour	C	75
TOBRUSKY	Lavery	C	75
MACK M	Labeeb	C	75
GORGEOUS GEORGE	Labeeb	C	75
BABAZANI	Slew The Red	C	74
STANN CREEK	Strike Smartly	F	73
JIKA MAJIKA	Malhub	C	71
SPICE CLUB	Fan Club’s Mister	F	71
RUNNING RIOT	Muhtafal	F	70
CRIMSON MOONLIGHT (Aus)	Untouchable	F	70
GATHERING LIGHT	Requiem	F	69
LAST TOUCH	Slew The Red	F	68
GOODTOSEEYOU	Malhub	F	68
JIBE CITY	Kahal	F	66
MATHAFA	National Emblem	C	66
ROMAN WORLD	Caesour	F	65
PEN MAN	Lecture	C	65
GALAXY QUEST	Kahal	C	64
BEYOND REVENGE	Labeeb	C	63
SEISMIC SHIFT	Labeeb	C	60
SALUTATION	Requiem	F	50
RAMBUNCTIOUS	Muhtafal	F	45
BOLD CRUSADER	Malhub	C	43
SPESHIMINIAAL	Badger’s Drift	C	38

“THE TRAIL OF THE TROPHY”

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