NOMINATIONS FOR THE EMPERORS PALACE READY TO RUN CUP

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

FIRST NOMINATIONS

RUNNER	SEX	SIRE	MR	TRAINER	DRAW
ASHJAAN	F	Malhub	93	Paul Matchett	18
BHUSENDE	C	Flying Spur		Charles Laird	1
BLUE VOYAGER	C	Muhtafal		Charles Laird	14
CHA CHA QUEEN	F	National Assembly		Geoff Woodruff	24
CLUB VICTOR	C	Fan Club’s Mister		Terry Lowe	7
COASTAL CLUB	C	Fan Club’s Mister	69	Terry Lowe	4
DOLOMITE	C	Labeeb		Kumaran Naidoo	19
FISANI	F	Kahal	88	Mike de Kock	25
GALAXY QUEST	C	Qui Danzig	64	Leon Erasmus	31
GORGEOUS GEORGE	C	Labeeb	75	Gavin Smith	26
HAVASHA	C	Kahal	94	Mike de Kock	28
I’LOLLIPOP	F	National Emblem	77	Kumaran Naidoo	17
KHETHANI	C	Labeeb	91	Roy Magner	27
MABHALANE	C	National Emblem	77	Tony Nassif	12
MAHUBO	C	National Emblem	85	Herman Brown	5
MAKEMEFAMOUS	F	Muhtafal		Greg & Karen Anthony	15
MAKULU-KULU	C	Labeeb	79	Michael Miller	6
MANNEQUIN	F	Kahal	82	Paul Matchett	3
MLULEKI	C	Muhtafal	79	Paul Matchett	16
ONEHUNDREDACREWOOD	F	Malhub	88	Gavin van Zyl	10
PIERRE JOURDAN	C	Parade Leader	89	Gary Alexander	9
SICOCO	C	Muhtafal	78	Ormond Ferraris	30
SIZZLING GUY	C	Slew The Red	77	Dominic Zaki	23
SMANJEMANJE	C	Kahal	96	Tyrone Zackey	20
SMANYO	F	Second Empire	81	Ivan Moore	13
SMART AL	C	Al Mufti	80	Doug Campbell	22
SNOW SPECIAL	C	Spectrum	78	Gary Alexander	15
SUMMER DOT COM	C	Windrush		Kumaran Naidoo	29
TEMPANO	F	Toreador		Roy Magner	27
VUMANI	C	Malhub	81	Ivan Moore	11

Merit ratings correct as at 19 October 2009

THE SALE WITH A HORSE FOR EVERYONE

Phunyuka
(Photo : JC Photographics)

(Please click photo to enlarge…)

EMPERORS PALACE READY TO RUN SALE
8 NOVEMBER 2009

Charl Pretorius www.racingweb.co.zaThe word Phunyuka means to “escape” in Zulu, and the horse by that name’s massive win in this continent’s richest race on sand, the Emerald Cup (Gr.2) might’ve been many people’s idea of exactly that. Truth is though, this was a triumph for the little fellows, a sort of David and Goliath re-enactment in one of the few places where it’s possible. There was an old saying in racing that you could never beat Harry Oppenheimer in the boardroom, but you could level the playing fields on Saturdays. Here was a case of a regular owner, a regular trainer and if it weren’t for the fact that he is 54, of a regular jockey and an inexpensive horse, climbing to the mountain top.

To be fair though, these aren’t your regular guys. Wally Brits and Roy Magner work as hard as anybody when it comes to picking their horses, and “jockey” Willie “the Wizard” Figueroa has shown he belongs at the top table more often than we can remember. A dedicated bunch of professionals, who reap their rewards because they do the usual things, unusually well.

This victory brings home to us just one more time, the reality of the Ready To Run. For years now, as they’ve built this sale to its present place in the pantheon of excellent racehorse sales, Summerhill have dubbed it the sale with a horse for everyone, and Phunyuka’s was another outstanding example of this credo at work. R90 000 is all it cost to acquire this colt, despite the evidence of his ability at the gallops and the connectivity in his pedigree to the likes of Politician, Bianconi, Al Nitak and The Sheik, in recent years.

More aspirants in a crowded house…

Organisers of an event of the ilk of the Emperors Palace Ready To Run Cup, given its timing, would always harbour a concern that you’d be short of quality entries to fill a field of sixteen for a prize of R1,5million. No such thing when it comes to this Cup though, as it has a habit of rolling out the winners week after week. Popular KwaZulu Natal owner, Chips Pennells, is one who has targeted this race with success in the past, and there’s every possibility that all of his three purchases from last year, could be lining up for the big one on the 7^th November.

Just last weekend, Smanyo got up in the dying strides of a competitive maiden at Greyville, and Friday evening saw Vumani put up his hand for a place, when he showed his appreciation of the extra furlong at the Greyville circuit. Tucked in behind him less than a length away was Makulu-Kulu, who Mike Miller will no doubt be hoping will give him a second successive victory in the race.

OH YES! VUMANI STRIKES...

Click above to watch Vumani
(Footage : Tellytrack)

“R1,5 MILLION EMPERORS PALACE READY TO RUN CUP CANDIDATE”

The first race of the weekend card at Greyville is rapidly becoming the haunt of owners Chips and Elma Pennells. On Friday evening the “blue silks with silver stars” team took their tally of candidates for the R1,5 Million Emperors Palace Ready To Run Cup from one ( …remember Smanyo weekend before last?) to two… with one more graduate in their stable still to run.

VUMANI, the son of Malhub out of the Muhtafal mare Stolen Beauty, set a brisk pace at the head of the pack before accelerating away in the straight with Glanville Gardner’s fellow Cup candidate Makulu-Kulu in hot pursuit.

VUMANI was piloted by Stuart Randolph and is trained by Ivan Moore.

Of interest to followers of this year’s Emperors Palace Ready To Run Draft is that Vumani has a half sister by Kahal on offer, a chestnut filly named SHIATSU.