Sands Of Time: March 1994

February 27 – March 5 Turf club officials in Zimbabwe confirm that South African Jockey Club officials are in the country, but decline to comment on the reason. This after The Herald (Zim’s daily newspaper) reports the presence in Harare of JC “roving banker” George Morrison and Dr (vet) Duncan MacDonald. Rumour has it that […] read more

Sands Of Time: February 1994

JANUARY 30 – FEBRUARY 5 The average price at Goodwood, venue for the first yearling sale of the season, increases by 10% – following the world-wide trend of a recovery in bloodstock prices. Optimism must be held in check, though, as the 1994 average of R17.700 is merely on par with that of 1992 and […] read more

Sands of Time: January 1994

Just 23 horses accept at the second last entry stage for the J&B Met. Raymond Koedyk is believed to be the first South African to be taxed on Pick Six winnings. Windy conditions make for an upset in the Gr1 Cape Flying Championship. The untimely death of champion sire Foveros comes as a severe blow to the beleaguered South African breeding industry. No less than seven of the runners in the Gr1 Arc-en-Ciel Paddock Stakes are by Elliodor or his son Model Man. The Gr1 J&B Met is won in fairytale fashion by 20/1 shot Pas de Quoi, a seven-year-old who comes in from the cold after standing a season at stud in ’92. read more

Sands of Time: December 1993

1993 blows out with Volume 4 of the Racing Record, a new chairman for Durban Turf Club and a proposal to merge Milnerton and Kenilworth approved unopposed. A Little Ballerina wins the Cape Guineas, Marla causes an upset in the Sceptre Stakes and Jean Heming is shot in a vicious attack. TAB Transvaal introduces the Superfecta and Take A Walk wins the Queen’s Plate for David Payne, pushing him R1 million ahead of his nearest rival on the trainers’ log.

Abroad, absent-minded jockey Desormeaux costs Kotashaan the Japan Cup, Basil Marcus extends his lead on the Hong Kong jockey table by winning the first leg of the Hong Kong Triple Crown aboard River Verdon, while Robbie Fradd is crowned Mauritius champion jockey. Coolmore announce that Sadler’s Wells stud fee has increased to IR100.000 guineas. The British Jockey Association launches the first Jockey Championship and Wolverhampton stages the first race meeting under lights. read more

Sands of Time: November 1993

October 31 – November 6 Stakes in the Western Cape return to “normal”, after they had been decreased earlier in the year when the local raceclubs found themselves under extreme financial pressure. PE’s “official racecard” Computaform joins the disgraceful confusion of the missing Grooms Race (see diary entry of August 8-14), when the winning formline is […] read more