For Convenience
20 Years Ago: Sands Of Time – May 1992
Empress Club is allocated 55.5 kilos in the Rothmans July, the highest weight for a three-year-old in recent memory. Michael Roberts rides his 3000th career winner at York in the UK.
The Transvaal TAB releases its 20th Annual Report – turnover for 1991 was a record R911 million. The Cape Turf Club at Milnerton launches a R20.000 incentive for trainers, based number of runners entered, and the performance of those runners. And more… (more)
20 Years Ago: Sands Of Time – April 1992
Cape Provincial authorities start an investigation into legalised sport betting as an additional source of income. South Africa’s Law Society expresses disapproval and the expression “They’re Off” takes on a whole new meaning when The Ringer sheds all – well, almost all. In Natal pre-race “dope”-testing is introduced. South African buyers arrive in force at the Australian Easter Yearling Sale and spend some R5 million on almost 50 yearlings. (more)
20 Years Ago: Sands Of Time – March 1992
Customer service takes on a whole new meaning when the Cape TBA introduces race commentaries on 087 numbers; Topsport introduces a new team of commentators; jockey Mawing and trainer Ferraris part company; Cape owner Adams takes the Jockey Club and Cape Turf Club to task; Empress Club scores her third Gr1 win in the space of seven weeks; and more… (more)
20 Years Ago: Sands Of Time – February 1992
The Administrators Cup, to be run in alternate years at Turffontein and Gosforth Park, becomes the richest in the country with its stake of R1.25 million. Michael Roberts is named Natal Sports Star of the Year for the second time in his career. Daytona Stud imports the stallion Sportsworld. The Jockey Club arranges informal seminars at Turffontein, Arlington and Milnerton to enlighten trainers on the intricacies of industrial relations and employment law. (more)
20 Years Ago: Sands Of Time – January 1992
Course records are there to be broken, but at Milnerton things are getting more and more curious; on J&B Met day, former Rhodesian prime minister Ian Smith is on hand to lead in Ken McKenzie’s winner Karsavina; the finish of the J&B Met becomes a Ladies Final; and the Jockey Club offers a R50.000 reward for anyone providing information that leads… (more)
20 Years Ago: Sands Of Time – December 1991
The course manager at Newmarket is warned off, TBA General Manager John Kramer and Kimberley breeder Basil Benjamin return home after vetting all of the entries for the 1992 yearling sales, M-Net starts it new Parade Ring feature programme, E-Cape Jockey Club chairman Morum proposes to sell Arlington racecourse, and Lester Piggott comes to Greyville for an AllStar jockey challenge…. (more)
20 Years Ago: Sands Of Time – November 1991
NOVEMBER 3 – 9 The ranks of the old guard are thinned further as twenty-three-year-old Elevation dies of a heart attack. Felix Coetzee is spotted once again by the Mauritian racing magazine, when he walks the tight course on the island. Everyone on the island has great respect for the South African champion – everyone … (more)
20 Years Ago: Sands of Time – October 1991
The Cape Tote attempts to defy South Africa’s strict gambling laws, by offering odds on the World Cup rugby final. After local police threatens to arrest Tote staff, because of complaints received, the Tote unceremonially drops its sports betting options.
Averof dies in the middle of the covering season. He’s the sire of champion sire Foveros, and … (more)
20 Years Ago: Sands of Time – September 1991
A quiet month and not a great deal to report (more)
20 Years Ago: Sands Of Time – August 1991
Parisian Affair, in foal to Foveros, fetches top price of R400.000 at the Highdown dispersal sale. The buyer is Norman Tilley. Sixty six lots at the sale average R41.000.
Cynics would say “I could have told you that”, when the odds-on favourite gets run over in the bookmaker sponsored Pip James Stakes (WFA). (more)
20 Years Ago: Sands Of Time – July 1991
June 30 – July 6: Pick Six betting hits a new high when Natal punters push the gross pool at Scottsville to a record R2.3 million. Later that week Mighty Crystal and Fast Gun fight out the finish in the Administrator’s Champion Futurity over a mile at Greyville. The outcome of the race is greatly influenced by (more)
20 Years Ago: Sands of Time – June 1991
June 2 – 8: Interviewed before the Epsom Derby, an unusually confident Michael Roberts bites the dust on Mystiko in the race itself. The grey 2000 Guineas winner is in the lead for about 1800m, simply cantering, then goes out like a light for lack of staying power. The important Derby victory goes to (more)
20 Years Ago: Sands Of Time – May 1991
APRIL 28th – MAY 4th: Daily News racing editor Stewart Ramsay scoops news of South African interest in racing on Madagascar. A group of Natal business people, including Greyville chairman (more)
20 Years Ago: Sands Of Time – April 1991
MARCH 31 -APRIL 6: A full page photograph of Northern Guest and Mick Goss grace the pages of Style magazine’s April issue. The article (more)
Sands of Time: February 2011
A diary of events in South African racing (more)
Sands of Time: January 2011
A diary of events in South African racing (more)
20 Years Ago: Sands Of Time – March 1991
Jockey Sutherland weighs in underweight when riding Topica at the Vaal, and gets suspended for three weeks (in May this sentence will on appeal be altered to a fine).
The TAB operations in the Transvaal and Free State are rationalised, and Free State management is taken over by the Transvaal as of this month. (more)
Cape Derby: a Historic View
The race that we know today as the Gr1 Investec Derby has a long and glorious history in South African racing. First run as the Western Province Derby in 1925 over 1 ½ miles for a stake of £600 including £200 donated by the Jockey Club of SA it was won by the filly Desert Born on the 7th March. Since then it has been run over different distances and at two racetracks. It was renamed the Cape of Good Hope Derby in 1946 and run at Kenilworth over a mile and a half. The race returned to Kenilworth in 1949 and has stayed there ever since. (more)
