RACING
  

Rose Leheup

 

Selling At Newmarket

Setting of early last Saturday morning for the home of racing, Newmarket, I wondered yet again how come the South Africans manage to bring not only good wine, food and  company but the best  weather we have had all summer!

It was a pity that the Ayr Gold Cup has been moved to the same day as the South African sponsored race day as most of the top jockeys had travelled to Scotland for the day. Frankie pulling of an amazing 14-1 win to take his first ever Ayr Gold Cup. Apparently attendance was slightly down at Newmarket but was still in the region of 15,000 spectators which for an end of Season day is not bad.  I think the majority of these were in the SA marquee!  I saw and chatted to a few English owners, Carol and Richard Taylor were their normal happy enthusiastic selves and happily promoting SA racing to all in earshot.  Tom and Evelyn Yates spent time with Linda from Summerhill and as a result of their chat have this week sent a yearling to Capetown  to be reared and hopefully raced.  Andy Ellis also as a result of chatting to Linda have decided to send a mare to Summerhill and to look for another mare to buy.  This was just a few conversations that I heard and I am sure amongst the hustle and bustle of the marquee this was going on all over.  I understand L’Ormarins sold numerous cases of wine, which was incidentally delicious, and Phil Georgio created a lot of interest in the trips he organises..  Liesl King who organised the event this year did a fantastic job and had to deputise at the last minute for Peter Gibson who was stuck in SA with flu.  I have never actually met Liesl before but was struck by her energy and dynamism.  She could be fantastic for Racing South Africa and I do hope that she has enough energy to bring about some change.  We had long discussions on the day after racing as she stayed overnight with us and she has some impressive ideas.  I do think it would be a good idea to have a few more South Africans present working the room, Rodney Dunn as usual was his usual tireless self charming all in range, Paul Lafferty representing the trainers managed to convince us to buy another horse when we were determined not to so hopefully he  netted a few more owners as well but I do think more people were needed to chat to everyone that came in. I am sure Liesl will be on everyone’s case and next year will be even better.

I am very excitedly flying out to Capetown today as Diamond Quest has been nominated for an Award at the Cape Breeders and Trainers awards.  I have been hesitating about coming out as we will be out in December anyway and I felt I really couldn’t justify coming out for one award ceremony.  However Phil Georgio can be very persuasive, the Great Gambler has got over his swine flu. And Andrew Bon who was also at Newmarket with his wife Sarah,  promised me a DVD of all of DQ’s races and career highlights if I came and picked it up in Capetown so I am packed and leaving in a few hours. I seem to remember the first year we were in Capetown the Awards were held at Grand West casino and we were seated at the Lamenskrall table with Sally Jordan and Mr and Mrs Rattray. That night Lammenskrall seemed to win everything and the table was laden with silver with Sally jumping up and down collecting more and more awards.  It was a really good night and the casino made it a very glamorous occasion.  The only other time I have been was 2 years ago when Diamond Quest won Stayer of the Year after his Gold Cup win this time the evening was held at the Racecourse which I have to say was not so glamorous and although I had a very enjoyable evening I did feel it lacked the atmosphere of a grander venue.  I also wonder who has decided to change the date to the middle of the breeding season.  It was extremely convenient for overseas owners when it was held later in the year as they are usually in Cape town anyway but now it means we have to make a special trip. The date must also be more than inconvenient for all your breeders who at this time of year are suffering from lack of sleep anyway and the last thing they really want to do is put on some clean clothes,  drag into town, and be sociable!  Surely it really doesn’t matter if the awards are held a few months after the end of the season, no-one forgets and breeders can relax and really enjoy the occasion if they are not panicking about foals being born in their absence ad having to get up early in the morning to check for ovulating mares.  Believe me owners are so grateful for recognition that they couldn’t care less when it is but if you want the overseas contingent then you really have to tie it in with when they fly South.

 

Public Letters

Bravo to Rose Leheup
Bravo to Rose Leheup, for expressing the views of many (most?) members so very effectively. I feel a sense of outrage at the exorbitant rise in Gold Circle membership fees, ostensibly in exchange for ‘gifts’, which were unsolicited and are certainly unwanted. Far from attracting more young members to horse-racing, (as Gold Circle claims to want), these new membership fees and ‘benefits’ are likely to antagonise loyal supporters and act as a disincentive to potential new members. If they wish to make horse-racing an even more elitist sport, Gold Circle are certainly going about it in the right way. As an owner and dedicated follower of horse-racing, I would like to see more people on course and would support appropriate efforts to attract younger participants, not this disappointing move towards restricting it even more to the fortunate few.
via email - Sue Whitelaw