A man who has enjoyed plenty of success at Saturday’s annual spectacular of speed at Hollywoodbets Scottsville, Corne Spies chats about his three feature runners.
Corne has a quartet on the day, including a coupling in the Gr1 South African Fillies Sprint and a single flagbearer in the Gr1 Allan Robertson Championship.
Van Halen (Craig Zackey) wins the 2018 Gr1 Gold Medallion (Pic- Candiese Lenferna)
“Singforafa has done very well at this meeting the past two years. She ran close up in the Allan Robertson in 2019 and last year in the Fillies Sprint she ran another cracker. She is fit and well, and is a top-class sprinting filly. We’ll be shouting her home for a third time lucky!” enthuses Corne.
“I see my second runner in the Fillies Sprint, Sweet Sensation, has cracked a second reserve berth now,” he chuckles philosophically.
“We have Supreme Quest running in the Allan Robertson. She has done very well in the juvenile features, always coming from way off them. The Hollywoodbets Scottsville 1200m might just suit her!”
Recalling days past, Corne said that the team won the Allan Robertson with Rock Opera, and the Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion with the now globetrotting Van Halen – although the latter won for Corne’s father, Tobie Spies.
“We have achieved a helluva lot of places along the way. So it is a meeting we always try to target each year,” he reminisces.
Looking slightly further back, Corne recalls a filly called Straight Set, that he opted to take on the colts with in the 2012 Gr1 Gold Medallion – she ended up second behind the class male, Potent Power.
Potent Power beats Spies filly Straight Set in the 2012 Gr1 Gold Medallion (Pic- Gold Circle)
The same year they had a filly named Trip To Eden that, according to Corne, could run circles around Straight Set.
“That’s why we ran Straight Set against the colts in the Gold Medallion – we didn’t think she would stand a chance of beating Trip To Eden in the Allan Robertson! We ran Trip To Eden as a first timer in the Gr1 – we were that confident! Unfortunately she fractured her hip coming out of the starting stalls. She ran last in the Gr1 and off she went to stud.”
It’s been a long road via the export route but Oratorio’s son Van Halen is proudly carrying the SA flag in France.
“He has just moved over from the Pre-Training centre to a trainer called Gavin Hernon at Chantilly. He is in full training once again and we will be targeting the French summer season. I look forward to seeing him running in a couple of their sprints and then hopefully on to the Middle East for next season! There are some big races in the pipeline and things certainly seem to be going the right way for him now!”
Van Halen- happy in France
Corne grabbed the chance to talk about his youngsters coming through this season.
“Laird Of Breedon is knocking at the door and he is definitely a horse to follow, as I have no doubt he’ll win his next start or two. And watch out for Captain’s Run, Supreme Quest (on Saturday!) and Eastern Belle in the features.”
“On the colts’ side we have Noble Striker, that I’m sure was named after Pierre Strydom! We also have a very good Rafeef colt, William Robertson. He finished a very gallant third after racing green and encountering traffic issues. I think he’s a top-class horse and definitely another one to follow.”
If you want to find out more about Corne and his team, visit his website www.spiesracing.co.za
Watch the video below of Van Halen settling into his new yard in Chantilly:
