The improved again Silvano gelding Wavin’ Flag stormed to victory in the R1 ,25 million Gold Cup despite only ever having won his maiden and a modest lowly-rated handicap previously
The Greyville bull-ring hosts South Africa’s supreme test of staying prowess and brings the curtain down on a dramatic and intriguing season on Saturday. The R1,25 million Gr1 Gold Cup is the ultimate test of the thoroughbred racehorse on African soil.
The 2yo Fillies Championship goes down to the wire in the final Gr1 feature of the season. Previous Gr1 winners Carry On Alice, Alboran Sea and Bilateral all have solid claims to the title, though things look anything but cut and dried.
Afrikaburn looks to be something special. Unbeaten in four starts, a Gr1 winner at his last, can he handle the extra 200m?
To date, four horses have won the Gold Cup twice, but the last horse to win South Africa’s premier staying race in consecutive years was Highland Night , who won the race in 2002 and 2003
With eight of the sixteen runners being Vodacom Durban July survivors, punters may be left pondering whether the big race form will actually make any sense. And if pace, or lack of it, will again be a determining factor in the outcome
When former jockey Arthur Miller decided to call it a day in Port Elizabeth and turn his sights to training, Hekkie Strydom offered him Stateway to build his string up to the minimum of 12 horses he required to obtain his licence…it was the start of an unlikely Gr1 dream
As the sun sets on the final local meeting of the 2013/14 season, trainer Alan Greeff celebrated his eighth PE champion trainer title and he certainly has come a long way since his first Gr1 win in the Gold Cup 13 years ago…
“He is a valuable horse and it makes no sense risking further damage…”
PE’s big hope should be in Clairwood with Vaughan Marshall by 11h00 Thursday morning. Kevin Shea is coming out on Friday morning to give him a canter…
Gold Cup favourite Hot Ticket’s trainer Dean Kannemeyer’s first winner of this race was in 2000. Gary Player’s mare was a rugged stayer, but the race was not without controversy
‘I called the owner and before I could even make the offer he excitedly told me that a certain South African bookmaker had just called 10 minutes earlier to make an offer of R5m’
It’s clear that eight incidents of crop excesses is unacceptable for a sport keen to maintain a good public image, and the time appears to have arrived for a review of the crop rules for work riders on the Highveld
Rafeef is fast establishing a fine reputation as a stallion who has the ability to sire stakes winners across the speed and stamina spectrum
