Clairwood: This year's KZN campaign kicked off with the same horse, Rei Rei, running on the same date, 26th April, and producing the same result! She won the Poinsettia Stakes over the Clairwood 1200 in very good style, beating an extremely competitive field. Her manner of winning gives futher support to the view that, despite winning the KZN Fillies Guineas last season, her best trip might well be 1200m. She has taken the race well and will now be aimed at the Grade 1 SA Fillies Sprint over 1200m at Scottsville on 30th May 2009.
Mighty Atom ran a meritorious 4th the next evening at Greyville, when having no luck at all in the running.
Our congratulations go to long time patrons Mike Fullard and James Drew for Private Jets's exciting win in the Computaform Sprint the day before Rei Rei's triumph at Clairwood. What a weekend for them! Congratulations also to apprentice Aldo Domeyer, who puts so much effort into our stable, for finding top form with 14 winners in the last fornight!
Back in the Cape: Winter has set in, the going is getting softer and the horses are fast throwing winter coats. Wet weather specialists such as Allibar, Royal Parade, Market Cap, Mastery etc should pay to follow over the next few months.
30 April 2009
At the Races
Further success for the yard at todays meeting! Taladega Nights, having her 2nd run after a lengthy layoff, was a somewhat unlucky loser in a Fillies Handicap over 1800m. The stables second runner, City of Light, however, more than made up for that with a fluent 6 length win in a maiden event over 1600m! (See our Stats & Videos section) The full brother to Rei Rei had shown plenty of potential back home, without really putting it together on the race course proper. With the course having been softened by intermittent showers throughout the day, and having learnt from his first few races, he was a most impressive winner. There is no reason why he shouldn't go on from here.
Congratulations also to apprentice Aldo Domeyer, who puts so much effort into our stable, for finding top form with 14 winners in the last 2 and a half weeks!
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30 April 2009
At The Races
Misstobe provided the stable with its second winner in as many weeks, when scoring comfortably in the Arc-en-Ciel silks, made famous some years ago by Flaming Rock. Congratulations to Craig Carey and his team! A half sister to former champion sprinter, Tobeornottobe, she should be capable of winning again to further enhance her paddock value.
Mighty Atom was an encouraging 4th over a distance short of his best, and leaves shortly for the Winter Season in KZN.
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22 April 2009
At the Races
Tuesday races saw the well bred Water is Gold shed her maiden tag, with an impressive win at the 4th time of asking. (See our Stats & Videos section) I trained her dam a few years back. She won 5 or 6 races, including a Group 2 event. When I saw this filly at the sales I was very keen to purchase her and fortunately Graham Beck gave me the opportunity to do so. Thanks very much to him!. She has taken a little time to mature but has developed into a tall, rangy filly, with a very good action. I would expect her to go on from here.
Pic provided courtesy of Equine Edge.
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22 April 2009
At the Races
Wednesday 22nd April was a good day for the Elley yard. We sent out 5 runners, resulting in two fourths, a third and two wins!
Our first runner was Tara Can. This was her 2nd start and she followed up on her promising debut by running a good 3rd! This run will have brought her on, both in experience and in racing fitness.
Out next two runners who both finished 4th, were Hatton and Market Cap. Market Cap’s run was the second after a layoff, which all racing folk know is a difficult one!
We then had Mastery for John Kinsley and he did the stable proud by scoring a hattrick! Well ridden by promising apprentice Grant van Niekerk, Mastery ran a courageous race and caught the second placed horse just short of the post. (See our Stats and Videos section)
Finally, the handsome son of Dansili, Spear of Destiny, rounded off the day by winning at his second start. Sitting just off the leaders he was switched out for a run about 300m from home. He was well shouted home by all his connections and a good few others too! (See our Stats and Videos section)
A good days racing!
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11 April 2009
Stable News
We attended the National Yearling Sales in JHB over the weekend and were amazed to see the way the prices held up. Talk before the sales was that prices were expected to nose-dive by atleast 50% and that it would be a buyer's market. However, things did not turn out this way and breeders must have been delighted with the way things went. Yearling prices throughout the world have plummetted this year, but either we are living in a cacoon in this country, or buyers lost their minds! We came back empty-handed, having tried hard on a few. I am certain things will be different at both the KZN sale and the 2 yo sale in August. Hopefully we can get involved there.
While we were away, Mastery did us proud by winning his 2nd race for the stable from as many starts! Well done, once again, to John Kinsley. Mastery should continue to do well during the winter months.
Sunday sees 4 of our horses heading off to KZN. Kapil, Rei Rei, Mighty Atom and Valid Case (a 2yo colt owned by KZN based clients) will be the 1st to leave, with another 2 following later. Stan will be going up on Wednesday or Thursday. All going well, Rei Rei will open our campaign on the 26th April in the Poinsettia Stakes. Kapil has returned refreshed from his short holiday and is on track for the Drill Hall on the 8th May.
In the last month or 2 we have been given a few 2 yo's to train for some new clients. This is particularly pleasing for us and we thank them wholeheartedly. We wish them the best of luck in their new stable!
We intend starting some of our unraced 2yo`s in the next few weeks, so be sure to check for Stan`s comments in the "Upcoming Events" section. Judging by their work at home, there could be interesting times ahead.
