David Thiselton

The eight race meeting at Turffontein Standside today is highlighted by a MR96 Handicap over 2000m and it could well see the impressive Sea The Stars colt Mission To Mars proving himself an exciting prospect.

The Stuart Pettigrew-trained Irish-bred import will be having only his third career start as a six-year-old gelding, hardly credentials to get anybody excited, but he has been eye-catching in both career starts. On debut over 1500m he came from a hopeless position with a telling finish to be beaten just 0,60 lengths into second. Second time out he sat in the box seat and pulled clear under the hands to win by 10,50 lengths. He was accorded an 86 merit rating and if he is as good as he visually appeared to be then he should be a short-priced favourite to win this race. A good draw of two will aid his cause.

The topweight The Playboy Bomber had had three starts over 2000m for two wins and a second and with a 2,5kg claimer up he could make his presence felt if able to overcome a wide draw.

Coup De Grace six-year-old gelding Prince Of Kildare had generally been kept to races of a mile and shorter until being stepped up to 2000m last time and, as he stayed on well and only just failed, middle distances could now be his game, so he could be the chief threat.

In the first leg of the Pick 6 over 1000m Mrs Stormiatrix turned the corner in the second half of the 2025/2026 season when kept to 1000m, winning three and finishing second in five starts over that trip. She has a nice middle draw and regular rider Calvin Habib stays aboard. Lonely As A Cloud sneaks into the handicap with the minimum weight and comes off a good run over this trip. Pivotal Role had shown promise before a four month layoff and over this trip can get away with a bit of ring rustiness.

In the next race over 1000m Mount Pinatubo is 7,5kg better off with African Pride for a two length beating in June and looks the one to beat. African Pride can bounce back from his disappointing run on Gold Cup day in which he might not have enjoyed being under the lights for the first time. He came out a hundred percent sound and the fast ground will suit him. Karate Kid is in fine form but is perhaps drawn on the wrong side. However, he is able to come from off them so might be dropped out.

In the fifth race over 2000m Dual Prophecy bounced back to form last time and being 2kg better off with Guerilla Warfare for a 1,75 length beating he could be the one to side with. Guerilla Warfare could easily follow up as that was his first attempt at the trip and he came through it with flying colours. Those two should fight it out.

In the seventh over 1600m Harun Al Rashid looks to be off a competitive mark and can win over a suitable trip from a fair draw. Sky Pilot beat him by 0,90 lengths last time and is now 2kg worse off but there is a reversal of draw fortunes in his favour so there shouldn’t be much in it. Winding Power has come into her own and should be right there from a fair draw.

In the eighth over 1400m Rising Eagle looks to be a sort who can progress off an 87 rating, but he does have to overcome a wide draw in this suitable step up in trip. Spirit Of Gabz has some fair form and has proved he enjoys this trip, so he should be right there from a decent draw. Southampton has a form chance and with Gavin Lerena up might be able to overcome a tricky draw.

In the second race over 1160m Trompe L’Oeil caught the eye on debut and could beat Geostorm who is capable of better than last time and is drawn on the right side by trends.

In the first over 1160m Purple Rain and Jack’s Legacy have the form to fight it out.

RACE 1

JACK’S LEGACY would have benefitted from the experience of her encouraging debut 2nd, albeit in a Work Riders’ race, so should be competitive with that run under the belt. PURPLE RAIN outran market expectations when 2nd over 1450m last time and need only confirm that improvement to play a role. WITHOUT REMORSE and NORTHERN EUROPEAN have the form and experience to make their presence felt. BELLFLOWER ran against winners last time and will pose more of a threat back in a maiden. Watch the betting on newcomers GREENHILLSOFJAMAICA, TOTHEPLACEIBELONG and LADY AARYA.

RACE 2

GEOSTORM was fancied to run well in a similar contest over track and trip last week but returned with legitimate excuses. His quick reappearance suggests those issues have been ironed out so he’s worth another chance. ONE TIGER, runner-up over course and distance recently, also remains competitive off an unchanged mark. SAKURA HANAMI fits a similar profile and will give cheek to her male opposition. Newly turned 3yo’s SHERLOCK HOLMES (gelded) and debut winner TROMPE L’OEIL are open to any amount of improvement so have to respected.

RACE 3

MRS STORMIATRIX made a winning reappearance in same-sex company at a higher level last time and is open to further progress with that comeback run under the belt. She has a 6-point penalty to carry against male opposition but should play a leading role. Returning PIVOTAL ROLE is respected after a layoff, especially as he appears the pick of the Van Vuuren-trained runners on riding bookings. LONELY AS A CLOUD is holding form and cannot be discounted under a light weight.

RACE 4

MOUNT PINATUBO finished ahead of WHISTLE THE TUNE and ALMOND SEA in a course-and-distance Grade 1 last season and is 2.5kg better off with that pair. AFRICAN PRIDE fluffed his lines on a recent trip to KZN but is capable of a lot better so is best kept safe on his Highveld return. Last-start winner KARATE KID is at the top of his game and remains competitive off a career-high rating. ESPINOZA and YAMADORI could earn minor money.

RACE 5

CULTURATI didn’t go unnoticed when finishing 6th of 10 over 1800m on his handicap debut last time. He races off a reduced rating over a more suitable trip and remains open to improvement, so it could pay to follow his progress. Consistent hard-knocker DARK SILVER is competitive off his current mark and distance suited so should be competitive with the benefit of his rider’s 2.5kg apprentice claim. GUERILLA WARFARE won when trying this trip for the first time recently and could have more to offer but DUAL PROPHECY is 2kg better off that rival, so there shouldn’t be much separating the pair.

RACE 6

Well-bred MISSION TO MARS cruised to a wide-margin maiden victory over 1600m recently and being out of a 2500m Grade 2 winner, this extended trip should be even more to his liking. He’s lightly raced and open to any amount of improvement. He will be tested, though, by several hard-knockers. PRINCE OF KILDARE, runner-up last time in his first start over this trip, APACHE SON, ROYAL EDITION and THE PLAYBOY BOMBER all have the means to trouble the selection.

RACE 7

Recent course-and-distance winner SKY PILOT is progressive so a 3-point penalty is unlikely to halt his momentum. Runner-up HARUN AL RASHID is weighted to pose more of a threat on these terms, as is veteran AFTER HOURS. However, with the benefit of his rider’s 2.5kg apprentice allowance, the biggest challenge could come from consistent class-dropper ORANGE COUNTY. Hat-trick seeking WINDING POWER and maturing KNOWMORE have earning potential too.

RACE 8

Well-bred RISING EAGLE confirmed the promise of his 2yo debut against older horses by winning well over 1160m last time. He is unexposed and open to any amount of improvement over this extended trip so it could pay to follow his progress. SPIRIT OF GABZ, another newly turned 3yo, showed enough promise as a juvenile to also acquit himself competitively on handicap debut. Class-dropper SUNSET WARRIOR and last-start winner LONGSWORD can trouble the 3yo principals. Hard-knocking 5yo mare SOUTHAMPTON, veteran stablemate COMING IN HOT and NARETOI have the means to make their presence felt too.

David Thiselton

Mickaelle Michel ended a fairy-tale tour to South Africa on a high note at the World Pool Gold Cup meeting at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday when landing the Gr 2 World Pool Bet With Tote Umkhomazi Stakes over 1200m on the James Crawford-trained Fish Tales, who fittingly races in the famous colours of Tony Moodley.

Fish Tales, who was bred by Ascot Stud and is by their underrated stallion Heavenly Blue, is now unbeaten in two starts.

His victory was all the more commendable in that he had to overcome a draw of 11 out of 13 runners.

Mickaelle took the athletic bay colt up to mid division and in expert fashion managed to slot him into a one wide position with cover before he had used up too much energy.

The colt continually found after being switched out in the straight and hit the front at about the 150m mark before going on to win by 1,10 lengths.

Fish Tales’ red and yellow checks, emerald sleeves and cap colours were carried to Summer Cup victory by the Mike de Kock-trained Rudra in 2006 and earlier that same year were carried to Gr 1 Champions Cup glory by Equal Image. Many other good horses have carried the colours.

Tony races in partnership with his son Nishen and the other owners in Fish Tales are Raphael Goolam and Selvan Naidoo. Fish Tales is in fact the first horse Raphael has ever owned.

Nishen said after the win, “My Dad has been involved in horseracing for the longest of time. He has never left the sport. We did go a little bit quiet, I think horseracing is a wheel, you will be at the top one day and be at the bottom again and now we are slowly rising to the top again.”

He said about the purchase of Fish Tales, “When we saw him at the August two-year-old Sale last year we absolutely fell in love with him. He is by Heavenly Blue, who I think is overlooked, he is such an underrated sire, and he is one of the better Heavenly Blues that we’ve seen. Myself and some friends decided to get involved and here we are today.”

Ashley Parker of Ascot Stud was alerted many years back to the fact that Fish Tales’ dam Caviar was for sale and he snapped her up.

The Var mare was trained by the late Colin Scott and won five times over distances from 1000m to 1400m.

The Australian-bred Heavenly Blue, who is by the iconic four-times Australian Champion Sire Snitzel, won the Gr 1 SA Classic over 1800m and he was third in the Gr 1 SA Derby.

Fish Tales, who has plenty of substance, ran like a horse who would enjoy further.

James Crawford said they would have preferred to have come into the race with one more run under the belt and he added, “He is still green and immature and once the penny drops we’ve got a lot more fun to have.”

Fish Tales is an exciting classic prospect.

He is a half-brother to the useful King Prawn, an Alan Greeff-trained three-year-old gelding whose two wins include the Listed Champion Juvenile Cup over 1400m, although he has had a somewhat disappointing three-year-old season.

Fish Tales was bought for R375,000.

At this year’s National Yearling Sale his full-brother was bought for R200,000 by Jaap van de Vendel and will be trained by Alan Greeff.

Caviar is currently in foal to the Mauritzfontein-based sire Digital Age, a Gr 1-winning son of Invincible Spirit..

Caviar’s third dam is the Champion Broodmare Soho Secret, which means she is from the family of the good racehorse and influential matriarch Secret Pact.

Caviar has had six runners for four winners and Fish Tales is her second stakes winner.

Fish Tales won by 2,30 length on debut over 1160m on June 7 and now that he has confirmed that promise he is definitely one to follow.

Meanwhile, Mickaelle Michel will be back in South Africa in October.

Before departing the racecourse on Sunday she was presented with a framed enlargement of a Sporting Post front page headline commemorating the day she made history on Star Major in the Daily News 2000, becoming only the second woman in South African history to win a Gr 1 event.

Her 47 wins on this tour were achieved at a strike rate of 9.2% and included one Gr 1 and three Gr 2s.

In exciting news for the South African horseracing industry it has been announced the UK have opened a direct equine export route from South Africa, which cements two-way trade for the SA Equine Industry.

SA Equine Health & Protocols NPC (SAEHP) sent out the following press release:

UK Opens Direct Equine Export Route from South Africa, Cementing Two-Way Trade for SA Equine Industry

Cape Town, 15 July 2026 — SA Equine Health & Protocols NPC (SAEHP) is pleased to announce that the British Government has confirmed a decision permitting direct import of live horses from South Africa to Great Britain. Following a positive assessment of South Africa’s disease control measures, imports will be permitted from the approved vector-protected quarantine station in Cape Town, for registered equines complying with UK import conditions.

This milestone reflects sustained collaboration between SAEHP, the South African Department of Agriculture, and the Western Cape Department of Agriculture — a powerful demonstration of this public-private partnership’s success in maintaining South Africa’s equine disease control measures to the highest international standard and translating that credibility into real market access.

The announcement follows closely on South Africa’s opening of imports from Dubai, New Zealand, and Australia earlier this year -making genuine two-way trade a reality for the South African equine industry.

Adrian Todd, Managing Director of SAEHP, thanked the Hong Kong Jockey Club for its funding, technical support, and vision in opening South Africa to the world, noting that the growing number of trade partners now opens a world of opportunity for South Africa across all equestrian disciplines.

About SAEHP:SA Equine Health & Protocols NPC is a South African public-private partnership established to ensure the sustainability and security of the African Horse Sickness control zones through risk mitigation measures and controls, operating under the authority of the South African National Director of Animal Health in partnership with the National Department of Agriculture and the Western Cape Department of Agriculture.