Please Note: South African Quartet Pools with fractional betting offered at Leopardstown (Ireland), Newcastle and York (UK) – 21 August 2025

David Thiselton

The BSA August Two-year-old Sale takes place today (Thursday) and tomorrow and all eyes will be on the ring and on the auctioneer when the Drakenstein Stud-vendored Lot 47 enters the ring.

There have been rumours flying around that this Vercingetorix colt is going to potentially challenge a South African thoroughbred auction record price, which is R9 million, first achieved in 2019 for a Silvano colt at BSA Nationals and matched at this year’s Race Coast Sales March Day 1 Sale for a Drakenstein Stud-bred Vercingetorix colt out of the Captain Al mare Snowdance i.e a half-brother to Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas winner Snow Pilot.

Lot 47 at today’s Sale is also a Vercingetorix colt and is out of the twice Gr 1 Majorca Stakes winner Clouds unfold, who is by What A Winter. Clouds Unfold won nine times, including the Gr 1 Majorca Stakes over 1600m twice as well as two Gr 2s and also a Gr 3 as a two-year-old.

Vercingetorix is the reigning champion sire and he achieved it by smashing records, with his progeny earning a probable record amount of stakes in a season and breaking a record for the  number of stakes winners in a season i.e. 23.

Vercingetorix has also smashed records at the Sales and is surely the most successful Sales sire in South African history having averaged R1,661,364 at the Race Coast Sales March Day 1 Sale this year for 22 lots before averaging R1,435,000 at this year’s BSA Nationals.

What A Winter is the son of Western Winter, who was champion freshman sire, three-times Champion Sire and also a Champion Broodmare Sire.

What A Winter himself has finished second in the sires championship before and is perennially high up on the table.

Drakenstein Stud are the national Breeders Champions and their progeny earned a record amount of over R40 million last season.

 Lot 47 is called Le Soleil, which means The Sun, and he is a stunning individual.

He is tall and stands over a lot of ground and looks well balanced.

He is a November foal, which is likely why he is appearing at this Sale and did not appear at the Race Coast Sales March Day 1 Sale or the BSA Nationals.

However, he has everything in his favour and there is sure to be some fireworks around the ring at roundabout 12 noon today.

There will only be four Vercingetorix’s at the Sale and the other three are all fillies.

The Ascot Stud-bred lot 89 is an interesting Vercingetorix filly as she is a out of a six time-winning Jet Master half-sister to the Durban July winner Bold Silvano. She looks to have plenty of scope and should also attract a lot of interest.

Ascot’s other most interesting entry is Lot 42, who is a Heavenly Blue half-brother to the likely East Cape Champion Two-year-old colt, the Alan Greeff-trained King Prawn. Ascot Stud’s Ashley Parker confirmed this colt was a “very nice colt”.

Lot 9 is a Varsfontein Master Of My Fate colt who is closely related to Betway Summer Cup winner Atticus Finch as they have the same sire and the same grandam, the Irish-bred Alexandra B (Darshan), which means he is from a prolific black type family which includes Main Defender, Alexandra Rose and World Of Alice.

Lot 24 is an interesting Wilgerbosdrift Stud-bred colt by the former Mike de Kock-trained multiple Gr 1-winning son of Silvano, Hawwaam, and he is out of the De Kock-trained Irish-bred daughter of Danehill Dancer, Berry Blaze, who finished second to Beach Beauty in the Gr 2 KRA Fillies Guineas, among other good performances.

Lot 154 from Klawervlei Stud is a One World filly out of the twice Listed-winning Querari mare Maria Querol and this filly is from the family of a Canadian Horse Of The Year called Never Retreat (Smart Strike).

There should be a lot of action at this Sale, which has produced plenty of champions over the years.

,

Andrew Harrison

The Gr1 HKJC Champions Cup marks the end of Champions Season on the final weekend of July. That meeting also marks the end of top class racing in KZN as the cream of the country’s gallopers move to centres with more lucrative offerings and added value of black type.

Couple that with the two-year-old sale in Johannesburg and  Hollywoodbets Scottsville resembled a ghost town with trainers and owners hunting a lucky bean at Germiston.

It was a bread-and-butter meeting, but the like that keeps racing folk interested and while none of yesterday’s winners will be headed for ‘Hollywood’, there was some hard-fought battles worthy of any major race.

It is also racing that gives the lessor lights an opportunity to shine out of the spotlight of the ‘big’ races and those punters paying attention may find a few unpolished gems amongst the bling.

I remember a time back where an observer commented that a good ‘mouth’ is more valuable to a trainer than any ability to train horses. He went on to opine, “good horses train themselves, but it takes a proper horseman ‘woman’ to get the best out of a slow horse”.

Tienie Prinsloo cut his training teeth in the hot and often freezing climes of Flamingo Park in Kimberly. A dirt track in the back of beyond with minimal stakes it was a case of eat or be eaten. You had to know your way around the bigger centres often lame and mostly slow cast-offs. So you had to know your way around a horses to make a living.

After Flamingo Park closed, Prinsloo was the only former Kimberly trainer to make it in the bigger pool of KZN. He will admit that it has been far from easy, often with less than a dozen horses in his stable, but he has picked a few plums including Main Defender and now Quickstep Gal who recently changed ownership for what will surely have been a tidy sum.

Prinsloo was not on the radar at Hollywoodbets Scottsville yesterday but Gary Rich was. A man that has a pedigree in racing second to a very few with De Vlugge winning second time out for Rich under stable rider Cole Dicken in the fourth.

Rich is a man of few words, reluctant to imposed himself on any prospective owner, but a man who, like Prinsloo, knows his way around a racehorse. His father, Dessie, won the Durban July with Lightning Shot and the chip has not fallen far from the old block except that Des was a lot more vocal in his opinions.

De Vlugge, having only his second run for Rich, was led in by his daughter Tess Zietsman, also a woman of few words, but racing runs in her blood.

Rich has always had faith in Yannakis but the gelding has had many issues. Rich’s faith in the five-year-old that he had another win in him was vindicated as he made most of the running to land the sixth, giving Rich and Dicken just rewards.

With the A Stakes reduced to just five runners after a number of scratchings, Lion Rampart made short work of his opposition. S’Manga Khumalo had the race in the bag a long way out and Gareth van Zyl’s charge cruised home a comfortable winner ahead of the Gauteng raider Mover And Shaker.

Andrew Harrison

Further back than most care to remember, the universal cry across the board was always, ‘we need a stakes increase to stay viable’. That issue has been addressed by newly formed Race Coast with lucrative stake pots now on offer in conjunction with recently announced incentives for most participants.

However, there is still a hangover as far as the horse population is concerned given the dwindling numbers due to Covid and also the once poor potential returns. No doubt that situation will be remedied in time but those still in the game can make hay.

But for Hollywood Racing, who notched up their 700^th winner last week, today’s meeting at Hollywoodbets Scottsville may not have made muster as their runners make up a significant number in many of the races. Only eight runners were carded to face the starter in the Gallop TV A Stakes – worth R185 000 – that heads the card and perennial raider Clinton Binda could have taken home the lion’s share of the purse with Ziyasha. However,  the wheels have come off, literally, with the gelding scratched because of no transport.

Ziyasha ‘s defection has left the way open for Gareth van Zyl’s gelding Lion Rampart. He is having his third run after a break since returning from the Cape and should strip close his peak with S’Manga Kumalo in town to enhance his chances.

Stable companion Luhamba Phambili has been scratched leaving just six runners in the contest. Hithemhardsunshine didn’t feature from a wide draw in a small feature last time out but did run Ziyasha to within a length three runs back so he could pop up. Fabian Habib saddles Mover And Shaker, the highest rated runner in the field. He has shown up well in useful company but needs to improve on his last effort. With these defections, Donquerari could earn the biggest pay cheque of his career. He is always game and although he may be outclassed he only has 48.5kg to shoulder which should make him competitive.

Priory Terrace looked the part in the first but has since been scratched leaving the way clear for the lightly raced Call Me Jane. She makes her local debut for Andre Nel and Byron Forster and has found solid market support over this trip at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth. She has not been out since May but looks more than capable in this line-up. Queen Fenn is seldom far back and Callan Murray stays with the ride.

First up in the Place Accumulator should see Flying South a safe banker. Glen Kotzen’s filly has improved with every run and was narrowly beaten at her last two. She gets first time blinkers which could see her home. Peace Rose made an eye-catching debut for Duncan Howells on this course and is sure to improve. Gorgeous Cape raced green on debut over course and distance and is sure to come on from that effort. Any market support for Dean Kannemeyer’s filly must be respected.

Punters face a tricky opening leg of the Pick 6 and it doesn’t look to get any easier in the follow races. Dawn Till Dusk has the best of the draw in the opening leg and improved nicely second time out in KZN. He will enjoy the extra furlong and should put in a bold effort. Uzwano tries for four wins on the bounce and has progressed steadily up the handicap. He appears to have improved in blinkers and could still be under the handicapper’s radar. Paul Lafferty has pitted Forward Motion against males but she is in good form on this course. She also has a light weight and must have a decent winning chance. Tirptiz has been consistent since joining the Gary Rich stable. He has a handy galloping weight and cannot be discounted lightly.

Miss Twinkle has her third run in the second leg of the Pick 6 and has shown up nicely in her first two. The extra will suit. Danger could be Nkwenkwezi who is long overdue and way better than her last effort. Binda has solid raiding form and his filly should go close again. Cassandra was a beaten favourite last run when tried in first time blinkers. The blinkers come off and from the best of the draw she will be a big runner. Dee Day is struggling but was only run out of it late last start. The 4kg claimer stays aboard and she could pinch it.

The fifth sees many in with chances and it could pay dividends to load up in this leg. Lucrative has a big weight but her last win was over course and distance and she is seldom far back. Captain’s Christy looked the winner before being caught late by Russian Doll on this course last time out. The extra 100m could see her vulnerable again but there should be precious little between these two. Jeanne Dark could be the dark horse. She  has been trying further in strong company but is effective over this shorter trip and takes a three-point drop in the handicap. Convocation is another to consider as she has come good at recent outings and although behind both Russian Doll and Captain’s Christy last time out she cannot be discounted lightly.

In the sixth, Captain Efficient is struggling for his second win but has been knocking hard on the door and could pay for Fabian Habib’s raid. Prized Platinum has gone close over course and distance and is holding form in an open race. One Irish Rover was close-up again last run and goes well over course and distance. He has a 4kg claimer aboard which should help his chances. Yannakis has issues but goes well at home. Cheek pieces go on and he can surprise.

In the last, French Trip is holding form and looks primed for his next win. The Howells stable is also in good form. Lexican Point is slowly coming to hand and was a beaten favourite last run and should be close to his peak. Gotta Go Eddie finally got it right when stretch to a mile. He has a light weight and should be even more effective over this trip.

Soccer10 Friday 22 August 2025. ADD-IN R150 000. Estimated Pool: R1.8 Million. Pool Closes at 19h30.Sport 15 and Pool 1.

Soccer10 Saturday 23 August 2025. ADD-IN R150 000. Estimated Pool: R1.8 Million. Pool Closes at 15h00.Sport 7 and Pool 1.

Soccer13 Saturday 23 August 2025. R18 Million (If only One 13 of 13 Winner). Pool Closes at 15h30. Sport 10 Pool 1.

Soccer Any13X on Saturday 23 August 2025. ADD-IN R200 000. Estimated Pool: R 500 000. Pool Closes at 13h30. Sport 13 and Pool 1.

Soccer SCORES on Saturday 23 August 2025. ADD-IN R74 642. Pool Closes at 15h00. Call Bet V73

Soccer CORNERS on Saturday 23 August 2025. Carryover R1 886. Pool Closes at 15h30. Call Bet V74.