Please Note: South African Quartet Pools with fractional betting offered at Pontefract and Wolverhampton (UK) – 21 April 2026

RACE 1

 

10 NORTHUMBERLAND 2 BILLION STARS 11 RAPTOR KING 12 SANDS OF VALHALL

 

Preview: 10 NORTHUMBERLAND made a good debut and is the one to beat. 2 BILLION STARS is by William Longsword and is a half-brother to the like of Tail Of The Comet. 11 RAPTOR KING is by New Predator and is a half-brother to WSB Met runner up Legal Counsel. 12 SANDS OF VALHALLA is by Erik The Red and is a half-brother to a couple of multiple winners. (David Thiselton 710-2-11-12)

 

RACE 2     

 

1 ALICE B TOKLAS 5 PLATINUM SHAY  7 STORM AVALANCHE 8 TAX FREE

 

Preview: 1 ALICE B TOKLAS made a good debut, running on strongly after missing the break and she beat Platinum Shay by 2,75 lengths. 5 PLATINUM SHAY has run some fair races in fair fields and can earn. 7 STORM AVALANCHE is a first-timer by Rafeef out of a Dynasty mare who was moderate and only won one race, although she has been backed into second favourite at 4/1 behind the 1/5 favourite. 8 TAX FREE was nearly fibve lengths behind Platinum Shay on debut but coud improve. (David Thiselton 71-5-7-8)

 

RACE 3     

 

4 TWELFTH OF NEVER 1 ROYALE JACKET 6 ASIAH’S TIARA 5 GREENSIDE GIRL 2 EMERALD CITY

 

Preview: 4 TWELFTH OF NEVER can have a line drawn through her last run in a workriders race as before that she looked to be on the up and looked likely to relish this trip so one her bst form she is the one to bet in this uninspiring event. 1 ROYALE JACKET has been in good form and has a good opportunity here. 6 ASIAH’S TIARA can go close if repeating her last start. 5 GREENSIDE GIRL has shown some ability and can earn here.  2 EMERALD CITY can be in the shake up if producing her best. (David Thiselton 74-1-6-5-2)

 

RACE 4     

 

2 GIMMESUMLUV 4 COOL REGGAE 5 VIXENINTHEVINEYARD 

 

Preview: 2 GIMMESUMLUV looks set to come into her own over a suitable trip with De Melo up.  4 COOL REGGAE ran a cracker over 2000m last time and could be right there. 5 VIXENINTHEVINEYARD should also be in the shake up. (David Thiselton 72-4-5)

 

RACE 5     

 

1 BATTLEGROUND 2 ONE MORE STAR 3 DAMOVA 5 FUTUREWOLFF

 

Preview: 1 BATTLEGROUND is a useful stayer on his day and in form Marx-Jacobson should suit him. 2 ONE MORE STAR enjoyed the trip last time and has a fine chance. 3 DAMOVA is in good form and goes well for this jockey. 5 FUTUREWOLFF won well over this trip last time and has a chance off a three point higher mark with Yeni up from pole position. (David Thiselton 71-2-3-5)

 

RACE 6     

 

1 KING HARALD 2 GOLDEN OPERATOR 3 WILD INTENT 5 STORM BRASCO

 

Preview: 1 KING HARALD has some class and should go close. 2 GOLDEN OPERATOR is on the up and should be right there. 3 WILD INTENT is the best weighted but returns from a layoff since the Summer Cup. 5 STORM BRASCO looked promising at one stage and should start coming into his own. (David Thiselton 71-2-3-5)

 

RACE 7     

 

5 GREEN FLASH 6 ROAMING SPIRIT 7 BLIZZARD SNOW

 

Preview: 5 GREEN FLASH has speed and can stay on too. 6 ROAMING SPIRIT has the form to earn here. 7 BLIZZARD SNOW is capable of popping up. (David Thiselton 75-6-7)

 

RACE 8     

 

7 LOVABLE 2 MISS NOVAX 3 WISE COUNSEL

 

Preview: 7 LOVABLE looks capable of stepping up in this race. 2 MISS NOVAX has the ability to be a contender here. 3 WISE COUNSEL has ability and has a chance here. (David Thiselton 7-2-3) 

David Thiselton

The eight race Vaal meeting on today should be a  good one for punters and starts off with Northumberland looking hard to beat in the first race.

The Visionaire gelding showed pace on debut and stayed on well for a 2,0 length third to Sherlock Holmes, who had just come off a close second to Prayersandpromises, who in turn has good formlines. Northumberland should improve and the threats come from the first-timers. Northumberland has been priced up at 14/10 by Hollywoodbets and this is due to the Robyn Klaasen-trained first-timer Cosmic Cap having been backed in from 28/10 to 18/10. The latter is a gelding by Captain Of All out of a two-time-winning 79-rated Master Of My Fate mare. His pedigree does not compare favourably to some of the other first-timers. Billion Stars is by William Longsword and is a half-brother to the like of Tail Of The Comet. Raptor KIng is by New Predator and is a half-brother to WSB Met runner up Legal Counsel. Sands Of Valhalla is by Erik The Red and is a half-brother to a couple of multiple winners. Those runners are 6/1, 7/1 and 6/1 respectively.

In the second race over 1200m, the Sean Tarry-trained Alice B Toklas looks difficult to oppose. She dwelt at the start on debut, losing two lengths, but ran on strongly late with a good action, finishing 2,75 lengths ahead of Platinum Shay. Malesela Katjedi has been kept aboard, while Keagan de Melo is aboard the first-timer for the Tarry yard Storm Avalanche, who runs for the successful owner Kenneth Pillay of Kestorm Investments. Storm Avalanche is by Rafeef out of a moderate one-time-winning Dynasty mare and she has been backed in to 4/1 second favourite. Platinum Shay finished nearly five lengths ahead of Tax Free when the latter made her debut but Tax Free looks to have scope for improvement. Pista Resistance is by Chimichuri Run and is a half-sister to a Bezrin filly who won on debut before following with four poor runs.

In the third over 1800m Twelfth Or Never is the one to beat if her last run in a workriders maiden is ignored. Before, that she looked to be on the up and looked likely to relish this 1800m trip so a line can just be drawn through that run and she is chosen to win this uninspiring event. Royale Jacket did well to stay on for a three length second last time over 1700m considering he had to be used up early to overcome a wide draw. The winner of that race, Sand Script,  started favourite in a race over 2000m on Sunday but did Royale Jacket’s form no favours as she was beaten ten lengths, albeit from a wide draw. However, Royale Jacket does now have a better draw of four and should go close. Asiah’s Tiara beat Royal Jacket by four lengths when they last met, but that was a below par run by the latter as he had previously lost to the winner of that race, Terrence, by 1,20 lengths as opposed to 6,60 lengths and he had beaten Samuel Sharpe, who then beat him by 3,70 lengths. Royal Jacket can bounce back, as there is not much between him and Asiah’s Tiara if that last run is ignored. Greenside Giel has shown some ability and can earn here.  Emerald City can be in the shake up if producing her best.

In the fourth race over 1800m Gimmesuluv looks set to come into her own over a suitable trip with De Melo up.  Cool Reggae ran a cracker over 2000m last time and could be right there. Vixeninthevineyard should also be in the shake up.

In the fifth over 2400m Battleground is a useful stayer on his day and in form Marx-Jacobson should suit him. One More Star enjoyed the trip last time and has a fine chance. Damova is in good form and goes well for this jockey. Futurewolff won well over this trip last time and has a chance off a three point higher mark with Yeni up from pole position. Diesel’s Showdown needs to improve on his recent form. Romeo’s Magic needs to bounce back to form.

In the sixth over 1400m King Harald has some class and should go close over a trip which looks ideal. Golden Operator won well last time and the progressive sort should be right there again. Wild Intent is the best weighted but returns from a layoff since the Summer Cup, so will likely need the run.

In the seventh over 1200m Green Flash has speed and can stay on too and although she has not run for three months she won the last time she ran fresh. Roaming  Spirit has the form to be a contender. Blizzard Snow is capable of popping up and can’t be ignored.

In the eighth over 1200m Lovable looks to be on the up and after a good run last time against a fair sort she can go one better. Miss Novax has been knocking on the door and should be right there. Wise Counsel is the one best fancied of the rest as she beat a fair sort easily in the maidens last July over 1450m and could run well fresh over this trip after a long layoff.

Soccer13 Wednesday 22 April 2026. Carryover R2 499 702. R5.5 Million (All-13-Correct Jackpot Pool). Pool Closes at 18h30. Sport 11 Pool 1.

David Thiselton

 

There was plenty to be excited about in South African racing over the weekend from both a racing and sales perspective.

 

The record-breaking BSA National Yearling Sales looked set to be the chief news until a Gaynor Rupert-homebred filly called I’m The One put up such an impressive debut at Newbury in the UK on Friday that she has been installed as the Epsom Oaks favourite.

 

The Sea The Stars filly pulled six lengths clear of the opposition in effortless fashion under William Buick in the Maiden Stakes event over a mile and two furlongs.

The win made headlines in many UK racing publications and newspaper racing pages.

The John and Thady Gosden-trained filly is out of  the German-bred Camelot mare Sunny Queen, whom Gaynor Rupert’s UK-based Cayton Park Stud purchased just before she won the Gr 1 Grosser Preis von Bayern over 2400m in Germany in November 2020.

Sea The Stars has German blood in him via his dam Urban Sea, who could claim to be the greatest broodmare of all time considering she is also the dam of Galileo and others, so the cross with this German-bred mare was always going to be interesting.

I’m The One started as even money favourite.

She had obviously been showing a lot at home and in fact there have been some observers at Newmarket who have been calling her “the next Enable”.

The win was particularly impressive because there was a big crowd and she also had to be used up early to some extent from a wide draw, both scenarios are not easy for a first-timer to overcome, but she took the preliminaries in her stride and looked superior to the opposition throughout the race.

She won as if she had been dropped into the race at the three furlong mark and displayed an impressive action.

Thady Gosden said after the win, “A trial for the Oaks would be the obvious next step and we’ll see how she comes out of this and there’s a couple of options. Very possibly we could go to York (for the Musidora, May 13) and there is the mile-and-a-quarter race back here as well (Childwickbury Stud Fillies’ Trial Stakes, May 16). But we will need to discuss it with Mrs Rupert.”

The BSA National Yearling Sales saw records tumbling with new marks set for all of aggregate (208,000,000), average (R647,975) and median (R425,000).

Vercingetorix was all the rage as usual and was leading sire with 29 lots sold raking in R46,200,000 for an average of 1,593,103 and he was followed by Gimmethegreenlight (27, R30,300,000, R1,122,222), Rafeef (29, R26,325,000, R907,759), Jet Dark (18, R13,150,000, R730,556) and Master Of My Fate (15, R11,380,000, R758,667).

Vercingetorix had the top colt and top filly on Day one. The former, a Lammerskraal Stud-bred son of Gr 1 Garden Province-winning Western Winter mare Redberry Lane, was purchased for R5,25 million by Form Bloodstock.

The topselling filly was a Varsfontein Stud-bred daughter of the Gr1 Premiers Champion Stakes winner Sentbydestiny (Master Of My Fate), which makes her a three-parts sister to the multiple Gr 1-winning Equus Champion Double Grand Slam. Adam Marcus Racing was the buyer for R4,75 million.

Vercingetorix had the top lot on Day 2 also, a Wilgerbosdrift Stud-bred filly out of Oasis Dream mare Welwitschia, who went for R4.6 million, purchased by Form Bloodstock.

Jet Dark, who had a Varsfontein Stud-bred filly bought by Al Khayl Breeders for R4 million, and Rafeef, who had a Boland Stud-bred colt bought by the Hong Kong Jockey Club for R3.4 million, were the only other sires who had lots go for over R3 million.

Varsfontein Stud were the top vendors, selling 30 yearlings at an aggregate of R32 150 000 for an average of R1 071 667.

Form Bloodstock were the biggest buyers, spending R29 650 000 on their 19 purchases at an average of R1 560 526, while Jonathan Snaith had another big Sale, buying 20 yearlings for R16 900 000 at an average of R845 000.

The overseas buyers were headed by the Hong Kong Jockey Club, who have become staunch supporters of South African racing, and their four yearlings cost them R7 300 000.

Jonathan Snaith said, ““Buyers were understandably selective, but once they identified the right individuals, they were prepared to compete strongly. That level of intent speaks volumes about the confidence in the yearlings on offer.”

He added, “It’s particularly pleasing to see correct, well-prepared horses consistently recognised and valued by the market, with breeders being handsomely rewarded. From a bloodstock perspective, the message is clear: quality continues to sell, and it sells well. There is genuine depth in the buying bench, along with a willingness to invest in the right horses. That’s a very positive signal for the strength and sustainability of the racing industry, and both 4Racing and Race Coast will be delighted with these results.”

The highlight of the Hollywoodbets Kenilworth meeting on Saturday was the victory of Vercingetorix colt Ferryman.

Eric Sands famously trained Rainbow Bridge (Ideal World) and his half-brother Golden Ducat (Philanthropist) to multiple Gr 1 wins and he has recently turned around the fortunes of another one of their siblings, Foudre (Fire Away), who is unbeaten in three starts since joining his yard as a non-winner in five starts.  Sands was grateful to Andre Nel and praised him for putting the horse and his owner first by recommending to owner Sabine Plattner that the latest sibling of those horses to race, Ferryman, be sent to Sands’ yard. The Wilgerbosdrift colt out of the wonder mare Halfway To Heaven (Jet Master) duly made a winning debut for Sands in his third career start, winning an Open Maiden over 1400m cosily under Calvin Habib. Hawwaam is another sibling of the family, so it is not surprising Ferryman cost R2,8 million. Hopefully he can follow in his best siblings’ footsteps.

Yesterday Craig Zackey passed the 200 mark for the season with a treble at Turffontein Standside taking him to 201 and in Hong Kong Zak Purton reached his century for the season.