The colt, named Nebula, was sold by Mary Slack’s Wilgerbosdrift and Millard intends putting him into training in South Africa before taking him to Hong Kong. He did the same with this season’s Grand Parade Cape Guineas winner Elusive Gold.

The price was R250 000 below the NYS record set by Divine Jet in 2010 and the R347 776 average, although nearly 18% up on last year, was well short of the 2008 record of R391 148.

An upbeat TBA chief executive Tom Callaghan said yesterday: “The increase in average was phenomenal and the 20% median rise was very positive. Overall this was a result we hadn’t had since 2008 so we are pretty chuffed.

“Some of the top buyers’ bench was a little soft because a couple of people didn’t pitch, and it was tough at the bottom with some first season and unfashionable sires just not wanted but the middle market was really strong and seems to be increasing.”[/expand]

The Justin Snaith-trained two-year-old colt Harry Lime was an easy winner of the Gr 2 Umkhomazi Stakes over 1 200m under Richard Fourie and is yet another progeny of Var that will make his presence felt. “This horse can really run,” said Snaith.

He added that the bay colt was still very immature, implying that no risks would be taken. He continued, “We bought him specifically for the Gr 1 at Scottsville (Tsogo Sun Medallion), so will see how well he pulls up and take it from there.”

The Fred Crabbia-owned colt started 2-1 favourite and pulled clear from a handy position to win by 3,75 lengths. The Mike de Kock-trained 14-1 shot Mastermind battled bravely, but made little impression on the winner. The Paul Lafferty-trained 8-1 chance Harry’s Son will likely prefer further, so did well to finish third. The Duncan Howells-trained Easy Lover started 13-2 joint second favourite and finished fourth, with Kapitan next best.
Harry Lime is unbeaten in two starts.

The Glen Kotzen-trained filly Rosier appeared to enjoy the Scottsville 1 200m trip of the Gr 2 Debutante as much as her father Kildonan did and ground out a determined victory under Stuart Randolph. She remained unbeaten, having won on debut at Kenilworth at odds of 50-1 and following up in the Listed East Cape Filllies Nursery over 1 200m at Fairview.

Yesterday she started at 16-1 and was in the firing line throughout before fighting on well to hold the Mike Azzie-trained Gauteng raider Lady Ky at bay by 0,75 lengths. The De Kock-trained Ad Idem finished third ahead of the 2-1 favourite, the Snaith-trained Arria. The Mike Bass-trained Seven Grand moved up threateningly from behind, but didn’t go through with it as well as she had in her previous starts and finished fifth.

Rosier has early pace and a strong finish, the combinations necessary for the Gr 1 Allan Robertson over this course and distance at the end of May.

Alistair Gordon gave some cheer to KZN trainers as his gelding Joshua’s Crown won the Listed Sledgehammer over 1 800m.
The five-year-old by Joshua Dancer snuck into the handicap with the minimum weight of 52kg and ran on resolutely from a handy position under Julius Mariba to get up by a short-head from the Joey Ramsden-trained Coltrane with the Garth Puller-trained King Jace a further neck back in third. Favourite One Cool Dude never got a clear run in the straight and can be counted an unlucky loser beaten a half-length.

This was Joshua’s Crown’s third victory at the Pietermaritzburg track.
The Listed Scarlet Lady over 1 800m saw an impressive five-length victory for the Brett Crawford-trained five-year-old Dynasty mare Dancing Dynasty, who was ridden by Bernard Fayd’Herbe. Her more favoured stablemate Luna Da Victoria had no answer to her sweeping finish, but was a clear second ahead of Supercede, Hijacked and Royal Denise.[/expand]

The Black Minnaloushe colt was described as “docile” by his breeder Phillip Kahan of the Alechemy Stud and as “uncomplicated” by trainer Geoff Woodruff. He would not be the first great racehorse to have a relaxed demeanour. This temperament trait allows a horse to reserve its energy for the race itself and Louis The King certainly needed every ounce of the latter on Saturday as the Alec Laird-trained As You Like threatened to spoil the party.

However, Louis The King proved he has another important asset, courage, as he repelled the latter’s determined challenge. Jockey Robbie Fradd looked relieved after he had finally passed the line as he had made his move quite early in the straight.

However, his journey from Australia, where he has just started a new career, proved worthwhile as he became the second jockey to have completed a triple crown alongside Weichong Marwing, who partnered the great Horse Chestnut to all three of his Johannesburg classic wins in 1999.

Black Minnaloushe was quickly written off by the buyer’s market, but there is likely to be a reassessment now. On Saturday the Weiho Marwing-trained filly Ash Cloud became the third of his current crop to win a GR 1 when she landed the Gr 1 SA Oaks under Weichong Marwing. The other Black Minnaloushe Gr 1 winner from this crop is Premier’s Champion Stakes winner Kochka, who is currently sidelined with an injury.

As You Like’s sire Tiger Ridge might have to be reassessed in terms of stamina capacity. His son Kavanagh was probably responsible for the notion that he is all about speed, but his daughter Cherry On The Top completed the Triple Tiara last year, while

As You Like made a bold bid over the arduous Turffontein 2 450m on Saturday to complete a trio of top three Triple Crown finishes. Earlier, Cherry On The Top bounced back to her best by winning the Gr 2 Gerald Rosenberg Stakes over 2 000m in ominous style. Weichong Marwing rode her for his old guv’nor Ormond Ferraris.

Meanwhile, the late great Jet Master should reclaim the National Sire’s crown that he lost to Silvano last season, mainly due to the Woodruff-trained Yorker, who won his third Gr 1 of the season on Saturday. The big gelding gets better and better and was mightily impressive when dispatching the field in the Gr 1 President’s Champion Challenge with contempt under Anton Marcus, beating them by over three lengths, despite carrying topweight. He and Louis The King are likely the best male racehorses in the land at present.

Another top sire, Captain Al, looks to have produced yet another high class filly in the form of the Sean Tarry-trained Carry On Alice. This long striding sort showed impressive cruising speed in the Gr 1 SA Nursery under S’Manga Khumalo before surging past the odds-on favourite Banaadeer. One of the most interesting clashes in the forthcoming weeks, if it happens, will be when she meets the brilliant Mike de Kock-trained Majmu, whose power was evident as she went further and further clear in Saturday’s SA Fillies Nursery under Marcus, leaving the opposition looking a bit like greyhounds behind her.

Louis The King might have stolen the fairytale story of the season title, having not received a single bid at the sales and then being purchased for a mere R60,000 by Tiaan van der Vyver, who then named him after his son Louis, in whose name he races.

However, not far behind will be the story of Copper Parade, a six-year-old Lecture gelding, who gave Port Elizabeth trainer Yvette Bremner her first Gr 1 victory on Saturday when producing a blistering finish from the clouds in the Computaform Sprint under Piere Strydom to down Via Africa. Copper Parade is now unbeaten in two starts over the course and distance and proved once again that Port Elizabeth racing is currently in a healthy state.[/expand]

Monday 28 April
Soccer 6 Pool 1 will now close at 20h15
Soccer 10 Pool to close at 18h30

Soccer 10 Carryover Saturday 3 May Net Carryover: R200 000
Estimated Pool: R1.4 MILLION!

Soccer 13 Carryover Saturday 3 May Net Carryover: R5 114 545 (26 April)
Estimated Pool: R28 MILLION![/expand]

TABGold customers will be able to take an All To Come on any race meeting from Monday April 21 until Friday April 25 (excluding France, Italy, Macau, Sweden and Turkey) and make the last selection either a Win or Place bet on a horse of their choice in either the President’s Champions Challenge or SA Derby.

For example, a customer can take an All To Come comprising a Win bet on Race 2 and a Place bet on Race 5 at Scottsville on Wednesday, with the third and final selection being a Win or Place bet on a runner in either the President’s Champions Challenge or SA Derby.

The All To Come bet form should be filled out in the normal way except –
o The FUTURE OPTION 1 section at the bottom must be used to mark the selection in the President’s Champions Challenge and whether a Win or Place bet is being selected.
o The FUTURE OPTION 2 section at the bottom must be used to mark the selection in the SA Derby and whether a Win or Place bet is being selected.

Customers must note that the FUTURE OPTION 1 and FUTURE OPTION 2 are to be used only for All To Come bets into the race until Friday. On raceday, the All To Come betting form must be completed as for a normal race meeting and FUTURE OPTION 1 and FUTURE OPTION 2 must not be used.[/expand]