Lammerskraal Stud landed the Broodmare of the Year accolade at the Equus Awards on Tuesday night with the Jallad mare Strawberry Lane, dam of this year’s Grade 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes winner Redberry Lane.

Strawberry Lane is out of the Australian-bred Centaine mare Taineberry. She won one race over 1600m and was placed twice in just six starts. She is a full-sister to Jalberry, whose four wins included a Grade 3 and a Listed event and whose multiple Graded places included a third in the Grade 1 SA Fillies Sprint. Jalberry has also produced three stakes winners at stud including Grade 2 winner Purple Diamond.

Redberry Lane is Strawberry Lane’s second Grade 1 winner and third stakes performer. She also produced the Grade 1 Cape Guineas winner Solo Traveller, who also won the Grade 2 KRA Guineas and the Grade 3 Cape Classic as well as the Listed Duchess Of York Cup in Mauritius.

The four-year-old Sean Tarry-trained Redberry Lane is by the late great Lammerskraal stallion Western Winter. She also won the Listed Syringa Handicap over 1600m in May this year and her five successive second place finishes which preceded that included finishing just half-a-length back in the Grade 3 Acacia Handicap. She was merit rated only 100 when lining up in the Garden Province, 19 points below the favourite Snowdance, so her short-head victory over the latter under a fine ride by newly crowned national champion jockey Lyle Hewitson was against all the odds.

Strawberry Lane’s other Graded performer was Strawberry Ice, who finished second in the Grade 2 KRA Fillies Guineas and at stud produced the Grade 2 Gold Bracelet winner Flying Ice.

It was the second time this decade Lammerskraal had won the Equus Broodmare award and the fourth time this century. The others to do it were Turf Blazer (Dancing Champ), dam of the Grade 2 winners Citius and Weston Blaze, Fashing (Dancing Champ), dam of the great Yard Arm, and Akinfeet (Fort Wood), dam of the like of three-time Grade 1-winner Capetown Noir.

Strawberry Lane also won the Cape Breeders broodmare of the year award.

She is currently in foal to Visionaire and will be sent to him again this season.

“It is a very good mating,” said Lammerskraal Stud manager Sally Bruss.

Meanwhile, Akinfeet’s daughter, In The Dance by Gimmethegreenlight, made a sensational debut over 1160m at Turffontein on Saturday. The Tarry-trained three-year-old was taken out at the start so lost a couple of lengths and was then green in the running. However, she then showed an exceptional turn of foot and won easing up by 3,5 lengths against a fairly decent field.

Bruss said, ”It was particularly exciting because she is from the first racing crop of Lammerskraal’s new owner Peter Graaff.”

Bruss selects the horses to be kept for racing and has an uncanny knack of choosing good performers.

Lammerskraal have seven lots on the National Two-Year-Old Sales, which start today (Thursday).

They have a colt and filly by their own stallion Go Deputy, a Wylie Hall filly who is out of Enchantress, a Duke Of Marmalade colt, a Gimmethegreenlight filly, a Soft Falling Rain filly and a Marchfield colt.

By David Thiselton

Oh Susanna was a shoo-in for this year’s Equus Horse Of The Year award and her trainer Justin Snaith spoke about his first recollections of this superbly bred daughter of Street Cry.

Gaynor Rupert of Drakenstein Stud bought her USA-bred dam Sharp Susan (Touch Gold (USA)) in Australia and Oh Susanna was foaled down in Australia before being flown to South Africa.

Snaith recalled, “Gaynor sent her to our yard as one of a batch of five young horses and nobody told me anything about her being a foal of Sharp Susan. Two months into training I phoned Kevin Sommerville (the racing manager of Drakenstein) and asked him ‘where did this one come from, because there is something here.’ I also sent a whatsapp to Gaynor telling her I had a feeling about this horse and she replied saying, yes, she had been hoping she would be something special. I then asked Kevin to send me the full pedigree and upon viewing it I could see what the possibilities were. One thing I know about Street Cry fillies is that when they are good they are world class and I had a feeling she would be one of those.”

Sharp Susan won both a Group 2 and a Group 3 over nine furlongs on turf as a three-year-old in the USA and Oh Susanna is her third foal.

Snaith’s hopes soared again after Oh Susanna’s debut at Kenilworth over 1200m. He recalled, “Corne Orffer gave her a beautiful educational ride and she was only just beaten.”

In her next start she was backed into 8/10 and cruised in by 5,5 lengths under Bernard Fayd’Herbe.

Snaith believed she would win her next start in the Listed Kenilworth Fillies Nursery over 1200m and recalled, “There was a big meeting in Durban that day so there weren’t any jockeys available and she was given one of the top three worst rides I’ve had to put up with in my career. She was caught in no man’s land and it was just all bad.”

She still managed to finish a 0,85 length third to the top class speedster Magical Wonderland.

She finished fifth in her reappearance over 1200m in the October of her three-year-old year. However, she then had bad draws in both the Grade 2 Western Cape Fillies Championship and Grade 1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas respectively, which were both won by her stable companion Snowdance. Snaith was unimpressed by the ride she was given in the former event too, where she finished fifth running on in eyecatching fashion. In the Cape Guineas she was dropped out from a wide draw and ate up the ground in the straight from an impossible position to finish a 3,25 length second.

Snaith said, “The good thing about those bad draws and some bad rides was she was learning all the time, the potential was always there.”

From then on in she showed her true class. She first won the Grade 1 Cartier Paddock Stakes over 1800m in cosy fashion. She then became the first three-year-old filly in more than 100 years to win the Grade 1 Sun Met and did it easing up. It was five months before she ran again but that did not stop her winning KZN’s leading fillies classic, the Grade 1 Woolavington 2000. Consequently, she not only won the Equus Horse Of The Year award on Tuesday night but also the Champion three-year-old filly and Champion Middle distance horse awards.

She only had that one run in KZN and is the first of the yard’s Durban string to be back in training at her home training track, Phillippi.

Snaith said, “She didn’t like the light tracks in Durban. She enjoys the heavier tracks and has been more relaxed back here in Cape Town. There were about 1000 horses at Summerveld and there are only 300 here at Phillippi, it’s a lot quieter and calmer environment.”

He said Oh Susanna had grown two inches in height since leaving Durban. Thoroughbreds can continue to grow until the age of five but this is an unusually pronounced growth spurt at this age. Snaith admitted, “I could not believe it, but she has definitely grown two inches.”

Snaith will soon be sitting down with Gaynor Rupert and Kevin Somerville to discuss the filly’s plans for the season.

Meanwhile, Oh Susanna’s half-brother by Exceed And Excel, Signore Fox, won his first start as a three-year-old in Australia by 3,3 lengths two weeks ago.

Sharp Susan is currently in the U.K and is in foal to the world’s leading stallion Galileo.

Snaith’s disappointment of the season was Snowdance’s succession of three runner up finishes in KZN. On top of her Cape Fillies Guineas she had also won the Grade 1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes over 1600m on Met day, so her KZN campaign cost her any chance of being a serious competitor to Legal Eagle for the Equus Champion Miler award.

One of Snaith’s chief aims this season is to gain revenge on those horses who beat Snowdance in Durban and the L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate is thus high on his agenda. Whether Oh Susanna also lines up for that race remains to be seen.

Snaith concluded, “A lot of negative things are being said about racing at present but I think we are heading for exciting times. Gold Circle have taken the lead in marketing racing and I hope the others follow suit.”

Snaith also collected the national champion trainer award on Tuesday night. Oh Susanna is the third Horse Of The Year he has had in his career, the others being Legislate (2013/2014) and Futura (2014/2015).

By David Thiselton

Candy Galore was backed like there were no seconds in the card opener on the Greyville poly yesterday and she duly obliged for Gareth van Zyl under Warren Kennedy. Apprentice Eric Ngwane, aboard Luneburg, had pinched a healthy lead at the top of the straight but Candy Galore was relentless and reeled her in with something to spare.

Internet Kid had let the side down on a few occasions which was probably the reason why he was relatively easy to back yesterday. He forced replacement rider Mark Khan to extract the best out of both. Gordonstoun set a solid gallop but came under pressure a furlong out as Spume and Internet Kid joined battle. It was a no quarter asked battle but Khan managed to get Internet Kid’s head down when it counted.

Ngwane, who comes out of his time at the end of the year, scored a double at Scottsville on Sunday, and was on the mark again aboard the Glen Kotzen-trained Majestica. Kinglassie looked to have held off all the opposition until Ngwane produced Majestica with a telling late run to win going away.

Apprentice Ashton Arries rode a confident race aboard outsider Roy’s Pony (12-1) for Alyson Wright and had the mare handy throughout. Probably to the horror of her rivals, Roy’s Pony still had a full tank in the run for the wire and scored rather comfortably for her fourth victory. The ever game Just Rap was second best with favourite Just My Style filling the shallow end of the purse.

Socrates was denied his third straight win on the poly when run out of it by Leslie Shadowliner in the fifth in what was a rough finish. After this exhibition there is no doubting the intestinal fortitude of Donovan Dillon and apprentice Serino Moodley as they came out of a scrum unscathed. Dillon, hunting for space on Socrates, committed to a rapidly closing gap but just too late to catch Moodley and Leslie Shadowliner. Meat in the sandwich was Al Ciberano who was unceremoniously shunted out of the back door.

Supporters of High Green will have had their hearts in their mouths as Lance Pagel changed down into first gear some 50m before the line allowing Samsonite to close to within a rapidly reducing neck. In truth Lowan Denysschen’s gelding had the race sewn up a long way out but punters can do without having to reach for blood pressure pills. However, it may not have fazed Denysschen who watched stony-faced last week as High Green did a grand tour of the Ashburton rings after dropping his work rider. The trials and tribulations of racehorse trainers!

Into The Groove and favourite Roman Courtesan fought out a desperate finish to the seventh. Roman Courtesan looked to have the upper hand after taking the lead early in the straight but Stuart Randolph finished strongly on Ivan and Daryl Moore’s mare. Roman Courtesan rallied under the challenge but the line came just too soon and Shane Humby had to settle for another frustrating runner-up berth.

Gareth van Zyl and Warren Kennedy opened the day and closed the day as Path Of Victory rounded off a successful afternoon for the duo. Path Of Victory, owned by KZN leading owner Mario Ferreira, finished strongly to hold rank outsider Thomas Jefferson at bay.

By Andrew Harrison

The Vaal Classic track stages a low key eight race meeting tomorrow and the exotics look to be the way to approach it.

The Pick 6 will not be easy and a banker will have to be found.

In the first leg over 2000m Mantracker has improved and from a good draw this resolute sort could gallop them into the ground over the course and distance of his best career preformance. On formlines Shadow Man has a shout. He is widely drawn but being by Silvano should be improving. The filly Rubix is starting to come into her own and is another one to include.

The second leg over 2000m is a tough race but Highlander has bounced back to form lately and is competitively merit rated over a suitable trip. Kurt’s Approval and Samar have to be included and for wider Ryder, Scotland, Storm Outgoing, King’s Cup and Sucha Charmer warrant consideration.

In the third leg over 1000m All About The Bass is officially the best weighted horse and although he has only run in Kimberley he is an impressive specimen and looks the one to beat. He is taken to be a banker as a banker has to be found somewhere. Miss Khalifa has a big reputation and will likely appreciate the step down to 1000m and also has her third run after a layoff, so is the one the risk averse can consider. The concern is she has disappointed in her last two over 1400m and 1200m when fancied in features at Greyville.

Topmast and Rule The Night have also shown ability.

In the sixth race over 1000m Illegal’s best recent performance was over this course and distance against the girls and back against the girls she has a chance, albeit off a four point higher merit rating. Celestina won well last time and looks to be coming into her own. Distant Call will appreciate the step down in trip. However, it is a tough race and the whole field should be considered.

In the fifth leg over 1000m Dancing Queen returned from a five month layoff to obliterate a maiden field by five lengths. The form is not exceptional but she should come on from the run and is officially the best weighted male horse. The form of Elbi’s maiden win over 1200m was franked on Saturday when The Sash, whom she beat by 6,95 lengths, won over 1600m. Elbi was still green in that race showed good pace so might appreciate the step down to 1000m. The filly Star Flyer is officially the best weighted horse and has a lot of pace so will be a contender. All Of Me was in contention until the last 200m of the Grade 3 Debutante Stakes over 1200m at Greyville despite having had to overcome a wide draw and she will enjoy this trip and is a threat. Cloud Break is held narrowly be Elbi on a line through a horse called Parental Control.

In the last leg over 1600m Elegancia, who had some decent form in Cape Town, has her third run on the Highveld and having been given only three points for her win over this trip she can follow up. Ponchielli has done well in two starts since being stepped up to 1400m with S’Manga Khumalo aboard. She can be strong in the running so needs a good draw and a good pace for this further step up in trip, which on pedigree she should stay being by Tiger Ridge out of a Not For Sale mare. She is drawn in two and could well get a good pace from the widely drawn Silvez. She is four points higher for her win last time, but she won comfortably and has a chance of following up. Silvez won her maiden well when stepped up to this trip but was promptly sold out of the Tarry yard. However, she has a reasonable merit rating and a 2,5kg claimer up, albeit from a tough draw. All I Got was unlucky last time against Ponchielli and can improve.

Angelic disappointed last time but if bouncing back off a lowered merit rating and from a good draw she has a shout. Catch A Thief does not make much appeal at first sight being a nine-year-old mare by Malhub and not only is she 2,5kg under sufferance but she also carries 1,5kg overweight. However, this mare never cracks a draw and she has done so at last, drawing in pole, so is upset material as her penultimate start proves she has ability. Movie Award flew for a close second to Elegancia in her penultimate start and back to this trip she can do well again having failed over 1800m on Saturday. Tortola has a win and a second from two starts over this course and distance and has to be included.  Pin Up Fold is hard to ignore from a good draw with a 4kg claimer up.

David Thiselton

EquineHub, a new trading platform for racehorses developed in Singapore, is set to revolutionise the equine industry as owning a racehorse will become more accessible than it has ever been before with relatively small amounts of money.

EquineHub executive director David Raphael has been touring South Africa presenting the platform to trainers and owners in unison with his South African colleague, James Goodman ahead of the online trading site’s launch date in the fourth.quarter of 2018.

EquineHub leverages on blockchain technology in which a race horses records can be stored immutably. EquineHub’s blockchain Depository safeguards the racehorses’ history and lineage, tracking its journey from conception at the stud farms till the end of life in a transparent, traceable, immutable and secured manner.

Horses traded on the website will have up to 100,000 shares issued at the entry stage. Any member of the public will be able to register and begin buying and selling these shares online. The difference between this system and the stock exchange is that it will be up to the owners to decide what price they put on their shares when they wish to make an offer to sell.

The fractional training fees attached to each share are calculated and collected in advance. Owners of the shares must keep this portion of their purchase up to date and failure to do so will give EquineHub the right to trade the shares.

EquineHub automates the distribution of stake monies and trainer fees. On South African race cards EquineHub will usually appear as the owner of the horses who have been sold to shareholders on their automated online platform.

If there is an extraordinary expense, such as a horse being exported to race in Dubai, shareholders will be asked to pay their portion of the expense. However, as Raphael points out, the demand for such a horse would have increased astronomically and a shareholder not willing to pay the travel expense will almost certainly be able to sell at a profit.

South Africans will be able to buy horses from any country. Raphael said one of the dreams of EquineHub was to own horses who run in each of the world’s biggest races, like the Melbourne Cup and the Kentucky Derby.

Raphael and the other two founding members of EquineHub have been holding workshops for the last twelve months to address problems thrown at them by industry men in order to ensure the automated system runs smoothly.

He said the racing industry was not complicated, but rather just different to other industries, so there had not been a single issue which they had not been able to solve and incorporate into the automated system.

Raphael has no doubt the concept will be a success and cited the accessibility of ordinary members of the public to owning racehorses and the security of the transactions through the site’s blockchain databasing as the key points.

He said, “Our experience is that owners and trainers are striving to improve the perception of our industry. Integrity is vital, and we believe that the blockchain system will ensure integrity in areas that have been questionable in the past.”

Goodman added, “There will be rules and guidelines for buyers and sellers to adhere to and trainers will furnish periodical information on horses offered for sale.”

Raphael said an option to include breeding stock on the trading platform was also being explored.
The EquineHub website lists eight propositions to their platform.

The first is the “Exchange”, as described above, and the others are “Marketplace, Blockchain Depository, Social Proof Scoring, Auction, Gamification, Expert Network and Adopt-A-Horse.

The definition provided for the Marketplace is, “A global B2B (business to business) marketplace for service providers such as logistic providers, vets, agents and trainers to connect and conduct commerce.”

Raphael said, as an example of the Blockchain Depositary, EquineHub would have the ability to update the medical history of a horse. The integrity and security of the data would also be as close to perfect as possible due to blockchain databasing.

Social Proof Scoring will allow users to rate and rank Equine service providers. The Auction facility allows owners or horse syndicates to list their horse on a secondary market. Gamification is a plan to run fantasy leagues etc for horseracing. The Expert Network allows Equine experts to share their views as a restricted paid service. Adopt-a-Horse is a platform for adopting a horse after its horseracing career is over.

This certainly looks to be a most exciting development for racing fans. For those who have dreamed of being in a position to trade and own racehorses, as they have had the relevant knowledge but have just never had enough funds, this is a particularly inspiring innovation.

EquineHub will also provide the ideal opportunity for racing folk to introduce outsiders to the joys of racehorse ownership.

By David Thiselton