David Thiselton
There was more success for South African horseracing abroad over the weekend as Gaynor Rupert led in a homebred winner at Royal Ascot and the Narrow Creek Stud-bred Hollywood Racing-owned What A Winter gelding Isivunguvungu came back from a ten month layoff to win in the USA.
Gaynor Rupert’s UK operation Cayton Park Stud bred the St. Mark’s Basilica colt Thesecretadversary together with Coolmore and she part-owns this three-year-old together with Mrs John Magnier.
Running in Drakenstein Stud’s familiar blue colours with a white square the Ireland-based James Stack-trained colt converted 20/1 odds in a field of 14 to win the Gr 3 Jersey Stakes for three-year-olds over seven furlongs on Saturday under Seamie Hefferman.
The Secretadversary jumped well from draw two in the straight race and the solidly built horse with the unmistakeable white face travelled well just off the leading line.
At the three furlong mark he moved up to join the leaders still traveling with plenty in hand.
Hefferman got to work at the two furlong mark and gave him his first backhander a few strides later.
He kept at the horse in rhythmical style and The Secretadversary kept going resolutely to hold off his fellow Irish-bred contemporary Take Charge Star (Starspangledbanner), who jumped from draw one and helped ensure a boil over result as he jumped at 50/1 odds. This pair were a convincing 4,5 lengths clear of the third-placed 25/1 shot Morris Dancer (Palace Pier), while 80/1 shot Green Sense (Starman) was beaten 6,5 lengths into fourth. There was then a shorthead back to fifth-placed Neolithic (Sioux Nation) and the 11/10 favourite Saber Strike (Night Of Thunder) was next best.
Thesecretadversary won a Listed race as a two-year-old over seven-and-a-half furlongs at Tipperary and was placed fifth in the Gr 1 Summer Stakes over a mile on dirt at Woodbine under Frankie Dettori in his next start.
He won his three-year-old debut in the Gr 3 Ballylinch Stud Red Rock Stakes over seven furlongs and 42 yards by 2,5 lengths under Hefferman at Leopardstown.
He followed that with a 12,25 length fifth in the Gr 1 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and then finished a five length sixth in the Gr 1 Irish 2000 Guineas at The Curragh.
Considering his seven furlong form he was good value at 20/1 on Saturday and it might have been his low draw which was off putting in a week in which the high draws looked to have a distinct advantage in the races down the straight.
The fact that Thesecretadversary broke this trend and won in commanding style shows just what a fine performance it was.
Hopefully he can go on to bigger things and perhaps stand at stud at Drakenstein one day.
His sire St. Mark’s Basillica, who is by Siyouni out of a Gr 3-winning Galileo mare, is making waves.
As a racehorse he won the Gr.1 Dewhurst Stakes, the Gr.1 French 2000 Guineas, the Gr.1 French Derby. the Gr.1 Eclipse Stakes and the Gr.1 Irish Champion Stakes and he was a European Champion two-year-old and World Champion three-year-old.
Thesecretadversary is from St. Mark’s Basilica’s first crop and so is the Aidan O’Brien-trained Diamond Necklace, who is unbeaten in five starts including three Gr 1s and those Gr 1s include the French 1000 Guineas and French Oaks.
Meanwhile, a layoff of ten months seems to have done a world of good for Isivunguvungu, who had gone off the boil in a tough campaign between September 2024 and August last year, which included a trip to Dubai.
The What A Winter gelding recorded his second win in the USA on Friday when landing an Allowance Optional Claiming contest over 5.5 furlongs (about 1100m) on the turf worth $57,000 and a first prize of $33,600.
It was the Narrow Creek Stud-bred and Hollywood Racing-owned gelding’s first victory since winning the Da Hoss Stakes at Colonial Downs on his USA debut in September 2024.
Jumping from a draw of seven, Isivunguvungu settled well and took up what the Americans call a stalking position, He was produced on the outside with a sustained effort to get on terms before asserting close to home and winning in impressive style by half-a-length.
All seven of the runners carried 123 pounds and Isivunguvungu started 7/5 favourite.
It was not a strong field, but it should be remembered that the SA-bred Hollywood Racing and Rikesh Sewgoolam-owned One Stripe came into his own in the USA after getting his confidence back by winning an Allowance Optional Claiming event.
Isivunguvungu is an eight-year-old by American breeding times, but the big Graham Motion-trained speedster looks to have a lot of racing still left in him.
Speaking to SAHorseracing.COM after the victory, winning jockey Jorge Ruiz paid tribute to the team behind the talented sprinter.
“I would like to thank the Graham Motion team and everyone involved with Isivunguvungu. I am truly grateful to Hollywood Racing for the opportunities they have given me,” said Ruiz.
“I hope to continue winning many important races with them and, of course, to win Group 1 races. That is my dream, especially while carrying the colours of Hollywood Racing from South Africa.
“Congratulations to the entire team, the owners, and everyone involved in this great organization in South Africa. Thank you for your support and confidence.”
Motion has done exceptionally well with South African-breds and this was his second win with an SA-bred in the space of six days as Gimme A Nother won at Monmouth Park the previous Saturday.
