Owner: Summerhill Stud URL:http://blog.summerhill.co.za Join Date: Sat, 03 May 2008 01:28:29 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: Summerhill Stud is South Africa's Champion Racehorse Breeder. Updated daily with breeding and racing news, views and information. Site statistics:Click here
IMBONGI... this horse was born to run. 2008-06-12 07:17:31 Imbongi's trainer Mike de Kock (Heather Morkel)GOLD CHALLENGE - He may have been spurned for Saturday’s 'Clash of the Giants' by sectors of the Nation’s racing press, but there’s one thing you can’t take away from Imbongi. And that’s the unconditional respect and loyalty of those at his birthplace. Ask anyone at Summerhill Stud for their recollections of him on the
THE GOLD CHALLENGE : Big Press salvos start firing. 2008-06-12 01:31:19 Matthew Lips (Summerhill Stud) The first of the big press salvos on the Champion Season’s most competitive horserace, The Gold Challenge, has just been fired. As respected a racing writer as you’re likely to know, the Sporting Post’s Matthew Lips has gone for Pocket Power, Our Giant and Floatyourboat, in that order. So it seems our boy from the other side of the tracks is going Read more:Press
, firing
Greetings from His Majesty King Letsie III 2008-06-13 09:02:52 His Majesty
King Letsie III (Heather Morkel)Who would have thought that a Head of State could find the time to express his wishes for the outcome of a horse race? But then, whoever said that the Gold Challenge was just another horse race? Such is the extent of the interest and the hype for Saturday’s 'Big One', that His Majesty King Letsie III of Lesotho took time out of a hectic schedul Read more:Greetings
VODACOM DURBAN JULY : July Fever starts to bite 2008-06-13 04:35:05 Vodacom Durban July (John Lewis) It's that time again when all the conjecture, anxiety, and haranguing starts over who's going to make the cut for Africa's greatest horse race, the Vodacom Durban July. Linda Norval reports that the merit log has been published, although it's not a conclusive list at this stage, reason being the principal trials of the Gold Challenge GR1, the Cup Trial GR3 and Gaut Read more:Fever
BOLD ELLINORE by a nose... but no cigar. 2008-06-16 03:24:02 Bold Ellinore (Gold Circle) The drive to the line in Saturday's Grade 2 Tibouchina Stakes over 1450m at Clairwood saw Bold Ellinore (KAHAL) fighting it out with Ethereal Lady. Mike de Kock Racing reports as follows : Bold Ellinore stuck her nose in front at the wire, but the Stewards were lightning fast to lodge and uphold an objection against Bold Ellinore, who shifted off a straight course and b Read more:cigar
DESERT LINKS delight for Basil Marcus 2008-06-15 18:07:05 Basil Marcus
(Summerhill Stud)Desert Links by KAHAL, a graduate of the Summerhill Ready to Run programme, delight
ed his connections by winning Saturday’s R200 000 Cup Trial (Gr3) over 1800m at Clairwood. Tab Online reports that this success should bring him very close to making the final field for the Vodacom Durban July.Desert Links likes to race “cold’’, in the Read more:Basil
US Stakes Winner for GALILEO 2008-06-17 05:01:13 Neil Drysdale (Andy Lyons/Alsport) Europe’s leading sire Galileo posted a US stakes-winner on the weekend when Cedar Mountain (5g Galileo x Ventura, by Spectrum) took out the Listed Round Table Handicap at Hollywood Park. Trained by Neil Drysdale for the Augustin Stable, Cedar Mountain came from last in the early stages to sweep home and claim the 1 and ¾ mile turf event by two and t Read more:Stakes
Showbiz : From Solicitor to Judge 2008-06-16 18:10:41 Mick Goss (Summerhill Stud)Most of our readers know that the boss spent 17 years practising variously as an attorney (solicitor), advocate (barrister) before finally turning his hand full-time to Summerhill Stud. Like most lawyers with an aspirational perspective about their careers, he might one day have fancied his chances as a Judge
of the Supreme Court, though his childhood obsession with race Read more:Showbiz
, Solicitor
DAVE GOSS reveals offers have been made for EL PADRINO 2008-06-18 04:00:09 Dave Goss and El Padrino (Summerhill Stud/Gold Circle) The Dave Goss yard has been in cracking form and have won all of the last five races they have contested including the R150 000 1600m Chapter Challenge Final at Clairwood on Saturday with El Padrino (Muhtafal). Top turf writer David Thiselton reports that the Summerveld trainer has the highest strike rate in KwaZulu-Natal from the beginning o
Our horses keep the flag flying high... and another Ready to Run Graduate shines 2008-06-17 18:09:51
Confirming his status as one of the Eastern Cape’s most promising four year olds, Paris Perfect (by Muhtafal) out of Candle Princess, bred by our long-time friends Peter and Gail Fabricius, ran away with the laurels in the Merit Rated 75 Handicap over 2000m at Arlington on Friday. Recording his 10th career win, Paris Perfect again disproved the view that progeny of Muhtafal are not suited Read more:Graduate
Summerhill Tough 2008-06-24 13:15:14 Late afternoon, grazing the Drakensberg foothills(Michael Nefdt) We’re constantly asked how we managed to bring the Breeders Championship across the Drakensberg for the first time, when it had been the preserve of our colleagues primarily in the Western and Eastern Cape for more than 100 years. Indeed, it had been monopolized by just five families in all that time, and so now, as we approach Read more:Tough
ANGUS GOLD...a right Royal reveller 2008-06-24 00:22:22
At last we can tell the world we’re proud to know him. It’s the worst kept secret in the world that Sheikh Hamdan’s racing manager Angus Gold is one of Summerhill’s great pals, and one of the principal drivers of our relationship with the Sheikh’s Shadwell operation. Angus Gold is also revered as one of the world’s great revellers and being his friend and ha Read more:Royal
GALILEO Day at Royal Ascot 2008-06-23 10:03:17 Cuis Ghaire(Getty) Friday at RoyalAscot
was Galileo Day when - by the close of play - the remarkable Coolmore stallion had both his ninth individual Group 1 winner and the new favourite for next year's 1,000 Guineas. Coolmore reports that the two fillies who achieved that feat were, like many of Galileo's other top performers, trained at Coolcullen in County Carlow by Jim Bolger. Lush Lashes (3f
Six of the best for JOHNNY MURTAGH 2008-06-23 03:08:42 Johnny Murtagh (AFP/Getty)As if four Group One winners and a Group Two to boot were not enough of a reward, Johnny Murtagh also picked up the London Clubs International Charity Trophy for the leading Royal Ascot jockey for his six of the best. The Irishman claimed the prize in 2001 and 2002 and his formidable new association with trainer Aidan O'Brien saw him return to the top spot this week. Sp
Ready to Run 2008-06-22 23:10:03 Click on image above to view full screen
PSSST.... the Aussies are coming. 2008-06-20 03:30:44
The great thing about horseracing is its ever-moving kaleidoscope of activities, and the fact that new history is being made every day. The arrival of new horses at Summerhill always generates its own excitement, but the temperature rises to new levels when something special happens. Today is one of those days, as we had sons and daughters of some of the worlds pre-eminent stallions alight from Read more:Aussies
Golden Hat-trick for YEATS 2008-06-19 19:34:30 Yeats and Johnny Murtagh(Julien Herbert /Getty) We predicted it would be extraordinary and it certainly was! Our own SOLSKJAER's brother, YEATS, equalled SAGARO’s hat-trick of victories in the Gr1 Ascot Gold Cup in emphatic style yesterday. The seven year old beat the highly rated grey, GEORDIELAND, by five lengths. YEATS’ breeder, David Nagle was quoted as saying “It’s u Read more:Golden
DUKE OF MARMALADE and the DANEHILL factor 2008-06-19 15:25:33 Duke of Marmalade with Johnny Murtagh aboard (Julien Herbert/Getty)The top billing on day two of the world’s greatest racing showcase, Royal Ascot, was another triumph for the world’s most extraordinary sire of modern times, DANEHILL. The Group 1 Prince of Wales Stakes (2000m) turned into something of a “benefit” match for his talented son, DUKE OF MARMALADE, who was regist Read more:factor
MR PROSPECTOR to the fore at Royal Ascot 2008-06-19 13:30:06 Mr. Prospector (Stallions Premium) What was very striking about the results of the mile races is that all six placings were filled by horses from the Mr. Prospector sire line: the Australian version of Fusaichi Pegasus , Zamindar, and Mr. Greeley in the Queen Anne; and Kingmambo, Elusive Quality, and Observatory in the St. James's Palace. Three of the six are by sons of Gone West: Zamindar, Mr. G Read more:Royal
, Ascot
Prospector Day at ROYAL ASCOT 2008-06-19 10:13:47 Johnny Murtagh celebrates aboard Henrythenavigator (empics) The best week of racing in the world kicked off with three Group 1 races in a row, the first three on Royal Ascot's opening-day Tuesday card. Two of those races are at a mile, the Gr1 Queen Anne Stakes for ‘olders' (four-year-olds and up), and the Gr1 St. James's Palace Stakes, for three year-old colts. The latter, the third race on
VODACOM DURBAN JULY FINAL FIELD 2008-06-19 06:56:18 The final field for the 2008 renewal of Africa's greatest horse race, the Vodacom Durban July, has just been released.1 Pocket Power Mike Bass Draw 3 2 Buy and Sell
A day of ups and downs 2008-06-19 06:06:20 It's probably fair to say that most people at Summerhill felt that Imbongi was a “winner” for his big effort in the Gold Challenge, but that wasn’t all for the day. As an illustration of the ups and downs
of our sport, we had to face the disqualification of Bold Ellinore in the Tibouchina Stakes (Gr.2) just as we arrived at the course. Jockey Anthony Delpech was adamant they cou
DANCER'S DAUGHTER and the Gold Challenge 2008-06-19 04:05:26 Dancer's Daughter from Imbongi (Gold Circle) So Imbongi didn’t win the big one after all, but in his defence, he did everything but win. This was always going to be a mountainous task, considering he was only getting 1 ½ kgs from his elders, and he was giving away a 1kg in weight to the older imported daughter of Act One, Dancer’s Daughter. Yet his big worries in the race, Pocke Read more:Challenge
ROYAL ASCOT IV : The Gold Cup 2008-06-19 03:34:02 Yeats (BBC)The main attention surrounds the hat-trick bid of SOLSKJAER’s brother YEATS (Ire) in the traditional showpiece, the G1 Gold Cup which was inaugurated in 1807. No horse since the Francois Boutin-trained Sagaro (GB) has achieved the feat and Susan Magnier and Diane Nagle’s seven-year-old will be bridging a 31-year gap, since that great stayer wrapped up the third of his succe
HEAR THE DRUMS... do you hear the drums? 2008-06-18 18:00:48
Hear The Drums(Wally Strydom)
As we’ve said before, the results of our Ready To Run graduates are the best advertisement for the quality and value inherent in the Ready To Run programme, and they’ve been lighting up racetracks around the country with their performances. On Tuesday at Fairview, Hear The Drums recorded his 18th career victory in the Pinnacle Plate over 1200m in a mos
Summerhill Stallion Day : A bit of History 2008-07-08 09:13:24
The Guard of Honour
The Summerhill Stallion Day was a rousing success, with visitors from across the whole racing world. Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Korea, the United States, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, France, Germany, Kenya, Zimbabwe, and the length and breadth of South Africa. In the end, we fed more than 700 people, and we’re almost frightened to look at the booze Read more:History
For the Summerhill Team it never rains... it pours. 2008-07-08 03:38:04 Lets Rock 'n Roll (Gold Circle) The frenetic activity around the Vodacom Durban July and Summerhill Stallion Day might well have abated in their aftermath, but it’s hardly a “slow down” time at Summerhill. This morning kicked off with an early breakfast at Hartford House where there was an influx of international visitors from Germany, New Zealand, Ireland, Australia and Italy Read more:rains
Part 7. The Vodacom Durban July : Africa's Greatest Race Day 2008-07-07 10:38:50 Outcome (Gold Circle) This was no ordinary July, and the betting showed it. Pocket Power was the obvious stand-out on class, but on handicap, what’s supposed to happen is that the riders should finish as close together as possible, and the handicappers couldn’t have gotten it more right with a deadheat outcome between Pocket Power and Dancer’s Daughter, and the first five finishi Read more:Africa
, Greatest
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