Hassen Adams was one of the attenders at Summerhill and made the poignant remark, when referring to the so-called sales company war between  the Thoroughbred Breeders Association (TBA) and the Cape Thoroughbred Sales (CTS), that the love of horseracing should rise above both the egos of individuals and unnecessary hostility within the sport.

In early September  Summerhill’s Mick Goss, who has been the driving force behind the Ready To Run sales race initiative, notified the TBA that he would be withdrawing his draft from the Bloodstock South Africa (BSA) Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run Sale 2014 (BSA is the sales division of the TBA).

On virtually the same day CTS announced that, due to a request by several vendors, they would be holding a Ready To Run Sale in Johannesburg on the same weekend as the TBA’s sale.

The TBA felt it to be an aggressive move, especially in light of CTS also announcing that they would  be putting on a Yearling Sale in Johannesburg next April, the same month as the BSA National Yearling Sales.

Nevertheless, these were the reasons that the traditional “breeze ups” were split between two centres this year and held on separate days.

However, the buyers were not complaining and by all accounts they enjoyed a fun two-day outing.

Some of them were accommodated by the TBA in the Midland’s area on Wednesday night and enjoyed the entertaining “after party” at Yellow Star Stud after the BSA gallops, featuring Dave Abbott of the well-known Johannesburg-based group Abbott and Crabb, not to mention a sumptuous buffet spread and drinks.

Some buyers and analysts then moved on to Summerhill Stud, where they were accommodated at the renowned five star boutique hotel, Hartford House.

CTS put on an “awards dinner” on Thursday night at Summerhill’s School Of Equine Management Excellence. Medals were handed out to the gallops panel analysts, Graeme Hawkins, Dean Kannemeyer, Grant Knowles, Alec Laird, Craig Peters, Michael Roberts, Sean Tarry and Felix Coetzee. 

At Koos and Lorraine De Klerk’s Yellow Star Stud the gallops were held on the 1400m grass track that is used by the stud to work their horses in training.

The attention levels immediately rose after the first lot galloped past, Welsh Emperor, a Go Deputy half-brother to the useful Lightning Lecture that floated across the turf in eyecatching style. He was from the large draft presented by Balmoral Stud CC. Others from this draft that caught the eye were Lot 13, a good-actioned full-brother by Var to the useful Twitter; Lot 25, a Bankable filly who strode out well; Lot 27, a long-striding Australian-bred colt by the world class sire Bernardini; lot 30, a Captain Al colt out of a half-sister to Gr 1-winner Crimson Palace who stretched out beautifully; Lot 31, a Tiger Ridge colt out of the SA Oaks winner Cyber Cento who was a powerful mover; Lot 63, an Australian-bred Henrythenavigator colt out of a Listed winner who created a good impression, despite running green.

Jane Trotter’s Ambleway Stud presented a few horses including a trio of eyecatching Western Winters, namely: lot 38, a colt out of a Gr 3-winning Model Man mare who stretched out well and looks to have plenty of scope; Lot 50, a filly out of a stakes-placed French mare who was an athletic sort; Lot 53, who has a classic pedigree being out of the J&B Met winner Imperious Sue and should improve with time.

Far End Pre Training had some eyecatchers among their draft, including lot 16, a Noordhoek Flyer filly who stretched out magnificently; Lot 62, a King’s Apostle filly really caught the eye as an athletic mover; Lot 105, a Black Minnaloushe filly out of the Gr 2 winner Supper Club is a scopey sort.

Lot 54, a King’s Chapel colt with a superb low action, was the stand out of Yellow Star’s draft.

At the Summerhill gallops Graeme Hawkins commented that were he a bookmaker he would price up the fillies at 5/10 to win next year’s sales race and the colts at 12/10.

The most popular fillies with the panellists were lot 69 and lot 108, the former a Kahal filly out of Kingmambo mare who had a nice low action and the latter an Australian-bred by Redoute’s Choice with a huge action and plenty of scope. Lot 10, a Captain Al filly who is a half-sister to the top class sprinter Sweet Sanette, had a big action and drew four votes. Lot 82, a scopey Australian-bred by Exceed And Excel  received three votes. Two panellists were impressed by lot 25, a strong Seventh Rock filly who stretched out superbly. Lot 102, a Visionaire filly who put her head down and stretched out well also drew two votes and so did lot 13, a Kahal filly who moved well. Lot 132, an Australian-bred High Chaparal filly who had a lot of substance, also caught the eye of two panellists.

The most popular colt was lot 110, a big strong chestnut by Encosta De Lago. Lot 101, a powerful colt by Brave Tin Soldier was also a popular choice. So were lot 72, a rangy Kahal colt who is a full-brother to the Listed winner Distinguished, lot 84, a Visionaire colt out of a Dynasty mare who strode out well, and lot 76, a Var colt who really stretched his toe out. Lot 34, a Visionaire colt with an economical action drew two votes and so did lot 12, a Muhtafal colt who also had an uncomplicated stride. All of the most popular lots were presented by Summerhill Stud, with the exception of lot 25, who was prepared by Far End Farm.

Both the BSA and CTS drafts included a few horses that galloped in other centres.

Felix Coetzee had the task of choosing the best workrider at the CTS gallops and it appropriately went to John Motaung, who is the assistant manager of Summerhill’s pre-training division.

The colt is owned by a cross section of passionate South African racing fans who were brought together by the well known Tellytrack presenter Gareth Pepper, and they look set to have a lot of fun being involved in his career.

Pepper felt a lot of credit is due to Robin Bruss for the hitherto happy outcome, because not only did the latter alert him to the horse’s availability but he also remained amazingly patient as it took “forever” to put  the ownership syndicate together.

Bruss bred Will Pays, who is by the underrated sire Imperial Stride out of the useful Gr 3-winning Jallad mare Rattlebag.

Will Pays’ half-sister, Chastity, by Tamburlaine, was raced in partnership by Bruss and Pepper. She won the Fillies Nursery Stakes at Borrowdale over 1000m and followed up by winning the Breeders Fillies Mile at the same course by 14 lengths. She was then sold to Saudi Arabia.

Bruss notified Pepper last year that Chastity’s half-brother was available and Pepper took up the offer and sent the colt to D’Aquino.

The Steamers Syndicate were one of the first to come to the party. They are made up of a “wonderful bunch” of passionate racegoers who met through “twitter” and include the like of Pepper and the highly regarded racing analyst Darryl Maree. The “Steamers” communicate there racing fancies and discuss other issues in the industry virtually daily via social media.

Pepper was grateful to Muzi Yeni for inadvertently bringing in some of the other owners. A great fan of Yeni’s, Mervyn Green, who had just become involved in racehorse ownership, happened to be on a flight to Flamingo Park one day on which Pepper and Yeni were sitting together, and this allowed Pepper to introduce himself. Green then bought into the colt and in turn he roped in Yusuf Jackson, who works with him, as well as a friend of his, Stephan Du Toit. Will Pays is the first horse both Jackson and Du Toit have ever owned.

Pepper’s father Brett also bought a share, but in the end it was the passionate KZN-based owner Sean Phillips who saved the day by agreeing to buy the final 20% when approached by Pepper during a tour to the Dubai World Cup.

Pepper’s selling point, that the colt appeared smart and would be worthwhile owning, has so far proved correct.

He said that D’Aquino had always rated the colt, but added, “It doesn’t matter how good they are at home, a race is the only way you will ever know.”

When the big day arrived Pepper asked Corné Orffer to fly up for the ride.

He said, “Corné had been riding very well down in Cape Town. I shared a house with him once, we are good friends and he has ridden for Seb before.”

Pepper, Jackson and Van Niekerk flew up to watch the debut and made a weekend of it, which included a huge celebratory dinner after the colt had romped home.

Pepper, who is also involved in racing social media and has his own bloodstock agency, concluded, ”Borrowdale racing is always great fun to attend and the stakes money is good. Corné got off and said Will Pays would be able to compete anywhere in South Africa and the only way we would be able to test him would be to run him here. Will Pays has tons of gatespeed and is very forward. However, Corné said the colt had given the impression that he would get a mile and even 1800m. On pedigree he will definitely stay the 1400m trip of the Graham Beck.”

Meanwhile, Rattlebag is still going strong and is reportedly back in Zimbabwe to be covered by Tamburlaine.

The four-times champion will be bidding for his second consecutive Cape Classic, having won last year’s race on Red Ray for Act Of War’s trainer Joey Ramsden who has booked Aldo Domeyer for the exciting Kingvoldt in the 1 100m Pinnacle Stakes.

Marcus also rides the record-priced Brutal Force who needs to win the opening maiden in good style to be sure of getting into next month’s R2 million Lanzerac Ready To Run Stakes.

The Classic is dominated, at least according to the handicappers, by the Vaughan Marshall-trained MLJet who has his first outing since his unlucky third in the Premiers Champion Stakes nearly three months ago. MJ Byleveld’s mount has a minimum of 7.5kg in hand on merit ratings.

Western Cape trainers, as so often in the past, mount a massive assault on Sunday’s Betting World Algoa Cup and account for nine of the 16 runners in the Fairview feature. They have won seven of the last eight runnings.

Marcus partners last year’s winner Disco Al for Ramsden while Justin Snaith runs four in his bid to win the  2 000m Grade 3 for the first time. His quartet include Cape Derby third Arion (Piere Strydom) and he has snapped up champion S’Manga Khumalo for the smart Bonnard.

Jet Explorer smashed his jaw in several pieces after a horror fall in the Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge back in June this year, but his life and his racing career were saved by the remarkable veterinary skills of Dr Ralph Katzwinkel and his Summerhill Equine Hospital team.

Jonathon Snaith said, “It is amazing to see him back and so soon. If you had seen him that day you would have said it would have been impossible for him to be racing even six months later. He will be just having a gallop on Saturday though and the L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate will definitely be his main aim again.”

Richard Fourie was injured in the Rising Sun Gold Challenge fall and it put him out for a while, but he is currently on the sidelines due to a fall four weeks ago on Red Disa in a workout. He hurt his neck on that occasion and is due back in the saddle on the 29th of this month.

Sean Cormack will ride Jet Explorer on Saturday in the Pinnacle Stakes event over 1400m, that also features the like of the Snaith-trained Readytogorightnow and the much-improved Michael Robinson-trained Blarney Bay.

Cormack is unable to make the 52kg weight of Heartland in the Cape Classic, so the Snaiths had originally booked Grant van Niekerk for the ride as the latter had been under the impression that he would be available. However, Van Niekerk’s guv’nor Mike Bass ended up accepting with his charge Sheer Trouble, which left the Snaiths with a headache. Ultimately, they offered to fly the lightweight jockey Muzi Yeni in for the ride and the latter was glad to accept.

Jonathon believes that the Vaughan Marshall-trained MLJet is without doubt the horse to beat in the Classic. He said, “It has to be taken into account that Heartland beat a poor field on debut even if he did win by nearly ten lengths. He is also a typical Dynasty in that he will take a few runs before we see the best of him. The Investec Cape Derby, which his brother won, is his ultimate aim, but we hope Saturday’s run shows that he can hold his own against the best, and the race will also bring him on for the Grand Parade Cape Guineas.”

He continued, “It also has to be taken into account that Act Of War beat fields in the middle of the Cape winter and was really only running against himself. On the other hand MLJet won two seriously strong races in KZN and was then unlucky in a Group 1. He could be a superstar and we could all be running for second.”

Snaith also pointed out that MLJet would be receiving 4,5kg from Act Of War. Heartland on the other hand will be receiving 2kg from MLJet.

Jonathon concluded, “I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Cape Guineas winner coming out of this field.”

Picture: ML Jet (Nkosi Hlophe)

The colt’s plans to travel to Cape Town were scuppered by a 40-day ban on travel imposed by the state veterinarians due to a horse having tested positive for African Horse Sickness at Summerveld recently. However, the Australian-bred colt’s connections have not ruled out a tilt at the Gr 1 Grand Parade Cape Guineas on December 20 at Kenilworth, the race that was his original target. If he is able to make it for the Guineas he is likely to stay on for the Gr 1 Investec Cape Derby over 2000m on J&B Met day, January 31, 2015.

Other races that are in the offing for the Australian-bred colt by Haradasun are the Gr 2 Dingaans over 1600m at Turffontein on November 29.

Harry’s Son drew pole position in the Graham Beck, although supplementary entries were still being accepted at time of going to press, so it is possible for him to move out by a barrier position or two.

The stand out entries among the rest include six fillies, the Gr 1-winners Alboran Sea and Carry On Alice, the Equus Champion Two-Year-Old filly of last season Majmu, the Gr 1 runner up One Fine Day, the Gr 1-placed Pine Princess and the unbeaten Maria Theresa. All of those fillies bar Carry On Alice are from the yard of Mike de Kock. However, they could end up running in the Gr 3 Starling Stakes for fillies over the same course and distance on the same day.

Among the colts the Gr 1-placed Anjaal, the exciting prospects Belong To Me and Precursor, the impressive maiden winners Trip To Heaven and Zambezi River, the improving Amazing Strike and the classy Easy Lover, who has been targeted at this race, are the immediate stand outs.

The two supplementary entries that had come in by the time of going to press were the improving Gavin van Zyl-trained Out My Way, who won a maiden over 1200m in facile fashion last time out, and, interestingly, the Seb D’Aquino-trained Zimbawean horse Will Pays, who won his maiden over 1100m on debut at Borrowdale by six lengths.

Will Pays is owned by a large syndicate that includes several South African owners including Gareth Pepper, the well known Tellytrack presenter who is a frequent visitor to Borrowdale, Gareth’s father Brett, Sean Phillips, Nico van Niekerk, Mervyn Green, Devan Naidoo, Stephan du Toit and Yusuf Jackson.