Guest Column

Reigning King 19 March, 2012 – Lisa Barrett Reign As Kings proved why KZN bred horses are a force to be reckoned with, with a scintillating victory in the Sentinel Stakes on Sunday at Clairwood. With his favourite jockey Anthony Delpech at the helm, Reign As Kings went away to win by a length over…

Ice Axe On Top Of The World 9 September, 2012 – Lisa Barrett It was a proud day for KZN racing and breeding today, when the Summerhill Stud-bred gelding Ice Axe, scored an impressive Group One victory in Mauritius when he beat the odds-on favourite IL Saggiatore for the Maiden Cup (Gr.1). The island nation…

Herpes Virus – To Vaccinate Or Not To Vaccinate? 19 March, 2012 – Dr Helen Tiffin Herpes Virus causes a number of different conditions. In humans it causes cold sores and in horses respiratory infections, neurologic disease and abortions. The virus is species specific, so if you have a cold sore you can’t give it…

Fantastic Frankel 23 August, 2012 – Lisa Barrett Any lingering doubts that anyone might have had about Frankel lasting the distance in yesterday’s Juddmonte International (Gr.1) at York, were put to rest when the world’s highest rated racehorse (Timeform 147) blew a top class field away in his usual sublime and emphatic form to make…

The Legacy Of Sentinel 08 March, 2012 – Lisa Barrett The news that the Sentinel Stakes is to be run at Clairwood in the near future, has once again shone the spotlight on the horse dubbed the “Iron horse” by many for his incredible racing exploits. He recorded 29 wins, 12 of them Grade Ones…

The X-Factor 03 March, 2012 – Lisa Barrett How do you breed or find that one horse that has that undeniable quality, that one thing that sets them apart, not only in racing terms, but in how they look and race. Millions are spent every year, looking for the “X” factor, that one thing that…

A New Emperor Is Crowned 20 August, 2012 – Lisa Barrett In his regular column for the Thoroughbred Daily News (August 15th), pedigree guru Bill Oppenheim reveals a stunning, but not totally unsurprising fact. There is a new Emperor on the scene. For the first time in nearly a decade, the “emperor” of American stallions,…

Well Bred 22 February, 2012 – Lisa Barrett The question on most breeders’ minds is how to maximize profits for minimal outlay. Our relationship with horses is an ancient but tricky one. According research it is generally accepted that horses evolved about 40-55 million years ago from a small dog-like creature, Eohippus (dawn horse) averaging…

Strike One For Ravishing 13 August, 2012 – Lisa Barrett Clairwood racecourse saw the first South African winner for the Summerhill Stud-based sire Ravishing yesterday, when the 3Y0 gelding Kishimoto won the first race of the day over 1200m. Trained by KZN training legend, Dennis Drier, the son of Ravishing paid tribute to his great…