Group Success For KZN-Breds At Greyville

The KZN-breds made their presence felt at one of the biggest race meetings on the calendar at Greyville on Saturday, with No Worries and Penhaligon both placing very close seconds in the Daily News 2000 Gr 1 and Lonsdale Stirrup Cup Gr 3.

No Worries (in the blue and grey blinkers) by the in-form sire Kahal and bred by Summerhill Stud, added major pressure to Vercingetorix (Silvano) in the Daily News 2000 Gr 1, finishing second by a whisker under jockey Bernard Fay’d Herbe and Capetown Noir finishing third. Trained by Gavin Van Zyl, No Worries is out of Coastal Waltz by Rambo Dancer and owned by Brian Burnard. No Worries’ full-sister is in training with Mike De Kock, named Inspiring she has already placed from just two starts.

No Worries has had 11 starts, two wins and six places including the recent KRA Guineas Gr 2, Gauteng Guineas Gr 2 and the Guineas Trial Listed. No Worries may follow in the footsteps of Kahal’s representative last year with another Summerhill-bred, Smanjemanje, and may be a strong contender for the upcoming Vodacom Durban July if No Worries is supplemented.

Yellow Star-bred Penhaligon, an eye-catching steel-grey son of Daylami out of Victoria Bay by Coastal, improved dramatically on his last run to finish a powerful second to River Crossing (by Caesour) in the Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup by half a length, over 2400m. Trained by Alyson Wright, Penhaligon has had four wins and 11 places – including a second in the Gr 3 King’s Cup and place in the Easter Handicap Listed.

Owned by Mr John Jones, Penhaligon has a half-brother by Fort Beluga being offered at the upcoming Suncoast KZN Yearling Sale from breeders’ Yellow Star Stud. Dam Victoria Bay is a winner of the Gr 2 SA Oaks, and she has produced 9 winners at stud from 11 runners – two of them Black-type including Gr 3 placed Lorenzo Marques (by Silvano).

Overall it was a very successful day for the KZN-breds with Avalon Stud’s Act Of Valor (by Joshua Dancer) winning an impressive debut run for trainer Alyson Wright, Celtic Legend bred by Balmoral Stud (by Stronghold) also winning an impressive debut run under the care of Mike De Kock, Nicholson Finding (by Makaarem) winning the third for breeders Middlefield Stud, Backworth’s Caviar (by Var) having her third win in the ninth race and sire Spectrum took the last race with Icefire over 1000m.

Congratulations to all the breeders and winning connections, it appears we have some very exciting young horses in the making!