The Gary Alexander Racing Team produced an emotional longshot surprise in a race named after the greatest horse they have trained, when Lyle Hewitson put in a flying finish on KZN-bred Champagne Haze to win the R250 000 Gr3 Tommy Hotspur Handicap at Turffontein on Saturday.

Horseracing has a habit of scripting fairytales and this was one with many players.

Like the Alexander family, who trained the winner and produced such wonderful memories with the great Tommy Hotspur.

Like Lyle Hewitson, who rode a beautifully judged race and took a step closer to joining Michael Roberts and Gavin Lerena in his recordbreaking apprentice win tally.

Like Mick Goss and his Summerhill Stud, who bred the winner and his champion half-brother, Pierre Jourdan, and also claimed a terrific feat by producing the top three in this Gr3 cracker, with Greasepaint and Pure Blonde respectively.

After Talktothestars had jumped slowly and made some ground, Lyle Hewitson had Champagne Haze – with head turned slightly sideways – stone last at the halfway mark as the speed merchants Wrecking Ball and Rebel’s Champ showed the way.

With the revitalised 7yo Greasepaint bursting into the lead at the 350m, Hewitson angled Champagne Haze to the outside and he burst between two horses to catch the leader and win going away by 1,70 lengths in a time of 56,56 secs.

A thrilling victory and a great effort over a distance he has never won over and in what was meant to be a prep run for his Senor Santa double bid next month.

Roy Magner’s Greasepaint continues to earn his keep and ran another gallant race. While he has not won in ages, a 9th career victory looks within reach if he maintains this level of enthusiasm.

Pure Blonde was a neck back in third, with Tandava shading Sporting Monarch for fourth.

Lyle Hewitson, who is just four short of Gavin Lerena’s apprentice record mark of 284 winners, called Champagne Haze an ‘amazing horse’.

“He didn’t stay in the Charity Mile. But he put up some good work in the week and I came in confident. He was outpaced early, but gave when I asked,” he said.

Assistant trainer Dean Alexander was quick to commend Hewitson on his ride and went on to say that Champagne Haze was not far off his half-brother Pierre Jourdan. He thanked his team at home and also the owners for their loyal support.

Champagne Haze has won 6 races with 7 places from his 23 starts for stakes of a healthy R2 268 950.

A R280 000 CTS Johannesburg RTR Sale, the winner is by Kahal (Machiavellian) out of the prolific four-time winner Vin Fizz (Qui Danzig) and was bred at Summerhill Stud.

Vin Fizz is now a resident broodmare of Bush Hill Stud and currently in foal to Flying The Flag. She has been an exceptional broodmare – producing Pierre Jourdan, Dakiwe, Champagne Haze and current Dubai runner, Belle Rose.

Congratulations to all concerned.

-extract sportingpost.co.za

KZN-breds and horses by KZN sires won four of the nine race card at Turffontein yesterday, including three of the days features – the Oaks Trial Listed, the Derby Trial and the Gr2 Senor Santa Stakes, whilst Rabada’s grey half-brother won over 2000m on debut in the last race.

KZN produces less than 20% of the racing stock annually in South Africa and yesterday’s performances at Turffontein are not to be ignored.

Golden Sword’s daughter, who gave him his first winner two year ago – Belle Rose, also gave her sire his first Stakes winner and provided the first of a Stake winning double on the day for her sensational dam, Vin Fizz (Champagne Haze winning the Gr2 Senor Santa later in the day).

Mike De Kock trained High Chaparral’s outstanding son Golden Sword in the latter part of his career, and labelled the Summerhill sire the best horse of a classy generation in his overseas string.  Golden Sword still holds the record for the fastest 2000m at Meydan.

Callan Murray had Belle Rose relaxed about five lengths off pacesetter Emily Jay in the sixteen horse charge that moved into the long Turffontein home straight.

Belle Rose glided up hard against the steel in the centre at the 400m marker, closely tracked by Wind Chill.

Under a beautifully balanced left handed ride, the Callan Murray kept Belle Rose to her task and she stayed on doggedly to hold the determined Wind Chill by a head in a time of 124,46 secs.

The Woodruff runner Parabola came on steadily to get third ahead of Scott Bros’Costa Da Sol. The latter ran a gutsy race from her wide draw.

Belle Rose was purchased by Form Bloodstock for R475 000 at the 2015 CTS Johannesburg Ready To Run Sale.

SA champion breeders Summerhill Stud also produced Gr2 Senor Santa winner Champagne Haze and the last race 2000m debut winner, Glider Pilot – the latter an AP Arrow half-brother to dual Gr1 winner, Rabada.

Glider Pilot sold initially for R475 000 off the CTS Ready To Run Sale to Adriaan Van Vuuren, and resold for only R65 000 off the 2016 November Mixed Sale – trained by Tyrone Zackey and owned by Mr K P & Mrs N M Backos & Mr S F G Habib. His grey dam Jordie has an outstanding foal by Trippi this year at Summerhill.

Belle Rose is by Golden Sword out of the versatile four-time winning Qui Danzig mare, Vin Fizz – dam of the day’s Gr2 1160m winner, Champagne Haze. She also produced the brilliant Pierre Jourdan and 7-time winner Dakiwe, definitely thrown her name into the hat as KZN Breeders Broodmare Of The Year.

The high – class Pierre Jourdan’s half-brother Champagne Haze is a previous winner of the 2015 Emperors Palace Ready To Run Cup and produced a sensational victory in the R400 000 Gr2 Senor Santa Stakes at Turffontein on Saturday.

While he has won up to a mile, Champagne Haze’ best recent form has been over the sprints – yet he was easy to back when lining up in the 1160m Gr2 feature against some serious speed merchants. Champagne Haze won by two lengths in a time of 65,49s.

Champagne Haze has won five races with six places from his 15 starts for stakes of a healthy R2 065 050.

The winner, astutely purchased at the CTS Johannesburg RTR Sale for R280 000, is by Kahal.

Ever consistent sire Mogok added yet another Stakes winner to his list with Varsfontein-bred Pagoda taking the Derby Trial.

Pagoda collected his second win on the trot, making it the three year old Mogok gelding’s third career win. Pagoda – out of Pascha by Wolfhound – had previously placed three times including the Sea Cottage Stakes Listed.

Trained by Geoff Woodruff and owned in partnership by Messrs Kuben Gengan, Rajen Devan, G V Woodruff & Mrs S E M Louw, Pagoda sold for R100 000 off the 2015 Val De Vie Cape Yearling Sale, and has earned almost R400 000 including the BSA Value Added Stakes bonus of R77 500.

This is the immediate damline of Do You Remember, Festive Occasion and KZN-bred Sarasota.

Congratulations to Summerhill Stud and all the winning connections!

– extract sportingpost.co.za

Trainer Gary Alexander has another top horse again after high class KZN-bred Pierre Jourdan’s brother, Champagne Haze proved best in the R2.5 million Cape Thoroughbred Sales Emperors Palace Ready To Run Cup over 1400m at Turffontein on Saturday.

Gr1 Premier’s Champion Stakes winner KZN-bred Rabada finished second, just three lengths off.

The effervescent Fortune, who can never be accused of lacking confidence, said afterwards, “On his [Champagne Haze] work] when sprinting up on Thursday I knew he could not lose.” The hard-working hoop had drawn a blank the previous day on his relentless round-the-country schedule to minor centres, but was unconcerned, “That doesn’t count, because I’ll win a R2.5 million race tomorrow!” he had prophesied. “I’m so glad for Alexander to have a big horse again – it is a pleasure working for him and this great team.”

Alexander revealed, “I liked him at the sale – and can tell Mick now that we had a fund up to 500K but we got him for 280K. He breeds lots of nice horses.” The Gauteng trainer has endured difficult spells, prompting a gracious acknowledgement to loyal patrons, “My owners have supported me through the bad times…”

Such downers are inevitable in this roller coaster game, but Alexander bounced back in no uncertain terms when also claiming third and fourth spot in the richly endowed incentive race.

The victorious connections include Messrs JF and LMF Wernars, Pravin Chetty, BG Gardner, AB Giuricich, J Labuschagne, GP Sadie, DA Simpson and Mesdames JP Gardner and AP Whicher. Based on this dominant performance by Champagne Haze, the future looks bright for their scopey youngster.

The winner, purchased at the CTS Johannesburg RTR Sale for R280 000, is by Kahal out of the four-time winner Vin Fizz and was bred at Summerhill Stud.

He took his scorecard to three wins with two places from five starts and gross stakes earned to R1 379 800.

– extract sportingpost.co.za