KZN Breeders proudly sponsored the first race on the card of the day to support the Coastal Horse Care Unit, based at Cato Ridge.

Pierre Jourdan (Parade Leader – Vin Fizz) sold for just R60,000 at the 2008 Emperors Palace Ready To Run Sale and retired with a bankroll of R4,598,175.

A nine-time winner, his career had been somewhat chequered due to soundness issues forcing long periods of rest. Most experts believed he had the world at his mercy when he won the Gr1 SA Classic in 2010 but he only won three more races. It has been said, however, that the gelding’s most gallant efforts came in defeat – in the 2450m Gr1 SA Derby in 2010 when he found the distance too far in heavy going and finished second to Irish Flame and in the 2011 Vodacom Durban July in which he got closest to winner Igugu – “a great run,” commented his trainer.

After that he won two races after that effort, including the 1600m Gr2 Charity Mile in 2011.

Imbongi was unsold at the 2006 Ready To Run Sale, a son of Russian Revival out of Garden Verse by Foveros,
was gelded after ‘throwing away’ the Emperor’s Palace Ready to Run Cup and the Dingaans due to coltishness. He then came back to win the Gr2 Gauteng Guineas, the Gr2 KZN Guineas and became the first 3YO to win the Gr2 Drill Hall in 40 years, beating the likes of Pocket Power, Bold Ellinore and Rebel King.

Having stamped himself the best 3YO in the country, international challenges beckoned. He won the John Bovington Memorial Criterion Stakes at Newmarket in 2009 and was the highest earner at the 2010 Dubai World Carnival, winning the Gr1 Zabeel Mile and earning the victor ludorum.

Christophe Soumillon got off one day and said “This horse is prepared to burst his lungs to win.” He doesn’t know when he’s beaten and doesn’t know there’s anything he can’t do. Everything he does, he does like a champion. Despite passing through the sale ring without a bid, he came back and showed the world that he was an unbelievable champion. He held his own and more.

Sheik Mohammed was so impressed with part racehorse owner Michael Fleischer’s dedication to Imbongi who wanted to keep him after retirement, that he paid for the horse’s return trip to South Africa and Imbongi had been at top show jumper Bill Johnson’s Ascot Equitation Centre until his retirement to Summerhill Stud very recently.

Images: Candiese Marnewick
Extracts from sportingpost.co.za and Summerhill.co.za

Live Oak Plantation’s World Approval, the 2017 Ricoh Woodbine Mile winner trained by Mark Casse, was named Champion Male Turf Horse at the 47th Annual Eclipse Awards at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida on Thursday evening while Gun Runner took home Horse of the Year honours.

The Eclipse Awards, honouring excellence in North American Thoroughbred racing, presented by The Stronach Group, Daily Racing Form and the Breeders’ Cup, are voted on by the NTRA, Daily Racing Form (DRF) and the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters (NTWAB).

Owned and bred in Ocala, Florida by Live Oak’s Charlotte Weber, World Approval closed out a $2 million season in 2017 with three consecutive victories in Grade 1 stakes, including the Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga, the Ricoh Woodbine Mile at Woodbine and Breeders’ Cup Mile at Del Mar — the latter two with jockey John Velazquez aboard.

World Approval also earned back-to-back stakes wins in the EG Vodka Turf Classic at Tampa Bay and Grade 2 Longines Dixie Stakes at Pimlico early in his six-race, five-year-old campaign. The striking Northern Afleet-Win Approval gelding is a half-brother to Live Oak’s Miesque’s Approval, who was named Champion Grass Horse in 2006.

Miesque’s Approval stands at Scott Bros, and produced the likes of Gr2 winners Judicial and J’s Outsider, as well as Gr1 Vodacom July placed Eton Square amongst others.

The Scott Bros’ liver chestnut Gr1 producing mare and KZN Breeders Broodmare Of The Year for 2016, Tellittothestars has produced a Mogok filly at Highdown Stud the night before last.

The dam of Gr1 and Gr2 winner Talktothestars produced a big filly – and a full sibling to a colt in training with Garth Puller, named Tellittothegods.

The mating of Tellittothestars to Mogok has been successful three times previously – producing three winners with seven wins amongst them all, including Lucky Houdalakis trained Twinkle Town.

Talktothestars after placing second in the Gr2 Merchants in June this season, to Search Party, ran unplaced in the Gr1 Mercury Sprint but made the well bred Var filly, Sommerlied, work hard for her record producing win against two sprinting giants – Brutal Force and the son of Overlord – as they all crossed the line within a head of each other in an incredible race at Scottsville.

Coenie De Beer, the owner and trainer of Talktothestars, brought along the 7 year old gelding’s younger full sister on the day.

Lady Starlett was victorious for the fifth occasion a race later under Anton Marcus, flying home in the familiar orange and white checked silks.

Winning filly Twinkle Town out of Tellittothestars, has retired to Scott Bros for the breeding season but it hasnt yet been determined as to who she will visit for the season.

Mogok as a broodmare sire has already produced the likes of Matador Man, Secretariat Stakes Listed winner and third in the Gr1 Champions Cup, as well as the winner of the KZN Breeders Million Mile.

Watch this space for more to come from this dam!