A survey of racing success as a factor of how much money you spend was recently undertaken in Australia. While its outcomes were “Aussie” specific, it’s probably fair to say, they’re likely to have universal application wherever horse racing is conducted as a serious commercial pursuit.

The answer, rest assured, is that the more money you spend, the more success you will have. The only problem is that the spending/success relationship is not a linear one. To boost your success from the bottom of the ladder to the top – a 25 fold increase – requires 300 times more money. But that has always been the way in most markets. Incremental gains come at a premium.
Or at least that’s the way it used to be. Until the “Ready To Run” concept of conducting racehorse sales was invented. You see, the Aussie figures are extrapolated largely from conventional sales, where the bloodstock is presented at the walk. Except there are no “walking” races, so to be able to pick them on the “run” as it were, opens a window of insight to the buyer which was hitherto denied.
And that’s where the difference resides, where the good “eye” for a good horse is often as good as a big wallet. It helps of course, if you have both. You see, in the South African context of the Ready To Run at any rate, there are countless examples of exceptional thoroughbreds being plucked from the less expensive ranks of the catalogue and going on to illustrious (not to mention very lucrative) careers on the racecourse. Naturally, success has come to those at the top end too, the beacon among them Horse Of The Year, Igugu, but the ratio of achievement among the “cheapies” has been wholly disproportionate to the results of the survey.
In recent times, the Emperors Palace version of the Ready To Run (which incidentally, is the original) has spawned close on 40 millionaires, the newest among whom have only just completed their three year old careers. They included three of the best of their generation, one of which, Brave Mary, fetched a modest R40 000.

Doubtless as an encouragement to buyers, the sales founding consignor, Summerhill, has over the years punted the “value-for-money” proposition to its customers, no better illustrated by the annual issue of a list of its most accomplished alumni go to the “Hall Of Fame at https://www.summerhill.co.za/ready-to-run-hall-of-fame#ready-to-run-stakes-winners ”.

Which is a rich reminder of the rewards awaiting those who are willing to work for them.

The BIG movers towards qualification for the tenth renewal of the world’s first Ready To Run sales race, turned up at Turffontein on the weekend. While the odds of getting a run this year are better than they’ve ever been (16 out of a catalogue of just 50 odd,) it’s getting hot at the top of the log, with the Group One performer, Railtrip, setting the benchmark. A rapidly closing runner-up in the Thekwini Stakes from the worst of the draw on Gold Cup day, Chesney van Zyl’s filly is a half-sister to the SA Derby ace, Hero’s Honour, which suggests that her Galileo dams’ Capetown Noir colt in the 4^th November sale will be something of a premium item. The race and the sale incidentally have been joined at the hip with Emperors Palace for much of its 20 years in business.

Back to the shakers: the first on Turffontein’s Saturday card was the scene for the breakout of a smart sort in Chijmes, an impressive son of Pat Shaw’s dual Group One hero, Ato from the distinguished Summerhill family of Royal Glitter, Right Royal Rage, Princely Prospect, Choice and Rusty Pelican. With daylight over his field, he looks to go to post for the Cup under the silks of former Mauritius Turf Club chair, Jean Marc Ulcoq and his wife Clotilde, as well as former Jockey Club chair, Ronnie Napier and wife Bev. Saddled by the Alexander boys, Gary and Dean, the ink on Chijmes’ page was scarcely dry when Hylton Odendaal’s Visionaire daughter, See Me Run (cost a modest R50 000), was equally dominant over a classy assembly of sophomore fillies back at the main track Monday. That run had the look of a “qualifier” too, and while the handicappers’ panel still has to have its say, it looked a dinkum shoe-in from this distance for the sister to Duke Nukem. Her mom, Guest Gallery, is another with a handy Ready To Run candidate at this year’s sale, a filly by Capetown Noir.

Of course, no-one will be surprised to see the Alexanders with a few slots at the gate. They’re what you might call “veterans” of the finest trophy in racing with previous winners, Pierre Jourdan and Champagne Haze, on their CVs.

For the current log positions go to www.bsa.co.za or http://www.summerhill.co.za/ready-to-run-news/

It takes a good horse to turn an ordinary day on its head and SA champion trainer Sean Tarry got what he was looking for when saddling the progressive Summerhill-bred Big Bear to a scintillating win in Saturday’s R2,5 million CTS Emperors Palace Ready To Run Cup at Turffontein.

The well established Emperors Palace Ready To Run Cup has proven a winner over the years and the 2017 renewal looked to be a particularly strong one – with 16 CTS Ready To Run graduates, that included a KZN-bred Gr1 winner and two Gr2 winners, going to post.

The Tarry pair of recent impressive Gr2 winner Wonderwall and the imposing Big Bear were always at the head of affairs, but sensibly didn’t cut throats as Lyle Hewitson and S’manga Khumalo paced it out ahead of Roski-bred s Onamission and Tammany Hall.

Into the home straight, Khumalo gave Big Bear more rein and he floated past his stablemate, with the classy Gr1 winner Brave Mary catching her breath and unleashing a challenge.

At the 200m, Brave Mary (by Brave Tin Soldier) changed legs smartly and chased the leader, but Khumalo had timed his effort well and Big Bear surged away to win readily in a  time of 84,08 secs.

Another filly in the Mike de Kock-trained Takingthepeace (by Visionaire) got going well late in the race to shade Wonderwall for third.

Stakes were paid all the way down to tenth finisher, who was the Gavin Van Zyl trained Vicomte, who banked R30 000 for his efforts. Khumalo was over the moon.

“I picked the right one – he is a wonderful horse to  work with. He went down beautifully and came back even better,” he said.

Sean Tarry was the man who coined the concept  that there was only one way to fix an ordinary day -‘with a good horse’ – and he was particularly happy to have banked the big cheque for his major owner, Chris van Niekerk.

Bruce Gardner, who with Gary Alexander, was the underbidder on Big Bear, is Chris van Niekerk’s partner in the winner.

A R240 000 Johannesburg Ready To Run Sale graduate, the Summerhill bred Big Bear is a son of the deceased Await The Dawn (Giant’s Causeway) out of the non-winning Gamalakhe (Northern Guest).

The son of Giant’s Causeway won on his debut at two for Aidan O’Brien before finishing down the field in the Champagne Stakes. Await The Dawn was unbeaten in two starts at three, including a victory in the Group 3 Kilternan Stakes. He excelled at four, landing the Huxley Stakes at Chester before scoring in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Big Bear has won 3 of his 4 starts with 1 place and stakes of R1 447 000.

Brave Mary’s half-sister by Await The Dawn should be an exciting future prospect, and is being offered at the upcoming CTS Ready To Run Sale as Lot 81 from Soetendal Stud as agent.

The CTS Ready To Run Cup was won by son of Just As Well, Chilli Con Carne, in 2016 for breeder and owner Michael Leaf.

Congratulations to Summerhill Stud on an oustanding feat, currently leading our national breeders log on the nhra.co.za stats.

-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