The diminutive Rathmor-bred Captain Al filly Missisippi Burning, gave young trainer Adam Marcus his maiden Gr1 win in December last year and she produced the magic again as she bounced back off a 25 week break to score a dramatic last gasp victory in the R150 000 World Sports Betting Gr2 Fillies Guineas at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday.

“Her temperament almost got to her behind the stalls. I thought we would be scratched. Then between the 300m to 100m I could see the front-runner wasn’t stopping. The nerves were there! But she personifies the ‘dynamite in small packages’ tag and she delivered when I asked,” said a clearly relieved jockey Craig Zackey.

With the pace sedate early as nobody was keen to go , Gareth Wright was a reluctant Pied Piper on Lady Legend as Driving Miss Daisy and Mary O tracked  her into the home run.

Serino Moodley slipped his field at the 300m as Mary O looked to cause the upset at 50-1.

At the 200m Mary O held a solid lead and wasn’t stopping as Missisippi Burning dashed for the inside and went for a narrow gap on the rail.

The Cape Fillies Guineas winner caught the Lezeanne Forbes galloper on the line to win by a short head in a time 98,70 secs.

Interbet-sponsored Adam Marcus described his special filly as having a heart of gold.

“I was very impressed. She loves a fight and she got one today. Thanks to Mario Ferreira and Des Gonsalves for their support. And to Craig Zackey – a great ride.”

Bred by Rathmor Stud, Missisippi Burning is by champion sire Captain Al (Al Mufti) out of the multiple stakes-placed Hussonet mare Spitfire Lady, who won four times in Australasia.

Missisippi Burning, a R380 000 National Yearling Sale graduate, has won 5 races with 2 places from 8 starts for stakes of R887 802.

It was just about a Guineas double for KZN, as Drakenstein-bred Wild Coast ran a cracker to nab the World Sports Betting Guineas. He is out of a previous KZN Breeders Horse Of The Year, Beach Beauty.

Congratulations to all concerned.

-extract sportingpost.co.za

Gold Circle have announced the revised dates for Champions Season 2020, delayed due to the implemented lockdown which is due to lift April 30, in the interest of South African’s safety to ‘break the curve’.

Usually run the week before the Vodacom Durban July, it remains in the format – to be held on Sunday 19 July and the Vodacom Durban July scheduled for the 25 July. The KZN Yearling Sale Million remains on VDJ day, along with the Garden Province, Golden Horseshoe, Golden Slipper, the 2200, Gold Vase and Thukela Handicap.

The Gold Cup, which usually heralds the end of the racing season and an important feature for the annual statistics, has been pushed back to 29 August. A number of Gr1 features will be prominent on that day, including the Champions Cup, Mercury Sprint, Premiers Champions Stakes and the Thekweni Stakes amongst others.

The KZN Breeders Race Day, always a major feature with owners and trainers and always very well supported with a packed Durban View Room consisting of breeders, owners and trainers – and will consist of 8 races including the Million Mile itself.

As of the last log published 10 March, there are 293 horses entered for the races 3yos old and up, with 2yo entries were due to be finalised at the end of April.

Amongst the horses entered are Spiritofthegroove, Chjimes, Wave, Railtrip, 2nd placed Gr1 SA Fillies Classic Marygold, Gr1 winner Camphoratus, Miss Marmalade (closely related to the Gr1 trio of brothers, Hawwaam, Rainbow Bridge and Golden Ducat), Just Cruised In, Prince Of Kahal, Just Chaos, Nexus, Ronnie’s Candy, Silent Crusade, and Gr1 winner Mississippi Burning.

The KZN Breeders Golf Day is provisionally booked for 14 July, whilst the KZN Yearling Sale is scheduled for 23 & 24 July. Sales vouchers for #kznbreds will be up for grabs at our Golf Day and Race Day – acquisitions using the vouchers include Gr1 placed Wave.

The full KZN Champions Season feature programme for 2020:

Spring Valley-bred Crusade filly flew home yesterday at Greyville racecourse over 1000m by almost three lengths, giving her delighted owner his first winner.

Trained by Michael Roberts and sold at the National Yearling Sale for R140 000, the filly also took home the BSA Maiden Juvenile Plate Bonus of R50 000. It was only her third start – she has placed in both her previous starts, finishing second last time out.

Out of the Alami mare I Said Hey, she is by Crusade who is currently sporting a winners to runners percentage of 35% with 29 winners for the season and 126 places. Crusade stands at Clifton Stud.

Hey Delilah is a half-sister to multiple winner and Black Type Just As I Said, and Lock Him Up.

Her dam has a Flying The Flag yearling which will likely be on sale this year. This is the dam line of Sarabande, Dance Every Dance and Refer To Daddy amongst many others. Not a family to ignore!

KZN featured on Gold Cup Day with #kznbred Spiced Gold producing Gr3 Umkhomazi Stakes winner, Chimichuri Run, whilst Summerhill-bred Railtrip finished second in the Gr1 Thekweni Stakes, with Noble Tune’s Play Another Tune fourth in the Gr1 Premiers Champion Stakes. Another interesting results for Rathmor Stud was Will Pays – a half-brother to Rathmor broodmare Rattled, the dam of Gr2 winner Harry Lime.

KZN opened the eLan Gold Cup day with the first two winners on the card – a flying finish by Irish Flame juvenile gelding Perpetual Flame under Muzi Yeni for Nathan Kotzen. The gelding bred by Bruce Le Roux is out of Case Stated by London News, has placed second on three occasions and had the much deserved win by almost five lengths from Podcast, and enjoyed the length in trip over 1900m.

Irish Flame stands at Bush Hill Stud and is bringing home the winners, the handsome and classy son of Dynasty is currently boasting almost 32% winners to runners for the season.

Top Classman looks above average and followed through with a third career win in the second race. the Mogok has placed five times previously and earned over R250 000 to date from 13 starts for Frank Robinson and breeders Scott Bros.

Chimichuri Run, who recently was sold at the BSA Super Sale to dissolve a partnership for R1,6-million, rewarded owner Chris Van Niekerk with a facile win by almost five lengths in the Gr3 Umkhomazi Stakes. The handsome chestnut Trippi juvenile colt is out of Greenhill Farm-bred Gr1 winning mare by Kahal, Spiced Gold, bred by Drakenstein Stud. He has won twice and placed three times from all of his starts.

Another Trippi to impress came from Summerhill Stud, as Railtrip, beautifully bred out of a Galileo mare, finished a length off Return Flight in the Gr1 Thekweni Stakes. The filly trained by Chesney Van Zyl is sporting an impressive race record with a win and three seconds and a place from all of her starts.

Play Another Tune for Gavin Van Zyl, out of Another Goat, ran fourth in the Gr1 Premiers Champions Stakes over 1600m. The consistent juvenile gelding has won and placed from five of his six starts and was only three lengths off the winner Soqrat (AUS) who has been hailed as a future stallion prospect.

Another added result for Rathmor Stud was that of Will Pays – the six year old by Imperial Stride won the Gr1 Mercury Sprint by a length and is a half-brother to Rathmor resident broodmare Rattled.

Rattled has already done Rathmor proud by producing Gr2 winning Var gelding Harry Lime, and Eightfold Path 2-time winner, Mbali.

Will Pays has won 11 races and placed 11 times and earned over R1,8-million in stakes. Rattled and Will Pays are out of the speedy dam Rattlebag by Jallad.

Rattled sold her Ideal World filly in Session 1 of the National Yearling Sale earlier this year for R250 000.

Well done to the winning connections of the following horses and once again KZN has done itself proud with big results from small numbers.