The Brave Tin Soldier colt Soldier On showed a smart turn of foot when coming from off the pace to win the R135 000 Egoli Mile run on the Turffontein standside on Saturday.

Marco van Rensburg had the Stuart Pettigrew trained galloper about seven lengths back after he had reared as the gates were sprung for the non black-type feature.

Turning into the home stretch, Loyal Lieutenant continued to show the way with lightly-raced recent maiden scorer Infamous Fox slipping through down the inside as Soldier On made his way down the outside.

Van Rensburg timed his move sweetly and he rode hard to stave off the determined challenge of Infamous Fox by a quarter length in a time of 100, 94 secs.

Owned and bred by Mr T Kung, Soldier On is a son of Brave Tin Soldier (Storm Cat) out of the unraced Australian-bred Rockabye Girl (Southern Image).

He is a winner of 2 races with 3 places from 6 starts for stakes of R184 550.

The Erico Verdonese trained Emerald Bay benefitted from a well-judged Craig Zackey ride to get Pick 6 punters off to a rocky start to a tough afternoon at Turffontein on Saturday.

Enjoying her handy galloping weight of 52kgs, plus a kilo over weight for Zackey’s services, Emerald Bay allowed Witchraft to do the donkey work, as she followed in stalk mode all the way round the 2400m of the R135 000 Sun Chariot Handicap.

At the 400m, Emerald Bay was given the nod and she stayed on well as Witchcraft started to labour under her weight.

Starting at 15-1, Emerald Bay was too strong and beat Summerhill-bred Gr3 winner Witchraft by 0,70 lengths in a time of 158,22 secs.

Bred by Erico Verdonese, Emerald Bay is a daughter of deceased Mullins Bay (Machiavellian) out of the three-time winner Model Emblem (National Emblem).

She has won 4 races with 7 places from 17 starts for stakes of R347 525.

-extract sportingpost.co.za

Trainer Grant Maroun provided 24 year old Jarryd Penny with the  first Graded race win of his short career when the lightweight booted home the rejuvenated Barton Hall Stud-bred Viking Hero to win the R250 000 Gr3 Tommy Hotspur Handicap at Turffontein on Tuesday evening.

The night belonged to the good red wine on four legs that is the rare sprinting son of Mullins Bay.

The commitment of the Grant Maroun team and some natural sounding up have contributed to a sparkling revival that will see him take in the Senor Santa as his next target.

Penny rode a copybook race on Maroun’s instructions – which included a confidence boosting pressure quote of ‘ride him like I told you and you will win’, as he was given a leg up. The Maroun sports psychology worked a charm!

The field was reduced to just nine runners with Mod Barley scratched in the absence of a suitable replacement for the stood-down Khumalo.

After Jade Bay had ripped away at breakneck speed early, Penny allowed Viking Hero to relax and produced him at the right time inside the 250m marker.

The gelding powered home to win by 0,30 lengths in a snappy 56,52 secs,

Viking Hero was unwanted at 20-1 in the betting and his victory contributed to the evening’s lotto-style  Pick 6 payout of R247 328.

The favourite Moofeed, who was bidding for the Hotspur double, also ran on a touch late and was a half-length further back in third, with Aurum Pot running fourth.

This was Viking Hero’s second feature win on the trot, after grabbing top honours in the Gr3 Lebelo Sprint three runs back.

He has now won 6 races with 19 places from 38 starts for stakes of R708 350.

A 6yo gelding in the prime of his career, Viking Hero was bred by Ken and Lynne Twort of Barton Hall Stud and is a son of deceased Summerhill stallion Mullins Bay out of the four-time winning All Fired Up mare, Out Of Norway.

He was purchased for R30 000 by the Tawny Syndicate off the 2011 Emperors Palace National Two Year Sale.

– extract sportingpost.co.za

ANC Treasurer-General and ex Premier of KZN, Dr Zweli Mkhize, had his first winner on Friday evening when KZN-bred Ntokazi (meaning lady in Zulu) galloped to victory by half a length from the stable of Duncan Howells.

The Summerhill-bred daughter of Mullins Bay out of Hill Of Plenty by National Assembly has placed in her previous start, with this win being her third track appearance and the first horse in training for Dr Zweli Mkhize.

The filly initially named Grand Saline was not sold at the CTS Ready To Run Sale in 2014. Ntokazi is a full-sister to 4-time winner Mount Hillaby, who had an ultra consistent career in Mauritius which includes placing in a Gr3 behind Zambezi Torrent, as well as locally – running second to Winter Star in the Emperors Palace Ready To Run Cup.

Ntokazi is a half-sister to six other multiple winners. Her dam is a half-siser to Bushra, the dam of Gr3 winner True Master. This is also the immediate family Smart As Paint as well as Visionaire’s Vilakazi, who has won two in a row from three starts in the Cape from the Brett Crawford stable to date. Vilakazi’s half-brother by Kahal is a multiple winner in Hong Kong, Mighty Emperor.

Congratulations to Dr Zweli Mkhize and we look forward to seeing Ntokazi back in the winners circle again soon!

Ken and Lynne Twort of Barton Hall Stud bred the six year old son of Mullins Bay that romped to victory in the Gr3 Lebelo Sprint at Turffontein on the weekend over 1000m on the turf.

Viking Hero is a horse that sold at the 2011 National Two Year Old Sale for just R30 000 – and has gone on to win over R680 000 for his trainer Grant Maroun who owns the consistent horse in partnership with Miss G Uren, with five wins to date and 19 places from 36 starts.

Viking Hero, ridden by Karl Zechner, beat Tiger Territory in the process with Gr2 placed One Man’s Dream finishing fourth.

The dam Out Of Norway, is by All Fired Up out of a Northfields/Royal Affair mare, a four time winner herself who has produced three winners at stud. She herself is a half-sister to nine winners including Nicklemaid, the damline includes the likes of Haute Cuisine and Crystal Charlie.

A big congratulations to Ken and Lynne Twort at Barton Hall Stud!