Pencil in Saturday 30 June on your racing calendar, which sees the running of another KZN Breeders Race Day at Greyville. The KZN Breeders Series incorporates the running of our feature KZN Breeders Million Mile. Amongst the entries are recent Graded Stakes Winners The Thinker (Gr2), Champagne Haze (Gr2), Witchcraft (Gr3), Wukkin’ Up (LW), Intergalactic (Gr2), Heaps Of Fun (Gr2), Matador Man (Gr1 placed and last years Million Mile winner), Dawn Calling (Gr1 placed)  and 11-time winner, London Call.

Last year saw the Durban View Room at full capacity of 400 owners, trainers and breeders in a sea of Black and White.  The seven supporting races of the Series will be two races each over 1200m and 1600m one each for fillies and mares and colts and geldings respectively, one race over 1900m and two Juvenile races over 1200m, one each for fillies and colts.

The races will be open to all horses country-wide whose credentials meet the criteria of “KZN bred” as prescribed by the rules of the KZN Breeders Premium Scheme.

The full sister to 4-time winner and Gr3 placed Mogok’s Desire, Royal Agree heads up the first KZN Breeders Series Log for 2018 for 3yo’s and up. Trained by Glen Kotzen, the four year old filly is ahead with 22 points under her belt.

The points begin to accumulate from 1 January, and Royal Agree has won and placed in all three of her starts since then. Out of Australian mare Royal Promise by super broodmare sire Royal Academy, this is the immediate damline of sire Icelandic (GB). Royal Promise has produced five winners to date, including recent Crusade colt Prince Of Promise. His year younger full sister, 2yo Crusade’s Promise has placed third in her only start to date for trainer Vaughn Marshall and owner Mr J E Mitchell.

Royal Agree is owned by Mr Peter De Beyer, purchased from the KZN Yearling Sale in 2015 for R160 000. She has earned almost R250 000 in stakes with three wins and seven places under her belt, and her highest Merit Rating at 79.

Mogok has produced four Gr1 winners to date, including star American and South African Gr1 winner, Gypsy’s Warning. Amongst his many Stakes Winners produced, he is also the sire of amongst others recent Stakes horses Pagoda and Paul Lafferty’s smart looking The Bayou, a full brother to Gr1 winner Orbison.

With 292 KZN-breds qualifying for the KZN Breeders Race Day from almost 400 entries for the six series of races at a stake of R200 000 each for ages 3yo and up, thank you to the owners and trainers for the support our race day that has increased and been a better success in each year of its running. In order to qualify, horses must be registered with the KZN Breeders Premium Scheme.

South African Champion trainer Sean Tarry, who cleaned up last year to take 6 races home and the winning stake of over R2-million in the process, has been heard to say that it is a day he pencils in and preps his horses specifically for. Sean has entered 31 horses for the day, amongst them many Gr2 winners.

Our Million Mile, which is excluded from the entries and log below saw Matador Man last year defeat Gold Circle’s best performing 2yo filly of her year, Dawn Calling, in a nail biting finish.

The KZN Breeders Race Day is the second biggest event by stakes on Gold Circle’s racing calendar with stakes of R2,6 million on offer. In addition to the stakes earned by the winning and placed connections, the KZN Breeders Club also hand out vouchers to the first four of each race to use towards the purchase of a KZN-bred horse at the KZN Yearling Sale (with a combined value of R223 000), which always takes place the week prior to the running of the Vodacom Durban July.

Further dates for KZN Breeders Series entries:
Supplementary Entries close Friday, 20 April 2018 at 16:00 Fee: R2280 (Fee R2000 + Vat R280)
Final Supplementary Entries close Thursday, 14 June 2018 at 11:00 Fee: R11400 (Fee R10000 + Vat R1400)

In an important update to the entries and conditions this year, to accommodate juveniles that may be showing precociousness for the race day, entries for 2yo’s will remain open until 22 March 2018 at an entry fee of R57 in order to accommodate these young horses. 

The Juvenile log is posted separately.

Well done to the log leaders!

The often shoeless champion Talktothestars (pictured winning last year’s Gr1 Tsogo Sun Sprint) will have a fine chance of defending his crown in the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint over 1200m at Scottsville on Saturday.

The current KZN-bred Equus Champion Sprinter’s last run in the Gr 1 Computaform Sprint over 1000m where he flew home for second in much the same manner as he had when runner up last year, should see him on song for the Gr1 double. The strapping son of Overlord who didnt attract a single bid at the National 2YO Sale and left the ring unsold, went on to win the Tsogo Sun last year off a merit rating of 116, so has a fine chance this year off a 113 merit rating. Chase Maujean retains the ride for owner and trainer Coenie De Beer.

Spring Valley’s London Call, unbeaten in four starts this season, was beautifully relaxed in the running when winning a Pinnacle Stakes event over 1100m at Scottsville last time out and he then showed an effortless turn of foot in a quality field of horses consisting of several Gr1 winners.

This lightly raced six-year-old Kahal gelding out of Fancy Fantasy has improved and has a chance for trainer Mark Dixon and his connections (pictured above), despite having to run off a 111. London Call is certainly deserving of a Gr1 win and relishes the course and distance with an outstanding turn of foot.

Toreador’s Bull Valley will be a massive runner at his best as he has class as well as a good cruising speed and a fine turn of foot. Last November he finished just 0,3 lengths behind Trip To Heaven in the Merchants over 1160m at Turffontein when receiving 3,5 kg a and he was 2,1 lengths clear of Talktothestars, but will now be 4kg worse off.  He is a previous winner of the Gr3 Man O’ War Sprint over 1100m at Turffontein.

Jane Trotter’s consistent son of Captain Al, seven-year-old Barbosa loves the Scottsville straight. The 10-time winner trained by Dennis Drier and owned in partnership by his breeder, RE Alexander, Bruce Campbell and The Apache Syndicate (Nom: Mr JW Trotter)  has been four lengths off the likes of Red Ray and Carry On Alice previously and could be up there with them at the finish.

Keep  a look out for the 3rd leg (of four) of the KZN Breeders “Level The Playing Fields” Series, with the penultimate pools to be run on Saturday in the 2nd and 3rd race of the big Gr1 sprinting card. The recently engaged Billy Jacobson will be seeking a third win to secure his already dominant lead towards the jockey prize of the R50 000 (each for the winning trainer, jockey, owner and breeder).

Billy is aboard Paul Gadsby’s Roy’s Power in the second pool of the day (3rd race) – a winner who has placed nine times and finished just two lengths off over the last two starts of 1200m. Roy’s Power has yet to attempt the distance of 1600m and it will be a brilliant race to follow on the day. Previous winner Putchini who is on the leaderboard of the series will be in the same pool (3rd race), ridden by Jarred Samuel.

The second race (1st pool of two on the day) will see the three previous winners contesting each other – The Poet, Brave And Bold and Royal Agree. Sean Veale has been drawn to ride Wendy Whitehead’s filly Brave And Bold, previous winning jockey Morne Winnaar will be on Glen Kotzen’s Mogok filly Royal Agree whilst The Poet will be ridden by Craig Zackey – who finished second a very close second aboard Putchini in an exciting dual between The Poet (Billy Jacobson) and Putchini last time out.

The previous winning jockey aboard Royal Agree, Athandiwe Magudlwa will be aboard Charles Laird’s entry of Storm Outgoing. A stable Athandiwe is familiar with riding for, the son of Visionaire has won at Grevyille over 1600m previously in February and finished four lengths off over the coming course and distance in May.

This third leg will be thrilling to follow, as the outcome of both races will indicate the final field for the final leg of a stake of R200 000 on KZN Breeders Race Day (R1-million overall for the series), to be run over 1400m on the turf. Thereafter, the prizegiving for the overall winning jockey, trainer, breeder and winner will take place.

Be there on Saturday at Scottsville to select your winners for the KZN Breeders “Level The Playing Fields” Series and see who will be through to the final!

The current log below of the Level The Playing Fields Series.

– extract goldcircle.co.za