Latest news with #HKJCChampionsCup
The Citizen
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
KZN trainers strike back
Stuart Ferrie and Gareth van Zyl cap good season for locals. There was plenty of hot action at Greyville at the weekend. Picture: Gallo Images Gold Cup day highlighted an interesting trend of the 2025 Champions Season in KwaZulu-Natal: a re-emergence into the spotlight of the host province's training yards. Stuart Ferrie and Gareth van Zyl ended the season on a triumphant note at Greyville on Sunday, saddling Gladatorian and King Pelles to victory in two of South Africa's pre-eminent races – the HKJC Champions Cup and the World Pool Gold Cup respectively. Ferrie, Van Zyl and their compatriots have given KwaZulu-Natal racing its best winter for ages – fighting back against the powerful Western Cape and Highveld stables who had been carrying off most of the season's abundant loot for decades. An unlikely ally in the fightback has been from the Eastern Cape backwaters – Fairview ace trainer Alan Greeff, who landed three KZN features (two Grade 1s and a Grade 2) with his raiders. When Peter Muscutt won the East Coast Cup (Listed) with a filly called Mascerina at a soggy Greyville on 3 May – the first day of the famed Champions Season – no-one saw it a harbinger of bigger things to come for his fellow local yokels. Yet, in the next race on the card, Ferrie sent out his stable star Gladatorian to land the Drill Hall Stakes (Grade 2) – just ahead of Summerveld neighbours Michael Roberts and See It Again. The following week, Selukwe won the WSB 1900 at Greyville. Though carded under Cape-based Andre Nel's name, Selukwe had been resident at Summerveld for some time and prepared there by satellite assistant conditioner Byron Foster. It was business as usual as the Guineas, Daily News, Woolavington and Golden Horse trophies all shipped to Cape Town, but the hegemony was disrupted by the man from Gqeberha, Greeff, who won the Grade 1 Alan Robetson Championship with Direct Hit. Then Durban's Frank Robinson won the Cup Trial with Madison Valley, Van Zyl the Tote Derby with King Pelles and Alyson Wright the Tote Oaks with She's A Bomber. KZN Breeders' Day was almost a KZN clean sweep, with Ferrie, Doug Campbell, the Moores and the Hills leading in feature winners. The biggest prize, the Hollywoodbets Durban July, eluded KZN yet again, but Ferrie and Van Zyl had feature success on the day with, respectively, I Am Giant in the Grade 2 Post Merchants and King Pelles in the Grade 3 Gold Vase – as did Greeff with Anotherdancefor me in the Grade 2 Golden Slipper. Then it was Gold Cup day and the glories mentioned above. Also, Greeff snatched the Grade 1 Douglas Whyte Thekwini Stakes with shooting star Golden Palm. To round things off, Muscutt, who had started the KZN run, won the Listed Darley Arabian with appropriately named I Salute You. It's too soon to talk of an ongoing renaissance for KwaZulu-Natal training yards, but they certainly have had a major fillip in terms of big-race results. The winning mood could be a result of optimism and positive thinking brought about by the financial salvation job by Hollywood in the province. An economic boost can do that.
South China Morning Post
5 days ago
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Dave The King bids for Champions Cup repeat with Keagen de Melo in opposition at Greyville
Hong Kong-based Keagan de Melo is in action at Greyville on Sunday. Photo: Kenneth Chan Dave The King will look for his crowning glory when he goes for back-to-back wins in the Group One HKJC Champions Cup (1,800m) at Greyville on Sunday. The Mike and Mathew De Kock-trained star is unbeaten in two starts this campaign, latterly winning the Group One Gold Challenge (1,600m) at Greyville in June. The four-year-old was a comfortable winner of this race 12 months ago, cruising clear on his way to becoming South African Horse of the Year. The father and son combination have their runner in fine fettle and Mathew is confident their superstar can run a huge race. DAVE THE KING wins the G1 @HKJC_Racing Champions Cup! 👑 Superb front running ride from @richardfourie to give @MdkRacing and @Safgirl2 another Grade 1 winner. #WorldPool 🤝 @GoldCircleRSA — World Pool (@WorldPool) July 28, 2024 'He has come on from his last start, which is great because it was really only his second run after a rest,' said De Kock. 'He seems to be peaking for this race, which is fantastic. 'He won very well last year, so it looks like everything is coming together for him to kind of put in a similar performance.' Hong Kong-based Keagan de Melo has returned home for the off season and will ride See It Again for trainer Michael Roberts, who goes fresh into the race after picking up an injury in the run up to the Group One Durban July (2,200m) won by Dave The King. The race helps make up a ten-race programme from Greyville, with all the races simulcast. HK Racing News Get updates direct to your inbox Sign up Best Bets Racing News By registering you agree to our T&Cs & Privacy Policy Error: Please enter a valid email. The email address is already in use. Please login to subscribe. Error, please try again later. THANK YOU You are one the list. G1 Grosser Dallmayr-Preis - Bayerisches Zuchtrennen ausgetragen seit 1866 over 2000m G1 for 3yo+ horses - 155.000€ 🥇CALIF 5yo g by AREION 🥈FANTASTIC MOON 4yo c by SEA THE MOON 🥉WESTMINSTER MOON 4yo c by SEA THE MOON CALIF is bred by Gestüt Brümmerhof, owned by Victorious… — Deutscher Galopp (@DeutscherGalopp) July 28, 2024 There is also simulcast action from Germany, with the Group One Grosser Preis Bayerisches Zuchtrennen (2,000m) at Munich being the feature. The highest rated in the line-up will be the Francis-Henri Graffard-trained Map Of Stars, who will be ridden by British ace James Doyle. The German flag will be waived by Lazio, an unbeaten two-year-old who ran a brilliant third in the Group One Deutsches Derby (2,400m) at Hamburg last time. Calif, who ran a screamer to finish third to Tastiera in April's Group One FWD QEII Cup (2,000m) at Sha Tin, defends his crown for trainer Carlos Lerner.
