South Africa

In 1976, 23-year-old Trevor Denman took a vacation from his race calling gigs at three tracks in Natal, South Africa, to venture to the United States to see what racing in a different part of the world was like. Because it was January, he left in the middle of a long, hot summer at home, packing only lightweight clothing and traveling in a dapper Palm Beach suit. His wardrobe choices left him ill-prepared for the first several stops on his cross-country tour of America, which happened to be the winter...

After 40 years on the mic, predominantly at Santa Anita and Del Mar, but also for a time as the voice of the Breeders' Cup and Triple Crown races, track announcer Trevor Denman has announced his retirement. "This is one of the hardest decisions I have ever made," Denman said. "But my soul is telling me that now is the time." Denman, 72, began calling races in 1971 in his native South Africa and came to America in time to assume racecalling duties at Santa Anita in 1983. At one...

Sportingly sent to the U.S. after years-long export regulations for South African horses were eased and after having to endure an arduous period in quarantine post-arrival, Cayton Park Stud's Beach Bomb (SAf) (Lancaster Bomber) was given a beautifully rated steer from the front by Luis Saez and led past every pole in Saturday's GIII The Very One Stakes at Gulfstream Park. A latest eighth, but not beaten far, in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, Beach Bomb was ridden positively by Saez and got into a good rhythm...

Lot 87, a son of Vercingetorix (SAf) and Chestnuts N Pearls (SAf) (Horse Chestnut {SAf}) already named Chestnut Verse (SAf), was the headline horse on Thursday's Cape Racing Sales Summer Sale. Sold to Laurence Wernars's Triple 8 Clothing for R2.2 million (£96,383/€114,271/$119,098), the colt was offered by Drakenstein Stud. His dam won the G1 Golden Slipper at Greyville, and is a half-sister to Golden Dawn (SAf) (Goldmark {SAf}), who won at listed level. A Vercingetorix filly, Proud Mary (SAf) (lot 66), also went to Triple 8 Clothing, who paid a...

Mathew de Kock is set to return to his native South Africa to join forces with his father, Mike de Kock, in the launch of a new training partnership, the family announced on Wednesday. In 2020, Mathew and his wife Monique emigrated to Australia to broaden their knowledge and skill set, training in partnership with Robbie Griffiths in Cranbourne for four years. The Griffiths/De Kock association celebrated close to 250 winners during that period, including 12 stakes winners, and regularly occupied a place in the top 10 of the Victoria...

World Pool's globally commingled pools will be in operation in Britain, Germany and South Africa this weekend, the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) announced on Friday. The G1 Durban July and G1 Garden Province Stakes are both World Pool races at Greyville in South Africa on Saturday for the first time, while the G1 Coral-Eclipse Stakes returns to the World Pool fold at Sandown later that same day. Hamburg Racecourse in Germany will feature the G1 Deutsches Derby and three other races on the card on Sunday--the G3 Hamburger Stutenpreis,...

Former Steinhoff International Chief Executive Markus Jooste has died at the age of 63, the Financial Times reported on Thursday. Jooste, who was at one point heavily involved on the worldwide racing scene through his Mayfair Speculators, died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, the FT reported. He was fined R475 million (£19,937,078/€23,234,382/$25,229,382) for accounting fraud--due on or before Apr. 19--by South Africa's Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) on Wednesday, Reuters reported. The regulator found that Jooste had published "false or misleading financial statements" following an investigation into the matter....

Ross Fuller has been appointed the new stud manager at Main Chance Farms in South Africa, the stud announced on Wednesday. The Sporting Post first reported the new appointment. Previously a team member at prestigious farms Wilgerbosdrift, Drakenstein and Ridgemont, Fuller returns to South Africa after stints in Australia and England. "While our horses are the proud flagships of our brand, we pride ourselves on quality and professionalism of the highest order and our people are an integral factor in our success," Maine Chance's Dr. Andreas Jacobs told the publication....

A plane carrying 11 South African Thoroughbreds, among them current Equus Horse of the Year Princess Calla (SAf) (Flower Alley) and Breeders' Cup qualifier Beach Bomb (SAf) (Lancaster Bomber), touched down at New York's JFK Airport on Thursday, the Sporting Post reported. November's Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships at Del Mar are on the radar for several of the new arrivals, who will now spend two months in quarantine. The first direct export flight from South Africa since 2003, the plan was chartered after champion owner/breederGaynor Rupert of Drakenstein Stud,...

Nine new race days have been added to the World Pool calendar in the first six months of 2024, including the Newmarket fixture on Sunday, May 5 which features the G1 QIPCO 1,000 Guineas. One other race on the card will be included during a bumper weekend of action on the Rowley Mile, following on from the entire G1 QIPCO 2,000 Guineas card on Saturday, May 4 which has been a World Pool event since 2022. The other additions to the schedule include the G1 Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas and...

GI Breeders' Cup Mile winner Expert Eye (GB) (Acclamation {GB}) has been sold by Juddmonte to continue his career in South Africa at the new stallion operation of Paardeberg Stud. A collaboration between British businessmen Steve Ajax and Charles Palmer in partnership with South African breeder Sally Bruss, Paardebrg Stud sits on 200 hectares in the Paarl region of the Western Cape. Expert Eye, the sire of Chesham S. winner Snellen (GB) and G3 Dick Poole Fillies' S winner Juniper Berries (GB), is currently in quarantine in South Africa ahead...

It is not unusual to see Group 1-winning jockeys riding work in Newmarket, but it is a less familiar sight to find one riding four lots a day through the depths of winter. That, however, is how South Africa's multiple champion Greg Cheyne has been spending his time since relocating from his native country last August. Cheyne and his wife Claire are both now employed by William Haggas at Somerville Lodge, and the jockey has recently been given the green light by the British Horseracing Authority to resume his race-riding...