South Africa

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...

Multiple Grade 1 winner Jet Dark (SAf) (Trippi--Night Jet (SAf), by Jet Master (SAf)) has been retired and will take up stallion duties at Drakenstein Stud where he was foaled and raised, owners Nick Jonsson and Tommy Crowe announced. Drakenstein's Gaynor Rupert is now part-owner of the bay. The R200,000 BSA April yearling won Grade 1s at ages two, three, four and five and was named 2020/21 Equus Champion 3-year-old Colt, 2020/21 and 2021/22 Equus Champion Miler, 2021/22 Equus Champion Older Male and 2021/22 Equus Champion Middle Distance Horse. He...

The 2023 Cape Yearling Sale catalogue is now online and can be viewed on the Bloodstock South Africa website. Potential standouts include lot 13, a Querari (Ger) half-brother to G1 Cape Derby runner-up Sachdev (SAf) (Silvano {Ger}); an Erupt (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) half-sister to MG1SP Driving Miss Daisy (SAf) (Master Of My Fate {SAf}) (lot 35) and a colt out of G3 Fillies Mile winner Banbury (SAf) (Horse Chestnut {SAf}), by Ideal World, who will pass through the ring as lot 88. The 2023 Cape Yearling Sale will be held...

Newmarket may be known for its dominant stables that currently house headline names such as Baaeed (GB), Stradivarius (Ire) and Alpinista (GB), but the town is also home to a large number of smaller yards, and the newest trainer to join the town's ranks is Dylan Cunha. The South African is new to Britain but he is not new to training. In his home country he won the G1 Steinhoff International Summer Cup with Strategic News (Aus) (Strategic {Aus}) in 2007. To include him within our Local Heroes series is...

A bay son of Gimmethegreenlight (Aus) (lot 378) brought a session-topping R2 million (£100,745/€120,106/$126,676) during the second day's trade at the Bloodstock South Africa National Yearling Sale which ended on Friday. Greg Bortz snapped up the half-brother to Grade 3 winners Ghaalla (SAf) (Var) and Due Diligence (SAf) (Silvano {Ger}) from Varsfontein Stud, who is already named Steadfast (SAf). South African Triple Crown winner Malmoos (SAf) (Captain Al {SAf}) features under the second dam. Second top lot was a son of Fire Away out of Equus Champion Broodmare of the...