GC Media Release 'JJ' secures bonus points in Charity Turf Challenge - KZN

Forwarded on behalf of Racing South Africa

MEDIA RELEASE – 3 JUNE 2008

Jet Master’s brilliant sprinting son, J J The Jet Plane, scorched to victory in the Gr.1 Golden Horse Casino Sprint on Saturday and in so doing secured the first of the three 25 point bonus races offered in the inaugural Charity Turf Challenge.

Lucky Houdalakis' three-year-old defied top weight to win like a Champion and his fairy tale journey in racing appears to have no end. Purchased for only R70 000 as a yearling, ‘JJ’s’ performance sees last week’s joint leader, 'Honey', hang onto the lead with 100 points. Joining ‘Honey’ at the top of the leader board is Johannesburg-based Mark Aboud.

Apart from being that little bit closer to the Grand Prize worth R50 000, they are also the recipients of the first of the spot prizes offered during the competition. Kruger Racing has kindly donated a R500-00 betting voucher to both our leaders and they will be hosted by Gold Circle’s KZN Chapter and the Racing Association for lunch at the next mid-week race meeting in their respective areas. Congratulations!

The Charles Laird-trained, Warm White Night, was one of the Challenge “bankers” and scored the maximum points for Gr.1 races when repelling his rivals in the Gold Reef Resorts Medallion for two-year-olds. Still unbeaten after three starts, his supporters will be hoping that the Laird camp allow him to take his chance in the Golden Horseshoe run on Vodacom Durban July Day or the Premier’s Champion Stakes run at the end of July on All Stars Day.

Mike de Kock's Brazilian import, Rat Burana, oozed class as she recorded her third career win when showing the fillies a clean pair of heels in the Gr.1 South African Fillies Sprint. Owned by Wilgerbosdrift Stud principle, Mary Slack, Rat Burana’s time was the quickest recorded on the day and having already proven her stamina in previous races, it will be interesting to see where she next makes her appearance.

Veteran trainer Nic Claasen and Mike ‘Azzman’ Azzie shared the spoils in the Allan Robertson Fillies Championship for two-year-old fillies when their respective charges, Geepee S and On Her Toes, could not be separated as they passed the winning post. As Geepee S was not included in the list of 100 qualifiers, only On Her Toes qualified for the winning points and it was Rock Concert who earned 5 valuable points for finishing third.

Lammerskraal Stud’s son of Gone West, Western Winter, fared best of the stallions on show with the victories of Warm White Night and On Her Toes. Incidentally, both were bred by Graeme Beck’s Highlands Stud in Robertson in the Western Cape and bought from Bloodstock South Africa’s 2007 National Yearling Sale for an aggregate of R2,6 million!

The next leg of the Charity Turf Challenge takes place this Saturday when the Daily News 2000, the Woolavington 2000, the Umkhomazi Stakes, the Debutante and the Lonsdale Stirrup Cup all form part of the series of Graded races that lead to the Canon Gold Cup and the Racing South Africa Thoroughbred Expo on Saturday August 2.

The top twenty leader board is:



Mark Aboud 100
‘Honey’ 100
Neil Andrews 95

Mike Seligmann 95

Tejalisa 95
Russel van der Haer 90
Mike Martin 90
Jacques Strydom 90

The following are on 85 points: Mark Aboud; Neil Andrews; Andrew Bon; Gavin Chandler; Glenn's Guesses; Andrew Harrison; ‘JMFJ’; Peter Lambert; Dr E Naicker; Dr A H Parker and ‘Team Vuma’. ‘African Lion’ heads a long list of point scorers on 80 points.

For more information regarding the Racing South Africa Thoroughbred Expo 2008, please contact Expo Secretariat, Sheila de Villiers:

Tel: 031 314 1926 or email: sheilad@goldcircle.co.za

It's a marathon not a sprint, the front runners will fade unless somehow JJ is a late entry into the July? Remember the name "AL-MANARKH" come the 2nd August!