{"id":1361,"date":"2005-12-30T17:10:20","date_gmt":"2005-12-30T17:10:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blacktypebugler.com\/?p=1361"},"modified":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","slug":"oldbtb_99","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/?p=1361","title":{"rendered":"The SAF Connection"},"content":{"rendered":"

QUEEN’S PLATE<\/U><\/DIV>
\u00a0<\/DIV>
New Years Day sees the running of the R600 000 Queens Plate over 1600 metres on the grass at Kenilworth in the Western Cape. It is run under weight-for-age conditions and as South Africa’s premier mile event, has attracted a good quality field.<\/DIV>
\u00a0<\/DIV>
(1) Winter Solstice (Western Winter x Melun) – the reigning Horse of the Year looks hard to oppose here. With 11 runs and 5 seconds from 19 starts, and an even better record over this trip, his credentials are obvious. Merit rating 109.<\/DIV>
(2) Royal IQ (Dominion Royale x Argosy) – good, improving, 6 year old sprinter. Goes the mile for the first time. MR 106.<\/DIV>
(3) Alastor (Al Mufti x Mecca Road) – last years Met winner. Now 7 years old and perhaps losing his edge. Better than his Summer Cup run though and can be competitive under these weight conditions. MR 104.<\/DIV>
(4) O Caesour (Caesour x Al Mufti) – another top class sprinter trying the mile for the first time. Little to choose between himself and his stablemate, Royal IQ. MR 104.<\/DIV>
(5) Dunford (Shalford x Piaffer) – shot to glory in the July off that false pace. Consistent enough and distance suited. MR 100.<\/DIV>
(6) Great Rhythm (I’m Great x Steady Beat) – improving 4 y\/o with 5 wins and 5 seconds from 13 starts. Ran the champ to a neck in their warmup over this trip. MR 100.<\/DIV>
(7) Invincible (National Assembly x Roland Gardens) – consistent recent form. Usually just a length or two of the big guns, but often in the money. MR 99.<\/DIV>
(8) Zebra Crossing (Jallad x Northfields) – good, improving four year old. Distance suited. Good run in the July. MR 99.<\/DIV>
(9) Fork Lightening (Rambo Dancer x Del Sarto) – failed narrowly in three big 3 y\/o races last season. Perhaps best over slightly shorter? MR 96.<\/DIV>
(10) Double Stretch (National Assembly x Damascus Gate) – sprinter, outclassed here. MR 87.<\/DIV>
(11) Jamaica (Sportworld x Averof) – game mare that just doesn’t know when she’s beaten. Loves the distance and biggest danger to the champ. Big and strong and get’s a 2.5 kg sex allowance. MR104.<\/DIV>
\u00a0<\/DIV>
This is going to be a great race, and the pace should be good. Jamaica will put up her usual gutsy fight, but can she hold off Winter Solstice?<\/DIV>
\u00a0<\/DIV>
ZIMBABWE<\/U><\/DIV>
<\/U>\u00a0<\/DIV>
I am a member of a SAF discussion forum consisting mainly of high-profile breeders and racing personalities and a few small-time\/wannabee owner\/breeders like myself. This week, we were forwarded a plea from breeders in Zimbabwe who was kicked off their farm in 36 hours and their horses were barricaded in for 48 hours. It took the help of the SPCA to get them access to their horses. In desperation, they were willing to sell off their band of 5 mares and 4 yearlings, knowing that they’ve effectively been wiped out as far as being a viable breeding operation is concerned. <\/DIV>
\u00a0<\/DIV>
Fortunately, one member of the\u00a0forum has offered to put up the horses at his farm here in South Africa (about 2 hours drive from my home) at no charge for as long as is necessary, including paying for travelling costs. They are a very nice looking bunch of horses, well-related and well-performed, and I’m sure offers are already in.<\/DIV>
\u00a0<\/DIV>
So, the madness continues in our neighboring country. They are currently reduced to a single track and have few race meetings, but it’s a wonder that they can continue at all.<\/DIV><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Queens Plate (GR1), Zimbabwe Chaos<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":149,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"colormag_page_container_layout":"default_layout","colormag_page_sidebar_layout":"default_layout","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1361","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1361","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/149"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1361"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1361\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1361"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1361"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1361"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}