Golden Horse trumps Gold Cup in the age of the sprinter

The relative fortunes of the Golden Horse Sprint at Scottsville and the Gold Cup at Greyville over the past half century neatly sum up the seismic shifts in South Africa’s thoroughbred breeding industry.

Back in the 1960s, the Gold Cup was widely regarded as the fourth biggest horse race in the country – after the July, Met and Summer.

The Golden Horse was a new addition to the racing calendar, the very first sponsored race (by Gilbey’s Gin – and not a universally popular development) and barely attracting any attention from trainers outside Natal.

Nowadays, the Gold Cup has been downgraded to a Grade 3 event due to the low quality of runners down the years, while the Golden Horse has raiders from far and wide and is among the five most prestigious sprints in the country.

Thanks to the preponderance of sprint and mile races scheduled these days – which give owners quicker returns and allows horses to run more regularly thus hiking stake-winning opportunities – marathons like the Gold Cup have been elbowed to the sidelines.

The entry list for the 2022 Golden Horse Sprint – to be raced on the first weekend of June – has 45 names, which according to Sporting Post’s research is the largest number in a decade.

A date for EU veterinary officials to travel to South Africa to audit our African horse sickness containment regime has finally been set – an auspicious moment which many in the breeding industry believe will be a game changer. If the EU says local breeders can export horses directly to Europe without onerous quarantines, massive barriers to equine trade around the world will fall, many reckon.

The big-money markets of the UK, the US, Japan, Australia and Europe tend to value long-distance races a little more than South Africa does, so one wonders whether we will see stamina blood seeping back into the local breeding sheds. One can only hope.

Meanwhile, the prospect of speedy thrills in Maritzburg next week are compelling. Top trainer Sean Tarry has been talking up the chances of his charge Eden Roc, but the likes of Bard Of Avon, Bartholdi, Battle Force, Global Drummer, Real Gone Kid and Seeking the Stars won’t be giving him an inch up the tough Scottsville home stretch.

Golden Horse Sprint entries:

44 After The Rain Gareth van Zyl 96
39 Al Sakeet Mike de Kock 116
20 Alesian Chief Corrie Lensley 119
2 Ambiorix Vaughan Marshall 106
6 Aqua Bolt Andre Nel 96
33 Bard Of Avon Ashley Fortune 104
1 Bartholdi M G Azzie/A A Azzie 112
4 Barzalona Candice Bass-Robinson 106
28 Battle Force Peter Muscutt 120
3 Big Burn Paul Peter 122
11 Cartel Captain Dennis Drier 117
40 Celestial Love J A Janse van Vuuren 113
23 Chimichuri Run Sean Tarry 115
45 Coin Spinner Tony Rivalland 97
38 Cosmic Highway Dean Kannemeyer 116
25 Danilo Danilovitch Paul Matchett 98
5 Double Charge Andre Nel 93
27 Eden Roc Sean Tarry 111
19 Full Velocity Sean Tarry 108
7 Global Drummer Gavin Smith 113
17 Good Traveller Glen Kotzen 116
24 Hello Winter Hello J A Janse van Vuuren 113
29 Ikigai Sean Tarry 108
18 Isivunguvungu Peter Muscutt 103
41 Love Bomb Frank Robinson 94
15 Mount Pleasant (AUS) Duncan Howells 106
36 Mr Cobbs Candice Bass-Robinson 108
22 Pearl Of Asia Robbie Hill 117
13 Pray For Rain Dennis Drier 107
9 Prince Of Fire J A Janse van Vuuren 110
30 Real Gone Kid (AUS) Brett Crawford 112
35 Seeking The Stars Vaughan Marshall 124
31 Sikhulu WDF Badenhorst/BC Kennedy 88
21 Smorgasbord Paul Peter 118
32 Socrates Shane Humby 109
14 Sullenberger Jaap Visser 92
43 Tempting Fate Dennis Drier 110
26 Thumbs Up J A Janse van Vuuren 106
37 True To Life J A Janse van Vuuren 114
10 Ultra Magnus Peter Muscutt 114
34 Val d’Orcia Paul Peter 105
8 Vars Vicky Stuart Pettigrew 111
16 Warrior’s Rest Sean Tarry 111
42 Winter Stories Paul Peter 114
12 Xavion Brett Crawford 98
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