Horse racing at Greyville. Picture: Gallo Images
A mere seven months ago, the racing world hadn’t heard of her, now she’s arguably the most popular racehorse in the country.
Like most great racing stories, hers and those of her human connections are about small beginnings, rags to riches, heart in adversity.
And about fitting reward for devotion and investment – or quid pro quo, which means a fair exchange of one thing for another.
Quid Pro Quo’s story had a rousing chapter at Greyville on Sunday, World Pool Gold Cup Day, when she won the R1-million Grade 1 Douglas Whyte Thekwini Stakes – one of several prestige races that brought down the curtain on the 2023/24 racing season.
But winning a posh race was something of a minor detail in the tale.
To start at the end: the Hong Kong Jockey Club, sponsors of the meeting, handed a R100,000 cheque to Asithandile “Shorty” Mgadeni, groom of Quid Pro Quo, who was judged to have made the World Pool Moment of the Day.
There could have been no arguments about this award – even from Sabine Plattner and Andre Nel, owner and trainer of Master Redoute, winner of the main event, the Gold Cup. Or from Larry Nestadt, Gary Player, the Ralphs Racing syndicate and Mike de Kock – illustrious connections of Dave The King, who won the elite HKJC Champions Cup.
Quid Pro Quo outdid them all.
Back to the beginning: racehorse owner and small-scale breeder Gerald Kalil had been dabbling in thoroughbreds for many years when he decided to mate his mare Delightfull Diva with obscure stallion Lance.
Kalil had seen Lance win a minor feature race at Turffontein for multiple champion trainer Sean Tarry and liked what he saw. Trainer Barend Botes, checking his homemade bloodline programme, gave a thumbs up.
Lance had very few mares visit him that year – or any year – despite Tarry giving him a glowing reference.
And despite a superb pedigree: by the great Jet Master out of top Jallad mare Lyrical Linda.
Lance made the most of the fleeting encounter.
Fashion in horse breeding is sometimes hard to fathom.
Kalil put the offspring up for sale but bought her back for small change when next to no interest was shown. He would have to race her himself.
Under the care of Asithandile Mgadeni, at Botes’s Vaal training yard, Quid Pro Quo blossomed into a promising galloper. She finished second on her home track in her first outing, on 16 January 2024. The entire Botes enterprise was then uprooted and relocated to Summerveld in KwaZulu-Natal – after decades of modest success on the Highveld.
Any qualms Botes might have had about his life-changing move were soon dispelled – mainly by Quid Pro Quo, who took to life at the coast and hauled Botes and Kalil up the racing mountain, eventually getting them interviewed before a global TV audience of many millions on a World Pool day.
In early June, the filly landed the Grade 1 1200m Alan Robertson Championship at Scottsville, then the Grade 2 1400m Golden Slipper at Greyville, then the aforementioned Grade 1 1600m Thekwini. This made for an unofficial juvenile “triple crown”, completed five wins in a row, wrapped up the Equus champion juvenile filly award and had pundits chattering about the country’s best filly in ages.
If Quid Pro Quo was already a fan favourite before Sunday, the circumstances of her triumph made her a sensation.
A wide draw introduced a smidgeon of doubt to the minds of punters and she hovered above even money in the betting odds. Then she spread a front shoe on the way to the start and it was announced that a new alumite would be fitted at the gates.
The farrier found the task problematic and, in the interests of time, suggested removing a second shoe and allowing Quid Pro Quo to race unshod in front. Botes was buzzed for the go-ahead – which he gave.
Jockey S’Manga Khumalo said later he was “shocked” at the turn of events. He and seasoned punters knew racing unshod was a negative; having such change and disruption just before a race was probably a kiss of death.
Quid Pro Quo thought otherwise, though, quickly overcame her bad draw in running and sauntered to stunning victory.
The TV presenters collectively used the word “unbelievable” a dozen times in the next five minutes.
Khumalo, who’s landed some big ones, said it was “a memorable win”; Botes noted that “Zola Budd also raced without shoes”, Kalil reflected on “a dream come true” and Mgadeni said he was “very happy” for all concerned.
Quid Quo Quo was led away, resplendent in a shiny new winning blanket, looking unfazed by all the fuss.
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