Andrew Fortune joins the team
As the new season approaches the Gary Alexander Racing Team is happy to announce that we have secured the services of former South African Champion jockey, Andrew Fortune.
Andrew will be moving to Johannesburg towards the end of July and will also be riding work for us at Turffontein four times a week.
We have had the pleasure of working with Andrew in the past, however not on a full-time basis as will now be the case. We can confidently say that he is a top horseman with superb riding skills and judgment and we know that each and every one of the horses in our care will benefit from the feedback we receive from Andrew.
For the past two months Andrew has been in a Sports Medical Facility determined to deal with his weight problem, which has plagued Andrew most of his career. However, with Andrew’s never say die attitude and his mental strength and determination he has managed to bring his weight down naturally from 63kg’s to 55kg’s, this in itself speaks volumes about his character and his will to achieve.
We are confident that Andrew will add invaluable information about the horses and his world-class riding ability is sure to keep us in front.
Durban July clock is ticking
The World Cup of Soccer is gaining momentum and come 11 July the kings of the beautiful game will be crowned. South African racings King will be crowned at the end of July when the Vodacom Durban July is run at Greyville over 2200m on Saturday 31 July.
At the time of writing there are six weeks to go to the country's premier race and if the betting is anything to go by, there are not too many 'real' contenders for top honours in the premier race.
Irish Flame, winner of the SA Derby and the Daily News 2000, is the ruling, and worthy, favourite at this time. He is priced up at 4-1 favourite, his opening price having been 25-1. Bold Silvano, a close second to his stablemate in the Daily News 2000 and winner of the Greyville 1900, is the second fabourite at 5-1, his odds having come in from an opening call of 33-1 which, if you took those odds, puts you in a great position now.
Big City Life, winner of the July last year, had his odds trimmed to 8-1 after he and new partner Pierre Strydom scored a decisive win in the Gold Challenge and showed that they would be spot on come the end of July. Pocket Power made a scintilating debut to the Winter Season in KwaZulu-Natal but was given too much to do in the Gold Challenge and his odds of 12-1 hold value.
Sister and stablemate River Jetez had her odds trimmed to 16-1 after being claimed from the opening call of 20-1 and she has to be respected. Another horse at a good price.
Looking down the bookmakers board there really does not appear to be anything that looks capable of winning the July and unless there are some really eye-catching performances by them in the weeks leading into the July, one is likely to see their prices stretch.
The betting at 15 July is: 4-1 Irish Flame; 5-1 Bold Silvano, Fort Vogue; 7-1 Aslan; 8-1 Big City Life; 12-1 Pocket Power; 16-1 River Jetez; 25-1 Ancestral Fore, Bravura, Mother Russia, Rudra; 33-1 and upwards the rest.
Pierre Jourdan is the toast of the night
Pierre Jourdan, the three-year-old son fo Parade Leader bred by Summerhill Stud, might have had to settle for second best in the SA Derby but he was the toast of the night at the Highveld Racing Awards held at Emperors Palace on Saturday 8 May.
The multiple group-race winner walked away with the Three Year-Old Colt/Gelding, Champion Middle Distance Horse and, the highlight of the night, The Horse Of The Year awards.
Pierre Jourdan will be given a rest for the remainder of the season and will make his return to the tracks in early summer when is sure to be a stronger and better horse, promising much for his owners and racing.
Pierre Jourdan is a class act
Pierre Jourdan, the three-year-old son fo Parade Leader bred by Summerhill Stud, has established himself as one of the best of his generation by winning the Peermont Emperor's Palace Ready To Run Cup at Turffontein on Saturday 7 November.
The strapping bay gelding easily skipped clear of the opposition in the last 100m of the 1400m contest, going away from the field to win by an ever increasing margin of two lengths.
Rider Sean Cormack, a late stand-in for stable jockey Derreck David who fractured his ankle in two places in a fall at the Vaal on Thursday, rode a perfect race giving Pierre Jourdan every chance and showing what class this thoroughbred has.
Purchased for just R60 000, Pierre Jourdan has won in excess of R855 000 and looks destined to add substantially to that increasing tally.
Congratulations to owners Emilio Baisero and Gary Alexander.
(to view the finish of the race go to http://www.racingassociation.co.za/show_video.php?rid=4217)
Pierre Jourdan makes it two from two
Pierre Jourdan, a three-year-old son fo Parade Leader bred by Summerhill Stud, has been to the track twice and remains unbeaten, his last win coming at the expense of some decent sorts, albeit with the assistance of the Sitpendiary Stewards.
Having shown a touch of class when winning impressively on debut, the youngster comfortably managed the step up in class to win a Progress Plate over 1450m on the inside track at Turffontein on Saturday 24 October 2009. The winning margin is recorded as having been a head, but the verdict had to be delivered in the board room where the stipes agreed that had Piere Jourdan not been interferred with he would have won the race, beating feature-race placed Smanjemanje and two-time winner Winter's Night.
Pierre Jourdan looks destined for bigger things and is sure to give his owners many exciting moments.
Andrew Fortune joins the team
As the new season approaches the Gary Alexander Racing Team is happy to announce that we have secured the services of former South African Champion jockey, Andrew Fortune.
Andrew will be moving to Johannesburg towards the end of July and will also be riding work for us at Turffontein four times a week.
We have had the pleasure of working with Andrew in the past, however not on a full-time basis as will now be the case. We can confidently say that he is a top horseman with superb riding skills and judgment and we know that each and every one of the horses in our care will benefit from the feedback we receive from Andrew.
For the past two months Andrew has been in a Sports Medical Facility determined to deal with his weight problem, which has plagued Andrew most of his career. However, with Andrew’s never say die attitude and his mental strength and determination he has managed to bring his weight down naturally from 63kg’s to 55kg’s, this in itself speaks volumes about his character and his will to achieve.
We are confident that Andrew will add invaluable information about the horses and his world-class riding ability is sure to keep us in front.
Durban July clock is ticking
The World Cup of Soccer is gaining momentum and come 11 July the kings of the beautiful game will be crowned. South African racings King will be crowned at the end of July when the Vodacom Durban July is run at Greyville over 2200m on Saturday 31 July.
At the time of writing there are six weeks to go to the country's premier race and if the betting is anything to go by, there are not too many 'real' contenders for top honours in the premier race.
Irish Flame, winner of the SA Derby and the Daily News 2000, is the ruling, and worthy, favourite at this time. He is priced up at 4-1 favourite, his opening price having been 25-1. Bold Silvano, a close second to his stablemate in the Daily News 2000 and winner of the Greyville 1900, is the second fabourite at 5-1, his odds having come in from an opening call of 33-1 which, if you took those odds, puts you in a great position now.
Big City Life, winner of the July last year, had his odds trimmed to 8-1 after he and new partner Pierre Strydom scored a decisive win in the Gold Challenge and showed that they would be spot on come the end of July. Pocket Power made a scintilating debut to the Winter Season in KwaZulu-Natal but was given too much to do in the Gold Challenge and his odds of 12-1 hold value.
Sister and stablemate River Jetez had her odds trimmed to 16-1 after being claimed from the opening call of 20-1 and she has to be respected. Another horse at a good price.
Looking down the bookmakers board there really does not appear to be anything that looks capable of winning the July and unless there are some really eye-catching performances by them in the weeks leading into the July, one is likely to see their prices stretch.
The betting at 15 July is: 4-1 Irish Flame; 5-1 Bold Silvano, Fort Vogue; 7-1 Aslan; 8-1 Big City Life; 12-1 Pocket Power; 16-1 River Jetez; 25-1 Ancestral Fore, Bravura, Mother Russia, Rudra; 33-1 and upwards the rest.
Pierre Jourdan is the toast of the night
Pierre Jourdan, the three-year-old son fo Parade Leader bred by Summerhill Stud, might have had to settle for second best in the SA Derby but he was the toast of the night at the Highveld Racing Awards held at Emperors Palace on Saturday 8 May.
The multiple group-race winner walked away with the Three Year-Old Colt/Gelding, Champion Middle Distance Horse and, the highlight of the night, The Horse Of The Year awards.
Pierre Jourdan will be given a rest for the remainder of the season and will make his return to the tracks in early summer when is sure to be a stronger and better horse, promising much for his owners and racing.
Pierre Jourdan is a class act
Pierre Jourdan, the three-year-old son fo Parade Leader bred by Summerhill Stud, has established himself as one of the best of his generation by winning the Peermont Emperor's Palace Ready To Run Cup at Turffontein on Saturday 7 November.
The strapping bay gelding easily skipped clear of the opposition in the last 100m of the 1400m contest, going away from the field to win by an ever increasing margin of two lengths.
Rider Sean Cormack, a late stand-in for stable jockey Derreck David who fractured his ankle in two places in a fall at the Vaal on Thursday, rode a perfect race giving Pierre Jourdan every chance and showing what class this thoroughbred has.
Purchased for just R60 000, Pierre Jourdan has won in excess of R855 000 and looks destined to add substantially to that increasing tally.
Congratulations to owners Emilio Baisero and Gary Alexander.
(to view the finish of the race go to http://www.racingassociation.co.za/show_video.php?rid=4217)
Pierre Jourdan makes it two from two
Pierre Jourdan, a three-year-old son fo Parade Leader bred by Summerhill Stud, has been to the track twice and remains unbeaten, his last win coming at the expense of some decent sorts, albeit with the assistance of the Sitpendiary Stewards.
Having shown a touch of class when winning impressively on debut, the youngster comfortably managed the step up in class to win a Progress Plate over 1450m on the inside track at Turffontein on Saturday 24 October 2009. The winning margin is recorded as having been a head, but the verdict had to be delivered in the board room where the stipes agreed that had Piere Jourdan not been interferred with he would have won the race, beating feature-race placed Smanjemanje and two-time winner Winter's Night.
Pierre Jourdan looks destined for bigger things and is sure to give his owners many exciting moments.