Isivunguvungu to fly SA flag in Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint
All eyes will be on South Africa sprint champion Isivunguvungu in the Prevagen Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar on Saturday.
All eyes will be on former South African Equus Champion Sprinter Isivunguvungu in the Prevagen Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar in California on Saturday, 2 November.
Isivunguvungu is a What A Winter gelding out of the Tiger Ridge mare Miss Tweedy.
He has drawn Gate 10 (of 12) for the $1 million (R17.6 million) contest which is Race 5 on the card.
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The gates are due to fly open at 21:41 (SA time) and the race will be screened live on DStv channel 240.
Isivunguvungu, which means ‘storm’ in Xhosa, was bred by Narrow Creek Stud and is owned by the Hollywood Syndicate.
Trainer Graham Motion said after the draw allocation that Isivunguvungu has plenty of speed around him, which could help him in the 1 000m contest.
Current race favourite Cogburn (Gate 9) is on his inside and second-favourite Bradsell is drawn widest of all in Gate 12.
Isivunguvungu is currently on offer at 20/1 at Hollywoodbets and will be ridden by Manuel Franco.
Six-year-old Isivunguvungu took the United States by storm when he won the Listed Da Hoss Stakes at Colonial Downs over 1 100m in early September in what was his maiden – and only – US start to date.
Franco was also on board Isivunguvungu in his Da Hoss Stakes win.
Meanwhile, a second South African export to the United States earlier this year, Beach Bomb, will also feature on the race card.
The former Candice Bass-Robinson trained Beach Bomb, who now also races out of the Motion yard, has drawn Gate 11 (of 13) in the $2 million Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf in what is Race 9.
The race will be run over a distance of 2 200m and is scheduled for 00:25 (SA time) on Sunday, 3 November.
The South African website wishes both horses the very best of luck in running.
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