A long-range assault on this year’s Breeders’ Cup is being hatched by connections of Isivunguvungu, a dual G1-winning sprinter in South Africa.
According to a report in South Africa’s Sporting Post, the five-year-old is set to be transferred to Graham Motion’s Maryland stable to be prepared for a crack at the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar in November for his owners, the Hollywood Syndicate.
“They have to spend two months in quarantine in America,” explained the Hollywood Syndicate’s racing manager Anthony Delpech, speaking to the Sporting Post.
“Isivunguvungu will then go to the trainer and start getting his fitness back. The aim is the Breeders Cup and he will have one or two runs before then. We will be able to see what level he is up to –it’s all part of learning.”
Formerly trained by Peter Muscutt, the What A Winter gelding has won two G1 events at home. In April 2023 he landed the Computaform Sprint at Turffontein over five furlongs before stepping up to six and claiming the Mercury Sprint in courageous fashion at Greyville in July.
A bid for a third G1 at home was derailed when he cut his shoulder in a gate incident at the start of the recent Cape Flying Championship.
Isivunguvungu will fly from Johannesburg next week en route to Motion’s barn at the Fair Hill Training Center, from where he has saddled four previous Breeders’ Cup winners.
He will be accompanied on the flight by dual G1-winning filly Make It Snappy, who has been retired and is headed for the Kieswetter family’s Barnane Stud in Ireland.
• Visit the Sporting Post website
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