Off The Record

Steady Hands in Strong Yards Black horsemen are rising through the ranks In the major stable yards of Gauteng, several black grooms and handlers have moved beyond routine duties to positions of quiet authority.…

Bold Runs, Birthdays And Big-Season Intent The Championships begin with colour and class Guineas Day at Turffontein ushered in the start of the 2026 The Championships on the Highveld. It unfolded with a blend…

See It Again’s Second Chance At The GatesMalan du Toit And The Patient Art Of Rebuilding Trust Above: Malan du Toit with See It Again (image: supplied). Last Saturday, when Justin Snaith’s See It Again…

Road To The CrownsA Century of History Behind South Africa’s Championship Paths Above: Horse Chestnut storms to victory at Turffontein (image: JC Photographics) With the 2026 Highveld Feature Season just a week away,…

Legends of the Cape Town Met:Stories Through the Ages A race that has been run for 164 years is bound to become more than just a list of winners. The Cape Metropolitan Stakes, now…

Andrew Fortune: A Comeback Measured in Kilograms and Grit Above: Andrew Fortune salutes on Gimme What I Want after the 2026 Cartier Sceptre Stakes (image: Chase Liebenberg) Andrew Fortune’s extraordinary career is well documented,…

Don’t Say We Didn’t Warn You!Bizarre Predictions for SA Racing in 2026 No crystal balls were consulted in the making of this forecast, only experience, institutional memory, and a healthy disregard for probability. Here…

A Year in Review This year’s Off The Record columns covered a wide range of ground, but a common thread ran through them: voices worth listening to and moments worth preserving. This wrap reflects…

When a Name Becomes a StoryInside Racing’s Most Creative Tradition Long before a thoroughbred carries a saddlecloth, it carries a name, often borrowed from a memory, a loved one, a celebrity, a private joke,…

Dedication, Devotion and a Quiet Hand Inside the life and philosophy of trainer Frank Robinson Above: Frank receives his Summer Cup trophy from Betway’s Jonathan Blumberg (image: JC Photographics) In racing, fairy tales rarely arrive…

Off The Record

OFF THE RECORD #110

OFF THE RECORD #109

OFF THE RECORD #108

OFF THE RECORD #107

OFF THE RECORD #106

OFF THE RECORD #105

OFF THE RECORD #104

OFF THE RECORD #103

OFF THE RECORD #102

OFF THE RECORD #101