Major win for Fosters
THE rangy Captain Al colt Tap O’ Noth secured a first Cape Guineas win for passionate British owners-and-breeders Alec and the Honourable Gillian Foster at Kenilworth on Saturday. Alec had initially been concerned when Tap O’ Noth drew widest of all in the 14-horse field.
However, trainer Vaughan Marshall, who has now won the Cape Guineas five times, put his mind at rest when pointing out he had twice won the big race from wide draws, with Captain Al in 2000 and with Captain Al’s son William Longsword last year.
MJ Byleveld produced one of the rides of the season on William Longsword last year and repeated the feat on Saturday.
He bided his time out wide before choosing the right moment and acting decisively, slotting the rangy Captain Al colt into a midfield position. Thereafter he had cover throughout behind Undercover Agent.
Tap O’ Noth moved up well in the straight under hands and heels and when asked the question showed a fine turn of foot to win cosily by half-alength, despite tending to hang inward.
Alec had been privy to Marshall and Byleveld’s pre-race strategy and said, “The plan worked out perfectly. It was a fantastic ride.”
The Fosters watched from Marshall’s box and Alec understated, “There was a lot of noise!”
Later, the Foster owned-and-bred four-year-old gelding Strathdon, a Justin Snaith-trained halfbrother to Tap O’ Noth, won the Grade 3 Mahala TV Cape Summer Stayers Handicap over 2 500m.
Alec believes Tap O’ Noth will stay the trip of the Grade 1 Investec Cape Derby, but cautioned, “It’s only when they actually go over 2 000m that you know.”
He also pointed out Strathdon was by the stamina influence Silvano, who is from German blood he had always liked.
Saturday’s Cape Guineas was the third Grade 1 victory for the Fosters, whose participation in South African racing stretches back to 1985, and Alec considered it their most important win.
He said, “If you go back and look at the past winners of the Guineas it has been won by significant colts who have gone on to be stallions and the Fillies Guineas has been won by some wonderful fillies. I would rather win a Classic than the Met or the July. The big handicap races are fantastic days and I always support them, but from a pure breeding perspective the Classic races are literally the classic races.”
He spoke of the long road between planning a thoroughbred breeding and the resultant progeny winning a race.
He said, “It is a very up-and-down sport and not only do you get both geese and swans but mares can get colic, foals can be kicked and you can lose horses. So when you win a race with a horse you have bred it is incredibly rewarding.”
This would especially be the case for the Fosters as Alec describes themselves as “small breeders” and in some scenarios “very small breeders.”
Alec farms cattle in the UK, so has learnt a lot about breeding livestock and sums it up simply, “When you have a very good bull and good cows, you will produce top quality cattle. It is exactly the same in horseracing.”
Wintersweet
Not only did Tap O’ Noth’s champion sire Captain Al win the Cape Guineas, but his dam Wintersweet is by champion sire Western Winter, who has produced two Cape Guineas winners.
However, a lot is still about chance and Alec said, “Every horse you breed you have a champion in mind, but you can’t dictate whether he will be a champion or a plodder.”
Wintersweet is out of the Elliodor mare, Air Of Elegance, who was bought for the Fosters by John Freeman from Wilfred Koster in 1994.
Air Of Elegance only won one race but became a stalwart for the Fosters in the breeding shed as she also produced Wintersweet’s full-sister Grace Me Guide, a twice Grade 3-placed horse who has produced Graded winners Black Arthur and Robert The Bruce, Grade 1-placed M’Lord’s Throat, Grade 3 runner-up Glenton and five-time winner Ochoncar. All five of these horses ran in the Fosters’ familiar scarlet and gold colours.
Western Winter
Alec took a share in Western Winter early as he was involved in insuring the great stallion.
They had a share in Captain Al and have shares in Dynasty, Gimmethegreenlight and Twice Over, but also send mares to other stallions after doing their pedigree match ups.
They have a house in Cape Town and plan their breeding together with John Freeman shortly before returning to the U.K. in March.
Alec first visited South Africa in 1977 with the Eton Ramblers cricket team and toured with them again in 1981.
He liked South Africa and had always been interested in racing as his family were involved in the sport in the early part of last century.
On one of the cricket tours Alec stayed with Denham Rodwell, owner of the great Wolf Power.
He later helped Rodwell find Hot Touch from the U.K and took a share in this horse. Hot Touch finished third in the Champions Stakes and won the Clairwood Gold Vase. When he went to stud Alec bought a mare to be covered by Hot Touch. The resultant filly Steamy Window won four races, including the Grade 1 Natal Oaks. Their breeding interest has grown from that good start. They also buy the odd filly at the sales.
They used to keep their mares at Summerhill, but the stallion strength later moved to the Cape and their mares moved down their. Their mares board at Varsfontein today. Their horses are trained by Marshall and Snaith in Cape Town and they also have a long association with the late Stanley and Allan Greeff yard from Port Elizabeth.
The Fosters’ second Grade 1 victor was in the 2001 Gold Cup with the Greeff-trained Cereus.
The Foster’s colours are the same as those of Alec’s grandfather, who bred the 1923 Ascot Gold Vase winner.