Joy all round as we enter the New Year with a winner

The handsome chestnut Gr1 Gold Medallion Sprint winner Chimichuri Run, who stands at Bruce Le Roux and Tinus Gericke’s Blue Sky Thoroughbreds in Mooi River, marked his first winner when his Corne Spies-trained son Spirit Of Gabz blitzed home to win a Juvenile Plate run over 1000m at Turffontein on Sunday.

A R275 000 purchase from the Blue Sky Thoroughbreds draft by Corne Spies Racing on the 2025 KZN Yearling Sale, Spirit Of Gabz strode out freely in front in a four-horse field, before staving off late challenges by the 9-10 favourite Gimme A Vodka and Parayersandpromises (33-10) to clock 58,49 secs and win his fourth start in the hands of Ryan Munger.

Corne said: “I think Chimichuri Run has a bright future, as a Grade 1 winning son of Trippi. This won’t be his last winner.”

The winner is out of the one-time winning Judpot mare, Gemstone Glamour and was a first winner for Mr Doubt and Mrs Selina Sibanda, who race him in partnership with Messrs Chris Brown, Rob Macnab, Stergio Poriazis, Akshay Singh, Xander Spies, Vishal Mahabeer, Ajish R Asaram, Lenny Pillay, Jay Soobiah and Pieter Viljoen.

Corne added: “It is great to train a first winner for Doubt and Selina, who are originally from Zimbabwe and now live in the UK. Their daughter Gabi also loves horses. Thanks to all the partners for taking a chance on a first-time sire with us.”



Munger said: “There were first timers around us and I decided to use my mount’s experience to my advantage. Spirit of Gabz jumped, showed good speed. He was idling in front. Nothing was challenging him. I knew, from the 500, that I could just let him down and he’d give, all the way to the line.”