Danie Toerien
Celestial City, one of the most expensive yearlings in South African racing history, will make his long-awaited debut some time next month, if everything goes according to plan.
That’s the word from Trainer Sean Tarry, who took over custodianship of the Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein-bred colt in May this year for owner Henning Pretorius.
Celestial City was the talk of the industry in 2020 when he fetched R7-million on the first day of the Emperors Palace National Yearling Sale in Germiston.
A full brother to Hawwaam and half-brother to Rainbow Bridge and Golden Ducat – all Group 1 winners – his pedigree speaks for itself.
“You can’t say he’s a heck of a horse,” said Tarry this week. “The reality is, at this stage he is an unraced four-year-old maiden. But you can say he does have a heck of a pedigree.”
According to Tarry, Celestial City is earmarked to make his track debut some time in November.
He was issued with an NHRA Starting Stall Certificate on 28 September – a sign his debut run is imminent.
“We just need some rain,” said Tarry. “The exact date when he will run has not been determined yet. It’s a matter of the weather, the grass and the conditions.”
The reason why Celestial City will only be having his first run now already aged four, remains a mystery.
Peter Muscutt, originally entrusted with the training of the son of Silvano out of Halfway To Heaven, was very cryptic in March this year when asked about the well-being of Celestial City.
“He had a little issue, which I won’t elaborate on,” was all he was prepared to say, adding that the colt was then “back on the farm”, referring to Henning’s Summerhill in KwaZulu-Natal.
Tarry was equally evasive this week.
“I can’t say that I’m happy and that he is fit and well, but he has made very good progress and I’m happy with that,” said Tarry.
While the expectations of the racing public – and indeed the owner – must have been extremely high considering his phenomenal price tag, Tarry was also not keen on making any predictions of what to expect when Celestial City does eventually take to the track for the first time.
“I have no idea what the expectations are. When a horse comes to me after it’s been elsewhere, then the price tag is out the window, and we start again.”
Golden Ducat, who has been out of action since May last year, is also expected to make his comeback next month.
The 2020 Cape Derby winner injured a suspensory ligament in training in May last year while at Summerveld being conditioned for the Durban July.
He has not been in action since.
He did run fourth in the July in 2020, finishing two lengths behind Belgarion and was expected to be a serious contender last year, before the injury halted his career.
“Golden Ducat has a gallop on the 22 (October),” said trainer Eric Sands this week.
“Provided he comes through that well enough, he’ll be running on 5 November in the Cape Mile.”
One very interesting observation regarding the progeny of Halfway To Heaven, is that her first three foals, all colts (two now gelded), are Group 1 winners. Rainbow Bridge and Hawwaam have racked up five Group 1s, and Golden Ducat two.
Her two fillies, however, did not turn out to be runners of note.
Five-year-old In Limbo, also by Silvano, managed a solitary win in her eight career runs while three-year-old Gift From Heaven, by Querari, has covered the rear of the field on all three her outings.
Come November, racegoers should see whether Celestial City will follow in the footsteps of his brothers.