Sentinel (horse)

South African-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

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Sentinel

Sire| No Reprieve
Grandsire| Court Martial
Dam| Winters Eve
Damsire| Wilwyn
Sex| Stallion
Foaled| 1968
Country| South Africa
Colour| Bay
Breeder| Hartford Stud, South Africa
Owner| A. R. & G. A. Ellis
Trainer| Joe Joseph
Record| 56: 29-13-5
Earnings| ZAR207,990
Major wins
Natal Breeders Stakes (1971)
African Breeders Stakes (1971)
Natal Guineas (1971)
Clairwood Christmas Handicap (1971)
Cape of Good Hope Guineas (1972)
Rupert Ellis Brown Plate (1972)
South African Guineas (1972)
Clairwood Champion Stakes (1972, 1973)
Hawaii Stakes (1972)
Gordon Kirkpatrick Memorial Handicap (1973)
Cape Flying Championship (1973, 1974, 1975)
Concord Stakes (1973)
Drill Hall Stakes (1973)
Newbury Chairmans Stakes (1973)
Woolavington Cup (1973, 1975)
Stewards Cup (1973)
Transvaal Champion Stakes (1973)
Keith Hepburn Champion St (1973)
Fairview Autumn Stakes (1974, 1975)
Joseph Dorfman Memorial Handicap (1974)
National Sprint (1974)
Honours
Sentinel Stakes (1000m) Greyville
Champion Sprinter South Africa 1972/73, 1973/74, 1974/75

Sentinel[1] (foaled 1968) was a Champion South African bred Thoroughbred racehorse. He was bred and raced by the Ellis family from Hartford Stud (now part of Summerhill Stud) in Kwazulu Natal and trained by Joe Joseph. He raced from 2 to 6 (1971-1975) years of age.[2] He won 29 and placed in 18 of his 56 starts and earned ZAR207,990. He won a record 26 stakes races and was placed in another 17 stakes races.[3] He won from 1000m to 1600m and won the Cape Flying Championship (now Grade 1) over 1000m in three successive years (1973–75).[4]

## Background[5]

[edit]

Sentinel raced widely in his racing career, winning at 8 different racecourses in four different provinces of South Africa. He was born in the same crop that produced two of the best racehorses to run in South Africa, In Full Flight and Elevation. In Full Flight was the champion of the 1968 crop and won 16 of his 20 starts. Elevation won 14 of his 34 starts, placed in 18 and established an earnings record at the time (1974)[1]. The 1968 crop also produced the outstanding stayer Numerator which won 18 races from 1200m to 3200m and placed 23 times. Sentinel was ridden by many jockeys in his 56 starts, including South African and British Champion jockey Michael Roberts and Champion Italian jockey Gianfranco Dettori, the father of Champion British jockey Lanfranco (Frankie) Dettori. He stood 17 hands and weighed 600 kg (~1300 lb).[6]

## Racing career[7][8]

[edit]

Sentinel made his debut on 13 February 1971 and had his 56th and last start on 19 July 1975. He struck a purple patch between May 1973 to March 1974 and won ten of his thirteen starts and placed in the other three. He won three Cape Flying Championships (now Grade 1) over 1000m at Milnerton; raced four Woolavington Cups over 1400m at Clairwood, in which he won two and placed second in two; raced in three consecutive Drill Hall Stakes' over 1400m at Greyville, winning once and placing twice. He won two Guineas at three dead heating in the Cape of Good Hope Guineas at Milnerton and winning the South African Guineas at Greyville both over 1600m. Over sprint distances (1000m to 1400m) from 1972 to 1975 he raced 20 times winning 13 and placing in 7.[9][10][11]

Age | Starts | Wins | 2nds | 3rds

|
|
|
|

At 2  | 8  | 3  | 2  | 0
At 3  | 15  | 8  | 5  | 1
At 4  | 13  | 8  | 1  | 2
At 5  | 10  | 5  | 5  | 0
At 6  | 10  | 5  | 0  | 2
| 56 | 29 | 13 | 5

## Honours

[edit]

Although there were no official awards in South Africa at the time he raced he was widely acknowledged to have been Champion Sprinter over three seasons from 4-6 (1972/73-1974/75).[12] He holds the record for the most number of stakes victories in South Africa - 26. Clairwood racecourse named a race in his honour in 2012, the Sentinel Stakes and raced over 1000m. Since the closure of Clairwood racecourse[13] in 2014 it has been run each year at Scottsville.

## Stud and retirement

[edit]

Sentinel was retired to stud at Hartford, but proved to be low on fertility. Seven of his progeny made it to the racecourse and only one failed to register a win. The best was the filly, Protectress, who ran second in the 1979 South African Oaks. He lived out his days as a galloping companion and lead horse for the Hartford foals.[14]

## Record wins controversy

[edit]

Sentinel was thought to be the record holder of the most wins by a South African racehorse at one time. However several horses won more races with Commando (44) and Darius (41) the two leaders and both gaining their wins in the period before 1946.[15] Since 1946, Screech Owl (32) and Hear The Drums (34), have recorded more wins than Sentinel. No horse racing in South Africa is thought to have won more recognised stakes races (26) than Sentinel.[16]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Pedigree chart". www.pedigreequery.com.
2. ^ Jaffee, Jean (1980). They Raced To Win 1797-1979 : A History of Racing in South Africa. Cape Town: C. Struik (Pty) Ltd. p. 115\. ISBN 978-0869771297.
3. ^ Faull, Charles, ed. (1981). Form Bloodhorse Racing and Breeding. Cape Town: THE FORM ORGANISATION. p. 8.
4. ^ "Speed – Always In Fashion : Cape Flying Championship boasts a glittering honour roll of stars". www.sportingpost.co.za. 24 January 2015.
5. ^ Faull, Charles, ed. (1981). Form Bloodhorse Racing and Breeding. Cape Town: THE FORM ORGANISATION. pp. 6–9 (full race records and prize money won - 1968 crop).
6. ^ Faull, Charles, ed. (1981). Form Bloodhorse Racing and Breeding. THE FORM ORGANISATION. pp. 6–9.6-9&rft.pub=THE+FORM+ORGANISATION&rft.date=1981&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Sentinel+(horse)" class="Z3988">
7. ^ August, Jay (16 December 2018). "The Iron Horse : Sentinel".
8. ^ Witherspoon, Harwyn (3 May 2020). "Stars of the Past – The Mighty Sentinel".
9. ^ Faull, Charles, ed. (1981). Form Bloodhorse Racing and Breeding. THE FORM ORGANISATION. p. 8.
10. ^ Faull, Charles, ed. (1978). Form Stallion Register South Africa Volume 1. C.A.L. Faull and J.S. Malherbe. pp. not numbered (various pages referenced).
11. ^ Jaffee, Jean (1980). They Raced To Win 1797-1979 : A History of Racing in South Africa. Cape Town: C. Struik (Pty) Ltd. pp. 115, 156, 191–193\. ISBN 978-0869771297.191-193&rft.pub=C.+Struik+(Pty)+Ltd&rft.date=1980&rft.isbn=978-0869771297&rft.aulast=Jaffee&rft.aufirst=Jean&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Sentinel+(horse)" class="Z3988">
12. ^ August, Jay (16 December 2018). "The Iron Horse : Sentinel".
13. ^ "Clairwood Closes:Easy As ABC - Nine to go as another racecourse bites the dust". www.sportingpost.co.za. 8 August 2014.
14. ^ Moon, Mike (29 February 2012). "Sentinel – "The Iron Horse"".
15. ^ Duffield, Ernie (1992). The History of the Rothmans July Handicap. Cape Town: Struik Publishers (Pty) Ltd. p. 36\. ISBN 1868252116.
16. ^ August, Jay (16 December 2018). "The Iron Horse : Sentinel". www.southafricanracehorse.wordpress.com/.