![Header Betway London News Stakes 14 Feb 2026 jpg]()
Johannesburg, South Africa — The 2026 Betway London News Stakes (Gr3) takes place at Turffontein on Saturday, 14 February.
The race is named for Laurie and Jean Jaffee’s globetrotting champion, London News.
Bred by Bush Telegraph out of Soho Secret, London News was foaled down in 1992 at Wilfred Koster’s Cheveley Stud.
Having raced Bush Telegraph, the Jaffees were keen to support him at the National Yearling Sale and instructed Alec Laird to select one of his progeny. Jean particularly liked the big chestnut and as is now history, the gavel fell their way.
The colt was pre-trained with Val Davis and duly made his way to Alec Laird’s barn at Randjesfontein. London News has the interesting distinction of making his first 7 career starts at 7 different racetracks. Starting out as a late 2yo, he debuted over a 1200m Maiden Juvenile at the Vaal on 6 June 1995. Finding himself thoroughly at sea, he finished 16.5 lengths adrift under Anton Marcus. Off to KZN, the newly minted 3yo faced another maiden field over 1200m at Clairwood and with the services of Douglas Whyte, improved sufficiently to finish just under 7 lengths off the winner.
He hit his stride at Scottsville on 9 September, breaking his maiden over a mile by 4.5 lengths. He went on to string together 4 in a row, adding wins at Newmarket, Gosforth Park and winning the Dingaans at Turffontein by 5.4 lengths, beating the likes of Ashtontown and Super Quality.
His 7th racecourse appearance was in the 1996 Argus Bloodline Guineas at Kenilworth, where he was narrowly beaten by Ashtontown and a month later, he was 2 lengths 3rd to Super Quality in the Cape Derby, but bounced back to best in the March Administrator’s Classic at Gosforth Park, posting a commanding performance to win by 7.25 lengths and prompting Piere Strydom to say he fancied him as a July prospect.
The Classic effort brought on a virus and forced break, so it was a not fully fit LONDON NEWS who jumped from a wide draw to finish a courageous 3rd to Harmony Forever in the SA Guineas in May, but he was back to best a month later, destroying the Daily News 2000 field to win by 4.2 lengths. Impressively, he stopped the clock in 119.6 seconds, the first 3yo to run 2000m in under 2 minutes (and only the second horse since Fools Holme to achieve the feat).
The only 3yo to make the cut for the 1996 Durban July, LONDON NEWS went to post a short-priced favourite and duly rewarded his backers to win by 0.5 length. He was rightly named Champion 3yo and Horse Of The Year.
From his first 3 starts at 4, he finished unplaced behind NATIONAL EMBLEM in the Champion Stakes, was less than a length 3rd in the Germiston November and was sharpened up over 1200m at Turffontein before tackling the 1997 Queen’s Plate, famously ridden to victory by Douglas Whyte after Frankie Dettori had to step down due to a bout of piles, and rounded off his 4yo season with a gritty display in the J&B Met, winning by the best part of a length from ELI’S TRUTH. LONDON NEWS is also the first horse to achieve wins in the July, Queen’s Plate and Met in that order.
It was Laurie Jaffee who conceived the idea of sending his champion abroad, so much so that he championed the construction of the purpose-built Kenilworth facility to enable LONDON NEWS to complete his 40 day quarantine and head off to Hong Kong for the 1997 Queen Elizabeth II Cup. As a five-time Gr1 winner, he gave weight and draw to the field, but won impressively, breaking the Sha Tin track record and crossing the line to the memorable words ‘LONDON NEWS! He’s everything they said - and he wins!’
From Hong Kong, LONDON NEWS transferred to Barry Hills for the Prince Of Wales’ Stakes at Royal Ascot. He may have been beaten into 3rd, but what a third it was behind superstar filly BOSRA SHAM and ALHAARTH. He had one more start at the Curragh before returning to South Africa in the latter part of 1997.
LONDON NEWS had 7 more starts in South Africa, posting half a length 2nd to the mighty FLOBAYOU in the 1997 Diadem Stakes (1200m), finishing within striking distance in both the 1998 Queen’s Plate and Met and winning the 1998 Drill Hall Stakes. He was 4 lengths off CLASSIC FLAG in the 1998 Rothmans July and then retired to stud.
Initially doing duty at Wilfred and Shirley Koster’s Cheveley Stud, LONDON NEWS was champion first season sire. He then moved to Terry and Barbara Silcock’s Starston Stud in the Karoo where he lived out the rest of his life, passing away in 2009 at the age of 17.
Initially thought to have succumbed to colic, a post mortem revealed he had been afflicted by cancer which had spread throughout his body, including his heart - reportedly one of the largest the attending vet Dr Rous had ever seen.
LONDON NEWS left a legacy on our tracks and in our paddocks, but most of all, in the annals of SA turf history.
Look out for our interview with Alec Laird remembering his champion on our social media platforms later this week.
The R400,000 Betway London News Stakes is run over 1800m at WFA + penalties and boasts a stellar line-up including reigning Highveld Horse Of The Season FIRE ATTACK; 2025 Betway Summer Cup runner up OLIVIA'S WAY and enigmatic 2025 Betway Victory Moon Stakes winner THE ULTIMATE KING.