![Horse Z A S P O I L Y O U R S E L F wins 2026 Port Elizabeth Gold Cup jpg]()
SPOIL YOURSELF wins the 2026 Port Elizabeth Gold Cup (pic by Pauline Herman)
Press release by 4Racing
Johannesburg, South Africa — The Eastern Cape racing programme has been bedevilled by weather and the 10 July Port Elizabeth Gold Cup meeting was another to fall foul of rain and had to be moved to the polytrack.
Content to track the field from the back of the pack for most of the race, Ramzan made a dramatic move at the 500m mark, sending the filly on her way, looping the field and finishing strongly to register a thrilling1.5 length victory.
It was a first win in the East Cape feature for resident apprentice, Yuzae Ramzan who told Neil Pretorius it hadn’t been easy. He joked, “My chest is so heavy, my heart’s pounding, my legs are weak.” He admitted he didn’t have high hopes going into the race, but once the horses around him started to tire, he realised the filly still had a lot in hand. Sending her on her way at the top of the straight, she ran on strongly all the way to the line and he was full of praise for the manner in which she won.
With one hand on the ornate cup he added, “I’m just very happy I could win this trophy. It’s my first time, hopefully I can win it again in the future.”
Thanking Mr Strydom, all the owners and everyone on course for their support, he said, “A lot of people congratulated me. It makes my heart warm.”
Winning trainer Jacques Strydom is no stranger to lifting the magnificent trophy, but was nonetheless emotional in the post race interview. He admitted the race hadn’t been on the programme for SPOIL YOURSELF, but once the criteria changed so that only the winner would incur penalties, he encouraged the owners to have a go.
He added that his 2019 winner ONESIE had been the first filly in the Eastern Cape to win the Port Elizabeth Gold Cup and he was proud that he had repeated the feat with SPOIL YOURSELF.
SPOIL YOURSELF (Futura – Winter Retreat) was bred by the Hemel ‘n Aarde Stud and was a R300,000 purchase from the 2023 Bloodstock South Africa National Yearling Sale. She now has 4 wins and 5 places from 26 career starts.
It was a day of dramatic finishes and fans were treated to another spectacle in the 2026 East Cape Paddock Stakes (Listed), the second leg of the 2026 Nelson Mandela Bay Racing Fillies & Mares Challenge, when Richard Fourie adopted heart-stopping tactics to get Mr P J Moor’s ANOTHERDANCEFORME (Master Of My Fate - Destiny Dancer) home in the second of the day’s features.
Jumping from the 12 draw, Fourie tried to settle at the back of the field, but the filly was having none of it, fighting him right out of the gates. He said this was not unusual for her, so he didn’t panic and made the decision to let her have her head. She took full advantage, passing the entire pack to sweep into a 1 length lead by the 500m marker. There were a few nervous moments when first ROCCAPINA, then SPLICETHEMAINBRACE and ENCHANTING CHOICE mounted spirited challenges, but the 3yo daughter of Master Of My Fate was just gathering herself for a final kick and drew clear of the field to register her 5th win in a row by 1.25 lengths.
Pressed as to whether the result had ever been in doubt, trainer Alan Greeff joked ‘in Richard we trust’. He confirmed that he would be taking the filly to KZN for her next outing, saying he was pleased with the East Cape Paddock Stakes win and hoped it would set her up for the final ask of the season.
ANOTHERDANCEFORME ((Master Of My Fate – Destiny Dancer) was bred by Varsfontein Stud and was a R650,000 purchase from the 2025 National Yearling Sale. She now has 11 wins from 12 career starts.