Clash of the titans as Main Man and Bush Telegraph square up
17 May 1986
Rand challenger Main Man and the Cape's Bush Telegraph arrived at Scottsville unbeaten, each having won three races including a feature - Main Man the Gr1 SA Nursery and Bush Telegraph the Gr2 Cape Nursery. Unfortunately for one, defeat was imminent in the 1200m Gr1 contest, which was decided on objection, the second Gr1 result so affected in a week.
Jean Heming-trained Main Man was smartly into stride and was in the vanguard throughout with Bush Telegraph racing just off the pace. An exciting tussle ensued, in which Main Man moved off a straight course, bumping and boring Bush Telegraph. Stipes lodged an objection against the Main Man, who had been first to the line by a short-head.
Run at a cracking pace throughout, the time of 1:08,79 set a new race record, improving Duc du Orleans'1980 time by 0,30 seconds. For Jean Heming it was an unfortunate outcome when the first two placings were reversed, for had Main Man kept the race it would have been the Rand trainer's fourth Smirnoff success in six years – having won with Smackeroo in '81, Moccasin in '83 and Shooting High last year.
BUSH TELEGRAPH (1983 c. Jungle Cove - Maiden Over by Persian Wonder). Bred by Highlands Farms Stud, Bush Telegraph is by five times champion sire Jungle Cove, and the 8th produce of his dam, Persian Wonder mare Maiden Over. Best her previous produce was Waikato (by New South Wales), a 9-time winner with two stakes races to his credit. Maiden Over won 3 times over 1000m at 2 and 3, and is a full sister to Guineas winner Ton Up, Fillies Guineas winner Have A Ball, and Majorca Stakes winner No Wonder. She is a half sister to sire Lords (by Sovereign Path). The second dam No Ball won over 1200m as a 3yo, and is a half sister to the dams of Song of Songs (TFR 116) and Piaffer (TFR 115), both sires in South Africa
Bush Telegraph was a R110 000 purchase from Highlands Farms’ select sales draft at Germiston. Trained by Bert Abercrombie, he raced in the interests of Mr & Mrs Graham Beck and Mr & Mrs Laurie Jaffee. Unbeaten in all five of his juvenile starts, he won the Cape of Good Hope Nursery, the Smirnoff Plate and Administrator’s Champion Juvenile Stakes. He was voted Champion 2yo colt. After a back injury and a bad bout of equine flu, Bush Telegraph returned as a 3yo to win the Rupert Ellis Brown Plate, the SA 2000 and the Rothmans July. In the latter race he was piloted by Garth Puller who had produced a super human effort to make the 49kg weight. He closed out the season with a good third in the Mainstay and was voted ARCSA Champion 3yo colt. Bush Telegraph opened his 4yo season with a second to Wexford Boy in a 1200m A Division Handicap at Kenilworth. Two weeks later he was hard pressed to finish 4th in the 1400m Abe Bloomberg Handicap. Sent out even money favourite for the 1987 Queen’s Plate, Bush Telegraph produced a lacklustre finish to finish second last. Subsequent veterinary examination confirmed heart strain and an April 1988 press release confirmed the colt’s retirement to take up stud duties at Highlands.
Bush Telegraph received some of the country’s top mares, and produced listed and graded stakes winners with his first crop. He is the sire of sires London News, Ashtontown, Crimson Waves and Bush Conqueror. His best female produce was 3-time Gr1 winning sprint filly Secret Pact, who also earned him broodmare sire accolades when she produced Gr1-winning Promisefrommyheart and Secret Pact, dam of Breeders Cup winner Pluck. He is also broodmare sire to stakes winners Covenant, Flight Alert and Secret Heart. Bush Telegraph produced just five crops for a total 189 live foals. After being diagnosed with severe heart problems, he was euthanised on 30 March 1993.
Legacy: Gr1 Smirnoff Gold Medallion, Gr1 Administrator’s Champion Juvenile Stakes, Gr1 SA 2000, Gr1 Rothmans July; Champion 2yo Colt, Champion 3yo Colt
Main Man
MAIN MAN (1983 c, Trocadero - Madam Magic by Adamastor). Bred at Len Starke’s Koeberg Stud in the Western Cape, Main Man went under the hammer at the select portion of the 1985 National Yearling Sales. He was purchased by trainer Jean Heming for client JP “Zwi” Heroldt for R36.000. The colt raced in the interests of Heroldt, Jaap van de Vendel and Jean Heming. The latter pronounced him “the best two-year-old I have ever had” and Main Man enjoyed a superb juvenile career, getting first past the post in all of his starts, including the SA Nursery Plate. Following a short head victory over Bush Telegraph in the last race of his 2yo career, the Smirnoff Plate, Main Man was relegated to 2nd after an objection. He opened his 3yo season with an easy B Division victory and then cruised home in the SA Invitation Stakes. Two below-par runs in B Division company led to allegations of nobbling by conditioner Heming, but Main Man returned to form for the 1987 Natal winter season. Although going down a neck to Sloop, Main Man set such breakneck fractions in the SA Guineas, that the winner broke both the race and track record. Main Man finished third behind Model Man in the Champion Stakes, but a superb ride by Jeff Lloyd in the Mainstay got them home fractionally ahead of the same adversary. Main Man was subsequently catalogued on a horse-in-training sale at Gosforth Park and sold for R1 million to dissolve the partnership. Heming and van de Vendel retained their shares with Joe Stravino buying out Zwi Heroldt. The following season a shock 9-length defeat in the November Handicap had the connections scratching their heads, but worse was to come in the Barclays National 200.000. After a strong start, the colt hit a brick wall and stopped so abruptly that jockey Muis Roberts suspected ‘ticker trouble.’ Veterinary examination shed no light. Even though colt rallied to win an A Division handicap, the 1988 Met and Computaform Sprint were disappointing. Main Man managed to pick up place money in the Administrator’s Stakes Trial and Drill Hall Stakes before retiring to stud at Stoneleigh Farm. He served no less than 19 seasons at stud, his best progeny including Gr1 performers Golden Man, Sovereign Seas and Main Thunder. His daughter Special Day (a full sister to Golden Man) is dam of Gr1 placed Gr2 winner Rememberance.
Legacy: Gr1 SA Nursery Plate, Gr1 Mainstay International
Rand challenger Main Man and the Cape's Bush Telegraph arrived at Scottsville unbeaten, each having won three races including a feature - Main Man the Gr1 SA Nursery and Bush Telegraph the Gr2 Cape Nursery. Unfortunately for one, defeat was imminent in the 1200m Gr1 contest, which was decided on objection, the second Gr1 result so affected in a week.
Jean Heming-trained Main Man was smartly into stride and was in the vanguard throughout with Bush Telegraph racing just off the pace. An exciting tussle ensued, in which Main Man moved off a straight course, bumping and boring Bush Telegraph. Stipes lodged an objection against the Main Man, who had been first to the line by a short-head.
