What’s In A Name? All The Rage

When All The Rage stepped out on his debut in mid-April he immediately lived up to his name. Foaled at Jan Mantel’s Millstream Farm, just outside Robertson, he arrived unnamed at the 2024 BSA National Yearling Sale, a striking son of Rafeef out of Gilded Minaret.

Marsh Shirtliff, one of the country’s leading owners over the years and involved with nearly 30 Grade 1 winners, including success in the World Sports Betting Cape Met, (now) L’Ormarins King’s Plate and Hollywoodbets Durban July, has always had a knack of coming up with the right name. After securing the colt for R1.6-million, the team behind the bid got to work.

Marsh put the name forward – “it’s a great name,” he offered as motivation – while his son Guy and Team Valor’s Barry Irwin quickly agreed that it suited this impressive individual.

The colt was put together to be trained by Candice Bass-Robinson and race in the colours of the overseas-based Guy. “I moved to Singapore in 2012 and lost touch with SA racing for a while. But, I flew down for the WSB CPT Met last year and was super impressed by the upgrades to the track and facilities – but more so the energy and excitement at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth and Cape Racing in general. The quality of racing and facilities compare with some of the best in the world.

“There’s great value for money buying South African horses – you can get Grade A looks and Group 1 pedigrees for $100k. My dad didn’t have too many runners on WSB CPT Met Day 2024 (other than Rascallion who ran a great second in the WSB CPT Met) and  I was chatting with Mark Bass, saying I was keen to take up my colours again and get a few.

“Fast forward, I took out my colours again and started getting interested again. We shortlisted two horses, one of which was All The Rage. He was a real standout out on pedigree and looks. And the mother, Gilded Minaret, was an awesome racehorse.

“I said he may go for a bit too much but didn’t give my dad a budget. I was watching live when my dad engaged in a bidding battle and pushed all the way to R1.6-million. It was a bit over what I had in mind, but now I am happy he did so.”

And with that, a partnership had come together and another quality thoroughbred racehorse was welcomed into the Cape racing ranks.

By Gary Lemke