Horse Profile: Isivunguvungu

Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint Scouting Report

(Editor's note: Originally published in the 2024 BRISnet Breeders' Cup International Report)

South African sprinters have a history of performing up to the highest standard on the international stage, including J J the Jet Plane, Shea Shea, National Currency, National Colour, and War Artist (Australian-bred but South African-developed). Isivunguvungu, South Africa’s sprint champion of the 2022-23 season, hopes to revive that grand tradition.

His pedigree includes some familiar American names. From the Mr. Prospector sire line via Gone West, Isivunguvungu is by champion What a Winter, himself a son of outstanding South African sire Western Winter. Isivunguvungu’s dam is by Tiger Ridge, a Storm Cat half-brother to A.P. Indy and Summer Squall. 

Initially trained in KwaZulu-Natal by Peter Muscutt (a former assistant to the maestro Chris Waller in Australia), Isivunguvungu started out as a pure five-furlong type who didn’t settle well enough to cope with much further. But Muscutt and his team ultimately nurtured him into a Group 1 winner at six furlongs as well.

Isivunguvungu scored his first stakes win as a three-year-old over elders in the 2022 In Full Flight H. at Scottsville. The favorite stalked, pounced, and drew off by 2 1/2 lengths in the about 5 1/2-furlong dash. In another listed handicap, the about five-furlong Umngeni on the Greyville Polytrack, Isivunguvungu had early trouble, but shrugged it off, drafted just behind the leaders turning for home, and burst through a gap to win by more than three lengths.

Shipped to Cape Town to kick off 2023, Isivunguvungu had to steer around rivals and flew late to miss narrowly in his Kenilworth debut. That set him up for a solid third in the Cape Flying Championship (G1) over the same straight course and about five-furlong trip.

Isivunguvungu’s Group 1 breakthrough came at Turffontein in another straight dash, the Computaform Sprint (G1), in :56.11. Although he got a flyer out of the gate, he relaxed kindly, amenable to being part of the cavalry charge strung across the track, until he got the cue. Then Isivunguvungu lengthened stride and pulled away to a handy two-length victory. Princess Calla, the favorite and Horse of the Year, settled for third.

After an easy prep score at Scottsville, Isivunguvungu showed speed and courage to prevail over a sixth furlong in the Mercury Sprint (G1), around a right-hand turn at Greyville. Drawn in the outer part of the field, he blitzed to the lead and angled over to the rail. When Thunderstruck tackled him down the lane, it appeared as though Isivunguvungu wasn’t going to see out the trip again. But the fully mature campaigner had more left to beat off challenges on both sides. He repelled Thunderstruck, then parried the late thrust of Surjay by a neck.

Isivunguvungu resurfaced at Kenilworth on Jan. 6, when he led early but got caught by Thunderstruck. Slated for another crack at the Jan. 27 Cape Flying Championship, he unfortunately had to be scratched at the gate.

But the Hollywood Syndicate runner would get his chance at an American campaign, thanks to a South African charter flight to New York carrying several high-profile performers including Beach Bomb (Filly & Mare Turf). After a two-month quarantine, Isivunguvungu joined Graham Motion and began to gear up again.

His successful U.S. debut in the Da Hoss S. at Colonial Downs was encouraging, not only from a fitness perspective off the layoff, but because it came at 5 1/2 furlongs. Cornering adeptly when the rail opened up for his rally, Isivunguvungu established a daylight lead before tiring and just holding on by a neck. Shortening up to his pet distance of five furlongs, with that tightener under his belt, should make him a major player.