A victory in the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan on April 5th would send celebrations rippling across continents, as ISIVUNGUVUNGU prepares to showcase his talent on one of the sport’s biggest stages, the Dubai World Cup. The South African-bred sprinter, whose tongue twisting name fittingly means “storm” in isiXhosa (one of the official languages of South Africa) represents a truly international team, trained by US-based British handler Graham Motion, owned by South Africa’s Hollywood Syndicate and set to be ridden by Belgian-born French jockey Christophe Soumillon.
Motion, a Dubai World Cup-winning trainer best known for guiding Animal Kingdom to victory in 2013, is eager for another memorable success at Meydan. “It’ll be exciting to get back, it’s been a while,” he said. “Winning the (Kentucky) Derby was amazing, but bringing Animal Kingdom back after two years off to win the Dubai World Cup was incredibly gratifying. That would have to be the highlight of my career.”
ISIVUNGUVUNGU has taken a remarkable journey to this point. The son of WHAT A WINTER was a dual Grade 1 winner in South Africa for Peter Muscutt before making a seamless transition to the United States, winning on debut for Motion at Colonial Downs. A credible seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint followed, and his 2024 campaign began with a third-place effort in the Turf Dash Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs—an outing Motion saw as an ideal prep.
“He’s doing super; I thought he had a really good prep,” he said. “You could argue he needed to win that race to justify coming to Dubai, but I needed to get a run into him. He got a little sick after the Breeders’ Cup and had a month off, so he only had four pieces of work before Tampa. Given the circumstances, he ran well.”
A key strength of ISIVUNGUVUNGU, according to Motion, is his natural speed and temperament. “He’s probably one of the best work horses I’ve had,” he said. “He’s rapid in the morning—not in a crazy, running-off way, but just naturally fast and professional.” The sprinter will travel to Dubai under the care of Motion’s trusted assistant, Alice Clapham, who also oversaw Animal Kingdom’s journey to World Cup success.
South Africa has a proud history of success on Dubai World Cup night, but quarantine restrictions have made it a challenging path in recent years. Mubtaahij’s victory in 2015 was the last major success for the country on this stage, making ISIVUNGUVUNGU’s bid all the more significant.
“The South Africans had a tough time during COVID, but they’ve shown their horses can compete internationally,” Motion said. His stable has already made headlines this season with another South African-bred star, Beach Bomb, who recently won the G3 Very One Stakes at Gulfstream Park. “It was remarkable that everything went as well as it did when these horses came into my care. They had to go through two months of quarantine, and the goal was to get them to the Breeders’ Cup without missing a beat.”
A large contingent of supporters is expected in Dubai, including legendary South African trainer Mike de Kock. Meanwhile, Motion is already looking ahead to welcoming another high-profile South African runner, One Strike, who secured a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Breeders’ Cup after winning the King’s Plate.
Known for his willingness to race internationally, Motion has also entered Test Score for the Epsom Derby, though he acknowledges it’s an unlikely target. “I’m always game for international travel, but I’m not sure he’s a mile-and-a-half horse,” he admitted.
Having come close to securing a major European win with SPENDARELLA in the 2022 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot, Motion remains keen to break through on British soil. “One of my goals is to win a race over there,” he said. “The straightaway is tough, but I think about it all the time.”
Before any Royal Ascot dreams materialize, the focus is firmly on Meydan. If ISIVUNGUVUNGU can unleash his storm-like speed in the Al Quoz Sprint, it would mark a significant triumph for South African breeding, Hollywood Syndicate, and Motion’s globally ambitious stable. Victory would not just be a win for connections—it would be a win for the sport’s international spirit.
