A Premiere to take the "Biscuit"

Take an abused and very otherwise horse which had never won a race, a battling jockey with a chip on his shoulder, a trainer who had yet to see a better day and enjoyed horses more than he did people, and team them up with a wealthy owner whose motor business had done better than his life in general, and you have the basis for a fictional work of unlimited potential.

But if you placed those four elements in a real life situation, the result could only be a disaster of enormous proportions.

Or would it?

Not if the jockey’s name was Red Pollard, the trainer Tom Smith, the owner Charles Howard and the horse Seabiscuit – and not if it was back in the dark days during the calamitous American stock market collapse of the 1930’s.

As unlikely a combination as it was, the team wrote an incredible chapter in American history that took the nation on the ride of a lifetime. It peaked in 1938 with Seabiscuit becoming the single biggest newsmaker in the world when he beat the darling of American racing, War Admiral, in a legendary match race. It lifted the spirits of the American nation at a time of deep depression and inspired the thousands of unemployed to regain their pride and the enthusiasm to rebuild their lives.

The amazing story of Seabiscuit has been told by Laura Hillenbrand in her best-selling non-fiction book "Seabiscuit: An American Legend". The adaptation for screen was written by director Gary Ross and, with talk of possible Oscar nominations, it stars Jeff Bridges, Tobey Maguire and Chris Cooper as owner, jockey and trainer. It was filmed at various locations in California, Kentucky and New York including Santa Anita which was Seabiscuit’s home track in Los Angeles.

Hall Of Fame jockey Gary Stevens makes his film debut as charismatic jockey George Woolf and fellow Hall Of Fame jockey Chris McCarron is the film’s racing consultant and also appears as jockey Charley Kurtsinger who rode War Admiral in the match race.

Can you make a champion racehorse out of a small, drab horse with a crooked leg who lost 17 straight races These three men did, and the new champion's picture crowded Adolph Hitler off the cover of every American news magazine.

New Yorkers did not believe in this miracle from California. The result: a match race between Seabiscuit and the East Coast champion which emptied American streets; even President Roosevelt was "unavailable" during the radio broadcast.

A sneak preview was held in Cape Town recently drawing rave reviews from the three directors of Gold Circle who found it an emotional and stimulating experience. The spectacular cinematography captures the true essence of the many moments of catastrophe, despair and exhilaration that go to make up this incredible true story.

Gold Circle Racing is hosting a premiere of the movie with proceeds going to the Western province Grooms’ School Trust.

To be held at The Ster Kinekor, Art Nouveau Cinema centre at Cavendish Square on December 4 at 7pm for 8pm, ticket price includes cheese and wine on arrival.

Booking is essential and tickets are now on sale at R100 each and can be obtained by calling Western Province Owners and Trainers Assn on (021) 762 3094 or in the event of any difficulty in contacting WPOTA, call John Freeman’s office on (021) 439 2781.

Gill Simpkins
Communications Officer
Gold Circle (Pty) Ltd