If Isivunguvungu storms home to victory in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan Racecourse on April 5, celebrations will erupt across the globe.

The speedster with a name that means "storm" in isiXhosa is a true international competitor—bred and owned in South Africa, trained in the U.S. by a British-born handler, and ridden by a Belgian-based French jockey.

His connections are among the best in the business: Graham Motion, a Dubai World Cup-winning trainer, takes charge; Christophe Soumillon, a multiple-time European champion jockey, is in the saddle; and the increasingly influential Hollywood Syndicate owns the rising star.

No pressure, then, Isivunguvungu.

A Trainer Who Knows Dubai Glory

“It’ll be exciting to get back. It’s been a while,” says Graham Motion, reflecting on his 2013 Dubai World Cup win with Team Valor's Animal Kingdom—the 2011 Kentucky Derby hero who defied the odds to return from injury and claim one of the sport’s richest prizes.

“Winning the [Kentucky] Derby was amazing, but bringing Animal Kingdom back after two years off and winning the Dubai World Cup—that was hugely gratifying,” Motion recalls. “It was a two-year process to get him ready for Dubai. That’s still the highlight of my career.”

Could Isivunguvungu give him another?

A Unique Journey

From claiming two Grade 1 victories in South Africa under Peter Muscutt, to a winning U.S. debut at Colonial Downs, and then a respectable seventh in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, Isivunguvungu’s rise has been impressive.

He kicked off 2024 with a third-place finish in the Turf Dash Stakes at Tampa, a run that left Motion optimistic.

“He’s doing super. I thought it was a really good prep,” he says. “You could argue he should have won to justify a trip to Dubai, but the priority was getting a run into him.

“He got sick after the Breeders’ Cup when he shipped back to Fair Hill and needed a month off, so he only had four workouts before Tampa. The race was more about timing, the surface, and getting him sharp again.”

A strong workhorse in the mornings, Isivunguvungu impresses Motion with his natural speed.

“He’s one of the best work horses I’ve had—really rapid, but in a controlled way,” the trainer says. “Not crazy, just a very fast and kind horse.”

Dubai Awaits

Isivunguvungu will travel to Dubai under the watchful eye of Alice Clapham, Motion’s long-time Travelling Assistant, who was also in charge of Animal Kingdom’s campaign.

“He can be aggressive on the track and do more than you want if you’re not careful,” Motion explains. “I doubt I’ll breeze him in Dubai—he’ll have two more workouts here before traveling, and we’ll just keep him ticking over once he’s there.”

South African success on Dubai World Cup night is nothing new, but due to stringent quarantine restrictions, the last time a South African-trained horse triumphed was Mubtaahij in 2015.

With those hurdles now easing, the Hollywood Syndicate team will be out in force to support Isivunguvungu.

“They had a tough go with Covid, where they really struggled,” says Motion. “But they’ve shown these horses can compete internationally.

“When Beach Bomb, another South African horse, won the G3 Very One Stakes at Gulfstream Park, it was a big moment. These horses had to endure two months of quarantine before arriving in the U.S. The goal was to get Beach Bomb and Isivunguvungu to the Breeders’ Cup, and for that to happen, everything had to go right.

“Now that we’ve got through that, we can take a deep breath.”

The Bigger Picture

South Africa’s growing global presence is clear. Motion will soon welcome One Strike, the King’s Plate winner and a Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” qualifier, into his barn.

Meanwhile, the trainer continues to think internationally—he has even nominated Test Score for the Epsom Derby.

“I’m always open to international travel,” he says. “But I don’t think he’s really a mile-and-a-half horse, and it’s early for us to race three-year-olds at that distance.”

Motion has also come close to a UK victory, finishing second in the 2022 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot with Spendarella.

“One of my goals is to win over there,” he admits. “Taking on the Europeans over a mile and a quarter is tough, but I love the Coronation Stakes—it’s a mile, it has a turn, and I think that suits.”

Could Isivunguvungu be the horse to take him back to Royal Ascot?

First, there’s Dubai. And if the storm strikes, it’ll be a win for the world.

Image: Breeders' Cup