The finer details are still to be finalised, but Duncan Howells has booked boxes at Turffontein to raid the Highveld for their spring season with the horses due to leave next Thursday.

“I have horses that I think will be competitive and there are no races for them down here,” said the Ashburton-based trainer yesterday.

So with the Charity Mile and the Sansui Summer Cup on the horizon, Howells will be revving a few engines at Scottsville on Sunday where he saddles four runners in The White Horse Function Room Handicap.

Saratoga Dancer and Ten Gun Salute are both top class but along with Crime Victim should find the seven furlongs on the sharp side leaving Sylvester The Cat the stable elect.

Talented but not always an easy ride, ‘Sylvester’ appears to be lengths better on his home turf where he has recorded all four of his wins.

There were high hopes for the gelding over Champions Season but he had shocking draws in all three of the features he contested and given that once he has a hold of the bit he is almost impossible to restrain.

However, he is a different proposition at Scottsville where he seems at home. In both recent wins on the track he has settled nicely in front and fought to the line. He takes on a smart field on Sunday but given a good draw and a strong pair of hands in Brandon Lerena he could prove the one to beat.

1200m course record holder Humidor had Sylvester The Cat (pictured) behind him when setting that record and is in receipt of 8kg, 3kg more than when last they met. But Humidor is up in trip and ‘Sylvester’ down which should even things out regardless of the weight turnover.

Tony Rivalland’s gelding blotted his copy book a week ago when playing up at the start and the field was sent on their way without him. Humidor was tried over 1600m last time out, the stake of the KZN Breeders Million Mile an obvious carrot, and although the “mile” proved a touch beyond his range he was far from disgraced in fourth behind top performers No Worries and Rabada.

That showing suggests that this trip will be well within his compass and ‘Sylvester’ will have a race on his hands.

The inclusion of Saratoga Dancer in the field for the Vodacom Durban July was widely criticised but as co-owner Chris Winter said before the race, “If Leicester can win the Premier League then we have a chance in the July.”

It didn’t quite work out for Saratoga Dancer but he ran a cracker from a tough draw finishing fifth.

It was previously thought that he was at his best over a ‘mile’ so Sunday’s trip is not beyond him although he will more than likely be short of peak fitness given bigger fish to fry on the Highveld.

Prolific owner Heinrich Kuhn has signed up Grant van Niekerk for his two runners on the day, Brave Knight in the opener and Ten Gun Salute but the former has not been out since January while the latter should find the 1400m well short of his best.

Stayers get a rare chance to spar for good money in a Pinnacle Stakes over 2400m, seventh on the card, where top weight Serissa could hold the key. With only nine runners carded there is a danger of the race turning into a “wag-‘n-bietjie’ canter and sprint for home by the front-runner Serissa could keep all honest. Sean Tarry’s runner takes a drop in class but the question is whether he can give weight to Rap Attack and Frikkie, both proven over the trip and in good form. Frikkie has improved since Weiho Marwing has decided on blinkers and he was a facile winner last time out. He does face stronger here but with apprentice Eric Ngwane claiming 1,5kg. Frikkie will be under the impression that he’s running loose under 51kg.

Andrew Harrison