Duncan Howells’s raiding party leaves for Turffontein tomorrow where he has been allocated nine stables by Phumelela. “I have horses that I think will be competitive so we must go where the money is,” said Howells. “There’s nothing for them down here.”

In a departure from the past when he has sent up individual runners whose preparation has been overseen by resident Highveld trainers, Howells and assistant James Rich will be shuttling between Ashburton and Turffontein for the next two months.

Heading the string will be Saratoga Dancer and Ten Gun Salute, both entries for the Sansui Summer Cup, while a crack at the Charity Mile is also a possibility for both of them. The Charity Mile will be run on November 5 with the Summer Cup on Saturday November 26.

Saratoga Dancer finished fifth in the Vodacom Durban July and fourth in the Champions Cup while Ten Gun Salute finished mid-field in the July.

Both made their seasonal debut on the Greyville poly track on Sunday over 1400m, a distance well short of their best.

Ten Gun Salute ran on strongly under Grant van Niekerk to finish third behind Humidor while Saratoga Dancer was reported to be “hanging badly” in the straight and to be coughing post-race. However, Howells says that both pulled up well and will be on the float tomorrow.

Also among the raiding party will be Legend, winner of the Bloodstock SA Million Mile, who will be aimed at the Gr2 Dingaans, possibly via the Gr3 Graham Beck Stakes, the latter race to be run on Charity Mile day and the Dingaans on Summer Cup day.

In other Ashburton news, Gr1 Premier’s Champions Stakes winner Gunner has been taking it easy with his main mission being the CTS $500 000 Mile to be run on Met day at the end of January.

“He will have a few races before then,” said Paul Gadsby, “because he’s still green and the experience will do him good, but the CTS is his main mission for the time being.”

Also headed for the Western Cape season is Mac De Lago who is enjoying a lengthy break on owner Hassen Adam’s farm near Hermarnus. The Gr1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge winner finished strongly for third in the Vodacom Durban July and has been rested since.

“He pulled up with a bit of a joint after the July,” commented Weiho Marwing, “so I decided to give him a good long rest. I want a horse for next year.

“I won’t take him to Jo’burg but we will go to Cape Town for the season.”

The L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate will be his likely target while the Met is in the balance. “I think I’ll keep him to a mile. He has a strong turn of foot and maybe we were trying to go too far with him. But we will see. That could all change.”

Andrew Harrison