It’s still early days for any sort of pecking order to have emerged amongst the three-year-old males but given the muddling results from last season there is still a lot of water to flow under the bridge before a pattern surfaces.

That said, Gr1 Premier’s Champion Stakes winner Gunner makes his seasonal debut at Scottsville tomorrow in the second of the KZN 3YO Series races, this over 1400m. Paul Gadsby is aiming him at the $500 000 CTS Mile to be run at Kenilworth in January but said, “He’s got to start somewhere and I don’t want to send him down to Cape Town a fat little butterball. I’m just hoping for a good race on Sunday.”

The race has attracted a smart field that contains a number of unknowns outside of Gunner and Palladium who are both relatively exposed. Scent Of The Tiger, Roy’s Magic, Marshall That, Great Value and Sarah’s Secret are recent maiden winners but all on the up and get a hefty 6kg from Gunner and 2kg from Palladium which should make for an interesting contest.

One hardly expects Gunner to be anywhere near his peak at this stage of the season and given that he gives plenty of pudding to rivals that have recently shown their wellbeing he could find it tough going.

The luckless Cabinda has been a victim of both Roy’s Magic and Scent Of The Tiger and Duncan Howells could hold the key to this puzzle. Scent Of The Tiger finished four lengths adrift of the Howells-trained Restless Rogue before going on to beat Cabinda.

You could write your own ticket about Scent Of The Tiger that day but Restless Rogue is a member of the Howells Highveld raiding party and caught the eye when fourth at Turffontein this Thursday passed.

Roy’s Magic shed his maiden at second time of asking and Howells says he’s a nice horse. “He does everything I ask of him at work but he only does just enough. That’s usually the sign of a decent horse but I don’t want to get ahead of myself,” he cautioned.

Marshall That showed a glimpse of what he was capable off when a close-up third at his second start. Alistair Gordon then put him away for three months and he came out firing after the break, putting five lengths over the luckless but consistent Newyorkstateofmind. Sean Tarry’s runner paid tribute to that form, winning at his next start. Marshal That has the benefit of having twice been around the Scottsville turn and proven over the trip.

Great Value shed his maiden over course and distance at second time of asking while Palladium, although twice beaten by Gunner, was a good third behind the smart colt Legend in the BSA Million Mile from a difficult draw and jumps from gate three tomorrow.

Gunner would be the obvious choice given his Gr1 win but with bigger fish to fry and having to give 6kg to his rivals, Roy’s Magic is preferred with Scent Of The Tiger and Marshall That all in the scrum.

The Garth Puller Racing Pinnacle Stakes over 1400m will have punters scratching their heads. Veteran Punta Arenas is well in at the weights but is more at home over ten furlongs rather than tomorrow’s seven and this looks to be a warm-up for a possible trip to Jo’Burg. Similarly, No Worries has shown his best recent form over further but is versatile. Fitted with blinkers he slapped up odds-on favourite Rabada in the KZN Breeders Million Mile and followed with a close-up third to budding champion Marinaresco in the Gr1 Champions Cup.

On that form and the fact that he is best in at the weights he cannot be written off even over this trip.

Sylvester The Cat missed the float to Jo’burg as Howells thought his temperament may get the better of him and he is back over his favourite course and distance. Sylvester The Cat possesses a tremendous turn of foot and even though he is not well in at these weights, if the “right” Sylvester pitches on the day he could prove difficult to peg back.

Mark Dixon has done a sterling job with London Call who is not the easiest of horses to train as his tens starts in four season’s bares testimony. But perseverance has paid off and the gelding has been successful on five of those starts. He doddled a Pinnacle Stakes sprint last time out and although he has not won further than 1200m he is at the peak of his form.

Sylvester The Cat is taken to bring his best to the track and get home ahead of London Call with No Worries a serious threat.

Andrew Harrison