The four-year-old Dynasty gelding took 13 runs to win his maiden, but his fortunes have changed since hold up tactics were employed over long distances and he has now won four of his last five starts.

With the Gold Cup in mind, he was deliberately not raced for eight months until his recent comeback on 20 April over 1 900m at Clairwood, where he was a bit keen, showing that he needed it.

Yesterday he switched off as beautifully as usual in his favourite role as the tail maker and then produced his customary strong finish to win at odds of 3-1 by 0,25 lengths.

He was 0,5kg under sufferance, but having carried only 52kg will need further improvement to be a Gold Cup contender. He will also need to get going a bit earlier up the shorter Greyville straight, although it must be pointed out that yesterday’s race was run in very soft going, while he has previously shown a fine turn of foot on fast ground.

The former SA Derby runner up Gothic had dropped to an attractive merit rating of 90 and finished runner up in his second start for the Vaughan Marshall yard.

The Duncan Howells-trained Beewithme goes well for S’Manga Khumalo and ran to form in third as he was 1,5kg under sufferance with the winner.

Three other notable performances on the day were by the Dennis Drier-trained Balkan, the Neil Bruss-trained Red Flame and the Brett Crawford-trained Zacharias.

Balkan by Horse Chestnut added a five length victory over 1 100m in a fillies Juvenile Plate under Sean Cormack to her five length maiden win over 1 000m and stamped herself as a serious Gr 1 Allan Robertson contender for Scottsville’s Festival Of Speed meeting on May 24.

Three-year-old Jet Master filly Red Flame put herself into the Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 picture with an impressive display in an 1 800m Graduation Plate event for fillies and mares under Anthony Delpech, cruising to a 1,75 length victory.

Zacharias, a three-year-old filly by Lundy’s Liability, was a cheap purchase, but is all heart, and won her fourth race in succession when winning a MR 89 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1 600m by a comfortable 1,5 lengths under Glen Hatt. Crawford and Hatt also won an earlier handicap over 1 200m with Gulf Storm.

The first race of the day over 1 000m saw apprentice Tristan Godden notch up his first career win aboard the Kumaran Naidoo-trained Secret Traveller.

Meanwhile, S’Manga Khumalo was kicked by a horse before the start of the tenth race at Clairwood today and was later sent for X-rays in order to diagnose whether there was any serious injury.

The current national log topping jockey was attended by medical experts at the start and had to be replaced aboard the Greg and Karen Anthony-trained Bonsai by Jarred Samuel.[/expand]