Mauritzfontein and Wilgerbosdrift signing up Anthony Delpech as preferred rider was something of a master stroke as he has proved full value for the faith that the daughter and mother combination of Jessica and Mary Slack have placed in him.

Glen Kotzen

Delpech will be aboard the Mauritzfontein-owned and Glen Kotzen-trained Silver Willow in the Soccer 6 FM Handicap at Greyville today on a card that will keep punters on their toes.

Silver Willow takes on some useful opposition but can add to her single victory.

Since arriving in KZN for the winter Kotzen may possibly over-matched her in a couple of outings and back in slightly weaker company Silver Willow must come in for serious consideration. She raced in a Listed feature last time out and although out of the money, she was only two lengths off the winner Louisiana. This will be her third run after a break and from a good draw has a lot going for her.

Filed Of Light was deemed good enough by Dennis Drier to make the trip to Cape Town for the summer. She showed early promise but it was not until she was stepped up to ten furlongs that she came to the party and shed her maiden. She has had one outing back, that in a strong handicap on the poly, and with that run under her girth she too looks a live contender.

Spring In Seattle and recent easy maiden winner Jay Jay’s Girl head a long list of possible winners should the top two fail.

Anthony Delpech (Liesl King)

Punters face an even bigger dilemma in the Durban View Restaurant Handicap where the majority of the field as in with a chance of success.

Restless Rouge has shown improved form since a disappointing Highveld raid and has his third run after a break. He is stepped up to 1400m here and looks to have as good a chance as any.

Mike Miller saddles recent maiden winner Valcar who led all the way over the Scottsville shortcut in his first run back after gelding. Apprentice Diego de Gouveia takes some pudding off his back and the step up in trip should hold no fears. He does look to have more scope for improvement.

Master Of Mischief was touched off over course and distance last time out and Wendy Whitehead’s gelding has been consistent since his last win. Friend Request sees Delpech team up with Mauritzfontein and Drier who was touched off at his penultimate start on the poly. A repeat showing will see him in the mix.

In the card opener, Glen Kotzen’s filly Edith’s Rose found market support on debut and then took her chances in a strong Juvenile Plate on Met day where she didn’t feature. She is up against seemingly weaker here. Tsessebe failed narrowly on debut when starting at 100-1. She has the best of the draw and is sure to have improved on her debut effort. However, they face an unraced pair in Lady Lisha and Torrey Pines and any market support for either or both should be respected.

In the colt’s version, Mark Dixon’s runner Northern Rebel has been close-up in all three starts and was feature placed in the Sentinel Stakes. Unless there is a springer amongst the first timers he rates the one to beat. Noble Duke has not been far back in two starts and the step up in trip should suit He has some poly experience which is a point in his favour. Freddie Flint makes his poly debut and seems better than his last effort when judged on his second start behind Arianos Bagofgold and finally, Epic Sword has improved with each outing and can feature.

By Andrew Harrison

Evie’s Light could be worth a chance at 5-1 in a big field for the opening Fillies Maiden Juvenile at Kenilworth today.

Greg Ennion’s filly is better than last time’s six-length third would suggest – she got worked up when loading and went over backwards – but her previous run puts her bang there and Greg Cheyne is a bonus.

“Something happened at the back of the stalls – I don’t know what but she is not like that,” says Ennion who had a two-year-old winner on Saturday. “It affected her performance badly and she now gets frightened – not of the pens but when she is behind them. However she worked very well on Saturday.”

Greg Cheyne (Liesl King)

Sharing 5-1 second favouritism with World Sports Betting yesterday was the Brett Crawford newcomer First Swallow, a R525 000 Kahal filly out of the Danehill Dancer mare Acquavella who is a half-sister to a French Group 1 winner. The fact that Corne Orffer is on her in preference to Love Dove (who has a definite chance and has been backed from 7-1 to 9-2 favouritism) is a significant pointer.

But this is a very open race. Seemingly, though, not too much should be read into Bernard Fayd’Herbe partnering 11-2 shot Tough Love rather than going for the more obvious claims of Sassy Lady (13-2).

“There is really nothing between them but Tough Love is difficult so Bernard rides her,” explains Jonathan Snaith, adding: “Tough Love does have ability and could pop up.”

Another to note is the Trippy filly Arctic Siren (8-1) because Candice Bass-Robinson’s first-timers have a better strike rate than most.

Colour Magic is 22-10 favourite for the mile handicap (race two) and stable companion Tonya next best at 28-10. The victory of Cortada on Saturday suggests that Vaughan Marshall is putting his recent virus attack behind him.

Marginal preference, though, is for Katie’s Jay (33-10) as she has been dropped a kilo for last time’s run when she had valid excuses – she lost ground at the start and was tightened for galloping room.

Dark Chocolate (backed from 13-2 to 5-1 yesterday) was raised three points after getting up in the last 100m in a big field and Sublime Lady (5-1) dropped the same amount while Fayd’Herbe’s mount Petty Officer (also 5-1) returns after a three and a half month absence. “She had a break and I want to run her in the Ladies Mile,” says Ennion. “This is the only suitable prep but she is working very well.”

The consistent Apollo Star was brushed inwards when starting favourite against older horses last time and the Ramsden gelding should collect at around 2-1 in the Tablonline.co.za Maiden Juvenile.

A line through Miss Katalin suggests that 5-2 chance Daring Miss may beat 19-10 favourite Heart Of A Legend in the Racing Association Maiden.

By Michael Clower

Seemingly Aldo Domeyer has news for the medical profession. He himself might have been prescribed physiotherapy, biokinetics and chiropractics but for a jockey nothing is a better tonic than winners.

After riding six on Saturday (for the second time this year) he couldn’t feel an ounce of pain in his troubled back – just elation and satisfaction, particularly given his belief that Dutch Philip and Magical Wonderland seem sure to add to his tally in future features.

Aldo-Domeyer

Both the Cape Of Good Hope Nursery and the Kenilworth Fillies Nursery suffered from a well-nigh funereal pace – they were run over a second slower than the work riders’ maiden – but each time Domeyer’s mounts answered their rider’s every call.

“I was a little bit lacking in confidence with Dutch Philip because he hadn’t felt quite himself during the week and I don’t think he was at his best here,” he related. “But he has so much class that he managed to pull it off and he is a horse who is going to continue to improve.

“When I won on Magical Wonderland last time I said she was a bit better than that and Saturday’s race proved that. She really impressed me and coming to the last two furlongs I had so much horse under me. What I like about her is that every time I ask her for something she has an answer.”

Plans for both What A Winter horses are fluid. Candice Bass-Robinson, watching from Scottsville, said: “Dutch Philip could possibly run in the Langerman – he only got going at the end – but I haven’t decided. If he doesn’t he will have a break.

“I’m not sure that the filly will get further than sprint distances so she will probably have a rest. I won’t run her in the Irridescence.”

Five of the six Domeyer winners came in the last five races and by the end Midtown Manhattan was almost as inevitable as Churchill at The Curragh and was backed accordingly, from 6-1 to 22-10 favourite. His rider duly gave a whole new meaning to the phrase service delivery.

Platinum Prince won the 1 800m handicap like a horse on the up – he had also won his previous start – but the Snaiths intend to let him work his way through the handicap rather than step him up in class.

“There is an option to go for the Winter Derby which I think could have a small field and be a weak race,” said Jonathan Snaith. “But to take a well-handicapped horse like this and stick him in at level weights wouldn’t make much sense.”

Wildlife Safari, who drifted from 16-1 to 36-1, served up the shock of the day under Akshay Balloo in the 1 200m handicap. The Eric Sands-trained gelding is part-owned by 37 Maine Chance grooms but sadly the transport of those coming to the course was late leaving and they had got no further than Kuils River by the time the race was run. They watched it on their cell phones.

It is not so long ago that Jason Smitsdorff was a highly sought-after apprentice with a good future in front of him but apparently most of those trainers who were so keen on him didn’t want to know when his claim was gone – and until Saturday he was heading for a winnerless season of little more than 50 rides.

A work-riding opportunity at the Andre Nel winner factory – grabbed with both hands over two months ago -looks like putting the 24-year-old back on the right road as he showed when Hall Of Fame finished like a rocket to make a winning debut in the Racing Association Maiden.

By Michael Clower