The Turffontein meeting tomorrow is headed by the Syringa Handicap, a listed event over 1600 metres for fillies and mares, and there are plenty of other interesting races on the nine race card.

S’manga Khumalo (Nkosi Hlophe)

In the Syringa, the beautifully-bred Sean Tarry-trained Simply Royal led from start to finish over 1500m last time to win by 3,5 lengths and make it two wins and one unlucky loss from three career starts. However, the handicapper believes she still has a bit to prove as she was given a seven point raise as opposed to the maximum eight. She looks classy and has a good draw. She might face a threat from the Mike de Kock trained Al Hawraa, who had no luck in her last start. When it did pan out well for her in the Gr 2 Gauteng Fillies Guineas she ran on strongly for a 2,6 length second and was a touch unlucky as she became cramped for room halfway down the straight. She has to give Simply Royal 4kg tomorrow and has a tough draw, but she does strike as one with scope for further improvement. Banking April has proved consistent over 1800m, but as a handy type who stays on resolutely her plum draw of two coupled with the nature of the Inside Track will play into hands even over this shorter trip as she will not be easy to overtake in the dash for home from the elbow. Last year’s Gauteng Fillies Guineas winner Heaps Of Fun has landed a good draw of three and has dropped to an attractive merit rating, but Tarry’s first call rider S’Manga Khumalo will be aboard Simply Royal. Shatoosh has always struck as one with some class and is 3,5kg better off with Simply Royal for a 4,6 length beating. Span Die Seile won well last time over this trip and has snuck into the handicap with the minimum weight. She looks to have scope for further improvement and has a fair draw.

The best bet of the day comes in the last race, a MR 71 handicap for fillies and mares over 1200m. The Louis Goosen-trained Shwanky has good pace and a good turn of foot and strikes as one who is yet to show her best. Off a reasonable merit rating and from a good draw she could prove hard to beat.

Sean Tarry (Nkosi Hlophe)

The value bet of the day comes in race eight, a MR 90 handicap for fillies and mares over 1200 metres. She’s A Dragon drops from a sustained feature race campaign into an ordinary handicap off a merit rating which has dropped eleven points since the beginning of the season. Over an ideal trip and from a good draw she could mow them down late. Santiburi is also an interesting runner in this race as she has often over raced in 1400m and 1600m races and her stride seems to shorten in the closing stages. She could well be looking for this drop to a sprint distance. She has a tricky draw but has shown class before and her 84 merit rating is quite attractive.

Purple Diamond will likely be all the rage in the first leg of the PA but is not a certainty to enjoy the step up in trip, so the robust Skiminac could be worth including in exotics as he will relish the step up in trip, is drawn in pole and looks to have plenty of scope.

In the first leg of the Pick 6 Suprise Move has shown signs of class but was given a break after swishing her tail continuously in her second start over 1400m in January. She returns with blinkers on over a step up in trip she will relish on pedigree. Miss Bulsara, a full sister to the Graded winner Bulsara, will be improving being by Silvano and after running on well over 1400m last time will relish this step up in trip.

In the first leg of the Jackpot over 2600m Silken is yet another progressive four-year-old by Silvano. She is a proven stayer and is best in at the weights, so will be hard to beat if producing her best.

The sixth is a Pinnacle Stakes event over 1600 metres and the classy miler Romany Prince is presented with a good opportunity. He is the best weighted male runner here and this is an ideal course and distance. The filly Witchcraft is the best weighted contestant but has not raced for nearly a year and prefers further. The Elmo effect could be an interesting runner as he was a revelation when stepped down from staying trips to 1800m and he is now drawn well over a further step down in trip.

By David Thiselton

African Night Sky and Bernard Fayd’Herbe should confirm Winter Guineas form with their six rivals in the Highlands Stud Winter Classic at Kenilworth on Sunday despite having to give them all weight.

The gelding has had less racing than any of the opposition and sprang a 10-1 surprise three weeks ago but there was no fluke involved. Indeed he did it the hard way.

BernardFayd’Herbe (Nkosi Hlophe)

Drawn wide, Fayd’Herbe had trouble getting him in and was soon much further back than Our Mate Art who had a dream run throughout. Sunday’s selection had a lot more to do in the straight yet he was able to hit the front 200m out and draw clear to score by a length and a quarter.

He gave the distinct impression that he will stay further and that he is good enough to confirm the placings on a kilo worse terms.

Recent history is on his side. The last three Winter Guineas winners to go on to the Classic all collected. It is in the Winter Derby where the upsets tend to come with many fancied horses failing to stay the much longer trip and proving nothing like so effective in the softer ground.

Big things have long been expected from Our Mate Art and he should again get into the shake-up although it would be no surprise to see Loadshedder prove the biggest danger.

He was ridden fully two and a half furlongs from home three weeks ago and looked as if he was going to be well beaten. But the way he ran on into third suggested that he might well be better over this extra furlong. Andre Nel and his stable jockey are in blistering form.

There has only once been a smaller Winter Classic field in the past 15 years but it is unusual for every runner in the race to have contested the first leg of the Winter Series. The only other horse good enough to win is surely Elevated whose Cape Guineas fourth remains the best of the seven.

He ran way below form last time, soon losing position and dropping towards the rear. True, he made fair progress for a while in the straight but weakened over a furlong from home. Riaan van Reenen is adamant that he wasn’t ready but will be this time.

Verdier (sixth) never really looked like posing a threat while Ollivander (13^th) soon weakened after making some progress two furlongs out. He might well be used as a pacemaker for Our Mate Art.

By Michael Clower

Turffontein Inside track has an eight race meeting tomorrow and three of the Pick 6 legs are fillies and mares handicaps, so some healthy exotic dividends are on the cards.

Anthony Delpech (Nkosi Hlophe)

In the first leg of the Pick 6, Let It Flow is made the best bet of the day despite being up against two promising sorts in Think Twice and Dame Kelly. On debut Let It Flow was backed in at quite long odds, but had her chances severely affected by the winner jumping sideways at the start. She had to be checked and effectively lost two or three lengths, yet ran on strongly to lose by 0,5 lengths in the 1200m event. The stipendiary stewards overruled the subsequent objection. The Judpot filly could make amends here from a good draw over the same trip around the turn and Marco van Rensburg keeps the ride. On formlines, she comes out better than both Think Twice and Dame Kelly and has a better draw too. Both of the latter pair look promising and should improve from their respective debuts. Think Twice was only run out of it by two decent sorts on debut over 1400m and should be effective over this trip. Dame Kelly was staying on strongly over 1160m and has a fair draw here under Anthony Delpech. A Pick 6 banker has to be found somewhere and Let It Flow is awarded the role.

Earlier, in the first leg of the PA, the Sean Tarry-trained Querari colt Play The Night showed good pace from a difficult draw on debut in a decent field over 1000m down the Turffontein straight and found no extra late. He should relish the step up in trip and has a fair draw. He hasn’t run since that debut on February 7, but is given the tentative vote ahead of Pillaroftheearth. The latter has run second in both of his starts over 1000m and 1200m respectively and comes out better than the selection on paper, but perhaps does not have as much scope for improvement.

The second leg of the Pick 6 is a Maiden for fillies and mares over 1450m and three horses, Knysna Rose, Chapati and Grey Missile, might be enough for the Pick 6. Knysna Rose is a hard knocker over this trip. Chapati is a talented filly, but hasn’t run since September last year. Grey Missile is a scopey two-year-old, who will relish the step up in trip. All three of these fillies have fair draws. Key Hostess has some good form, but has a tough draw and ran below par when stepped up to this trip last time. However, she is by Fort Wood so could be dangerous. Boudica has run second in her last two starts over this sort of trip and is well drawn, but does not have as much scope as the first three selections.

Sean Tarry (Nkosi Hlophe)

In the third leg of the Pick 6, a MR 73 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1450m, Diamond Noir makes appeal as an improving sort who went close over course and distance last time. She now has a tough draw but Jockey’s-Championship favourite Delpech is aboard. Movie Award is well drawn over a suitable trip and has dropped to a merit rating two points lower than her highest winning mark, so must be considered in a weaker field than she has been facing lately. Burundi Bush is effective from 1200m up to this trip and is in fine form, so must go into the equation off a three point higher mark than her latest win. However, it is an open race and wider perms can be considered.

In the next leg over 1800m, Parisienne Chic drops from feature race company into an ordinary handicap and is drawn in pole over a suitable trip, so should go close. However, beyond her it is another typically open fillies and mares handicap.

The penultimate leg of the Pick 6 over 1800m is the most open race of the day, although the three that make most appeal are Fish River Canyon, My Angelface and September Bloom. Fish River Canyon has caught the eye before and this is her perfect trip. She has been chosen on those two grounds and also due to her merit rating having dropped to an attractive mark. However, on the downside, she has a wide draw to overcome. My Angelface has her first run out of the maidens, but as a Northern Hemisphere-bred horse she is six months younger than her contemporaries so should be coming into her own only now. She starts handicapping off a reasonable mark. September Bloom is improving in the typical fashion of a Lucky Houdalakis-trained horse and is interesting with first time blinkers on, having gone close over 200m further last time. Furthermore, she is drawn in pole.

The last leg of the Pick 6 and PA is a tough sprint handicap over 1000m, but three in form horses are well drawn, Le Tigre, Starcraft Prince and Roman Evening. They are the sole choices for the Pick 6, although cannot be considered confident ones.

By David Thiselton

Aldo Domeyer, forced to call off his rides at Kenilworth yesterday because of problems with his back, will see a neurosurgeon today.

Aldo-Domeyer

He said: “It’s the old injury in my back, it keeps niggling me and it feels too bad for me to ride. I went to hospital on Friday and they suggested cortisone but I know that is not going to fix the problem. I told them that I would go to a specialist but unfortunately he could not see me until Monday.”

Daisy Fillies Guineas winner Gimme Six will return to Greyville for the Woolavington on June 3 and Jono Snaith reports that Turbulent Air will join Winter Guineas winner African Night Sky (Bernard Fayd’Herbe) in a two-pronged challenge for the Highlands Stud Winter Classic at Kenilworth on Sunday.

The closing date for entries for the Cape Of Good Hope Nursery and the Kenilworth Fillies Nursery, both on May 27, has been held over until this morning. There were only ten nominations for the former on Friday and just seven for the fillies race.

The virus that hit a number of Joey Ramsden’s horses appears to have spread to Vaughan Marshall’s stable. Marshall scratched all nine of yesterday’s Kenilworth runners.

By Michael Clower

Turffontein Standside track stages the final leg of the Workriders Challenge tomorrow and this meeting always produces plenty of excitement as the riders vie for the title and the R50,000 main prize.

However, the quality of the horses on the day are not out of the top drawer and all eight races are maidens.

Sam Mosia

In the first leg of the PA over 1160m, Bono returns from a layoff since January but has the reigning champion workrider Sam Mosia up and has the form to win the race. Singaswewin and Bravo Zulu are the other pair who could be in the winner’s enclosure. Singaswewin ran an improved race last time and was finishing well. Bravo Zulu is only a two-year-old, but has faced some good opposition without being disgraced and the blinkers have been dispensed with after he failed with them on last time. Francis Semela, who won the second leg of this season’s Challenge, is aboard Bravo Zulu, while Singaswewin has the in form Goodman Dadamisi aboard. Dadamisi has won on five of his last eleven rides. He does not have the best rides on the day, but is a rider who is always worth following as he has a fine pair of hands as well as balance and horses run for him.

In the second leg of the PA and first leg of the Pick 6, Semela can post a win on Gotoluvher, who has the form to beat Playing Games and Fictitious.

The next race is over 2000m and pace judgement will be of particular importance. Two good, experienced riders, Charles Ndlovu and Sam Mosia, are aboard the two form horses, Subtle Force and Half A Bar respectively. Subtle Force makes more appeal as he is likely looking for this trip. Yes Dear’s rider Sebelo Siphika is not In line for the title, but he did finish second on her over 2600m in April, so this horse also has a chance.

The fifth race is competitive, but Ohio makes most appeal being by Ideal World and now stepping up to 2000m. His rider Siyabonga Mthembu had a win and two seconds in the second leg of the Challenge. Golden Gate Bridge was staying on over shorter last time and is an interesting runner with Dadamisi aboard. Houston Rocket, Zingana and Ali Bon Dubai all have winning chances too.

The sixth race is a weak event over 1400m and the superbly bred Lainsberg Blue has a chance to make amends for his losing debut, where he went off at 8/10. He is by Dynasty and is a half-brother to Trip To Heaven and the good rider Joe Gwingwizha is aboard from a good draw of three. He showed good gatespeed on debut and has a nice stride, but was overtaken in the closing stages and might appreciate the step up in trip.

In the seventh over 1400m Lady Lucinda ran a fair race last time from a wide draw over 1450m and now has a good draw. She has a long stride and champion workrider Sam Mosia should position her well. It is an open race, but Grey’s Delight makes most appeal of the rest.

In the eighth race over 1000m Phillydelphia has good gatespeed and pace and was tried in the Gr 2 SA Fillies Nursery last time. She was outclassed there but back in a maiden could keep an uninspiring field at bay. Music Maker makes most appeal of the older horses here as she has shown some ability.

By David Thiselton