Point Of View: Duncan Howells (on R4#1 Portman Square) and Weiho Marwing (on R3#1 Sun Dynasty)

Candice Bass-Robinson’s KZN satellite yard under the care of long-time assistant Robert Fayd’Herbe got off the mark with Harry Da Wheels last week and they can add to their tally at Greyville tomorrow night where Fayd’Herbe saddles Ashton Park in the IV Tech Pinnacle Stakes over the all-weather mile.

The veteran galloper has always been useful and although just below top class he has been a loyal servant for the yard with eight victories to his credit. He makes his 40^th start this evening and has been in good form in his home province where he has placed in two Pinnacle Stakes events on the Kenilworth old course, both in soft ground.

It has been a feature of the Greyville poly track that older horses with mileage on the clock often take a new lease on their racing lives, possibly due to the more forgiving surface. The fact that Ashton Park goes well in the soft should augur well for his chances here.

His prospects will be further enhanced by the presence of Anton Marcus in the saddle. Marcus has been side-lined for the past month but has assured that he is back fit and in the pink of condition.

Some trainers are still reluctant to race on the poly for various reasons but Dean Kannemeyer is not one of them. He sends out Canigao and Last Tiger, both of whom on their best form will be a threat. Canigao has won five of his eight starts, mostly on the poly, but the colt has been off since finishing tailed off in a handicap back in May reportedly ‘fatigued’.

The mile is short of his best that suggests that he is short of peak fitness. The same cannot be said for Last Tiger. The only recent blot on his copy book came after a return to the turf. More recently he shouldered 62kg to victory over course and distance and although not particularly well in at the weights he is deadly on the poly.

Another poly specialist is Cat In Command. Pat Lunn’s charge has an excellent record over course and distance but he does take a rise in class.

Punters looking for a banker could find it in Breakfast Club, another poly specialist. Dennis Drier’s charge is unbeaten in two stabs on the surface and lines up in the fifth under Sean Veale.

Last time out he was set a difficult task in an MR80 handicap at Scottsville but was still send out favourite, backed in from an opening call of 2-1 to start 11-10. He ran well below form in a rough race finishing with just two behind him. The return to poly could see him back to his best and from a good draw he should at least be competitive.

After a short spell in the doldrums, Weiho Marwing saddled a double last Wednesday and Sun Dynasty has a bright chance in the opening leg of the Pick 6. The gelding had patchy Cape Town form before arriving in Marwing’s Ashburton yard but had shown ability. First time out for Marwing and making his debut on the poly, Sun Dynasty was fitted with a tongue-tie and the improvement was immediate as he finished a close-up second to Dale House.

However, he is up against two younger rivals that have given notice of their ability but are returning from three-month breaks. Tony Rivalland rested Marron after a disappointing effort in the KZN Breeders Juvenile back in June but prior to that he had run subsequent Gr2 winner Zodiac Ruler to within a length.

That form has since proven to be a little suspect but considering that this is a modest Maiden Plate Marron must come strongly into the picture especially if properly racing fit.

Royal Yevahn has finished behind Marron both times that they have met but Paul Gadsby has high hopes for his colt and the break may well have done him good.

Andrew Harrison

KZN’s record-breaking Champion Jockey Anthony Delpech has flown over to the UK where he will ride the Alec Laird-trained J&B Met winner Smart Call in Saturday’s Group 1 Kingdom Of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes over a mile at Newmarket.

Delpech will also ride the crack Ideal World mare in the forthcoming Breeder’s Cup meeting.

Delpech has recently been retained by Mary Slack of Wilgerbosdrift Stud and riding the Mauritzfontein Stud-owned horses was also part of the agreement.

Smart Call was bred and is owned by Mauritzfontein Stud, which is run by Mary Slack’s daughter Jessica.

Saturday’s race is mainly being seen as a preparation run for Smart Call’s Breeder’s Cup mission, where she will run in the Breeder’s Cup Filly and Mare Turf. It will provide an ideal opportunity for Delpech to get a feel of Smart Call.

This will be the first time Delpech has ridden in the UK. The race, which will be run on The Rowley Mile racecourse, is due to start at 5pm South African time.

Summerveld trainer Dennis Drier and his wife Gill will be among the spectators at the race.

They were invited by Jessica Slack to attend and hopefully buy some horses at Ireland’s Premier Yearling Sale this week, the Goffs Orby Sale, and they will also attend the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale with her at Newmarket next week.

David Thiselton

While the runners and jockeys have their work cut out for them in The Grand Heritage, sponsored by World Sports Betting at the Vaal Racecourse on Saturday there will be someone in the grandstand who has the toughest job of all on the day.

But for Alistair Cohen, the thought of having to commentate on a race involving 28 horses isn’t as scary a prospect as some might imagine as Racing. It’s A Rush found out when catching up with him earlier this week

“I’m really looking forward to 28-horses down the Vaal straight. It’s something unique and obviously hasn’t been done before. I think the biggest allure of the race is the fact that, as in any particular race, you can’t be sure what is going to happen. You’re never sure what to expect.,” said Cohen.

“I’ve known for a long time and I’ve been excited ever since. I’ll be the first guy to call 28-horses in a race in SA so that’s a really nice accomplishment.”

As far as his planning for the meeting goes he’s not going to try and pre-empt things by formulating some sort of script. This is racing after all.

“I tend not to over-prepare things. I obviously get accustomed to the form and things like that but I like to call things off the cuff and let the race develop. Because this is such an unknown and a new concept it’s going to be a thrill to be able to call the race.”

What could make his task that bit more challenging is the fact that there is a perception of a draw bias

“I’m not the biggest believer that there is a track bias. I guess when it comes to Saturday we might get a better idea in the first few races if the jockeys favour one side of the track or not. I’ve never believed there is a bias. In my view it’s flat, it’s grass and it’s long. If a horse is good enough it will win from anywhere on the track.

“What I am most worried about is if they split into two groups. For races down the straight I call off the TV, races around the turn I use the binoculars. There might be horses that are out of view so I’m going to have to use binoculars and having perception of which horse is in front is a completely different ball game. That’s probably my biggest fear but overall I can’t wait for it. It’s going to be something so cool.”

Cohen has been an official racecaller since August 2010, his love affair with the art started as a schoolboy when winning a commentator’s competition at the age of 12, and he’s revelled in the role ever since.

It means that he’s well-versed when it comes to picking out runners even if there are a number of runners in The Grand Heritage sporting the same colours, their caps will differentiate them and can’t see that being an issue in a big field.

“The nice thing is that these are all established horses. They’ve been around the block and I’ve seen them all before. If it was a whole lot of first timers that would be a different challenge. “

– Racing. It’s A Rush

The KZN pair running in the R750,000 World Sports Betting Grand Heritage over 1475m at the Vaal on Saturday, the Tony Rivalland-trained Humidor and the Gavin van Zyl-trained Celtic Captain, have both been doing well since running first and second in a MR 100 Handicap over 1400m on the Greyville polytrack.

The pair are drawn in 19 and 26 respectively in the 28 runner event, although they will each come in two positions if both reserve runners are scratched.

Rivalland said Humidor had done well in his last serious workout at Summerveld on Tuesday and was in good shape. He added, “If the right Humidor turns up on Saturday, I think he is the horse to beat.”

Rivalland’s chief concern is the mere 13 day gap the horse will have had between his last run, which followed a two-and-a-half month break, and this one. “It is not ideal from a training perspective. If he had had his intended run at Scottsville on September 7, instead of rearing up and having to be scratched, that would have been ideal. But we can’t control these sort of things and they happen.”

Rivalland had said earlier in the week. ”A 1475m big field event down the straight is a tough race, but I think he will handle it.” He referred to Humidor’s fourth place finish in the KZN Breeders Million Mile as evidence he would stay the trip, before concluding, “He has natural cruising speed, but a lot will be down to jockeyship in a race like this. If you go too early it will kill your chances. Those coming from off the pace will be favoured in a race like this and that’s the only thing against him, because he likes to do his own thing out in front.”

The Backworth Stud-bred four-year-old Miesque’s Approval gelding, who is owned by KZN stalwart racing personality Mary Liley among others, holds the Scottsville 1200m course record, lowering the time, previously held by Kildonan, to 66,98 seconds. He led from start to finish in that last 1400m start and was not stopping at the line. Top jockey Muzi Yeni rode him for the first time in that race and remains aboard.

Humidor has been backed in to 12/1. As a lightly raced five-year-old he is still relatively unexposed. He also seems a progressive sort, so he could be well handicapped off his current 86 merit rating.

Celtic Captain is a classy son of Captain Al, bred by Patricia Devine investments and owned by Brian “Buffalo Bill” Burnard. He chased Humidor throughout the aforementioned 1400m race on the poly, but was still 0,75 lengths shy at the line. However, he will now be 1kg better off at the weights which will bring them together on paper. Celtic Captain also likes to race handy, but possesses a noteworthy kick and is deserving of his 99 merit rating.

Gareth van Zyl actually trains the Burnard-owned horses in the yard and said, “I am happy with his preparation, he has done well since his last run and will run well.”

Humidor and Celtic Captain will travel up to Johannesburg on Friday morning together with the James Goodman-trained Aldric, who runs in the WSB Heritage 1200.

David Thiselton

Three of the best of last season’s Cape Town two-year-olds reappear against older horses at Durbanville tomorrow and the Racing.It’s A Rush Handicap looks by far the most significant race on the card.

Sergeant Hardy beat Attenborough and Our Mate Art in the Cape Of Good Hope Nursery over this trip at Kenilworth in May  – with recent winner Bishop’s Bounty fourth – and in the Langerman next time Our Mate Art, a close second, had Attenborough two lengths back.

But it’s the Joey Ramsden horse that should come out best of the three. He started favourite for the Cape Nursery but was found to have mucus in his lungs immediately after the race, and in the Langerman he failed to stay the 1 500m after over-racing early on. Also he was conceding 3kg and here he meets Grant van Niekerk’s mount at levels.

The question is whether he is fit enough after three months off. “I would hope so, yes,” is Ramsden’s answer and the July-winning trainer confirms that the colt has done a fair bit of work.

The same query, only more so, applies to Sergeant Hardy who has been off for four months. “It’s hard to say,” replies Justin Snaith. “But he has had a gallop and he will run his race.” However the trainer adds that conceding 1.5kg to Attenborough “won’t be easy.”

With Our Mate Art, who is running for the first time since the Langerman, it’s as much a matter of whether this 1 200m will be too short. “Not necessarily – and he is doing well,” says Candice Bass-Robinson who adds that this is a prep for the Cape Classic on October 29. “But I would like to see him settle better than he did last time.”

With such talent in the field – and the older horses are hard to fancy – it might sound sacrilege to name another three-year-old to beat the big three but Vaughan Marshall thinks so much of Rock Of Africa that this one gets the vote.

The gelding’s trainer is convinced that he would have won the Graduation (in which Bishop’s Bounty lowered the colours of the useful Rodney) 11 days ago had the race been run to suit the horse. MJ Byleveld’s mount receives a significant amount of weight and, although the early 5-1 has already been snapped up, the current 4-1 still appeals. Interestingly this horse is also the prediction of the sahorseracing computer.

Our Mate Art, a little surprisingly considering the shortness of the trip – particularly over this tight course, was yesterday a firm 2-1 favourite with World Sports Betting which has Attenborough next best at 28-10 with Sergeant Hardy a 3-1 chance.

The Snaith horses are fairly burning up the turf at the moment and evens favourite Over Drive in the first is taken to beat Captain’s Version despite the money for the Paddy Kruyer four-year-old who has been backed from 5-1 to 33-10.

The stable introduces  Greenflashsunset, a R700 000 half-brother to Legislate, in race three and the colt is favourite at 2-1. But this is a tricky course for newcomers and so Ramsden’s 3-1 shot Rebel Alliance is preferred to 22-10 second favourite Varational.

Michael Clower

Durbanville Wednesday Sep 28 Race Previews by Warren Lenferna

1

Preview: OVER DRIVE has run two fair races thus far and looks ready to go close to winning. He has a good draw which will help. CAPTAIN’S VERSION showed improvement last time and based on that will be concerned in the finish again. ELUSIVE SINGER is surely better than his last run and if running like he did on debut should go close again. (Warren Lenferna 10-2-5)

2

Preview: OUR MATE ART is lightly raced and looks very progressive – he has run well in Feature Company and should be a very hard horse to beat here. SERGEANT HARDY has solid form and has also done very well in Feature Company. He, too, has a very big chance. ATTENBOROUGH is consistent and another bold performance can be expected. (Warren Lenferna 5-3-4)

3

Preview: REBEL ALLIANCE is coming along the right way and was running on well last time to finish second to the favourite. He is confidently selected to go one better. VARATIONAL is coming along the right way and ran a cracker last time – based on that, he should run well here. FLOWER BLUE has a quartet chance. (Warren Lenferna 9-2-3)

4

Preview: CAVALLERIA has solid maiden form and is lightly raced. She gets a good draw today and is one of the leading lights for top position. Very strong each way claims. EMPIRE RISING showed encouraging improvement from runs one to run two. She should have more improvement to come and if this is the case then she will go very close. KATIE DUBOIS showed big improvement last time and is a must for the quartet. (Warren Lenferna 1-10-11)

5

Preview: PUT THE BERRIES is seldom far off the action and today gets the services of bang in form jockey Andrew Fortune. She is drawn well and is the firm first pick. BEAUTIFUL GIRL and BRINKLEY look set to fight out the minor money in a small and not so strong maiden field. (Warren Lenferna 3-2-1)

6

Preview: A TIME TO KILL was well beaten in second last time but the winner (Red Peril) did win easily. She can go one better this afternoon. Stable mate HAMMIE’S GAME has been knocking loudly at the door in his last two and he will be waiting in the wings to pick up the pieces if A Time To Kill does not win. The stable have a strong hand here. SAINT ROCH ran well last time and looks a solid selection for a place bet. (Warren Lenferna 3-6-5)

7

Preview: ELEVATED has good, solid form. He has run second in his last three starts and is now overdue a win – he looks very hard to beat and a recommended bet! SOLAR NIGHT is seldom far off the action and is one for the shortlist – the apprentice claim will be a huge positive. VOLATILE ENERGY won well last time and could run well again – he is the value bet on today’s card. (Warren Lenferna 2-1-7)

8

Preview: A tough race to close off proceedings at Durbanville this afternoon where all of: TRIP THE WILLOW (the first choice), WHISPERING LIGHT (better than her last run) and JACK AND JILL have to be included. Jack And Jill ran well on debut and could improve to go very close to winning. (Warren Lenferna 2-1-7)

Justin Snaith has been riding Black Arthur himself as he gears the preparation of last season’s Politician and Canon Guineas winner towards the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and the Met.

He said: “I don’t know when Black Arthur will start but he is doing very well. We were careful with him in Durban where he only had two starts and he was unlucky in the Vodacom Durban July – Dougie Whyte couldn’t get a run.”

Picture: Justin Snaith on Black Arthur at the beach in Cape Town. His father Chris follows on Dynamic (Snaith Racing)

The Markus Jooste part-owned Galileo colt Douglas Macarthur has taken a further walk in the 2017 Investec Epsom Derby market after managing only fifth in Saturday’s Gr 2 Royal Lodge Stakes over a mile at Newmarket.

Meanwhile, the Jooste and Bernard Kantor-owned Yorker, formerly-trained by Geoff Woodruff,  is due to run at the two day Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe meeting in France over the weekend, where the South African-owned and former Paul Lafferty-trained Harry’s Son will also be running. Piere Strydom was due to fly over to France yesterday (Monday). He will be putting the final touches to Harry’s Son’s preparation before renewing his hitherto successful partnership with him in the race on Sunday. Strydom might also ride Yorker at the meeting on Saturday.

Douglas Macarthur was the stable elect of an Aiden O’Brien-trained coupling in The Royal Lodge, but could only stay on at one pace and was beaten 2,25 lengths. None of O’Brien’s five Epsom Derby winners Galileo (2001), High Chaparral (2002), Camelot (2012), Ruler of the World (2013) and Australia (2014) lost a race in their build up to the big race, bar on debut.

Douglas Macarthur appeared to fitting into this trend when slamming his rivals in a Leopardstown maiden over a mile on 21 July by five lengths in his second career start. He had been very green when finishing last at odds of 2/5 on debut over seven furlongs. The way he powered clear of his rivals in his win impressed the bookmakers to the extent that they made him the joint 16/1 favourite for the Derby together with his stablemate Churchill.

However, he drifted out to 25/1 when only managing a 2,5 length 3^rd in his next start in the Gr 3 Champions Juvenile Stakes over a mile at Leopardstown, where he started 8/13 favourite. He has now drifted out to a best price of 50/1.

However, there is still hope a South African could present the Epsom Derby trophy to another South African next year (Bernard Kantor is Investec’s co-founder and managing director and presents the trophy to winning connections every year).

O’Brien described Douglas Macarthur as “babyish” after his only win. Jooste’s racing manager Derek Brugman received an email from O’Brien after Saturday’s Royal Lodge which confirmed this still held true. Douglas Macarthur apparently shows the great trainer an immense amount at home. However, he said he lacked pace, so definitely needed further, as well as time to mature.

Jooste owns the horse in partnership with Coolmore kingpins John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith.

Meanwhile, Churchill, after losing on debut in May, has won his next four starts including a Gr 1 over seven furlongs at The Curragh by 4,25 lengths. He is now the lone favourite at 12/1 for the Derby, while Royal Lodge winner, the Godolphin-owned Best Of Days, is 33/1.

Yorker (JC Photo)

Brugman said Yorker, who has his niggles, was as sound as they could possibly have him ahead of Saturday’s race at Chantilly, where the Arc meeting will take place this year due to renovations at Longchamp. The William Haggas-trained seven-year-old Jet Master gelding will travel to France unless the ground becomes too soft. At present the weather forecast suggests the ground will remain good. Yorker made his overseas debut, after an 800 day layoff, at York on August 20 in the Gr 3 Strensall Stakes over a mile and a furlong and finished an excellent 1,25 length second under Pat Cosgrave at odds of 14/1. He then lined up as 6/4 favourite on September 14 at Sandown in the Listed Fortune Stakes over a mile and 14 yards and this time went down by only a neck. The connections were a touch disappointed, but Brugman said there were genuine excuses. “The pace was too slow and he did not have cover. He quickened well enough, but not as well as we know he can, and this could also have been due to the 2^nd run after a rest factor, considering he had been out for 800 days.”

Harry’s Son will be running in the Gr 1 Prix de la Floret over seven furlongs on Sunday.

Harry’s Son (JC Photo)

Lafferty said experienced French jockey Gerald Mosse had described him as a “very, very nice horse” after galloping him last week. He added the five-year-old Haradasun entire’s subsequent blood picture had been exactly how they had wanted it. A look at the Australian-bred’s career record shows he enjoys running fresh, so the connections have duly decided to send him straight into the race.

Harry’s Son has been trained out of Laredo in Spain by Cesar Alonso since departing Dubai. Lafferty’s assistant Roy Waugh has been in Laredo permanently to oversee his program. The Prix de la Floret is usually run over a seven furlong course at Longchamp, which according to Lafferty is known as “The Toboggan” due to its up and down nature. However, the Chantilly seven furlong course is flatter, which will suit Harry’s Son. Seven furlongs (1400m) is his ideal trip.

However, the connections were being realistic about his chances in such an international Gr 1 event and Lafferty said they would be “over the moon” with a place. If he does finish in the first three he will be invited to a US$3 million event in Hong Kong.

Meanwhile, Brugman also spoke of Jooste’s South African-based star Legal Eagle. He said he would likely take the same route as last year, i.e. running a preparation race at Turffontein before going to Cape Town to defend his crown in the Gr 1 L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate. He would then attempt to go one step better than his second place finish in the Met. However, rather than head back to Johannesburg after the Met, Brugman said there was a chance he might join a number of other horses who will be flown overseas after the Cape Summer Of Champions Season.

David Thiselton

The Turffontein Inside track stages an eight race meeting today and there look to be some fair opportunities for punters.

The best bet could be Tambalang (G Lerena / S Tarry) in the third race, a maiden for fillies and mares over 1800m. Last time out over 1600m she didn’t settle perfectly from a low draw as she waited on the rail for a wider drawn horse to cross over and set the pace, so that is a slight concern going over this further trip. However, her pedigree suggests she should relish the extra trip being by Go Deputy out of a Western Winter mare who won over a mile.

Furthermore, Go Deputy’s progeny are known to improve as they get older. However, the main factor on her side is simply the formline. The two horses who beat her over 1600m in her penultimate start, Red Pomegranate and Little Swift, both won next time out. The horse who beat her last time, Komeshan’s Flight, also looks decent and was beaten only 0,2 lengths over 1450m by Little Swift in her penultimate start. Tambalang’s opposition tomorrow do not have nearly as strong form. Cidada, being by Galileo, should enjoy the step up in trip and coming from the Alec Laird yard should show improvement in her second career start. However, on the downside she made a breathing noise in her fair debut over 1600m. Nevertheless, she looks to be the chief danger.

The highest rated race of the day is the second, a Graduation Plate over 1600m. The classy Negroamara would prefer a bit further now but running fresh it is easy to imagine her running on strongly from off the pace to get up. She is 6,5kg better off with any other horse in the field on official merit ratings. However, Querari Falcon, who won the Gr 1 Thekwini Stakes over this trip on Gold Cup day could be a big danger if able to dictate from the front and use her decent kick to steal a march. On the downside she has a wide draw to overcome and also the Thekwini form has not worked out well to date.

The value bet of the day comes in the seventh race, a MR 68 Handicap over 1200m. The Alec Laird-trained Endearing has dropped to a mark six points lower than her last win. In her penultimate start she ran a decent race over 1160m when appearing to be a bit outpaced but staying on well. The 1200m over this slightly tougher track should suit her down to the ground, and in fact, she won her maiden over course and distance by a facile 5,25 lengths, albeit against a weak field. On the downside she is the only female in the race. She was also drawn two in the aforementioned maiden win, whereas this time she has a tricky draw of six. The horse who does have the plum draw of two is the Mike de Kock-trained Springhills, who just got up on debut over 1000m despite having to be switched inward in the closing stages. He is superbly bred being by top Australian sire Redoute’s Choice out of a Gr 1-winning sprinter by Volksraad. However, he didn’t actually reach his reserve of AUS$100,000, the final bid being AUS$90,000, so might not be the perfectly conformed sort.

However, his debut suggested he would enjoy this trip and it isn’t the most inspiring of fields so he can be involved off a reasonable merit rating of 77. Side Show has come class and will be perfectly course and distance suited from a draw of two. However, he was accorded a merit rating of 84 for his easy win against weak maiden opposition and it is never easy for a three-year-old to carry topweight against older horses off such a merit rating. His stablemate Copper Pot won his maiden in taking style over 1450m. However, he has to race off quite a harsh 81 merit rating, considering that was a weak workrider’s event. On the other hand he has a 4kg claimer up. Quattro is distance suited and could also earn from a fair draw off a competitive merit rating.

One of the most difficult races is the sixth, a MR 84 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1200m. Paree, in the typical fashion of an older horse by Silvano, has suddenly come into her own. The ease with which she has won her last two starts over 1160m and 1450m respectively suggests she has more to offer, so she is selected to make it a hattrick. However, one horse who could go off at decent odds and has a definite winning chance is the topweight Perfumed Lady. She has always had a touch of class and, after being hampered in her penultimate start over 1000m at Scottsville and then finding it too far last time out over 1400m, she is now back to a suitable trip and has been dropped to an attractive merit rating. Furthermore, she has a plum draw with Delpech up. Penny Serenade has also been dropped to an attractive merit rating. She was undone by a wide draw over course and distance last time and is now drawn well off a three point lower mark.

An intriguing runner on the day is Al Fahad in the fifth, a MR 80 Handicap over 1450m.  He likely has a feature campaign lined up for him, so this might be a preparation outing in his first run around the turn. Furthermore, he has to race off a merit rating of 89 in a handicap in just his second career start. However, the way he kicked again when challenged on debut over 1200m and then the courage he showed to get up in a ding dong tussle makes him the one to beat with Delpech up from a plum draw.

David Thiselton