Trainer Mike Azzie will be delighted Abashiri, one of the three highest rated runners in the field, has drawn No 3 for the R1-million Betting World Gauteng Guineas over 1600m at Turffontein on Saturday 27 February.

The Grade 2 race is the alternate first leg of the R2-million SA Triple Crown. The Grade 1 Grand Parade Cape Guineas is also recognised as the first leg and that was won by Noah From Goa who is not among the Gauteng Guineas entries.

The other two legs of the Triple Crown are the Grade 1 SA Classic over 1800m and the Grade 1 SA Derby over 2450m, both races to be run in April.

Nominations for the R500,000 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas (Grade 2) also closed yesterday. This is the alternate first leg for the R1-million Wilgerbosdrift SA Triple Tiara which comprises the Grade 1 Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic over 1800m and the Grade 2 Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks over 2450m. The Cape Fillies Guineas also counts as the first leg and that was won by Silver Mountain.

Abashiri, a son of Go Deputy, is only beginning to show his true ability following a short but notable two-year-old career. He won his Maiden on the Polytrack at Greyville and followed that up with a fast-finishing third place in the Grade 1 Premier’s Champion Stakes over 1600m on the Greyville turf, finishing just 0.80 lengths behind stable companion Rabada. Just a short head in front of Abashiri came Prospect Strike, a top-class colt formerly with Dominic Zaki who is currently with Sean Tarry.

Prospect Strike, with a merit rating of 109, is also one of the three highest rated Guineas entries, the other being Brazuca, trained by Johan Janse van Vuuren. Unfortunately they did not land the best of draws – Prospect Strike at No 13 and Brazuca at No 10.

Van Vuuren also has nominated New Predator who was disappointing when fourth in Saturday’s Grade 3 Tony Ruffel Stakes over 1450m, despite a flood of money coming for him. He is better than that run but has drawn No 11.

Champagne Haze ran well in the Tony Ruffel, finishing second behind Suyoof, and the connections will be delighted the half-brother of Pierre Jourdan has drawn at No 6.

Mike de Kock has entered Tony Ruffel winner Suyoof as well as Muwaary (pictured) but has landed up with “bookend” draws – No 1 for Muwaary and widest-of-all No 19 for Suyoof.

There are 23 entries for the Gauteng Fillies Guineas and the highest rated runners are Negroamaro, Madame Dubois, She’s A Dragon and Juxtapose, the first four past the post – not in that order – in Saturday’s Grade 3 Three Troikas Stakes over 1450m.

The first three have all drawn well in the Fillies Guineas, but Juxtapose has landed up with No 18 barrier position.

Supplementary entries for both races close at 11am on Monday 15 February with final declarations by 11am on Thursday, 18 February.

Nominations for the R1-million Betting World Gauteng Guineas (Grade 2) (1st Leg SA Triple Crown) over 1600m at Turffontein on Saturday 27 February 2016 (under draw, name, weight, merit rating and trainer):

3  Abashiri                          60      109     Mike Azzie

10 Brazuca (AUS)             60      109   Johan Janse van Vuuren

13 Prospect Strike            60      109   Sean Tarry

11 New Predator (AUS)   60       107   Johan Janse van Vuuren

6  Champagne Haze         60     106    Gary Alexander

16 Rocketball                  60    103      Gavin van Zyl

19 Suyoof (AUS)          60        103      Mike de Kock

1  Muwaary (AUS)       60        102      Mike de Kock

18 Romany Prince       60        101      Ormond Ferraris

8  Le Clos                     60        99        Mike Azzie

12 Lineker (AUS)         60        99        Justin Snaith

4  Lunar Approach      60        95        Sean Tarry

2  Celtic Captain         60        94        Gavin van Zyl

9  Liege                       60        93        Sean Tarry

7  Rikitikitana              60        93        Sean Tarry

5  Malak El Moolook   60        91        Sean Tarry

15 Ole Gunnar            60        87        Paul Lafferty

17 Coral Fever            60        79        Robbie Sage

14 #Count Tassilo        60        73        Sean Tarry

Nominations for the R500,000 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas (Grade  2) (1st Leg SA Triple Tiara) over 1600m at Turffontein on Saturday 27 February (under draw, name, weight, merit rating and trainer):

8   Negroamaro          60        104      Johan Janse van Vuuren

1   Madame Dubois    60        102      Robbie Sage

3   She’s A Dragon       60        101      Craig Mayhew

18 Juxtapose               60        98        Stanley Ferreira

14 Princess Varunya   60        98        Kumaran Naidoo

9  Heaps Of Fun          60        95        Sean Tarry

7  Persian Rug            60        94        Mike de Kock

20 Frosty Friday          60        93        Gavin van Zyl

23 Noor                       60        92        Mike de Kock

15 Kilauea                   60        91        David Nieuwenhuizen

21 Melliflora               60        90        Mike Azzie

12 Crystal Glamour     60        88        Gary Alexander

16 Alexa                      60        87        Geoff Woodruff

11 Khonza                    60        87        Weiho Marwing

17 Bella Sonata           60        84        Gavin van Zyl

4  Christmas Carol      60        83        Geoff Woodruff

13 Shivering Sea         60        83        St John Gray

6 Angelic Appeal         60        82        St John Gray

2 Penny Serenade       60        82        Mike Azzie

22 Polyphonic              60        82        Alec Laird

10 Deep Down Rebel  60        80        Kumaran Naidoo

19 Bajan Fantasy         60        79        Gary Alexander

5  Runalong                 60        74        Paul Peter

The line-up included New Predator, who was beaten a wet nose by Noah From Goa in the Gr2 Dingaans (a race that everyone knows should be a Gr1 but isn’t) two smart Ready To Run Cup winners in Lineker and Champagne Haze, and Suyoof (AUS), who gave his rivals between 3,5kg and 8kg when he won the Listed Secretariat Stakes last December.

But disputes over Graded status never gets anybody anywhere and suffice it to report that the merits of Suyoof’s success in the 2016 running of the Tony Ruffel is likely to manifest itself in quick follow-up wins in handicaps and at higher levels by Sheikh Hamdan’s three-year-old gelding and several others who finished on his heels.

Anthony Delpech rode Suyoof to victory from a wide draw on the inside track, never easy, and he commented: “He jumped a bit slow but we came out near the running rail and into a better position. He ran on, I could see Andrew Fortune (on Champagne Haze), coming on my inside but Suyoof won well.”

Mike de Kock watched the race in Dubai and said: “Suyoof is a very progressive horse and he will do well over 1600m too,” comments echoed by assistant trainer John Buckler who saddled the gelding for the stable.

Suyoof, bred by Yarraman Park Stud Pty Ltd, NSW, is a son of Magic Albert from Magic Harmony, a mare by Danehill Dancer. Expect more magic from him!

Mikedekockracing.com
Picture: Suyoof (JC Photos)

The Dubai World Cup is beckoning for Al Shaqab’s Mshawish (Todd Pletcher/John Velazquez) after the six-year-old powered home for his first Grade 1 victory on dirt in the Donn Handicap at Gulfstream.

Formerly trained in France, the son of Medaglia d’Oro had been campaigned on turf for much of his globe-trotting career and won the Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap on the same card 12 months previously.

However, Mshawish had shown his aptitude for dirt on a couple of previous outings before scoring by two lengths over front-running Valid to claim the $500,000 Donn – the race won by the great Cigar in 1996 before he won the inaugural Dubai World Cup. Captain Steve (2001) and Invasor (2007) also won here before claiming the world’s richest race.

Trainer Todd Pletcher said the plan for the winner was Meydan on March 26, with the World Cup looking a more likely target this time than the Dubai Turf (former Duty Free), in which he finished third to Solow in 2015.

“We’ll go to Dubai and make a decision but hopefully it will be the World Cup,” said Pletcher, who was winning his fifth Donn.
Racingpost.com
Picture: Mshawish (MiamiHerald.com)

A meeting will be held on Friday by the connections of Futura and Legislate to discuss the futures of the two Justin Snaith-trained superstars.

However, bloodstock agent and stallion manager John Freeman, who has shares in both horses, will advise retirement to stud and believes most partners will agree.

Freeman said, “They were always going to be stallions one day and they were going to tell us when the time had come. I believe the time has now come. They are both sons of a top stallion in Dynasty, both are Equus Horses Of The Year Award winners and both have won four Gr 1s, so they have nothing left to prove.”

Legislate ran on well to finish a 1,5 length second in the Gr 1 L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate behind the 120 merit-rated Legal Eagle, but was unable to repel the closers in Saturday’s J&B Met after surprisingly setting the pace and could only manage 6th place.

Futura did not find his usual blistering turn of foot in the Queen’s Plate when finishing fifth. The explanation he had needed it had seemed spot on when he was turned out at the Met looking magnificent. However, he once again failed to quicken and only beat three horses home.

Freeman described Saturday’s Met as a fair race and offered his congratulations to the connections of the winner Smart Call, who put up the best performance by a filly in this country since the merit rating system was introduced just before the turn of the century.

Futura and Legislate will likely stand at Darkenstein Stud, who own shares in both horses.

By David Thiselton
Picture: Legislate winning the 2015 Rising Sun Gold Challenge (Nkosi Hlophe)

What the Met jockeys said:

JP van Der Merwe (Smart Call): “I got over quite nicely and sat behind Anton Marcus on Legal Eagle. I pulled her out 300m from home and she showed them what she is made of. It was the biggest thrill of my career.”

Anton Marcus, second on Legal Eagle after appearing to lead briefly 300m out: “Not really – I knew there was something coming – but otherwise everything went right and he ran his heart out.”

Corne Orffer, third on Captain America: “He is a superb miler and everyone knows he is not really a 2 000m horse but he kept on well the whole way to the line.”

Stuart Randolph, fourth on Light The Lights: “Mentally he is still a bit immature but physically he has progressed by leaps and bounds since his gelding and he ran very well.”

Grant van Niekerk, fifth on Paterfamilias: “He ran a cracker and I would have been in the money if I’d had a better draw.”

Piere Strydom, sixth on Legislate: “I had no option but to go on because he takes you and I could have done with a pacemaker. They go faster in the July so you can switch them off easier.”

Ian Sturgeon, seventh on Punta Arenas: “He got a bit tight at the top of the lane and he didn’t enjoy that.”

Bernard Fayd’Herbe, 11^th on Futura: “I was a bit far back but I thought I would get past them, and certainly get past Captain America, but he didn’t quicken. He is much better than that.”

By Michael Clower
Picture (Liesl King): JP van der Merve 

The Duncan Howells-trained Australian-bred Henrythenavigator three-year-old colt Ten Gun Salute opened up several opportunities for his connections when storming to victory in yesterday’s Listed Michael Roberts Handicap over 1800m at Greyville under Muzi Yeni, who had recovered quickly from a nasty fall at the Vaal last week and notched up a treble.
Ten Gun Salute cut down the brave Gavin Van Zyl-trained warrior Silver Spring to record his third win in succession.
Howells had bad luck raiding Johannesburg with the top class filly Same Jurisdiction last season, although she still earned some good stakes money, but Ten Gun Salute could make up for it as he looks ready made for a race like the lucrative Gr 1 SA Classic over 1800m at Turffontein. Otherwise the Gr 2 KRA Guineas and the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 beckon. Howells’ recommendation of patience with this ever developing horse has paid dividends.
Earlier, the brilliant miler Ice Machine trained by Charles Laird denied the Dennis Drier-trained sprinter Barbosa a five-timer when winning the Non-Black Type Marula Sprint over 1200m under Anton Marcus, having skipped the L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate due to too wide a draw.
There was also a good victory for the classy Paul Gadsby-trained Miss Varlicious in a MR handicap for fillies and mares over 1200m as she produced a late charge under 4kg claimer Calvin Ngcobo.
The Doug Campbell-trained Lala and the Paul Lafferty-trained Ole Gunnar stamped themselves as possible three-year-old feature candidates when winning the Graduation Plate races on the card in eyecatching style under Ian Sturgeon and Keagan de Melo respectively.
– David Thiselton
– Picture: Micheal Roberts congratulates Muzi Yeni after the win on Ten Gun Salute (Nkosi Hlophe)

JP van der Merwe made the most of a pick-up ride when piloting 8-1 chance Smart Call to a smashing victory in the Gr1 J&B Met at a packed Kenilworth yesterday. It was almost as if Alec Laird’s filly had jumped in at the top of the straight as she powered past hot favourite Legal Eagle to win as she liked. Legal Eagle was 3,5 lengths adrift at the line with Captain America and Light The Lights filling the minor placings.

Weichong Marwing, who missed the ride on Illuminator in the $1 Million Dollar last Saturday because of a serious back injury, was also carded to ride Smart Call but Laird was undecided on who to replace him with until mid-week with names like Frankie Dettori and Dougie Whyte being bandied about.

But Laird eventually settled on Van der Merwe. “He’s done a lot of work on her and whenever I asked him to ride her he hopped on immediately even though he was not riding her in a race.”

“He was down to ride for Paul Reeves so I thought, why not?” mused Laird.

“Once I got the ride I kept on refreshing (the webpage) to see if I was still on,” said Van der Merwe. “I checked again this morning just to make sure.”

As races went it was straight forward for the winner. “I sat behind Anton and Legal Eagle and when I asked her she quickened away.”

Big occasions can get the better of Laird, a family trait inherited from his father Syd, who was also short on words and to the point in his victory speeches. “I was hoping to win; not as well as that,” he quipped. “She got a very good place sitting behind the favourite. She was in the right place.”

Owner Jessica Slack has a family pedigree filled with as much Black type as Laird’s and the home-bred filly by resident Mauritzfontein stallion Ideal World is out of the mare Good Judgement by the best racehorse ever bred at the famous Oppenheimer stud, Horse Chestnut.

“I knew she was a good filly,” gushed Slack, “but I didn’t think that good.”

The 16-10 favourite Legal Eagle was given every chance by Anton Marcus who looked to have ridden the perfect race at he took command in the straight. But there were no answers forthcoming once Smart Call quickened past.

Disappointments were stable companions Futura and Legislate. The latter dictated matters early but had nothing to come in the straight while Futura was never in the hunt.

However, although Snaith failed to land his first Met, his army of 36 runners produced eight winners and as consolation 8-1 chance Ovidio hammered home in the Gr 2  J&B Urban Honey Stayers from Coltrane and Kingston Mines. This eclipsed Snaith’s previous Met total of five and his record of seven in Port Elizabeth.

Gulf Storm (centre) got up in a thrilling finish to the Cape Flying Championship (Liesl King)

Corne Orffer has been around the block and finally cracked his Grade 1 duck in the Betting World Cape Flying Championship aboard the Brett Crawford runner Gulf Storm. In doing so Orffer snapped Snaith’s early run of winners – but it was a close run thing.

S’Manga Khumalo kicked favourite Carry On Alice for home through the 400m mark, a move that looked to have paid off 50m out. But Khumalo became increasing desperate as the line approached and was swamped 20m from victory. The blinkered Gulf Storm and Brutal Force wore the game filly down and with two short-heads separating the first three home the judges posted Gulf Storm from Brutal Force and Carry On Alice.

“Brett always had this race in mind. He aimed him for this race since he got back from Durban,” said Orffer of his first Grade 1 win.

A hoarse Crawford croaked, “Credit must go to Corne. He gave the horse a fantastic ride. Putting the blinkers on made all the difference.”
– Andrew Harrison
Lead picture: Smart Call winning the 2016 J&B Met (Liesl King)