Anton Marcus, only seven behind log leader Greg Cheyne on the current national list, has almost carte blanche when it comes to picking rides – and that mostly the plums. He has a current winning strike rate of 27% or every fourth ride a winner and after a treble on Wednesday he should add to his tally at Greyville this evening where he again has a competitive card.

With stable rider Sean Veale doing duty for the yard in Cape Town for the summer, Dennis Drier has again booked Marcus for stable hope Well In Flight for the Pendulum Insurance Brokers River Indigo Handicap that heads up the card – all races on the poly track.

After a string of narrow defeats on the Scottsville turf, Well In Flight was switched to the poly for her last start and with immediate success, scooting home by over two lengths. The opposition this evening is stronger but Well In Flight is smart and from a good draw should be right there.

Sean Tarry holds a strong hand and stable rider S’Manga Khumalo has made the trip down from the Highveld for the evening He partners Strategic News ahead of top weight In Other Words and could possibly be the stable elect. Strategic News has excellent form on the poly and was possibly just short of an outing when third in a strong field. The rise in trip will hold no fears and from a good draw with a handy galloping weight she will be a strong contender.

In Other Words has a fair weight to shoulder but is at best over course and distance. She finished a neck clear of Strategic News when the two met behind Aliysa’s Prize and is now 1kg better off in the handicap. However, the latter has some improvement to make and appeals as the better option.

Aliysa’s Prize beat a strong field on her poly debut and is much better than her last turf effort under an inexperienced apprentice. Stuart Randolph is back aboard from a good draw and she too must have a chance. Persian Rug makes her poly debut with the blinkers back on. She is a big horse and the poly could bring out the best in her.

The more one looks at the race the more difficult it gets but Well In Flight is taken to get home ahead of Strategic News and In Other Words with Alisya’s Prize a major threat.

The handicappers haven’t taken any chances with Mike Miller’s filly Call Me Winter in the last race on the card, the Nesai Tyres Handicap, banging her up the full eight points for her last win.  That may not be enough!

The home-bred daughter of Western Winter had shown promise as a juvenile, winning her first two without any fuss. A Listed feature brought her winning run to an end and she was not seen out again for three months. On return she was never in the hunt in a tough handicap field but that allowed her to start at generous odds next time out, the handicappers also taken in, dropping her three pounds.

Miller has his charge her a difficult task with 64.5kg to shoulder from the worst of the draw but she could still be under the radar as far as the ratings go.

If not then the father and son pair of Just Vogue and Poster Girl could give plenty of cheek. Gavin van Zyl saddles Just Vogue who has yet to finish out of the money in eight starts, most recently winning over the Scottsville short-cut wearing blinkers. She is drawn on the opposite side of the course to Call Me Winter and the better draw and a 4,5kg pull in the weights make her a solid contender.

Son Gareth sends out Poster Girl who has her third run after a break and should strip close to her peak although she does look a bit high in the ratings.

Van Zyl senior should get Pick 6 punters off to a good start with Momo in the third. She has gone close over course and distance and did well in blinkers last outing. She rates the one to beat as the balance are seriously average.

Similarly, Savannah Cat in the next will be a popular banker. Although she has been disappointing.  she looks worth another chance in a weak maiden field. Of the others, Mariuccia Blue showed some improvement at her second outing on the poly and also found some market support so could be a threat.

Andrew Harrison

Husband and wife combination of Alec and Lezeanne Forbes were in top form at Greyville yesterday and possibly set something of a record for a husband and wife team, winning three races. Their meeting got off to the perfect start as Toonani returned from a break of over a year to run out an easy winner of the first.

The five-year-old has faced stronger than what he met yesterday but it is seldom that horses returning from such a long break come back fit enough to win. But not only did Toonani win, but he defied his 14-1 odds and drew off to win as he liked.

Jay Jay’s Girl was even more impressive in the Child Protection Maiden Plate although there was no guessing this time as she started 5-4 favourite. The daughter of Jay Peg revelled over the extra ground and scooted home by six lengths.

The couple rounded off their afternoon with the consistent Tanami winning the second race of her career in which she has only finished out of the money once in nine starts. She too started favourite in the Candy Pop Entertainment Handicap, beating home a useful field and holding off Vogue Idea and Velvet Wind.

It was a good afternoon for punters with a number of favourites obliging. The Alistair Gordon-trained Andermatt (1-3) looked hard to beat in the second and she duly obliged although Anton Marcus was forced to earn his riding fee.

Similarly, Paul Gadsby’s runner Patroclus (15-20) finally got his act together and won at cramped odds with the Forbes-trained Sweet Refrain kicking on strongly for second.

The Gr1 Grand Parade Cape Guineas is the highlight of the weekend and although Palladium and Marshall That are not up to that class, the two three-year-olds were expected to give a good account of themselves in the Children’s Christmas Wishes Handicap over 1600m.

Both were a spent force shortly after entering the straight leaving Capel Top and Silver Spring to fight out affairs with Capel Top (9-1) getting the upper hand close home under Morne Winnaar for Dean Kannemeyer.

Anton Marcus cut into Greg Cheyne’s lead on the national jockey log with a treble. He started his run on Andermatt and then finally got Air Chief Marshal (5-2) to break his run of beaten favourite tags as he produced Candice Bass-Robinson’s runner with a telling late run to beat home a fast-finishing First Apostle and The Poet.

Marcus rounded off his afternoon with a smart ride on Gareth van Zyl’s runner Calabash (14-10). Up with the pace throughout, Marcus made his move on the turn, skipping clear of Shine Up, who on form looked his biggest danger. However, Shine Up was soon a spent force and Calabash drew off to win as he liked.

Andrew Harrison

Baltia makes a lot of appeal at 11-2 in the Welcome To Kenilworth Maiden at Kenilworth tomorrow, particularly as her recent home work has been good.

Although a four-year-old, she did not make her debut until four weeks ago when she started fourth favourite in a field of 18 and finished best of all to take third to Ngaga.  Igugu’s half-sister has franked the form by winning again since.

Usually horses who do not run until they are four have had injury problems that can make them unreliable but there are grounds for believing that this won’t apply so much with Greg Cheyne’s mount.

“She was sore in a bone in her hind leg and the soreness wouldn’t go away,” explains Ridgemont manager Craig Carey. “Rather than resort to drugs, we left her alone on the farm and let her grow out of it.”

That ultra-patient policy could start paying dividends today because Brett Crawford, who took her over in July, reports: “She is working well and she looks as if she has come on.”

She will be opposed by eight of those that ran against her on debut including Class Protector (second), Dance At Dawn (fourth), Eternal Light (fifth), Dark Goddess (sixth) and Field Of Light (seventh).

The last-named is trained by Dennis Drier and has been backed from 11-2 to 9-2 favourite with World Sports Betting. She has two lengths to find with Baltia but she was forced to switch last time. However Baltia has an in-built three length advantage over most of the opposition because this is a level weights race and, as a four-year-old, she should be conceding 4kg under the weight-for-age scale.

Eternal Night (12-1) lost ground at the start when making her debut and was less than a length behind Baltia. “She is quite hot and she was pretty ready first time,” says Eric Sands. “She is not without a chance but she wants a lot further.”

Class Protector (10-1) was three-quarters of a length in front of Baltia but that was her fourth appearance so she has less scope for improvement.  Dance At Dawn has gone on to finish second in a work riders’ and is a 10-1 chance.

Another to be wary of is 12-1 newcomer Love To Boogie. “She is quite classy and she has had enough work,” says Andre Nel. “But she holds her condition and is still fairly fat.”

Boldly Respectable, backed from 13-2 to 5-1 for race two, has since been scratched but this 1 400m handicap is wide open and you can make a case for almost all six runners. Brilliant Crimson, dropped a point since last time when he ran a bit below his best, gets only a tentative vote at 28-10.

Rubyana may confirm last month’s form with Jack And Jill in the 2 000m maiden. The Burger-Van Reenen partnership has four of the seven in the Racing Association Maiden but odds-on Sea Pass looks the one.

Michael Clower

Hopefully the evening thunder storms accompanied by terrific lightning that have disrupted recent night meetings at Turfffontein hold off tomorrow night where the mostly luckless Negroamaro should be good enough to earn her third career victory in the All To Come Conditions Plate, second race on the card.

Johan Janse van Vuuren looks to have picked the right race for his filly and victory would snap a long history of near misses. She has yet to score a victory this term but in three outings has met the likes of Querari Falcon, Tahini and most recently Intergalactic and Tahini in the Gr2 Ipi Tombe Challenge. Under the conditions of tomorrow’s race she is well weighted and although likely to start at cramped odds, a change of fortune would not be out of turn for the grey daughter of Fort Wood.

Patchit Up Baby falls into a similar category having paid a heavy price for her third place in the SA Oaks two seasons’ back where she took a 19-point hit in the ratings for finishing a distant third to Pine Princess. She has been shuttled back and forth between Duncan Howells in KZN and Ormond Ferraris on the Highveld searching for a third victory but in nearly two seasons her rating has only dropped five points and she has been winless since February 2015.

She meets Negroamaro on level terms tomorrow where she is only a length or so out in the handicap and few would begrudge her victory.

Fort Ember is not well in with Negroamaro but did finish ahead of her in the Ipi Tombe Challenge and cannot be written off. However, the former is now 4kg better off and should be good enough to turn the tables. Zante has her first outing for the Geoff Woodruff yard and has been rested since moving from Neil Bruss who is no plying his trade in Saudi Arabia. She is useful on her day but may prefer it a bit further.

With only seven runners due to line up, a false pace is on the cards but Negroamaro is capable of a sprinting finish and she is a confident selection.

The balance of the card is way more testing headed by a Pinnacles Stakes over 1160m that sees the return to the track of French Navy. The former SA Classic winner has not been out since finishing down the field in the Gr1 Vodacom Durban July but prior to that was third to Mac De Lago and stable companion Trip To Heaven in the Gr1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge. Sean Tarry will more than likely have French Navy’s sights on the Gr1 Sun Met as this race is palpably too short.

A likely winner is Captain Aldo in what is a difficult race. St John Gray’s runner is not quite out of the top drawer but has shown good form in strong company. He is also a veteran of 30 starts and the fitting of blinkers got the best out of him to win his last start. If he can build on that he can go in again.  Will Pays was well beaten by Captain Aldo last time out but has done better and should not be far behind. Captain’s Causeway is lightly raced and returns from a lengthy break. He does have smart form in good company and could return at the top of his game. Splendid Garden was much improved in the soft last outing and any rain will enhance his chances while Arabian Beat returns from a very long break but comes from a shrewd stable and is one to watch in the market.

Just A Jet in the fifth is sure to be a popular exotic bet banker and likely to start at cramped odds. She meets a desperate maiden field with a highest rating of 49. A late starter, Mike Azzie’s runner made a smart debut first up over 2000m. She was a distant third from a tough draw next time out. She meets nothing of note here and looks a solid bet. The only threat is possibly Vogue’s Wood. Although she looks held by Just A Jet on their last showing she was not too far back and could possibly turn the tables.

Andrew Harrison

Mauritian Horse of the Year Parachute Man is one of 27 entries for the R5 million Sun Met to be run at Kenilworth on Saturday, 28 January next year. Initial entries include most of the country’s top gallopers who, if all standing their ground, will make for a fascinating race.

Parachute Man, trained by Ricky Maingard, has turned out to be one of the island’s ‘all time greats’ after winning his second Gr 1 in the Duke of York Cup.

“We haven’t decided on anything yet as we are not sure if he can go to Cape Town first in view of participating in the Met and not sure whether he would be invited either,” said Maingard.

Maingard regards the gelding as one of the best stayers he has trained and is hoping to crack an invite to the Met. Parachute Man is due back in South Africa on December 17.

Should Parachute Man make the field he will be up against two of the best in Legal Eagle and Marinaresco. They have yet to meet on the race course with Sean Tarry opting to skip Champions Season with Legal Eagle while in his absence Marinaresco proved himself a worthy opponent finishing a cracking second in the July and winning the Gr1 Champions Cup in the season finale.

Both have made pleasing starts in their warm-up for the Cape Summer of Champions and the Gr1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate will likely set their stage for the Met.

French Navy, off the track since unplaced in the Vodacom Durban July, is also an entry along with Triple Crown winner Abashiri.

Mike de Kock, who has twice won the Met with a three-year-old, has entered Bold Rex, third in the Gr2 Victory Moon Stakes, Heavenly Blue and Al Fahad while Justin Snaith has pencilled in Zodiac Ruler.

Andrew Harrison

First entries for the R5 million Gr1 Sun Met to be run over 2000 m at Kenilworth on Saturday 28 January 2017:

Geoff Woodruff continued his stranglehold on the Gr1 Gauteng Sansui Summer Cup as Master Sabina recorded back-to-back wins at Turffontein yesterday. It was also Woodruff’s fourth consecutive win and sixth overall threatening Mike de Kock’s record of seven.

It took 26 years for back-to-back winners after the filly Roland’s Song but it was not all plain sailing as Gavin Lerena punched his mount through a narrow gap to deny The Conglomerate a rare Vodacom Durban July and Sansui Summer Cup double. Master Switch, who delayed the start when bursting through his gate, finished a close-yup third with Liege some way back in fourth.

The start had been a problem all afternoon with gates opening prematurely and horses bursting through and the Cup start proved no different. Master Switch came through his gate and had to be re-loaded but when the start was effected there were a number who blew their chances before that race had hardly begun.

Anthony Delpech was not one caught napping and was quickly away from his outside gate to race Master Switch up into third as the Sean Tarry pair of Stonehenge and Liege set the gallop. Master Sabina was another who did not get the best of breaks. “Things did not work out for me early,” said Lerena. “But he is all heart and determination,” he said of his mount.

Once clear of traffic in the straight Lerena found himself confronted with the battle between Master Switch and The Conglomerate and quickly running out of track. So he took the direct route. With the gap between the two closing and still plenty of horse still under him, Lerena barrelled his way through to the line.

Woodruff was almost matter-of-fact. “This is a handicap and in a handicap, you need luck. He nearly got cleaned up by my other horse.”

There was little place for the small stables at Turffontein yesterday as Sean Tarry, Woodruff and Johan Janse van Vuuren held sway. Tarry won five of the first eight races with Woodruff a double including the Gr2 Investec Dingaans and the very smart Green Pepper winning the Gr3 Magnolia Handicap for Van Vuuren.

Chase Maujean is one of the unsung heroes of the weighing room but makes the most of what comes his way and grabbed his opportunity with both hands. He rode a cracking race on Woodruff’s colt Singapore Sling in the Dingaans, a race that surely needs to be up-graded to Gr1 status as it draws a top class field year after year.

Woodruff was lavish in his praise of Maujean. “That was one of the very best rides that I have ever seen recently from any jockey,” he complimented.  Quickly over from a wide gate, Maujean stalked the opposition like a hunting lion and pounced with a perfectly timed run. Graham Beck winner Doosra hit the front two furlongs out seemingly with plenty in hand but once off the bit he came up empty as Graham Beck runner-up Heavenly Blue took over. However, once Maujean let his lion loose it was a case of race over and the drinks were on owners Dave and Tiaan Shaw.

Trip To Heaven, denied in the boardroom in the Gr1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge last season, has really turned the corner for Tarry as a sprinter and produce possibly the performance of the day in the G2 The Citizen Merchants. Slowly away as is his want, S’Manga Khumalo had him at the back of the field in company with Talktothestars. Hot favourite Kangaroo Jack threatened briefly at the 400 m mark but Trip To Heaven was in full cry and reeled in the opposition with a sustained run. Bull Valley tried hard in second while Talktothestars also rallied from off the pace for third.

Andrew Harrison

Warren Lenferna chats to James Rich about Duncan Howells runners [Nov 25 to Nov 27]

“Disappointed?  Yes. But bothered?  No.” This is Joey Ramsden’s reaction to Saturday’s seismic Selangor shock when odds-on Table Bay’s third to 28-1 chance Gold Standard measured at least eight on racing’s Richter scale.

“Pace is important but you have got to be in the right place,” Ramsden reasoned, pointing out that the first two were stone last turning for home. “The others just went too fast.”

His rivals will point out that it was he who provided the pacemaker but punters and pundits alike were left stunned. However rider Anton Marcus seemed to be singing from much the same hymn sheet as Ramsden, saying: “I think he was too prominent in running – I can’t think of anything else. Table Bay is a smart horse but going through the 900m mark he was under pressure and I knew I was in trouble.”

Maybe – just maybe – the Cape Classic flattered Table Bay. The time that day was more than two seconds outside the course record but Saturday’s race was fast, less than a second outside the 2014 Green Point when Legislate smashed the mile record.

The Cape Guineas on December 17 will provide the answer but for those, like the writer, burning to find out now that is both stating the obvious and far too late. Certainly the majestic manner in which Table Bay strode home under 60kg remains a well-nigh unshakeable memory.

Gold Standard (Liesl King)

Glen Kotzen, though, can hardly wait for his chance to do it again. The Hattinghs’ Trippi colt had won his last two and Richard Fourie, completing a treble of his own, said: “He was travelling like a winner all the way and, when I saw Table Bay not pulling it through, I knew he could do it. He fought all the way to the line.”

Kotzen added: “This was no surprise to me because Gold Standard is getting better and better. He is more of a Derby sort and I thought the short run-in might find him out so I changed his work to doing short, sharp bits.”

Runner-up Edict Of Nantes looked like winning a furlong out and Brett Crawford is, somewhat understandably, also dreaming of Guineas glory – “I’m praying for a draw and then we will have a real chance.”

The much fancied Al Fahad, though, ran even worse than the favourite. There was more money for him than Table Bay in the two hours before the race – he shortened from 7-2 to 5-2 while the favourite drifted from 5-10 to 7-10– but he was in trouble coming out of the final turn and a beaten horse soon afterwards.

Safe Harbour – Chris van Niekerk (Liesl King)

Safe Harbour is to stay in Cape Town for Saturday week’s WSB Fillies Guineas after finishing faster than anything to shoot through a rapidly-closing gap in the Lanzerac Ready To Run. The Elusive Fort filly, bred by Jim Antrobus, earned R1.25 million for CTS chairman Chris van Niekerk and the big-spending Wehann Smith who for this one forked out a mere R180 000.

Sean Tarry said: “She is drawn two and, if she pulls up well, we will take our chance. After that we will regroup.”

But it wasn’t all plain sailing in the irons with Weichong Marwing reporting: “There was some scrimmaging in the back straight. Anton on Always In Charge had to check in front of something and I had to pull off his heels, putting my filly off her stride.”

Marcus had what looked a dangerously difficult ride on the 15-10 favourite. He was badly hampered early on by Purple Tractor (“I went right down”) and was hindered by the same horse a furlong out. With a clear run he would have been in the shake-up at the very least.

Quick Brown Fox (Liesl King)

But it was a case of close-home heartbreak for Anthony Delpech on the front-running Sergeant Hardy whose wind-restricted stamina exceeded all expectations. “I thought I was going to hold on,” he reported ruefully. “But at the end my horse dived to the left and, had I let him go over, I would have lost it (in the boardroom) anyway.”

The gelding’s trainer Justin Snaith, who also sent out fourth-placed Bishop’s Bounty, said that Zodiac Ruler will run in the Cape Guineas despite managing only ninth – “The course is riding very fast and he couldn’t get into it on the short run-in.”

Quick Brown Fox earned a crack at the Fillies Guineas after comfortably following up her debut win under Greg Cheyne in the 1 200m fillies handicap with Crawford pointing out: “It is a big plus that she is drawn one.”

Matthew de Kock has already earmarked the Summer Stayers (Dec 17) and the Chairmans Cup (Jan 7) for the Callan Murray-ridden Smart Mart who got up close home in the Kenilworth Cup.

Michael Clower

Rain conspired to cut short the final meeting of the Air Mauritius International Jockeys’ Challenge but those in attendance at Turffontein Racecourse were treated to the famous Frankie Dettori flying dismount, not once but twice.

And those in attendance didn’t have to wait long either as the captain of the international team delivered with his first ride of the day, aboard the Joe Soma trained Turn Back Time, as his side tried to peg back the deficit.

“The race was easy for me. It’s great for the public and for me that the fight is back on and were catching up,” Dettori said after his win in the opener.

“Shot!” he added, using one of South African racing’s more popular expressions.

Heading into the meeting each of the respective captains were rooted to the bottom of the rider’s standings but that changed very quickly in Johannesburg as S’manga Khumalo delivered aboard Duzi Moon in the sixth race.

The double was completed for Dettori after the seventh as he got Seattle Lady home for an easy victory and in turn sealed up the Victor Ludorum prize, not only for the day, but for the overall competition.

For that particular winning interview, Dettori recalled how a bird had provided some lucky inspiration earlier on that morning.

“I was standing under the tree and a bird pooped on my suit. The boys said it was lucky and it turned out that way,” the legendary Italian said.

But any hopes that Dettori had of his team catching the South African team were dashed in spite of his personal heroics given that the local riders consistently found the placings and ended up taking the honours once again. It is the seventh time the South African side have come out tops in this annual event. The internationals have managed to claim two victories.

His personal haul on the day of 72,5, each jockey was awarded 8.5 points for the abandoned race, was enough to push his persona tally up to 87,5 for the two-legged series and ensured he edged out Gavin Lerena by a slim two point margin.

Muzi Yeni had earned the Victor Ludorum prize in Fairview but he couldn’t sustain the effort at Turffontein with his best finish being a fourth in the sixth race although he did add consistently add to the team cause.

“It’s been brilliant. From the minute we set foot in this country everybody’s been so great and hospitable. We really enjoyed ourselves, we had a great team, good craic,” Dettori said after receiving his respective awards.

The awards ceremony was also used as an opportunity to raise money for Freddie Tylicki, paralysed in a recent fall, with Dettori’s silks from the day autographed by both teams and auctioned off.

Racing. It’s A Rush!

Picture: JC Photos