Sales toppers the world over have mostly not lived up to expectations. Two that spring immediately to mind are The Green Monkey and even more spectacularly Snaafi Dancer. Both were expensive failures on the track and to add insult to injury, Snaafi Dancer also proved infertile at stud.

Closer to home, Horizon, a R5.2 million purchase started favourite at Kenilworth yesterday and finished with only four behind him on debut. To be fair he is a magnificent specimen and judged on his pedigree and his action going to the start, he should prove a better proposition over much further. The jury is still out on this one.

That said, Savannah Cat, a R4,75 million purchase by Fort Wood steps out in the first at Scottsville on Sunday for Duncan Howells.  The majority of the field are also having their first race so one can read nothing into the form but news from the yard is that Savannah Cat is showing good work and the stable is cautiously optimistic.

Of the three that have run, Northern Storm didn’t feature on the poly after two promising efforts over tomorrow’s course and distance behind subsequent stakes winners in A Womens Way and Querari Falcon.

Gavin van Zyl has declared blinkers on his filly along with four-claiming apprentice Dennis Schwarz so she is likely to be hopping along from the jump.

Howells has three strong contenders in the second but his trio are up against a few others that have shown promise. Anthony Delpech stays

Anthony Delpech (Liesl King)

aboard Sir Edmund who was caught three jumps from the line at his last start and may prove the pick although Amazon King is sure to improve on his debut effort as should Roy’s Magic who finished ahead of his stable companion at much longer odds.

Second in that same race that afternoon was the Michael Roberts-trained Cabinda who was virtually friendless in the market which suggests that this form may prove suspect. My Pal Al has shown up nicely in two starts for Alistair Gordon, his debut effort behind subsequent Gr1 winner Gunner, and he too warrants serious consideration.

Dennis Drier, KZN Champion Trainer for last season by races won, has got his current season off to a rollicking start with 13 winner’s in the first month and can add to that tally in the KZN 3YO Series Fillies that heads the 10-race card. He saddles Anime, yet to finish out of the first three in four outings including two close-up efforts behind A Womens Way and Querari Falcon.

She was unlucky when touched off in her first outing on the poly and is likely to start at fairly cramped odds on Sunday.

Howells has a yard full of lightly raced fillies that he is loath to start on the poly and he starts to maidens in the race in Accidental Tourist and Rainbowinthesky. The latter makes her debut but Accidental Tourist made a smart debut when third behind the highly rated Maple Story and the Howells-trained Online who franked that form when winning last Sunday.

Just how strong that form is, only the race will tell but given that Accidental Tourist is likely to improve many lengths on her debut effort, she will be a threat to Anime.

Andrew Harrison