Red Ray won possibly the most important race of his life when landing the Gr1 Mercury Sprint at Greyville yesterday. Racing in blinkers for the first time he motored to the line under Anton Marcus to beat home rank outsider Night Trip and the filly Real Princess. Favourite Talktothestars had a nightmare trip from his wide draw and did well to finish fourth.

Not only did Red Ray enhance his reputation but probably also saved a visit from the vet and instead book a place on the Klawervlei Stud stallion roster. It was also another Gr1 winner for Markus and Ingrid Jooste, their placed further cemented at the top of the leading owners list with the Mike Bass-trained Night Trip providing a one-two.

Joey Ramsden, fresh off the high of winning the Vodacom Durban July a fortnight ago, and Jooste racing manager Derek Brugman deemed Red Ray good enough to take his chances in Dubai under the care of Mike de Kock. But it proved an ill-fated journey as the son of Western Winter managed only a single start. He was however, thought good enough to warrant the expense of a return trip home. It proved an inspired decision.

“He came from Mike in absolutely tip-top condition and all I had to do was put the cherry on the top,” complimented Ramsden.

Red Ray made a promising return after his lengthy break with a fourth in the Gr1 Tsogo Sun Sprint and then did not get the best of passages in the G2 Post Merchants. Red Ray found good market support in both races which should have tipped off punters that there was still a big race in the entire.

Fitting blinkers was probably the master stroke yesterday and although running around in the finish the result was never in doubt once Red Ray had collared pacemaker Captain Alfredo.

Red Ray (Candiese Marnewick)

The pace was on from the start as apprentice Lyle Hewiston committed Captain Alfredo early. But Marcus has few rivals when it comes to the start and as if by magic he had Red Ray out of his 10 gate in a flash and up with the pace. Trip Tease made a tardy start and was swamped on the rail while Gavin Lerena opted to drop out from the jump and Talktothestars was last after the field had travelled a furlong. With a strong tailwind in the straight his goose was already cooked.

Red Ray tackled Captain Alfredo early in the straight but the pacemaker had done his dash leaving Marcus in front. Real Princess and Night Trip finished best of the pack but Red Ray had the race nailed a long way out.

Ramsden summed up, “I’m glad to have finally won it. I’ve run second too many times.”

In earlier action, top weight In Other Words started favourite for the Off To Stud Stakes (Listed) but it was stable companion Lady Of Kildare and Anthony Delpech, riding his 201^st winner of the season, who spoilt the party for punters who plunged on the more fancied runner. The win also gave Sean Tarry his 200^th winner of a season that he will never forget. He is R9 million ahead of nearest rival Justin Snaith in the now one-horse race for the National Trainer’s title and he can dust off his penguin suit for the Equus Awards on August 16.

Delpech, as is his want, had Sean Tarry’s mare perfectly placed to challenge coming off the false rail and she quickened through the traffic to win fluently from the third of Tarry’s runners, Enchanted Silk who edged out Silver Class in a photo.

In Other Words was in trouble soon after entering the straight and Piere Strydom eased her out of the race with something obviously amiss.

Weichong Marwing, still battling a dodgy back, was booked off the ride on Zante for the Queen Palm Stakes but Neil Bruss was more than happy to toss the bone to Marcus.

He proved an inspired replacement, riding his rivals to sleep and skipping home with six lengths to spare. Gathering Fame set funereal early fractions in the 2400m event but with half the race gone Marcus allowed Zante to pick up the gallop. Coming up the hill he had plenty of daylight on his field with Lerena on favourite and stable companion Deputy Ryder seemingly unperturbed in the back seat.

But all the jockey’s barring Marcus got it wrong as Zante kept rolling to win as she liked, Deputy Ryder putting in a belated finish for second but six lengths adrift at the line.

Andrew Harrison

The Gr 1 Mercury Sprint, which looks to be ultra competitive, heads a nine event card for the racing purist to savour at Greyville on Saturday.

Trip To Heaven has speed and class as well as a good draw and he looks set to land his first Gr 1. S’Manga Khumalo knows the lightly raced four-year-old Trippi gelding well and should bring the best out of him. This horse is versatile so can use his speed to lead if jumping well or could otherwise bring his devastating turn of foot to the table if coming from off the pace.

Trip To Heaven (JC Photo)

Talktothestars is officially the highest rated runner in the field by a whopping seven points. He displayed a fine turn of foot in the Computaform Sprint and might have to employ it to the maximum from his wide draw here, or otherwise he will have to get lucky if opting to be as handy as he was when winning the Tsogo Sun Sprint. Gavin Lerena’s Hong Kong experience will be of huge benefit in this race as the 1200m races there are all around the turn.

Trip Tease jumps from pole position and although only ever racing beyond 1000m once in his career he has been settling well lately, as he did last time when sitting behind a fast pace over 1000m in  a Pinnacle event at Turffontein, before turning it on impressively to win going away by 3,25 lengths.

Barbosa didn’t raise a gallop in the Tsogo Sun, having run an excellent third in the Computaform Sprint before that. In January he showed how well he can turn it on from behind over 1200m at Greyville when beaten just a neck by Ice Machine at level weights. A repeat from his tough draw of 14 here will give him a chance.

Real Princess’s draw of six should allow her to find cover before using her exceptional turn of foot. Gulf Storm has the blinkers off and should be running on strongly from a tricky draw. Heartland has always been hightly regarded and should also be making late headway being a horse better suited to 1400m.

Lanner Falcon is a dark horse as one who will relish this tough 1200m and she was a touch unlucky when having to be switched wide for a run in the Gr 1 City Of Pietermaritzburg Sprint. Triptique’s excellent Drill Hall Stakes runner up effort gives him a chance of earning here too. Fly By Night is a former winner of this race when it was staged at Clairwood and showed in the recent Post Metchants she can run on well from behind as she will likely need to from a tricky draw here.

Red Ray (Liesl King)

Red Ray has his third run after a long layoff and is another with the class to win. Night Trip is an intriguing runner as a classy 1400-1600m horse who has done well at Greyville before and he did win the last time he was tried over this distance way back in October 2013 at Durbanville. Exelero finished a fine third in the Tsogo Sun but officially has the toughest task at the weights here.

Captain Alfredo will have to improve on his Post Merchants run to be a factor and strikes as being a bit too one-paced to be a threat at this level, although he could perhaps play an important role by leading as this will likely give him his best chance from a tricky draw.

The selection is Trip To Heaven to beat Talktothestars, Trip Tease, Barbosa and Real Princess.

In the first race over 1600m on the turf Philanthropist colt Rockefella impressed when running on over 1400m on the Greyville turf to win on debut and he should relish the step up in trip. His paternal half-brother The Slade is a half-brother to two-year-old Gr 1-winner Afrikaburn and has a fair draw with Anthony Delpech up. Step Up is a lot better than his last run when caught hopelessly wide and he is the dark horse from a good draw.

In the second over 1600m The High Life won a race over this trip at Scottsville which was later declared null and void, so has a weight advantage here receiving 3kg as a non-winner. Costa Da Sol won fluently second time out on the poly over this trip and Dancing Wall could improve.

In the third over 1400m on the poly, the hard-knocking Hejira could beat a weak field.

In the fourth over 1600m on the poly, the form of Lonelyarethebrave’s win over course and distance last time has been franked so he could make it a course and distance hattrick off a four point higher mark, despite a wide draw. Emperor Niarchos and Danish Wood make most appeal of the rest.

Seventh Heart is an improving sort and looks the one to beat from a tough draw in the Listed Off To Stud Stakes over 1600m on the poly. In Other Words and Chennai Babe should be thereabouts too.

In the Queen palm Stakes over 2400m on the turf, Deputy Ryder has some class and is drawn well over a suitable trip. Gathering Fame and Zante could be threats.

In the eighth over 1000m on the poly Zinnavar should be cherry ripe to deliver over a suitable course and distance. Big King can’t be ignored from a good draw and Shenyang is the dark horse as one who is a lot better than his last two runs.

In the last over 1200m on the poly, Wind Singer has some class and could make amends for her disappointing last run from another good draw. Lily Gray has a chance from pole and Shizam is a two-year-old who caught the eye in her last win over this trip at Kenilworth and she is also well drawn.

David Thiselton

Dennis Drier’s brilliant Captain Al colt Captain Of All produced one of his career best performances in his swansong at Greyville yesterday when easily winning the Gr 1 Mercury Sprint over 1200m under replacement jockey Greg Cheyne, to follow up on his impressive win with topweight in the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint at Scotsville on May 23.

Captain Of All (Nkosi Hlophe)

The strapping bay colt’s regular rider Sean Cormack was sent to hospital for observation after his mount Zacharias collapsed with a pulmonary haemorrhage in an earlier race.

Cheyne commented later that this was the easiest Gr 1 winner he had ever had. Cheyne has won three Gr 1 SA Fillies Sprints, but this was his first Gr 1 sprint win on a colt.

However, he was full of sympathy for Cormack and said, “I feel for Sean, I know what it’s like when you ride these horses and especially today, it’s a very special occasion, it’s his last run, and Sean had been with him from day one.”

Captain of All jumped well to take the lead and Cheyne said the pace had initially been sedate. However, when he saw Legilsate coming around to take it up he knew the latter would not be able to afford to slow it up and admitted the race had panned out extremely well for him from then onward.

Captain of All moved out for his run in the straight and showed an exceptional turn of foot to draw alongside the reigning Equus Horse Of The Year before powering clear to win by 4,5 lengths.

Carry On Alice did well to storm home on the outside for second as she had been caught quite far back in a race lacking a true pace.

Legislate was only a short-head further back in third. This was his first defeat at Greyville, although his four wins here, all Gr 1s, have been over distances from 1600-2200m.

Last year’s winner Fly By Night stayed on well to be neck further back in fourth, a head clear of the gallant African Dream, who behaved well again when accompanied in the parade ring by “horse whisperer” Glyn Redgrave and to the start by both the latter and trainer Mark Dixon’s wife Hayley.

Drier was full of praise for Captain Of All’s “legend breeder” Duncan Barry of Riverton Stud, who has been behind a number of Drier’s many Gr 1 wins.

King’s Knight (Nkosi Hlophe)

Captain Of All was sold at a Klawerveli Farm Sale for a mere R100,000 due to an offset knee, but this hasn’t stopped him winning three Gr 1s under Drier’s care.

Drier said, “He’s been a wonderful horse, his knee hasn’t really worried him.”

He added that resting the colt for most of his three-year-old year due to a niggle had been a  turning point, “I think that when you have a horse of this quality you don’t want to stop, start, stop start and that’s why I said to Derek (Brugman) let’s give him a nice long break.”

Regarding the jockey change Drier said, “Derek and I discussed it quickly, Greg has had the experience of Hong Kong, he’s riding with the utmost confidence and I’m just so sad for Seany (Cormack), so sad.”

Markus and Ingrid Jooste own Captain Of All, who will now join his father among the stallion ranks at Klawervlei, which is part-owned by Jooste.

Earlier there was an impressive display by the Duncan Howells-trained Maine Chance Farms-bred Querari filly Cosmic Light, who used her exceptional turn of foot and big stride to come from off the pace and win the Gr 2 The Debutante over 1200m in fine style under Muzi Yeni. Yeni dropped her out from a wide draw but she made the ground up quickly in the straight down the inside and held off a late challenge by Rebel To The Fore, who lost a length at the start. Lala, Roy’s Goddess and Khaleesi were next best.

Later in the Gr 2 Umkhomazi Stakes over 1200m the Mike Miller-trained Waterford Stud-bred King Of Kings colt King’s Knight galloped clear under Anthony Delpech to win by a comfortable 3,25 lengths. The win gave KZN’s “Mr Racing” Bill Lambert his first ever feature race winner as he part-owns the rangy colt. Oriental Tiger and Vous Et Var were next best.

The Listed Queen Palm Stakes over 2400m was won impressively by the Alyson Wright-trained Go Deputy filly Deputy Ryder under a typically cool ride by champion jockey elect Gavin Lerena. She was the only three-year-old in the race, yet carried joint top weight so she looks to have a bright future as a stayer.

The Interprovincial series saw the KZN Falcons winning two of the four races and the Highveld Hawks and Cape Eagles won one race each.

Come Fly With Me (Nkosi Hlophe)

The KZN Falcons, consisting of Anton Marcus, Anthony Delpech, Muzi Yeni, Sean Cormack and Keagan de Melo (substitute in the last leg for Cormack) emerged winners on 158 points, with the Highveld Hawks (Gavin Lerena, Raymond Danielson, S’Manga Khumalo and Piere Strydom) second on 152 and the Cape Eagles (Greg Cheyne, Donovan Dillon, Richard Fourie and Corne Orffer) third on 108 points.

The winning team members each received R12,000, the second team received R8,000 each and the third-placed team received R5,000 each.

Anton Marcus won the Interprovincial third leg, the Listed Off  To Stud Stakes over 1600m on the polytrack aboard the Stan Elley-trained four-year-old Horse Chestnut filly Pecan Nut. The blinkered grey was officially 2kg under sufferance with the best weighted horse Euphoria, but relished the poly and travelled like a winner throughout in a handy position. She drew away in the straight to beat Red Label and Resolution by two lengths and 3,5 lengths respectively. Fortitude was next best and the disappointing Euphoria found little in the straight and could only manage sixth.

In the Interprovincial first leg, a Maiden Plate over 1600m on the poly, the Sean Tarry-trained two-year-old Kahal filly Intergalactic improved on her decent debut to annihilate her older rivals under Highveld Hawks’Gavin Lerena, winning by 5,25 lengths from Sword Storm and Zara’s Legacy.

The second leg over 1600m on the poly was fought by the only to two-year-olds in the race and the Gavin van Zyl-trained Celtic Captain only just got the better of Mambo Mime.

The last leg over 1200m on the poly was won easily by the Kumaran Naidoo-trained topweight Tuscan under Donovan Dillon.

The first race of the day over 1200m saw an upset as Richard Fourie rode a clever race on the Mike Bass-trained Come Fly With Me, who is a full-sister to Fly By Night, and the odds-on favourite Real Princess was unable to catch her in the straight.

By David Thiselton

The Gr 1 Mercury Sprint meeting at Greyville tomorrow will be full of interest as there are not only five features, but there is also a jockeys’ interprovincial being contested by the KZN Falcons, the Highveld Hawks and the Western Cape Falcons.

The Mercury Sprint over 1200m looks likely on paper to be fought out by Carry On Alice, Captain Of All and Fly By Night, with Trip To Heaven and Legislate being the dark horses.
Carry On Alice gets the nod as a look at the time she ran when winning the Gr 1 City Of Pietermaritzburg Sprint puts her ahead of Captain Of All, whom she also beat in the Computaform Sprint, although she did lose to him in the Betting World Cape Flying Championship after being made to stand in the stalls for ages.
Captain Of All was only caught late here in a Gr 1 over 1400m as a two-year-old so will handle the course and his speed, class and good preparation will make him a tough nut to crack.
Legislate is unbeaten at Greyville and all four wins were in Gr 1s (from 1600-2200m). His class and devastating turn of foot could carry him close.
Fly By Night will be running on strongly in the defense of her crown and considering she was only beaten 1,8 lengths by Carry On Alice in the City Of Pietermaritzburg Sprint when jumping from a tougher draw she should finish close to the latter.
Trip To Heaven is not far off the best on paper and was only just not ready for Scottsville in time, so should be fit now and his speed, class and plum draw make him a runner.
Willow Magic enjoys Greyville and was undone by a false start in the Gr2 Post Merchants over course and distance, so he is another with an outside winning chance, although he appears to prefer further these days.
Daring Dave loves Greyville and together with the talented African Dream could earn a cheque.

The Gr 2 Debutante over 1200m could be won by Cosmic Light, who impressed on debut and the form has been franked. She has a wide draw but there could be a fast pace here set by Khaleesi, who is drawn one inside of her. Khaleesi could stay on for second ahead of Frosted Honey who will be running on late but might prefer further. Rebel To The Fore would not be a shock winner having run on well to win on debut over 1000m. Lala clearly enjoys this course and distance, but this is a step up in class.
The Gr 2 Umkhomazi Stakes over 1200m is of below par standard and Buckinghampshire’s class could tell. However, staying all the way to the line from a wide draw might be a bit of a concern and Top Form is the back up. The Port Elizabeth raider Oriental Tiger is drawn in pole and was not stopping when winning by over six lengths on debut over 1000m, so he could be a contender.
The Listed Off To Stud Handicap over 1600m on the poly could be won by Euphoria who won with a bit in hand over course and distance last time and is best in at the weights again. Enchanted Silk loves the poly and could give cheek despite being better over a touch further. Resolution looked primed on Vodacom Durban July day over 1400m and duly delivered with a strong finish and she is as good over this trip too.
The first is a Pinnacle Stakes event over 1200m for fillies and mares. Real Princess looks to have plenty of class, having shown a tremendous turn of foot to win easily at Scottsville last time over 1100m, and she might prove too good for the useful Beloved Country.
The Listed Queen Palm Stakes over 2400m could be won by the up and coming Deputy Ryder, who looks likely to relish the trip. Semra and Counting Angels make most appeal of the rest.
The second race on the poly over 1600m is the first leg of the Rider Cup interprovincial and S’Manga Khumalo could get one on the board for the Highveld Hawks by winning with Sword Storm who is able to produce a strong finish over this course and distance so the wide draw will be of little concern. Cakewalk ran on well over this trip at Scottsville last time and should be right there. Princess Milo should also be in the shake up.
The third is over 1600m on the poly and two-year-old Mambo Mime looked full of class when running on to win on the turf over this last trip last time despite having pulled hard throughout. If he settles here he will be hard to beat. Phoebus has some good Cape form and could be the back up together with Flying Fellow, and others to consider are Mystic Express, Fantasy Art and Celtic Captain.
The fifth is over 1200m on the poly and sees the return of Gemini Gold, who has a touch of class and the draw and trip look ideal for a horse returning fresh from an eight month layoff. Trainer Dennis Bosch could afford to give him a break for a joint injury, as he is the owner, and he said although he might need it he expected him to be right there as he was a “smart horse”. Salesman, Grey Light and Cinema Scope look the chief dangers. Gun Fighter and Theseus can also be considered.
By David Thiselton
Picture: Carry On Alice (Nkosi Hlophe)

The Mike Bass-trained Jet Master mare Fly By Night will defend her crown in Saturday’s Gr 1 Mercury Sprint over 1200m at Greyville and could be the dark horse as she had excuses for her below par runs in both the Betting World Cape Flying Championship and Computaform Sprint and then ran a cracker from a tough draw last time out in the Gr 1 City Of Pietermaritzburg Sprint.

Bass’s assistant Robert Fayd’Herbe said from Summerveld, “She’s drawn well (five) and it’s at Greyville this year so we need a good draw. I managed to get Anton (Marcus) to ride her and she’s doing well. She hasn’t run since Maritzburg (May 23) but she’s had a few gallops and she normally runs well fresh.”

Fayd’Herbe is not to concerned about her never having been around a right-hand turn before and said, “That’s the only thing, she hasn’t been to Greyville before, but she’s quite a straight forward horse, she doesn’t look around or anything. She’s quite a brave filly, she’s an older filly and she doesn’t get phased by new things.”

He added, “Her works good, she’s doing well, but the yard we’re in is exposed to quite a lot of dust and horses have been running in and out, so we will scope her sometime this week.”

He said about her last run, in which she finished a highly meritorious 1,8 length third to Carry On Alice, having jumped from an unfavourable high draw of ten, “The going was biased, you had to go down the inside and we got stuck on the outside of them and she was running on nicely like she did last year (when a narrow second to Via Africa). We have kept her for this race.”

Her preparation for the Cape Flying was affected by a fetlock problem. The yard were mystified by her Computaform run and wondered whether the long journey from Cape Town could have affected her.

Fayd’Herbe said those two runs were now behind her and concluded, “She’s definitely back to her best.”

Fly By Night’s three-year-old full sister Come Fly With Me runs over the course and distance of the Mercury in the first race of the day. She 2,5kg under sufferance with the best weighted horse, Real Princess, and might prefer further, considering she won over 1600m last time out. However, Fly By Night only came into her own as a four-year-old, so Come Fly With Me should be improving rapidly at present and is an interesting contender.

The yard’s other runner on the day is the four-year-old Count Dubois filly Counting Angels who runs in the Listed Queen Palm Stakes over 2400m for fillies and mares. This is her third run after a layoff and she is officially the joint best weighted horse. On pedigree, being out of a Rakeen mare who won over 2000m and has produced a winner over 2500m, she has chance of staying the trip.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Fly By Night (Liesl King)

Justin Snaith has two Dynasty four-year-olds in the Gr 1 Mercury Sprint over 1200m at Greyville on Saturday, the Equus Horse Of The Year Legislate and the Gr 2 Post Merchants winner over course and distance Daring Dave.

He said about Legislate, “He was injured in the Drill Hall due to the faulty starting gates and going into the July with only one run after six months would have been a big ask.”

Legislate had also apparently been a little difficult in the stalls after being loaded late before his victory in the Rising Sun Gold Challenge and Snaith said he had later been led to believe by the starter that whatever had been done to help him on the day might not be possible in the Vodacom Durban July (which had a much bigger field). This made the decision to not run him in the July slightly easier.

“With the lack of a proper preparation you can’t take your chances, not over 2200m, so my proposal to the owners was that we take an easier route and look after him for the Cape Summer.”

Legislate is unbeaten in four starts at Greyville, all of them Gr 1s from 1600-2200m. Snaith said it was hard to say whether he had the speed to win the Mercury but had decided upon this option because there was nothing else left for him in the KZN season. “We’re just taking our chances over a sprint, just to sharpen him up a bit for the Cape Summer Season. We have him in the Champions Cup too just in case.”

He said about the gelding Daring Dave, “Very fast, loves Greyville, he should run his race. I said before the Merchants that you wouldn’t have to worry about his Scottsville run and it was exactly that. I expect a good run and just because he’s course suited, distance suited, has a nice draw and a top jockey, he’s got to be in with a chance.

“But it’s a very strong field and at level weights I just don’t know whether he might just be a little outgunned. But off a 107 merit rating there are no other races so you have to take your chances.”

Snaith runs Buckinghampshire in the Gr 2 Umkhomazi Stakes over 1200m, where he is drawn ten with Richard Fourie up. He said, “He’s very well, he will run a big race.”

Snaith said he was not concerned about the trip being too far for the Lonhro colt, and felt at Greyville a horse could get away with it anyway. “He’s drawn a bit wide but he has a lot of speed and I think the fact that he will like Greyville is more important than anything else. I’m quietly expecting a big run from this horse. If things go his way he could win it.”

By David Thiselton

Picture: Legislate (Liesl King)