Category Archives: Y-Champions Season

Bela-Bela (Nkosi Hlophe)

Hold fire on Bela

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A decision on Woolavington winner Bela-Bela running in the Vodacom Durban July will not be made before the end of the week and in the meantime the stable advises punters to hold fire.

Bela-Bela (Nkosi Hlophe)

Bela-Bela (Nkosi Hlophe)

Jonathan Snaith said yesterday: “She is going to run on July 2 in either the Jonsson Workwear Garden Province or the July and the owners (Varsfontein Stud) want to see the Garden Province nominations which come out on Friday. They want to see how she is drawn and what sort of field she would be up against before making a decision.”

The grey filly is fourth favourite for the July at 15-2 with Betting World and 9-1 with World Sports Betting.

Snaith said: “Punters should definitely hold on until a decision is made. In any case there is no reason to back her now. Her price is quite short and I don’t see it changing much if we decide to run.”

Canon Guineas winner Black Arthur (Anthony Delpech) and Cape Derby winner It’s My Turn (Richard Fourie) are the stable’s two confirmed runners at the moment and a decision will be taken on Dynamic and Master’s Eye after they run in the Cup Trial at Greyville on Saturday.

By Michael Clower

Legal Eagle (Liesl King)

Team decision to scratch Eagle

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Sean Tarry described it as a “team decision” to scratch Legal Eagle from this Saturday’s Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge and it was due to nothing more than the horse’s poor draw.

However, he added the crack gelding might still run in the Vodacom Durban July.

He said Legal Eagle would likely have had to run on from behind in the Gold Challenge at a course where the draw over a mile was usually all important. A potential blemish on his record was therefore averted by the scratching.

Legal Eagle (Liesl King)

Legal Eagle (Liesl King)

He said he was definitely fit and well enough at present to be able to take his place in the July: “He is not a big horse and does not require a lot of work.” However, he said the decision to run him in the big one might ultimately depend on the weights.

Owner Markus Jooste’s racing manager Derek Brugman will likely have the final say.

Tarry is coming off a tough week in which it was well documented he was concerned about a potential bacterial infection going around his Randjesfontein yard.

However, he believed this had nothing to do with brilliant sprinter Carry On Alice’s disappointing fifth place finish as odds-on favourite in the Gr 1 City Of Pietermaritzburg Fillies Sprint at Scottsville on Saturday.

He was firstly disappointed she had been loaded early despite her history of being restless in the gates. She had started badly and he then felt jockey S’Manga Khumalo had possibly found cover too early, and behind the wrong horses, meaning she was travelling too well in the early stages. The jockey had then been “undecided for about three or four seconds and you can’t do that in a sprint.”

By the time she was extracted from her snookered position the race was over. However, Tarry said she had not been blowing after the race and had pulled up well.

The majority of his runners on the day had run well and he said the two-year-old fillies, Visuality and Myfunnyvalentine (3rd and 4th in the Gr1 Allan Robertson Championship respectively), would likely line up in the Gr 2 Golden Slipper on July day.

He said he had pointed out last week Captain’s Causeway had only been his third choice runner in the Tsogo Sun Sprint and “you can’t win Gr 1s with your third choice.” He felt he had been vindicated in the belief Buckland should have been his first accepted runner as this horse had finished just 1,8 lengths behind Talktothestars in the Gr 2 Senor Santa Stakes and would have been considerably better off in the weights in the Tsogo Sun Sprint.

Tarry said it was impossible to tell with certainty which horses had been affected by the bacterial infection and which hadn’t. However, every declared runner is being tested before their respective races and if they pass the test they run, otherwise they are scratched.

French Navy, Trip To Heaven and Prospect Strike take their places in the Rising Sun Gold Challenge on Saturday.

French Navy (JC Photos)

French Navy (JC Photos)

Tarry said, “It is a preparation run for French Navy, we freshened him up after the Champions Challenge and the mile at Greyville is a touch sharp for him, but he will be running on strongly.

“Trip To Heaven (who will have his first run as a gelding) has put up a good gallop and has his final gallop tomorrow (Tuesday). It all depends on the break as he is a funny horse at the start, but if he breaks well he will lead.

“I thought Prospect Strike’s runs in the Canon Guineas and Daily News 2000 were both good ones from poor draws, now he gets a reasonable draw and is fit and well, so we will take our chances.”

Of his two Gr 2 Cup Trial runners (1800m) he was more pleased with Gold Onyx’s run in the Betting World 1900. Both horses had been too far back in a race where the front horses weren’t stopping.

He said Gold Onyx would improve further while Halve The Deficit would be placed more handily from a plum draw and the race would give a good indication of his well-being.

Bichette, who runs in the Gr 2 Tibouchina Stakes over 1400m, disappointed the yard in a Pinnacle over 1450m last time, but that was her second run after a rest and she will now be “cherry ripe and not without a chance.”

Tarry said it was unfortunate she was drawn eight out of 12 as she liked to run handy. However, he added this was probably her best trip and a positive showing would give the yard confidence to run her in the Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes on July day.

Tarry felt Side Show would be competitive in the Listed Gatecrasher Stakes over 1400m after having come from strong maiden form and jumping from pole position with a weight allowance.

David Thiselton

coenie de beer talktothestars

Fairytale win for De Beer

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Vaal trainer Coenie de Beer said he had looked on the bright side after his beloved R1 million Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint hero Talktothestars had had a rare episode of not eating up the night before Saturday’s big race at Scottsville.

“A lion doesn’t catch a buck on a full stomach,” he had thought to himself.

Coenie De Beer - Talktothestars

Coenie De Beer and his Grade 1 winner Talktothestars (Nkosi Hlophe)

And so it proved as the sales outcast gave weight and a thrashing to many regally-bred, expensively purchased horses. He was brilliantly ridden by the peerless Piere Strydom, who was winning the big race for the fifth time. Having him more handy than usual might have been the key, as he often runs on too late. This time he found extra from a handy position and going through the 100m Strydom felt he would still have had enough in the tank to fend off a late challenger.

It was the first Gr 1 win for both De Beer and also for Talktothestars unfashionable sire Overlord.

However, it was yet another Gr 1 accolade for the horse’s breeders Scott Brothers, who also stand Overlord. Scott Brothers had previously won this race with their home-bred Bold West in 1987.

De Beer, who has been training at the Vaal since 1998, is the son of former trainer Dawie de a Beer. He has a mere seven horses in his yard.

He owns Talktothestars outright and has fulfilled the old adage “have horse, will travel” in no uncertain terms.

The four-year-old gelding’s “calm” temperament has made this possible. It was Talktothestars’s third journey to Scottsville and he stayed there overnight before the race. He made the long journey to Cape Town in the summer, where he earned three cheques in five starts at Kenilworth. He has also raced at Flamingo Park in Kimberly on top of his regular runs at his home province courses of The Vaal and Turffontein. In mid-July he will experience another new course, Greyville, as De Beer said he would definitely bring him down for the Gr 1 weight for age Mercury Sprint, where he will attempt to exact revenge on his Computaform Sprint conqueror Carry On Alice. That race will likely decide the Equus Champion Sprinter award.

Talktothestars’ half-sister Star Voyager had caught De Beer’s eye at the Sales a few years back . De Beer said, “She was a good filly with a lot of promise and after that I bought all the progeny until I got this one.” Their dam Tellittothestars by Spaceship won one race over 1600m. Her daughter Star Voyager (Mogok) won five races for De Beer, another daughter Planet Queen (Mogok) won two races for him and Talktothestars’ three-year-old full-sister Lady Starlett has already won two races for the yard.

Talktothestars, with a reserve of R30,000, was a vendor buy back at the National Two-year-old Sale due to a lack of interest. De Beer later bought him cheaply off the farm as part of a package offered by Scott Brothers owner Robin Scott.

He is a big, strong horse and amazingly, as was the case on Saturday, usually runs without shoes. De Beer said, “I don’t mind running him in shoes if he has a problem. I did run him here once with shoes because he had a crack in his hoof (and he won).”

Talktothestars is the highest rated sprinter in the country and has earned R1,529,575.

It is South Africa’s equivalent of the Australian Takeover Target fairytale.

Race fans around the country at last know who Coenie de Beer is as the camera shy man gave a rare TV interview in the winner’s enclosure.

His few humble words said it all, “I tell you he is a great horse. He is a healthy, sound horse and he did it all himself.”

David Thiselton
Picture: Coenie de Beer and Talktothestars (Nkosi Hlophe)

daring dave

POST Merchants final field

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FINAL FIELD for the Gr2 POST Merchants to be run over 1200m at Greyville on Friday night, June 17:

SC DR HORSE            WGT  M/R    JOCKEY          TRAINER

1  10 TRIP TO HEAVEN     60.0 113 T A  ……………   Sean Tarry

2   3 CAPTAIN ALFREDO    58.0 109   A  A Delpech         Dean Kannemeyer

3   9 RED RAY            58.0 108 T A  A Marcus          Joey Ramsden

4  15 AURUM POT          56.0 104   A *C Murray          Alec Laird

5  13 MOOFEED (AUS)      56.0 104   A  ……………   Mike de Kock

6   8 BUCKLAND           56.0 103 T A  S Khumalo         Sean Tarry

7  14 BELONG TO ME       56.0 102 TBA  W Marwing         Johan Janse van Vuuren

8   2 LONDON CALL        56.0 101   A  K de Melo         Mark Dixon

9   7 VIKING HERO        56.0 101 T A *L Hewitson        Grant Maroun

10  5 FLY BY NIGHT       55.5 105 T A  M Byleveld        Mike Bass

11 11 KANGAROO JACK      54.0 100   A  C Zackey          Gary Alexander

12 12 AMAZING STRIKE     54.0  98  BA  F Herholdt        Alec Laird

13  4 ASSTAR             54.0  98   A  ……………   Garth Puller

14  1 FERRIE             52.0  95 T A  ……………   Dennis Drier

 

Reserve Runners

15  6 OLD EM             51.5  98 T A  Reserve 1         Sean Tarry

Real Princess (Nkosi Hlophe)

Emotional win for Kannemeyer

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The unstoppable combination of Dean Kannemeyer, Anthony Delpech and Khaya Stables added a Gr 1 to their recent feats when landing the City Of Pietermaritzburg Sprint at Scottsville on Saturday with Real Princess and Kannemeyer described it as an emotional win.

Real Princess (Nkosi Hlophe)

Real Princess (Nkosi Hlophe)

He said later, “I had always said to Lady Christine Laidlaw and Jehan Malherbe this filly WILL get the Gr 1. She had been rolled a few times earlier in her career and I felt she would be better as a four-year-old, she is a big filly and has matured and found her strength. By the end of last season I didn’t quite know what her distance was as she is bred to go 2000m, but she’s a speed horse and has a helluva turn of foot. She ran Carry On Alice to three-quarters of a length over 1000m at Kenilworth, so I thought she could have a big chance today. She loves Scottsville and you have to ride her with confidence and Anthony rode her confidently, because there was always a gap on the outside but he waited until the last 300m of the race and won going away. She has tremendous substance, a deep girth, a beautiful quarter, she’s one of the nicest specimen fillies I’ve ever seen. Lady Laidlaw had always wanted to buy a filly and Jehan and I told her, after viewing Real Princess on the farm before the sale, if you want to see a filly just come with us and have a look at this one.”

The Klawervlei Stud-bred Trippi filly’s sales tag, a staggering R2,7 million, confirmed those sentiments, but she has now proven worth it.

It was Delpech’s sixth Graded success of the SA Champions Season and three of them have been for Kannemeyer and Khaya Stables.

By David Thiselton

Captain Al rules

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Top Cape-based trainer Vaughan Marshall admitted, after adding two more Gr 1’s to his glittering CV at Scottsville on Saturday, the Captain Als were always the first horses he viewed at the sales and he always viewed every one of them.

Marshall trained the great Klawervlei-based champion stallion and both of his yard’s big race winners on Saturday, The Secret Is Out and Always In Charge, are by Captain Al.

MJ Byleveld rode a race out of the top drawer in the Gr 1 Allan Robertson Championship, remaining calm when short of room at the 500m mark, easing The Secret Is Out back slightly and then bursting through to win cosily.

Owner and breeder Garth Miller’s intuition when buying The Secret Is Out’s dam Secret Of Victoria a few years ago due to the speed in the pedigree has led to his BBP syndicate, consisting of himself and Basil Nelson, being in possession of one of the best families in the South African stud book.

Secret Of Victoria herself finished second in the Allan Robertson for Marshall. The Secret Is Out has now become her second daughter to win the prestigious two-year-old event.

Miller owned a half-share in The Secret Is Out’s full-sister All Is Secret, who won the Allan Robertson for Marshall in 2012.

The Secret Is Out did not go to the sales and on Saturday became Marshall’s fourth winner of the big race. Nelson was there to accept the trophy and Miller was sure to have been tuned in from his holiday venue.

The small filly has a “wonderful temperament”, “a big action and a big heart”. Furthermore, Marshall said, “We have not got to the bottom of her yet.”

Later, The Klawervlei Stud-bred and Markus and Ingrid Jooste-owned Always In Charge gave Marshall his second career win of the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion.

Jockey Anton Marcus said it had not taken him long to agree with stable jockey Byleveld’s assessment of this being a “special horse” after he had begun working him ten days before the race at Summerveld.

Marshall purchased him for R650,000 at the CTS Emperor’s Palace Select Yearling Sale and Jooste had later taken ownership.

Marshall, recalling the sale, said, “He wasn’t a big horse, he was very athletic and had a lot of quality about him.”

He won in fine style on Saturday, beating the field by three lengths in a time 0,37 seconds quicker than the fillies race.

A lot more will be heard of him and Marshall believes he will be even better when he goes around the turn.

David Thiselton
Picture: Always In Charge (Nkosi Hlophe)

 

inara lk

Tibouchina for Inara

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Mike Bass has decided to run his four-time Grade 1 winner Inara under top weight in the Tibouchina Stakes at Greyville on Saturday rather than go for the Rising Sun Gold Challenge.

Daughter Candice Robinson said: “Inara galloped last week and she worked well. She has raced at Greyville before (in last year’s KRA Fillies Guineas, Woolavington and Garden Province) but she wasn’t at her best then so we will have to see how she handles it.”

Grant van Niekerk again takes the mount while Bernard Fayd’Herbe will team up with Cape Fillies Guineas winner Silver Mountain for the second time in this seven furlong test. Bass runs Paterfamilias (Van Niekerk) in the Gold Challenge but Helderberg Blue will miss the Cup Trial.

The stable, buoyed by Fly By Night’s return to form at Scottsville, also had the satisfaction of seeing Whose That Girl make up for her March disappointment by responding to Robert Khathi’s urgings to get up on the line in Saturday’s Kenilworth Maiden Juvenile.

“She was feeling her shins quite a bit last time and she didn’t really travel as a result but she still needs to mature a bit more,” Mrs Robinson reported.

Bernard Fayd’Herbe turned his back on the big bucks at Scottsville to stay loyal to his Ridgemont retainer and he was rewarded with success on joint top weight Make It Raine in the Place Your Bets Handicap even if the pens proved a fraught affair.

He related: “I knew I was in a bit of trouble – she was obviously still thinking about the bad experience she had last time – and she tried to flip over with me.”

Ridgemont manager Craig Carey added: “She is a little hot and, while I like them to have a bit of fire if they are going to go to stud, we will have to keep an eye on her temperament. She also has a breathing problem – you can hear it when she works on the track. It’s no problem racing on the straight course but I don’t know how it would affect her if she goes 1 400m.”

Fayd’Herbe was also riding for Brett Crawford when he was at the centre of the action in the mile maiden. His mount Navasha started a prohibitive 9-20 and looked like overhauling the pace-setting Dontknowhy only to falter in the closing stages and go down by a short head.

Her rider promptly lodged an objection and the close-circuit suggested he might get it but, as so often, you had to see the boardroom head-on to really tell what happened. Brandon May switched his whip from his right hand to his left and his mount promptly began to hang away from it. She moved two or three metres to her right and in the process her quarters twice slammed against those of the favourite like a wet sail in a gale.

The stipes had little hesitation in reversing the placings and in suspending May for a week (June 5-11). He and Darryl Hodgson had some compensation when Ocean’s Swell won two races later but the apprentice was promptly back in the boardroom, this time to be fined a grand for celebrating before the line.

Table Bay could be under consideration for the Langerman on June 25 after proving much too good in the 1 400m Juvenile Plate with Donovan Dillon predicting: “I think he will go a long way. He is getting better and better.”

Captain Bagg, who usually makes the running, benefitted from a switch to waiting tactics under Grant Behr in the Itsarush.co.za Handicap – although the change was not by design. “Normally we can’t stop him going to the front but this time there was a pace and he settled,” explained Eric Sands.

It was disturbing to see three horses having to be scratched from the last because there weren’t enough jockeys available but that didn’t worry Paul Reeves who took over Grant Knowles’s Declarator from Shane Humby a month ago, slapped on a pair of blinkers and let Richard Fourie do the rest.

Michael Clower

De Beer’s star shines

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Coenie de Beer has traipsed the country with his one good horse in search of a Grade 1 and it paid off handsomely at Scottsville yesterday. Talktothestars (11-2), racing ‘barefoot’, defying top weight and his pedigree landed the Gr1 Tsogo Sun Sprint over 1200m. The win was also the first Gr1 for De Beer.

Pierre Strydom, recently back from an extended injury break, rode the perfect race, tracking the pace before accelerating up the inside fence to win under hands and heels.

African Ruler tried hard up the centre but proved no match for the winner while Exelero was the first of the fancied runners home in third.

Coenie de Beer leads in Talktothestars (Nkosi Hlophe)

Coenie de Beer leads in Talktothestars (Nkosi Hlophe)

“What a lovely temperament this horse has, “said Strydom. “He tried to buck me off going to the start. First he didn’t want to canter, but he went into the stalls and stood quietly and he just travelled in the race.

“I felt really good going through the 400 but I always thought that something that was well handicapped might come and grab us with 60 on our back but he just kept on plugging away,” Strydom concluded.

Carry On Alice, looking for her fifth Gr1 victory, and back-to-back wins in the Gr1 City Of Pietermaritzburg Fillies Sprint, proved an expensive failure as she could only manage fifth behind Real Princess (5-1) who was chased home by Fly By Night and rank outsider Joan Ranger.

This was the sixth and most important win for Real Princess who is unbeaten at Scottsville. “My filly just loves this track,” said winning rider Anthony Delpech. “She’s never been beaten here. This was a great win because she’s all heart and no legs.”

Delpech tracked the early pace and pulled out from behind the pack approaching the 300m mark. All this time S’manga Khumalo, who had tracked the early speed on Carry On Alice, found himself ‘snookered’ and his hunt for a gap was thwarted at every turn. Delpech gave Real Princess a clear run for the wire and she responded under a driving ride to hold of Fly By Night, second to Via Africa two years back, who had shown pace throughout on the outside.

Vaughan Marshall did the Gr1 two-year-old double as Always In Charge (19-10) lived up to his name and made most of the running to win the Gr1 Tsogo Sun Medallion following on The Secret Is Out’s victory in the G1 Allan Robertson Championship.

Always In Charge (Nkosi Hlophe)

Always In Charge (Nkosi Hlophe)

An outside gate down the Scottsville straight is widely regarded as a coffin draw but Anton Marcus, braving criticism, held station and cut the early pace. He had the field off the bit a long way out and although drifting towards the inside under pressure the result was never in doubt once the chips were down.

Corne Spies’s decision to skip the Allan Robertson in favour of the Medallion with Seattle Singer proved an inspired move as she put all but Always In Charge to bed, finishing a clear second ahead of Riverine and Red Rock.

Always In Charge is owned by Markus and Ingrid Jooste, in the UK for the Investec Derby, and was booted home by their retained rider.

“I must thank MJ Byleveld,” said Marcus. “When this horse arrived in Durban MJ came to me and said this horse is special. I have been working him for about 10 days now and his work was exceptional,” he added.

“This is one instance when I’m looking forward to a horse going around the turn because I think he will be even better,” commented Marshall, issuing a warning for to those with hopes in the Gr2 Golden Horseshoe on Vodacom Durban July day and the Gr1 Premier’s Champion Juvenile Stakes on eLan Gold Cup day.

 

Dean Kannemeyer leads in Real Princess (Nkosi Hlophe)

Dean Kannemeyer leads in Real Princess (Nkosi Hlophe)

If it wasn’t out before, it is now. The Secret Is Out (12-10, pictured) overcame some traffic and put a high class field to the sword in the Gr1 Allan Robertson Fillies Championship.

It was a fourth win in the race for Marshall who also trained full sister All Is Secret to win the race back in 2012. Super sire Captain Al was also trained by Marshall and did the double with Always In Charge winning the Medallion. Stable rider MJ Byleveld produced his filly with a sustained burst to comfortably hold off the attentions of a fast finishing Fursa with the Sean Tarry pair of Visuality and Myfunnyvalentine also running on strongly.

Byleveld was forced to ease out of a gap when Muzi Yeni aboard Blaze Of Mystery shut the door on him at the 500m mark but The Secret Is Out switched out smoothly and set sail for the line.

Blaze Of Mystery had the call inside the final furlong but The Secret Is Out gradually reeled her in as the leader came under pressure. The Secret Is Out took over 100m out as Blaze Of Mystery came up empty and it was left to SA Fillies Nursery winner and Dubai-bound Fursa, last coming through the junction of the courses, to chase home for second.

Marshall was lavish in his praise. “She has a wonderful temperament, nothing worries her and I don’t think we have got to the bottom of her yet.”

“She’s that good and she got herself out of trouble, just the sign of a very good horse. She’s very, very special.”

Andrew Harrison
Pictures: Nkosi Hlophe

 

barbosa nh site

Barbosa fits the bill

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Scottsville’s Festival Of Speed meeting is a day for both the purist and socialite as it always attracts a large and festive crowd, while it takes a top horse to win any of the four Gr 1 1200m events on the card.

Hopefully, with the moving of the far rail inward a few metres, horses will have equal chances no matter where they are drawn.

The Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint is as open as ever and every single horse has a winning chance. Class usually prevails in this race, although occasionally one slips through the handicapping net and punters have the luxury of both class and weight on their side.

The one who best fits both credentials is Barbosa, who has blossomed this season, and his Gr 1 Computaform Sprint third place was similar in style to his former stablemate Captain Of All’s third place in that race last year. The latter went on to win the Tsogo Sun and Barbosa can bring more success to trainer Dennis Drier, who will probably need another cabinet soon just to contain his Scottsville trophies.

Gulf Storm and Talktothestars are the two classiest horses in the field, so are selected for second and third respectively. Captain Alfredo is the young pretender, so could also finish in the quartet. Exelero looks well weighted on certain collateral formlines, so could also earn a cheque. However, it would not be foolish to include the whole field in the Pick 6.

Gulf Storm (Liesl King)

Gulf Storm (Liesl King)

Cuvee Brut, stablemate to Gulf Storm, represents the yard of Brett Crawford, whose SA Champions Season horses have proved in need of their first KZN runs this year. Crawford’s pair are both likely to show big improvement on their last runs. Captain’s Causeway is 1kg under sufferance, but his merit rating is likely capped. Both Captain Alfredo and Captain’s Causeway were given the maximum allowed raise for their respective first and second place in the Listed In Full Flight Stakes, but they probably both deserved to be given even more.

Ernie ran an honest third in the In Full Flight and is 3,5kg better off with Captain Alfredo for a 4,75 length beating, so will have his work cut out, although the officially “very soft” going that day could have exaggerated the winning margins. Ernie should now be at his peak and 1200m looks to be his best trip. Red Ray has the class, as proven by his second place from a tough draw in this race two years ago, but connections have admitted he will only be about 80% fit.

Seventh Plain is one of the dark horses, as one who oozes class, but is coming off an interrupted preparation. He was doing good late work in the In Full Flight Stakes and should have improved a lot from that run. Guiness also has a lot of class, having, like Seventh Plain, won the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion as a two-year-old, and he should also improve on his last run, which was his comeback from an overall disappointing campaign in Cape Town.

Splendid Garden did not have an ideal preparation into the Computaform Sprint, yet still ran a fine fifth, despite jumping from a tough draw. He is thriving at Summerveld and is a runner if behaving himself at the start. Tiger’s Touch will need to improve on the form she has shown off her current 104 merit rating. African Ruler is an up and coming sort who was raised one point after finishing second in the Gr 3 Man O’ War Sprint over 1100m at Turffontein and this is now a lot tougher.

Carry On Alice in the City Of Pietermaritzburg Fillies Sprint will be the meeting banker provided she is herself, and trainer Sean Tarry has been concerned by the below par form of his Randjesfontein yard at present, so it is not a given she will be. Lanner Falcon has blossomed and can pick up the pieces.

Princess Royal has come on a lot from her last run and is ideally course and distance suited. Joan Ranger is the dark horse as one who has won both of her sprints in fine style since proving herself suited to shorter distances. Real Princess won the Poinsettia over course and distance in eye-catching fashion after being squeezed at the start. They are selected in the order mentioned.

Horse Guards could give Drier his sixth win of the Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion in the last seven renewals. He was an impressive course and distance winner last time out. However, Always In Charge looks top class too. Oomph brings the unknown as he has obliterated all before him in the weaker centre of Port Elizabeth. Paperback Writer is another dark horse as a well bred sort who has shown plenty of speed and is now dropped to a likely more suitable 1200m. Red Rock strikes as being better than the form of his last run suggests. He did have to switch close to home in that last run. Seattle Singer is interesting as a consistent and improving filly with  a gender allowance.

The Allan Robertson Championship, following the scratching of the brilliant Cloth Of Cloud, could be won by the classy and superbly bred The Secret Is Out, who has impressed to date. Visuality caught the eye last time in a race which didn’t pan out well for her and is the dark horse. Zaakhira beat a moderate field impressively on debut and should improve further. Gr 2 SA Fillies Nursery winner Fursa ideally needs further, but should relish the tough course and distance. SA Fillies Nursery runner up Myfunnyvalentine could earn too.

David Thiselton