The weekend’s KZN racing unearthed a few prospects for the South African Champions Season, which officially starts at the Canon Guineas meeting on May 6.

Dean Kannemeyer is in tremendous form countrywide and had a feature double at Greyville on Friday night with Avontuur Stud-bred Mambo In Seattle colt Mambo Mime and Lammerskraal-bred Trippi filly Fromafar.

They started at odds of 11/2 and 22/1 respectively.

However, the Byerley Turk runner up Baritone was the weekend runner who looks likely to have the biggest impact on the SA Champions Season features.

This Justin Snaith-trained Trippi colt is out of the Gr 3 Jubille Handicap winner over 1800m, the Argentinian-bred daughter of Singspiel Candy Singer. Baritone has always struck as a type who would get better and better as he got older and so he proved on Friday night. In the Gr 1 Grand Parade Cape Guineas in December he was beaten 2,2 lengths into sixth having had the run of the race from pole position and was a length behind Victorious Jay at level weights. He won a handicap over 1600m on Met day in impressive style, pulling away in the closing stages while still looking immature. Mambo Mime was 4,45 lengths behind him that day, although the latter was giving him 2,5kg.

However, on Friday night Baritone had to give both Mambo Mime and Victorious Jay 4kg and had to overcome a wide draw of 12 compared to pole position for Mambo Mime and draw seven for Victorious Jay. He travelled beautifully in the running under a fine ride from Anthony Delpech.

However, he had to come wide into the straight and was still near the back, meaning Mambo Mine, who was ridden by Stuart Randolph, got first run on him down the inside. Baritone cut the deficit with giant strides and went down by just a short-head, despite the 1400m trip being too sharp. He still needed the run and once again gave the impression there is more improvement to come, especially over further. He is likely to be a big runner in both the Gr 2 Canon Guineas and the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 and even the Vodacom Durban July.

Mambo Mime has always struck as classy from the day he fought his way around the Greyville 1600m in his second start start as a juvenile, yet still won. He has settled down since then. He has a lot of speed in his female line but Kannemeyer did send him over a mile early in his career so might believe he is looking for a trip. He will be effective over the mile of the Canon Guineas and can’t be written off despite the weight turnaround he will face with Baritone. Friday night was his second run since arriving back at Summerveld and of course Kannemeyer’s record in classic races speaks for itself. He know how to peak them at the right time and has an excellent team behind him as is proved by his current run. Since February 1 he has had the highest win strike rate of the top 20 trainers in the country at 21,28% and has by far and away the highest place strike rate of 63,83%.

The Gavin van Zyl-trained Budapest finished a fine 0,55 length third in the Byerley, also receiving 4kg from Baritone, and the jury will be out in the Canon Guineas on whether he gets the trip having disappointed in the Cape Guineas.

Ernie ran at level weights with Baritone and was 1,3 lengths back in fourth. However, sprints are likely his route from now on because even the 1400m was stretching his stamina reserves.

The Highveld raider Irish Pride finished a 3,3 length fifth and might have put a dampener on the form for some, being merit rated only 84, but he has always been an eyecatching sort and proved his class.

The like of Victorious Jay and Beat The Retreat can’t yet be written off as they over raced and are better than their respective runs.

Fromafar’s upset win in the Umzimkhulu Stakes was likely no fluke, because she pulled for her head slightly behind a slow pace and eventually came around them but still found plenty in the straight to win by a length under Brian Nyawo. The runner up the Neil Bruss-trained Flying Ice ran at level weights with the winner and was a touch unlucky as she took a while to find a split down the inside rail. She and the winner can both be followed.

Another three-year-old filly to take out of the meeting is the Mike Bass-trained three-year-old Nightingale. She is ever improving, which is not surprising as she is by Silvano, and she found a telling finishing burst off a merit rating of 82 to win a MR 76 Handicap over 1600m on the poly in impressive style. She looks likely to develop into a feature class filly and the trip of the Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 is likely to suit.

At Scottsville on Sunday the Dennis Drier-trained three-year-old Trippi gelding Ferrie proved himself a sprinter of the future with an eyecatching win of a handicap over 1200 off a merit rating of 82. He has improved with gelding and this was his first run since winning his maiden over 1000m at Kenilworth in late December, so is another one who can improve into a feature class horse.

The versatile Kannemeyer-trained Solid Speed loves KZN and later won a Pinnacle Stakes race over 1600m narrowly from Dynamic, to whom he gave 1,5kg. Solid Speed was a staying race stalwart last Champions Season, but has now won the last two 1600m races he has contested, which poses some interesting questions. However, the stayers route is likely to be less competitive so looks the obvious option and perhaps the July could be a possibility too. The promising Duncan Howells-rained Ten Gun Salute made a fair comeback to run a 5,5 length third, receiving only 1,5kg from the older Solid Speed, and he will come on from the run. He is still on track for the SA Champions Season classics.

By David Thiselton