Lafferty said: “He is going to go for the Betting World Gauteng Guineas at the end of the month and then the SA Classic four weeks later.

“I am also going to run him internationally – he is top class and I want to test him. That may mean going via Mauritius but there are things going on (regarding quarantine) that may come to something.”

Harry’s Son, winner of last season’s Premiers Champion Stakes, was beaten less than two lengths by Act Of War when flown down for the Grand Parade Cape Guineas. But that was an experience Lafferty is not keen to repeat.

He said: “There is too much schlep involved in getting a horse down to Cape Town. He had to stand on the tarmac for three hours and he didn’t get to the course until 10.00am.”

He said, “All seven of my rides will be competitive and five of them have a good chance of making the first four.”

He emphasised, “I really like the ride for Mr Tarry in race 2, Aleut.” This three-year-old colt by Sail From Seattle out of an Al Mufti mare made his debut in a weak maiden over 1200m on the Vaal sand and, although finishing 5,5 lengths back in second to the progressive sand type Forest View, he was 5,25 lengths clear of the rest of the field and should have benefitted from the outing.

Lyle Hewitson

He faces another weak field and comes out well on formlines. The only danger of those to have run appears to be Mississippi Rising, who made a fair debut over today’s course and distance in a weak race.

All six of his other rides are for Mike Azzie.

Hewitson began, “Love Without End in race three is a big runner.” This Dynasty filly is a half-sister to the useful five-time winner Himilayan Hill. She found consistent betting support in four outings on the sand and might appreciate the switch to turf in this weak field over1400m, although the Johan Janse Van Vuuren-trained C’Est Chique looks the one to beat.

Hewitson rates Apple Crumble in race four, a maiden over 1400m, another big runner, “provided he brings his work to the course.” This four-year-old gelding is bred in the purple, being by Trippi out of the Azzie-trained Gr 1 Empress Club Stakes-winning Jet Master mare Stratos.

Hewitson said, “I was supposed to have ridden him earlier, but there was a change of ownership, and we think the 1400m will be the best introduction for him. I have already worked him three times on the grass and he gives a good feel. He is a straight forward horse and won’t be green.”

Next up in race five, a maiden over 1700m, he rides the favourite Netherby Hall and said, “After his pleasing debut he will be a big runner.” This three-year-old Judpot gelding showed pace throughout on debut over 1600m and finished a close up third. He looks to be a resolute galloper and will not only appreciate the step up in trip, but will likely strip fitter.

In race eight, a maiden over 2000m, he rides the three-year-old Awesome Adam. This Australian-bred colt returns to the turf after a way below par outing on sand and is the 18/10 favourite. Hewitson said, “He is crying out for this trip and is also a big runner.”

Hewitson is the son of former jockey Carl, who is these days the assistant trainer in the top Port Elizabeth yard of Yvette Bremner. Lyle has always regarded his father as his biggest mentor and is thrilled that he will be at the meeting today. He said, “My Dad has watched me ride one winner before but it will be great to have him at the meeting to provide extra advice. I just hope it works out well and that I can make him proud.”

He said about his plans to become a professional jockey, “As soon I have completed my matric I will consider my best options but I definitely want to make it my career path.”

The South African Jockeys Academy know about his ambitions and, due to his obvious skill in the saddle and fantastic attitude, they are unlikely to turn him down if that would indeed be his best option. Hewitson revealed, “I barely get to ride work during the school term, which is quite hard and is a limitation, but in the holidays I pretty much ride 24/7. I am grateful to Kearsney for allowing me the time off to ride in races.”

He has a following among his fellow pupils as well his school teachers. His biggest fan is the Engineering and Graphic Design teacher Dean Moodley, who is also a prominent sports coach. He said, “I think he knows about the noms before I do!”

He feels he has a good relationship with the likes of Azzie and Tarry and said, “I wish I could pay them back by riding work more often, but I am grateful for the support and hope it will pay off tomorrow.”

Hewitson rode his first winner on 19 November 2013 aboard the Yogas Govender-trained Argo’s Jet in just his second career race ride. To date he has had 40 rides for 8 winners at a superb strike rate of 20% and is very much a rider to follow.

“I am now giving the two-year-olds one less gallop than I used to. It’s one less than they should have and I then let the races bring them on,” said the champion trainer. “I know it’s not ideal for punters but that’s the way it has to be with the handicap system in South Africa the way it is.

Justin Snaith

“I used to bring them out ready to win first time but in some cases they were only winning because I had given them more work than the other trainers.”

This is not the first time that Snaith has vowed to go easy with his two-year-olds to avoid the risk of them being over-rated and in the past it has soon fallen victim to his relentless desire to win. But seemingly he means business on this occasion.

He is also looking forward to new opportunities in the second half of the season, particularly with the 26-box Johannesburg satellite yard to be opened in May.

He said: “That is going to be exciting and, after taking a week off, I’m going to make some decisions because I might send some horses up there now including Buckinghampshire.

“In the meantime I’ve got to work through this virus which is making the yard a ghost of what it normally is.”

The decisions will involve Legislate – “He is just resting at the moment. We don’t know what he will do although there is talk of Durban.”

The big races apart, Sean Cormack was dominant and landed a four-timer starting with the Dennis Drier-trained Balkan when hot favourite Night Of Stars returned with a wound on her upper jaw after bursting through the pens.

But what would have happened had Act Of War not fallen victim – almost certainly to the bug that is sweeping as mercilessly and as randomly through the Cape Town stables as the devil’s scythe – is a matter of expensive conjecture for those who backed him at 1-3.

“I was happy to track the leader but 500m out I knew I was in trouble,” reported Piere Strydom whose triumphant record-breaking roll went into sharp, albeit temporary, reverse on three beaten Grade 1 favourites.

The course vet reported that Act Of War was “mildly fatigued” but Joey Ramsden found him far worse when he inspected him in the racecourse stables, saying: “He is a very tired horse and he is blowing hard. This wasn’t his run – he emptied out too quickly for that – and he finished in a heap with horses rated far below him.”

Ertijaal (Liesl King)

Gavin Lerena boldly made all the running and then set out to really stretch the field as he turned for home. Asked when he realised he had the favourite in trouble, he replied straight-faced: “When I worked my horse last Monday!”

Matthew de Kock, assistant to his father, added: “We made the running because we knew he could get the distance and we wanted to make sure that it was a true run race. This is a special horse and I was screaming for him the whole way up the straight. He is now looking at the SA Classic and Derby.”

Angus Gold, racing manager for owner-breeder Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, said: “Ertijaal had colic as a young horse. We had to open him up and it was touch and go whether he would survive. To win a Derby 18 months later is quite something.”

Lerena and De Kock jnr repeated the tactics with Kingston Mines in the J & B Urban Honey Stayers and the Archipenko four-year-old will go for the Gold Bowl at Turffontein in April.

Mike Bass, 70 today, celebrated early when Inara gave him his fourth Klawervlei Majorca in ten years.  Grant van Nierkek took full advantage when Cold As Ice’s suspect stamina began to tell in the final furlong.

Strydom, confirming this was the reason why the 18-10 favourite drifted towards the middle of the course, added: “I saved her and saved her as long as I could.”

Kevin Sommerville, racing manager for the Trippi filly’s owner-breeder Gaynor Rupert, said: “She is qualified for the Breeders’ Cup after winning the Paddock Stakes. At the moment that is only an option but Mrs Rupert will sit down with Mike and discuss it.”

But before that lies a still-to-be-decided campaign with another crack at the Vodacom Durban July among a high class list of possible options.

Futura winning the J&B Met (Liesl King)

“I’m not sure what we are going to do – we will have to sit down and discuss it,” said Brett Crawford. “The way they have changed the conditions of the July means that the race is never easy but I would have been disappointed if he hadn’t won the Met as well as he did. I was super confident because he has improved so much since winning the Queen’s Plate and on Saturday he really showed his class. This was his third Group 1 and he has only run in four of them.”

The Guy Murdoch-bred Dynasty colt was only the fourth in 20 years to complete the Queen’s Plate-Met double while this was the second Met success for Crawford who said feelingly: “It has taken 12 long years to get back to this podium” – and the third for Bernard Fayd’Herbe who shot his mount through a narrow gap just under a furlong from home.

Fayd’Herbe said: “I could see the gap coming and I was going so well that I was confident of getting through it. I had a very easy race.”

The four-year-old was bought by John Freeman for R500 000 as a yearling for Jack Mitchell (whose father and uncle owned the 1968 winner William Penn) after outbidding Irish agent Peter Doyle who was acting for Ian Longmore. The latter then asked Mitchell if he could come in while Freeman held on to “a very small leg.”

Gold Onyx, who ran on like a train under Grant Behr to snatch second, is to be prepared specifically for Durban’s greatest race.

Gold Onyx (Liesl King)

Sean Tarry said: “This was a fantastic effort. He was drawn badly yet he ran above his rating. He doesn’t seem to enjoy Jo’burg so he will have a holiday and then I will prep him for the July.”

Grant van Niekerk reckoned he might have held on to second had long-time leader Helderberg Blue been better drawn – “But I think I made the correct decision to let him use himself.”

The 2 min 5.38 sec time was the slowest for ten years and nowhere near fast enough for 18-10 favourite Louis The King who raced handy but weakened into sixth with most uncharacteristic tameness when push came to shove.

Geoff Woodruff said: “Louis needs to be sat further back and off a hot pace. I am certainly not blaming Piere Strydom but, no disrespect to Futura who is a very good horse, if you were to run the race again at a different pace you might get a different story.

“I am very disappointed at the pace we’ve seen in Cape Town this season – it has been ordinary to say the least – and both Louis and Tellina (fourth) will now go back to Jo’burg for the big races there.”

Crawford will be there too even if it is decided not to send Futura because Captain America, who made most under Fayd’Herbe to defy top weight in the Carol Bouwer South African Luxury Emporium Handicap, is to be aimed at the HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes on 28 March.