KZN champion trainer Duncan Howells was in dominant form yet again in a KZN turf meeting and completed a treble on the day, including winning the Listed Michael Roberts Handicap over 1750m with the enigmatic five-year-old Australian-bred Rock Of Gibraltar gelding Royal ZuluGuard, who was ridden by Muzi Yeni.

Royal Zulu Guard – Nkosi Hlophe

Yeni placed the talented Roy Moodley-owned horse well from a good draw and set him alight early in the straight from where he ran on strongly down the inside part of the straight to win by a comfortable 1,75 lengths.

Yeni has now won this race four times, which was one more than Roberts achieved in his own race as a rider, although Roberts has also won it twice as a trainer.

The well backed favourite Tiger’s Retreat, who was raiding from Johannesburg, followed the pacemaker King Neptune and looked poised to strike, but he found little and finished fifth. The Alistair Gordon-trained Joshuas Crown ran on well for second and was followed by King Neptune and Auction King.

The racemeeting coincided with Roberts’s 38th wedding anniversary and he thanked his wife Verna and his family for all of their support in a speech after the main race. He was introduced by “Mr KZN Racing” Bill Lambert, who was celebrating his birthday.

Summerhill Stud-based stalliion Visionaire got off the mark with his first local crop when his daughter, the Glen Kotzen-trained Royal Pleasure,

Royal Pleasure – Nkosi Hlophe

showed speed throughout in the first race, the Cyril Hurwitz Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1000m. She kicked on to win in impressive style by 6,75 lengths under 2,5kg claimer Callan Murray. She was bred by Barry Irwin’s Team Valor International and is owned by the well known bloodstock agent Andy Williams in partnership with KZN’s face of racing youth, the Box 3A syndicate, as well as Kotzen’s mother-in-law Judy Wintle.

Roberts fittingly trained the winner of the second race, the Mr and Mrs Oppenheimer Graduation Plate over 1200m, with the impressive little Jay Peg three-year-old filly Genial, who was ridden by Keagan de Melo. She beat the boys in emphatic fashion to remain unbeaten, so looks to have a bright future.

The third race, the Her Majesty The Queen Elizabeth II Maiden Plate over 1400m, was won by the Robbie Hill-trained Glinka under Luyolo Mxothwa. The St. Petersburg colt just got the better of Roy’s Selvan.

There was a thrilling head-bobbing finish in the fourth race, the Lord Carnarvon Maiden Plate over 1400m for fillies and mares, and it was the Duncan Howells-trained three-year-old Silvano filly Silver Inspiration who got her nose down at the right time under Stuart Randolph to deny the Glen Puller-trained Call Me Maybe.

Howells, Randolph and Silvano then scored a quick double as the favourite, the three-year-old gelding Hunting Owl, finally got going and just got up in time to deny the second favourite Escovitch.

The sixth race, the Sheik Mohammed Al Maktoum MR 72 Handicap, was a competitive event over 2400m and it was the Des Egdes-trained six-year-old Modern Day gelding Modern Spot who was produced with a well-timed effort by Ian Sturgeon to beat the favourite Jay Power by two lengths.

Run Rhino Run – Nkosi Hlophe

Husband and wife combination Alec and Lezeanne Forbes combined to win the eighth, the Sheik Ahmed Al Maktoum MR 78 Handicap over 1600m, with the promising Silvano gelding Run Rhino Run, who remained unbeaten after two starts. Jockey Alec “really rates” this horse, while trainer Lezeanne said the horse was still learning, so they were placing him carefully at present. Owner John Jones donates a portion of all this horse’s winnings to the “Save The Rhino” fund, so it is fitting that he has turned out to be talented.

The meeting was rounded off by the Mike Miller-trained AP Arrow filly Feels Like Heaven, who under a driving ride by Sean Veale just got up in the Katsumi Yoshida MR 70 Handicap over 1600m for fillies and mares to deny the Howells-trained Popular Blues. This was a meritorious win as it was her first time out the maidens off a merit rating of 78, having won her maiden at the 11th rime of asking by 5.75 lengths over 1950m.

Khathi, who had ridden there only once before, won both the Phumelela International Cup and the Gold Circle Tray and he was at the centre of a controversy in the Kenya Guineas.

He led a furlong out on the Wilgerbosdrift-bred Hunting Call in the opening Phumelela race and he produced Mama Mia at exactly the right moment in the Gold Circle event. But this should have been JP van der Merwe’s mount.

Khathi explained: “I travelled from Cape Town and was expecting to meet up with JP in Joburg but apparently he didn’t realise that you have to check in two hours beforehand – and they wouldn’t let him on the plane.”

Khathi had his own share of misfortune in the Britam Kenya Guineas when his mount, the strongly fancied Ashaawes colt Wesasha, was scratched at the start on the orders of the starter. Khathi reckoned he was too hasty and complained to the stipes.

He said: “The horse backed out and, when he did it a second time, I asked them to put a hood on. They said no, he was withdrawn. Two chances was all he got. I’ve never seen anything like that anywhere else.”

But acting senior steward Nigel Hunter said: “Robert used abusive language and we are going to ask the South African authorities to take action against him.”

Khathi was not part of the South African team which failed to win the jockeys international but went close – beaten only by Zimbabwe – thanks to a Sihle Cele double.

South African bred horses also flew the flag, notably the Dynasty mare Shufti who led throughout the two miles of the Britam Gold Cup. The Bosworth Farm product is over four months pregnant yet she smashed the course record.

•  Michael Clower began his journalistic career as racing correspondent of the East African Standard and rode as an amateur against the professionals at Ngong.

Her easy wins in both the Listed Laisserfaire Stakes and the Sceptre in her last two starts have exacerbated the disappointment of her earlier late scratching in the Gr 1 Avontuur Estate Fillies Guineas as it denied her and the racing public the opportunity to see how she would have fared against the filly regarded as the best in the country, the Mike de Kock-trained Majmu.

Cold As Ice has now won two Gr 2s this season, the other being the Gr 2 Choice Carrier’s Championships over 1400m in which yesterday’s runner up, the Glen Kotzen-trained Double Whammy, also finished second.

Double Whammy, who was one of three three-year-olds in yesterday’s small seven horse field, is the only horse to have beaten Cold As Ice, getting the better of her in heavy going over 1200m when the latter was making her debut. However, Cold As Ice proved her superiority yesterday. She used her immense natural speed to lead throughout and was never under any pressure. She crossed the line 2,25 lengths clear.

Ironically, an indication of how good she is can be proved through the formlines of the Cape Fillies Guineas. The 2,5 length runner up of the latter race, Inara, would have preferred further and duly won the Gr 1 Maine Chance Paddock Stakes over 1800m next time out, while third-placed Double Whammy would probably have preferred shorter and duly finished second in the Sceptre yesterday, beating some classy older females.

Cold As Ice started at 9/20 yesterday. Priceless Jewel, a Gr 3 winner over both 1200m and 1400m, was backed in from 10/1 to 5/1, while Double Whammy drifted out from 9/2 to 8/1.  Third-placed Lanner Falcon and the next best pair Priceless Jewel and Miss Saigon were beaten 3,5, 5,75 and 6,5 lengths respectively, which showed just how good the two three-year-olds ahead of them were.

Cold As Ice was bred by Avontuur Thoroughbred Farm and is owned by K Finch, BP Finch, B Kieswetter and Craig and Amanda Carey’s Ridgemont Stud.

Saint Sophia (left) and Gallica Rose (Liesl King)

There was drama in the Listed Sun Classique Handicap in which Catchphrase went some 20 lengths clear down the back straight after her saddle had appeared to slip. The Mike Bass-trained four-year-old Dynasty filly Saint Sophia, who was officially 1kg under sufferance, ran on strongly from midfield and became involved in a ding dong tussle with Gallica Rose, who had come from the back with a burst down the inside.

Gallica Rose crossed the line a nose clear, but had continually bumped Saint Sophia outward in the latter stages. Jockey Grant van Niekerk objected and it was not surprisingly upheld. Saint Sophia started at 9/2. In Limine, Varster and The Queen Vic were the bext best finishers but were well beaten.
Later the Dennis Drier-trained four -year-old Jet Master filly Gathering Fame produced a fine finish from behind under MJ Byleveld to win the Listed Jamaica Handicap over 1700m from Omaticaya, Cat And The Moon, Jeweller’s Joy and Can Cope in a tight finish. The 6/1 shot recorded a hattrick in the process, although this was her first start in Cape Town and her first race since winning on the Greyville polytrack in September. It was only her fifth career outing so she looks to be promising.
At Turffontein the classy Ormond Ferraris-trained Toreador filly Lazer Star, an easy winner of the Gr 3 Magnolia over 1160m on Sansui Summer Cup day, remained unbeaten when producing another fantastic finishing run under Weiho Marwing to win the Listed Swallow Stakes for three-year-old fillies over 1160m by an easy 3,5 lengths, despite carrying topweight.
Earlier, the promising Johan Janse van Vuuren-trained Antonius Pius colt Belong To Me bounced back from his disappointing run in the R2 million Lanzerac Ready To Run Stakes by winning a competitive Progress Plate over 1160m under comeback jockey Donovan Mansour, although he was favourably weighted.
At Meydan racecourse in Dubai Mike de Kock ran first and third with the USA-bred Almoonqith and the Argentinian-bred Lehaaf in a handicap over 1600m. Paul Hanagan rode the winner.
Earlier De Kock and Hanagan ran second with the South African-bred three-year-old Var gelding Mastermind in a 1200m handicap. Mastermind finished a 3,75 length second in the Gr 2 Umkhomazi Stakes last April in his final start in South Africa.

The four countries involved are hosts Kenya; Zimbabwe; Mauritius and South Africa and Tellytrack will broadcast the action live.

The race meeting also features the Britam Kenya Guineas and the field of 14 runners boasts four South African-bred three year olds, including the Mogok colt King Of Burma, who could take a power of beating under in-form Denny Smith.

Terrible pun but she has only ever been beaten once and in the Laisserfaire three weeks ago she simply oozed class, making pretty well all the running to win with considerable authority.

This, though, is a much tougher proposition and, with a 20kph South-Easter forecast, attempting to leading from the start could be fatal.

But seemingly Sean Cormack is alive to the dangers and he points out that his mount doesn’t have to be ridden from the front. “She is quick and she pings the gate but she is versatile,” he explains. “In fact I would love to get a lead and then she would really turn it on.”

Cold As Ice (Liesl King)

The Joey Ramsden-trained filly was installed 1-2 favourite with Betting World yesterday but it’s worth noting that the last five Sceptre favourites have all been beaten – and  a performance-affecting cough is sweeping through the stables in a way that puts the fear of God into odds-on punters.

On merit ratings 10-1 shot Priceless Jewel is the one most likely to take advantage should Cold As Ice goes the same expensive way as Legislate. “She ran well in the Diadem, her prep has been good and she is as well as I can get her for this,” says Adam Marcus.

Piere Strydom rides and the six-time champion will be the mare’s fifth different jockey in as many races. It will be a sixth next time because uncle Anton has already been booked for the Klawervlei Majorca.

Double Whammy, who is second favourite at 9-2, is the only horse ever to beat Cold As Ice and her Cape Fillies Guineas third was given a boost when second-placed Inara won last Saturday’s Paddock Stakes, That said, she is held by the favourite on Choice Carriers running.

“We should have gone faster that day and she is unbeaten up the straight,” points out Glen Kotzen who believes she didn’t quite last home in the Fillies Guineas.

Mike Bass is bidding for his third Sceptre in five seasons and he is expecting a good run from 7-1 chance Lanner Falcon who scored comfortably over 1 500m last time and was good enough to take second in the previous year’s Fillies Guineas

“She can get a mile but she prefers 1 200m and 1 400m,” says Bass. “She is a very good filly who is just a bit off the best. She is not the sort to sit up there but she will be running on late.

Varikate (14-1) has three and a half lengths plus 3kg to find with Cold As Ice. Any chance of her making it up? “I see no reason,” says Justin Snaith bluntly. “The favourite looks a superstar.”

Miss Saigon (20-1) and Rosier (12-1) make up the smallest Sceptre field for 13 years and their price would appear to reflect their chance although Kotzen likes Rosier, saying: “She is a proper sprinter with natural speed and we will use it.”

So it looks as if Cormack is going to get his wish. Let’s see if he is right about his mount turning it on.