Randjesfontein horses have been subjected to a 40 day travel ban as it falls within a 30km radius of a recent positive case of African Horse Sickness (AHS). Sean Tarry is also affected by the ban as he plans to run Carry On Alice in the Cape Flying Championship and Trip To Heaven in the R1 million Cape Thoroughbred Sales Stakes, both on January 24.

Both De Kock and Tarry said today that the efforts to provide the best possible solution for the horses’ transport to the Cape included “legal wrangles.”

According to De Kock the state veterinary authority will grant permission for the horses to be moved to a training centre outside of the 30km radius, in this case The Vaal, where they will only have to stay for 14 days before being allowed to travel to Cape Town. This will enable runners for the Cape Flying Championship and J&B Met to reach Cape Town in time.

However, De Kock added that this alternative would mean a change of training tracks and environment, which was not ideal for a horse, and would also be subject to boxes being available, so he wondered whether it would be worthwhile.

Tarry said that everything was still “up in the air”, but that it was paramount that there was some sort of development “within the next 48 hours”, so that The Vaal option could at least be considered.

Pine Princess’s travel will obviously depend entirely on a solution being found within those 48 hours.

Tarry said there was a “lot going on” in the efforts to find a solution, including the case being “with the lawyers”. The connections of the horses are also awaiting a reply from a letter sent to the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF). Tarry said that it was “alarming” that this letter, sent as a matter of urgency on December 28, had still not been replied to.

The travel ban was made by the state veterinary authority in order to protect the AHS Controlled Area in the Western Cape in line with the export protocol negotiated with the European Union (EU) in 1997.

De Kock, who spoke yesterday from his training centre in Dubai, admitted recently to having become increasingly demoralised by the AHS saga, which has had a severe impact on the racing and trading prospects of the South African thoroughbred as a whole and also on his own international ambitions.

He said recently that South Africa should “stop pandering” to the EU and instead concentrate their efforts on alternative solutions, and he said yesterday that it sent “a poor message” to the rest of the world that “we can’t travel our own horses around our own country.”

The Drakenstein Stud stallion Trippi sired the first three past the post, a continuation of the unstoppable form his progeny have been in this season. Trip Tease was purchased for a mere R70,000 at Bloodstock South Africa’s Emperor’s Palace National Two-Year-Old sale and has now earned R879,575 in stakes.

He won on debut over 1000m on the sand by 8,25 lengths as a young three-year-old, but took four runs to win on the turf. His first win on the turf over 1000m was off a merit rating of 82 and he followed up by winning the Gr 3 Man ‘O War Sprint for three-year-olds over 1100m, also on the turf. After that he rattled off three wins in succession on the sand. A second place on the sand then preceded his win in the Listed Hampton Handicap over 1000m on the sand.

His merit rating had by now rocketed up and he looked to have a mountain to climb returning to turf as the handicapper accorded him a 107 merit rating despite his last win on that surface having been off an 86.

However, he continues to defy the handicapper as he started off his turf campaign on November 1 by winning the Listed Golden Loom Handicap over 1000m. The victory was an emotional one for Goosen as he was a colleague and close friend of the late great Buddy Maroun, trainer of the famously tough and prolific Golden Loom.

On Saturday Trip Tease had to race off a merit rating of 112 under handicap conditions, but such is his reputation now that he was sent off as 5/2 favourite. The classy Sean Tarry-trained three-year-old Trippi colt Trip To Heaven was a 3/1 chance and looked the main danger. Trip To Heaven was slowly away again, just as he was when winning the Gr 2 Merchants over 1160m on Sansui Summer Cup day.

Therefore, Strydom was able to get Trip Tease up against the outside rail, which is usually of help to a horse. The four-year-old Mike de Kock-trained Trippi gelding Tiger Territory was meanwhile making a bold bid from the front and when Trip To Heaven appeared on the scene it looked like those two would fight it out. However, Strydom extracted a withering late burst from Trip Tease to get up by 0,25 lengths. Tiger Territory and Trip To heaven shared second place.

The big weight for age events like the Computaform Sprint look to be the future for Trip Tease and as a horse with the winning habit combined with Goosen’s expertise in priming him for a race he will always be a tough nut to crack.

Picture: Louis Goosen (JC Photos)

The Justin Snaith-trained Dynasty colt smashed the Kenilworth Old Course record in the Gr 2 Green Point Stakes over 1600m last time out and displayed a dominance that will make him difficult to oppose in both the Queen’s Plate and the J&B Met, so he could well capture the Equus Horse Of The Year title for a second year running, despite the latter race likely being his last appearance in the country. He has a plum draw of two on Saturday and Richard Fourie aboard is an added bonus.

The biggest danger could be the Triple Crown and Sansui Summer Cup winner, the Geoff Woodruff-trained Louis The King, as his most impressive performance was in the Gr 2 Gauteng Guineas last season over the Queen’s Plate distance and he also ran a fantastic race from an impossible position in the Peermont Emperor’s Palace Charity Mile in early November. Woodruff came into the Queen’s Plate with the Summer Cup winner Yorker last year and that classy horse benefitted from the run before running a good second in the Met. There are those that feel Louis The King, despite his record over 1600m, will follow in those footsteps.

The Brett Crawford-trained Futura is regarded as a future champion by many, as he has all the credentials including a fantastic turn of foot. However, he has had a slightly interrupted preparation and the impression given is that he would be more comfortable over further.

Tellina is consistently placed at Gr 1 level and is also a former Gauteng Guineas winner, while Grand Parade Cape Guineas runner up Kingvoldt’s performance will give a clue as to how good the three-year-old male crop is.

Jet Explorer was unlucky in last year’s Queen’s Plate and has enjoyed a fine preparation, while Ashton Park has blossomed in his five-year-old year and could build on his surprise Green Point Stakes runner up spot. Gold Onyx and Paterfamilias will likely be better suited to the Met

It is going to be a humdinger of a race, despite Legislate’s presence having led to an unusually small field of nine runners, and the country’s racing fraternity will be glued to the action at 16:40 next Saturday.

Picture: Legislate (Liesl King)

Word has spread that Greyville is the place to be on Friday nights and the atmosphere on course was reminiscent of the heyday of racing as the stands and lawns were full of enthusiastic spectators and the outside rail was lined with people for every race.

KZN’s champion trainer Howells has been in tremendous form on the turf and scored a treble on the night, although one of those winners was on the polytrack. However, Same Jurisdiction was the horse many had come to see and they were not disappointed.

This was just her fifth career start and her first since narrowly winning the Gr 1 Thekwini Stakes for two-year-old fillies over the Flamboyant course and distance on Super Saturday at the end of last season. She fought hard in the Thekwini to get up and beat the classy Carry On Alice, despite having been found later to have bled. The latter issue brought an automatic three-month suspension from racing so Howells has done his usual astutely professional job in bringing her back in fine condition.

Same Jurisdiction looked in a different class to the field when going down to the post majestically. However, Howells had been concerned about her being above herself under the lights, having missed her intended preparation due to inclement weather.

She was indeed above herself and was restless in the stalls before throwing her head up as she jumped. However, Randolph, when conferring later in the winner’s enclosure with her jockey of last season, the recuperating Kevin Shea, agreed that these were just symptoms of her eagerness to race, a trait that most champions possess. She was soon displaying another enviable trait in that she settled well in the running, although the strong pace set by Pearl Emblem suited her down to the ground.

Same Jurisdiction – Flamboyant Stakes 2015 (Nkosi Hlophe)

She has a  magnificent action and when Randolph eased her outward from a midfield position at the top of straight it was clear that he was swinging on the bridle. When he let her go the response was instantaneous and she powered clear in effortless fashion to win by four lengths from the Paul Lafferty-trained Goldie Coast, who got the good pace she needs, enabling her to settle in last place before using her fine turn of foot.

The handy Charles Laird-trained Admiral’s Eye stayed on gamely for a 5,25 length third, beating her stablemate Captain’s Daughter by a length, and Supercede ran on well to be 0,5 lengths further back in fifth.

Howells said afterwards that “this is what dreams are made of “ and said that having watched her recent work he realised that he had not trained a horse as good as this since the brilliant champion sprinter Via Africa. Randolph quipped that even the aeroplanes he flew were not as quick, while one of the owners Larry Vermaak said that having owned many “also rans” in racing he felt “really blessed to have stumbled upon a nice horse like this” and was “really, really excited” about her future.

Same Jurisdiction ran in the colours of Drakenstein Stud for the first time as they recently purchased a share in her. The Klawervlei Stud-bred daughter of Mambo In Seattle, who was bought for R270,000 at the Suncoast KZN Yearling Sale, has won her last four races after being beaten on debut and has earned R1,148,425 in stakes.

Besides Howell’s treble, two of them ridden by Randolph, Dennis Drier’s in form KZN yard scored a double, both ridden by stable jockey Sean Cormack, and one of them, the good looking Dynasty filly Art Deco, looks to be a horse worth following.

The Captain Al newcomer is by far the highest-priced horse in the field at R600 000 and is out of Golden Slipper runner-up State Factor. “He can run a bit,” says the champion trainer who adds that Richard Fourie’s mount would bear comparison with Buckinghampshire who was second to the smart Seventh Plain a fortnight ago.

This one is expected to fare better than stable companion Cardinal Call, on this occasion anyway. Most bookmakers are not offering prices on the race until tomorrow but Durban Beach is 12-10 favourite in the Betting World forecast while Cardinal Call is a 5-1 chance.

Richard Fourie (Liesl King)

Ernie (7-2) and Red Rex (33-1) are the only two that have raced and they finished fifth and seventh behind Seventh Plain. “Ernie was a green that day. He has come on a bit and I think he will be in the first three,” says Mike Bass. “But he is not a sprinting type and I don’t know that he can win over 800m.”

Riaan van Reenen also has reservations about Red Rex, saying: “I think he will have come on by about five lengths but that is not enough to win this.”

Brett Crawford’s horses continue to run well and forecast 6-1 shot Political Power (by Windrush) may not be far away. “He is not a four furlong horse but he is sharp and doing well,” says his trainer. “He is precocious enough to get going and he is ready to run.”

Glen Kotzen is anticipating a good effort from the Rebel King-sired Princess Jane (7-2), the only filly in the field – “She is quick and she has got to be a factor.”

However Stan Elley is not expecting that much from R100 000-buy Bugs Bunny (12-1)– “He moves well but he is underdone and will need the experience.”

The Rebel King gelding Galaxy King is a 20-1 chance and represents Ronnie Sheehan who was admitted to hospital on New Year’s Eve but was yesterday expecting to be allowed home.

Snaith and Fourie could complete a quick double with Ultimate Dollar in the All To Come Maiden. This one opened at 8-10 and a fortnight ago finished like a certain future winner over this trip and only just failed. He had Panga Panga (16-10) over two lengths behind.

Guest Of Honour steps up in trip in the Soccer 6 Maiden and Grant van Niekerk’s mount is hard to oppose even though 5-10 looks too short. Dwyka ran below form last time and is in with a chance at 4-1 while Alzerra (18-10) looks a worthy favourite for race four.