Corne Orffer’s mount was impressive when winning her previous two but in the R2 million bonanza she lost ground at the start and ran so far below expectations that the stipes ordered a veterinary report. Now she drops in trip and has been installed 8-10 favourite with Betting World.

Jockey Corne Offer takes Alexis for a stroll on the beach. (Picture: Liesl King)

“I don’t have an excuse for last time but I don’t think the distance was the reason,” says Brett Crawford. “However I had three that ran below form that day and I think she just had an off-day. Certainly she has been working very well and I am expecting an improved run.”

Twentymanjones looks the pick on form and attractive at 33-10 in the preceding 1 200m handicap but caution is advised. “He took the skin off a hind joint coming off the float last time and I had to leave him in his box for a while so he may not be 100%,” explains Darryl Hodgson.

Greg Cheyne’s mount could still win but Door Of Deception (7-2) and Gulf Storm may be better value. Gulf Storm finished a neck in front of Richard Fourie’s mount last time and is a kilo better. He has already been backed from 18-10 to 12-10.

Fourie has a big chance on 3-1 shot Princess Chloe in the Tickets At R125 Handicap (race five). She started favourite on Selangor day after winning her previous two but failed to find a clear passage in the final furlong.

“It was a disappointing run and that is why I am bringing her back in trip,” says Justin Snaith. “I’m hoping she will be better over this 1 200m.”

The hat-trick seeking Goldandsilver is favourite at 2-1 and looks the danger but she has been hiked 3kg for her last win and that could make her vulnerable.

There are several with strong claims in the opening Welcome Maiden, including the badly drawn pair Sail For Gold and Master James, but Be At Peace has the draw in his favour and went close over the trip here a month ago. “I can’t say that he has come on because he doesn’t show a lot at home,” says Paddy Kruyer. “But the longer straight will suit him and he should go well.”

Jam Tart should be hard to beat in race two and Air Chief Marshal has the credentials to win the Soccer GG Maiden 35 minutes later. The Mike Bass colt really caught they eye on debut at Durbanville and would have finished closer last time but for losing ground at the start. The money yesterday was for Bono Vox (4-1 to 33-10) but Air Chief Marshal appeals at 9-2.

Evoke Emotion, runner-up in her last two, steps up in distance in race four and this favourite should confirm the placings with Ipsissima and Little Bear.

He said: “I picked Harry’s Son because I committed to the yard and to the owners some time ago and they have big plans for the horse, whereas when Anton Marcus comes back he will be riding Act Of War.”

Marcus, sidelined by an injured thumb, is retained by Act Of War’s owner Markus Jooste and won the Cape Classic on the horse.

Harry’s Son (JC Photo)

Strydom’s immediate reaction after riding his 5 000^th winner on Act Of War in last month’s Selangor Cup was that the colt was “probably better” than Harry’s Son and he still believes that all the advantages lie with the Joey Ramsden-trained hope in Saturday’s big race.

The six-time champion said: “He is a quality horse who is based in Cape Town and he has gone round a left-hand turn but I hope my horse surprises us.”

Strydom won the Cape Guineas on Pointing North in 2008 and Bernard Fayd’Herbe, who takes over on Act Of War, was successful on Solo Traveller four years ago as well as on Elusive Gold 12 months ago.

Fayd’Herbe’s mount opened at evens with Betting World but that was quickly snapped up and he was 9-10 by lunchtime yesterday. Harry’s Son has been eased from 9-2 to 5-1 and Zambezi River from 6-1 to 7-1. Other prices are 12-1 Mljet, Kingvoldt, 14-1 Light The Lights, 16-1 Brutal Force, 25-1 Balance Sheet, Charles Lytton, 33-1 Sheer Trouble, 66-1 and upwards others.

A pleased Joey Ramsden said: “I put in a strong pacemaker and they went a very good clip over seven furlongs. All three went well.”

Ramsden added that Kingvoldt has been showing little sign of the haemoconcentrating that affected the end of his two-year-old season – “he seems very good.” Anthony Delpech will ride the colt for the first time in Saturday’s classic and Sean Cormack will be on Brutal Force.

The Milnerton trainer, touching on Harry’s Son who looks the main danger, said: “He is clearly a very good horse and I have the biggest respect for him.”

Act Of War ridden by Piere Strydom (Liesl King)

Ramsden has provisionally decided not to include next month’s R1 million CTS Stakes in Cold As Ice’s bid to gain compensation for getting loose at the start of the Avontuur Cape Fillies Guineas.

He said: “We sat down and chatted about it, and at the moment we will do the Laisserfaire (Dec 27), the Sceptre (Jan 17) and maybe the Klawervlei Majorca (Jan 31). Three-year-olds have a good record in the Majorca.”

Some observers have said that he should have allowed Cold As Ice to take her chance in the Fillies Guineas pointing out that, while she galloped a mile, she didn’t do so at any great speed.

Ramsden shook his head and added: “I’ve done it in the past, even when they galloped back faster, but this time I wasn’t tempted. It was a Group 1 and I felt the race had been delayed long enough. Also she might have been OK physically but mentally she could have been a bit cooked.

Last year’s Cape Derby second made all, albeit at a desperately slow pace, and he has now won all his three races since having over 15 months off to recover from a damaged tendon.

Justin Snaith said: “I was absolutely devastated when he did that tendon. It was bad news to have to give someone so I said to Hassen Adams ‘We will take a share and there will be no bills.’

“I think he is the type for the Durban July and we were going to keep him for that but after this we might have to go for the Met. If so he will go straight there and there will be no Met gallop. The interests of the horse come first and nobody is going to tell me otherwise.”

Helderberg Blue, gaining all the way to the line and only beaten 0.2 lengths by the 12-1 winner, was shortened from 40-1 to 33-1 by Betting World and he will have another outing in the meantime. Mike Bass said: “The Met is six weeks away so I will have to run him. Maybe we can find a Pinnacle.”

Dean Kannemeyer could be looking for the same thing with third-placed Power King who was giving weight all round and has left unchanged at 40-1. He said: “Power King was gelded just over three weeks ago because I was battling with his blood which was getting thicker all the time. He needed this so I will probably give him one more run.”

Stan Elley is already targeting the Peninsula Handicap on 10 January with 40-1 shot Punta Arenas who fired Aldo Domeyer into the air during the parade (he landed painfully astride the fence) and then galloped flat out for more than a complete circuit.

Captain America proved an expensive favourite and has been marked out from 25-1 to 50-1 while Brett Crawford scratches his head in puzzlement. Crawford said: “I’m disappointed. He settled and then moved up as if he was about to go forward but he stayed where he was.”

The Phillipi trainer added that 9-2 third favourite Futura will run in Saturday week’s Khaya Stables Diadem Stakes, saying: “There is a big gap between the Green Point and the Queen’s Plate so I have decided to run him in the Diadem.”

Sean Cormack, for whom this was the third consecutive Premier, also used his fine tactical skills to bring out the best in the Devines’ homebred 8-1 shot Jet Supreme in the Calulo Victress. She and unlucky runner-up Acrostar will both go for the Maine Chance Paddock Stakes on 10 January.

Warm White Night had his first runners in the Themba Dry Cargo Maiden and he got off the mark with the Glen Puller-trained Harlem Shake.

Picture: Legislate, last season’s Vodacom Durban July winner, remains a firm favourite in the early J&B Met market (Liesl King)

The five-year-old hot favourite gave trainer John Moore his second victory in the big race as he had won it in 2011 with Able One. The pacemaker Gold Fun kept on well for second. The Japanese pair Grand Prix Boss and World Ace were next best ahead of last year’s winner Glorious Days.

However, Moore and Moreira were not yet finished as they then won the Gr 1 HK $25 million Longines Hong Kong Cup over 2000m with another local horse and hot favourite, Designs on Rome, who won comfortably from Military Attack, Criterion, Cirrus Des Aigles and Helene Super Star. South African ex-patriot jockey Douglas Whyte finished runner up in three of the Gr 1s he rode in on the day.

Designs On Rome – Joao Moreira (Liesl King)

In the HK$ 18,5 million Hong Kong Sprint over 1200m the Paul O’Sullivan-trained second favourite Aerovelocity made virtually all the running under Zac Purton to hold off Whyte’s mount, the Tony Cruz-trained rising three-year-old star and race favourite Peniaphobia.

Earlier the great French trainer Andre Fabre landed favouritism in the Gr 1 $HK 16,5 million Hong Kong Gold Vase over 2400m with his four-year-old British-bred Dansili colt Flintshire, who was ridden by Maxime Guyon. He just held off the fancied Cruz and Whyte partnered Willie Cazals by a neck. Whyte’s third Gr 1 second was on the Richard Gibson-trained Gold Fun in the Mile.

Pictures: Liesl King