Following successful surgery earlier this week, Lerena said: “I had a bone removed from behind my Achilles tendons that was causing pain and pressure on the tendons (tendinitis). It’s commonly referred to as ‘pump bumps’ from riding and overuse. The doctor said the tendons were not compromised in the operation because he had done key-hole surgery. And the recovery period is normally around 6 to 8 weeks.”

Lerena is back at home, enjoying the support of family and friends, and hopes to be back in the saddle soon. The SA Racing App team wish him a speedy recovery.

Sourced by Victor Tojeira for http://www.goldcircle.co.za

With that in mind and with a facile debut victory under his girth, Puller elected to drop the Fort Beluga gelding Fortissimo in at the deep end for his second outing. The KZN Guineas Trial attracted a small but smart field and although Fortissimo drew on the outside of the eight-horse he did find some market support.

But things did not work out. The plan was obviously to settle in behind and run on in the finish but Fortissimo was having none of it. Ant Mgudlwa had him deliberately slow out of the gate in an attempt to settle his mount in behind runners but Fortissimo had not read the script as he fought for his head from the jump.

He was alongside eventual winner Easy Lover turning for home but whereas Duncan Howells’s charge had settled beautifully and was primed to deliver, Fortissimo had piddled on his powder and didn’t even raise a fizz.

On debut Fortissimo made a tardy start but finished like an express train to win as he liked and it was reasonable to expect that those tactics were employed again.

Puller has dropped his charge back to a sprint in the sixth at Greyville tonight where he takes on some old salts and given his debut showing, his last run is best ignored and Fortissimo may prove a touch too classy for his rivals.

In to opening leg of the PA, White Christmas made a promising enough debut to suggest that he is likely to make good improvement stretched over the 1400m and is taken to get home ahead of the consistent Jedak with Burra Boy from an inside draw a likely danger.

Chamaylee and Whimsical Gal could prove the pick of the opening leg of the Pick 6 but this is not an easy race with Tenderwood, Hunger Games and Raise And Double all worth consideration.

Lady Of Kildare and Jamboree make most appeal in the fifth. The former has some useful form in the Vaal sand and could take to the poly tonight while Jamboree was decidedly unlucky last time out and with better luck should be in the mix.

The seventh is a mine field and the best advice here is to include as many as possible in exotic bets. Tip Toe has come good since being tried on the poly and is due a change of fortune after two seconds and should do better this trip. Captain’s Daughter looks the pick of the Charles Laird coupling after showing up nicely behind more fancied stable companion Admiral’s Eye last time out.

Weiho Marwing is slowly finding his way since his relocation to Ashburton and Ze Tzar caught the eye when running on behind Samhaan on his Greyville debut. The gelding takes a big drop in class but a corresponding rise in weight but jockey Deryl Daniels is riding with plenty of confidence of late and Ze Tzar should be right there. Possible danger is Personal Question from the Des Egde’s yard. The seven-year-old is never far back and is another down a division. With Callan Murray taking a further 2,5kg of his back Personal Question looks upset material.

The winner of the Premier Trophy could be the Bass-trained Helderberg Blue who has always been well regarded. His temperament let him down last season, but the highly professional Bass yard have got on top of his issues and he was impressive last time out when winning with a bit in hand over this distance. He could continue to progress and is well drawn in three.

Power King showed how good he is when finishing just 1,75 lengths back in last season’s high class Grand Parade Cape Guineas. He was gelded after his last start and that has made a “big difference” according to trainer Dean Kannemeyer and any improvement on his recent outings would see him right in the thick of things over a suitable course and distance.

True Master has had a successful wind operation since returning from Durban so is likely to be better than his form suggests and Justin Snaith’s stable jockey Richard Fourie has opted to ride this one above three others.

Captain America was not at all disgraced in the Green Point Stakes, but is a big horse drawn wide and has never quite shown the same zip he had in last season’s Cape summer, so there are question marks.

Dynamic is the best of the Snaith runners on ability, but Snaith believes he might just be one race short of peak fitness. He can’t be ignored considering he won his penultimate in good style after a break of nearly a year.

Arion has always been well regarded and Snaith said he would strip fitter and is expecting a big run over a suitable course and distance.

Johnny Rockets has soundness issues so is coming into the race fresh and at his best will be running on strongly.

Paterfamilias is up against it having not raced since finishing third to a top class sort in this race last year.

Punta Arenas needed his run in the Green Point Stakes, but would have had to have come on a lot since then to be a threat.

Gold Onyx, who is having his first start in the Cape aged seven, is a soldier but needs things to go his way as he has a short burst.

The selection is Helderberg Blue to beat Power King, True Master, Captain America, and Dynamic.

The horse to beat in the Victress looks to be Snaith’s Acrostar, who has come into her own this season and is threatening to be high class. She has come from last with withering runs to win her last two races and wasn’t stopping at the line, so will likely enjoy the longer straight.

Shingwedzi came again after being overtaken by Acrostar over 1600m last time and was finishing strongly, so looks likely to relish the course and should strip fitter. She could be a big threat.

Indaba is also a progressive type and will enjoy this trip as well as the longer straight.

Jet Supreme ran on very well last time over a trip short of her best and should be cherry-ripe.

The classy Red Flame has a fine turn of foot and her probable career best performance was over this distance on the similar left hand course of Clairwood, but she only has her recent winning reappearance race over 1200m under the belt this season, which is not ideal.

The Bass-trained Lucky Tuesday should enjoy the step up in trip, but stable jockey Grant van Niekerk is probably only aboard her, and not Shingwedzi, due to her light weight of 52kg.

Star Jet is said by Snaith to be “primed” for this race and will love the trip, so can’t be ignored.

The selection is Acrostar to beat Shingwedzi with Indaba, Jet Supreme and Red Flame next best.

Captain Blackwater’s hard knocking form has been franked and he will be hard to beat in the first, a workrider’s maiden over 1200m.

The third is a tough race, but Carousel Swing looks likely to enjoy the long straight and could mow them down late.

In the fourth over 1400m Sail South ran well over 1000m in his reappearance and the form has been franked and he should strip fitter over this more suitable trip. Solar Star ran a cracker in a Graduation Plate over 1600m last time and is drawn in pole, so should be involved in the finish. Front-running Blarney Bay is ideally distance suited and can’t be ignored.

In the fifth race over 1400m Diplomatic is well drawn and has fallen to an attractive merit rating. He has been dropped back to a trip that will suit him on pedigree, but this is a tough race and it would likely be best to go wide in the exotics.

In the eighth over 1200m Lady Ming and Trilateral make most appeal.

In the ninth over 1600m Star Of Paris has some useful formlines and has a fair merit rating, so could win from a nice draw having had to race wide the whole way when she won her maiden over 1400m last time out.

Kannemeyer also runs the talented Power King in the Gr 2 Vasco Premier Trophy over the same course and distance.

Indaba is a progressive sort, so looks likely to rise above her current merit rating of 87. She was particularly impressive last time out over 1600m when powering clear to win as she liked under Anthony Delpech.

Kannemeyer rates her his best runner of the day. He said, “The horse she beat in her penultimate start (Inara) finished second in the Cape Fillies Guineas. She has lots of scope and this distance will suit her.” She is drawn well in four with Gerrit Schlechter aboard.

Power King, a four-year-old by Silvano, was beaten 1,75 lengths by Premier Trophy candidate Helderberg Blue last time out over 1800m, and will only be 0,5kg better off.

However, Kannemeyer said, “We gelded him after that last start as his blood was getting a bit thick and it has made a big difference. He took the operation exceptionally well and was back in full work the week afterwards. He is only a 96 so in the deep end but has shown with his 1,75 length second last year in the Cape Guineas that he has the ability. He will get better and better. He will enjoy the 1800m and the nice long run in of the New Course.”

Red Flame has always impressed with her turn of foot and has won four of her seven starts, including one over this distance and on a left handed course, Clairwood. She was given a rest after her KZN campaign and showed her usual good acceleration in her recent reappearance three weeks ago to win over 1200m.

She is drawn six with Fayd’Herbe up and Bruss said, “She is spot on and will just need luck in running.”

Betting World yesterday opened him at 18-10 with Champions Cup winner Futura 4-1 second favourite together with last Saturday’s Avontuur Cape Fillies Guineas winner Majmu who, if she runs, will be bidding to become the first three-year-old to win for 15 years.
Act Of War, sure to start favourite for Saturday week’s Grand Parade Cape Guineas, is next on 7-1 together with Triple Crown and Sansui Summer Cup hero Louis The King (pictured) who was sent down to Cape Town last week.

His trainer Geoff Woodruff was yesterday blessing his foresight, saying: “Apparently there was a case of African Horse Sickness on Tuesday and they have just closed it (for movement of horses). It was for exactly this reason that I sent Louis The King down early.
“Arcetri Pink and Tellina are with him at Harold Crawford’s yard at Milnerton but the other horses are stuck here.”
Woodruff also has Rake’s Chestnut (20-1) and Summer Cup second Killua Castle (25-1) in the Met.
He said: “We are going to see how it goes with Louis The King but, if he gets a reasonable draw in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate, I would use that as a lead up to the Met. However if he happened to draw wide I would rather just gallop him.
“Tellina (40-1) has been gelded and he will probably need to run in the Queen’s Plate regardless of draw while Arcetri Pink goes for the Klawervlei Majorca.”

Meanwhile, Medallion winner Guiness faces a wind operation after going from first to fifth in little more than 100m in the Graduation Plate at Kenilworth yesterday.
Sean Cormack’s mount could hardly have been more friendless in the market had he lost his Facebook page and he drifted from odds-on to 14-10. He made the running until just over 100m out when most of the others started to sweep past.
Dennis Drier, after consulting the course vets and phoning owner Markus Jooste’s racing manager Derek Brugman, said: “You could hear the horse whistling. Derek says we must do the op.”
The race was won 15-2 shot Zinnavar, well handled by Xavier Carstens for Vaughan Marshall.