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

Neethling’s mount Latino Heat, who escaped uninjured, seemed to get a fright when the neighbouring horse hit the front of its gate and he then appeared to try and leap through the top part of the gate, losing his footing in the process.

Neethling’s arm reportedly has a clean break and he will likely be out for six to eight weeks.

The meeting had been delayed by a power failure reportedly caused by a fault in the sub station behind Greyville.

There was then a further delay as the ambulance had to leave the course to transport the injured rider. However, the last six races of the eight-race meeting were completed.

The main race, the Non-black Type River Indigo Handicap over 1400m, was won by the Dennis Drier-trained four-year-old Solskjaer filly Red Label, ridden by Sean Veale.

The racecourse floodlights at Greyville are not connected to a generator due to the enormous expense of such an undertaking, as it would either require one massive generator, or a generator apiece for every three to four lights.

However, a UPS system keeps the lights on for about four minutes after a power failure to ensure that they would never go out during a race.

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.

Garth Puller

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.