Taking a horse down from Johannesburg to Cape Town for a big race is no easy task, as was highlighted by the great De Kock-trained Igugu’s defeat in the Cape Fillies Guineas in 2010. The depth of class in the field that Majmu faces is greater and is headed by a filly in the Joey Ramsden-trained Cold As Ice who could still be anything.

De Kock’s other runner Ataab has the same owner as Majmu and could well ensure the good pace that Majmu will need in order to unleash her powerful finishing run.  The only concern for Majmu is that she has never raced around a left hand turn, but she was shown the turn by big race jockey Anthony Delpech yesterday (Thursday).

Cold As Ice kicked on superbly from a handy position in the slow run Gr 2 Choice Carriers Championship over 1400m last time out. She would love another “Cape crawl” as she has a stamina doubt, but is unlikely to get it and her draw of eight in the small ten-horse field is tricky.

Majmu is drawn six and Ataab, fresh from a decent third place in last weekend’s Gr 3 Fillies Mile at Kenilworth, is one outside of her. Ataab will be very fit and could stay on for a place.

Choice Carriers runner-up Double Whammy is known as a front-runner but was reportedly tucked in behind two horses in work the other day and the result had trainer Glen Kotzen and jockey Greg Cheyne excited. She is drawn in pole and could be in the box seat if Ataab is sent to the front.

Jet Set Go and Inara stayed on gamely for third and fourth in the Choice Carrriers without making inroads.

Grey Light has impressed with her strong finishing run before but was too far back in the Choice Carriers from a wide draw. She has another wide draw but will appreciate the longer straight and could earn.

Jeweller’s Joy didn’t enjoy much luck in the Lanzerac Ready To Run Stakes over 1400m but still managed a running on 3,75 length sixth to an exciting unbeaten colt. She is drawn well in three. Sunset Tripp set the pace in the Ready To Run Stakes and stayed on gamely for a 2,75 length third. However, she has never been this trip before and is widely drawn again. Cuvee Brut has run on well to win her last two sprints, but this a big step up in class.

Majmu is selected to beat Cold As Ice with Double Whammy, Ataab and Grey Light next best.

The weight for age Gr 2 Tony Taberer Southern Cross Stakes over 1000m is an intriguing race, but Gr 1 Mercury Sprint winner Fly By Night would have come on from her reappearance win and might have too much class. Rosier and Varikate both likely needed their last starts and have weight turnarounds with Fly By Night. Gr 1-winning speedster Alboran Sea should love this tough 1000m and has a fine chance if at her best. Lanner Falcon and Priceless Jewel would prefer further, but have class and can’t be ignored.

In the Listed Val de Ra Southeaster Sprint Daring Dave will enjoy the drop down to 1100m and is improving with each race. Happy Forever should be cherry-ripe and will enjoy this trip. Crescendo is a tough galloping type and could be good place value. Captain On The Run should do well with a light weight. Captain Of All is all class and is fit, but it will be tough to win with 61kg after a break of over a year.

The improving Ideal Countess could win the first from Sister Act.

Fire Master is well regarded and will appreciate the 200m extra of the second race, so if jumping better than last time looks to be a good bet. Upper Echelon has a good draw for a change and could win the third over 1400m. She would probably prefer 1600m but does wear first-time blinkers.

Improving stayer Even So has a perfect draw for his front-running style and could claim a hat-trick with a light weight in the fourth over 2400m.

The eighth could go to the well regarded Mint Master who is better than his last start, although topweight Lotus Lily Lake looks useful and could prove a tough nut to crack.

The impressive Bianzino should love the longer straight of the new course and could win the ninth. The last could be fought out by the improving Street Flyer and Master Runner, who was green on his fair debut.

Picture: Cold As Ice and Double Whammy (Liesl King)

However, many punters will be wishing that Strydom was riding rather than watching as they face a very difficult card.

The opening leg of the Pick 6 could prove to be a toss-up between Royalsecuritybaby and Sluice Gate although the betting indicates a wide open race with the former a weak 5-2 favourite. Prolific owner Roy Moodley has been having an extend run of good fortune with winners coming thick and fast. The Moodley-owned Royalsecuritybaby was a winner two runs back from a wide draw over the course and distance and followed up with a fast-finishing second last time out. A repeat showing should at least see her in the money.

Sluice Gate tried to make all the running when fitted with blinkers and now gets the benefit of a 2,5kg claimer in Callan Murray and could keep going this time round.

Roy’s Royalty, another Moodley-owned runner, returns from a break and drops back in trip so may just need it. However, she was in good form before the break.

Paree and Stirling Leaves are vying for favouritism in the fifth with the former at the top of the boards. The Mike de Kock-trained filly made marked improvement on a modest debut when coming from the clouds to shed her maiden and she looks to be on the up.

Weiho Marwing is starting to step out runners after his recent move to Ashburton with Isobar his first winner since his move. Stirling Leaves was touched off in her last Turffontein start and was never far back. These two look set to fight it out.

Frank Robinson has had good success on the poly and he saddles Burmudabreeze in the sixth. The five-year-old has taken a new lease on life since being sent on the synthetic surface and it obviously agrees with his aging legs. His best form is over 1000m but he does have a plum draw.

Doug Campbell is another trainer whose runners have taken to the poly and Harry Peppa has finished in the money in all three starts on the surface. He tried hard behind the well fancied Al Ciberano in an apprentice handicap last run and looks to have a fair chance here.

Recent maiden winner Snowman is a weak 4-1 favourite for the sixth where a host of runners look to have strong winning chances. Snowman looks to be a nice gelding in the making but he does take on some salted opposition. Samhaan, when good is very good, when bad is very bad, so is a runner than cannot be left out with any comfort. Silver Spring is back from a break but is useful while stable companion Buffalo Bill was touched off last time out. One can make a case for almost all 10 runners so not a race to go light in, in the exotics.

Nisa’s Love is another weak favourite in the eighth but she has gone well on the poly and should be right there. Artistically Done is a tough old mare who is another that has taken to the poly and got up late to win her latest. Oi Yoi Yoi can improve on her last effort while recent maiden winner Secret Admirer is not without a chance.

Ahlaam and Tigress Poem look the most likely to fight out the last. Ahlaam improved last run when tried in blinkers while Tigress Poem has failed narrowly at her last two and is due a change of fortune.

Capetown Noir (Liesl King)

Trainer Dean Kannemeyer said that a recurrence of an injury from the 2014 KZN Champions Season had led to a decision by his owners Khaya Stables to immediately retire the valuable horse.

The champion colt was destined for an overseas campaign, but plans were aborted after his injury.

Dean Kannemeyer – disappointed but says he will make a top stallion

“He ran a nice race in the Merchants recently and I had intended to aim him at the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate double. But the injury sadly flared up again and after consultation with our Veterinary team and Jehan Malherbe, his owners have decided to do what is best for the horse and retire him. I support the decision fully and he should make for an outstanding stallion. He is a superbly bred good looking horse, a magnificent mover with character and a terrific temperament. He has got to go down as the best miler I have trained. I am looking forward to seeing him go on and make his mark at stud,” he said.

Capetown Noir has everything required to make it to the top in the breeding paddocks.

He was bred by Lammerskraal Stud and is by the ill-fated multiple champion sire Western Winter out of Equus champion broodmare, Akinfeet, a daughter of champion broodmare sire, Fort Wood.

Jehan Malherbe – looking at stud options Capetown Noir was purchased for Khaya Stables by Dean Kannemeyer and Form Bloodstock’s Jehan Malherbe for R1 million on the National Yearling Sale.

He won eight races from 1200m to 2000m and was at his brilliant best at a mile.

Capetown Noir’s victories included the unique Gr1 Cape Guineas and Gr1 Cape Derby double, SA’s premier WFA Mile, the Gr1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate as well as the Gr3 Byerley Turk and Gr3 Matchem Stakes.

No decision has yet been made as to where he will stand but he is bound to prove an invaluable addition to the local stallion ranks.

www.dkannemeyerracing.com

Betting World, who clearly consider Mike de Kock’s star well-nigh unbeatable, make the Joey Ramsden-trained Choice Carriers winner Cold As Ice second favourite at 4-1 and Glen Kotzen’s Lanzerac Diana winner next best at 8-1.

These are the only three trading in single figures and the remaining prices are: 14-1 Jet Set Go, 20-1 Ataab (also trained by De Kock), 25-1 Inara, 33-1 Sunset Tripp, 45-1 Grey Light, Cuvee Brut, Jeweller’s Joy.

Missing from the big race line-up is Hot Affair, one of the top two-year-old fillies of last season. She was being targeted at this.

Mike Robinson reported: “Unfortunately she chipped a bone in her off-fore knee. She had surgery on Monday and she will be out for a couple of months.”

Picture: Majmu (JC Photos)

Adam Marcus brings back the classy Priceless Jewel in the Gr 2 Tony Taberer Southern Cross Stakes over 1000m, a race which Bass looks to have a fine chance of winning as he is represented by a strong pair in Fly By Night and Lanner Falcon.

Cuvee Brut is a three-year-old Count Dubois filly, who has only had three starts, all of them over sprints, but she did catch the eye last time out in a MR 68 handicap for fillies and mares over 1200m at Kenilworth when producing a late rattle to win by 0,75 lengths.

On the downside, she was running off only a 75 merit rating and the filly she beat, Ladidah, is a relatively exposed three-year-old who runs off an 81 merit rating but had the advantage of a 4kg claimer aboard. However on the bright side the rest of the field, which included older fillies, were well beaten.

Importantly, Cuvee Brut’s first win over 1000m was at Durbanville, meaning she has experienced a left hand turn. Cuvee Brut is out of a half-sister to the useful Ziplock, who won up to 1600m, but Crawford was not quite sure whether she would see out the 1600m trip. However he said that she had been “doing well.” She jumps from draw five and will be ridden by Corné Orffer.

Candice Robinson, who is Bass’s daughter and assistant trainer, confirmed that the three-year-old Trippi filly Inara would appreciate the extra 200m having stayed on well in the Gr 2 Choice Carrier’s Championship over 1400m last time out for a 4,5 length fourth. In her penultimate start she finished just 0,4 lengths in second to the well regarded Indaba in a Novice Plate over 1600m, with the rest of the field well beaten, and the latter went on to slam them in impressive style in a MR 67 handicap over 1600m at Kenilworth.

However, Robinson said that although Inara had been doing well, the yard would be happy with a place on Saturday in a field of this quality.

All three of the horses who beat her in that race, Cold As Ice, Double Whammy and Jet Set Go, are in Saturday’s race, which is once again a level weights event, and Majmu’s presence will make it even tougher.

However, the pace is likely to be on, which should suit her down to the ground, and she is also well drawn in two, so can’t be ignored in bets like the trifecta and quartet. Grant van Niekerk retains the ride.

Robinson said that the Gr 1 Mercury Sprint winner Fly By Night, a much improved five-year-old Jet Master mare, was very well and had come on from her victorious seasonal reappearance in a Conditions Plate over 1000m at Kenilworth, so would have a “big shout” over the same course and distance in the Southern Cross Stakes. She was well weighted in that last race, but has earned her merit rating of 106, which is the third highest in the field behind the 108 merit rated Priceless Jewel and the 109 rated Gr 1 winner Alboran Sea. Former stable jockey Bernard Fayd’Herbe rode Fly By Night to victory in the Mercury Sprint and is re-united with her at the expense of current stable jockey Van Niekerk, who rides Lanner Falcon. Robinson said that Lanner Falcon, a Trippi filly who was runner up in last year’s Cape Fillies Guineas, was in good shape, but the 1000m might just be a touch too sharp for her. Fly By Night is drawn one and Lanner Falcon eight, so the connections will be watching the two earlier sprints with interest to see which side of the course will be preferred by the jockeys on the day.

Priceless Jewel, a five-year-old Ashaawes mare, had quite a busy campaign last season, which yielded four wins, including a Gr 3 over 1400m and a Listed event over 1200m, and she also finished a fantastic two length third to the great Beach Beauty in the Gr 1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes over 1600m. She was kept going for the first couple of weeks this season in order to take part in the Gr 3 eDiamond Stakes over 1200m, in which she looked impossible to oppose at the weights, and duly won by 3,5 lengths.

The yard then sent her for a deserved holiday on the farm and have only brought her back slowly.

Basil Marcus said, “This is obviously a prep run for her and is a little bit short, but she is doing well at home. We are going to see how she goes and then decide where we go from there as there are only limited opportunities for her in the Cape summer season.”

Sean Cormack takes the ride from a nice draw of five which in a small field of nine will enable her to switch to whichever side is considered favourable on the day, so she could be a threat sitting off the pace and then running on.