However, his regular rider Piere Strydom felt punters should exercise some caution in their exotic selections.

Lafferty said about the brilliant colt’s preparation, “His weight is good and we’re very happy with him.”

The laid back Australian-bred by Haradasun fell asleep early on the journey last time, which began at midnight, and had only lost 2kg by the time he stepped out of the float at Turffontein on the morning of the race. It is a good long walk from the point of arrival to the saddling enclosure, which gives the horses ample time to stretch.

The Charles Laird-trained Rich Girl had travelled and arrived at the same time and went on to win the R3,85 million Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run Stakes, so the formula appears to work.

Harry’s Son has never officially raced in soft ground before, but Strydom recalled that there was a bit of cut in the ground in the Graham Beck, so is not worried about the rain that is forecast to be falling consistently, but not heavily, throughout the week He has a tougher draw this time of nine, but relaxes well so the great 5000-winner jockey should have no problem placing him and he will certainly relish the 1600m trip.

Strydom rode one of the apparent dangers Front Rank to a facile 5,5 length victory in soft ground over course and distance last time, but said, “Front Rank won very well in the soft but Harry’s Son is better. But the thing about Harry’s Son is that he travelled all the way to Johannesburg for that last  race then went back to Durban and now has to travel back to Johannesburg again. Taking that into account punters should be cautious and include Jayyed.”

Contrary to Strydom’s cautious approach one of the most experienced travellers both as a jockey and trainer between Durban and Johannesburg, Gavin van Zyl, believes that horses can travel up and down twice without a problem but not three times, so according to his theory Harry’s Son should not be affected.

Harry’s Son has the Mike de Kock-trained Jayyed well held on the 1400m form of the Graham Beck Stakes, but on the form of the Gr 1 Premier’s Champion Stakes over 1600m at Greyville run on the last weekend of last season there is only a neck in it.

Lafferty and Strydom will also team up in the Gr 3 Magnolia Handicap over1160m with the talented four-year-old Australian-bred Choisir filly Goldie Coast, who ran a good 3,75 length fourth last time over 1400m in a hot Conditions Plate race on Graham Beck day, especially considering she set the pace which would have blunted her excellent burst of speed. She should be able to sit in behind over this trip and Lafferty said she was “very well” and “versatile”, so is an interesting runner.

Picture: JC Photos

Joey Ramsden described Turkish jockey Yasin Pilavcilar as “absolutely appalling” and the Sporting Post commented that “when the standards drop to the level of some of the ‘stars’ that rode at Turffontein and Kenilworth then it is time to call it a day.”

Racing Association boss Larry Wainstein, who chairs the organising committee, said yesterday: “One of the sponsors is Phumelela  International which shows our racing in Turkey and they feel it would help if there is a jockey from there.

“In fact Turkish champion Halas Karatas was asked to come again but he turned us down as his wife passed away and the number two couldn’t make it. Pilavcilar was a last-minute replacement. But in future, unless we can get the top guys, we will say to sponsors that we would rather look elsewhere.”

Wainstein – “I am still trying to take the knives out of my back” – added that the likes of Kieren Fallon, Richard Hughes, Olivier Peslier and Michel Barzalona were approached but for one reason or another they were unable or unwilling to come. It was Hughes who suggested inviting James Doyle, Adam Kirby and Martin Harley, saying: “They are top up-and-coming jockeys.”

IJC Teams 2014 

Wainstein was critical of trainers for not supporting the international races better and pointed out that a number of them didn’t fill.

He added that in an ideal world he would invite top American and Australian jockeys as well as those from Europe “but we don’t have a sponsoring airline for those countries to pay part of the flight costs and we have to work within the constraints of our budgets.”

He pledged that, despite the criticism and the Sporting Post’s suggestion to call it a day, the series will continue.

He said: “The jockeys who come here love it and, when they go back home, they tell people about South African racing. They also say that they have never been treated so well. What an advertisement that is. It makes it worth every rand we spend.

“I have a passion for this international series and, if people are going to criticise me, then so be it. I’ve just got to keep my chin up and go for it.”

Picture: Liesl King

The hot pot favourite Louis The King won’t mind any sort of going. However, his most impressive victory was in the GR 2 Gauteng Guineas, when cruising in by over five lengths, and that was run in very testing conditions.

Judicial and Earl Of Derby were well clear of the rest in the Gr 2 Victory Moon Stakes over 1800m and that was run in a “bog”. However the trainer of Judicial Tyrone Zackey put that down more to his horse being “very fit” rather than any particular going preference.

Bezanova has won in “very soft” conditions before, so won’t mind the rain, while Master Sabina has won over 1800m on the Turffontein Standside track in slightly soft conditions.

Lockheed Jetstar has won over 1700m before in “very soft” conditions and that is quite interesting as that is the furthest trip he has ever been tried over in his career, although it was only in a MR 77 handicap.

Disco Al has won in “slightly soft” conditions before. As You Like finished a 5,5 length third behind Louis The King in the testing conditions of last season’s Gauteng Guineas and is now 5kg better off.

Bouclette Top won over 1400m in the soft before staying on well for a six length fourth in that Gauteng Guineas event and he will now be 6kg better off with Louis The King.

Jet Belle has won in the soft twice. However, those were both in sprint races and she was beaten seven lengths into third in “very soft” going two years ago in the Gr 1 SA Fillies Classic over 1800m on Turffontein Standside by Triple Tiara winner Cherry On The Top.

Athina has won twice over 1450m in “slightly soft” going, but a possible concern is that in the testing conditions of last season’s Gauteng Fillies Guineas she “moved up and found no extra”, but then ran on well in good faster going next time to win the SA Fillies Classic over 1800m.

Rakes Chestnut ran way below par in his second career outing in heavy going, but trainer Geoff Woodruff put that down to him needing gelding. He has never had to contend with soft conditions since.

Glorious Jet has never won on soft ground before, but finished a close up second in “very soft” going in the Gr 2 Colorado King Stakes over Saturday’s course and distance.  Sovereign Mint has won over 1400m in soft going, but has never raced beyond 1600m.

Everest has won over 1600m in the soft, but has twice been well beaten by Earl Of Derby in soft conditions, including when finishing 5,75 lengths behind him in the Victory Moon, although he is now 1,5kg better off.

Enchanted Silk won well over 1800m on Victory Moon day in the soft which could augur well for her if the rain materialises, although this a considerably tougher task.

Killua Castle and the topweight No Worries have tended to perform a bit below par in soft going. However, No Worries only experienced soft going before his career turned around due to a change in tactics and the statistics could be misleading.

Bold Inspiration is yet to be tried on soft ground. Wavin’ Flag will also be a bit of an unknown as his soft ground experience, in which he performed adequately, only came in his early racing days before he really turned the corner into a feature horse.

Pictures: JC Photos

The first two-year-old race of the season was run over 800m and produced an interesting runner in the Charles Laird-trained More Than Ready filly Big Sugar. She was prohibited from running on Australia due to the loss of an eye and consequently became the first runner in South Africa for John Singleton, who owns Stawberry Hill Stud and at one stage was a large shareholder in the Magic Millions Sales company. The blinkered Big Sugar, ridden by Donavan Dillon, held off the Mike Miller-trained Silver Kavalier and Miller’s other runner Chosen Dash was next best.

The second, a workrider’s maiden over 1000m, was won by the Dennis Bosch-trained 15/4 favourite Lily Gray ridden by Calvin Habib.

The first leg of the place accumulator over 1000m saw the hard knocking Chris Erasmus-trained Sorbonne finally getting it right in her 30th start. She was ridden by Anthony Delpech.

The first leg of the Pick 6 over 1400m saw another winner for the in form combination of Lola Crawford and Derryl Daniels as the three-year-old Kahal filly Devon Belle powered to a comfortable win in just her third start despite 10/1 odds. She should win more races.

The first leg of the jackpot, a maiden over 2400m, saw the perennial bridesmaid Your Worship finishing second for the seventh time in her career as the Robbie Hill-trained Mullins Bay gelding Chillingham caught her just before the line.

The sixth was an interesting Pinnacle Stakes event over 2400m and the Paul Lafferty-trained lightweight Jay Power, a gelding by Jay Peg, produced a big upset at odds of 25/1 under a fine front-running ride by Keagan de Melo. He was considerably under sufferance at the weights with the best treated horses and knocked many tickets out of the Pick 6 and Jackpot.

In the next, a MR 66 Handicap over 2400m, the Des Egdes-trained bottom weight It Wasn’t Me shortened from 20/1 into 7/1 and duly obliged, holding off stablemate Lilly’s Rush. The Bezrin mare was 0,5kg under sufferance but that was alleviated by the 4kg claim of Matthew Thackeray.

Charles Laird completed a double in the eighth, a. Conditions Plate over 1600m contested by just four runners, as Admiral’s Eye stayed on strongly under Sean Cornack after being given a surprising lead by Supercede. This was an admirable comeback by the Admire Main filly, who jumped a patch and stumbled badly last time out, the incident which put Anton Marcus out with a snapped tendon in his thumb.

The ninth, a MR 86 handicap over 1200m, saw an exciting blanket finish and the Greg and Karen Anthony-trained nine-year-old Wolfhound gelding Kings Gold held on by a whisker under Muzi Yeni to claim his eleventh career victory despite being merit rated only 65 and being 2,5kg under sufferance. The hot favourite Jet On Fire was unplaced and was found to have finished lame on his left fore.

Paul Lafferty completed a double in the tenth, a Graduation Plate over 1000m, when the talented Australian-bred filly Flying Loot just got up under Stuart Randolph from the favourite Clear Sailing. Flying Loot was the third highest merit rated horse in the field so her 12/1 odds were generous.

Lafferty made it a treble in the last, a maiden fillies and mares maiden over 1400m, as the three-year-old National Emblem filly Pearl Emblem won comfortably under Sean Cormack.

Pictures: Nkosi Hlophe

This was Strydom’s 5 000th winner and the son of Dynasty, starting at a prohibitive 6-10, enabled him to do it in style. His mount swept to the front 400m out and pulled away to beat stable companion Kingvoldt by over two lengths and score his fifth win in a row.

Strydom, garlanded in red roses and throwing tea shirts emblazoned ‘Striker 5000’ to an army of fans, said: “He got me to the front a lot sooner than I wanted but he is so good that the rest died in front of him. He is a top horse.”

And, most importantly, how does he compare with the Paul Lafferty-trained Harry’s Son? Strydom, to his credit, didn’t shirk the question and said: “I think he (Act Of War) is probably better.”

Ramsden, who famously sprayed breeder Anton Shepherd with bubbly when Variety Club won the Cape Guineas three years ago, said he could not compare the two because “they are two totally different types but Act Of War is a very special horse. “He is even better if he is left alone but when you run a pacemaker (Cotton Hill) you have to ride him up there.

“Kingvoldt will probably also go for the Guineas. I wasn’t surprised he ran so well because he is such a good horse. It’s very frustrating because I can’t find anything wrong except for the haemo-concentrating.”

Third-placed Mljet will also be in the Grand Parade-sponsored line-up and Vaughan Marshall said: “This straight was too short for him, he came from last and they went too slowly.” However Generalissimo’s Guineas hopes died when his suspect stamina gave out a furlong from home with Sean Cormack reporting: “It was clear cut that he didn’t stay.”

Sean Tarry watched the Selangor with professional fascination and 35 minutes later Zambezi River revealed the reason, with S’Manga Khumalo’s mount getting the better of Brutal Force to take the rich Lanzerac Ready To Run Stakes. Tarry said: “Zambezi River is a top horse who can only improve and we are going to have a look at the Cape Guineas with him.”

If there was a prize for the ride of the day Bernard Fayd’Herbe would surely have taken it. The way he handled the runner-up was inspired.  Not even Anton Marcus could have got a horse from gate 12 into a prime position so quickly as well as so relaxed and so effortlessly.

Markus Jooste, who also owns Act Of War, has really targeted the Lanzerac and he was rewarded with R1.4 million from the first two alone. It was fitting that he should share first prize with Cape Thoroughbred Sales chairman Chris van Niekerk because CTS and Lanzerac put a tremendous effort into the day and attracted a fine crowd. For good measure, CTS director Craig Carey and his sales manager wife Amanda bred Act Of War.

Finally Darryl Hodgon , whose decision to bypass the Algoa Cup with Putney Flyer was rewarded with victory in the Kenilworth Cup, is now dreaming of Met day once more– not about Past Master four seasons ago but of the J & B Jet Stayers in two months’ time.

Pictures: Liesl King