This was the four-year-old Var gelding’s first run for Charles Laird and owner Alesh Naidoo and he looks to have a bright future. Laird, Naidoo and Marcus later combined to win with the classy Admire Main filly Admiral’s Eye, who converted favouritism in a Conditions Plate over 1600m.

Dennis Drier and Sean Cormack combined for a double on the day and the first of them, Ho’oponopono, is also part-owned by Alesh Naidoo. This four-year-old Horse Chestnut gelding last ran 340 days ago but easily won a Maiden Plate over 1000m. Later Drier and Cormack won a Graduation Plate over 1200m for fillies and mares with the four-year-old Solskjaer filly Red Label. The Mark Dixon-trained Fully Charged, a late maturing four-year-old Captain Al gelding, is now coming into his own and his win of a MR 74 Handicap over 1400m at the expense of the luckless Chill, was his second victory in succession. Doug Campbell won the second over 1200m with his home-bred first-timer Overlap, a three-year-old filly by Overlord.

The third over 1200m also went to a first-timer, the Michael Roberts-trained Private Dancer, a three-year-old filly by Judpot. There was a Pick 6 upset in the fifth over 1200m as the Alyson Wright-trained Jet Master colt Ready For Take Off improved on his three previous starts to win under Athandiwe Mgudlwa. The Kumaran Naidoo-trained Royalsecuritypower showed no ill effects from his recent trip to the Vaal and won the eighth over 1000m in good style.

Gavin van Zyl and Keagan de Melo had a double at Turffontein on Saturday and won the last race at Greyville yesterday over 1600m with the hard knocking three-year-old Windrush filly Divine Wind.

Picture: Viva La Var, R1 Greyville 5Oct14 (Nkosi Hlophe)

The five-time champion trainer said: “I liked him although I didn’t expect to have to pay that much. I remember seeing him in January and I also liked him then.” The Trippi colt, named Perpetual Silence, is out of the four-time winning Jet Master mare Nimley and was sold as agent by the Klawervlei Stud in which Jooste is a major shareholder.

Jooste also bought Saturday evening’s second highest lot, Kemal Kavur, a Warm White Night colt out of a half-sister to the dual Cape Flying Championship winner Cordocelli. This one also came up from Klawervlei and had been bought by English agent Tom Goff for R200 000 at the National Yearling Sale in April.

Vaughan Marshall, who won this year’s J & B Met for Jooste with Hill Fifty Four, did the bidding and will train the colt who he described as “a lovely horse.” Yesterday the Balmoral Stud’s Beyond Limits – an Archipenko colt closely related to Kingmambo and Miesque- also made six figures. Michael Leaf was listed as the buyer and seemingly it was a buy-in. Balmoral’s Nicola Coppez explained: “The owner wanted a lot more and so now the colt will go to Brett Crawford.”

The Philippi trainer won last year’s Lanzerac Ready To Run with Captain America while Dennis Drier will train Silver Chalice, a Silvano half-brother to the Justin Snaith-trained Cape Fillies Guineas winner Sparkling Gem. Interestingly Snaith did not bid and Jooste bought the colt for R650 000. His racing manager Derek Brugman said: “This is a lovely scopey horse who stands over a lot of ground. He probably needs a bit of time but he has the potential to develop into a classic horse.”

Balmoral had better luck late in the day when their Australian-bred Henry The Navigator colt from a prolific winning family made R1 150 000 to the bid of Allan Bloodlines who is now busy organising a new partnership. Trade was strong throughout the two days and the average consistently stayed within reasonable distance of last year’s R208 267 when the figures were boosted by the Brutal Force R4.5 million auction record.

Picture: Sale-topper Lot 2 at the 2014 CTS Ready To Run Sale (Liesl King)

It was an amazing training feat by Criquette Head-Maarek. The filly had only run three previous races this season due to back and foot issues and had failed to win any of them.

It was a French one-two as the Andre Fabre-trained Flintshire finished second ahead of the 11/2 favourite the John Gosden-trained Taghrooda.

The Japanese had three horses in their thirty year quest to win the great race but the best they could manage was sixth with Harp Star.

The best finisher of the Aiden O’Brien trio was former Epsom Derby winner Ruler Of The World, who was ridden by Frankie Dettori into ninth place.

Picture: Treve 2014 Arc de Triomphe (South China Morning Post)

Quite how much the Glen Kotzen-trained filly had in the tank is open to question but it was no mean achievement to beat last year’s Avontuur Fillies Guineas runner-up Lanner Falcon. Certainly Greg Cheyne was impressed with his mount, saying: “She worked hard but she kept staving them off and the more they came at her the more she gave me.”

Kotzen, winning this for the fourth time since 2000, added: “She is still a baby but she is a serious filly and she will now go for the Choice Carriers on 8 November.”

S’Manga Khumalo got himself into more difficulties than the chief executive of Hong Kong in the Jo’burg Spring Challenge and odds-on Majmu lost her unbeaten record, managing only fourth to 40-1 shot Supreme Sunset. The Sean Cormack-ridden winner, who had to survive an objection, will stay in Johannesburg and Mike Bass said: “Her win was no surprise to me because [assistant trainer] Robert Fayd’Herbe gave her a good chance. I sent her up there as she went to Durban late and so only ran twice there.”

Dean Kannemeyer is looking towards a seventh Selangor with Cape Guineas hope Afrikaburn who ran on strongly to finish a two-length second to Reim in the Kuda Matchem Stakes. The Milnerton trainer said: “He ran like a horse who wants a mile and he could run once more before the Selangor – I will discuss it with Fred Crabbia. I’m thinking of putting quarter-cup blinkers on him next time.” Reim once again revelled in the front-running tactics adopted by Chris Puller for his father, and the gelding’s time was only a third of a second slower than Signal Green’s 1995 course record. The owners were again fielding offers in the winner’s box, the latest being R1 million which must be tempting.

Kannemeyer is also looking to the future with Power King who ran on well to take three-quarters of a length second to Helderberg Blue in the Infiniti Insurance Pinnacle after finding his path blocked by a wall of three. His trainer said: “He was a little unlucky. I’m going to nominate him for the J & B Met but I’ve got to box smartly in the meantime with his 96 rating.”

Bass is also eyeing the Met with Helderberg Blue, saying: “He is improving all the time but he gets a little bit agitated. He’s not a Queen’s Plate horse and I will look for nine and ten furlong races with him.”

Aldo Domeyer, who sprang a 66-1 shock on the Paddy Kruyer-trained Sheltered, totally outclassed the opposition in the 150m jockeys race and even had the audacity to turn round and taunt his rivals ten strides from the line. He completed the rest of the race running backwards!

Picture: Double Whammy winning the 2014 Lanzerac Diana Stakes (Liesl King)

Theoretically he has over five lengths in hand – at least he does according to the handicappers – and he is going to be a short price. Betting World had him at 12-10 in their forecast yesterday but this is a terrible race for favourites. His stable companion Capetown Noir 12 months ago was the first one not to get stuffed in nine years.

Gerrit Schlechter’s mount has been off for ten weeks and in all his previous four races he has lost ground at the start, normally the kiss of death at Durbanville.

“I’m not going to jump off the nearest building if he does get beat,” says Dean Kannemeyer. “I have given him enough work to be competitive but I’ve got to set him up for the Guineas so I can’t have him at his peak for this.”

Kannemeyer also runs It Is Written (8-1) who won three off the reel before disappointing last time. “I couldn’t find anything wrong but most of his wins have been in the wet.”

Reim is the joker in the pack and surely the value bet if the forecast 5-1 still stands. Blinkers and all-the-way tactics suit both horse and course. He could be difficult to peg back particularly if, as expected, the favourite gives them all a start – and Glen Puller has a tremendous Matchem record, winning three of the last 12.

“They are going to go like hell,” reckons Tellytrack presenter Stan Elley who can see his Winter Derby winner Dynastic Power (6-1) taken off his feet. Door Of Deception (14-1), who made virtually all when springing a surprise in the Sophomore, may also ensure the pace is a hot one. “He will run a good race,” vows Justin Snaith.

The Joey Ramsden-trained Grey Light is the highest rated in the Lanzerac Diana but the weight of expectation is with Double Whammy whose form is franked meeting after meeting. “She’s a machine and I’m very excited,” says Glen Kotzen who is already thinking of the Fillies Guineas.

He won’t be the only one bitterly disappointed if she doesn’t win this but Mike Bass is expecting a good run from Lanner Falcon, runner-up in last season’s Fillies Guineas, even though she hasn’t raced since July day.   “She’s been here for a gallop and she is striding out quite nicely,” says the man who won last year’s race with Hammie’s Hooker who had similar credentials.

Power King stands out in the Infiniti Insurance Pinnacle after his wins in the Winter Guineas and Classic although Kannemeyer won’t be jumping off any buildings after this race either. “He has lots of class but I gave him a month off, he takes a lot of work and he’s had just the one grass gallop [with Afrikaburn over 1 400m at Durbanville eight days ago].

Run For It was unlucky in the Gold Cup – horses kept breaking down in front of him – but when he was he not unlucky? So maybe Tribal Dance could be the one.

Finally, and if you can get anyone to give you better than evens, save something for Aldo Domeyer in the jockeys race after the last. “There is a lot of talk that I’m going to get rolled,” says last year’s winner incredulously, and in the manner of a man who can’t envisage defeat.

Picture: Nkosi Hlope