Horses for courses is a well-worn phrase but does hold a lot of water and there are a few course specialists lining up for the Michael Roberts Handicap at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday. This could well apply to GG’S Dynasty as Brett Crawford’s runner has won three of his five starts at the track and finished second in another.

More pertinently was his performance last time out as he quickened away from his rivals to win as he liked. Granted, it was not the strongest of fields but it was the manner of victory that impressed and he can take it to another level when he takes on some hard-knocking handicappers. He has the best of the draw, a handy weight and Anton Marcus to help his cause but he will need a lot to go his way in a seriously competitive handicap.

Born To Perform has done very little wrong for Dennis Bosch and finished ahead of GG’S Dynasty when the two met at their penultimate start. The former has a 1kg pull in the weights to add to his appeal, that coupled with the fact that he only has 53.5kg to shoulder.

In their only previous meeting, GG’S Dynasty ran out a narrow winner over Sunday’s course and distance so there should again be very little between the two.

Another course specialist and last year’s winner is Wealthy. Dennis Drier’s charge has recorded five of his six wins on the course and gave notice of a return to form when running the much improved Merin From Berlin to a neck in a Chapter Challenge final, giving his rival 9kg. Merlin From Berlin subsequently won again to bolster Wealthy’s form.

Two other runners with solid credentials are The Dazzler and Blackball.

Few who were at Scottsville when The Dazzler shed his maiden will forget that run.  Making his debut against winners for James Goodman, he motored home from a seemingly hopeless position beating some useful performers in the process. When Goodman handed in his licence The Dazzler went to Mike de Kock where he won another three races.

The gelding has his issues but Gareth Van Zyl appears to have got on top of them and in a performance reminiscent of his maiden win, he cut down Born To Perform like he was standing still to win the Christmas Handicap.

Given his style of running, 14 draw will not be a problem but finding a way through the traffic may be!

Blackball has been in good form and although finishing out of the money in the Christmas Handicap he was little over a length behind The Dazzler and finishing off nicely. The extra furlong will also suit so he is a must inclusion in all exotics.

Punters face a generally tricky card but two that stand out as possible bankers are Baby Shooz in the fifth and Marsanne in the sixth.

Baby Shooz was unlucky last run when close-up from a wide draw and Anton Marcus losing his off-side rein for a couple of strides which may have cost him the race. Baby Shooz looks useful and can make amends. Admiral’s Guest has a tricky draw to contend with but has been close-up in his last three while Galway was a recent maiden winner but has only had two runs back after a lengthy break and looks to be on the up.

Marsanne too was a touch unlucky when touched off by course specialist Celebration Rock in a Chapter Challenge final. She looks the part but if she fails then the list of possible winners is a long one. Naoshima has her third run after a lengthy break and should strip at her peak and turn the tables on Petra who is always dangerous and only got going late last run. She can do better over the extra furlong. Purple Nkanyezi showed up well first run out of the maidens and although she takes on stronger she has a handy weight while Talia Al Ghul and Linear should also be considered although the latter is a difficult customer; more than capable but not always reliable.

By Andrew Harrison

The Turffontein meeting on Saturday is tricky and the exotics look to be the way to play.

It is difficult to identify a Pick 6 banker and Captain Hindsight is given the accolade without much confidence. He runs in the last race over 1000m. It is never easy to win first time out the maidens but he had decent maiden form and looked to have been reasonably treated by the handicappers when given an 81 merit rating. Furthermore, he has a 2,5kg claimer aboard. His form includes close seconds to the useful pair Donderweer and Battleoftrafalgar and he beat the improving Blow Me Down cosily last time out. Pearl Of Siberia has decent recent form and is better than his last start. Rebel Renegade has fallen to the mark of his last win. Both have favourable high draws and would have been included if the budget had allowed.

The earlier legs of the Pick 6 all look to be competitive.

In the first leg Waqaas is proven over this trip and is knocking on the door off his current merit rating. However, as a handy to front-running type his draw of nine makes it tough. Written In Stone has been running on too late over 1400m so is interesting stepped up to this trip, although he has a tough draw. Darkest Hour is distance suited and in good form so has a shout from pole position. The Rocketman is talented and will be dangerous if bouncing back with pacifiers on off a much reduced merit rating. Chipofftheoldblok and Jackman also warrant consideration. Lasair was the hardest to leave out and it was due to his tough draw and three point higher merit rating.

In the next leg Liberado won easily last time and is interesting stepped up in trip off a five point higher mark as he looks to have turned the corner. Western Fort won well second time out and could be going places. So Long Spring improved with blinkers last time. Seeking Gold is three points higher for his course and distance win in his penultimate start and has a fair draw. Pink has dropped to a competitive mark and Rockstar Child and Oyster King could be thereabouts if producing their best.

The next is a small field staying event and the suggestion is to include all seven runners. 

In the seventh over 1400m Saragon, Social Order and Leopold all have a touch of class and should fight it out.

In the eight race over 1400m Pop Icon is coming into his own and from pole position could make it three wins from his last four starts. Category Four has caught the eye on occasion and should be running on strongly over a suitable course and distance. Lazarus Tree is full of ability but needs things to go his way. They might do so from a good draw of three. 

By David Thiselton

The Yvette Bremner-trained stalwart National Park has not been seen out this season, but is full of well-being and might well be seen in KZN again this year for the SA Champions Season.

He has had one or two slight niggles but nothing serious.

Bremner said, “He is so naughty and has been causing his own little injuries. If I could geld him again, I would! We want to race him for a long time so I am not rushing him back, but he could well be seen in Durban again this year, he will be ready in time for that season.” 

The Gimmethegreenlight gelding was last seen finishing a three-quarter length second to Twist Of Fate in the Grade 2 KRA Guineas at Greyville on the opening night of the SA Champions Season on May 3 last year. 

His is the only horse to have ever beaten Hawwaam in Johannesburg and achieved that when winning the Grade 2 Gauteng Guineas by 2,70 lengths at Turffontein last February.

He also won the Grade 3 Graham Beck Stakes over 1400m at Turffontein last season but was beaten 7,40 lengths and 7,25 lengths respectively by Hawwaam in the Dingaans over 1600m and the Grade 1 SA Classic over 1800m. 

His most obvious big race targets in KZN would be the Grade 2 IOS Drill Hall Stakes over 1400m and the Grade 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge over 1600m.  

By David Thiselton

The Dennis Drier-trained Wealthy is in fine shape ahead of his bid to retain his Listed Michael Roberts Handicap crown at Scottsville on Sunday.

Wealthy has always managed to fly under the radar and won this race last year at whopping odds of 22/1. The bay gelding is now a seven-year-old but is a typically evergreen son of Silvano and after three good comeback runs this season the bookmakers might have been more wary. However, once again he is a long shot and is quoted at 16,67/1 by Hollywoodbets.

So far this season Wealthy has run third in the Listed Michaelmas Handicap over 1900m at Greyville, fourth in a handicap over 2000m at Greyville and a close second in the KZN Summer Challenge 2000 final at Scottsville. 

His merit rating has come down one point this season from 99 to 98 and he carries a nice galloping weight of 54,5kg. He also has a good draw of five in the 14 horse field.

Last year off an 85 merit rating Wealthy was 1kg under sufferance and won by 0,75 lengths from Dark Moon Rising, who carried 60kg. He faces the latter horse on identical terms. Dark Moon Rising is returning from a layoff, yet he is quoted at 10/1.

Wealthy is effectively only one point higher in the merit ratings for this year’s race compared to last year as the 1kg he was under sufferance and the across the board ten point raise at the beginning of the season must be taken into account.  

Dennis Drier’s assistant trainer Stuart Ferrie said, “He is very well. His last three starts have been very good and he’s honest. He’s well drawn not that it makes that much difference because he comes from off them anyway.”

The race favourite is the Brett Crawford-trained G G’s Dynasty, who has won four of his last six starts from 1400m to 1600m. His dam by Right Approach won twice over 1200m and 1400m respectively, so there is a slight question mark over the trip, although the Vodacom Durban July-winning Dynasty’s influence will help.

The five-year-old Silvano gelding Born To Perform is out of July winner Dancer’s Daughter, so this lightly five-time winner from just nine starts should stay the trip.

The value in the race could be the 14.29/1 shot Marchingontogether as he has won all four of his starts around the turn at Scottsville. Bernard Fayd’Herbe will be riding him as Gavin van Zyl’s stable jockey Warren Kennedy is aboard Michaelmas winner Blackball.

Other eyecatching contenders are Christmas Handicap winner The Dazzler and the talented Tristful.

However, none of the runners can be discounted and it should be a thriller.

By David Thiselton

Paul Lafferty’s Summerveld yard are going all out to hang on to their lead in the Hollywoodbets Sizzling Summer Challenge.

Every race in KZN from the beginning of December until the end of February counts towards the competition. The points gathered for each race, whether a Grade 1 or a maiden, is dependent on the number of horses in the field and the finishing position. If there are ten runners in a race the winner will get ten points, the runner up nine points and so on all the way down to the tenth placed finisher who will get one point. If there are seven runners in the race then the winner gets seven points, the runner up six etc. The points are awarded to the relevant trainer, jockey and horse.

At the end of the competition the top six trainers, jockeys and horses will split respective prize money of R250,000 apiece.

The top trainer, jockey and horse will each receive R100,000.

Lafferty led the trainers table after yesterday’s Scottsville meeting with 447 points. Breathing down his neck were Garth Puller and Alyson Wright on 429 and 414 points respectively. Dean Kannemeyer, Duncan Howells and Dennis Drier were next best on 337, 324.5 and 314 respectively.

Lafferty’s assistant trainer Roy Waugh revealed that a virus which had plagued the yard for a long time appeared to have been conquered and the horses were currently performing well.

He said, “It was the most insidious virus, I have never see anything like it, and it hit us for about a year. They think it is a herpes virus, but they are not sure. The horses become anaemic overnight and it was very hard to get rid of. We ended up spraying virus-cides everyday, then we started vaccinating with rhinopneumonitis every three to four months. The symptoms were subtle and the horses didn’t look bad or train bad but they would then run twenty lengths below their form. If you could, the right thing to do was to just stop racing. This would allow them to recover and get their immunity back. If you brought them back too quickly they would get it again. So we haven’t seen the virus since October but we have had to build the horses up again and get them fit.”

The yard is thus on an upward curve and, for Hollywoodbets Sizzling Summer Competition purposes, the horses are coming well at the right time.

The yard had a winner yesterday but so did Puller and the pair joined Kannemeyer on the most winners during the competition, seven.

Dennis Drier would likely have started favourite for the competition but it falls at the wrong time as he has a string down in Cape Town. Drier’s assistant trainer Stuart Ferrie said the yard welcomed any points gathered for the competition but they were taking things as they came and not doing anything out of the norm to try and win it.

Anton Marcus and Warren Kennedy, amazingly enough, were locked together at the top of the jockeys table after yesterday’s meeting on a tally of 657 points apiece. Keagan de Melo is hot on their heels on 653 points.

Marcus increased his lead early in the meeting when winning the first on Heroic Victory, the first leg of a double on the day for Gareth van Zyl. Warren Kennedy fought back by winning the second on the Gavin van Zyl-trained Living Waters but Marcus then won the third on the Glen Kotzen-trained Imperial Rage. However, Kennedy rode in all eight races while Marcus only rode in four and this allowed the former to close the gap.

The Lafferty-trained Bint El Malak won for the second time third time in four runs during the challenge yesterday and she leads the horse table on 55 points, 15 clear of her stablemate Explosive Beauty. The Darryl Moore-trained Forest Jump rose to third place on 38 points courtesy of her runner up finish in the first race.

Meanwhile, the Lafferty yard’s three best horses, Dark Moon Rising, Sniper Shot and Share Holder, are gearing up for the SA Champions Season.

Dark Moon Rising carries topweight of 62,5kg in Sunday’s LIsted Michael Roberts Handicap over 1750m at Scottsville.

He is returning from a three month layoff.

Waugh said, “He is doing alright. He is carrying a lot of weight and the distance is a bit short of his best but he will run a decent race, he will be there or thereabouts. It’s his comeback run but he runs well fresh.”

Share Holder is close to full recovery from a nasty foot injury.

After winning his debut back in February he managed to pull his “whole quarter off.”

He is still running with bar shoes and Waugh reckoned that only with his next shoeing will the foot have fully grown back.

He finished unplaced yesterday over 1200m in a Novice Plate.

However, the strapping Australian-bred colt by Zoffany should be right by the time of SA Champions season features like the Grade 2 Daisy Guineas.

Sniper Shot has been doing well and is due to make his comeback in March.

By David Thiselton