With a yard seemingly over-flowing with quality bloodstock, Paul Peter is the envy of many a battling colleague. That said, Peter has worked his way up the ranks and now must look further afield for opportunities for his charges on a crowded Highveld programme that does not have a synthetic track.

Peter’s runners are now becoming regulars on KZN tracks but he only has a single participant on the poly at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday.

There are more than just a few Manchester United supporters in the province and Theatre Of Dreams, trained by one of the country’s best, ridden by one of the country’s best in Anton Marcus, poses something of a conundrum for United, and in deed, Theatre Of Dreams supporters.

Log-leading jockey Warren Kennedy is Peter’s go-to man on the Highveld where the combination has tremendous success but in KZN, Kennedy is closely aligned with the Gavin van Zyl yard.

“Trainer’s are the ones that usually fire jockeys but I’m worried that Warren will fire me,” quipped Van Zyl after they had teamed up for another winner at Hollywoodbets Scottsville recently.

Kennedy was aboard Theatre Of Dreams when well supported in her recent Vaal start but switches to the Van Zyl-trained Al Jazeera.

Kennedy has ridden the filly in all of her last five starts and knows her well. Not the easiest, she was tried in pacifiers for a spell and her form held good, but ear-muffs may have been the right piece of equipment as she finished a close-up second to the hot favourite Themba on the Greyville turf last time out from a difficult draw.

Al Jazeera has again pulled a tricky gate at 12 while Theatre Of Dreams jumps from barrier three which could on summation be the difference between the two and hopefully she fares better than the mis-firing Red Devils.

This pair may dominate but Chase Maujean, a rare visitor to KZN these days, is down to ride for Johan Janse van Vuuren so Maldives could prove a threat and he also partners Van Vuuren’s runner Gentleman’s Wager in the seventh, his only two rides on the card.

The key to most exotics is finding a reliable banker, two or more if you can, in order to cut down on expenses.

Two stand out on Sunday in the form of Jackson Wells in the fourth and Captive Gold two races later, in the sixth.

Jackson Wells takes to the poly for the first time but has put in two cracking performance since ‘winning’ her barrier trial.

Mark Dixon legs up Keagan de Melo, a regular for the Dixon yard, who partnered the filly on debut. Dixon has tossed a bone to Marcus who partners Blanchetta for the stable, the filly finishing a distant fourth when stretched to a mile last time out.

Should Jackson Wells fail to run up to expectations, it may be prudent to back up with as many as finances one can afford as the balance of the field look evenly matched.

A safer option could be Captive Gold. Like Jackson Wells, she makes her poly debut but Duncan Howells has brought her along to where she should be at boiling point come Sunday. Apprentice Thabiso Gumede has been replaced in the saddle by Marcus and given the quality of the opposition there should not be any mistakes.

By Andrew Harrison

Hawwaam can bridge a nine-year gap for Mike de Kock in the R1.5 million L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate at Kenilworth tomorrow.

It was in 2011 that he won South Africa’s premier mile race with Mother Russia, the first – as well as the most recent – of her sex to land the Queen’s Plate since the great Empress Club 18 years earlier. Appropriately Anton Marcus, who rode them both, is also on Hawwaam as he bids for his own eighth success.

Hawwaam has looked something special ever since he made a winning debut in that historic no-whip race at Turffontein in November 2018 and he has been beaten only once in eight races since.

His suspect temperament has been well documented and is likely to be tested to the limit by all the razzmatazz on Sun Met day but tomorrow is much quieter occasion. He came through an even quieter one in the Premier Trophy, hardly turning a hair despite provocation in the form of a long delay at the start. “We are constantly working with him and Malan does a lot too,” says his trainer who believes that age and racing experience are also helping to settle the four-year-old. A negative is that four of the last six Queen’s Plate favourites have been beaten.

Second string Soqrat has had a tougher build-up than Hawwaam but he is a good horse and on last season’s Cape Guineas form he holds Twist Of Fate and One World who never runs a bad race and should not be far away.

Do It Again, one of a number treated like a boxer’s punch bag in the WSB Green Point, has been coughing since and Justin Snaith will have to have worked a near-miracle if the dual July winner is also to make it two in this race.

Rainbow Bridge had a rough time of it as well, in his case just over a furlong out, and his jockey had to stop riding. He is a tough customer, though, and he should not be far away despite a suspicion that he is better over a bit further.

However the biggest threat may come from Vardy despite his being worse off with his Green Point victims. His running that day in his first race of the season, and in his first since a knee-chip operation, was a revelation. True, he came close to losing it by hanging in – as he had done last season – but it was still quite some performance. Adam Marcus is convinced he has come on a fair bit since and Craig Zackey’s mount appears to be still improving. His Achilles heel is his trouble keeping straight under pressure.

Snaith runs three in his bid to win the Cartier Paddock Stakes for the fourth successive season, and the sixth time in all, but 15-10 favourite Front And Centre looks too talented.

De Kock has won the race four times, most recently with Mother Russia ten years ago, and his Summer Cup fourth Queen Supreme is 22-10 second favourite. The Irish-bred receives a kilo Northern Hemisphere allowance for being six months wrong but you would have to wonder if this is enough when the local three-year-olds receive 5.5kg.

A big danger at a decent price (7-1) could be Snapscan who showed signs of significant improvement when winning the Victress over this trip three weeks ago.

Champion sprinter Kasimir reappears in the Design Indaba Pinnacle but it could in the long term be more profitable to study this race rather than bet on it. However stable companion Belgarion will give you a run for your money in the Glorious Goodwood Peninsula Handicap.

Today Celtic Sea may thwart Candice Bass-Robinson’s bid to win the Cartier Sceptre Stakes for the fourth year on the trot. The Sean Tarry filly was fast enough to win the SA Fillies Sprint at Scottsville.

By Michael Clower

Image: Richard Fourie gallops DO IT AGAIN (left) with Crown Towers at Kenilworth in preparation for the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate at Kenilworth tomorrow. (Liesl King)

The Turffontein meeting tomorrow features the Listed Swallow Stakes over 1160m for three-year-old fillies which takes place 25 minutes before the running of the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate.

The 1160m sprint should be won by Sarah, whose high merit rating was questioned by some but she proved worthy of it last time when giving the crack filly True To Life 5,5kg and running 3,25 lengths behind her for third place in the Magnolia. The conditions of this race make her hard to beat and she is in fact 3,5kg well in with the second best weighted horse Gin Fizz. Furthermore, she has landed the standside draw, which by trends is the right side to be on. Gin Fizz, who receives 2kg from Sarah, has plenty of speed and will likely appreciate the step down in trip. She is not straight forward but if producing her best on the day will be a threat. Tallinn could also be a threat. She showed good natural speed on debut over 1200m when backed into 13/10 and winning easily and this is the first time she will be running over a sprint distance since. Tropic Sun has run three good sprint races to date and could also earn. The Frankel filly Risk Taker won second time out over a sprint trip and has been tried over further since, so she is another one who could benefit from a step down in trip.

The meeting should start with a Sean Tarry double. In the first Cornish Pomodoro is a big long-striding sort who sent one horse flying when squeezing through a gap on debut where he stayed on well for second over 1160m and he should love the step up to 1400m. Trend Master will be a threat as he was not disgraced in fourth place in a good field over this trip last time.

In the second the Dingaans hero Shango returns to action over the Dingaans course and distance and this progressive sort should win even if it is just a preparation outing for the Gauteng Guineas. Approach Control is well drawn and is the biggest danger over a suitable course and distance. Indy Go could place here too.

The punters good fortunes could continue with a double for Mike de Kock. Diorama will relish the step up in trip in the third and is drawn in pole. Martha and Acorn Alley are the dangers. 

In the first leg of the Pick 6 De Kock has three runners and Ghalyoon makes appeal as he is drawn well which will suit his front-running style. Last time over this same course and distance he was drawn wide in his first run after gelding and was caught late.

Tarry could then take over the reins as his filly Keep Smiling is well weighted in the fifth over 2000m, although Green Top will enjoy the step up in trip on pedigree and By Chance is a progressive sort who will have a say too.

The sixth is tricky but Land Of The Brave is drawn on the right side and has a 2,5kg claimer aboard which should alleviate to some extent the effects of a thirteen point raise he was given for a second place finish in a feature last time. Donderweer was under sufferance last time and ran accordingly but back in a handicap here he has a chance over his favourite trip. Isphan is an old soldier who will be capable of popping up from a favourable high draw off a much reduced merit rating. 

In the eighth over 1160m The Sands has things in his favour for change over a suitable trip, although a few horses will have to be included in the Pick 6.

In the last race Al Borak has a fine chance back in an ordinary handicap having finished fourth in the Listed Secretariat over this 1400m course and distance last time. 

By David Thiselton

The Pick 6 looks catchable at the Grade 1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate meeting on Saturday as the two Grade 1 events look to have potential bankers in Hawwaam and Front And Centre respectively.

The first leg of the Pick 6, the Design Indaba Pinnacle Stakes over 1000m, should be fought out by the Equus Champion Sprinter Kasimir and the Grade 1-winning 1000m specialist Pacific Trader. The latter beat Kasimir by two lengths in a similar event last season on 29 December, although he was receiving 1,5kg that time and now faces the latter at level weights. Pacific Trader went on to win the Grade 1 Computaform Sprint in Johannesburg. Pacific Trader has had one run this season, whereas Kasimir will be making his seasonal reappearance. Kasimir is all class and goes well fresh, so it will be close. The risk averse can include the classy Chimichuri Run. He would prefer a touch further, but the tough nature of this 1000m straight will suit him. However, on previous meetings he is held by both Kasimir and Pacific Trader. Bold Respect is also capable but is also held by the top two. Sir Frenchie will arrive fit with a number of runs under the belt and if the big horses falter in the final stages of this testing 1000m he could possibly pick up the pieces as he is capable of a flying finish.

In the Grade 2 Glorious Goodwood Peninsula Handicap over 1800m the classy Belgarion looks the one to beat. This horse caught the eye early in his career but ran a disappointing unplaced race in a below par Grade 1 Cape Derby field. He was laid off for the rest of the season and was gelded too. He has shown his class in his comeback this season, winning both of his starts over 1600m and 2000m respectively. He could well still be ahead of the handicapper. Charles was a similar type in that he was classy but disappointing as he needed gelding. In his two runs since gelding he has won over 1600m and then finished a decent 3,05 length fourth to the 127-rated One World when receiving just 1kg. However, he does have a tough draw to overcome. Eyes Wide Open is the third horse who must be included in the Pick 6 as he ran a close fourth in the Vodacom Durban July, despite being a touch unlucky, and effectively runs off the same mark. He has had one run this season and one run was all he needed before winning the Grade 2 WSB 1900 at Greyville carrying 60kg joint topweight. His trainer Glen Kotzen has been in flying form too. 

Front And Centre has a plum draw of two in the Grade 1 Cartier Paddock Stakes. She is full of class and seems to have overcome the hanging antic which cost her the Grade 1 Woolavington 2000. She is officially the best weighted horse and looks to have improved this season, so with “Superman” Anton Marcus she is going to take a lot of beating over an ideal trip of 1800m.

In the big one, the L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate, Hawwaam faces his first true test. He has beaten those he has faced with consummate ease but has never before faced the best in the country. In normal circumstances he would be roundabout the same price as reigning champion Do It Again. However, he comes in off a good preparation whereas Do It Again has not had the perfect preparation. Nevertheless, some would consider it foolhardy to exclude Do It Again from the Pick 6 and they might well be right. Rainbow Bridge was beaten 3,05 lengths by Do It Again in last year’s race and beaten 1,75 lengths by him in the Rising Sun Gold Challenge, so he looks held over this trip. Vardy would be a better inclusion as he won the Green Point comfortably and is improving all the time. Soqrat was beaten just 0,30 lengths into second in last year’s LQP so is another one who some would view as a necessary inclusion.

The eighth race, the Grade 3 Heineken Chairman’s Cup over 3200m, is the hardest leg of the Pick 6. Cape Town staying races can be won by outsiders as the pace is usually a dawdle and some horses are still proving themselves over the trip, so could be ahead of the handicapper. Crome Yellow made an excellent recent staying race debut and is drawn well. The big PE raider Mangrove could represent good value. Doublemint went close in the Gold Cup off a mark which was effectively only two points lower than he’s on now. Those three make most appeal but including as many as possible would be the way to go. 

The last leg over 1400m is a difficult handicap. Meraki flew home from a hopeless position last time out over this trip and now has a better draw so he is the tip to win. Justin Snaith has all of his runners primed for Queen’s Plate day so it would be wise to include all of Bayberry, Savvy, Rio Querari and Frank Lloyd Wright in that order. The Vaughan Marshall-trained three-year-old Path Of Choice has, like Bayberrey, sneaks into the handicap with the minimum weight so can also be included. 

By David Thiselton

To take a bet go to www.tabgold.co.za or www.trackandball.co.za

Hawwaam is odds-on for the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate at Kenilworth on Saturday yet you can get 6-1 about stable companion Soqrat who is rated a kilo higher. Is Hawwaam in fact the better horse?

“It’s hard to say,” answered Mike de Kock, the one man in a position to know, when the question was put to him yesterday. “Soqrat’s record is very hard to fault but my gut feel is that Hawwaam is a better horse and in terms of preparation Hawwaam is probably also better.  Soqrat has had three hard runs in Jo’burg although I have freshened him up coming into this race.”

Asked about the dangers, the eight-time champion trainer said: “My horses have had to travel and, although they have settled in very well and look well, the opposition have all been trained at home which gives them that slight edge.”

However he did single out Rainbow Bridge. “I respect him a lot. He beat Soqrat in the Champions Cup, he is 2kg better with Vardy and he looks to me if he is peaking at the right time.”

Rainbow Bridge is second only to Do It Again on merit ratings but Eric Sands, perhaps typically, takes a realistic view of the Sun Met winner’s chances and says: “A mile is not his game but he is always competitive, he has come on since the Green Point and he is definitely fitter.”

Hampered by Vardy

Gavin Lerena’s mount was badly hampered by Vardy at a crucial stage in the WSB Grade 2 and his jockey had to stop riding for several strides – although the trainer seems to feel that the 20-week absence also played its part: “It looked like he was still travelling with a lot in hand but he then seemed to come to a stop on the amount of work I’d given him. Also his recovery rate afterwards was a bit on the high side.”

In common with Do It Again, Vardy and the pacemaking Crown Towers this will be the horse’s second run after a rest and, historically at least, that could be a negative. “In the Durban season he ran a bit below par in the Gold Challenge which was his second run back but I will have him a little fresher and hopefully we can tick a few boxes.”

Sands also has a serious contender in the Cartier Paddock Stakes in the form of the WSB Cape Fillies Guineas runner-up Driving Miss Daisy. “She is a very difficult filly to assess because she shows you nothing at home but, from the point of view of well-being, she seems to be very happy and that is normally what counts with her. I’m not worried about the extra furlong but taking on the older horses over the trip is always one’s first question but she has shown she has the ability.”

De Kock also mentioned One World who was third to Soqrat in last season’s Cape Guineas and has won nine out of 12. He is available at 16-1. “That’s a huge price,” says Vaughan Marshall. “He has to be right there (on that Guineas form), he has done well since his econd in the Green Point and I have been very happy with his progress.”

Pack Leader’s chance at 75-1

Only 150-1 shot Crown Towers is a bigger price than Pack Leader, a 75-1 chance despite finishing fourth in the Green Point, and Glen Kotzen said: “Obviously it is a very competitive races but he has really come on since that last run, his second after a break. I think this could be his best distance and we are excited about him running.”

The bookies believe he has a much better chance with impressive Victress Stakes winner Snapscan (7-1 third favourite) in the Cartier Paddock. “She is a top filly in really good shape and on her day she can really fly. It would be a great pleasure to win the race for Gaynor Rupert and her partners.”

Tomorrow there will be a lot of interest in whether Candice Bass-Robinson can win the Cartier Sceptre Stakes for the fourth successive year. She has five of the 14 runners headed by last year’s winner Clouds Unfold who was only sixth on her reappearance in the Southern Cross.

“I don’t really know what to make of that but it was a funny race. She has definitely come on from it and this should be a much better run race,” says the Milnerton trainer. “I’ve got a nice hand of fillies in it including Freedom Charter who was third last year and is doing well. But Clouds is obviously the best one and she has a big chance if she is back to her best.”

By Michael Clower

To take a bet go to www.tabgold.co.za or www.trackandball.co.za