Vardy’s Sun Met price has been slashed from 16-1 to 5-1 third favourite in the wake of last Saturday’s World Sports Betting Green Point Stakes victory. Hawwaam still heads the market at 17-10 but Do It Again and Rainbow Bridge have eased to 4-1 and 13-2.

But, while there is no denying Vardy’s claims, there was so much bumping and barging that the Green Point would not have been out of place at the rugby stadium down the road at Newlands and in the weighing room afterwards there were more hard luck stories than in the bankruptcy courts.

Some of the trainers were particularly aggrieved at seeing weeks of carefully planned preparation sacrificed on an altar of interference. “It was a rough race, not what we wanted at all,” said Justin Snaith. “Do It Again was bumped round the turn and it bothered him so much that he didn’t want to run on and then he was checked again.”

Brett Crawford added: “Undercover Agent suffered bad interference at the 1 000m mark and was nearly put over the fence.”

The jockeys, too, were complaining – “The winner ran right across me,” said Gavin Lerena who was squeezed so badly when Vardy hung in that he had to stop riding Rainbow Bridge for several strides. Had he finished second rather than third he might well have had grounds for an objection. His mount came back with an abrasion behind his left fore fetlock

The all-seeing replays in the boardroom showed Rainbow Bridge pulling hard early and Lerena tucking him in to get cover, causing Richard Fourie to ride Do It Again to hold his position. Undercover Agent, on the rails, also suffered. The stipes are to hold a further inquiry into this part of the race.

Vardy, when mounting his challenge, hung in badly just as he had done earlier in the year but this time the stipes were satisfied that Craig Zackey had done all he reasonably could to keep his mount on a straight course. However Adam Marcus was advised to “ensure that this horse does not behave similarly in future.” Easier said than done.

Marcus was convinced that the winner was nowhere near ready – and presumably his printed comments had a lot to do with the Var gelding drifting from 4-1 to 7-1. “To cruise past July, Queen’s Plate and Met winners was unbelievable,” he said. “The last two of those races are now the target but our over-riding priority is to ensure that he remains sound.”

The priorities for Mario Ferreira’s Missisippi Burning have yet to be decided. “She is very small and the way she won was incredible but we will now sit down and look at the programme,” said Marcus after the Rathmor-bred Captain Al filly had given the 30-year-old his first Grade 1 in the WSB Cape Fillies Guineas.

Zackey shone, securing a beautiful run mostly up the rails to hit the front 150m out on the 22-1 shot. However 2-1 favourite Kelpie managed only sixth and seemingly we over-estimated her ability. “Look at her rating (99) and bear in mind that is equivalent to the old 89,” said Anton Marcus. “I was happy with the run but she is very progressive and she will be better in time.”

Eric Sands’ view that Driving Miss Daisy and Larentina were unlucky in the Western Cape Fillies was borne out by them finishing second and fourth with Third Runway (winner of that race) third. There should be another day for all three.

Sean Tarry has six in Saturday’s Cape Guineas including Pure State who beat main home hope Rio Querari half a length in the CTS Ready To Run, fourth-placed Rock The Globe and Invisible (fifth).

The champion trainer, winning the race in Chris van Niekerk’s colours for the third time in four years, said: “It’s not my style to run horses in races only a week apart but they are in Cape Town and I’m certainly going to run one or two. I will see how they pull up.”

Piere Strydom, who made much of the running on the 16-1 winner, said that he needed to “fill up the bank account after all the meetings we’ve lost in Jo’burg.” Nine per cent of R1.25 million should help.

Run Fox Run, who impressively extended her unbeaten stretch to five in the WSB Southern Cross, seems likely to go straight for the Cape Flying Championship rather than take in the Cartier Sceptre three weeks earlier.

Brett Crawford said: “I have put a lot of thought into this. The Sceptre is only a Group 2 and she doesn’t need a race in between. Also it doesn’t make a lot of sense to go up to 1 200m and then come back to 1 000m. I will discuss it with the owners.”

Fellow Ridgemont star Front And Centre, who readily won the Pinnacle, goes for the Paddock Stakes and the Majorca. Seemingly her Durban form was all wrong – “She got into the habit of hanging there and it cost her the Woolavington while In the Garden Province she never raised a gallop,” said Crawford.

Winter Derby winner Dharma, who just held Crome Yellow in the Cape Summer Stayers despite Anthony Andrews’ slipping saddle, is being aimed at the Western Cape Stayers on Met day. Owned and bred by the jockey’s parents, the four-year-old is trained on behalf of her father by Lucinda Woodruff who is the girlfriend of Adam Marcus. Seemingly a match made, if not in heaven, at least in Milnerton!

By Michael Clower

The KZN Breeders Awards took place this Saturday, 14 December at Fordoun Hotel and Spa where the Middlefield Stud-bred and Robbie Hill-trained Gr1 winner Camphoratus was named horse-of-the-year.

CHAMPION 2YO FILLY

Montreal Mist – Clifton Stud

CHAMPION 2YO COLT SPONSORED BY THE EQUINE GROUP 

Wave – Scott Bros

CHAMPION 3YO FILLY SPONSORED BY ODDS ON COLOURS

Running Brave – Summerhill Stud

CHAMPION 3YO COLT SPONSORED BY EQUIFEEDS

Nexus – Rathmor Stud

CHAMPION SPRINTER FILLY SPONSORED BY CHOICE CARRIERS

Vision To Kill – Robert Mauvis

CHAMPION SPRINTER COLT 

Africa Rising – Summerhill Stud

CHAMPION MIDDLE DISTANCE FEMALE SPONSORED BY HOLLYWOODBETS

Camphoratus – Middlefied Stud

CHAMPION MIDDLE DISTANCE MALE 

Dawn Assault – Graystone Stud

CHAMPION OLDER FEMALE SPONSORED BY GOLD CIRCLE

Camphoratus – Middlefield Stud

CHAMPION OLDER MALE SPONSORED BY EPOL HORSE FEEDS

Dawn Assault – Graystone Stud

CHAMPION BROODMARE SPONSORED BY GOLD CIRCLE

Wild Camphor – Middlefield Stud

STALLION PROSPECT

Capetown Noir

STALLION OF THE YEAR SPONSORED BY THOROUGHBRED BREEDERS ASSOCIATION

Crusade

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Bruce Le Roux

ANITA AKAL INDUSTRY AWARD

Allen Bechard

BREEDERS ACHIEVEMENT AWARD SPONSORED BY SUMMERHILL STUD

Graystone Stud

CHAMPION BREEDER

Summerhill Stud

KZN BREEDERS HORSE OF THE YEAR SPONSORED BY GOLD CIRCLE

Camphoratus – Middlefield Stud

All the big action may have been at Kenilworth on Saturday where, in vintage Leicester FC fashion, Vardy put one past the goalkeeper in the Gr2 Greenpoint Stakes followed by Mississippi Burning landing the Gr1 Cape Fillies Guineas, giving Adam Marcus his first Gr2 win followed a half-hour later buy his first Gr1. A remarkable feat.

But one has to start somewhere and Gavin van Zyl appears to have another smart filly in his yard in Whizz Of Odds who took the step up from maiden to MR90 in her stride at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday.

“I would have been happy to finish in the first three,” admitted Van Zyl, “but I must admit that I was pretty impressed with that. She was taking on seven-time winners like Effortless Reward, hard knockers.”

Current jockey championship leader Warren Kennedy was equally impressed. “I was pacing it with Effortless Reward and she was doing it easy. When I pressed the button, she just gave me more,” he said of his filly.

Seasoned mare Queen Of Alamo was closing fast over the final 100m but the race had already been put to bed. Given this performance the SA Fillies Sprint next May could be an option.

Tony Nassif is one of the nicest people that you will ever meeting in racing. He operates a small string out of his Turffontein yard and is quite open that in that he is in the sport because he loves it.

“I don’t need to do this,” he mentioned in conversation a while back. “But I love it.”

Some of his raids to KZN have been optimistic given the form of his runners but one can never discount them with any confidence.

With Anton Marcus aboard on Sunday, the inference was obvious. “Me and Anton go back a long way,” confirmed Nassif after Cut Loose had claimed the second in emphatic fashion. She started favourite at her second start but, “that run was all wrong. She got her tongue over the bit and choked up,” said Nassif. “She’s a nice filly.”

“When Tony nominates it just a case of getting on the phone and asking if it was worthwhile riding and if Tony says yes you jump on,” said Marcus. “As Tony says we go back a long, long way and we have had a lot of fun and success together and that’s what it’s all about. I believe the owners drove down (from Jo’burg) at 4 o’clock this morning so I’m sure they are delighted.”

Divine Hugh, a close-up second to recent Dingaans winner Shango two runs back, started short-priced favourite but, having only his second outing after a lengthy break, found one too good in the Johan Janse van Vuuren-trained Master Tobe. “Johan left him here after his last run,” confirmed Pat Lunn, Van Vuuren’s Summerveld assistant. “He’s been here three weeks. I told Johan that he was working exceptionally well, eating well and put on some condition. We put the tongue-tie on last run and he runs on very nicely.”  

By Andrew Harrison

The floods that plagued midweek racing on the Highveld have receded and although much of that water was not welcomed by most, track managers will have been delighted. One can irrigate as much as you like, nothing beats water from above and Turffontein has had four days of sun and wind and should strip in prime condition for tomorrow’s meeting.

Return Flight was one of the stand-out sophomore fillies last season and few who witness the SA Oaks will forget her dogged determination to hold off the attentions of Blossom in the 2450m event.

Her Champions Season campaign did not amount to much, ending on a rather disappointing note in the Vodacom Durban July.

Sean Tarry then put her away for four months before making her seasonal debut in a seven-furlong dash at the Vaal where she faded late behind top class stable companion Celtic Sea.

That run should have brought her on lengths and over a more suitable trip tomorrow, many will be relying on her as a possible exotic bet banker in the Interbet.co.za Pinnacle Stakes.

The biggest threat could come in the form of Pretty Border. She is in receipt of 12kg from Return Flight which is a lot of pudding

Basadi Faith has not had much luck with the weather, her intended return to the track falling foul of the rain gods. She was then fancied to beat Chimchuri Run on Thursday but both were scratched on stipes permission, a soft track possibly the reason and given further sunshine the Turffontein track should be in pristine condition with the going a little firmer. Tomorrow’s field is a lot weaker than what she would have taken on last Thursday but of some concern is that she was suspended after finishing down the field when favourite for the Gr1 Allan Robertson for bleeding. However, Paul Matchett is sure to have got on top of that problem after a six-month break from the track. 

Given the recent weather, stable companion Donderweer would be an appropriate winner. He is back over what looks to be a more suitable trip at this stage of his career, leading for most of the way in the Dingaans before being swamped late. Of the balance, Fly Away is super quick and was an easy winner of her last two while Big Bay is a PE raider with smart form who cannot be ignored.

Alramz and Mythical Bolt look the principal contenders in the eighth. The former needed his last run and wasn’t disgraced when involved in a rough finish last time out. Mythical Bolt blew the start when among the fancied runners last time out and never recovered. He can do better here in spite of top weight.

By Andrew Harrison

The weather has played havoc with racing north of the Orange River. As parts of the country buckle under a devastating drought, other parts are floating to the sea as torrential rain makes racing virtually impossible.

Continuous rain during the week was enough to flood the Hollywoodbets Greyville poly with nearly 400mm recorded in three days. As a result, tonight’s scheduled meeting on the turf has been switched to the poly.

According to the early market, Duchess Of Windsor is virtually home-and-hosed in the first. Track & Ball has Johan Janse van Vuuren’s filly priced up at 4-10 According to the early market, Duchess Of Windsor is virtually home-and-hosed in the first. Track & Ball has Johan Janse van Vuuren’s filly priced up at 4-10 with only Mystery Trip and Imperial Seal in single figures, bracketed on 8-1.

Duchess Of Windsor arrives with solid Highveld form to back her claims and the presence of Anton Marcus in the saddle will have further shortened her price.

Nathan Kotzen is enjoying a good run of late and Mystery Trip could prove the biggest threat. Donovan Dillon replaces a claiming apprentice and she can do much better than her last effort.

Imperial Seal has been consistent for Lowan Denysschen but she will need to improve on her recent showings if she is to have the measure of Duchess of Windsor.

Duncan Howells endured ‘one-of-those-days’ at Scottsville on Sunday, two runners being badly hampered and a third touched off in a tight finish. He will be hoping for better luck with Brilliant Disguise in the second and has cut his odds with Marcus engaged from a pole position draw. Running on well behind shock winner Bordeaux last time out, his first outing since being gelded, the 1600m should be right up his ally.

However, 12-10 looks a tad short with Master Vision knocking at the door having finished a close-up second in his last two with championship-leading rider Warren Kennedy aboard although the 11 draw is something of a concern.

Sherman Brown teams up with the Howells runner All The Way Up in the hope of a quick double for the Ashburton-based trainer. The gelding has shown marked improvement since racing in a tongue-tie and was a touch unlucky behind What A Blast in his latest outing.

But he will not have things his own way. Stuart Ferrie, deputising for Dennis Drier while the boss is in Cape Town, saddles Holy Land. Granted, the gelding has not been out for two months but has seldom been far off the pace and this shorter trip may suit.

Gentleman’s Wager will need more than a handshake from the opposition to get home in the fourth, a highly competitive handicap. But Janse van Vuuren’s runner has come good of late and has a top rider aboard. Seasoned trainer Pat Lunn oversees the stable which in its self is a big plus.

Sea Sponge and Justfortheepenny strike as likely threats in an open race.

The fifth is another difficult handicap. Green Ice and the younger Arrabiata look to be the principal contenders with Zerina, a 14-1 shot on the books, a must inclusion in all exotics.

Born To Perform made a late start to his racing career and given his pedigree, there must have been plenty of faults with his R55 000 price tag.

But Dennis Bosch has been around the block a few times and has coaxed the best out of the gelding that boasts five wins from just seven starts. But it starts to get tougher as one climbs the ladder and the consistent GG’S Dynasty, beaten by Born To Perform last time out, is now 1 kg better off and goes into the contest on the back of two smart warm-up races.

Gary Rich is concerned that Connect Me will find the 1400m of the seventh on the short side but has been hard-pressed to find another suitable race. However, she has done little wrong of late and 5-1 strike as fairly generous odds.

The last is another nightmare but Mademoiselle can round of a productive night for Janse van Vuuren and Pat Lunn.

By Andrew Harrison