David Thiselton

THE Turffontein Standside nine-race card today is headed by the  Listed Spook Express Handicap over 2400m and it could be won by the lightweight Illuminate.

This annual fixture is held in honour of the Henneman Disaster victims.  

This six-year-old Brave Tin Soldier mare is out of a mare by stamina influence Jallad and just over a year ago she finished a 4,25 length third over this course and distance behind Chitengo and Pomander. The latter have both franked that form since and Illuminate also went on to place third a further three times over this trip.

The last time she did so she ran off a 74 and she is now down to a 71. More importantly she has now joined the yard of Weiho Marwing, who is known for his expertise in preparing horses for stamina contests. So carrying just 52.5kg she could upset the applecart with Marco van Rensburg aboard from a good draw. She will have to defy odds at time of writing of 19-1 quoted by the earliest bookmaker to price the race up, WSB. Ocean Forest just pipped She’s A Cracker over this trip last time.

Both fillies gave their all in the finish and can develop into decent stayers. Ocean Forest is only half-a-kilogram worse off for the short-head victory but being by Duke Of Marmalade she should be improving nicely and there is a reversal in draw fortunes. 

Aryaam was a comfortable winner of the Listed Ormond Ferraris Oaks Trial over 2000m last time and struck as one who would enjoy a further step up in trip. She jumps from pole position too. However, she was only a maiden when winning that race and the form has not worked out terribly well so running off a nine point higher mark this is going to be tougher, so she is selected to only finish third, one ahead of She’s A Cracker, despite being the favourite with WSB. 

The topweight Smoking Hot has to carry 60kg but does have staying class and would not be  surprise winner. If she is included then The Sash also has to be considered as she beat Smoking hot by 1,75 lengths in the WSB Allez FRance Stakes over this trip and she is now better off at the weights by 2kg if apprentice claims are ignored.

Kay Tee Perry has some class and also has to be considered, despite never having gone this trip before, as she enjoyed the step up to 1800m last time.

In the eighth race, a Progress Plate over 1600m, the progressive long-striding Puerto Manzano can take another step towards feature class. The chief danger looks to be Eliud who can have a line drawn through his last run as it just did not pan out well and he is better than that.

The sixth race is a Pinnacle event over 1800m and it all points to Lily Blue who ran a cracker last time in the Grade 3 Acacia Handicap over 1600m, which was run in Vaal Classic course record time. She is now 1,5kg better off with Destiny’s Game who beat her in the Acacia by 0,35 lengths plus she is drawn in pole and will appreciate the step up in trip.    

David Thiselton

THE eight race meeting on The Vaal straight course tomorrow is a tricky one but those who do their homework should be rewarded with handsome dividends.

May Queen, who runs in the seventh race over 1000m, is made the best of the day and the meeting banker. This progressive filly finished just a length behind the even more progressive Mind Reader over this trip last time. Mind Reader went on to comfortably win another handicap next time out despite having been raised four points for the win against May Queen.

Herstel is 4,5kg better off with May Queen for a 0,4 length beating over 1200m last November so has a shout on paper, but May Queen has come into her own since then and probably prefers 1000m. Ulla is 2.5kg better off with May Queen for a 1,75 length beating over this trip but was thumped 9,75 lengths by Mind Reader next time out.

The meeting starts with a Juvenile Plate over 1200m and it all points to the maiden Mitch Got His Wish. On debut over 1160m this Admiral Kitten colt was bumped at the start and slow away yet he only just failed and finished 19 lengths clear of Franca. The latter had previously finished three lengths behind Retallick over 1000m although she was receiving 6.5kg if apprentice claims are included. Retallick is selected for second although he might prefer the minimum trip as he did run a bit keenly in the latter race and as a winner he has to give Mitch Got His Wish 3kg. Fisher King drops down in trip after running on over 1450m to win last time and will be staying on from a nice outside draw.

The second is also a Juvenile Plate over 1200m and Alec Laird and S’Manga Khumalo can make it a quick double with Kwazzi’s Lady, who was heavily backed on debut and stayed on late for a 6,25 length fourth after being slow away and green over 1160m. The winners in this race don’t strike as being great shakes. Bella Chica ran three lengths back in a Listed race last time over 1000m so looks the main threat. Marigold Hotel beat an uninspiring field easily on debut over 1450m but would probably prefer the latter trip. 

The third is a weak maiden over 1600m for fillies and mares and a chance is taken with Nitro Girl. This Master Of My Fate filly finished 14 lengths back on debut over 1200m in February but was in fact only a head behind one of the leading contenders here, Bedouin Bride. Nitro Girl is out an unraced Var maiden but the latter is a half-sister to a Listed Winter Oaks winner so she should relish the step up in trip. Bedouin Bride lost to Amberglo Star when they last met but comes out better than Amberglo Star on a more recent line through a horse called Ocean’s Pride. Bedouin Bride also has a higher draw which might work in her favour. 

In the fourth race over 1800m Sell High is drawn in pole over an ideal trip and is 3kg better off with Nimcha for a 2,90 length beating over 2000m. Nimcha was hard ridden to win that day and has to overcome a six point raise. Don’t Look Back loves the long straights of the Highveld courses and is interesting stepped down to this trip having won four-in-a-row from 2000m to 2400m upon arrival here and finishing a decent third in a Listed race over 2400m last time. He can be involved and Cornish Pomodoro is distance suited and can still progress. However, including all six of the field in the Pick 6 could be the way to go if Sell High is not bankered.

In the fifth over 2400m Ushuaia has a chance of staying this trip on pedigree and his staying on neck third to subsequent WSB SA Derby runner up Pamushana’s Pride last time over 2000m when receiving just 5,5kg reads well. Fred, by Ideal World, can also possibly improve over this trip. Cash Time, Master And Man and Kings Cup also have to be considered though.    

In the next race over 1000m the improved Samoa enjoys the Vaal straight and goes well for Gavin Lerena so is taken to beat  Caerphilly. The latter beat Samoa the last time they met and yet is now 1,5kg better off but on the downside she hasn’t raced since December 10.  Lagertha is quick and overdue so could also be a threat, although the draw bias must be monitored on the day as both Samoa and Lagertha are drawn low. 

In the last over 1400m Quentra makes a lot of appeal having beaten Southern Song over this trip in the maidens  and the latter went on to beat an uninspiring field by nearly ten lengths over 1600m next time out. However, beyond her it is wide open and being a Classified Stakes event the females generally have a weight advantage. 

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David Thiselton

WSB TRIPLE CROWN hero Malmoos has been given a significant five point merit rating raise by the handicappers for his emphatic win in Saturday’s Grade 1 WSB SA Derby.

This means he goes to 125, which is one point higher than the critical 124 rating that was always going to be the key mark for three-year-old male Vodacom Durban July contenders.

The weight for age allowance for a three-year-old at the time of the July is 2kg, which mean that with the likely topweight Rainbow Bridge currently being a 134 merit rating, any three-year-old male who is rated above 124 will carry more than the minimum weight of 53kg for a male runner. So as it stands Malmoos will carry 53.5kg if he runs in the July.

The critical mark for three-year-old females is 122 as the minimum weight for a female in the July is 52kg.

So the good news for fans of the Wilgerbosdrift SA Tripe Tiara heroine War Of Athena is that her merit rating has remained unchanged on that exact mark of 122 after her easy Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks victory, meaning that as it stands she will carry 52kg if she runs in the Vodacom.

In the SA Derby Second Base was used as the line horse so remains unchanged on 116. The horse that pipped the latter for second place, Pamushana’s Pride, has been raised from 91 to 116. Fourth-placed Shah Akbar has been raised six points and joins the horse he pipped for fifth place, Bingwa, on a 108.

From the SA Oaks the two length runner up Sparkling Water has been raised to 109.

David Thiselton

JET DARK is one of the key horses in the SA Champions Season as he is the highest rated three-year-old in the land and the good news for the Vodacom Durban July hopefuls of his crop is that trainer Justin Snaith is not planning a full campaign for him until next season’s Cape Summer. 

Snaith said, “He is 50/50 for the WSB Guineas and he might run in the Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge and the  Champions Cup. But we will be going light with him and saving him for the Cape Summer Season.”

Jet Dark’s rating of 130, earned by beating some of the best older horses in the land in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate, might have an impact on those three-year-olds who run close to him. Therefore, it is good news for the three-year-old Vodacom July hopefuls that he won’t be running in the main springboard into the July, the Grade 1 Daily News 2000. His rating was earned over a mile so they will also be hoping he doesn’t make it for the WSB Guineas, which is often used as a pipe-opener for three-year-old Vodacom Durban July candidates.

Of course one of the chief Vodacom three-year-old protagonists at this stage is the Snaith-trained The Gatekeeper and he will obviously be avoiding a  clash with Jet Dark. 

Meanwhile, Rio Querari, runner up in the Grade 1 weight-for-age Cape Flying Championship and winner of the Grade 2 Khaya Stables Diadem Stakes has been doing well in his preparation for the Grade 1 Computaform Sprint at Turffontein on May 1.

Snaith will be galloping a number of his SA Champions Season big guns at Hollywoodbets Greyville on April 21. 

He emphasised the depth of his Champions Season string and besides those already mentioned and obvious others like Captain’s Ransom, Do It Again and Belgarion, he mentioned African Night Sky, Doublemint and Silver Host. 

He said he also might bring the odd two-year-old and a candidate was Listed Summer Juvenile third-placed High Hosanna, who is by Trippi out of a half-sister to Oh Susanna.   

Andrew Harrison

VAUGHAN MARSHALL had a relatively quiet Champions Season last year, probably lacking in ammunition, but he has reloaded and arrived with some big guns ready to fire over the next four months. He fired his first salvo at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday as Seeking The Stars got his Champion Season’s campaign off to a winning start, scoring comfortably in the Gr3 Byerley Turk.

After setting the pace and weakening late in the Gr1 Cape Guineas, he was given the perfect lead on Sunday as Storm Chaser set a brisk pace, allowing Anton Marcus to slot in comfortably.

At the top of the straight Vars Vicky tried to make a race of it but Seeking The Stars shook off his attentions a furlong out and came home a comfortable winner. On that showing, the WSB Guineas should be within his compass.

Earlier, Marshall’s striking grey Mirage opened her account with a tremendously game win in the Kwazulu-Natal Stakes (Listed). Favourite Singforafa, sporting blinkers for the first time, was never in the race as Vernichey came out of the pack and looked a likely winner with a furlong to run. However, she was hanging badly towards the inside rail with Richard Fourie aboard Mirage tracking the leader and hot on her heels.

Fourie may have been expecting Vernichey to straighten up at some stage as he followed her but the leader kept lugging in. Quickly running out of runway, Fourie was forced to ease slightly and swing outside of Vernichey but once clear, Mirage cut into the deficit to get up in the shadow of the post.

Princess Calla, only about 80 percent fit according to Adam Marcus, proved far too classy for the opposition in the Gr3 Umzimkhulu Stakes. Always in contention, it did not take any serious urgings from Anton Marcus to get her into gear and she strode clear to win as she liked.

An exercise gallop and a good blow-out for the forthcoming features.

It may be clutching at straws a little but with local horses mostly taking a back seat to the raiders, anything that looks capable of giving them a go gets a boost.

She’s A Keeper only won a MR74 Handicap at Hollywoodbets Greyville yesterday but she arrived with the expectations of most Pick 6 punters on her shoulders, not to mention those of her connections.

Neither needed to have worried, as She’s A Keeper responded as soon as Warren Kennedy released the handbrake to win as she liked with the opposition strung out like the washing.

This was her third win from four starts and if Gareth Van Zyl can keep her all in one piece, she must have prospects in some of the Champion Season features.

But as Van Zyl explained post-race her late start to her racing career was firstly due to a tendon injury and then a hairline fracture to her pelvis. He has obviously done a superb job in getting the filly as far down the track as she has come but there will always be nagging doubts.

If she pulls up in a good space after yesterday’s run, then Van Zyl has the Scarlet Lady (listed) at Scottsville pencilled in for her next start in a couple of weeks’ time.