David Thiselton

The Eric Sands-trained Rainbow Bridge confirmed the form of last year’s Sun Met at Kenilworth yesterday when easily winning this year’s big 2000m Grade 1 weight for age event, which is now called the Cape Town Met, under Luke Ferraris.

Ferraris had thus won one of South Africa’s big three races in the same month he completed his apprenticeship, a rare feat indeed.  

Without last year’s winner One World in the contest Rainbow Bridge could afford to be eased and switched in the straight and still win by 1,50 lengths.

The Vodacom Durban July winner Belgarion proved no match for him at level weights.

Turning for home second last a dream gap opened for Belgarion in the straight and after hitting the front 150m from home Richard Fourie must have believed he was about to break his Met duck.

However, his heart must have sunk when he glanced across at the 80m mark and seen the low-flying Rainbow Bridge.

In fact, the six-year-old Ideal World gelding was treating the rest of the field like B division handicappers. He came into the straight in last place and then got stuck behind Golden Ducat and African Night Sky, who were not making any inroads. Ferraris faced a crisis because Do It Again was outside of this pair and still behind them. However, the youngster, as cool as a cucumber, eased Rainbow Bridge slightly before switching him outward. Do It Again helped his cause by moving forward to pass Golden Ducat.

However, by the time Rainbow Bridge had reached the outside he was already at the 300m mark and Belgarion was at this stage well clear of him and accelerating.

Had the bird already flown, because, after all, this was a weight for age Grade 1 and not a Wednesday afternoon B division handicap?  

Well, it was difficuIt to tell because the TV producer had decided to zoom in on Belgarion and the inside horses.

The countrywide supporters of Rainbow Bridge would not have known how he was faring from the 350m mark until appearing again in the picture at the 50m mark moving like an express train. He appeared to be doing it effortlessly too.

It is always easy to find the key to the win after the race.

In Rainbow Bridge’s previous two attempts at the course and distance he had won the 2019 Met and finished a narrow second in last year’s Met, beaten only by the top class One World and finishing 3,50 lengths clear of the rest of a field which had been  jam-packed with Grade 1 winners and champions.

Then in the Vodacom Durban July over 2200m he had completed the first 2000m in a time that was slightly faster than the legendary London News’ course record for 2000m set way back in 1996.

The only question mark really had been the trend of him coming out second in dogfights for the line. However, this is likely just a true form statistic as it would be hyper-critical to ever question this consistent horse’s courage or attitude.

Ferraris said afterwards he had dropped Rainbow Bridge out because of his tendency to over-race. He was anxious for a few moments after he had broken well but said once he had reined him in he had settled “like a lamb”. He spoke of the tremendous acceleration the powerfully built bay had displayed after being given his head.

Sands had once again delivered a top horse in peak condition for a big race and his reputation as a master conditioner was confirmed.

Owner Mike Rattray will have real hope of an elusive Vodacom Durban July victory now as it is likely that it was just the too handy tactics in a blisteringly fast run race that had cost Rainbow Bridge last year.    

The dam of the Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein Stud-bred gelding, Halfway To Heaven, is on track for an unprecedented third successive Equus champion broodmare award.  

Sovereign Spirit, who started 100-1, had shown before his capability of running on strongly when held up near the back. However, the pace of lesser races was usually against him. Running against top horses in a small field suited him down to the ground and he ran on into a meritorious four length third despite 100/1 odds. He finished amidst three horses rated 130 or more so his merit rating of 106 is going to take a knock.

Do It Again stayed on for a five length fourth, as opposed to his seven length ninth last year. He is clearly not the same horse he was in his 2018/2019 Equus Horse Of The Year season.

The only three-year-old in the race Princess Calla stayed on for a 5,40 length fifth.

Golden Ducat was a disappointing 5,80 length sixth. In retrospect he would have been better going forward from his draw of two instead of being held up because in a race run in a time 1.03 seconds slower than last year he began over-racing a touch early and he was unable to accelerate effectively in the straight.

The other disappointment was Queen Supreme, who had traveled all the way back to Johannesburg after her impressive Cartier Paddock Stakes victory. She had to be used to a certain extent to overcome her wide draw and get into a handy position. However, she was never traveling well and finished second last, beaten 11,30 lengths.

Andrew Harrison

TOMORROW’S meeting at Hollywoodbets Scottsville is not for the faint-hearted punter with some seriously competitive racing on the nine-race card. To further complicate matters, there is a prediction of some rain. Let’s hope that the Norwegian weather gurus have it wrong.

A Pinnacle Stakes for fillies and mares heads up the card where the two most obvious protagonists are Mary O and Silent Crusade. Lezeanne Forbes saddles WSB Fillies Guineas runner-up Mary O who took on a strong field of males from the worst of the draw at her last outing in the Michael Roberts Handicap. Prior to that she was close-up in the Flamboyant Stakes and the winner of that race, Indi Anna was deemed good enough by Peter Muscutt to send her to Cape Town where she lines up in the Gr1 Majorca Stakes.

There should be little between Mary O and Mark Dixon’s mare Silent Crusade. The latter ran a cracker in her comeback sprint when second to Hawker Typhoon giving the winner 10.5kg. She will much prefer this trip and with a good draw she should make a bold bid.

The Alyson Wright-trained Preferential is in a rich vein of form in weaker company since being tried in blinkers and although she takes on a useful field, she can finish in the money again. Petra had a tough draw in the Flamboyant but won well at her previous start. She should maybe be judged on that effort.

Another to consider is Drama Queen who has her third start for her new stable and although badly in at the weights she could come along enough to finish in the money.

Two smart sophomores Sav’s Star and Stella Act look the principal contenders in the seventh but again the list of likely winners does not stop with them.

Sav’s Star needed her last run. Although lightly raced Nathan Kotzen’s filly shows plenty of potential and should come on nicely from her first run back from a lay-off. It was a useful field and Vivid Jet is no slouch. John Buckler will saddle Stella Act for Glen Kotzen and the filly returns from a fairly lengthy break, not having been out since November last year. However, she takes a three-point drop in the ratings and at best will go close.

Tienie Prinsloo’s winners have generally been ignored in the betting in spite of having obvious chances. He saddles the Silvano mare Hareer who put up a good piece of work at Ashburton on Tuesday.

Andrew Harrison

THE CAPE TOWN MET has panned out into a re-run of last season’s Grade 1 Vodacom Durban July with four of the first six past the post in the VDJ in the line-up. In fact, all of the country’s main actors will face the starter, the only one missing being VDJ runner-up Got The Greenlight.

With a projected R15 million Pick 6 pool in the offing, there will be no shortage of interest in today’s 12-race meeting.

Last year’s VDJ winner Belgarion is currently at the top of bookmaker’s boards for the race, where he faces the usual suspects Rainbow Bridge, Do It Again and Golden Ducat. Added to this year’s main cast is recent Grade 1 Paddock Stakes winner Queen Supreme, Grade 1 Summer Cup runner-up Running Brave, African Night Sky on the comeback trail, and the only three-year-old in the race, Princess Calla.

Queen Supreme posted back-to-back victories in the Grade 1 Paddock Stakes, cruising to a most impressive win. Mike de Kock then shipped her back to his base at Randjesfontein and most surmised that the Met was off her agenda so it came as a surprise that De Kock opted for the filly to make the arduous 1600km road trip back to Cape Town in just over three weeks, surely an indication of what the multiple times champion trainer thinks of her chances.

She is reported to have travelled well so the boys will need to pick up their feet.

Belgarion was weighted to win the VDJ but has since met Rainbow Bridge on level terms in his last two. Justin Snaith’s charge was a facile winner of the Green Point Stakes but didn’t quite get to a fitter Rainbow Bridge in the Queen’s Plate, the latter fighting on when seemingly beaten. That may be the case again tomorrow.

Do It Again, a dual winner of the VDJ, finished a creditable third last year in his bid for his third success VDJ victory, just ahead of Golden Ducat with Rainbow Bridge putting in a below par performance, finishing in sixth place.

Rainbow Bridge showed his true worth when going on to be involved in possibly the race of the season, edged out on the line by stable companion Golden Ducat in the Grade 1 Champion Stakes at Hollywoodbets Greyville.

The Grade 1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate is one of the country’s big three Grade 1 WFA 1600m races, the other two being the Gold Challenge, run at Hollywoodbets Greyville and the HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes run at Turffontein, and is most often used as a stepping stone into the Met.

This year was no different although the big three of Belgarion, Rainbow Bridge and Do It Again were upstaged by Jet Dark.

However, the three filled the minor placings led by Rainbow Bridge and their respective trainers will have left a little meat on the bone for the Met, all three horses more at home over the extra 400m.

Golden Ducat, a winner of the Champions Cup and fourth in the VDJ last season, ducked the Queen’s Plate, the 1600m way too sharp for the former Grade 1 Cape Derby winner, the race run over the same course and distance of the Met. He turned in an exceptional effort to win the Grade 3 Peninsula Handicap over 1800m run on the same day as the Queens Plate. In a race run at a pedestrian gallop, not suited to Golden Ducat, Eric Sands’s charge fought on gamely to win a race in which he looked dead-and-buried 400m out.

African Night Sky, highly touted early in his career, returns from serious injury and was a tad unlucky behind Golden Ducat in the Peninsula after almost being stopped in his tracks when making his run. A 20-1 shot, he may be worth an each-way nibble.

Fanie Bronkhorst has had his trainer’s brief for less than a month but he saddles Summer Cup runner-up Running Brave who sports his colours. For the Summer Cup, Paul Matchett was at the helm but Bronkhorst steered her to her recent win in the Grade 2 London News Stakes.

The ‘big four’ are all fancied in the betting market but the ‘Queen’ can reign supreme head of Rainbow Bridge and Golden Ducat with Belgarion and African Night Sky in the mix.

David Thiselton

TURFFONTEIN STANDSIDE hosts the Listed WSB Wolf Power 1600 today, a tricky handicap event on what is a tricky meeting overall.

Youcanthurrylove finished third in the Grade 2 Peermont Emperor’s Palace Charity Mile over course and distance and is only two points higher in the merit ratings so looks to be the one to beat from a fair draw of six. Last time out the Summer Cup trip might have stretched him so he could well appreciate dropping back to this distance.  

Pack Leader has impressed in both of his Highveld starts over this trip. He has a wide draw but S’Manga Khumalo will know him well by now and always gets the best out of him. 

Cornish Pomodoro was beaten 2,80 lengths by Youcanthurrylove in the Charity Mile but nothing panned out well for him that day and he is now 3.5kg better off. He improved immediately after gelding and has likely not shown his full potential yet, so should be a big runner from a good draw under national log leading jockey Lyle Hewitson.

Green Haze is one point lower than his last winning mark which came in the Listed Drum Star Handicap over 1800m in March last year. He comes off a good third in the Grade 3 London News Handicap over 1800m where he beat Divine Odyssey by five lengths. He enjoys this trip too and has a plum draw of two so would not be a surprise winner.     

Golden Pheasant is a big good-looking horse who is in a rich vein of form. He has won his last two attempts at this trip but does have to overcome a five-point raise for his last win over 1400m. He does have a plum draw of three though and Muzi Yeni gets on well with him. 

Whorly Whorly has been a revelation since stepping up in trip to between 1400m and 1475m. He now tries a further step up in trip and if he takes to it he should be right there. However, he does have a tricky draw of nine.  

Divine Odyssey is back to the 114 mark of his last win which was in the Grade 3 Jubilee Handicap over 1800m. He would prefer the latter trip but is effective over this trip and has a fair draw.

Approach Control has proved capable of running off a 108 mark which remained static for over a year but he has now been dropped two points at last and this could see him involved in the shake up, although he has a tricky draw.

Full Mast proved he stays further than a mile last time when winning over 1800m. This is a stronger field though and he has to overcome a two-point raise. He finished more than ten lengths behind Whorly Whorly in the Grande heritage over 1475m and was more than nine lengths behind Golden Pheasant.

Captain Of Tortuga sneaks into the handicap with the minimum weight He looks held by Full Mast and Whorly Whorly on 1800m and 1400m form. He enjoys this course and distance but has a tough draw.

D’Arrivee is 2,5kg under sufferance but has struck as one who has not lived up to his potential and he is drawn in pole, so he can’t be written off in this open contest.

In the other feature on the day, the Non-Black Type WSB Allez France Stakes the Zimbabwean Derby winner Lily Blue goes over the 2400m distance of the latter race for the first time since arriving in South Africa. She has class and on a difficult day is made a banker in the Pick 6 but only because there has to be a banker somewhere on such a competitive card. In the Jackpot it is advised that Smoking Hot and Pomander are also included.       

David Thiselton

BRETT CRAWFORD, whose single Grade 1 win last season ended a sequence of seven multiple Grade 1-winning seasons, has a full card of runners on Cape Town Met day including a trio of runners in both the Grade 1 Cape Flying Championship over 1000m and the Grade 1 Majorca Stakes over 1600m.

Crawford said Run Fox Run was undoubtedly his stable elect in the Cape Flying.

He said about the Australian-bred Foxwedge filly who has won seven of her ten career starts, “She is in great form and I am expecting a good run.” Last year she finished a 1,20 length fourth having won the Grade 2 Southern Cross Stakes over the same 1000m course and distance in the build-up. This year she comes in off a one length second to Celtic Sea in the Southern Cross. She received 1kg from the latter so is going to have a tough task reversing form in this weight for age event. Celtic Sea is the favourite with Track & Ball at 2.65/1 while Run Fox Run is at 13/2 and has regular pilot Anton Marcus up from draw three out of 14.

Crawford also runs Bold Respect and Pacific Trader and said, “These two older horses need to come back to their best form. I have put a pair of blinkers on Pacific Trader and hope that helps. Bold Respect finished second in this race last year so obviously has the ability. It will just depend on his well-being on the day. They have both had good preps.”

Crawford runs Pretty Young Thing, Sing Out Loud and Kelpie in the Majorca.

He said, “They are all doing well and are all capable although Pretty Young Thing has a tough draw to overcome. Clouds Unfold and Captain’s Ransom are the horses to beat but after that it is an open race and all three have the potential to run into the money.”

Crawford’s day begins in the third race over 1600m with Global View colt Grand Escape, who was doing his best work late when green on debut and finishing a 0,90 length third.

He said, “He obviously has a poor draw but is fit and well.”

To date the form of his debut has worked out quite well with two horses he beat by about three lengths placing in the first three in their respective next starts.”

In the fourth race over 1400m Grade 2 Charity Mile winner Hudoo Magic is prominent in the betting.

Crawford said, “He is in good form and this being a Pinnacle he is pretty well weighted. He always appreciates a long straight like this one.”

King Of Gems is a fascinating runner as he is a former Grade 2 Concorde Cup winner over 1600m. He had to be given a nine-month break for a wind operation this year and he has had three runs since.

Crawford said, “His last run was better and I hope he can continue to improve. He finished four lengths behind Kasimir in that start over 1200m and we know he has the ability so if he feels right on the day, he has a definite outside chance.”

Hudoo Magic jumps from a tough draw of nine under Marcus and King Of Gems has draw five under Warren Kennedy.

In the Grade 3 Politician Stakes over 1800m Crawford runs the progressive Captain Al colt Kaptein who carries only 54kg and jumps from draw seven under Greg Cheyne.

He said, “He is doing well and comes off a very good run (a Progress Plate over this trip where he ran above his 83 rating). This will be good test for him and I am expecting him to run a competitive race and be in the first four I hope.”

Crawford runs Grade 1 Cape Derby third-placed Super Silvano in the Grade 2 New Turf Carriers Western Cape Stayers over 2800m and he said, “He is in good form. There is a question mark whether he gets the trip but if he does, he will be competitive.”

Oddly enough Super Silvano, who is by Vodacom Durban July winner Bold Silvano, is a full-brother to stablemate Bold Respect, a Grade 1-winning sprinter. However, their mother Respectable Lady won over 1800m and their third dam was the top class Respectable, who finished third in the July and won three Grade 2 staying races.

Crawford runs Social Butterfly, Qaaraat and Variety Breeze in the eleventh over 1000m.

He said, “Social Butterfly is in great form. She has a big weight but has been doing very well at home. Qaaraat’s form has been very good since the blinkers were put on and she must be respected as an each-way chance. Variety Breeze has not run over 1000m for a while and I think this is her best trip so she should improve on her current form.”

In the last over 1200m Crawford runs Real Gone Kid, who made it two wins in five starts last time out over this trip.

He said, “There is a bit of a weight turnaround with Tarantino but he has been working well and I see no reason why he can’t run another good race.”

This Australian-bred colt is well related being by top sire Schnitzel out of the former Justin Snaith-trained dual Grade 1 winner In The Fast Lane.