Summerveld trainer Kumaran Naidoo gives his charge Over Sure “a shout” in the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion tomorrow and this Mogok colt certainly has plenty of scope for improvement.

Over Sure showed pace on the Greyville turf over 1200m second time out, having previously beaten a weak field on debut over 1200m on the poly. He appeared to have that second start won, after having taken up the running from a wide draw. However, on a bright day, he hesitated when seeing the grandstand shadow ahead and was overtaken late by two decent types in Caddy Master and Good To Give. Trainer Michael Roberts has described Caddy Master, who beat Over Sure by one length, as “special”, and Over Sure was giving him 5kg if apprentice allowances are included.

Over Sure then ran in the Gr 3 Godolphin Barb Stakes over 1100m at Scottsville in “very soft” going and once again showed good pace. However, jumping from a high draw he was on the outside of runners and was looking at the stands the whole way. He was also tending to hang inward. He still managed to finish second and the 6,25 length margin of defeat is the closest any horse to date has got to the seemingly freakish Red Chesnut Road.

The latter’s scratching from the Gold Medallion has thrown the race wide open.

Naidoo took Over Sure to Scottsville for a preparatory gallop the other day with a new bit fitted. He said, “He didn’t hang at all, it was a very good gallop, and we are very happy with him.”

He jumps from draw four and could provide yet another milestone for the unstoppable apprentice Lyle Hewitson.

David Thiselton
Picture: Over Sure winning on debut (Nkosi Hlophe)

• Final Supplementary Entries: Close 11:00 Monday, 13 June 2016
• Weights Published: Tuesday, 14 June 2016
• Final Declaration: Close 11:00 Monday, 20 June 2016
• Final Field and Draw: Announcement of the Final Field and Barrier Draws will take place on Tuesday, 21 June 2016
• Public Gallops:  7am at Greyville Racecourse, Thursday, 23 June 2016

Sean Tarry, having expressed concern during the week about a bacterial infection he believed had been going around his Randjesfontein yard, confirmed all of his remaining Gr 1 runners for Scottsville’s big Festival Of Speed meeting this weekend had appeared to be fine. They had duly travelled well down to Summerveld where they had eaten up well and their temperatures were normal.

Tarry said some of the yard’s recent Highveld-based runners had been found to have had mucus upon returning from below par runs.

However, tests done at Randjesfontein on the Scottsville Gr 1 contestants revealed only the crack filly Cloth Of Cloud to have been affected by the suspected bacterial infection. She has duly been scatched with the reason given being “respiratory infection.”

All six of the remaining Gr 1 contestants were on the float which travelled down to Summerveld on Thursday.

Tarry has the meeting banker in Carry On Alice and was obviously hoping she would be at her best. He elaborated: “Her and all of the others were clear, they seemed fine, so hopefully all is well.”

Tarry has two runners in the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint, Captain’s Causeway and Tiger’s Touch, and while feeling they were both up to it, he revealed they were actually his second and third choices respectively, because his first choice, Buckland, had been eliminated.

He said, “I don’t think the very soft going suited Captain’s Causeway last time.” The three-year-old was a 1,75 length runner up to Captain Alfredo in the Listed In Full Flight Stakes over 1100m. He continued, “He will be better over 1200m and will enjoy the firmer going.”

He added, “Tiger’s Touch’s last run was a bit close to her run in the mile and was a bit of a flat run.” She finished a 3,75 length fifth in the Gr 2 Camelia Stakes for fillies and mares over 1160m at Turffontein, two weeks after finishing a two length fourth to Inara in the Gr 1 Laurie Jaffee Empress Club Stakes over 1600m.

Tarry believes Tiger’s Touch is worthy of her 104 merit rating.

Tarry has two runners in the Gr 1 Allan Robertson Championship, Visuality and Myfunnyvalentine.

He said, “Visuality’s last run was a great run, the going was very soft, she was slow away and green, and the draw on that day might not have been in her favour. There is scope for improvement. There shouldn’t be much between her and Myfunnyvalentine, but I am leaning towards Visuality, because she was still learning in those first two runs.”

Visuality finished fourth in the Gr 3 Strelitzia Stakes over 1100m at Scottsville last time out and has two lengths to find on The Secret Is Out. Myfunnyvalentine was runner up in the Gr 2 SA Fillies Nursery over 1160m at Turffontein second time out and has 1,2 lengths to find on Fursa.

Tarry believes Red Rock, who is his sole runner in the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion, is better than his last run. He said, “He beat a horse on debut who came out and won his next race.”

The horse he refers to is British Royale, who beat Gold Medallion contender Sporting Monarch in a Juvenile Plate over 1000m second time out, albeit when receiving 5kg, and the third horse in that race was beaten 12,1 lengths.

He continued, “Red Rock took a few bumps in his second start and will prefer the 1200m.”

In that last start Red Rock was beaten 9,75 lengths in the Gr 3 Godolphin Barb Stakes over 1100m at Scottsville in “very soft going”, a race in which the highly promising Red Chesnut Road was 6,25 lengths clear of second-placed Over Sure.

Red Rock will thus have to make up 3,5 lengths on Over Sure in the Gold Medallion, although he was being eased at the line and could have got a bit closer.

Tarry concluded, “Tiger’s Touch’s and Red Rock’s final gallops (at Randjesfontein) were exceptional.” 

David Thiselton

Glen Kotzen’s classy three-year-old Captain Al filly Princess Royal was a touch unlucky in last year’s Gr 1 Allan Robertson Championship and could possibly make amends in the Gr 1 City Of Pietermaritzburg Fillies Sprint over 1200m at Scottsville on Saturday, where she is drawn in barrier one with regular pilot Anthony Andrews up.

Kotzen also runs the classy Silvan Star on the day, whose intended big race season is probably over due to some hiccups, but they are now getting her back on track.

Princess Royal (Liesl King)

Carry On Alice is the obvious horse to beat, but Kotzen pointed out Princess Royal had beaten her (by 1,6 lengths) when winning the Gr 2 Sceptre Stakes over 1200m on January 16.

He added, “I don’t know if Carry On Alice was at her best that day, but if we beat her once we can do it again.”

The weights will make it tougher for Princess Royal this time, because Carry On Alice was carrying a 2kg Gr 1 penalty in the Sceptre, whereas Saturday’s event is a pure weight for age contest.

Kotzen continued, “Princess Royal ran two weeks after arriving at Summerveld (finishing a 3,05 length fifth in the Gr 3 Ponsettia Stakes over Saturday’s course and distance) and she just needed that run. She has been working exceptionally well and has come on a heck of a lot.”

Princess Royal, who is by Captain Al, is a half-sister to the Kotzen-trained champion Princess Victoria, who won the Allan Robertson in 2011.

She is known to have a less than ideal temperament, but Kotzen said her quirkiness had been worked on and she had “without a doubt” improved in that regard.

Everything went “pear shaped” for Silvan Star, upon arrival at Summerveld for her SA Champions Season campaign, including attaining a hoof abscess.

She also has another wide draw to contend with in the fourth race over 1600m, but Kotzen, who rates her highly, said, “She galloped on the grass the other day and wasn’t blowing, so doesn’t take a lot of work. But, she might be a big ring rusty. She might just need it, but I think she will still definitely finish in the first three.”

This filly is a three-parts sister to Vodacom Durban July winner Bold Silvano, being by Silvano out of a half-sister to the latter, but she does face a decent field in tomorrow’s MR 84 Handicap for fillies and mares.

By David Thiselton

Maestro trainer Mike Bass has three runners in the Gr 1s at Scottsville’s Festival Of Speed meeting on Saturday and they are all capable of earning cheques.

Fly By Night (Liesl King)

Assistant trainer Robert Fayd’Herbe said, “Ernie is doing okay, he has a low weight and we’re taking our chances. This is his best trip. Lanner Facon is versatile, but 1200-1400m is probably her best range and she will be running on. Fly By Night always runs well in this race and we’re hoping she has one more in her. Both of the mares are doing well, but everyone’s running for second in that race behind Carry On Alice.”

Elusive Fort three-year-old gelding Ernie has scraped into the handicap in the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint with the minimum weight of 52kg. He is 3,5kg better off with Captain Alfredo for a 4,75 length defeat in the In Full Flight Handicap over 1100m at Scottsville, which was run on May 1, so will have his work cut out to reverse the form. However, that race was run in officially “very soft” going, so the margins might have been exaggerated, and this is also Ernie’s third run after a layoff. He is drawn six with Grant van Niekerk up.

Five-year-old Trippi mare Lanner Falcon has blossomed into a consistent sort and off 107 is the second highest merit rated runner in the weight for age City Of Pietermaritzburg Fillies Sprint, although that is still seven points lower than Carry On Alice’s rating. The athletic chestnut showed her class over this trip when beating the boys in the Gr 2 Khaya Stables Diadem Stakes at Kenilworth on December 27.

Six-year-old Jet Master mare Fly By Night finished a 1,5 length second in the Diadem and is now 2kg better off with Lanner Falcon, so could get closer on paper if reproducing that run. A further plus is her excellent record in the City Of Pietermaritzburg Fillies Sprint (formerly known as the SA Fillies Sprint), having been touched off by the brilliant Via Africa two years ago and then finishing a 1,8 length third behind two high class sprinters in Carry On Alice and Alboran Sea last year. However, she has become unpredictable and has to make up 5,8 lengths on Lanner Falcon from their recent meeting in the Gr 3 Poinsettia over the City Of Pietermaritzburg course and distance.

Lanner Falcon is drawn two with stable jockey Van Niekerk up and Fly By Night is drawn ten with MJ Byleveld aboard.

By David Thiselton