David Thiselton
Royal Victory has a fine chance of defending his title in the weight for age Gr 1 R2 million Premier’s Champions Challenge as he is the highest rated entry off a 124.
The other Gr 1 winners in the field with their merit ratings in brackets are SA Classic and SA Derby winner Purple Pitcher (123), Betway Summer Cup winner Atticus Finch (121), Woolavington 2000 winner Silver Sanctuary (117), SA Classic winner Confederate (118) and SA Dery winner Son Of Raj (119).
There were initially 12 entries, but subsequently Sean Tarry has entered Legend Of Arthur (109) and Let’s Go Now (113).
The other entries are hardknocking Fire Attack (116), former SA Oaks winner None Other (115), the Gr 1 Wilgerbosdrift HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes third-placed Imilenzeyokududuma (114), Hotarubi (112),  Navajo Nation (102) and the hardknocking World Of Alice.
The three-year-olds among the entries are Confederate, Fire Attack, Legend Of Arthur and World Of Alice.
Fire Attack must have a strong chance. He was finishing strongly from midfield in the SA Classic to beaten just 0.70 lengths by Confederate.
Confederate went to the front in the SA Classic and stayed all the way to the line in superb fashion. He need not repeat the front running tactic and is a very good looking specimen with a long stride and scope for further improvement. The manner of that victory together with the testing going on the day suggests he won’t have a problem staying the extra 200m trip. He drew two among the initial entries, which augurs well for him as he will probably like to be handy. Fire attack drew widest of all among the initial entries, so will likely have to come from off the pace again. He also ran as if he would get further.
Royal Victory also drew wide in 11 out of the 12 initial entries, but he has been shown to not be bothered by wide draws at Turffontein Standside before. Muzi Yeni is an expert at slotting in from such draws and furthermore Royal Victory has a fine turn of foot coupled with a resolute finish.
Atticus Finch is the Betway Summer Cup winner, which proved he stays this trip, but he was receiving weight that day. He is now 3kg worse off with Royal Victory for a three length beating. 
Purple Pitcher could well be the pacemaker and like he did in the SA Classic he might attempt to lead from start to finish. He comes off a good second to Son of Raj in the Grade 3 Betway London New Stakes over 1800m and he will be 3kg better off with the latter in this race for a mere 1,90 length beating. 
Son of Raj benefited from a holiday he was given after last season and turned it on in fine style in the London News. As a winner of the SA Derby he will have no problem staying this trip. He drew 7 out of 12 among the initial entries.
World of Alice strikes as one who will relish this step up in trip, although she does need to get into the race sooner because she is often a bit far out of her ground.
Let’s Go Now is an improving sort who always struck as one who would come into her own as a four-year-old and she is doing so. She will need to prove she stays this trip and on pedigree should do so being by Gimmethegreenlight out of a Silvano mare, who did win up to 2000m. 
Hotarubi produced an amazing finish last time to win over 1400 metres after looking beaten. He is an enigmatic sort, but he has a middle draw and on his day could surprise. 
Imilenziyokududuma clearly relished the Turffontein Standside track in the Wilgerbosdrift HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes and stayed on resolutely for a fine third. He is a most interesting runner as he gave the impression that he would enjoy this course and distance. Legend of Arthur was a touch unlucky in the SA Classic, because he started slowly and was left with too much to do, but he did finish very well and should relish this step up in trip.
None Other is capable of a strong finish and as an SA Oaks winner will have no problem with the trip, but she was well beaten in the London News Stakes which is a bit concerning for her chances here. 
Silver Sanctuary is a Group 1 winner over this trip, but this is against the boys and she likely faces a harder task than she did when winning the Woolavington 2000 and she needs to bounce back from a below par effort in the London News Stakes when beaten 9,75 lengths.
Navajo Nation will need to improve to threaten here.
The final field will be published on March 19.

RACE 1     

7 WHISPERING DEATH 5 MIGHTY EAGLE 2 GOLDEN WARRIOR 1 CHRONICLE KING

Preview: 7 WHISPERING DEATH  went close on debut over 1400 meters from a wide draw and should go one better from another tricky draw. 5 MIGHTY EAGLE made a fair debut over 1160 meters and should enjoy the step up and trip, so from pole position with Sean Veal up he has a chance.2 GOLDEN WARRIOR was not disgraced on debut and should enjoy the step up and trip but does have a tricky draw. 1 CHRONICLE KING is by Vercingetorix out of a Western Winter mare and from a good draw Ryan Munger is an interesting booking. (David Thiselton 7-5-2-1)

RACE 2 

2 EMERALD FORGE 9 VIPINGO 7 SISTER GOLDEN HAIR 8 TORZIA    

Preview: 2 EMERALD FORGE made a good debut and should enjoy this step up and trip so has a good chance under Gavin Lerena from a draw of six out of nine. 9 VIPINGO is by Gimmethegreenlight out of a Fastnet Rock mare and made a good debut over 1160 meters and should enjoy the step up and trip but does have a tricky draw. 7 SISTER GOLDEN HAIR improved when stepped up to this trip category second time out and has a good draw here. 8 TORZIA is by Danon Platina out of a Master of My Fate mare and has a wide draw on debut. (David Thiselton 2-9-7-8)

RACE 3     

10 DESERT CLOUD 1 ESPINOZA 9 AMANATTO 7 TWO FOR THE BOYS

Preview: 10 DESERT CLOUD looks to be a talented sort and only just failed last time after returning from a long layoff but she does have a tricky draw here under Gavin Larina and is taking on the boys. 1 ESPINOZA is knocking on the door and has a plum draw over a suitable trip with (4:06) Ryan Munger up. 9 AMANATTO has shown some ability and could earn from a fair draw. 7 TWO FOR THE BOYS  is by Master of My Fate out of Gr 1-winning Trippi mare For The Lads but he does have a wide draw on debut. (David Thiselton 10-1-9-7) 

RACE 4     

2 TANA MAREE 1 GIMME A STORM 3 MILO’S MILLIONAIRE 5 BLUE QUARTZ

Preview: 2 TANA MAREE has run well in her last two starts and Munger stays aboard from a draw of six out of ten. 1 GIMME A STORM is distance suited and has a fine form chance from a fair draw of four. 3 MILO’S MILLIONAIRE has shown ability and has a plum draw over a suitable trip. 5 BLUE QUARTZ was narrowly ahead of Gimme A Storm last time and there should not be much between them again, although Blue Quartz now has a wide draw. (David Thiselton 2-1-3-5)

RACE 5     

3 HUEHUETENANGO 12 INSTANT ATTRACTION 13 PASS THE BATON 5 CHIEFTAIN’S SHIELD

Preview: 3 HUEHUETENANGO  is knocking on the door and will be ideally distance suited and has a fair draw. 12 INSTANT ATTRACTION has a good draw and should be right there under Ryan Munger. 13 PASS THE BATON has pole position and should be in the shake-up. 5 CHIEFTAIN’S SHIELD can earn here if able to overcome a wide draw. (David Thiselton 3-12-13-5)

RACE 6     

3 YAMADORI 1 TAXI TO THE MOON 5 BIOFARMER 8 WHAT A TIGER

Preview: 3 YAMADORI looks to be on the up and the form of his last win has been franked so he should go close from pole position.1 TAXI TO THE MOON has some class and should be thereabouts. 5 BIOFARMER ran a cracker on Saturday but does have a tricky draw to overcome. 8 WHAT A TIGER has a plum draw and won the last time he went this trip so can’t be ignored here. (David Thiselton 3-1-5-8) 

RACE 7     

4 DARK SILVER 1 LUTHULI 2 DIESEL’S SHADOW 5 HIGH QUEUE

Preview: 4 DARK SILVER went close to a good sort over this distance last time and from a plum draw is the one to beat. 1 LUTHULI is distance suited and from a good draw could be a threat. 2 DIESEL’S SHADOW won well last time over 1800m meters and off a four points higher mark could still be involved. 5 HIGH QUEUE is two-and-a-half kilograms better off with Diesel’s Shadow for a 2,3 length, meeting so could do well from draw six. (David Thiselton 4-1-2-5)

RACE 8     

3 OMBUDSMAN 7 AFTER HOURS 8 WHISPERS OF WAR 9 CARNELO

Preview: 3 OMBUDSMAN  is on the up and if able to overcome a tricky draw should be right there. 7 AFTER HOURS  is a consistent sort and now tries 1600m under regular pilot Muzi Yeni. 8 WHISPERS OF WAR has a wide draw to overcome but is in good form and is distance suited. 9 CARNELO is capable of better than last time and over a suitable trip has a fair draw. (David Thiselton 3-7-8-9)

David Thiselton

Unbeaten Black Cheetah faces some sterling competition in the R1,5 million Cape Racing Sales Cape Slipper over 1200m at Sunday’s Royal Raceday meeting at Hollywodbets Kenilworth in what will be one of the races of the day.

The Justin Snaith-trained Querari colt is unbeaten in two starts over 800m and 1000m respectively and showed good natural pace together with a fine kick. He is out of a Var mare whose only win was over 1400m and he is a half- brother to Great Plains, who is Gr 1 placed over a mile and who has won both a Gr 3 and a Listed race over 1400m, so Black Cheetah should enjoy 1200m.

Stablemate Clair de Lune only has 0,30 lengths to make up on Black Cheetah in their meeting over 1000m and she subsequently finished second in a Listed event over 1100m. This Trippi filly showed good pace there and was caught late by stablemate Wild Wild Green, who is a half-brother to the useful speedster Sheela. Clair de Lune is a full-sister to Gr 1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes winner over a mile, Trip Of Fortune, so she should get the trip on pedigree.

The Peter Muscutt-trained Military Command is an impressive specimen and second time out showed good gate-speed and pace over 1000m before drawing away to win by 2,50 lengths. He is by Fire Away out of an Australian-bred High Chaparral mare whose two wins were over 1400m and 1700m respectively, so he should enjoy the step up in trip.

The Vaughan Marshall-trained Dreamworld made a good debut over 1200m after being backed and this big actioned son of One World, out of an Oasis Dream daughter of champion sprinter Val De Ra, should improve.

On strict formlines Clair de Lune comes out better than Dreamworld as Clair de Lune beat Churchillian by 5,55 lengths, whilst Dreamworld could only beat him by 1,50 lengths.

The Candice Bass-Robinson-trained Rafeef colt Churchillian is also in the Cape Slipper and could improve as he moved up well last time and just failed to build up further momentum.

His stablemate WhatAStar has run three good races and can build on his 2,40 length third over this course and distance last time.

Malmesbury Missile has 3,50 length to find on Black Cheetah over 1000m, but proved suited to 1200m second time out when showing pace and kicking on to win. On formlines he does look held by Clair de Lune but does now have his first run for the Snaith yard after a sale to dissolve a partnership and as a long-striding immature sort he could still improve.

GetupandGo finished a good third on debut, beating Military Command by 0,75 lengths over 1000m, but the race did not pan put well for Military Command and he proved better than that next time out. However, the Marshall-trained Gimmethegreenlight colt GetupandGo was slowly away that day and came from the back of the field with a fine run after being backed. He is a fine looking specimen and can’t be ignored.

The Piet Steyn-trained Spirit will need to improve on his debut when beaten 5,35 lengths by Military Command, but he was making up some good ground late after getting a clear run and could well improve.

The Marshall-trained Captains Alliance is well held by Dreamworld and Churchillian and looked outpaced in that race.

The Botha-trained Hedrivesmecrazy made a fair debut but was beaten 10,50 lengths by Dreamworld second time out.

The selection is Clair de Lune to beat GetupandGo, with Black Cheetah, Military Command and Churchillian next best.

David Thiselton

The Hollywoodbets Durban July is looming large already with ante-post betting out and the Mike and Mathew de Kock yard will be a player this season.

Mike de Kock has won the race five times and two of his winners have carried the familiar yellow with a royal blue chevron colours of Sheik Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, which are these days registered as Al Adiyaat South Africa (Pty) Ltd.

On Saturday at Turffontein Standside the Shadwell Stud-bred Vercingetorix colt Immediate Edge remained unbeaten in three starts when carrying Sheik Khalifa’s colours to victory in the Listed WSB Hawwaam Stakes over 2000m and De Kock said in the winner’s enclosure, “He is the sort of horse you have to aim at the July and make sure you come in with the right weight.”

De Kock’s last winner in the July was Sparkling Water, who gave Mary Slack her first win of the big race as an owner as the Silvano filly was a Wilgerbosdrift Stud homebred.

Fittingly, Wilgerbosdrift also own a share in Immediate Edge.

Mike de Kock himself owns a share and so does a long time supporter of his yard, Chris Haynes.

Immediate Edge, who is out of the Australian-bred Commands mare Anhaar, an unraced half-sister to the three time Gr 1-winning champion Soqrat, was a R1.2 million Purchase at the BSA National Yearling Sale.

He was not actually the best performed horse in the Hawwaam Stakes on Saturday as he received 3kg from the Lucky Houdalakis-trained shorthead runner up Wild Intent. The latter is by Gimmethegreenlight out of the useful Listed-winning stayer Wild Ash and this twice winner was thought of as good enough to go down to Cape Town to run in the Gr 3 Politician Stakes over 1800m, where he finished a not disgraced 6,25 length ninth.

Wild Intent went into Saturday’s race merit rated 96 compared to Immediate Edge’s 88.

Towers Of Gold opened up a big lead at a fair pace and Immediate Edge, jumping from pole position, sat in midfield behind Wild Intent, who had jumped from draw five in the eleven horse field. 

Wild Intent set sail for home quite close to the rail and there was a difficult moment for Immediate Edge who was on his inside because Towers Of Gold had impounded and was on the rail. Immediate Edge managed to squeeze between the latter and Wild Intent.

A thrilling duel ensued between Immediate Edge and Wild Intent but Ryan Munger managed to get the former’s head in front close to home. Wild Intent fought back but Immediate Edge managed to keep him at bay by a head.

Hollywoodbets reacted by making Immediate Edge a 17/1 shot for the July and they have Wild Intent at 25/1.

Diwali Rocket was third but was beaten 8,25 lengths.

Muzi Yeni rode a feature race double on the day.

The Robbie Sage-trained filly Poplar Park, a R40,000 buy back by Met runner up Last Winter (Western Winter) out of a Judpot mare, also jumped from pole position and needed every inch of the 2000m trip in the Ormonde Ferraris Oaks Trial.

Yeni had to push her at the top of the straight from midfield to stay in touch, but the further they went the stronger she got and she ran out a 2,40 length winner from Cocomelon with the rank outsider Fetching Flyer third.

Poplar Park only ran off an 82, despite being a twice winner, and she received 1,5 kg from the runner up and third-placed horses.

She was bred  by “JJ” van der Linden and he part-owns her together with Larry Nestadt, Mark Currie and M Lieveaux.

It was a fine day for Nestadt because he had back to back Gr 1 and Listed part-owned winners in Australia earlier in the day.

In the Listed WSB Aquanaut Handicap over 2400m the Mike and Adam Azzie-trained Breeze Over dwelt and lost a couple of lengths but Yeni decided to take her round horses to the front as that is where he likes to be. Fortunately, there was no pace on and he got there without wasting any energy. The big horse dictated and kept going well in the straight to win by 1,70 lengths from Marauding Horde and Twenty Drachma’s with Raiseahallelujah and Thunee Playa next best.

Meanwhile, at Tampa Bay Downs in the USA, the former De Kock-trained Mauritzfontein homebred Gimmethegreenlight filly Gimme A Another lost her unbeaten career record but did not lose anything in defeat. It was the champion dual Gr 1-winner’s eighth career start and her first outing for eleven months. In the Gr 2 Hillsborough Stakes over a mile and an eighth she simply found the track to tight under Irad Ortiz as she was unable to fetch Saffron Moon. Gimme A Nother was toward the back of the nine horse field and showed her usual exhilarating turn of foot, but was 1,75 lengths shy at level weights to the winner, who stole a march in the straight.

Yesterday, Lyle Hewitson had a welcome double at Sha Tin in Hong Kong and two seconds, while Luke Ferraris had a winner too. Ferraris is now on 30 wins for the season and Hewitson is on 15.

From the energy and thrill of Champion Day, to the stylish elegance of Style Wednesday, every day at Cheltenham is charged with an electric atmosphere. St Patrick’s Thursday brings the joy and spirit of the Emerald Isle to life while Gold Cup Day brings the festival to a close with unforgettable drama and glory.

From the anticipation, the roar of the crowd, the thunder of hooves, and the rush of emotion as the world’s finest horses and jockeys battle for supremacy – there truly is nothing that feels like Cheltenham.

Set in the heart of the Cotswolds, Cheltenham racecourse has hosted racing since 1815 and now showcases some of the best jump racing in Britain.

The highlight of which is the Cheltenham Festival, which runs for four days in March and is widely considered the pinnacle of the jump racing season.

There are a total of 28 incredible Cheltenham races, featuring 14 Grade 1 events contested in front of more than 65,000 racegoers each day.

Every owner, jockey and trainer dreams of a winner at the Cheltenham Festival, cementing their place in history alongside some of the legends of the sport including Denman, Kauto Star and Istabraq.

Champion Day (Tuesday, March 11): The festival kicks off with top-tier races, including the prestigious Champion Hurdle.

Style Wednesday (Wednesday, March 12): A day full of fashion and high-class racing, including the Queen Mother Champion Chase.

St. Patrick’s Thursday (Thursday, March 13): A day to celebrate Irish talent, featuring races like the Stayers’ Hurdle

Gold Cup Day (Friday, March 14): The pinnacle of the festival, where the legendary Cheltenham Gold Cup takes place.