The Investec Day Of Dreams meeting at Kenilworth tomorrow will have a feverish atmosphere due to the running of by far the richest race in South African history, the CTS Million Dollar over 1400m, and to whet the appetite the meeting also features the Gr 1 R1 million Investec Cape Derby over 2000m and the Gr 1 R1 million Klawervlei Majorca Stakes over 1600m.

The Mike Bass-trained filly Silver Mountain was a touch unlucky not to have done the Cape Fillies and Cape Guineas double and on official merit rating is very well treated at the weights. She is brilliant and her good gate speed and electric turn of foot should make the 1400m trip ideal, especially from a plum draw of five. However, it would be a brave punter to take odds of even money about a small filly in a race where no quarter will be given.

Prince Of Thieves is officially 7kg out at the weights with Silver Mountain but impressed last time out over course and distance when turning it on effortlessly and cruising in by 3,75 lengths carrying 60kg off a 95 merit rating in a MR 86 Handicap against older horses. Bernard Fayd’Herbe has plenty of BMT and they will end up jumping from a middle draw of eight, which might be ideal in the hurly burly of such a race.

Exit Here has plenty of class and his pole position draw is ideal for his style in which he likes to be handy, although as one who stays further he will like the pace to be as fast as possible.

The pace could well be set by Swift Sarah from a plum draw of three as she has excellent gatespeed and early pace. Her only attempt at 1400m can be excused as nothing went right, but there is still a slight stamina doubt and her jockey might slow it up if reaching the front easily, so Anthony Delpech on Exit Here will likely have this in mind and might make it tough for Swift Sarah to get around him.

Sandwiched between them is another  front-running type, Hard Day’s Night, who will be ridden by master tactician Piere Strydom. What plan will this master of his craft have up his sleeve?

Another master Anton Marcus is aboard the best rated male in the race Seventh Plain, but didn’t dismiss riding Exit Here lightly. Seventh Plain has a wide draw to overcome but the maestro trainer Dennis Drier will have him spot on and the flat finish he produced in the R2,5 million Lanzerac Ready To Run Stakes over this distance might be relegated to distant memory.

Redcarpet Captain looked a picture upon arrival in Cape Town and is ideally distance suited. He has a deceptively good turn of foot, so a fast paced race will work in his favour, allowing him to perhaps slot in from a wide draw before finishing strongly.

Ernie is another distance suited horse with a fine turn of foot, so he should be running on from a wide draw.

Victorious Jay ran on from off the pace when only 0,3 lengths behind Silver Mountain in the Cape Guineas and will likely have to do the same from a wide draw here.

Lunar Approach impressed over this trip at Turffontein and the form has worked out well so he is probably higher than his 96 merit rating suggests, although he will need luck from his draw.

Illuminator stays the trip and is drawn well under top jockey Weichong Marwing, but does have to reverse form with all of Hard Day’s Night, Ernie, Silver Mountain and , Victorious Jay and has a tough task at the weights maintaining form against Seventh Plain.

Melliflora is a courageous sort but the form of her best races might be a touch suspect.

Varumba has a tough task from the widest draw of all as one with a slight stamina doubt.

A Time To Dream has many lengths to find on Silver Mountain on Cape Fillies Guineas form but is likely improving being by Dynasty.

Jo’s Bond and Tar Heel have obvious stamina doubts, but their speed could be a factor if they are ridden cold and find suitable cover, and this will be easier for Tar Heel from his plum draw of 5.

The selection is Prince of Thieves to beat Silver Mountain with Redcarpet Captain, Exit Here and Seventh Plain next best.

The Cape Derby is competitive and an upset would be no surprise. However, Brazuca is a worthy favourite from pole position as he was staying on late when runner up in the Cape Guineas, so looks likely to stay the trip, and the form looks strong. Jet Air could be the dark horse as he stayed on well in the Cape Guineas too and is an outsider tipped to run second. Black Arthur has done nothing wrong and looks to be a horse on the up so he should go close from a good draw of five.

Marinaresco was close behind Black Arthur in the Politician and is preferred to Jet Air according to jockey arrangements. Eastern Charm should relish the trip and is interesting from a good draw with blinkers.

A high class field lines up for the Majorca, but everything points to the brilliant Same Jurisdiction as she gets a plum draw over an ideal trip and is said to be spot on, after not much went right for her in the Gr 1 Maine Chance Paddock Stakes over the a trip of 1800m that is a touch too far. Following her home could be the defending champion Inara, who has exceptional form over course and distance. Double Whammy is unfortunately widely drawn but will be at her peak over a suitable trip and could beat Lanner Falcon and Lohnromance into third, although two others to consider are Alexis and Eventual Angel.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Same Jurisdiction (Nkosi Hlophe)

Futura (pictured), one of the few at yesterday’s J & B Met gallops asked to exert himself in anything like earnest, impressed when partnered by big race jockey Bernard Fayd’Herbe.

Last year’s winner worked on his own at a good pace from halfway down the back straight and quickened up nicely in the last 300m.

Fayd’Herbe, bidding for his fourth Met win, said: “He had a workout and it was good one. I think he would have come on from his Queen’s Plate run and he will be ready for Saturday week.”

Craig du Plooy, who rides expected pacemaker Krambambuli,  deputised for Piere Strydom (in Dubai to ride Harry’s Son yesterday evening) on Legislate and was mightily impressed with the Durban July winner.

He said: “That was an outstanding gallop and the best he has ever been for me. They have got the horse at his best at the right time.”

Anton Marcus was aboard Legal Eagle when the Queen’s Plate winner went with last year’s runner-up Gold Onyx (S’Manga Khumalo). At least they hacked down to the six furlong marker together. Legal Eagle came back on his own, extending over the last 300m, and Gold Onyx followed about a furlong behind.

Sean Tarry said: “It was just going through the motions but it was exactly what Legal Eagle wanted and he seems to be moving well. I think Gold Onyx could again run into a place. He over-raced in the Queen’s Plate.”

Marcus added: “I don’t think you can read much into these gallops but I was happy with Legal Eagle.”

So too was Corne Orffer with Captain America. The Horse Chestnut winner  did a solo spin at a workmanlike pace with his rider reporting: “That was a very good gallop and his wind is good.”

Most of the big names drew well, a notable exception being Master Sabina at 14, and the Sansui Summer Cup winner’s trainer Geoff Woodruff has had a double blow as Deo Juvente is unlikely to run after suffering a nasty cut on his left stifle.

Woodruff explained: “He went for a roll at Milnerton and buried in the sand was a piece of a broken glass bottle that cut into him.”

Master Sabina was ridden by Thomas van Rensburg in a spin over a mile. He wasn’t asked to do much – indeed he spent most of the time looking around at his new surroundings – despite quickening inside the final furlong.  Compere Neil Andrews was moved to comment: “He did as much as I do when I go to the gym!”

Smart Call, the only filly in the race, caught the eye when partnered by Marcus and convincingly drew away from As You Like (Orffer) in the final furlong with an understandably pleased Alec Laird remarking: “She was impressive.”

By Michael Clower
Pictures: Liesl King

PICK 6 MEGAPOOL – FAIRVIEW
Fri Jan 22. Net Carryover R150 000
Race 4 @ 13h45
Estimated Pool: R700 000.

PICK 6 MEGAPOOL – GREYVILLE
Fri Jan 22. Net Carryover R150 000
Race 3 @ 18h55
Estimated Pool: R1.1MILLION!

PICK 6 MEGAPOOL – KENILWORTH
Sat Jan 23. Net Carryover R500 000
Race 4 @ 13h50
Estimated Pool: R2.5MILLION!

PICK 6 MEGAPOOL – TURFFONTEIN
Sat Jan 23. Net Carryover R200 000
Race 4 @ 14h10
Estimated Pool: R1.3MILLION!

PICK 6 MEGAPOOL – SCOTTSVILLE
Sun Jan 24. Net Carryover R300 000
Race 4 @ 14h10
Estimated Pool: R1.8MILLION!

PICK 6 MEGAPOOL – FLAMINGO PARK
Mon Jan 25. Net Carryover R100 000
Race 4 @ 13h50
Estimated Pool: R675 000

PICK 6 MEGAPOOL – FAIRVIEW
Tues Jan 26. Net Carryover R103 360
Race 3 @ 14h25
Estimated Pool: R700 000

PICK 6 MEGAPOOL – TURFFONTEIN
Tues Jan 26. Net Carryover R200 000
Estimated Pool: R1.3MILLION!

PICK 6 MEGAPOOL – GREYVILLE
Wed Jan 27. Net Carryover R200 000
Race 3 @ 14h20
Estimated Pool: R1.2MILLION!

PICK 6 MEGAPOOL – KENILWORTH
Sat Jan 30. Net Carryover R2.2MILLION
Race 4 @ 13h15
Estimated Pool: R8MILLION!

Charles Laird is bullish about Exit Here in Saturday’s CTS Million Dollar. The 6-1 chance is on a roll and has won his last five.

Laird said yesterday: “He arrived in Cape Town around 7.00pm last Saturday evening and he settled in well. I worked him on the racecourse on Tuesday morning because I wanted to show him a left-handed track and he went very well.”

Anthony Delpech takes over from Anton Marcus who has ridden the colt in all his five wins but has decided to stick with Seventh Plain – but apparently only after some deliberation.

Racing manager Derek Brugman said: “Anton gave it a lot of thought and seriously considered riding Exit Here.”

Cape Guineas runner-up Brazuca is 18-10 favourite for the Investec Cape Derby but there are stamina doubts – the colt’s dam is by a sprinter. However trainer Johan Janse van Vuuren does not share them.

He said: “There is no stamina in the pedigree and at one stage I thought he wouldn’t even get a mile but I now believe he will definitely stay the trip.”

Politician winner Black Arthur is 33-10 joint second favourite with Rabada but will be 5kg worse for just over two lengths. Justin Snaith believes his horse has enough improvement left in him to confirm the placings although on Saturday the colt will not come from some far back.

He said: “We don’t want to be doing that again and anyway Black Arthur has a good draw this time.”

By Michael Clower

Picture: Exit Here (Nksoi Hlophe)

National Champion trainer Sean Tarry regarded his well-drawn Dynasty filly Swift Sarah as a “nice outsider” for the CTS Million Dollar at the Investec Day of Dreams meeting on Saturday and he also gives the higher merit rated but wider-drawn Right Approach colt Lunar Approach a shout.

Both horses arrived in Cape Town about ten days ago.

He said, “Swift Sarah has good gatespeed and is well drawn. In her only attempt at this 1400m trip she burst through the stalls and raced wide, everything went wrong, but on pedigree she should get the distance. She travelled exceptionally well and her work has been very good.”

Swift Sarah will jump from a plum draw of three with Cape Town-based jockey Grant Behr up.

Lunar Approach has won over 1600m before and was an impressive winner over 1400m at Turffontein last time out. The form of that last outing has been franked too. Tarry reckoned he could rise above his current merit rating of 96 and said, “I wouldn’t say he is a 110, but is close to 100. He has a shout but will need luck from the draw.”

If the four reserves come out, he will jump from draw ten in the 16 horse field and is to be ridden by S’Manga Khumalo.

Khumalo also rides the Tarry-trained Western Winter filly Bichette in the R1 million Gr 1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes over 1600m and the Tarry-trained Dynasty colt Liege in the R1 million Gr 1 Investec Cape Derby over 2000m.

Tarry was still assessing whether Bichette had fully recovered from her 3,75 length eighth in the Gr 2 Sceptre Stakes over 1200m last weekend. If she takes her place, she should stay the trip, having finished a close second to subsequent Paddock Stakes winner Smart Call in the Gr 2 Ipi Tombi Stakes over 1600m at Turffontein. However, she will need luck from a wide draw.

Tarry regards the 2000m Cape Derby trip as perfect for Liege. This scopey colt bounced back to finish third in the Gr 3 Cartier Politician Stakes over 1800m last time out, having had legitimate excuses in his first two Cape Town outings. However, he is another one who has a wide draw to overcome and Tarry admitted he faced a tough field.

By David Thiselton