Intriguing Lady blitzed home almost five lengths clear of her opposition on her 800m Scottsville debut yesterday and her connections are suitably impressed.

The two-year-old chestnut daughter of New Approach (IRE) and a Green Desert mare was bought at the 2014 Inglis Sale in Melbourne, knocked down to Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, who will be watching her progress with interest.

Assistant trainer Nathan Kotzen commented: “Well done to Sheikh Mohammed. Intriguing Lady showed good work at home, she has plenty of pace and room for improvement as she matures. Well done also to jockey Brian Nyawo, he’s been riding her in her exercise gallops and deserved to get the mount in a race.”

Mike de Kock, speaking from Dubai, said: “The Melbourne Sale has been very lucky for us. The nice thing about Intriguing Lady is that she has a scopy pedigree. She has lots of stamina in her female line so the fact that she shows so much pace is very encouraging. She’s a prospect for the Highveld Autumn Season and for KZN later this year.”
– Mikedekockracing.com
Picture: Intriguing Lady (Nkosi Hlophe)

The Million Dollar pot of gold is now only 19 days away and this morning three stables are convinced they are that much closer to the end of the rainbow after what happened in the Fairview Wine Sophomore Sprint at Kenilworth on Saturday.

Ernie won the race and, despite being by the SA Derby winner Elusive Fort (Peter de Beyer would say because of it!), he had the speed to win with authority.

Mike Bass also has probable CTS favourite Silver Mountain and Candice Robinson said: “I was using the Sophomore as Ernie’s prep for the race but it’s nice to now have two runners in it with a chance.”

So how will this one fare over the extra 200m? Grant van Niekerk who, like his boss, was in treble form, seemed to have slight doubts. “I don’t know – Ernie just loves it up the straight,” he explained. “But the way he is feeling at the moment I don’t see why he shouldn’t be alright.”

Mrs Robinson, though, has already worked this one out – “Ernie likes to be dropped out and given a chance. Ridden like that, he will get the extra no problem. In the Cape Classic we rode him too close to the pace and he didn’t like it.”

Illuminator finished only three-quarters of a length behind -admittedly receiving 2kg that he won’t get in the big one – but Glen Puller reckons his charge will fare better in the CTS despite his blood problems.

He said: “On Saturday they were going slow and then sprinting. You want to be up there when the pace is like that and mine came from behind. The pace is normally good over 1 400m. The haemo-concentrating has more effect the further you  travel but normally only after 1 400m.”

Seventh Plain, run out of second close home, might have looked a bit disappointing if you had your money on. But he will be 4kg better with Ernie and 6kg better with Illuminator on January 23 and over seven furlongs that translates into nearly four lengths and over five.

“I am over the moon,” said Derek Brugman who had already done the calculations. “This was many lengths better than his Ready To Run race performance and I though it a brilliant prep for the Million Dollar.”

Joe Ramsden also has his eyes on at least a minor part of the pot– you get over R600 000 even for finishing fifth – with Prince Of Thieves who completed a Marcus-ridden treble for the Milnerton trainer in the Itsarush Handicap.

Justin Snaith’s record for the fastest 100 in a season was established on Met day last year and the prolific-scoring team reckon they have already smashed it, following up a New Year’s Day double with two Fayd’Herbe-ridden winners on Saturday.

The NHA website statistics, prudently marked “not audited,” suggest they are still on 99 but the Sporting Post figures indicate that the list on the Snaith Racing office wall is correct.

By Michael Clower
Picture: Ernie winning the Sophomore Sprint (Liesl King)

The useful Charles Laird-trained Beloved Country proved her suitability to the minimum trip at Scottsville yesterday when winning the Non-Black Type African Holly Handicap over 1000m under Anton Marcus.

She was backed into odds-on and, running off a merit rating of 93 and carrying 57,5kg, it seemed race over when she took control close to home, but she then had to survive a late rally from Muscatt, who was one of a number horses over the weekend who showed that the lean spell of the Michael Roberts yard looks to be over. Muscatt, who started second favourite in the small six horse field, was only a quarter of a length back at the line and then there was two lengths back to third-placed Miss Varlicious.

Trainer Dennis Bosch had earlier scored a double and later made it a treble. The hard knocking Silvano gelding Red China converted 2/1 second favouritism in a Maiden over 1000m under Anthony Delpech. The talented Regardstobroadway then proved too good for a fillies and mares MR 77 handicap field over 1000m, despite odds of 13/2, and she thereby franked the form of two classy types, Free State and Beloved Country. Brandon Lerena, who had scored a treble at Greyville on Friday night, was aboard.

Later, in an unusually weak Graduation Plate for fillies and mares over 1200m, the Overlord filly Shezaleader destroyed them by 5,75 lengths to give Marcus a double. Marcus clinched a treble when winning the last race, a Maiden over 1200m, on the Gavin van Zyl-trained Western Winter colt Eternal Ice, who enjoyed the step back in trip.

There were two huge upsets in the Pick 6 legs. The Mike Pappas-trained seven-year-old King Of Kings gelding Highland Fling won a MR 70 handicap over 1200m under 2,5kg claimer Erico Saziwo Ngwane despite running off a 40 merit rating and being sent off at 110/1 odds. Later, the Corinne Bestel-trained three-year-old Fort Wood filly She’s A Fortress comfortably won a Maiden for fillies and mares over 1200m at odds of 66/1, but is entitled to be good as she is out of She’s A Winner, who won the Gr 3 Godolphin Barb Stakes over the same course and distance.

By David Thiselton
Picture: Beloved Country (Nkosi Hlophe)

Futura and Legislate dominate the betting for the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate at Kenilworth on Saturday and Justin Snaith is adamant that he has the pair primed to perfection.

Last year’s winner is 2-1 with Betting World and 19-10 with World Sports Betting. Legislate, odds-on when a virus victim 12 months ago, is 22-10 and 5-2.

Futura impressed when galloped on the course eight days ago and Legislate did a similar spin on his own over 1 400m last Tuesday with Futura’s rider Bernard Fayd’Herbe in the irons. Piere Strydom will be on board on Saturday when Snaith expects to have 33 runners.

Snaith said: “They are both spot on and it will take a very good horse to beat them. Legislate’s best run last year was in the Green Point after four and a half months off when he broke the course record and we are replicating what we did then with him.”

Both horses were checked out by Snaith’s vet towards the end of last week and given an unqualified thumbs-up  – “I always do that and I give them a blood test as well to make sure there is no haemo-concentrating because that is something that can sneak up on you.”

Ominously for the opposition one of the pair has always won when they have both run in the same race in the past. The score stands at Legislate three, Futura two.

Captain America, third favourite at a best-priced 13-2, was ridden by big race jockey Corne Orffer in a gallop with three others over 1 400m on the course last Tuesday and Brett Crawford said: “He worked well and I am very happy with him.”

Anton Marcus’s mount Act Of War (15-2) “worked fantastic” according to Joey Ramsden when ridden by Donovan Dillon in a seven furlong racecourse spin on Saturday accompanied by The Conglomerate (Keanan Steyn) and Brutal Force who was partnered by a groom.

Inara (Grant van Niekerk), bidding to repeat last year’s win in the Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes, also saw Kenilworth  1 400m action on Saturday and pleased Candice Robinson in a gallop with Come Fly With Me (Dillon).

Premier Trophy winner Paterfamilias (15-1 for the J & B Met) misses the Queen’s Plate to go straight for the January 30 spectacular. “He was drawn very wide this Saturday and in any case he doesn’t really need to have another race before the Met,” explained Mrs Robinson.

Stable companion Tevez, who ran way below form when fancied for the Diadem, was found to have been cut into behind and was quite sore afterwards.

By Michael Clower
Picture: Legislate (Liesl King)

The Frank Robinson-trained Dynasty filly Olma deservedly earned bold black type for the first time when comfortably winning the Gr 3 Flamboyant Stakes over 1600m on the Greyville turf on New Year’s Night under a faultless ride by Ian Sturgeon.
Robinson’s contention that he had overestimated the four-year-old’s ability to stay was proven correct.
She raced hard on the steel after Sturgeon had expertly placed her in the box seat in the eleven-horse field behind Cassey O’Malley, who sat in second place in the running and wasn’t interested in chasing the good pace set by Lertasha.
There might have been one or two anxious moments in the stands when Lertasha skipped about three lengths clear as they entered the straight.
However, the punters who had backed Olma in from 7/2 to 16/10 were breathing easily seconds later as she showed a blistering turn of foot and made up the deficit in a matter of strides before opening up a three length lead and showing no signs of stopping.
It was race over by the 200m mark and it was left to the Doug Campbell-trained Lala to run on strongly for a two length second and then there was a 2,75 length gap back to Cassie O’Malley who just touched off Brown Sugar and Lertasha for third. Olma’s market rival In Other Words was dropped out from a wide draw and was just too far out of her ground as she ran on well but could only manage sixth place. The disappointment was the third favourite Sabaha, who seems to be a temperamental sort and to date hasn’t lived up to her early promise.
Robinson had always believed Olma would come into her own as a four-year-old being a light-framed filly. He secured her for R450,000 at the National Yearling Sales and, despite it being revealed that she had cysts on her stifle at the time, he said she had turned out to be one of his soundest horses in training.
She is owned by Russians Ruslan and Aslan Bifov and was bred by Vaughan Koster’s Cheveley Stud.
Robinson said he would likely give Olma a break now, but she will be a filly to be reckoned with in the Champions Season.
Later in the meeting the Tony Rivalland-trained New Zealand-bred three-year-old Rip Van Winkle filly Killer Woman proved herself one to be reckoned with too when slamming a decent bunch of males, all bar one of whom were older horses, in a six-horse field Graduation Plate over 1800m after showing a superb turn of foot. The win completed a double on the night for Delpech. The three-year-old fillies crop appears to lack depth countrywide this season, so Killer Woman could be a contender for a race like the Gr1 Woolavington 2000.
The Michael Roberts-trained three-year-old Ashaawes filly Durban Blues did well against some of the best fillies of her age in KZN last season and got off the mark on Friday night in her sixth career start in a 1600m fillies and mares maiden under Brandon Lerena. The win gave the Roberts yard a double on the night, ending a lean spell, and it was the first leg of a treble for Lerena. Durban Blues looks to have the scope to go on and win more races.

At Kenilworth yesterday the Listed Sophomore Sprint over 1200m provided a good preparation or qualifying race for a number of CTS Million Dollar contenders and it was the Mike Bass trained Elusive Fort gelding Ernie who pulled clear late in the race to win under Grant Van Niekerk and ensure his place in the lucrative 1400m event’s final field. Illuminator was a borderline case for qualifying according to the last Million Dollar log so gave his connections hope by finishing second. The dual Gr 1-winner Seventh Plain had to concede lumps of weight to the whole field and ran a fair third, although his backers would have been disappointed as he started hot favourite. Psycho Syd was the only runner who doesn’t qualify for the CTS Million Dollar and finished fourth, while borderline cases Forward Drive and Western Prince did their chances of getting in the field no favors by finishing well beaten as did the hopeful Astrapi. Tar Heel looks to have qualified for the race already as he was high up on the last log but yesterday’s race will add to the doubts over his stamina as he was well beaten in fifth place after being prominent early.

In Johannesburg yesterday Grant Maroun pulled off a fine training feat when the six-year-old Mullins Bay gelding Viking Hero ran on strongly to win the Gr 3 Lebelo Sprint over 1000m under Karl Zechner. At this time last year the sprinter was a battling one-time winning handicapper merit rated only 68. However, he then reeled off three wins on the trot and followed that with four more seconds, so came into yesterday’s event merit rated 88. He carried only 54kg yesterday due to the presence of 100 merit-rated One Man’s Dream. Zechner timed his run, made towards the outside of the nine horse field, to perfection to win by a quarter-of-a-length from Tiger Territory with Mod Barley a further 1,5 lengths back in third.
Earlier, an eye catching performance was put in by the Sean Tarry-trained Right Approach colt Lunar Approach who came from third in the running in a MR 93 Handicap for three-year-olds over 1400m and hit the front early in the straight before powering clear to win by 3,5 lengths under S’Manga Khumalo from the lightweight Neuf de Pape and second topweight Rikitikitana. The favourite, the Gary Alexander-trained Champagne Haze, was having his first run since easily winning the R2,5 million CTS Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run Cup and was carrying top weight of 61,5kg from the widest draw of all in the six horse field, so the price of 5/10 seemed way too short against these promising sorts.And so it proved as he was never in it and finished fifth, but he will no doubt bounce back and be a contender for the Autumn classics along with Lunar Approach.
The Alexander yard had consolation later when the Seventh Rock filly Crystal Glamour, who was runner up in only her second outing in the R2,015,000 Bloodstock SA Ready To Run Cup, put in a sterling performance to win a MR 89 Handicap over 1400m for three-year-old fillies. Andrew Fortune had to bring her wide around runners to take the lead and she then held on bravely in the straight to win in a tight three way finish from the promising Jungle Mist and the topweight Juxtapose. All three are likely to make there presence felt in the Autumn classics.

By David Thiselton