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

Seventh Plain bids to get back on track for the CTS Million Dollar in the Fairview Wine Sophomore Sprint at Kenilworth on Saturday – and the indications are that he will probably do so.

The Dennis Drier dual Grade 1 winner started hot favourite for the Lanzerac Ready To Run but failed to find anything when push came to shove and was beaten nearly six lengths into fourth.

“Fitnesswise he wasn’t where we thought he was despite all our best intentions,” recalls racing manager Derek Brugman. “But he is now pretty close to where he needs to be.”

Seventh Plain (Nkosi Hlophe)

Moving this race from its traditional September slot has proved to be an inspired move. There might only be nine runners – even so only once in the last six years has the field been bigger – but there is no shortage of quality and, with all but Psycho Syd eligible for the Million Dollar, the race has significance aplenty.

The penalty structure, too, could hardly have worked better had the race been a handicap. When you adjust the merit ratings for the weights the top three are separated by less than half a length with the Puller pair the same margin further back.

Anton Marcus brought out the most of Tar Heel’s sprinting ability last time and, while the extra furlong may not play to the horse’s strengths, he represents a live threat. “A big runner and the main danger to Seventh Plain,” is Brugman’s assessment.  “On pure class Seventh Plain is the better but Tar Heel will have a big chance if he sees out the trip and it wouldn’t surprise me if he won.”

Ernie went up nine points for his last win and, if the handicappers are right to hike him that much, he also comes into the picture. “He’s got a chance – definitely,” says Candice Robinson who adds that this 1 200m to 1 400m is the gelding’s best distance.

Illuminator drops back in trip after the last 200m proved too much for him in the Cape Guineas. “He needs to be cut because he haemo-concentrates quite badly,” Glen Puller explains. “He kicks on well but in the final furlong his muscles start aching and that’s what happened in the Guineas.”

Puller adds that Western Storm needed the run when performing below his best last time but fears that the gelding “might need it this time too.”

Forward Drive relishes this trip and, although his Million Dollar ticket is already booked, he has a bit to find here, particularly as he will effectively be carrying 2.5kg overweight because his rider can’t claim.

Psycho Syd is also a couple of kilos adrift but it’s worth remembering that he had it won a long way out when making all for his maiden win.

Winter Prince has won his last three but all over 1 400m.  “He is quite a speedy horse,” says Brett Crawford, explaining that he doesn’t see the shorter trip as a problem. “The idea is to qualify him for the Million Dollar. He is only rated 86 and I think you need to be about 92 to get into the race. If he can run close to some of the high-rated horses he is going to get a penalty.”

By Michael Clower 

The Gr3 Flamboyant Stakes for fillies and mares over 1600m heads the New Year’s Day eight race meeting at Greyville, in which the first three races are on the poly and the rest on turf, and there is also a nine race sprint meeting at Scottsville on Sunday.

Olma stands out as the horse to beat in the Flamboyant, which will be run on the turf. Trainer Frank Robinson now believes he had overestimated the classy filly’s ability to stay and is now of the opinion that the mile to 1800m is her best trip. She is the best in at the weights and drawn well and this is her third run after a layoff. The lightly raced and progressive four-year-old In Other Words has won four in a row on the poly from 1200-1400m but there is no reason why she should not enjoy turf as well as the step up in trip. Sabaha is a talented sort who has perhaps been a touch disappointing and she does have a hard task of reversing form with Olma from their last meeting over 1800m as she is now 2kg worse off despite being beaten 1,75 lengths and she is now also drawn wide, although on the other hand she would prefer this trip. Trini’s Collateral looks to be the second string of the Duncan Howells-trained horses on jockey bookings but being by Lateral is likely to love going over a mile for the first time. The three-year-old Visionaire filly Lala has some class and her dam won over 1600m, so she is interesting stepped up to this trip.

Those five make the most appeal and are selected in the order mentioned.

The first is a MR 66 Handicap over 1000m on the poly and the quick Royal Honeymoon has come down to an attractive merit rating and also has a 2,5kg claimed up so could be hard to catch if jumping well from pole position. Bermudabreeze is one point lower than his last win and the yard is in good form so he could be involved over a suitable trip. Roy’s Gul Gul Ha is down to a competitive merit rating and is course and distance suited.

The second is a MR 70 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1200m and Tigeress Dance seems well handicapped off a 66 merit rating considering she has some good Cape Town form from 1200-1400m. Dark Rose finally got off the mark last time out when stepped up to 1400m and off a lowly merit rating of 61 could go close. Ginger Biscuit is drawn well for a change over a suitable trip and is off a competitive merit rating.

The third is a MR 70 handicap for fillies and mares over 1200m. Vampirella is a talented sort who is drawn well over a suitable trip. Victory Takeover proved herself up to her merit rating last time and is now reunited with Anton Marcus. Quintella is still off a competitive merit rating and will be running on strongly from behind as usual. La Gitano has pace and will enjoy the step down in trip and as an improved sort should be thereabouts. You Bolt should be running on strongly over this suitable course and distance.

The fourth is a Maiden for fillies and mares over 1600m on the turf. The hard knocking Durban Blues needed her last start and as one who has done well against good sorts should go close over a step up in trip age she should appreciate. Scarlet Riviera did well over 1200m on the Greyville turf on debut and caught the eye doing good work late so should relish the step up in trip and will be a big threat. The improving Coastal Spell finished a good second over this distance last time and the form has been franked.

The fifth is a weak maiden over 1600m on the turf and Nirvana is well drawn and can build on three decent runs over this step up in trip which he should appreciate. Apple Jack has some fair form and will appreciate the step down in trip, but does have a tough draw to overcome. Super Sonic improved last time and can go close with a repeat.

The seventh is a Graduation Plate over 1800m on turf and here the talented Run Rhino Run will have come on from his last run and is the one to beat. Rio De La Plata looks to be a horse who is going places too and could be a threat. Translunar is a useful sort who is very consistent and he might now be ready to step back up to 1800m having failed over this trip in his only attempt 15 months ago.  Rap Attack should handle this trip and being by Go Deputy will be improving all the time. Killer Woman is the only filly in the field but is not without a chance as she showed signs of class last time and Delpech stays aboard from a good draw.

The eighth is a Maiden over 1800m for fillies and mares and Roy’s Emblem could be the one to beat from a fair draw having done well over 2000m last time on the poly. The typically big Ideal World filly Badger Creek was slow away on debut but should improve considerably in her second career start as she will enjoy being on turf and will relish the step up in trip. Seattle Belle looks likely to enjoy the step up in trip too and has a chance.

The highlight on Sunday is the Non-Black Type African Holly Handicap over 1000m and the talented Beloved Country could beat home the course and distance specialist Mr Whatever with the up and coming Big King also being an interesting runner.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Olma (Nkosi Hlophe)