Anton Marcus has called for the Maine Chance Paddock Stakes and the Klawervlei Majorca to be switched in future years.

The four-time champion made his plea after leaving the opposition for dead on Same Jurisdiction in the final 100m of the Grand Play Conditions Plate. Duncan Howells is going to run the 11-10 favourite in both races.

Marcus said: “You want to go a natural progression from a mile to nine furlongs. That’s self-explanatory and common sense should prevail. It was [originally] a pretty poor decision from the powers-that-be.”

Anton Marcus

Tar Heel, who has lost races he should have won in the past by refusing to settle, may be entered for the Betting World Cape Flying Championship after coming good under Marcus in the Racing Association Need For Speed Sprint. He really stretched away in the final 200m although his rider warned: “I think six furlongs is his absolute ceiling.”

Joey Ramsden added: “I have been trying to teach him to settle. He could well have a go at the Cape Flying although I don’t think he is quite good enough.”

Brutal Force is the stable’s main hope for the Met-day sprint and he is to return from Johannesburg in the next few days despite earlier plans to leave him there until a week before the race.

Ramsden explained: “We have had to give up on that idea because you just don’t know what the state vet could do with AHS travel restrictions.”

Captain Chaos, who started joint favourite with Tar Heel, was hardly at the races by comparison and will step up in trip with Ronnie Sheehan observing: “They took him off his feet.”

Heartland, who battled hard under Bernard Fayd’Herbe for a narrow win in the Cape Premier Sales Jet Master, is likely to be entered for the Queen’s Plate this morning.

Justin Snaith said: “I don’t know what sort of chance he would have but off 102 what else could he do? I will talk to the owners.”

The former champion trainer sent out the 2 000^th winner of his hugely successful career when The Merry Widow kicked off the stable’s four-timer. This was the first of three winners in the Drakenstein blue.

Current Event, who showed a fine turn of foot at 20-1 under S’Manga Khumalo in the Grandwest Cape Summer Stayers, looks a natural for the J & B Jet Stayers on January 30 although he would meet runner-up Kingston Mines (who won last season’s race) on 4kg worse terms.

Quote of the day: “We’ve got 1 000 kids here today and I will spend any amount of money to see them happy.” Hassen Adams.

By Michael Clower

A crack at Futura, Act Of War and Captain America could be on the cards for Noah From Goa after the gutsy way he won the Grand Parade Cape Guineas at Kenilworth on Saturday

The 5-1 Tiger Ridge gelding, part-owned by breeder Mary Slack, gave Mike de Kock his first win in this race since Domino Man 12 years ago and his fourth in all.

Noah From Goa (Liesl King)

Son and assistant Matthew said: “Noah has had a hard season and we will see how he pulls up but the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate would be one of the options. We’ve got to expose these three-year-olds to the older horses and see how good they are.”

A Kenilworth Grade 1 could also be on the agenda for Brazuca (8-1) who was only beaten three-quarters of a length. “If Weichong thinks he will stay 2 000m we will leave him here for the Investec Cape Derby,” said a clearly pleased Johan Janse van Vuuren.

But Nassa, backed from 20-1 to 11-1 and only a short head further back, goes to Hong Kong and Tony Millard, who will train him, said: “We already have a very nice horse for the Cape Derby with Brett Crawford in Nebula.”

Silver Mountain, who briefly looked a furlong out as if she might justify all the money that poured on her – she started at 8-10, was less than a length behind the winner. She came back with a cut on her right hind but nobody was offering that as an excuse.

“She had a bit much to make up on them,” said Mike Bass who was wheel-chaired through a sea of well-wishers by son Mark to get into the parade ring. “But Aldo gave her a good ride and she had every chance. I thought she ran a good race.”

Daughter Candice pointed out that the filly has five weeks – compared with only two this time- before the lucrative chips are down in the CTS Million Dollar. Victorius Jay, 40-1 but beaten only 1.2 lengths into fifth, also goes for the big money.

Sean Tarry reported that Liege (14^th) was coughing and the disappointing Budapest (last) was blowing hard after the race.

What the jockeys said:

Anthony Delpech (Noah From Goa):  “He struggled the whole way round the turn as he was on the wrong leg but he is a small horse with a big heart and he doesn’t know how to lie down.”

Weichong Marwing (Brazuca, 2^nd): “He ran very well and he loomed up. I thought it was a great run.”

Corne Orffer (Nassa, 3^rd): “It was always going to be difficult from that 16 draw and I didn’t want to be three wide. I made up ten lengths in the straight – if only I’d had a decent draw.”

Aldo Domeyer (Silver Mountain, 4^th): “I would have preferred a harder pace but I was happy with the way she was making up ground and I thought she might do it. I got to the winner’s hindquarters but then he went on again. Had she had another week it might have been different. She will beat these horses in time.”

Anton Marcus (Hard Day’s Night, 10^th): “He got to the front easier than he had done in the Selangor but there was no kick – he just faded very quickly.  It was a flat run.”

By Michael Clower

Picture: Noah From Goa (Liesl King)

Following the abandonment of the last two races at Scottsville yesterday and the jockeys’ concerns with the going on the turn between the 800 and 600 metre marks, Gold Circle has decided to move Wednesday’s (23 December 2015) race meeting to Greyville with all races remaining on the turf.

In addition the two races not run at Scottsville on Sunday will be moved, as carded, to the Greyville turf track this coming Saturday, 26 December 2015.

Racing can be sublime theatre, on an off the track, but no matter that most were willing the filly Silver Mountain to victory, letting sentiment influence sound reasoning can be fatal when it comes to punting. And so it proved as Noah From Goa stamped the Dingaans form in the Gr1 Grand Parade Cape Guineas at Kenilworth yesterday and the diminutive favourite Silver Mountain fell victim to some bullying tactics by her male rivals.

Anthony Delpech rode the perfect race on Mike de Kock’s gelding, tracking the pace and making his move at just the ride moment. But it was not all plain sailing. “He struggled around the turn and was always on the wrong lead. It just goes to show what a good horse he is. He knows how to win,” he commented post-race.

After the scratching of Rabada earlier in the week Anton Marcus replaced Donovan Mansour on Selangor winner Hard Day’s Night and as is Marcus’s want, he pushed forward early to make the pace with Budapest and Noah From Goa tucking in behind with Brazuca also handy.

Silver Mountain broke well enough but was shuffled back to midfield.

Noah From Goa and Silver Mountain (Liesl King)

Hard Days Night and Budapest both folded tamely leaving Noah From Goa clear early in the straight and he stuck to his guns, just as he had in the bruising Dingaans battle.

Silver Mountain looked to have got bullied by her bigger male rivals when being shuffled back in the early running and turned for home out of her ground. She did quicken to threaten briefly before running out of puff inside the last furlong.

Candice Robinson, who saddled Silver Mountain for her father Mike Bass, was philosophical. “We would have liked to have seen her race closer in the early stages and she got a bump on the bend. We may not have beaten Mike’s horse but with better luck I think she would have finished closer,” she said. Under the circumstances it was a great run.

Brazuca looked buried a furlong out but was doing his best work late to snatch second ahead of Nassa, the pair relegating Silver Mountain to fourth.

“The draw killed us,” said Brett Crawford of third-placed Nassa. “We would have sat next to him (Noah From Goa) and it would have been a different race but it was a good run under the circumstances.”

Noah From Goa has only one blemish on his record in six outings and given the manner of victory the Guineas/Investec Derby double is on the cards for the son of Tiger Ridge although Matthew de Kock, standing in for his father Mike, was cautious in his response. “He’s had a hard season and we’ll see how he pulls up tomorrow. There are some nice races in the Cape season but we will see.”

There was some cheer for Duncan Howells as Same Jurisdiction pulverised some high class opposition in the Grand Play Conditions Plate. A labour dispute forced him to scratch all his Greyville runners on Friday night and forfeit his trip to Kenilworth.

But Same Jurisdiction warmed up for either the Paddock Stakes of the Majorca Stakes, still to be decided, in superb fashion as Anton Marcus asked her to stretch 300m out and she responded with a telling run to leave the opposition struggling.

Heartland and Bernard Fayd’Herbe (Liesl King)

Weight, too much of it, is a curse that most jockeys have to contend with, not more so than Bernhard Fayd’Herbe. Staying alive on the sniff of a burger from Burger King to keep his weight under 60kg, there a few finer in the saddle and his talents were on display as he got Heartland home in the Cape Premier Sales Jets Master Stakes (L) in a bruising battle with Smanga Khumalo and Silicone Valley. Heartland gave his rival 6kg and when Silicone Valley slipped his field it looked all over. But Fayd’Herbe, biding his time in a pocket on the rail, squeaked through a gap at just the right moment. Heartland, a full brother to Cape Derby winner Jackson, looked a certain winner as he charged home but Silicone Valley was not done. Khumalo extracted more from his mount when challenged but just not enough as Heartland got up to stave off the unkindest cut of all – for now at least.

Justin Snaith relinquished his championship title to Sean Tarry last term but things are looking bright nearly half-way through the current season. Snaith leads the log with 89 winners, R1 million and 25 winners ahead of Tarry, and there have been ominous signs for his title rivals as he has already palmed the first two juvenile scurries of the season and bagged four winners on yesterday’s card.

Var Ahead got the ball rolling last Saturday and Snaith and stable rider Fayd’herbe struck again in the first yesterday as The Merry Widow had too much toe for the opposition. It was the first leg of a treble for Drakenstein Stud as the Dean Kannemeyer-trained filly Impala Lily showed the benefit of experience as she got home ahead of debutant Leisure Trip in a tight finish to the third and Same Jurisdiction rounding off a memorable day.

At Turffontein Dominic Zaki, who handed in his trainer’s brief last week, gave an emotional farewell speech on Thursday but had one more fish to fry as he signed off on a winning note at the same venue yesterday.

Apprentice Craig Zackey, who has been riding as first call rider for the yard for the past few months and who comes out of his time at the end of January, showed just why he is a rising star. Showing nerves of steel, he timed his run to perfection on the aptly named Last Battle to give Zaki the perfect send-off.
– Andrew Harrison

Silver Mountain looks a worthy favourite to beat her male opponents and complete a famous Guineas double in the Grand Parade version at Kenilworth tomorrow.

Aldo Domeyer’s mount has done pretty well everything right so far, she has a good draw this time  and the advantage of her 2.5kg allowance – worth two and a half lengths – should not be underestimated.

For Mike Bass it’s a last throw of the dice at the only big Cape Town race he has never won. “Silver Mountain has definitely got more to do this weekend,” he says. “I would like to think she is good enough but obviously I’m guessing. You can’t tell from their work at home. Only when they race do they show you how good they actually are.”

Silver Mountain (Liesl King)

She is 11-10 (with Betting World) and 33-10 second  favourite is the Dingaans winner Noah From Goa who has won four out of five and represents Mike de Kock, bidding for his fourth Cape Guineas and his first for 12 years. Is the colt good enough to beat Silver Mountain?

“That’s a difficult question but it’s what we are coming to find out,” says De Kock’s son and assistant Matthew. “She will be hard to beat but I don’t think she will be as comfortable as she has been against the fillies and the form of this year’s crop could be a little bit suspect.”

Brazuca (6-1) is the highest-rated male – although three and a half lengths behind the filly at the weights – and has won both his starts since going close in the Golden Horseshoe. Johan Janse van Vuuren sent him to Brett Crawford (successful with Elusive Gold two years ago) for the last part of his preparation.

The Selangor winner has gone on to take this race five times in the last ten and Joey Ramsden has won two of the last four Guineas, both pointers to 14-1 shot Hard Day’s Night. Agonisingly for Donavan Mansour, the draw-defying big race ace Anton Marcus is waiting in the wings now that Rabada has gone down with pharyngitis. A decision will be made today.

“I gave the colt a little break after the Selangor and freshened him up. He has done very well since,” Ramsden reports. “Silver Mountain looks exceptional and will be hard to beat but Budapest also impressed me. He put up some performance in the Ready To Run and he could be a major opponent.”

A line through Anglet puts Budapest (14-1) only a length and a half behind the favourite, albeit there are a good few ifs and buts involved. “Silver Mountain has the draw and the class,” says Gavin van Zyl. “But my horse has done well since his win and he has the speed to overcome his 14 draw.”

However the first seven in the Selangor were covered by little more than the width of a horse blanket. Victorius Jay (16-1) finished closest but the ones that really caught the eye were Nassa and Illuminator who both finished like a train. They are 16-1 chances and Andrew Fortune has already said that his mount would have finished closer had he had more experience.

Nassa would appear to be stymied by his dreadful draw and the gremlins have similarly struck 25-1 chance Eighth Wonder who was fancied and unlucky that day. Purple Mountains and Rodney were also close up in the Selangor. They could again finish on the heels of the placed horses but they don’t look like Guineas winners.

The 40-1 about Liege is almost an insult for a horse from the stable of the champion trainer and ridden by a former champion jockey but, even if you ignore his last run, his form does not look good enough.

By Michael Clower