Brett Crawford will give Captain America just one more run – in the Green Point on November 21 – before attempting to win the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate for the second successive season.

“Saturday’s race was a starting point and he took a little bit of time to get going but I was happy with him,” said the man who used to train Futura and who would like nothing better than to beat that horse in the country’s premier mile race.

His Horse Chestnut Stakes winner, running for the first time in seven months, would have won the Hollard Humdinger Pinnacle in another half stride and this was a fine comeback.

The unlucky horse, though, was 33-1 shot Ashton Park who was only a head back third and who would surely have won had not Robert Khathi fatally dropped his whip just inside the 200m mark.

But what might have been was of little concern to Mike Robinson who hugged his wife-cum-assistant Luella in delight after the stable’s long-time flag bearer Blarney Bay was announced the winner, the 20-1 shot’s first success since he beat Ashton Park in June last year.

Robinson said: “When I saw MJ go to the front on Chestnut’s Rocket I thought I was in trouble because Blarney Bay doesn’t quicken when he is not out in front. I have nominated him for a  1 400m handicap next Wednesday and if he pulls up well he might run.”

This was red-letter landmark for Heavelon van der Hoven – his 20^th winner, reducing his claim to 2.5kg – and the 22-year-old was landing his second double after also scoring on the exciting Illuminator in the Prescient Maid In Pink Handicap.

The 3-1 favourite more than made up for his slow start by producing a sparkling turn of foot and Glen Puller said: “There is a lot more development to come and I think he will get better and better. He should get up to a mile, especially with his style of racing.”

Donovan Mansour, in double form on the Joey Ramsden-trained Free Agent and Targaryan for Mike Bass (who also won with Spirit Of Hamilton under Grant van Niekerk), reckons he is in Cape Town to stay.

He said: “When I came here just over two months ago I thought it would be very difficult to get in with the various trainers but I have found that they have a much more homely relationship with the jockeys than they do in Jo’burg, and you can build on that.

“I have also found that in Cape Town there is no punting pressure whereas in Jo’burg it’s all about the punt. Here they are just happy to win and that’s a big help.”

Adam Marcus is on a roll and half his 12 winners this term (strike rate 22%) have come at the last four Cape Town meetings with Gorgeous Gaby arriving with a tremendous run under Aldo Domeyer in the Capital International Handicap.

Marcus said: “This is the best run I’ve had in my short career. I switched many of mine off during the Durbanville season and they have come right with the weather, especially the fillies.”

He did, however, have an unexpected reverse with La Flambee who started 2-1 favourite for the Fig Fillies Maiden and managed only seventh. The course vet could find nothing wrong but Domeyer said his mount continuously changed stride.

Punters got off to a disastrous start, plunging on unplaced newcomer Shamrock Skipper from 7-2 to 9-10 and allowing the Chris Puller-ridden winner Chennai Spice to drift from 5-1 to 14-1.

A bemused Darryl Hodgson said: “At the beginning of the week I felt couldn’t lose. Then I started hearing the rumours and by Saturday I thought I would be lucky to run a place!”

The Snaith team, on a lucrative high at Turffontein, left their local course empty-handed but they wouldn’t have done so had Greg Cheyne not stolen the Miton Optimal Handicap. He quickly built up a commanding lead on the Glen Kotzen-trained Pearl Oyster Bay and then held on by the rapidly-disappearing skin of his teeth from Snaith’s Jets-A-Blazing.

By Michael Clower

Picture: Captain America (Wayne Marks)

The Gr 1 2 R1 million Peermont Emperor’s Palace Charity Mile at Turffontein on Saturday saw a similar finish to last year as trainer Alec Laird recaptured the race, this time with the Argentinian-bred five-year-old Giant’s Causeway gelding Bouclette Top, and once again it was at the expense of trainer Gavin van Zyl, whose charge M L Jet fought on for second. Last year the pair of trainers finished first and second with Bezanova and No Worries respectively.

Bouclette Top, who was ridden superbly by national champion jockey Gavin Lerena, has sharpened up notably in his racing since being fitted with blinkers for the first time in March this year. His improvement with the headgear saw him having to carry joint-second topweight of 58kg yesterday. He also had to overcome a tricky draw of eleven. However, that didn’t stop him producing a resolute finish from off the pace to master M L Jet, who fought bravely throughout the straight after turning for home in second place. Bouclette Top won by a comfortable 2,25 lengths. Mitraad flew late from some way back to snatch third from Mac De Lago, who also finished well, and Bezanova had to settle for fifth this year.

Bouclette Top is owned by Wilgerbosdrift Stud.

Bouclette Top (Nkosi Hlophe)

The lucky Charity attached to Bouclette Top was the Thembakazi Primary After Care Centre and the celebrity representing them was Jonathon Boynton-Lee.

Thembakazi received R150,000, Khangezile Primary After Care Centre (attached to M L Jet) received R100,000, San Michele charity (Mitraad) received R80,000 while the Highveld Horse Care Unit (Mac De Lago) received R70,000. All twelve of the remaining charities involved received R50,000 each.

The Justin Snaith-trained Australian-bred colt by Star Witness, Lineker, started 12/10 favourite for the R2,015,000 Bloodstock South Africa Ready To Run Cup over 1400m and there were a few anxious moments for the connections when he went into his number nine stall early and then started slowly. However, it worked in his favour because there was a scrum at the front and he was able to find cover and settle. Piere Strydom was patient in the straight and eventually produced him with a perfectly timed challenge to beat the Gary Alexander-trained and Andrew Fortune-ridden 16/1 shot Crystal Glamour with the widely drawn Gavin van Zyl-trained Redcarpet Captain next best. Snaith praised the magnanimous nature of Lineker’s owner Michael Leaf, whose horse Wylie Hall was the victim of a heartbreakingly controversial upheld objection in the Vodacom Durban July of 2013 at the expense of the Snaith-trained Legislate.

Alexander and Fortune made up for that defeat by winning the R2,5 million Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run Cup with Champagne Haze, a Kahal colt who is half-brother to a previous winner of this race, the Alexander-trained Pierre Jourdan. Champagne Haze, drawn 6, was backed in to 5/2 despite the presence of the unbeaten Mike Azzie-trained Gr 1-winner Rabada, who was drawn 16 but still shortened from 15/10 to 13/10. The two market rivals ended on opposite extremes of the course but Champagne Haze was still full of running after stealing a march and Fortune was able to wave at Anton Marcus and Rabada on the outside before crossing the line three lengths clear. The 55/1 shot King Of Chaos’s third-place finish completed a lucrative day at the office for the Alexander yard. Champagne Haze was bred by Summerhill Stud and has a big syndicate of owners.

The Mike de Kock-trained Australian-bred O’Reilly colt Muwaary was too strong for the Gr 3 Graham Beck Stakes field after the favourite Bull Valley had bolted and had to be scratched. Muwaary overtook the pacemaker Unbelievable Chad quite early in the straight and powered clear to win comfortably by 2,25 lengths under Anthony Delpech. Liege was second and Malak Al Moolook just pipped a brave Unbelievable Chad for third. Lunar Approach was next best.

Lineker (Nkosi Hlophe)

Strydom landed his second feature of the afternoon on the Robbie Sage-trained Madame Dubois and did it so in brilliant fashion in the level weights Gr 3 Starling Stakes for three-year-old fillies. Jumping from a tough draw of 14 over the 1400m trip, Strydom had the Count Dubois filly wide but slipstreamed throughout the turn and kept her covered down the straight until exactly the right moment. She ran on strongly to nab the Mike Azzie-trained Mella Maria and the Lucky Houdalakis-trained Joan Ranger on the line. The odds of the first three were 10/1, 20/1 and 20/1 so this was an upset for the Place Accumulator. Madame Dubois, who finished third in the Gr 1 Allan Robertson Championship over 1200m for two-year-old fillies in May, is owned by Colin Bird and was bred by AJ McNabb and E Miliotis.

The Mike de Kock-trained New Zealand-bred filly The Centenary by Mastercraftsman was allowed to go off at generous odds of 14/1 in the Gr 3 Yellowwood Handicap over 1800m. She was admittedly six points higher in the merit ratings since her last win over this trip on the Inside track, but she was always going to relish the Standside course and distance as one whose new tactics of running on strongly from behind have been most effective. She duly cruised through to win comfortably under regular jockey Randall Simons, beating the favourite Marmalady by 1,5 lengths. Gr 1-winner Bilateral was third. The much vaunted De Kock-trained three-year-old Persian Rug started second favourite but faded tamely after being prominent.

Weiho Marwing did it yet again in a feature staying race on the Highveld when his six-year-old Captain Al gelding Fulcrum, who caught the eye going down, was sent for home early in the straight of the Listed Java Handicap over 2400m by his nephew Wesley Marwing and just held on from the gallant seven-year-old Henry Higgins with Arch Rival next best.

The two R250,000 HSH Princess Of Charlene Of Monaco Maiden Plates, over 1160m and 1600m, saw impressively easy 3,5 length and 6,25 length respective wins for the Sean Tarry-trained three-year-old Silvano filly Tahini, under Raymond Danielson, and the Johan Janse van Vuuren-trained Australian-bred New Approach three-year-old colt New Predator, under Weichong Marwing.

By David Thiselton

Beholder, second-favourite behind American Pharoah, will miss Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Classic due to a bad scope.

The Richard Mandella-trained mare won the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Santa Anita in 2013 and was widely regarded as the only real threat to Triple Crown hero American Pharoah following her impressive victory over the boys in the Pacific Classic Stakes at Del Mar in August.

However, she was found to have bled when she was examined after exercise on Thursday.

Mandella said: “Today when she galloped we scoped her afterwards and found that she had bled. We won’t be able to run her in these circumstances.”

Ahmed Zayat, owner/breeder of American Pharoah, expressed his disappointment at Beholder’s withdrawal. Writing on Twitter, he said: “Shocked and heartbroken [by the news]. I am a Beholder fan and lover. Wish her the best. I commend connections for doing what’s right by her.”

Beholder’s absence leaves Tonalist and Honor Code the new 5-1 joint second-favourites with Track And Ball behind the 8-10 market leader.

Meanwhile, the going on the turf course at Keeneland is officially ‘soft’ after almost an inch and a half of further rain.

Track superintendent Javier Barajas said further rain was anticipated through the remainder of Wednesday and into Thursday, and that his hope for good ground for the turf races at the Breeders’ Cup has now receded.

Barajas said: “The rain is supposed to stop this afternoon, but that is a 30-40 per cent chance. Then there is a 55 per cent chance of rain at 1am tomorrow, but hopefully after 2pm tomorrow we should be OK.

“I’m hoping for some wind in which case we could get good to soft for the start of the Breeders’ Cup races, but I’ve changed my mind about it being good. It can’t be that.”

‘Soft’ is the most severe going description for turf courses in the United States. They do not have the ‘heavy’ that exists in the UK.

Frankie Dettori partnered Derby hero Golden Horn in some light work on the training track as the rain teemed down. The combination engaged in a half-speed exercise around two circuits of the oval track.

The Italian then schooled his Juvenile Fillies Turf mount Illuminate through the starting gate and worked her on the main turf course. Connections of the Richard Hannon-trained filly are happy with her demeanour but far from pleased about the likelihood of soft ground.
– Sportinglife.com

Captain America is in with a real chance of defying a seven-month absence in the aptly named Hollard Humdinger Pinnacle Stakes at Kenilworth tomorrow.

The Horse Chestnut winner has a theoretical three lengths-plus in hand on merit ratings and Brett Crawford says: “He is obviously not at his best because we want him peaking in January but he has been on grass. He is definitely fit enough to run a good race and it wouldn’t surprise me if he won.”

KRA Guineas winner The Conglomerate has been off since the Durban July and, while Joey Ramsden’s treadmill gives him a big advantage, the trainer cautions: “He is a long way from being fully wound up and seven furlongs might be a bit sharp for him.”

The Mike Bass stable fields six of the 13 but it’s 11 weeks and more since any of them ran. Candice Robinson points to the trip being too short for some of the sextet and feels that Night Trip just might prove best as he is so well drawn.

Readytogorightnow is the best rated of the few that are provenly race fit but he has a coffin box of a draw – “We might have to drop him in but he is versatile and I will leave it to Bernard,” says Justin Snaith.

Blarney Bay is also fit and loves the trip but is not at his best on the fast ground. Mike Robinson disagrees, saying: “He looks like a mudlark but he is not and he will run a good race.”

Auditorium’s solid form makes him the obvious, safety-first choice in the first but don’t ignore newcomers Shamrock Skipper (a R450 000 Captain Al out of a half-sister to Vercingetorix) and in particular the Var colt Percival – “He is very smart and he can run,” says Andre Nel who has had five winners in his first five weeks and struck with a 50-1 first-timer on Wednesday.

Ramsden’s Free Agent is the form pick in race two but the potential shown by Purple Rock on debut makes him a more appealing bet, particularly now that he is stepping up in trip.

La Flambee, 100-1 when second on her first outing, missed a subsequent engagement because of coughing but she stands out in the Fig Fillies Maiden. “She is above average and, although it’s her first run for some time, she is doing well at home,” comments the in-form Adam Marcus.

The Tripster was quoted at 5-10 for the Prescient Maid In Pink Handicap in the TAB sheet forecast and at that price the top weight is worth opposing.

The one that stands out is Illuminator who showed an extraordinary turn of foot to win on debut, making up ten lengths in little more than a furlong. The third and fifth have won since and runner-up Arctic Blast was second on Wednesday.

By Michael Clower

Picture: Captain America (Wayne Marks)

The Gr 2 R1 million Peermont Emperor’s Palace Charity Mile heads a lucrative card at Turffontein tomorrow which has six stakes races in total as well as two expensive sales races.

Rampant Ice will love the Standside course and distance of the Charity Mile as a horse with a good turn of foot coupled with a resolute finish. He is drawn well and being by Go a Deputy will now be coming into his own.

Ultimate Dollar (Nkosi Hlophe)

Ultimate Dollar takes a while to wind up into his big stride so will love the long straight and the draw is not insurmountable as he can run from the front or be held up. Mac De Lago is another with a resolute finishing effort so he can be dropped out from a wide draw. Last year’s winner Bezanova had improved by the end of last season and it would be no surprise to see him win it again from a good draw off just a three point higher merit rating. Toro Rosso is a lightly raced progressive sort who could still be anything. These five make the most appeal and are selected in the order mentioned.

The first two races are both R250,000 HSH Princess Charlene Of Monaco Maiden Plates.
In the first over 1160m, Amazing Var was backed on debut and didn’t do badly considering she lost ground at the start. First-timer Miss Wales by Trippi is a full-sister to the top class Not Sulking. São Pualo is another interesting first-timer Trippi filly.
In the second over 1600m, West Coast Warrior caught the eye on debut running on strongly for a close second over 1450m and has a fair draw. Hearts ‘R Pumping finished well over 1200m on the Inside track on debut and this big, strong horse is likely to enjoy the course and distance.

The third is the Gr 3 Yellowwood Handicap for fillies and mares over 1800m. Persian Rug was unlucky in a Gr 1 over 1600m as a two-year-old and will relish this course and distance. However, she is a giant of a horse so the current hard going might be against her and others to include are The Centenary, who will love the long straight, Peep Show, who is ever improving, Love To Sail, who should enjoy the step up in trip, and Gr 1-winner Bilateral, who will be staying on.

Storm Warning (Nkosi Hlophe)

The fourth is the Listed World Sports Betting Java Handicap.  The talented but enigmatic Golden High has a fair draw for a change which should allow him to settle before using his good finish. Topweight Storm Warning had class on his side and others to consider in order of preference are J’s Outsider, Fulcrum, Noblestar, Kolkata and Savage Wind.

The fifth is the R2,015,000 Bloodstock South Africa Ready To Run Cup over 1400m. Netflix is way out at the weights but is a nice type who will rise above his current merit rating in time. He will relish the long straight, so could provide good each/way value from a nice draw with Gavin Lerena up. The Gr 1 two-year-old filly form of last season is suspect but Chestnuts ‘N Pearls did catch the eye last time over 1200m against older horses when flying late. Lineker is classy and is likely coming into his own now. Redcarpet Captain also has class and should be ideally suited to this trip. Lauderdale is Gr 1 winner over 1600m but the form does not look outstanding and she has a wide draw. Howdyulikeit makes most appeal for f the rest.

The sixth is the R2,5 million Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run Cup. The unbeaten Gr 1 winner Rabada is full of class and looks hard to oppose. Main Submission is a progressive sort and could be threat. The progressive Champagne Haze is a half-brother to Pierre Jourdan, who won this race, and he looks distance suited. Dance On Air is an impressive specimen who looks ideally distance suited. Duke Nukem and Top Form have to be considered too.

Rabada (Nkosi Hlophe)

The seventh is the Gr 3 HSH Princess Charlene Of Monaco Starling Stakes over 1400m and Madame Dubois looks to have the class to win it under Piere Strydom despite a wide draw. Leila’s Charger was all the rage on course last time out but disappointed, but she could bounce back from a good draw over a trip that should suit. Melliflora is not much to look at but has proven ability and heart. Swift Sarah stole it over shorter last time and can’t be discounted. Shaama impressed in her first two and might have benefitted from a rest after being above herself in a Gr 1 sprint in May. Miracle Rising makes most appeal of the rest.

The ninth is the Gr 3 Graham Beck Stakes over 1400m. Bull Valley looks to be full of class and on pedigree should love the step up in trip. Unbelievable Chad was impressive when stepped up to this trip last time. Muwaary also has plenty of class and should be right there.

The tenth is the Listed Golden Loom Handicap over 1000m. Isphan has speed and class and by previous big race day trends could be drawn on the right side. Zambezi River also has speed and class and is likely to have improved since gelding. Bad Boy Buddy Boy is very speedy and can’t be ignored over this fast 1000m. Topweight Dollar Dazzler loves the course and distance. Doing It For Dan and Viva La Var will have chances if the going does not put the low draws at a disadvantage.

The eleventh is a MR 84 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1400m Gr 1 winner For The Lads could win it if settling. The hard-knocking China Beach could pick up the pieces.

The twelfth is a MR 92 Handicapover 1600m and Rushmore River makes most appeal over a course and distance he loves.

By David Thiselton