Hayley Turner, Frenchman Christophe Lemaire and Panamian Eduardo Pedroza are among the stars who will take part in the international Jockeys match against the South Africans in November.

But the big surprise this time is that Kenilworth has been dropped from the list of venues which are now restricted to Turffontein and Fairview.

The organisers have had trouble attracting enough runners in Cape Town in the past but Racing Association chairman Larry Wainstein said yesterday: “We wanted to give the series a different spin this time and so Port Elizabeth has been given the opportunity. The idea is also to have some races on polytrack.”

Durban was dropped previously, at the request of Gold Circle, but the latest change will be a disappointment to Cape Town racegoers who enjoyed seeing the big names in action.

Wainstein, the driving force behind the event, hopes to have the remaining three international riders firmed up shortly but he confirmed that there will be no-one from Turkey. That country’s representative last year, Yasin Pilavcilar, attracted a lot of criticism and was described by Joey Ramsden as “absolutely appalling.”

Wainstein added: “We will ensure that we have a decent team this year.”  The Fairview fixture is on Friday November 13 (hopefully not an inauspicious choice!) and the Turffontein one the following day.

Turner, who rode here in 2010, has been the most successful female Flat jockey in Britain and she retires at the end of the year. Lemaire’s major triumphs include the 2011 Melbourne Cup and Pedroza has been four times champion in Germany.

Gavin Lerena will captain the home team which is also expected to comprise S’Manga Khumalo, Greg Cheyne and Anthony Delpech plus two still-to-be-selected wild cards.

By Michael Clower

Picture: Hayley Turner

The classy Craig Eudey-trained six-year-old Kahal gelding Flyfirstclass defied a 91 day layoff to win the main race at Scottsville on Sunday, a MR 100 Handicap over 1200m, under Alec Forbes.

The big bay showed pace throughout before finding another gear to pull clear of the nine-year-old veteran Royal Zulu Warrior and the hot favourite De Kock to win by 1,75 lengths, returning odds of 12/1.

The first race, a Maiden for fillies and mares over 1200m, saw Kumaran Naidoo clinching a weekend double. His first-timer three-year-old by Rebel King, Deep Down Rebel, emerged from the pack to chase down the pacemaker Kingsview before going on to beat her in good style under 4kg claimer Tristan Godden.

In the second, a MR 87 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1200m, the lack of pace in the small seven horse race played into the hands of topweight LittleBlacknumber, who still had enough in the tank to find a kick under a rider she gets on well with, Brandon Lerena. The Duncan Howells yard ran one-two-three in this race as the fancied Tiptol was second ahead of the favourite Miss Argentina.

Dean Kannemeyer then made it a weekend double and both wins were with newly arrived horses to his Summerveld satellite yard from his Cape Milnerton base. His Fort Wood gelding, In Your Dreams, rallied to win an average Maiden for three-year-olds over 1400m under Forbes from the favourite The Deacon.

The hard-knocking Glen Kotzen-trained Cyclone Sassy enjoyed the step up to 1400m in the next, a Maiden for three-year-old fillies, and won cosily under Anton Marcus. The fifth was a maiden over 2400m and the Gary Rich-trained Musuchelalomissus got the better of the favourite Scot’s Party, who once again found little after traveling well throughout.

In the seventh, a MR 80 Handicap over 1200m, Puller made it a double as his three-year-old Antonius Pius gelding St Marco, merit rated 79, remained unbeaten in two starts when just getting up under Athandiwe Mgudlwa to deny Hip Hop Dancer with the favourite Monte Cristo in third.

In the last, a MR 72 Handicap over 1200m, the Paddy Lunn-trained three-year-old Var filly Timeous proved herself a decent sort by winning comfortably first time out the maidens off a merit rating of 81 and the win gave Godden a double.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Flyfirstclass (Anita Akal)

Treve is special. Obviously, she’s special – that electric turn of foot, those two magical Arc wins, her perfect record either side of those three runs in 2014 when she was suffering from foot and back problems. She’s special.

But the Motivator filly is special in the unique sense of the word too, as on October 4 (Sunday) she will make history, one way or another, when she sets hoof on the Parisian turf with all eyes of the racing world upon her.

For no horse has ever before lined up at Longchamp carrying the unique weight of expectation that will come with going for a third success in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Six other horses have won Europe’s most prestigious race twice, but none of that sextet went for a third. Ksar retired at four, Motrico at five after his second win, the filly Corrida was the same, Tantieme retired at four as did Ribot and Alleged.

But Treve, the Arc angel, stayed in training following her second triumph in the great race and since then she hasn’t put a foot wrong.

Bookmakers all over Europe have been scurrying for cover as Criquette Head-Maarek has orchestrated a perfect five-year-old campaign that has seen Treve take in victories in the Prix Corrida, the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud and, most spectacularly, in the Prix Vermeille.

That latest win has set things up perfectly for the 2015 Arc. All her good traits were there; she travelled like a demon, burst clear once unleashed by Thierry Jarnet and then kept going until her pilot decided to, reluctantly presumably, apply the brakes.

If there was a chink of light for her rivals she did slightly hang right towards the rail, but that’s being extremely picky. She simply looks in fantastic shape and her physical problems from last year are a fading memory, hence the general odds-on quotes.

Her credentials are rock solid. But, while she’s the first horse to go for a third Arc win, she’s the fifth horse in the last 25 years that will go off as odds-on favourite, should she maintain her market dominance.

Here’s how the others fared:

1990 – Salsabil 3/5 favourite. Finished 10th.

1991 – Generous 9/10 favourite. Finished 8th.

2000 – Montjeu 4/5 favourite. Finished 4th.

2009 – Sea The Stars 4/6 favourite. Finished 1st.

2015 – Treve odds-on favourite? Finished ?

Those beaten favourites mentioned above had some things in common. All of them had a wide draw, although it should be remembered that was no barrier to success for Treve in 2013 when she won from stall 15. A more likely reason for defeat is the weight she has to give to some classy three-year-old colts, namely New Bay, and possibly Jack Hobbs and/or Golden Horn. But Treve has lit up Longchamp several times before and an expectant crowd will be hoping to see that trademark turn of foot again. It’s all very exciting. Treve is special.

• Ben Lightfoot for Sportinglife.com

Picture: Treve winning the 2014 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Independent.co.uk)

Brett Crawford and Eric Sands are to have a conference call with Phumelela racing executive Clyde Basel early this week about how to respond to the demand for more runners at Cape Town meetings.

Cape trainers’ committee member Crawford said: “We are going to put to Clyde a few suggestions that the trainers have and then we will discuss the matter again among ourselves.”

There now seems more of a determination than there was initially to take measures to increase the average runners per race from ten to 12 and so avoid the stakes cut threatened by Phumelela.

> Andre Nel, who had his first runner five days ago and three more on Saturday, has a team of 60 to go to war with in his new role as private trainer to Sabine Plattner. Thirteen of them are two-year-olds who are not expected to race until next season.

> Shadlee Fortune, nephew of Andrew, has moved from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town. The 19-year-old has ridden 13 winners.

– Michael Clower

Hard Day’s Night has the CTS Million Dollar as his target after putting up an impressive performance on his handicap debut at Durbanville on Saturday.

The 2-1 favourite had never been to Durbanville before, or indeed been round any sort of a turn, and he was having to give weight to older horses yet he won pulling up and had the second three and a half lengths back.

Joey Ramsden, who won the 2004 Gold Cup with the colt’s uncle Major Bluff, said: “Whether he is quite good enough to be a Guineas horse I don’t know but he is a smashing sort and I was impressed with the way he had the others off the bit so far out.”

Donavan Mansour, who had no hesitation in sending him to the front fully two furlongs from home, reckons there is more to come and said: “There is a lot of scope there and a lot of improvement too.”

Some observers wondered about the colt’s tendency to drift right in the closing stages – he had done the same, only worse, when winning at Kenilworth on his previous start – but Mansour believes there is a logical and relatively harmless explanation. He said: “It’s a mental thing. He had sore shins and as a result he is looking after himself. But in fact he strides out perfectly.”

Derek Brugman made it clear that he and owner Markus Jooste intend to run as many as possible in the hope of hitting the jackpot at Kenilworth on January 23 and said: “Everything that gets into the Million Dollar will run. There is nearly R14 million at stake and, if you have a horse that qualifies, you’ve got to have a go – and I’m really excited about this horse.”

Varumba is also on the list after making much of the running in the Gold Circle Fillies Handicap to give MJ Byleveld, 34 yesterday, an early birthday present. She will first be aimed at the Avontuur Cape Fillies Guineas on December 5 although Vaughan Marshall didn’t seem too keen on using the Choice Carriers (November 7) as a stepping stone.

He said: “I’m not sure about that – I’ve done it before and it didn’t work – but this is a special filly.”

Settlers Trophy winner Arezzo is likely to follow the example of last year’s winner Desert Swirl (only seventh this time after losing a lot of ground at the start) and go for the Woolavington when racing returns to Kenilworth on October 24.

Chris Snaith added: “He will obviously get a penalty – he was 1.5kg under sufferance – but he is still a young horse. We weren’t sure whether he would get the extra 400m but obviously he stays all day.”

Mansour, who is riding with ever-increasing confidence as the winners begin to flow, said: “He took the corners like a kid to candy and, when I squeezed him at the 1 000m mark, I knew I had them but I decided to wait until the straight.”

Greg Cheyne, out of luck on 5-2 favourite Parachute Man, still went home with a double after springing a 10-1 surprise for Glen Kotzen on Chestnut’s Champ and scoring on the Eric Sands-trained My Emblem.

Mike Bass’s son Mark went racing for the first time since the start of his father’s illness seven weeks ago – the intervening racedays have been spent watching on TV at the patient’s side – and he was rewarded with a double with the first time-blinkered Shout and Inara’s full sister Inanna.

He said: “My father is anxious to get back with his horses and onto the golf course, and he may be allowed out during the day in three to four weeks’ time.

“However his good leg has no feeling and, although the doctors say it will come right, he has to work on it and he is now doing three to four hours a day in the gym.”
– Michael Clower