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

The Gr 2 R1 million Supreme Cup sponsored by SAP, formerly known as the Emerald Cup, had its last running on the Vaal Sand track on Saturday and among those who are sad about this surface’s pending discontinuation is Mike Azzie, trainer of Saturday’s big race winner Deputy Jud.

Azzie was thrilled for Deputy Jud’s owners Adriaan and Rika van Vuuren, who have had close to 100 winners in three years in the game, but this was their first big one.

“It was their biggest pay day and long deserved. I think there are good times ahead for them because with patience there are now some good horses coming through the ranks.”

Deputy Jud has come through the race well. “He is a tough horse”, said Azzie of the four-year-old Judpot gelding.

The Van Vuurens, who are one of the biggest spending couples at the South African thoroughbred sales, were not on course due to a family wedding. However, they are keen racegoers and are unlikely to miss Deputy Jud’s other big engagements this season, which according to Azzie could either  be the Gr 1 SANSUI Summer Cup at the end of November or races like the Gr 1 L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate and Gr 1 J&B Met.

Azzie was also full of praise for Deputy Jud’s jockey JP van der Merwe, who rode a treble for the yard at the meeting. He said, “Horses love JP, he is kind to them and they run for him. He is talented and I have always said when he gets serious one day he will really go places.”

Azzie did not put down Deputy Jud’s win to a freakish liking for the sand surface, but rather to an improvement in him brought about by recent gelding.

He said, “He doesn’t have to prove himself on turf, he finished third in the SA Classic and second in the SA Derby and might even have won the Daily News 2000 if he hadn’t taken that bad bump. After he had taken that bump, he became very obstinate and gave us a torrid time. He did not want to go to work in the mornings, the groom had to lead him all the way to the ring, and before his workout he would stand for minutes not wanting to do it until he felt like it.”

Upon returning to Johannesburg Azzie told Van Vuuren he would not be able to continue training the horse unless he was gelded. In emphasising the necessity he pointed to a former inmate of his Potala Palace, a Gr 1 winner with an outstanding pedigree, who was attracting little interest at stud. Indeed if Deputy Jud had been packed off to stud he would likely only have been covering Van Vuuren’s own mares, such is the quality of stallion in the country at present.

Azzie is one of many who is sad about the pending discontinuation of the Vaal Sand surface. He said, “When the plan to build the Vaal Sand track was embarked upon, many of us put pressure on them not to do it, but they proved us completely wrong. The sand surface offered a lifeline for so many horses that were going nowhere on the turf, so it is going to be missed for this reason by owners, trainers and breeders. It is a sad day for many.”

One of the best examples of a horse who was given a new lease of life by the surface was provided by the St. John Gray-trained Alami gelding Alimony. After over 40 runs on the turf, Alimony had a merit rating of only 69, despite having won 6 races. However, he proved a revelation on the sand and after a quick hattrick of 1600m wins, two of them by close to ten lengths, he suddenly found himself 18/10 favourite for the 2008 Emerald Cup, despite already being a six-year-old. He duly won the race, carrying 52kg off a merit rating of 94, and in the following two years finished third and second respectively.

However, Alimony wasn’t bad on the turf and didn’t fall into the category of horse whose career could be rescued by the Vaal sand. The latter were sorts who were able to maintain a reasonable gallop from the beginning of a race right until the end, but did not have the necessary turn of foot to win races on the turf (Like dirt surfaces in the USA, the lack of traction on the sand surface makes immediate acceleration more difficult). When the Vaal sand track closes it will be difficult to find victories for this one-paced type of horse, some of whom had choppy actions as opposed to the long strides that are invariably vital on turf surfaces.

However, jockeys might not be among those sad to see the end of the Vaal Sand.

Piere Strydom was its biggest critic. He said it was important on this track to be within striking distance in the straight, because he likened the attempt to reel in a horse in front to trying to trying to catch up with somebody in the soft sand of the beach. The kick back apparently made this task even more difficult. A good start was therefore vital, but he lamented that  horses often slipped when attempting to ping the gates. Jockeys were thus left in a catch 22 situation.

Punters were generally not fans of the surface either, due to the perception that there was a relatively higher incidence of upset results. However, the shrewd were often able to find value on this surface. One example was of horses making their debuts on the Vaal Sand who might have racing styles as well as pedigrees which could be suited to the surface and therefore form improvement could be expected.

– David Thiselton