There was consternation at Kenilworth yesterday when the axle of the starting stalls broke shortly after the off of race three.

But the real problems started when it was realised that the spare set could only accommodate eight horses. After much discussion between certain trainers and the stipes, all the trainers were summoned to a meeting in the boardroom.

The trainers were unanimous that the meeting should continue, no matter that some horses might not be able to run. Most were in favour of starting the remaining races by flag. But, according to chief stipendiary steward Ernie Rodrigues, the rules stipulate that the horses have to be started from pens with the front gates open in flag starts.

The trainers were unanimous about this too. It was ridiculous, they said, although some used a rather less printable description! Horses taught all their racing lives to jump when they are confronted with an open gate would never stand still waiting for the fall of a flag.

Race four was delayed for over 20 minutes while all this was going on – two scratchings had already reduced it to the now-necessary eight – and then it was back to the boardroom where it was agreed that the remaining races would be reduced to the required number by elimination.

“What a balls-up,” exclaimed one trainer but most took it in a surprisingly good part, as did the small crowd many of whom seemed mystified by all the goings on.

But perhaps it is time to review the rule governing flag starts. In many other countries the pens are pushed out of the way and the horses line up as well as the jockeys (and the starter) can manage.

However Rodrigues is not in favour and said: “You could end up with one horse facing the wrong way – and that horse could be the favourite.”

“The normal method in this country is to load the horses with the front gates open and shut the back gates behind them. Then they are all facing the right way. But we couldn’t do that because we couldn’t move the pens from one start to another as a result of the broken axle.”

By Michael Clower

Scottsville has another low key meeting today, but there have been some good results for on-the-ball punters in KZN lately and some more rewards could be reaped.

In the first race the Tony Rivalland-trained Ice Run comes from some good maiden formlines and has good pace so is the one to beat despite a high draw in the nine horse field over 1000m. Al Wahed also showed good pace over 1200m last time and will have come on from that run, as it was a return outing from a layoff of a year and another point is that he was backed in from 20/1 to 8/1on debut so must show something at home. Captain King is always thereabouts and with a 4kg claimer up from a low draw should give another good account of himself.

The second is a fillies and mares maiden over 1000m. Roy’s Guardian returns from a layoff but is expected by her in-form yard to run well fresh, especially considering her best race was over this trip. Chapel Queen made a fair debut over this trip on the poly and has Anthony Delpech up, so could be thereabouts in a weak race, despite a high draw. Millies Rockstar makes most appeal of the rest.

In the third, a maiden for fillies and mares over 1400m, Roy’s Queen has a wide draw to overcome, but has Delpech up and has some eyecatching from 1200m up to 1600m. She was finishing well over 1200m last time, so this trip should suit her down to the ground. Well Dressed returns from a six month layoff but is drawn in pole, so should be involved in the finish. Liquorice Moon looks to be the Dixon yard elect despite returning from a layoff and from a good draw over a suitable trip he could earn.

The fourth is a maiden over 1600m and Rikitikitana looks hard to beat here having finished just six lengths back in a strong Gr 1 over this trip last time out. Winter Auralius ran two fair races in strong 1200m maidens and should appreciate the step up in trip, so is interesting from a good draw. Ricochet Flyer is drawn better than he was last time so could make amends as he is looking for this trip and further. The stablemate Levi Roots has run some fair races over shorter and will appreciate the step up in trip, so could earn from a good draw. Roy’s Rolls Royce makes most appeal of the rest.

The fifth is a MR 71 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1600m and Obrega could be the one to side with from a good draw having run on well in her first try at this trip on the poly and only just failing. Ire de Fiesta will also enjoy the course and distance. Silver Inspiration should start coming into her own now as a Silvano four-year-old and is well drawn over a trip she has enjoyed before. Rehoboth Beach relished the step up to this trip when winning her maiden and hasn’t been badly punished by the handicapper. What An Answer is having her third run after a rest and can’t be ignored over a suitable trip. Miss Stingray could go well if starting on terms and is another who can never be ignored.

The sixth is a MR 64 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1950m and presents a good opportunity for Lady Ami, who has proven suited to this trip on the poly and now has her first turf run in KZN. Princess Beach has become a frustrating sort to follow but looks to have plenty of ability and is now off a competitive merit rating. September Storm has some good form and from a good draw should be right there over a trip she should enjoy. Rascality won her maiden easily over 2000m at Turffontein so can’t be ignored returning to that trip. Likeness makes most appeal of the rest.

The seventh is a MR66 Handicap over 1400m and Listen And Learn ran on well with a change in tactics last time over this course and distance so is interesting from a good draw. Bizjet would probably prefer a bit further but is in good form and well drawn with Delpech up. Excalivar flew to win over course and distance last time and is only three points higher in the merit ratings. Kilroy is distance suited and with a 4kg claimer up from a wide draw can’t be ignored. Delray Beach has a wide draw to overcome but looks to have some ability.

The eighth is a MR 66 Handicap over 1000m and Melanchette has dropped to an attractive merit rating and could be the one to side with from a favourable draw. Threshold jumps from a good draw over a course and distance he loves and is off a competitive merit rating with a 4kg claimer up. Bikini Billy has some good form over 1000m but as a young three-year-old doesn’t have an easy task off a merit rating of 80 and carrying 60,5kg. Burrwood can never be ignored over this trip. Stampede enjoys this course and distance and he could over overcome his wide draw with his early pace considering he has a 4kg claimer aboard.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Tony Rivalland (Nkosi Hlophe)

Mike Bass, hopefully buoyed by Saturday’s Kenilworth double, has made remarkable progress in the past seven days.

No longer is he in a coma and, while his ability to speak is severely curtailed, he has managed on different occasions to indicate that (a) he wants a cup of tea, (b) he is bored and (c) he would like to go home.

Speech is difficult because of the tracheotomy performed to help his breathing. It’s not quite the human equivalent of hobdaying but his horses will sympathise.

Of course it hasn’t all been upward progress. Seemingly the doctors have expressed concerns about the amputated leg and son Mark’s running commentary on the stable website has, somewhat inevitably, revealed almost as many bad days as good ones.

Daughter Candice said on Saturday: “He was quite good today. He is very weak and still on the dialysis but the doctors say that his kidneys will come right.”

She again stressed that recovery is going to take a long time but after less than three weeks it’s a far cry from the early prognosis that gave him no better than a five per cent chance of survival. Seemingly his dour toughness, calm temperament and fighting spirit are all helping and, while the home straight is still a long way off, he has certainly got back into it after that potentially fatal start.

Marsh Shirtliff, whose colours have been made legendary by Bass-trained horses, said after Spirit Of Hamilton got up close home that the trainer was watching on TV and added: “Mike is on the way back which is super.”

Grant van Niekerk, who hardly lets a winner go past without mentioning his boss, had words of encouragement for him after landing the opening maiden on the mammoth 537kg newcomer Moonlight ‘ N Roses.

He said: “She is very temperamental but she will carry on winning. I lost three or four lengths at the start and I had to squeeze my way through gaps to win.”

Unfortunately she also drifted sharply right in the closing stages, badly hampering fourth-placed Kryptonite, and her rider was given seven days for failing to prevent it. Craig du Plooy suffered the same penalty after runner-up Brilliant Idea forced Bridget Dubois (sixth) to ease.

Donavan Mansour got off the Cape Town mark as a jockey when odds-on Hard Day’s Night managed the remarkable feat of drifting all the way across from the faster ground on the inside to the slower going on the stands side. He still won in a common canter.

Joey Ramsden explained the drifting, saying: “He had slight sore shins about ten days ago and he was probably feeling them again but he is a smashing big horse.”

Donovan Dillon is fast establishing himself with the Snaiths and he rode two of the stable’s four winners, earning high praise from the boss for the way he grabbed the Matus Handicap by the scruff of the neck to make all Ovidio – “Donovan made his own call to go to the front. That was a good sign from a young jockey and shows that he is in Cape Town to do business.”

Ronnie Sheehan’s big race ambitions may be centred on Captain Chaos but he reckons that Mambo Fever is also going to make the news. The filly apparently worked like a dream last Tuesday and won for the second time inside three weeks under Robert Khathi – “She is going to be a top class filly later in the season,” enthused a man who has been in racing for 65 years.

By Michael Clower

Picture: Mike Bass (Nkosi Hlophe)

Ice Machine, who has come into his own since joining the Charles Laird yard, will stay in training at the age of seven this season and will be aimed at the L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate.

Laird also spoke about the plans of Viva La Var, a classy sprinter, and the progressive Stormy Eclipse, whom he rates.

Ice Machine, a Silvano gelding, appeared to have the Gr 1 Champions Cup over 1800m won on Super Saturday but the subsequently-named Equus Horse Of The Year Futura fought back courageously to deny him on the line.

In his first run for the Laird yard in March, Ice Machine finished a 2,25 length second to subsequent Vodacom Durban July winner Power King over 1400m at Scottsville, despite it being his comeback from a nine-and-a-half month layoff and having to give the winner 1,5kg.

In his next start he powered to an impressive three length win in the Gr 2 IOS Drill Hall Stakes, despite having to give most of the field 1kg.

Then came his unlucky moment of the season when standing on a stone upon arrival at Greyville and having to be scratched from the Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge.

“I don’t think they would have beaten us that day,” said Laird, when reflecting on the yard’s confidence of Ice Machine beating the like of Legislate and Futura over his probable optimum trip of 1600m.

In his next start Ice Machine cut through the field like a knife through butter in the Vodacom Durban July before the trip and his interrupted preparation told and he ran out of steam in the final 100m to finish seventh.

“I got excited as I thought he was going to maybe run a place,” said Laird. Rider Donovan Dillon remarked afterwards about the outstanding acceleration Ice Machine had shown that day and it was visually highly impressive too.

Ice Machine joined Laird as a 105 merit rated horse but is now rated 117, meaning the country’s biggest races will be his only option.

Laird has won a Gr 1 with an eight-year-old before as the top class sprint-miler Nhlavini landed the Cape Flying Championships at that age having won the race for the first time the previous year as a seven-year-old.

Viva La Var has only had six career outings despite now being a five-year-old. The Var gelding won his first three starts for Dennis Drier before being bought by Alesh Naidoo and he then won first time out for Laird. He then nearly fell to his knees when coming out of the stalls at Scottsville and duly lost his unbeaten record. However, he returned after a seven month layoff to run a good second in the Listed Umgeni Handicap over 1000m on the Greyville polytrack on Super Saturday. He will run in a Pinnacle Stakes event later this month (September) on the poly and his long term aim, if all goes according to plan, will be the Betting World Cape Flying Championships in January.

Laird has always believed the Dynasty gelding Stormy Eclipse would be better this season as a four-year-old and is eyeing the Gr 1 Peermont Emperor’s Palace Charity Mile for him on October 31 at Turffontein. Stormy Eclipse, who has only had eight starts to date, has won four times over 1600m on the Greyville polytrack.

Laird is also sorting out programs for his younger horses, which will likely include tilts at the various lucrative sales races. He won the richest of them last year, the R3,85 million Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run Cup over 1400m at Turffontein, with the aptly named Rich Girl. He did not mention any of his current three-year-olds by name, but his promising Jay Peg filly Exit Here, who is already merit rated 94, is an obvious sales race candidate and qualifies for the CTS Million Dollar race at Kenilworth in January, which is over a suitable trip of 1400m.

Meanwhile, Laird’s sister Therese Mitchley had an eye catching winner at Scottsville on Sunday in the form of the A P Answer filly Whatawonderfulworld. The three-year-old filly showed good cruising speed and a fine turn of foot to win a maiden over 1200m in comfortable fashion under Sean Veale. She looks likely to go further and could be one to keep an eye on.

Mitchley also mentioned a newly acquired horse in her yard, the Var gelding Avaricious, as one who could “be okay”.

Mitchley previously achieved fine results as the Summerveld assistant trainer to the Sabine

Plattner racing operation and is still in the process of building up her own string.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Ice Machine (Nkosi Hlophe)

Act Of War has the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate on January 9 as his main target for the Cape Town season. Victory for the four-year-old would give Joey Ramsden his fourth win in the mile showpiece in 12 years.

Racing manager Derek Brugman said: “He went to Durban for the winter because we wanted him to have the sun on his back. He was kept in full work but, although we nominated him for a couple of races, he was drawn in the bush each time.

“We said beforehand that we were not going to run our good horses from bad draws and we stuck to that policy. Now he will be aimed at the Queen’s Plate.”

Act Of War was hailed in much the same exalted breath as Ramsden’s previous Queen’s Plate winners, Winter Solstice and Variety Club, after impressively following up his Cape Classic and Selangor wins in the Grand Parade Cape Guineas.

Defeat at a prohibitive 1-3 in the Investec Cape Derby took some of the gloss off his reputation although he was afterwards found to be suffering from a throat infection. He bounced back to give weight all round in the Winter Guineas but he missed out in the Equus Awards and so has a point to prove.

Cold As Ice has recovered well from her marathon safari via Mauritius to Newmarket in England but she will not be asked to race again this year.

Ridgemont Stud manager Craig Carey said: “She travelled well and settled well, and she has now been with William Haggas for the past seven weeks. He is happy with her but she will wait for next season. Hopefully exciting days lie ahead.”

The four-year-old won five of her seven starts for Ramsden including the Choice Carriers, Laissezfaire and Sceptre Stakes. She was beaten a head by Inara in the Klawervlei Majorca and was second favourite for the Avontuur Cape Fillies Guineas only to burst through the pens, gallop riderless for the distance of the race and be withdrawn.

By Michael Clower

Picture: Act Of War (Liesl King)