The Dennis Drier-trained dual Gr 1-winner Captain Of All will stake a claim to be named the best sprinter in the country at Greyville on Saturday when lining up in the weight for age Gr 1 Mercury Sprint over 1200m.

The four-year-old Captain Al colt carried topweight to an impressive victory in the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint over 1200m last time out and worked like a bomb in his final serious preparation gallop on the top sand track at Summerveld yesterday under his big race rider Sean Cormack.

Drier said, “He’s come out of his last run like a dream. His final sprint up this morning (Tuesday) was out of the top drawer and let’s hope we can pull it off and send him off to stud on a high note. He’s an absolute gentleman, he’s an easy horse to ride and in the Gr 1 Premier’s Championship over 1400m (which he ran in as a two-year-old after winning the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion over 1200m at Scottsville) he was beaten short-head, short-head in the soft, nothing wrong with that performance, so I’m sure Greyville will be no issue for him at all.”

Drier also regards his barrier position of seven in the eleven horse field as a “fantastic draw”.

The bay is quite tall and is powerfully built, a really good looking specimen, and on weight for age terms he won’t be easy to beat.

Captain Of All is competing for Equus Champion Sprinter with the two three-year-old fillies Alboran Sea and Carry On Alice. The former has been retired and the latter is running in The Mercury.

Captain of All failed by a whisker to catch Alboran Sea in the Gr 1 Cape Flying Championships over 1000m, with Carry On Alice third, and was beaten 4 lengths and 3,3 lengths respectively by the pair in the Gr 1 Computaform Sprint over 1000m.

His subsequent Tsogo Sun win over 1200m was a fantastic performance, but interestingly Carry On Alice’s time in the Gr 1 City Of Pietermaritzburg Sprint on the same day over the same trip, in which she beat Alboran Sea, was run in a time 0,07 seconds quicker than Captain Of All’s. Furthermore, she will now be receiving both an age and a gender allowance, which together add up to 3kg, so on paper she is the main danger.

Drier runs the four-year-old Solskjaer filly Red Label in the Listed Off To Stud Stakes over 1600m on the polytrack. She was beaten 1,75 lengths over the course and distance by Euphoria last time out and will now be 1kg worse off because the suppressed, banded merit-rating handicap conditions of this race favour the higher merit rated horses. Furthermore, she has landed a wide draw, although in her favour is that she clearly loves the poly. She is effective over this trip and stayed on well last time, although she might possibly prefer 1400m.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Captain Of All (Nkosi Hlophe)

Gold Circle will be looking into possibly reducing the width of the spur for next year’s Vodacom Durban July in order to encourage the runners to spread themselves out over the entire width of the track.

Graeme Hawkins, Gold Circle’s Racing and Marketing executive, felt that a 2m spur would probably serve the race best and discussions in this regard will shortly be taking place.

In this year’s July the horses appeared to be thrown outward by the 4m wide spur and did not make use of the inside section of the track.

There were consequently traffic problems towards the outside, although the shifting outward by the winner Power King did not help matters and appeared to be the cause of quite a few hard luck stories. Winning jockey Stuart Randolph consequently landed a two week suspension.

There is also an inquiry into third-placed jockey Johnny Geroudis’ weighing-in in excess of 1kg. On paper it appears that his mount Tellina, who finished 1,25 lengths back, would have won the July if carrying the correct weight and this is supported by the handicappers awarding him a four point merit rated raise from 108 to 112, while the winner Power King only went up three points from 106 to 109, while second-placed Punta Arenas went up two points from 109 to 111.

Meanwhile, the spur for the Gr 1 eLan Property Group Gold Cup over 3200m on Super Saturday, July 25, originally intended to be set at 6m, will also be subject of discussion by Gold Circle. It might be reduced in width, although the size of the field will have an influence on the decision. The final field for the Gold Cup is due to be announced at a function at 17h30 today (Tuesday) and the barrier positions will also be drawn. However, at the time of going to press only 20 horses were still standing their ground.

The spur for the Gr 1 Mercury Sprint over 1200m on Saturday is due to be set at a minimum of 3m.

By David Thiselton

Priceless Jewel, winner of last year’s Champagne Stakes but off the course since disappointing in the Klawervlei Majorca on Met day, will be back for the Kenilworth Grade 3 on Saturday week.

Adam Marcus said: “Her wind op went well and, while I feel that she won’t be quite at her best, she does run well up the straight when fresh. Aldo Domeyer rides and, when he rode her work last Saturday, he said that she felt like she did when she was winning features last year.”

Marcus and Domeyer team up with Stormsvlei Mile winner Crystal Cavern in this Saturday’s Final Fling Stakes in which last year’s winner Jet Supreme (Bernard Fayd’Herbe) stands out despite rearing at the start, and losing an impossible amount of ground, in the Ladies Mile last time.

Moonsong Magic (Karl Neisius), third in the Stormsvlei Mile and second in the Winter Oaks, represents Greg Ennion who will be on crutches and wearing a surgical boot for the next two months after breaking his right leg when he slipped in a Cape Town restaurant.

Andrew Fortune, who has been riding in Johannesburg recently, returns for six rides including the Glen Kotzen-trained Omaticaya in the Final Fling.

This 1 800m Grade 3 has been hit by the weather in the last two years and has had to be transferred to the new season. Windguru is forecasting an ominous 60mm of rain on Friday although Weather SA is expecting only 3mm that day.

Brett Crawford has no runner in the race but he reports that his KRA Fillies Guineas winner Alexis will stay in training next season and said: “She is having a break at the moment and, with a better draw, I think she would have been closer than fifth in the Jonsson Workwear Garden Province.

“Maybe Yes (third in the Garden Province) has gone to the farm and the owners haven’t yet decided whether she will stay in training.”

A similar decision is awaited on the Mike Bass-trained Paddock and Klawervlei Majorca winner Inara who ran below her best when only eighth in the Garden Province.

Candice Robinson said: “She hasn’t really thrived in Durban and she will probably do much better when she comes back to Cape Town. A lot of our horses in KZN have had an upper respiratory tract infection including her and Helderbeg Blue.”

By Michael Clower

Picture: Priceless Jewel (Liesl King)

Jockey Warren Kennedy is fine after a nasty fall in the seventh race at Scottsville on Sunday when his mount Pearly King clipped the heels of Burwaaz.

Kennedy escaped with a touch of whip lash and some swelling to his face.

Due to a previous incident Kennedy has steel plates around his cheek and eye socket and has decided to skip Wednesday’s meeting at Scottsville to allow the swelling in this area to subside.

He will be back for Saturday’s meeting at Greyville.

Kennedy is attached to the Gavin van Zyl yard which secures him plenty of good quality rides.

He also rode the Mike de Kock-trained Pine Princess in the country’s premier race, the Vodacom Durban July.

He has ridden 40 winners to date this season at a strike rate of close to 6,5% and is lying in 29^th position on the National Jockeys log.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Warren Kennedy

The Vaal stages an eight race meeting on the Turf Inside track tomorrow and low draws are usually favourable on this track.

In the first the Judpot gelding Mister Potter was green on debut when caught late after running on from behind and with expected improvement he could be the one to beat from a favourable draw. Ashantee is much more exposed but could overcome his high draw with his early pace and has the champion workrider aboard. It looks to be a two horse race.

The second is a very weak maiden over 1000m and Kahal filly Fair Colour could be the one to beat. She was eased out of it after setting the pace over 1200m from a wide draw on the Turffontein Inside track last time, but before that she went close over this trip with first time blinkers when hold up tactics were used. The two-year-old Vanda ran well in her penultimate start over this trip on the Turffontein Inside track and could be the danger although all of Indemnity, Crimson Rose, Phuket, Strictlycumdancing, and Roxy Dancing have to be considered in an open race.

In race 3, a fillies and mares maiden over 1400m, the two-year-old Oracy filly Matilda’s Daughter will enjoy the extra trip and should have come on from her debut over 1200m when showing up well before fading late. Another two-year-old Nurse Harriet has shown decent form and should be right there, although the high draw makes it difficult. Victor’s Castle is an improving sort who is course and distance suited and she is a big runner here too.

The fourth is a MR 72 Handicap handicap over 1400m and Game Of Thrones might have hit the front too soon last time and could make amends here over a suitable trip from a nice draw with Gavin Lerena up. Fort Eagle impressed in his easy maiden win over 1400m last time out, so could also be in the shake up. On The Nod has been thereabouts lately and has the draw in his favour over a suitable trip with champion jockey S’Manga Khumalo aboard. Rainbow Star makes some appeal after his much improved performance to win his maiden over 1200m last time out, but he must overcome a tough draw. Devious Tiger and Kahal Legal could also be involved if able to overcome their high draws.

The fifth race is a MR 80 Handicap over 1200m and in form horse and jockey combination Call Kelly and Andrew Fortune are well drawn over a suitable trip so look to be the pair to beat. Foyle was running on well last time over 1160m and should go well here from a good draw. Talktothestars has improved with blinkers and is another who will likely be in the shake up from a favourable draw with Lerena up.

The sixth is a fillies and mares MR 67 Handicap over 2400m and it looks to be the right race for Casual who has run on well over 2200m before so should stay the trip and is well drawn. Celtic Heroine has done well with front-running tactics recently and goes for a hattrick over a trip she should get as she made late progress before that over 2200m when finishing just under four lengths behind Casual, although she is now 6kg worse off. Noor Dubai is well drawn and could improve off a lowered merit rating.

The seventh is a MR 74 Handicap over 2400m and Elusive Flyer ran well last time over course and distance despite casting a shoe, so could be the one to beat off the same merit rating. Noble Star is seven points higher in the merit ratings since winning that race, but Piere Strydom is back on board from a good draw. Frikkie has strengthened into a fair sort and could be involved despite being raised seven points for running second over 2600m last time out.

The last is a maiden over 1400m and Nation Builder, who was green on debut over 1000m after being backed from 25/1 into 9/2, should relish the step up in trip and is the one to beat with Lerena up. Gold Status is an improving sort and could be a contender despite a high draw as this is not a strong field.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Piere Strydom