Alyson Wright runs the promising Western Winter colt Mr Roy in the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion over 1200m and he looks to have a tough task on paper as he will have to make up 3,5 lengths on the classy colt Seventh Plain from their meeting in the Gr 3 Godolphin Barb Stakes over 1100m, which was also run at Scottsville.

However, Wright said the always well regarded colt had not had a good preparation into the latter race due to a skin allergy and had consequently run “a flat race.” He was backed on debut and after disappointing was found to be full of mucous. He then came out and won well over 1000m a couple of month later on April 15. The yard are now confident that he will do better than he did third time out in the Godolphin Barb. He put in some very good work yesterday (Tuesday) and Wright said, “I am very pleased with him. He will be at his best and I think he will run a big race.”

He jumps from draw 6 in the nine horse field and Johnny Geroudis rides. Wright felt that the yard’s Vodacom Durban July entry Kochka had put in “an amazing run” on Sunday at Greyville, where he was beaten just 1,75 lengths by July favourite Futura over 1600m at level weights. The big Black Minnaloushe gelding was off with a virus for a while and only started normal work again two weeks ago, which emphasises just how fine an effort he put in on Sunday. He will be a big runner when stripping fitter next month in either the Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge over 1600m or the Gr 3 Cup Trial over 1800m.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Mr Roy (Nkosi Hlophe)

Charles Laird will be attempting to win the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint (formerly known as the Golden Horse Casino Sprint) over 1200m at Scottsville on Saturday for the fourth year in succession and the fifth time overall when he sends out the defending champion Normanz.

Laird said, “His preparation has been very good and he is very well. The only small concern is the draw but it is something we will have to deal with. He is well weighted, between 52kg and 55kg is where you want to be for this race.”

Normanz will be attempting to make it three years in succession that sons of Var have won this big race and with 54kg he carries just 1kg more than he did as a three-year-old last year. Laird’s previous two winners of this race, four-year-old Delago Deluxe and three-year-old Contador, carried 54kg and 53,5kg respectively and his 2002 winner Hinterland carried only 50kg. However, his last three Golden Horse Casino Sprint winners have jumped from barrier positions three, five and five, while Normanz will have to overcome barrier 14  this year on a course where the low draws tend to have an advantage these days, partly because the jockeys usually track over towards  the inside rail.

Normanz, who is only three merit rated points higher than he was last year, has plenty of speed and led from start to finish last year under Athandiwe Mgudlwa. This year he will have four-times South African champion jockey Anton Marcus aboard. Even Marcus’s mastery was unable to overcome a draw of 15 on last year’s favourite Red Ray, who finished a 1,5 length second. However, he and Laird are sure to have a game plan under their sleeves.

Normanz works on his own due to his speed and had a good grass gallop at Summerveld last Thursday. He did his final serious work yesterday (Wednesday).

By Dave Thiselson

The Gavin van Zyl-trained pair of Redcarpet Captain and Isca worked together on the Summerveld beach sand track yesterday morning ahead of Saturday’s Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion over 1200m at Scottsville and the former had the beating of the latter throughout. Jockey Warren Kennedy, who was aboard Isca, returned to confirm that his mount was being held by Redcarpet Captain throughout the 800m workout. Isca has subsequently been scratched.

Redcarpet Captain ran below par last time out in the Gr 1 SA Nursery over 1160m and Van Zyl explained that he had been incubating a low grade infection two weeks before the race. He was fine on the week of the race but the work he had missed took its toll and the form of his fourth place finish in the Nursery was some nine lengths inferior on paper to his win in the Gr 3 Protea Stakes over 1100m if a line through Nursery winner Arabian Beat is taken literally.

Van Zyl said the athletic bay Captain Al colt had done well since arriving at Summerveld about three weeks ago and the yard are hoping to see him back to his best. He has landed a plum draw of one and will be a big runner in a small but classy field of ten.

By Dave Thiselton

Please be advised that Gavin Lerena will not be riding in the following Grade 1 races at Scottsville on Saturday, 23 May 2015.

Allan Robertson Championship – La Strada to be ridden by S’manga Khumalo

Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion – Just Africa to be ridden by Keagan de Melo

City Of Pietermaritzburg Fillies Sprint – Garibondy to be ridden by Keagan de Melo

Picture: Gavin Lerena

Madame Dubois is an interesting runner in the Gr 1 Allan Robertson to be run over 1200m at Scottsville on Saturday, added to the fact that Robbie Sage has booked Piere Strydom for the ride.

Sage said about her three-length win over 1000m at the Vaal on debut, “I don’t work horses very hard before their first runs unless they are doing everything themselves and sometimes they come out and surprise you. She is very well in herself but this will be her first time at the track so how she will handle it is an unknown.” However, on the downside she has landed a high draw which by trends is unfavourable.

She started at 20/1 on debut and what made the win even more impressive was that she jumped from a high draw on the Vaal’s inside turf track, where the low draws are invariably more favourable. She also recorded a time 0,45 seconds quicker than the facile winner of the next race, Just Africa, a Paul Peter-trained Just As Well colt who is one of only ten horses standing their ground in Saturday’s Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion. Furthermore, Madame Dubois’s form has been franked as the runner-up Faberge Style won by 10,25 lengths next time out over 1000m on the Vaal sand and third-placed Aldiara also came out and won next time out over 1200m on the turf.

Sage said a lot would depend on how she travelled, adding that this was always an unknown quantity with young horses. He was still waiting for the final field to be published before planning the journey, but said Friday was the likely date of travel.

Owner Colin Bird will have a double interest on the day as Jet Belle, a top class filly he owns in partnership with Drakenstein Stud, runs in the Gr 1 City Of Pietermaritzburg Fillies Sprint. Jet Belle was originally trained by Sage and is still trained by him when campaigning on the Highveld but she is otherwise conditioned by Glen Kotzen.

Madame Dubois is by Count Dubois, who is 14^th on the season’s national sires log despite having significantly less runners than all of the horses above him. Madame Du Bois’s fourth dam was the champion sprinter of Argentina, but her first dam, Miss Jet Set, who was also trained by Sage, won from 1400-1600m. Sage will therefore see how she runs on Saturday before planning a possible tilt at the Gr 1 Golden Slipper over 1400m at Greyville on Vodacom Durban July day.

By David Thiselton

Picrture: Robbie Sage