The Joey Ramsden-trained Silvano filly Gallica Rose has always been well regarded and earned bold black type at Greyville yesterday under a fine ride by Bernard Fayd’Herbe when winning the Listed East Coast Cup over 2 000m.

She jumped from a wide draw but travelled comfortably throughout three wide of the rail in the back half of the field and produced a strong finish to catch and overtake Bilateral, who was the only three-year-old in the field and was the winner of last season’s Gr 1 Golden Slipper over 1 400m at this course. Later the ruling Vodocam Durban July favourite Futura made his debut for the Justin Snaith yard in a Pinnacle Stakes race over 1 600m and won by 0,25 lengths under Sean Cormack without being hard ridden. He was turned out in fine condition and this was an eyecatching preparation for the Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge over the same course and distance on June 6.

Before the meeting the reigning July champion Legislate, also from the Snaith yard, had an easy gallop under Cormack and Snaith said he had done everything asked of him perfectly.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Gallica Rose (Nkosi Hlophe)

Act Of War set out from Cape Town to Durban yesterday with Joey Ramsden confirming that the plan remains a crack at the Rising Sun Gold Challenge on June 6 – subject to a decent draw and despite a surprise entry in the Winter Classic six days earlier.

Ramsden, who has won the last three runnings of the Gold Challenge, said: “He is not running in the Winter Classic but in this country you have to splatter your entries because you don’t know where you can travel and where you can’t.”

His decision to despatch the Cape Guineas winner to Summerveld will come as a relief to the connections of Sail For Gold and Royal Dreamer, second and third in the Winter Guineas.  Their trainer Mike Bass has six entered for the Classic including Sheer Trouble on whom Grant van Niekerk initiated a 37.5-1 stable double at Kenilworth on Saturday.

However Candice Robinson said: “I am not sure whether we will run him because a mile is probably his maximum trip at this stage.”

Stan Elley is optimistic that both Friday evening’s Betting World 1900 winner Dynastic Power and third-placed  Punta Arenas will get a run in the Vodacom Durban July, a race in which he was third with Red Badge in 2003 and again 12 months later.

He said: “I would be very surprised if they didn’t put in a 1900 winner while Punta Arenas has already done enough to get in.”

Elley thinks a lot of Eighth Wonder who made all to win the opener at Kenilworth on Saturday despite veering sharply right 100m from home, giving rise to an unsuccessful objection from the trainer of third-placed Forward Drive. It happened so quickly that Aldo Domeyer, who hadn’t even picked up his whip, was powerless to stop the interference.

Elley said: “Eighth Wonder is still hopelessly green but he can only improve and his future is pretty bright.”

Andrew Fortune, 48 yesterday, was taken to hospital by ambulance after suffering a fall from Sabrina Affair when pulling up after the Maiden Juvenile Fillies won by Richard Fourie on the Snaith-trained favourite Victoria Lavelle.

Fortune, speaking when strapped to the medical room bed, said: “A horse kicked me after I fell and I am sore. I think it’s just the muscle but they want to send me for x-rays.”

He promptly missed a comfortable winner with Gareth Wright deputising on Candaleeyah for Shane Humby in the Rugby 5 Maiden.

Devin Ashby, who enjoyed an effortless success on the Dolf Maeder-trained Mayoral Decree in the Kenilworth Maiden, has been offered another job in New Caledonia. He had a successful seven-month stint in the French territory (1 200k east of Australia) last year.

He said: “This job is with a top stable and is for next year but I will see how things go here. If they go well I will stay in South Africa.”

Greg Cheyne, the 1900 victor, reached the 133 mark when scoring on Aliysa’s Prize for Glen Kotzen and finished the day just ten behind championship leader Gavin Lerena.

BLOB Jockeys wore black armbands and flags were flown at half-mast following the deaths of Billy Steele and Christopher Foulkes. The latter was a son of Normandy Stud owner Veronica Foulkes while Steele, 76, was a long-standing owner who played a considerable behind-the-scene’s role. “He was a wonderful guy and a credit to racing,” said Rodney Dunn who succeeded him as chairman of the Western Province Owners and Trainers Association.

By Michael Clower

Picture: Act Of War (Liesl King)

Masterful Summerveld trainer Dennis Drier has a fine chance of adding to his phenomenal record at Scottsville’s Festival Of Speed meeting this Saturday as he sends out five contestants in Gr 1 1200m events and most of them will be in with definite chances.

Drier has won four of the last five runnings of the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion, including the last three in succession, and he also won the Gr 1 SA Fillies Sprint, now known as the City Of Pietermaritzburg Sprint, in 2011.

Drier has a fine chance of landing his fifth Medallion in six years with the ultra-classy Seventh Rock colt Seventh Plain and this rangy bay has landed a plum low draw.

Anton Marcus rode him in his final grass gallop last Tuesday and Drier was happy with what he saw. He added, “Anton didn’t say much so I hope he was happy, if he was happy I’m happy.”

Seventh Plain overcame a high draw of eight in the Gr 3 Godolphin Barb over 1100m at Scottsville on April 26 and won effortlessly. He will appreciate the extra 100m on Saturday and further. His only defeat in three starts was when giving the speedy sprinting type Buckinghampshire 3kg in the Listed 1000m race on J&B Met day and only losing by 1,25 lengths.

Drier’s former Medallion winner Captain Of All has the ability to join the like of J J The Jet Plane and Earl Of Surrey as horses that have carried topweight to victory in the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint over 1200m. He was very impressive indeed in his penultimate start over 1000m at Scottsville, so clearly enjoys this track, and in his last start in the Gr 1 Computaform Sprint over 1000m at Turffontein he was by no means disgraced when third, four lengths behind Alboran Sea and Carry On Alice. The latter pair of fillies put in fantastic performances that day and Captain Of All was well clear of four other Gr 1 winners in the field.

Captain Of All worked on his own in his final grass gallop under Sean Cormack at Summerveld on Friday and Drier was very happy. He said, “When they are fit they don’t need to work with other horses, the art is not to overcook them.”

Drier “couldn’t be happier” with Generalissimo, who had his final grass gallop at Summerveld last Tuesday under Keagan de Melo. De Melo was unable to commit to the ride and Warren Kennedy might be aboard. This classy sort will attempt to make it three years in succession that the Tsogo Sun Sprint has been won by three-year-old sons of the amazing stallion Var. Generalissimo broke the Kenilworth course record over 1200m last November before failing to stay the 1600m of the Selangor Cup. He then finished lame after taking a slight sideways knock over 1200m. Drier, with the support of owners Nick and Ben Jonsson, excercised caution by not running him again in Cape Town, and it paid dividends as he bounced back with an impressive win over 1200m on the Greyville poly last month.

Barbosa is another from the yard that could get into the final field after an excellent 2,25 length defeat of the useful Muscatt over the Tsogo Sun course and distance in April, despite giving the latter 5kg. He broke the class record that day despite carrying 60kg. The five-year-old Captain Al gelding was raised to a 104 merit rating and Drier said, “The way he won they can’t leave him out, especially as Muscatt won next time out in a canter. He has had a few niggles and problems but has been a real old soldier.”

Drier’s two-year-old Horse Chestnut filly Chestnuts N Pearls has landed an unfavourable draw of 17 in the Gr 1 Allan Robertson over 1200m. She has just been kept ticking over since her maiden over the course and distance. The runner up in that race Durban Blues finished second on the poly on Friday night, so the form was not greatly franked, but Drier pointed out that Chestnut N Pearls “could not have won easier.”

Drier is also hoping that Jet Aglow ca repeat her third place finish of last year in the Gr 1 City Of Pietermaritzburg Sprint over 1200m. She also worked on the grass last Tuesday and Cormack was very happy, although this is largely being seen as a preparation outing for races like the Tibouchina and Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes, which are over more suitable distances.

By David Thiselton 

Picture: Generalissimo (Liesl King)

Justin Snaith believes that a newcomer to his yard, Kingvoldt, could cause a big surprise in the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint over 1200m at Scottsville on Saturday.

He said that the Western Winter colt had arrived at his Summerveld barn in very good condition and that his previous trainer Joey Ramsden already had him aimed at the Tsogo Sun Sprint. He added that he had done very well in a workout on Friday morning at Summerveld under his regular pilot Bernard Fayd’Herbe.

Kingvoldt’s three career wins have all been over 1200m. Another point that gives him a big form shout is that he finished a head behind Gulf Storm the last time he tried this distance, at Kenilworth in February, and is now 5kg better off.

A lot will now depend on how he draws tomorrow (Monday).

Snaith’s five-year-old Var mare Varikate has been kept ticking over since finishing a four length second to Jet Belle in the Gr 3 Poinsettia Stakes on April 26. The latter race is over the same 1200m course and distance as Saturday’s Gr 1 City Of Pietermaritzburg Fillies Sprint and Snaith was hoping she could repeat her fourth place finish in the latter race, although she has unfortunately drawn high in 17 as opposed to her seven draw from last year.

By David Thiselton 

Picture: Kingvoldt (Liesl King)

The Paul Lafferty-trained Garibondy has landed a plum low draw for the Gr 1 City Of Pietermaritzburg Fillies Sprint over 1200m on Saturday and is “very, very well” at present. And the yard are pleased to have landed Championship chasing Gavin Lerena for the ride.

The speedy four-year-old Var filly raced without cover for much of the way in her last start in the Listed In Full Flight Stakes over 1100m, so did well as the only female in the field to finish 4,1 lengths back in fourth. She much prefers to be tucked in before using the kick, that daughters of Var are known for, to its maximum effect in the latter stages.

She had her final grass gallop at Summerveld on Friday on her own and Lafferty said she had put up very good work. All six of her wins have been over 1000m, but five of them have been at Scottsville, and considering her turn of foot she should get Saturday’s 1200m trip.

Alboran Sea and Carry On Alice look to be the two best sprinters in the land and the rest of the field might be chasing their shadows. However, the former drew a high starting berth, as did another Gr 1 winner in the field Fly By Night, and it will be interesting to see whether they defect to the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint where they also hold entries.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Garibondy (Nkosi Hlophe)