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)

Cape trainer Stan Elley arrived in KZN for the Champions Season with a string of just four horses and achieved the remarkable feat of running first and third in Friday night’s Gr 2 Betting World 1900 at Greyville with the pair of 66-1 outsiders Dynastic Power and Punta Arenas, who were split by the Dean Kannemeyer-trained Power King.

This race is traditionally viewed as a Vodacom Durban July qualifier for borderline horses  and the result is unlikely to cause much of a shake up to the July betting.

Greg Cheyne was aboard Dynastic Power and felt he was fortunate to be caught wide early which meant his mount avoided the scrimmaging which happened on the first turn. Dynastic Power was able to stride freely throughout and, despite running three wide of the rail, had cover all the way until the 800m mark. Cheyne was travelling so well that he was not concerned when the cover disappeared and instead he stole a couple of lengths as they rounded the turn into the straight. The four-year-old Dynasty gelding took the lead at the 200m mark and stayed on strongly all the way to the line. Meanwhile his stablemate Punta Arenas had unwound a telling finishing effort on the outside from second last in the running and looked a possible winner. Power King was making up ground from last on the opposite side of the track and flew up late to finish within a neck of the winner. Punta Arena’s gallant effort took its toll and he tired late but still held on for third, 1,4 lengths behind the winner. Dynamic and Mountain Master stayed on well for fourth and fifth. All of the first five finishers came from double figure draws.

Local horse Bold Inspiration started favourite at 5/1, somewhat surprisingly, as the Cape horses have tended to dominate handicaps in the last couple of months in KZN.

Power King, De Kock and Jayyed started joint 6/1 second favourites. De Kock was keen on the way to the start and was handy early, but after finding little extra in the straight he was eased out of the race. Jayyed made little impression in the straight, finishing 3,9 lengths back in  ninth, and he was the latest to let down the current three-year-old males, who not being viewed as a vintage crop. Bold Inspiration was handy in the running but faded in the straight to finish 6,5 lengths back in 14^th.

Solar Star and Double Clutch were prominent in the betting before drifting to 15/2 and 10/1 respectively. Solar Star was making some good late progress but now has a mountain to climb to book his place in the July as does Double Clutch, who was unable to get the easy lead he had enjoyed in his previous three starts, and finished 4,15 lengths back in 12^th after turning for home in second place.

Elley said that the yard had never been able to get Dynastic Power “quite right” for the Cape Summer of Champions Season and they had been unable to put a finger on why. However, he had still managed to run some good races, so the connections were bullish of him having a good Champions Season. He has clearly thrived at Summerveld and at last followed up on the promise he had shown when winning the Gr 3 Winter Derby at the end of last June, a race in which he also got the better of Power King in a dual for the line.

Betting World 1900 winners are usually given a place in the July field, but Dynastic Power’s chances of Gr 1 glory might be greater in the eLan Property Group Gold Cup over 3200m at the end of the Champions Season. Power King and Punta Arenas both had to give the winner 4kg and enhanced their chances of being included in the July field.

Part-owner John Kinsley flew in from Cape Town and was thrilled to land his first ever Gr 2 win. Elley also owns a share and other part-owners are Braam van Huyssteen, Okkie Schoeman and Butch Watson-Smith. Dynastic Power was bred by Highlands Farms Stud.

Kannemeyer can do little wrong this season and besides finishing runner up in the night’s big race, he also landed a double on the turf with two promising three-year-olds, the Dynasty colt Dynastic and the Jet Master colt Master James, who were both ridden by Anthony Delpech.

By David Thiselton 

Picture: Dynastic Power (right) wins the Gr2 Betting World 1900 at Greyville (Nkosi Hlophe)

Piere Strydom rode his 5000^th winner in South Africa aboard Allegorical at the Vaal on Thursday and the horse was fittingly from the yard of Lucky Houdalakis, who trained the horse Strydom regards as the best he has ever ridden, J J The Jet Plane.

Meanwhile, the race for the National Jockeys Championships is building into an exciting duel between incumbent champion S’Manga Khumalo and Gavin Lerena. Anthony Delpech, Greg Cheyne and Strydom are all within striking distance of the lead, but are not chasing the title all out.

At the close of play yesterday Lerena’s single winner at Turffontein had put him on 143 winners for the season and Khumalo’s treble saw him close the gap to just one.

Khumalo, at only 30 years of age, has already achieved two of his career goals, winning the Vodacom Durban July and winning the Championship.

He said, “I feel that naturally any sportsman wants to be recognised as the best in his or her chosen profession and I am no different. My goals for the last couple of months of the season will be to ride as many winners as possible and to stay away from any and all injuries”.

In 2007 Lerena broke the record for the most number of winners ridden by an apprentice while serving his indentures, 283. He entered the last day of the 2011/2012 season on top of the log, but Anton Marcus pipped him on the post with two winners at the final meeting to his blank. That was a bitter blow but Lerena said, “I intend enjoying it this time without putting any unnecessary pressure on myself.”

Lerena’s official riding weight is 57kg to Khumalo’s 52,5kg which puts the latter at an advantage.

Strydom, whose treble at the Vaal on Thursday took him to 130 winners for the season and his career tally to 5074 said, “It’s always a tremendous feeling to be in contention for the title. It’s never my intention to chase championships as such, although if I end up close enough towards the end, I will definitely put in a good effort.”

By David Thiselton 

Night In Seattle can stake his claim to better things by winning the Racing.It’s A Rush Handicap at Kenilworth tomorrow.

“I am hoping to run him in the Cape Classic at the end of the month,” says Brett Crawford, pointing out: “He has form with St Tropez in a race where we were giving him 4.5kg.”

That was in January when the subsequent effortless East Cape Derby winner beat Corne Orffer’s mount by a length and three-quarters over tomorrow’s trip. Last time Night In Seattle came from the back over 1 400m to get up on the line in a manner that suggested he will be suited by this extra furlong.

Just as much to the point, he did so after losing a front shoe and so he should be able to confirm the placings with Friendly Tibbs and Sheer Trouble despite worse terms. His biggest danger is probably Castlethorpe who is disputing 3-1 favouritism with the Crawford horse in the Betting World forecast. He ran on well in a sprint last time and is every bit as effective over a mile, as he showed when winning under top weight on Met day last year.

Gift Of Rain has an impeccable pedigree – by Galileo out of an Oasis Dream black type winner – but she couldn’t win in seven starts for Ed Dunlop in England despite being ridden by the likes of Ryan Moore and Keiren Fallon. However her hour may finally come in the last race maiden.

This is her third run in South Africa and Justin Snaith says: “She should take a lot of beating here and I expect her to then do well in the winter when the more rain the better for her.”

She is 12-10 favourite in the forecast although handicap ratings suggest there is little between the top five on the card. Highest-rated What Fun (who looks intriguing at 4-1) is probably the one to beat. Her saddle slipped early on last time when the experiment of fitting blinkers proved equally disastrous. “She over-raced with them and she didn’t enjoy it,” recalls Adam Marcus.

Whatever their fortunes with Gift Of Rain Snaith and Richard Fourie should win the Soccer 6 Maiden Juvenile Fillies with Victoria Lavelle whose third to Champery and My Emblem was rubber-stamped by the Perfect Promise result.

One to bear in mind each way at a big price is Moonblanched whose first run had potential written all over it only for her to disappoint next time. Harold Crawford blames himself for giving the wrong instructions – “I said to give her a chance but she has a good stride and maybe I should have let her run on.”

There is almost nothing to choose between Mamselle Al and Candaleeyah 35 minutes later but the former finished well last time and gets marginal preference. Similarly Eternal Love is narrowly preferred to Mayoral Decree in the Kenilworth Maiden.

By Michael Clower