It will remain a mystery why he ran below par that day, although jockey Piere Strydom did say subsequently that he had been surprised that a horse lacking in speed had started favourite over a distance too sharp for him. However, history is littered with horses that have not managed to bounce back from their first below par run and among them are greats like Empress Club and Model Man.

It could be argued that Louis The King’s first below par run was actually in the J&B Met, when starting favourite and running a flat race to finish sixth (His run in the Vodacom Durban July could not be considered a below par run as he suffered such bad luck in that race).

However, if there is one trainer who can get them to bounce back it is Woodruff and what better example to use than his dual Durban July winner El Picha, who ran 10,75 lengths back in the Horse Chestnut Stakes before going within half-a-length of winning the Champions Stakes (today known as the Champions Challenge) and then going on to win the July for a second time. However, bookmakers are not too confident Louis The King will bounce back and have him at 7/1, although they do still make him third favourite behind the mighty Majmu and the unlucky Vodacom Durban July loser Wylie Hall.

Tellina (JC Photos)

Woodruff also has the consistent Tellina in the race and his son and assistant trainer Tim said, “Tellina’s last run was very encouraging and if he reproduces it he will have a big shout.” This five-year-old Silvano gelding is a “terrible work horse”, but can be relied on to run to his best in the big ones. His Gr 2 Gauteng Guineas win occurred more than 18 months ago, so he will carry no weight penalties and will therefore receive 2,5kg from the only male Gr 1 winner in the race Louis The King. Tellina is a 10-1 shot with the bookies and looks to be better value than his more illustrious stablemate.

The third Woodruff contender is Killua Castle and Tim described him as a “dogged, tough horse”. He added that this narrow SANSUI Summer Cup runner up had needed his last run in the Gr 2 Colorado King Stakes over course and distance, his first start back from his unplaced run in the J&B Met. He was beaten 6,25 lengths by Wylie Hall in that last start but is now  1kg better off and Tim added that, whereas Louis The King and Tellina go well on any ground, Killua Castle would probably prefer the faster ground that the weather forecast suggests there will be on Saturday.

The yard run the Gr 1-placed Jet Master filly Touch The Sky in the Gr 2 gerald Rosenberg Stakes over her ideal trip of 2000m. Tim said, “She shows incredible work at home but is just not reproducing it on the racecourse so we are trying the blinkers to see whether that will work.” She is not actually carded to race in blinkers, so punters will have to take note of the card changes and/or the dissemination on the day.

Woodruff has a good chance of winning the first race where the classy Shadow Of His Smile runs over his ideal trip of 1600m with Anton Marcus up. Tim said about the yard’s coupling, “Shadow Of A Smile is a top division horse who always needs to be respected. The Captain’s Tune has gone a bit off the boil but has been looking good.”

Pictures: Louis The King and Tellina (JC Photos)

The Mike de Kock-trained Australian-bred daughter of Redoute’s Choice will be seeking her third Gr 1 triumph in succession and takes on older males for the first time in the Gr 1 President’s Champions Challenge over 2000m. Delpech said, “Her form speaks for itself. She is simple to ride, she doesn’t over race and can lead or sit in fifth or sixth.”

The top jockey also confirmed that being a big, robust filly she would not be intimidated by her older male opponents.

This will also be the first time Majmu has raced beyond the mile, but she has always given the impression that she would relish further, as she relaxes so well in the running and couples that with a blistering turn of foot. She has made up plenty of ground before when finding herself out of her ground over shorter.

Ertijaal (Liesl King)

Delpech urged caution about the other Gr 1 favourite he rides, the Investec Cape Derby winner Ertijaal, who runs in the SA Derby over 2450m. He replaces Gavin Lerena aboard Ertijaal and said, “I don’t know what went wrong last time (in the SA Classic), Matthew (De Kock) said the ground didn’t suit him. He showed in the Cape Derby that he stays all day, so the trip won’t be a problem.

“But to have him at 12/10 and the rest of the field at 4/1 and upwards is all wrong. If you go back in the form of Deputy Jud, who beat Ertijaal in the SA Classic, you will find that Ertijaal only beat him by 0,5 lengths previously, so Deputy Jud must have as much chance. I just think that people jumped the gun by calling him a superstar after the easy Cape Derby win because the runner up (Act Of War) was subsequently shown to have had something wrong and a couple of horses Act Of War finished together with have proven to not be too good.”

Ertijaal has a daisy cutting action, which would indeed be better suited to the faster ground expected on Saturday.  He did need the run badly when beating Deputy Jud in the aforementioned race on the Inside track over 1800m and was giving the latter 2kg. Furthermore he is a galloping type who will much prefer the Standside track. The reason for his short price might be that De Kock has won this race nine times.

However, even then it would be no surprise to see the majority of pundits tipping the SA Classic winner French Navy, who is an ever-improving sort and has struck on both running style and pedigree as one who will enjoy the Derby trip.

Delpech’s mount Pine Princess could provide the biggest threat to the Triple Tiara-seeking Siren’s Call in the Gr 1 SA Oaks over 2450m and she has duly been priced up second favourite. Delpech said, “This is the first time she will be going over the trip she really wants.” She has drawn wide in barrier eleven, but Siren’s Call is one outside of her.

Alboran Sea (right) holds on from Captain Of All – Cape Flying Championship (Liesl King)

Delpech rides the second favourite in the Gr 1 Computaform Sprint, the Gr 1 Cape Flying Championship winner Alboran Sea. Most racegoers believed that this speedy three-year-old filly had been pipped by Captain Of All in the Cape Flying but the photo finish showed she had got her head down at the right time. Delpech replaces Weichong Marwing and said, “It is her first run back from Cape Town, whereas Captain of All has had a prep so will be fitter, but over five furlongs she could get away with it.” The outside has tended to be favourable in recent big racemeetings down the Turffontein straight, so Alboran Sea looks to have a plum draw of 13, although the going can vary on occasion.

Delpech’s ride in the Gr 1 SA Nursery, Shaama, will try and repeat last year’s feat by Carry On Alice of beating the boys. Delpech said, “She is a lovely filly but will have her work cut out as this is much more competitive than her debut. She has an eachway chance and looking at the field Gavin Van Zyl has two nice colts who both have good chances.” Shaama is a paternal half-sister to Majmu, being by Redoute’s Choice, but Delpech said that the like of Majmu don’t come around too often. Shaama has also landed a possibly favourable high draw.

Delpech rides Entisaar in the Gr 2 SA Fillies Nursery and said, “She is a nice filly and ran below her best last time. The slow start didn’t affect her, it was probably the soft ground she didn’t enjoy as she didn’t run her race and is definitely better than that. It’s very competitive and the filly who beat her last time (Speedy Suzy) must have a chance.”

In the Gr 2 Gerald Rosenberg Stakes he is aboard Santa Carolina and said, “She needs to get her form back to have a chance.”

He rides Raees in the Gr 2 Gold Bowl over 3200m and said, “He ran a very good race last time as he was baulked and might otherwise have run second. He stays well and has a good place chance.”

Delpech admitted that he didn’t know much about Drifting Dusk whom he rides in the Gr 2 Camellia Stakes. He said about his mount in the first, Rushmore River, “He is a hard knocker and just ran a flat race last time. He has an eachway chance but I think Shadow Of His Smile will be hard to beat.”

Tarry said that being a “seasoned campaigner” he would not be a bundle of nerves before the Elusive Fort filly’s run in the Gr 1 Wilgerbsdrift SA Oaks over 2450m, in which her regular pilot Piere Strydom will have to negotiate a tricky draw of 12. However, Tarry didn’t think the wide draw would be a problem over this trip and also pointed out that she had won in fast going before, as opposed to the bog of her last win in the Gr 1 SA Fillies Classic, so any ground would do. He said she was very well and had taken her last run well.

Siren’s Call (JC Photos)

Her SA Fillies Classic win on 28 March followed wins in both the R2,5 million CTS Book 2 Graduates race over 1400m on February 10 and the Gr2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas on February 28, so she has had a gruelling campaign, but looks to be a tough horse with a huge heart. Tarry didn’t feel that her task would be easier here than in any of the aforementioned races as he felt that the Mike de Kock-trained Pine Princess would be a big improver over this trip.

Tarry has also entered Tiger Ridge filly Epsom Downs, despite being way out at the weights off an 88 merit rating, but said she stayed well and this would likely be her best chance to find a place in a Gr 1.

French Navy could give Tarry an Oaks and Gr 1 SA Derby double on the day. He said that this Gr 1 SA Classic winner’s racing style seemed to suggest that he would stay, particularly considering he relaxed so well in the running. He is another who has won in all types of going.

Tarry has also entered the up and coming Greys In gelding Legal Eagle and felt that he was certain to get the 2450m trip. He has the gelding entered in the July alongside French Navy, Siren’s Call and eight others and said he had put his name in the hat and would see what happened going forward.

The weather forecast shows that there is a 30% chance that 11mm of rain will fall between today and Friday and there is no rain forecast on Saturday, so the ground should be faster than in the SA Classic meeting.

Tarry responded to this prediction by saying, “I think faster ground will probably be in my favour as 2450m in soft going is a different race and would suit an out and out stayer.”

Tarry has Halve The Deficit and Heavy Metal entered in the Gr 1 President’s Champions Challenge over 2000m and said, “Majmu will be hard to beat but both of ours have had good preps. Heavy Metal is doing very well, but needs cover and needs to settle. Halve The Deficit has more in his favour in terms of the draw (2 compared to Heavy Metal’s 7).

Willow Magic (JC Photos)

The yard also have two entries in the Gr 1 Computaform Sprint over 1000m and both of them, Willow Magic and Carry On Alice, are former Gr 1 SA Nursery winners. He said, “Both are doing very well and it wouldn’t surprise me to see either of them win.”

Willow Magic has been targeted at this race and had impressed in his first two comeback runs from a long injury enforced layoff, but last time in the Gr 2 Senor Santa he played up in the starting stalls and never travelled well before finishing last. Tarry said, “It’s not an ideal way to come into the race, but otherwise all is well. The start played a big part in that disappointing run and I hope the starter will have learnt from it and that we see him loaded a little later.”

He said about the three-year-old filly Carry On Alice, who renews rivalry with the two horses that beat her into third in the Gr 1 Betting World Cape Flying Championships, Alboran Sea and Captain Of All, “She comes in off a good win, her form is solid and I think she will be involved in the finish.” By current trends both horses have landed favourable high draws.

Tarry felt that the Ormond Ferraris-trained Lazer Star looked hard to beat in the Gr 2 Camellia Stakes over 1160m, but added that he regarded his charge Bichette as a classy filly who had enjoyed a good prep and he felt she was capable of “upping her game.”

In the Gr 2 Gold Bowl over 3200m he has entered Supertube, who is 1kg under sufferance on official merit ratings. He said, “He had to do it the hard way last time as he was 3kg out at the weights and being better weighted and with a more conservative ride he has an eachway chance.”

In the Gr 2 Gerald Rosenberg Stakes over 2000m, he runs three fillies and said, “I think Tamanee is the right horse and will enjoy the distance. Enchanted Silk is a big runner as her last two runs have been encouraging. Amber Orchid is out at the weights but is fit and well.”

In the big day’s opening race, a MR 100 handicap over 1600m, he runs recent King’s Cup winner The Hangman as well as Baracah. He said, “The Hangman has prepped well and has an eachway chance. Baracah has been disappointing of late. He did well in a staying race last year and we got stuck there. However, we have freshened him up and he has done nothing wrong over the shorter distances. He is also down in the weights so it wouldn’t shock me to see him doing well here.”

Conspicuous by his absence is the Gr 1 Grand Parade Cape Guineas winner Act Of War who is being targeted at the Winter Series in Cape Town.

Ramsden’s Champions Season string consists of King Of Pain, The Conglomerate, Kingvoldt, Disco Al, Coltrane, Gallica Rose, St. Tropez, Grey Light, Azincourt, and one unraced two-year-old.

King Of Pain travelled up to Johanesburg  recently to run in the Gr 1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes, a race for which Ramsden said he had enjoyed a superb preparation, but  had to be scratched after kicking a stable wall and bruising his heels.

Consequently, Ramsden has pulled the five-year-old Greys Inn gelding out of the Gr 1 President’s Champions Challenge and will run him in the Gr 2 Drill Hall Stakes over 1400m at Greyville on May 2 instead. Unfortunately, he has drawn wide in the Drill Hall in 25 out of 32 entries. However, it would be no surprise to still see him lining up as one of his chief targets will be the defence of his Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge crown over 1600m at Greyville on June 6.

The Conglomerate, a classy Australian-bred colt by Lonhro, has been priced up at 45/1 for the July and is one of the best value horses in the market at present as he has the look of a progressive type who has still not been fully exposed. He won the Listed Politician Stakes over 1900m last time out on January 10 and gave the impression that he would stay further. He received 3kg from the runner up MLJet that day, but had to be switched once or twice in the straight and won cosily in the end. He is merit rated 100 and has drawn 15 out of 28 entries for the Gr 2 KRA Guineas on May 2. The Gr 1 Daily News 2000 on May 30 is likely to be his chief target and as the male three-year-old division is not overly strong this year he is likely to make his presence felt, although on the other hand the mighty filly Majmu is due to be an entry in that race.

The Gr 1 Grand Parade Cape Guineas third-placed Kingvoldt had a fine Champions Season pipe opener last Friday night when conceding 3kg to the classy Heartland over 1400m at Greyville and being beaten just 0,75 lengths. This classy Western Winter colt is drawn  17 for the KRA Guineas. He hasn’t raced beyond a mile to date and as he was not entered for the July he looks likely to run in the Gold Challenge rather than the Daily News, although being out of a Parade Leader mare he could possibly stay further than 1600m.

Disco Al will likely have his best chance of feature success in staying races and could have races like the Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m, the Gr 2 Track And Ball Derby over 2400m and the eLan Property Group Gold Cup over 3200m, all at Greyville, as his chief targets. He has drawn 11 in the Listed Sledgehammer over 1750m on Sunday and is a versatile type who is also effective over this trip.

Coltrane is one of the best stayers in the country so will likely have all of the aforementioned staying races on his program. He is drawn 15 in Sunday’s Sledgehammer, a race he finished a short-head second in last year from a wide draw, which proved that he is also effective over this distance.

Gallica Rose is a Silvano filly who has come into her own this season and, having finished a 0,2 length second in the Listed Sun Classique Handicap over 2400m last time out, she could have staying races for fillies and mares on her agenda. The merit rated 95 filly is drawn 8 in the Listed Scarlet Lady over 1750m at Scottsville on Sunday and could then perhaps be entered in races like the Listed East Coast Cup over 2000m at Greyville on May 17 and the Gr 2 Gold Circle Oaks over 2400m at Greyville  on June 21. The Gold Cup might be on the cards if she does well in those races.

St. Tropez received 3kg from the classy Ultimate Dollar on Sunday at Greyville and was awarded the result on objection. Anthony Delpech was certain that he would have won the race but for the interference. This Silvano gelding  has a nice turn of foot and his tendency of hanging to the right will make him suited to Greyville, so it is a surprise to see him not entered in the KRA Guineas and perhaps the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 is his chief target as he will relish the extra trip on pedigree, being a full-brother to former narrow Investec Cape Derby runner up Tan Can.

Grey Light is a strapping filly by top USA sire Tapit and has dropped to a 93 merit rating, so should be watched in handicaps as Cape Town horses often have suppressed merit ratings due to the class of horse there. She has faced the like of Majmu and Inara. The sprint-miler Count Dubois  gelding  Azincourt is another to watch in handicaps.

Ramsden’s Summerveld string is being taken care of by Alson Ndzilana, who did a fine job for the yard at Clairwood last season.

Lloyd travelled near the front of the field and lost his iron on the home turn, dislodging him from his mount. Other horses then cannoned into Lloyd, in particular, Michael Cahill’s mount Whatalovelyday.

“I couldn’t avoid him and it made a cracking sound when I hit him,” Cahill said.

But Lloyd walked away and eventually had to be persuaded by stewards not to drive home.

Eventually, the veteran rider agreed to let Robbie Fradd drive him home.

“I’m fine. My leg’s a bit sore, but I knew everything that was happening right through the fall and as I hit the ground,” Lloyd told stewards.

Doctors reported Lloyd, who suffered a stroke in 2013, escaped with only minor abrasions and showed no signs of losing consciousness at any stage.

It had been an otherwise very successful day for Lloyd, who notched a double on outsider Monaco Doll and Matt Dunn’s Write Cheek.

The fall took the spotlight off what was a most impressive win by the John Zielke-trained Worthy Cause, who is now likely to step up sharply in distance in Saturday’s Gunsynd (1800m) at the Gold Coast.

Supplied by News.com.au

Picture: Jeff Lloyd