The switch from a tapeta surface to dirt has seen the quality of the Dubai World Cup improve this year and among the starters for the 2000m race will be American Horse Of The Year California Chrome, who won both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness. In his Triple Crown bid in the Belmont he finished tie fourth but was later found to have had some tissue torn from his right front heel in an incident at the start. In his only start this year on February 7 he finished a 1,5 length second over nine furlongs on dirt to the top class Shared Belief, who is to date a six-time Gr 1 winner. That run alone makes California Chrome hard to oppose on Saturday.

African Story (Emirates Racing Authority)

The highest rated horse in the race is the Japanese contender Epiphaneia. This five-year-old entire won the Japan Cup over 2400m last year, beating 2014’s highest rated horse in the world Just A Way, by a facile four lengths. However, he might not be as effective over 2000m and has also never raced on dirt before.

The USA raider Lea won the Gr 1 Down Handicap over 1800m cosily in February last year at Gulf Stream Park and made a decent comeback after nearly a year’s layoff to win a Gr 3 over a mile at the same venue in January  before finishing second in the Down Handicap last month. However, on strict formlines Lea looks held by California Chrome and so does another American horse Candy Boy.

Last year’s World Cup winner African Story lines up again, but there were no big American horses in the race last year and in the 2013 running he was beaten seven lengths by Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom. The Australian eight-year-old raider Side Glance won a Gr 1 over this trip on turf in 2013 and is interesting on dirt.

The US$5 million Dubai Sheema Classic over 2410m produced a brilliant Japanese winner in Just A Way last year and Harp Star, who came from last to finish sixth in the Arc, could be another Japanese horse to conquer this year under the brilliant Ryan Moore.

The Gr 1 Dubai Turf over 1800m, formerly known as the Dubai Duty Free, could also be won by Moore as his mount The Grey Gadsby beat the much acclaimed Epsom and Irish Derby winner Australia in the Irish Champion Stakes over 2000m last time out in September last year.

The Gr 1 Golden Shaheen over 1200m on dirt could go to the USA raider Secret Circle, who finished well ahead of last year’s Golden Shaheen runner up Rich Tapestry the last time they met in an America Gr 1 over this distance on dirt and he also beat another contender Big Macher easily in that event.

South African Gr 1 hopes at the meeting will rest on Via Africa in the Al Quoz Sprint over 1000m on turf and she could well do it if coming back to her brilliant best in a division that is not very strong worldwide.

The CapeTown trainer explained: “I am looking to expand and I have been granted boxes for a permanent satellite yard at Summerveld.”

Kannemeyer, who won the Vodacom Durban July with Dynasty in 2003 and with Eyeofthetiger three years later, sent his horses to Durban earlier than usual and he is optimistic that this will pay dividends.

He said: “I normally went between March 15 and 21 when the humidity at Clairwood was just about over but Summerveld is a new place for me and I wanted to get used to the tracks. The feedback I have been getting (from riders) has been good and the new barns are magnificent.”

His Durban team will shortly be boosted by last season’s Golden Horseshoe and Gold Vase winners Afrikaburn and Hot Ticket.

Kannemeyer said: “Hot Ticket is my main staying horse and he had to have a wind operation but it has worked well while Afrikaburn has been at Jane Thomas’s pre-training operation.”

The three-year-old was forced to miss the Grand Parade Cape Guineas when Kannemeyer was not happy with his off-fore joint and the decision was taken to geld him.

Brett Crawford, who has won the last two runnings of the Champions Cup, sent his first batch last week and these included Gold Cup winner Wavin’ Flag, De Kock, Sail South and Gulf Storm. More are due to travel tomorrow.

The Riverside Handicap and the Nkosazana Stakes will both be run over 1 450m and while both events could produce upset results, there are runners that stand out as potential winners.

In the Riverside Handicap the six-year-old Strike Smartly gelding Brooks-Club has been a gallant and gutsy performer, seldom running an uninspiring race. He gives of his best and for his efforts has amassed stake earning of more than R1-million, considerably more than any of his rivals.

Ian Sturgeon has retained the ride for trainer Mike Azzie and the gelding was a little unlucky in his last race over 1 600m on the course when second to Augustinus. Since then he has raced twice in features on the turf doing good work in the finish and certainly not disgraced.

With a win and three places in five starts over the course and distance he has to be rated as one of the potential winners.

Solar Triptych has won his last two starts for Alec Laird over the course and distance but against weaker opposition than he meets today. However, he won those races very easily and although stepping up in class, he could have more to offer and cannot be ruled out.

Kiss Me Hardy has a big weight to shoulder but he too has to be respected. He has raced and won at the course and won well enough over 1 400m last time to suggest he will handle the extra 50m and if combining the two today he is not without a money chance.

At the bottom of the weights with 52kg on his back is Samogan from the Sean Tarry stable. He has two of his four starts over the course and distance and with that light weight from a good inside draw he could be dangerous.

In the Nkosazana Stakes, the Jet Master filly Be Mine Tonight looks the horse to beat and could even be considered as an exotic bet banker. She has recorded two wins and a second from three starts over the course and distance for trainer Dominic Zaki and with regular pilot from a good draw she has a lot going for her today.

But one cannot ignore the chances of a few other runners including the likes of Jade Vine, Mystic Express, Mohave Princess and the Mike de Kock duo of Qawaasem and Bang Sue. Qawaasem took to the dirt like a duck to water in her last race winning by 4,5 lengths over 1 200m. She has won over the distance and with a light weight to shoulder today she could give Be Mine Tonight something to think about.

Jade Vine does shoulder top weight but has won under similar over the course and distance before. She is a consistent sort in giving of her best in every race so does warrant utmost respect.

Ramsden said: “Bernard Fayd’Herbe rode him in a gallop over six furlongs with Kingvoldt and he went very nicely. I am going to road him up to Johannesburg on either Wednesday or Thursday and he will travel in my own lorry. I will make it like a box and let him travel loose.”

King Of Pain (Nkosi Hlophe)

Fayd’Herbe’s other mounts will include Justin Snaith’s J & Met day Listed winner Buckinghampshire in the Protea Stakes and Grant van Niekerk has been booked for stable companion Readytogorightnow in the Horse Chestnut as stable jockey Richard Fourie will be at the wedding of Snaith’s brother Jonathan that day.

Vaughan Marshall is expecting Mljet (MJ Byleveld) to finish much closer in the SA Classic than he did in last month’s Betting World Gauteng Guineas when he was headed two furlongs out and weakened into tenth, six and a half lengths behind the winner.

Marshall explained: “That was his first run since being gelded and also he hadn’t been up in Johannesburg all that long. He is now nearly back to his best.”

Marshall added that Exelero, reported not striding out on his left fore and making an abnormal respiratory noise after finishing a well-beaten fifth behind Paterfamilias at Turffontein last weekend, is fine and will run over a mile next.

Fourie gave up all but the first two of his rides at Kenilworth yesterday. He hurt his back when a horse fell with him in the morning and Snaith fears the injury traces back to his fall on Jet Explorer in last year’s Rising Sun Gold Challenge.

Corne Orffer deputised on Heartland in the 1 200m handicap but the favourite was no match for the Darryl Hodgson-trained Mister Matchett (Greg Cheyne).

Snaith said: “It was his first run for three months and it looked like it. He will come on from it but he will run over further in Durban.”

Champery bridged a 25-year plus gap when the Eric Sands-trained filly (the first leg of a treble for Karl Neisius) made a winning debut in the maiden juvenile fillies. She is owned by the family of Vernon Head who owned the 1989 Met winner Fearless Streaker.

According to Head’s wife Antoinette this is the first horse they have had since. Her husband was on hand to cheer the filly home despite having a pacemaker fitted only last Friday.

The bay colt, named Torre Del Oro and sold by Ian Heyns, is the second foal of the Fort Wood mare Fort Sylvia who comes from a strong American family with a host of Group 1 winners close up – notably Dayjur.

The price was more than twice the next highest and the Cape Thoroughbred Sales chairman also bought the third top lot, Daytona’s Dynasty colt out of a full sister to the 2001 Cape Fillies Guineas winner Sport’s Chestnut. John O’Kelly, who also sold the sale-topper, brought the hammer down at R500 000.

Sean Tarry, Van Niekerk’s principal trainer, said: “I think he’s a very nice horse and we bought him at a nice price. Certainly, I am happy to have him.”

This bay colt was sold on Friday evening as was the Noordhoek Flyer colt from Graeme Koster’s Rosedene Stud out of four-time winning Western Winter mare Tin Legs. This one made R 600 000 and was one of seven yearlings bought by Markus Jooste’s Mayfair Speculators.

Dominic Zaki, who will train him, said: “He is a very nice horse and, while I haven’t trained any of his relations, I do have a good two-year-old in my yard by Noordhoek Flyer.”

There was only one Captain Al filly in the catalogue – from Klawervlei out of four time winner Blingle Bells whose third dam is the 1986 Horse of the Year Enchanted Garden – and Hassen Adams went to R400 000 to get her.

He said: “I’ve been very lucky with Captain Al fillies and Darryl Hodgson kept putting his hand up for this one.”

Despite a smaller catalogue, the R118 945 average was 18% down on last year but sales boss Adrian Todd explained: “A number of horses which could have been on this sale have been sent to our Johannesburg yearling sale. However we still had a million rand horse which shows that you can get top prices for good horses at it.  Furthermore this sale is a vital part of the cog and has produced some very good value horses.”

Louis Goosen bought the most yearlings (13) closely followed by Nicola Coppez’s Balmoral Stud with 11. David Hepburn-Brown’s Hemel ‘N Aarde Stud sold the most (32) and Dynasty was the sire with the best average (R358 333) for those that sold three or more.