A number of good horses are turning out at tomorrow’s KZN meeting, which has been moved from Scottsville to Greyville, and some of them like the much talked about Royal Life will be returning from long layoffs.

Trainer Alistair Gordon said Royal Life would definitely need his outing over the too sharp 1200m of the sixth race.

The gelding was bought into the Gordon yard as a three-year-old just over a year ago after an impressive six length win over 1600m in his second career start.

However, he had a few initial hiccups and then contracted a serious virus after being gelded.

This run will get him going again, but he is looking for a lot further.

Gordon also brings back classy sorts in Monte Christo, Beat The Retreat and Sublime Code.

Monte Christo finished lame last time over 1600m on the day the jockeys protested about the Scottsville turn (December 20), so has had to be brought back to fitness.

Gordon said, “He is fit and well and put up a good gallop on Monday. He is talented and I hope for a good run, although he might just need it.”

The good looking Trippi colt should love running fresh over the 1400m course and distance of the Novice Plate event and is tipped to win.

Beat The Retreat by Argonaut has a fine record down the Scottsville straight and has never run on the poly before. However, he should be right there in the seventh, a competitive MR 97 Handicap over 1200m.

Gordon said, “He has been gelded and it’s made a big difference. He has been working nicely. It might be a bit sharp for him now, but I expect him to run a nice race.”

Sublime Code, a three-year-old by Warm White Night, has his second run after gelding in the last, a MR 77 Handicap over 1200m.

Gordon would have obviously preferred the race to have been at Scottsville, as he said, “He was really, really green on the poly last time and will be better up the straight. He has improved a lot and I am hoping for a decent run.”

The Dennis Drier yard make Desert Fighter their best runner on the day in that last race. He looks to have been leniently treated by the handicappers, especially considering the form of his 3,25 length win over the course and distance has turned out well.

The Drier yard said Sea Fever would likely need his first run back from the Cape in the seventh, although he would still be fit enough to be a contender.

Drier’s Var filly Nova has her second career outing in the third race over 1000m, after a five month layoff, and they said it would likely be inexperience rather than fitness which could find her out as she was a small filly and had put in the necessary work.

Gareth van Zyl said Redcarpet Captain was beginning to become a bit coltish at home so they were sending him out, to run in tomorrow’s seventh, a bit earlier than ideal in order to settle him down. This run will bring him on as he obviously has a lot bigger fish to fry in the forthcoming South African Champions Season.

Garth Puller brings back Mr McSteamy from a nine month layoff to run in the fourth, a Maiden over 1000m. He said he had some class, but might be one run short.

Puller viewed the Charles Laird-trained Variable Pitch as the obvious horse to beat, because despite also returning from an eight month layoff he had decent form as well as the advantage of a 4kg claimer aboard. However, he pointed out Mr McSteamy’s half-sister Dreya’s Gold had relished the step back to this 1000m trip on Sunday when beating a promising sort in Cosmic Burst and hoped Mr McSteamy would do likewise.

Mike Miller’s decent sort Executive Power over raced when sent over1600m last time, but Miller refuses to accept he is a pure sprinter yet so tries him over 1400m of the fifth.

By David Thiselton