Mike Stewart will study the weather forecast this morning before deciding whether to declare the improving Icon King – winner of his last three starts – for the Highlands-sponsored Winter Guineas at Kenilworth on Saturday.

The Noordhoek trainer said: “He is drawn 18 out of 19 and he is also in the 1 400m handicap so I may go for that instead. But there could be a gale force Northerly and, if so, I would be sorely tempted to run in the Winter Guineas as the wind would be coming from behind in the straight.”

For once there was hardly any wind at the Cape Town course last Saturday but that was little compensation for all those punters who saw defeat snatched from the jaws of victory when La Favourari floored Tevez in the 1,200m Pinnacle.

It looked just a question of pressing the button when Aldo Domeyer loomed up alongside the pace-setting La Favourari but the favourite suddenly emptied like a pricked balloon. Seemingly his 12-week absence was taking its toll and he weakened into third at the line where La Favourari was still happily bowling along.

“I was going a little bit fast but I didn’t want to restrain him,” related Grant van Niekerk. “I knew something was coming, I thought it was probably Aldo Domeyer and I felt I was going to get beaten. Then mine seemed to find another gear.”

Andre Nel, left scratching his head for the second race running, added: “We were racing fit and the others were probably not but he has improved. It’s tricky finding races for him but we will keep boxing on with him.”

Watch out for Forest Prince next time. That was the message from Jonathan Snaith after the Var colt, allowed to drift from 9-2, came from a long way back to take third to fellow 14-1 newcomer Virtue in the first. “He is a very smart horse – one to note,” said Snaith.

Blow In The Box should also collect next time after ruining his chance at the start in the Moksh Authentic Indian Cuisine Maiden and failing to peg back Corne Orffer on the Brett Crawford-trained Phelan Lucky by only a diminishing half length.

“He blew it in the box,” quipped rider Bernard Fayd’Herbe. “”In fact he came out alright but he was very green and didn’t want to go. He could have done with a horse in his inside.”

 

The Eric Sands-trained Commander Bond (Greg Cheyne) in the mile maiden bridged a 20-year gap for nuclear physicist Steph Steyn who seemed as delighted as if he personally had thwarted Blofeld from splitting the atom.

“My last winner here was Motocross in April 1997. She went on to win races in Port Elizabeth but we gave up racing soon afterwards because it was so expensive,” he related. “My son Ruan was a small boy then but he has become very keen so we are now back in the game.”

Domeyer, successful on Virtue, sprang a 20-1 shock on the Glen Kotzen-trained Lindleys Lane, thwarting MJ Byleveld’s all-the-way bid on Amazingly in the Racing Association Maiden in the final two strides.

He said: “MJ is normally a lot easier to get past. He has obviously improved!”  Byleveld was not amused, as he made clear after winning the last on Keep The Faith for Vaughan Marshall.

Van Niekerk was given a R2 000 fine for hitting Twilight Trip more than three times in consecutive strides when coming with a devastating late run in the mile handicap. But he was more concerned with the way his mount suddenly hung in three strides from the post, causing the rider to pull his whip through in an effort to avoid interference. “I wasn’t sure I’d get the verdict,” he related. “But luckily the horse put his head down at the right time and I did get it. Thank God.”

Marsh Shirtliff, part-owner of the Candice Bass-Robinson-trained winner, echoed similar heartfelt sentiments after revealing that his money was on.

The in-form Craig Bantam had his claim cut to 2.5kg after making most to reach the 20-winner mark on State Ballet in the TAB Handicap.

By Michael Clower