David Thiselton
The Scottsville meeting on Wednesday should be held on fast ground with the heat having been relentless over the last few days.
The Dennis Drier yard hit good form on Saturday night with two wins and a second and tomorrow sees the return of their promising unbeaten Var filly, Val De Ra, who runs in the eighth, a Graduation Plate over 1 100m.
With more luck last season she would have gone into the Grade 1 Golden Slipper for two-year-old fillies on Vodacom Durban July day as one of the favourites after lowering the colours of My Kazzie at Greyville over 1 300m. However, she bled in that start and had to undergo a compulsory three month suspension.
She has been back in work for a while, but the yard battled to find a race for her, hence the eventual eight month break. Stuart Ferrie, the yard assistant, said, "She should be too good for them, I hope’’. On debut Val De Ra thrashed the Mike de Kock-trained Raihana, who has subsequently won in Dubai and been described by de Kock as “top class.’’
Drier's only other runner on the night is Kanevaro, who won a good race at Greyville last time that has been franked by the runner up, Indecent Obsession, who has won twice since. Kanevaro therefore faces Indecent Obsession on 2,5kg better terms despite having beaten him by 1,5 lengths. However, the yard warned that Kanevaro “might just need it” after his three month break. Another interesting runner on the card is the De Kock-trained Gibson Girl, who went close on debut in a Workrider's Maiden over 1 200m and now runs in a Fillies and Mares Maiden over 1 600m. Although her second didn’t come in the strongest of fields, Nathan Kotzen, assistant to De Kock, felt that Gibson Girl would relish the step up to 1 600m. Knocking on the door Kotzen felt that Gibson Girl only had one horse to beat, the Glen Puller-trained Jonquil, who put up a fair effort when stepped up to 1 400m last time at Greyville, finishing second to Xilomante. She beat Maphiko in that race and the latter has won since.
The Mark Dixon-trained Groovy Day has been knocking on the door and lost narrowly at odds-on last time over course and distance, so can't be ignored.
Kotzen said that Riyal, who runs in the fifth, a MR 72 Handicap over 1600m, might have seemed a bit disappointing to some, but had done little wrong. She is tried with first-time blinkers. However, Kotzen felt that his brother Glen’s horse, Vilayet, would be the one to beat. Vilayet pulled for her head for most of the trip last time out in a MR 81Handicap over course and distance, yet still managed to just get up and win. From a draw of six in a much bigger field she could find cover this time and if she does she could be hard to beat off just a two point higher merit rating. Kotzen felt that Alkhansaa would prefer a bit of cut in the ground and would need further and was also at a loss to understand the merit rating the Handicapper had lumped her with after an easy win in a weak Maiden. The Colin Scott-trained Prince Of Cannes runs in the ninth, a MR68 Handicap over 1 400m, having caught the eye when beating Pegasus Legacy over 1 200m at Clairwood last time in his maiden win. Pegasus Legacy has since won impressively, so Prince Of Cannes must have a shout from a good draw. The Bart Rice-trained Western Gem beat Prince Of Cannes in his maiden in his penultimate start over 1 000m before not being disgraced first time out the maidens over 1 200. Back to 1 000m in the seventh, a MR 70 Handicap, he must have a chance, although the Alyson Wright-trained Kahal Street and the Dixon-trained Modern Express could be the two to beat.

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Vaal Net Quartet C/Over: R 53 969 on Sunday 07 February 2010. Race 8 off at 16h20. Estimated Pool: R 300 000.

Vaal Net Trifecta C/Over: R 342 on Sunday 07 February 2010. Race 8 off at 16h20. No Estimation.

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MICHAEL CLOWER
Yesterday’s Cape Summer Yearling Sale was just under three hours old when Chris Van Niekerk had all those in the marquee on the edge of their seats in excitement as he fought out a battle royal for a fine Right Approach colt related to the mighty Jay Peg.
His opponent was Ray Koedyk who echoed the general sentiment by declaring “When that horse entered the ring I said ‘wow.’ ’
But Van Niekerk had the greater fire-power and at R700 000 his opponent was forced to concede defeat.
“I’ve bought him in partnership with Markus Jooste,” said Van Niekerk. “Sean Tarry will train him and we liked him very much.”
The yearling Tarry described as “a cracking colt” was consigned by Mike Barnard’s Daytona Stud and is out of a half-sister to the dam of Jay Peg.
Six lots later the first yearling to be offered at auction by the 2004 Durban July winner Greys Inn came into the ring and was bought by Mike Bass for R240 000.
At the end of the first 100 lots, 64 yearlings had been sold for an average of R70 156, only slightly down on last year.

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David Thiselton
The Summerveld tracks have not been fully workable since last Thursday and this might have an affect on the performance of runners at Greyville on Saturday night.
The Paul Lafferty yard is bullish about their chances of having two winners on the night.
Lafferty said that Fort Noble in the second, a maiden over 2 000m, would be “hard to beat” and the form suggests the same. He is drawn widely but has done well from a wide draw in the past.
Kumaran Naidoo said Summer Dot Com pulled his way to the front with first time blinkers last time, so he expects him to bounce back to his best in this race with blinkers removed.
Lafferty also felt that Born In Space would be a “big, big runner” in the seventh, a handicap over 1 600m.
“She found it a touch too far last time,” he said about her last start over 1 800m.
The formbook would suggest Born In Space’s optimum trip is 1 600m.
Tea Break ran a cracker in the Flamboyant and poses a big threat in that race, and Naidoo said she is “fairly fit” despite the lack of tracks.
The Mike Miller-trained Smangaliso is right up with, if not slightly ahead, of Tea Break on her Flamboyant run.
The Dennis Drier yard has a good horse in Rise Again turning out in the fifth race, a fillies and mares handicap over 1 000m.
Stuart Ferrie, Drier’s assistant, gave her the thumbs up, but added, “She is a massive filly, so might just, just need a run. But that doesn’t mean she can’t win.”
Rise Again won impressively in her second start over 1 200m at Scottsville and did well in her first handicap start when just 0,7 lengths back over the Clairwood 1 200m in a field packed with above average horses as it fell in the middle of the Champions Season.
In this off-season event she should have a great chance despite a seven month break, although she doesn’t have an easy draw at 10.
The Julie Dittmer-trained Sunset Beat won well over 1 000m last time in a maiden and could be the main danger.
Super Sunday from the Gavin van Zyl yard is another horse who featured when the fields were stronger. So she could be the horse to beat in the third, a maiden over 1 400m despite returning from a four month break. Her best trip looks to be 1 600m, but she is well drawn in two.
Detectorist finished second in a weak maiden last time in very soft going, and Tracy Woolard, caretaker trainer for Paul Matchett at Summerveld, was concerned about the lack of recent tracks to work on.
The preferences to fight it out with Super Sunday would be the Herman Brown-trained Enrichment and the Mike de Kock-trained Minwa. Enrichment finished a narrow second to the Bart Rice-trained Western Gem last time and it is worth noting that Rice rates the latter a lot better than Bycullah, whom Enrichment faces on Saturday.
Nathan Kotzen, assistant to De Kock, said that he expected improvement from Minwa who finished a narrow second in a moderate maiden over 1 200m on debut.
This does not augur well for the more experienced Carlas Wisdom, who finished just behind her then, although Rivalland does rate her as his best runner on the night.
Clairwood have not missed many days of training and Deshone Steyn, assistant to Sean Tarry, said Omega Warrior had been working well. However, with Omega Warrior’s raise in merit rating, all of Norse Sky, Big Light, Night Time and Frost Bound could beat him.
Tropical Empire runs well fresh and the Greyville 1 400m is possibly his favourite course and distance, so he’s the one to beat in the fourth, but don’t discount Thandolwami with the jockey who knows him best, Raymond Danielson, back on board.

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