Smart Call will attempt to follow in the successful female footsteps of River Jetez (2010) and Igugu (2012) in the J & B Met but Alec Laird has an even bigger target in mind for Saturday’s winner of the Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes.

He said: “Winning this means that we now have a ticket for the Breeders’ Cup and we may well go for that, possibly via Mauritius but hopefully we can get a shorter route by then.”

Laird, who travelled the world with his 1997 Met winner London News, deliberately did not enter the Mauritzfontein homebred for the Klawervlei Majorca on Saturday week and explained: “A mile is a bit sharp for her. The Met will be tough but she is a good filly and I think she will actually get further than 2 000m as she is by Ideal World out of a mare by Horse Chestnut.”

Weichong Marwing, who also rode Horse Chestnut, was fined R1 000 for saluting the crowd before the line while runner-up Inara came back with a mouth injury and fourth-placed Same Jurisdiction had an over-reach wound on her left fore.

Anton Marcus for once failed to get a flyer on the 16-10 favourite but reported: “It wasn’t the draw that beat her – I had a great run. It was the distance and at that pace.”

Duncan Howells added: “I’m not disappointed. All in all I thought it was a fantastic run. With a good draw she would have been second. If she pulls up sound she will run in the Majorca.”

Surprisingly Black Arthur could miss Saturday week’s Investec Cape Derby despite making up 15 lengths when coming from last under Piere Strydom to get up just over 50m out in the Cartier Politician Stakes.

Justin Snaith, who won five of the 12 races, said: “The Politician was the race I earmarked for him for the summer – we have been holding him back because he needed time to mature – and he has a good future. There is a big doubt about the Derby and he won’t go for it unless I think he has a real winning chance.”

Runner-up Marinaresco is among the 28 Derby entries and so is third-placed Liege although Andrew Fortune was urging Sean Tarry to switch to the CTS Million Dollar. Second favourite Mooghamir dropped out disappointingly and the course vet found he was making an abnormal respiratory noise.

By Michael Clower
Picture (Liesl King): Smart Call winning the Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes

What the Queen’s Plate jockeys said:

Anton Marcus, winning the race for the fifth time since 1993: “I followed Bouclette Top. If I’d had the guts I wouldn’t have been scared to lead but it would have been a bit of a gamble and I was thinking of the Met.

“I knew something was there [when Futura and then Legislate tried to challenge] but I had no idea who it was. I was concerned with keeping my horse going. He has a turn of foot over ten furlongs but over a mile I didn’t want it turning into a sprint.”

Piere Strydom (Legislate,2^nd): “He moved up and I was happy with that but I think he is a bit of a bowler – he is better if he is allowed to bowl along.”

Anthony Delpech (Noah From Goa, 3^rd): “He ran a great race – he went through as if he was going to win – but I could have done with a faster pace.”

Corne Orffer (Captain America,4^th): “He stumbled badly coming out of the gates but he then ran an absolute cracker.”

Bernard Fayd’Herbe (Futura, 5^th): “The fractions were too slow. I needed a fast pace because I knew I could never sprint with these horses. Mine is an 1 800-2 000m horse.”

Andrew Fortune (Act Of War, 6^th): “I sat third and, although he quickened a little bit, he ran pretty much the same with Captain America and Futura as he had done last time.”

By Michael Clower
Picture: Anton Marcus and Legal Eagle (Liesl King)

The highlight of the Greyville poly meeting on Friday night was a win by the Gavin can Zyl-trained Silvano gelding Night Shadow, which proved he had well and truly turned the corner.

This horse had been quite frustrating to follow after winning his maiden in good style over 1200m on the poly and he dropped from an initial handicap mark of 79 down to a 63 after running not a single place in his next eight starts. However, he then suddenly flashed home when stepped up to 1800m, beating the promising Kitty’s Destiny. He followed up with another win over 2000m and then ran on strongly for third in the KZN Summer Chapter Challenge Final over 2000m on turf.

On Friday he proved the turnaround was likely due to him coming into his own, rather than merely being suited to middle distances, as he ran on strongly to annihilate them by three lengths over 1600m under Brandon Lerena. Gareth can Zyl, who trains the Brian Burnard-owned string for the yard, has certainly brought out the best of this four-year-old, who provides more evidence that Silvanos are like fine wines and improve with age.  It will be interesting to see how much further Night Shadow can progress.

The aforementioned Kitty’s Destiny also ran on Friday night and looked to be the chief victim in the argy-bargy down the straight in race 6 over 2000m caused by Silver Spring. The Weiho Marwing-trained Jonovich was away from the scrum and snuck down the inside to win under 2,5kg claimer Eric Ngwane.
Dennis Bosch has been in fine form and looks to have a fair sort in the well named Elusive Fort colt Elusive Wolf, who bears a striking resemblance to his famous dam sire Wolf Power. The penny is still dropping with him and with second time blinkers in his third career start he came home strongly under Anthony Delpech to beat the odds-on favourite, the well-bred Hearts ‘R Pumping, in a Maiden over 1400m by three-quarters of a length and the rest of the field were a further nine lengths back..

Delpech clinched a double in the last when the 82 merit rated three-year-old Mr Winsome ran on powerfully to beat older horses comfortably in a handicap over 2000m. This is another son of Silvano with a bright future.
The Craig Eudey-trained Blue Beach is improving in the typical fashion of a daughter of Ideal World and caught the eye running on strongly to win a fillies and mares maiden over 1400m under Warren Kennedy, particularly considering she will appreciate further.

Alistair Gordon has formed a fine partnership with Alec Forbes and they won the third over 1400m with hard-knocking Right Approach mare Donna Amata.

Andre Nel won the seventh over 2000m with Jet Master mare Jet Ntombi, ridden by 4kg claimer Calvin Ncgobo. Nel has had 18 winners countrywide at a strike rate of 12,77% since taking over Sabine Plattner’s string in September. The win clinched a first career double for Ngcobo as he had earlier ridden the Colin Scott-traine Galileo gelding Maachaan to victory in a 1600m handicap.
By David Thiselton
Picture (Nkosi Hlope): Night Shadow wins at Greyville on Friday night

Mike de Kock supplied the first overseas winner of the Dubai Carnival on its opening night last Thursday when the South African-bred nine-year-old Second Empire gelding Star Empire won a  2000m turf handicap, which carried a stake of US$150,000.

He finished fast under Sam Hitchcott, who was having his first ride for De Kock, to deny Elleval from Ireland.
“We knew he was in good shape because he had been working well,” said De Kock. “The 3200m Dubai Gold Cup is his main target on Dubai World Cup night but this win gives us a few more things to consider as he has won over such a short trip.”

De Kock also finished third and seventh in the race with the South African-breds Sanshaawes and Atomic Rush.
By David Thiselton

The L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate will reside in Johannesburg for the next year after the Sean Tarry-trained Legal Eagle proved why he is the country’s highest merit rated horse by winning the prestigious R1 million weight for age mile under a typically brilliant ride by Anton Marcus.

The four-year-old Greys Inn colt beat home the second favourite, the Justin Snaith-trained Legislate, whose more fancied stablemate Futura could only manage a disappointing fifth. The only three-year-old in the race, the Mike de Kock-trained Gr 1 Grand Parade Cape Guineas winner Noah From Goa, was third.

Earlier the Gr 1 Maine Chance Paddock Stakes had also gone to the small team of Highveld raiders, as it was won by the Alec Laird-trained Ideal World filly Smart Call.

Justin Snaith had some consolation for the Queen’s Plate defeat of Futura and Legislate by having a five-timer on the day.

This year’s Queen’s Plate had been the object of fascination a long time before the unveiling of the high class field and more intrigue was added this week when Anton Marcus decided to switch from the top miler Act Of War on to Legal Eagle. Marcus not only had the J&B Met in mind but yesterday it soon became clear he had another plan up his sleeve too. The pace had been one of the question marks and Marcus put this issue to bed from the off as he shot out of the stalls and took Legal Eagle straight to the front. The Alec Laird-trained Bouclette Top was then surprisingly rushed around him, as he is normally a hold up type. This suited Marcus and Legal Eagle travelled like a winner throughout.

Legal Eagle and Anton Marcus (Liesl King)

Ironically, the first horse he burned off in the straight, after quickly taking care of Bouclette Top, was Act Of War, who had managed to find third place from his high draw. Meanwhile, the two big guns, Futura and Legislate, had been well placed throughout and were poised to strike. However, they could not fetch Legal Eagle and neither could the brave little Gr 1 Grand Parade Cape Guineas winner, Noah From Goa, who came from midfield. Legal Eagle ran on well to win by 1,5 lengths and there was a further 0,4 lengths back to Noah From Goa. The fancied Captain America ran on from way back to deny Futura a quartet position.

Legal Eagle was bred by Avontuur Thorouhbred Farm and is owned by Markus and Ingrid Jooste. This was his second career Gr 1 victory. He will now attempt to repeat Futura’s feat of doing the Queen’s Plate and J&B Met double.

The Duncan Howells-trained Same Jurisdiction was all the rage in the Paddock Stakes but appeared to be slightly strong in the running and after being given every chance by Marcus in the straight, did not find the same finish she finds over shorter. It is clear now she doesn’t quite stay the 1800m trip, although she was just touched off for third by the Snaith-trained three-year-old Bela-Bela. Smart Call, who was bred and is owned by Mauritzfontein Stud, came from three lengths off the pace. Last year’s winner Inara turned for home behind her. Smart Call surged through on the inside under a strong ride by Marwing and kept going well to deny an always chasing Inara by two lengths. Bela-Bela, who also ran down the inside, was another length behind. Same Jurisdiction was 0,4 lengths further back, 0,85 lengths clear of the Gr 1 SA Oaks winner Pine Princess.

The Gr 2 Glorious Goodwood Peninsula Handicap over 1800m saw Glen Kotzen clinching a double on the day when the Western Winter gelding Light The Lights at last fulfilled his undoubted promise. The four-year-old son of Western Winter had badly needed gelding by the end of last season and yesterday, having his third run after the operation and off a lowered merit rating too, he was backed into 10/1. He settled beautifully under Stuart Randolph, who had him covered throughout in midfield despite being caught wide from his draw of nine.

The Bill Prestage-trained Milton has been a different horse since returning from his stint in Johannesburg. He was officially 1,5kg under sufferance yesterday, but M J Byleveld used his light weight to make a bold bid from the front. Light The Lights showed a fine turn of foot and always looked likely to catch Milton, who had stolen a march, but in the end he only reached him close to home to win by 0,4 lengths. Sansui Summer Cup winner Deo Juvente ran on well for third and Helderberg Blue just got the better of Master’s Eye to repeat his fourth place finish of last year.

Later, the Justin Snaith-trained Silvano colt Black Arthur stamped himself as the new kid on the three-year-old block with a remarkable victory in the Gr 3 Politician Stakes over 1800m under Piere Strydom. The finish was being fought out by the Mike Bass-trained Marinaresco and the Tarry-trained Liege, when Black Arthur, who had come from a mile back, burst through on the inside to win going away by 0,75 lengths.

Earlier, the BMW Pinnacle Stakes over 1000m was used as a preparation by a few for the forthcoming Gr 1 Betting World Cape Flying Championships and unfortunately Highveld raider Trip Tease had to be scratched at the start. One of the fancied runners Guiness was prominent before fading and the Tote favourite Brutal Force moved up to challenge the always prominent Snaith-trained Harry Lime. However, the latter, who started 33/1 and was ridden by Anthony Delpech, won on the head bob and thus showed he had benefitted from recent gelding, as this was his first victory since easily winning the Gr 2 Umkhomazi Stakes over 1200m at Scottsville as a two-year-old.

The sizeable Justin Snaith team were thus on the board and they made it a quick double when the fancied Captain Swarovski won the next over 1200m under Bernard Fayd’Herbe. Snaith’s other winners on the day were with Qing ridden, by Strydom, and Overshadow, ridden by Marcus.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Legal Eagle winning the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate at Kenilworth yesterday (Liesl King)

With the going at Scottsville Racecourse already soft, and with the forecast of further rain over the weekend, Gold Circle conducted a survey among trainers with carded runners for Sunday and an overwhelming 75% voted in favour of Gold Circle making an early and decisive call to move the racemeeting to the Polytrack at Greyville.

Given the outcome of the survey, Gold Circle has agreed to move Sunday’s racemeeting to the Polytrack at Greyville with no change to the advertised starting times. In terms of the NHA rules, trainers have 24 hours to scratch as a result of change of venue/surface, after which time eliminations where necessary will be made public.

Gavin Lerena, the 2015 Longines International Jockeys’ Championship winner, will spend two months based at Sha Tin from late next month as part of a mid-season licensing shake-up announced on Wednesday.

As well as the recruitment of Lerena, it was revealed that Gregory Benoist will cut short his current stint and that Chad Schofield, who was licensed until February 1, will ride through until the end of this season.

Lerena (pictured), whose minimum riding weight is 122-pounds, impressed many with his skills in last month’s IJC, in which he scored wins on Mr Right and Superoi in the final two legs of the series, and he will join a long list of champion South African riders to have competed in Hong Kong throughout the years.

A winner of more than 1,300 races in his homeland, Lerena clinched the 2014-15 South African Jockeys’ Championship with 220 wins at a strike rate of 19 per cent and has won nine Group One races, including the South African Derby twice.

Lerena will find himself pitched against some hot opposition when he arrives for a stint that begins at the Citibank Hong Kong Gold Cup meeting on February 28 and stretches through to the Champions Mile fixture on May 1 – a period that also includes a host of big races, including the Stewards’ Cup and BMW Hong Kong Derby.

Also beginning this Saturday will be current British champion Silvestre de Sousa, whose licence was rubber stamped yesterday, with the Brazilian to ride through to the Stewards’ Cup meeting on January 31.

A change in contractual commitments prompted Benoist to cut short his relatively successful stay, with Al Shaqab racing upgrading his deal and requesting that the Belgian-born rider return to France to assist in the preparation of young horses for the new European season.

Schofield missed Wednesday night’s Happy Valley meeting with illness but was pleased to be continuing on full time after riding 11 winners so far and establishing himself in the top ten of the Jockeys’ Championship.

“It was always the goal to stay full time so it’s great to have it made official,” said Schofield, who expects to be back riding again on Saturday after suffering with a stomach ailment over the last few days. “I couldn’t keep anything down, I don’t know what it is, but I thought it was better to rest and be right for the weekend and make sure I was 100 per cent right to ride there.”
– South China Morning Post

Legal Eagle, the country’s best horse on merit ratings, will be having his first race on a left-hand track when he lines up in the R1-million L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate over 1600m at Kenilworth on Saturday.

Trainer Sean Tarry doesn’t believe it will be an issue and the star runner’s many fans will be hoping that he does adapt.

Horses “lead” with the inside fore (right leg) on a right-handed track like Turffontein, but with the left or off fore on a left-handed track like Kenilworth. They can get so used to leading with the one leg on the turn that there can be issues when asked to lead with the other.

Legal Eagle has been in Cape Town for a couple of weeks and Tarry has shown him the Kenilworth track in a quick workout. “It was a good-enough gallop,” he commented. “But only a race will tell whether he enjoys racing left-handed, which is one of the reasons why we are running him here.”

Legal Eagle’s main mission this summer is the J&B Met on Saturday 30 January. He was originally due to run in the London News Stakes at Turffontein on Saturday as his final preparatory run before being flown to Cape Town in the week of the Met. But an African horse sickness scare forced Tarry and Dereck Brugman to take him there sooner than anticipated to eliminate the risk and he has been based with Tarry’s assistant Monique Mansour at Eric Sands’ establishment for a couple of weeks now.

“He’s well,” said Tarry. “He has come on since that run a month ago, when he only just failed against Killua Castle in an 1800m race on the inside track at Turffontein. He’s on track for the Met from a fitness point of view.”

Tarry does not believe Legal Eagle can beat Futura because the 1600m of the country’s premier “mile” is 400m too short for the Greys Inn gelding. “If he gets into the hunt I’ll be happy,” he said. “He’ll probably race from mid-field and I’m sure he’ll finish off well.”

Legal Eagle will be ridden by owner Markus Jooste’s retained jockey Anton Marcus, who was originally down to ride Act Of War. “The fact that Anton chose to ride him in his prep for the Met must tell us something about what he thinks of the horse,” said Tarry. “After all, Act Of War is the better 1600m runner.”

Gold Onyx, he said, is thriving in Cape Town and made a good comeback from a four-month rest when second to Paterfamilias over 1800m last month.

“That was a fantastic prep run – he was caught wide and finished very well. We were a bit worried about his fitness that day and he’s come on a lot since then. He can spring another surprise over a distance short of his best and I’d be happy with a place.

“He started off in the same race last year before running third in the Queen’s Plate and then second in the Met and he travelled better this year. Yes, he’s a year older, but he seems to be in even better physical shape this year.”

Tarry has Liege in the R250,000 Politician Stakes and says punters can ignore his two runs so far in Cape Town. He finished downfield in both.

“He had an ear infection after the first and we found mucus in his trachea after the second. We wouldn’t have taken him down if we thought he had limitations. He’ll do much better, although I do believe Rabada is the horse to beat. He has a lot of weight but is clearly the best horse in the race and deserves the weight.”

French Navy, the Equus Champion Three-Year-Old last season, will be running at Turffontein in the London News Stakes and Tarry said: “I’d like to think he’s a banker in the carryover Pick 6. He’s got a lot in his favour, but at the end of the day everything’s got to fall into place.”
– TABnews

Betting World’s latest odds: 2-1 Futura; 28-10 Legislate; 11-2 Captain America; 15-2 Act Of War; 8-1 Legal Eagle; 10-1 Noah From Goa; 16-1 Master Sabina; 20-1 Heartland; 25-1 Power King, Bouclette Top, Gold Onyx; 40-1 King Of Pain; 50-1 Night Trip; 66-1 Ashton Park.

Rabada, expected to start favourite for the Cartier Politician Stakes at Kenilworth on Saturday, had his travel delayed by administrative veterinary problems and only arrived in Cape Town yesterday.

Racing manager Derek Brugman said yesterday: “I would caution the racing public about this because we don’t know what to expect. The horse is fit and well, and is over his pharyngitis, but he would have had an extra day to recover if he travelled when he should have done – and an extra day’s recovery can mean a hell of a lot.”

Anton Marcus, who rides the Mike Azzie-trained colt, was originally declared to partner Act Of War in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate but has switched to Legal Eagle. Andrew Fortune takes his place.

Meanwhile, Same Jurisdiction has been installed 5-2 favourite with World Sports Betting for the Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes at Kenilworth on Saturday.

Smart Call, beaten a length by the Duncan Howells-trained filly in the Garden Province, is second favourite at 28-10 with the SA Oaks winner Pine Princess next on 4-1. Last year’s winner Inara is a 9-1 chance.

By Michael Clower

The Gr 1 Maine Chance Paddock Stakes has a chance of going back to KZN for the third time in the last four years as the Duncan Howells-trained Same Jurisdiction is deservedly the highest merit rated horse in the race, but a question mark is posed by the combination of the draw of 16 and the distance of 1800m.

Howells duly regards that factor as the only concern and said, “As far as her preparation is concerned, it couldn’t have gone any better.”

The brilliant Mambo In Seattle filly was dropped out from a wide draw in the Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes over 1600m, despite it being a field of 15 on a tight course, and her exceptional turn of foot then won her the race. Of further interest was that she was possibly the only horse who won going down the inside that day. She will almost certainly be dropped out again over this longer trip. She was caught late in the Gr 1 SA Fillies Classic over this distance at Turffontein last season, despite jumping from a plum draw of two, which suggests the mile is likely her best trip.

However, looking at that SA Fillies Classic performance there are three factors which give reason to believe she will stay the trip on Saturday, despite the wide draw. Firstly, she is a year older and therefore stronger, secondly Turffontein is a tougher course than Kenilworth due to the hill they have to come up around the turn, and thirdly Turffontein is at high altitude which makes it an even tougher test.

The Dennis Drier-trained Beach Beauty won the Paddock Stakes in both 2013 and 2014 and Same Jurisdiction will be hoping to wrest the trophy back for KZN from one of her likely chief market rivals on Saturday, the Mike Bass-trained Trippi filly Inara, who won the race as a three-year-old last year.

By David Thiselton