Morgenrood,37, hasn’t had it easy as a jockey thanks to his large frame, and he attributes this latest change of fortune to all the work he has put in since returning from his last stint in Mauritius.

He said: “I’ve been working hard for the last three years and it takes time for that to pay off. But thank goodness things have turned the corner. I just hope it continues this way.”

He reckons he is winning his constant battle with the scales, partly by not trying to be too ambitious – “At one stage I was walking around at 62kg but I now restrict myself to not riding below 57kg. The hard work is also helping with the weight.”

He reckons there is a more to come from the Paul Reeves-trained winner who landed some nice bets for his enthusiastic supporters, starting at 28-10 after opening at 10-1 on Thursday.

Morgenrood said: “He reminds me of some of the nicest horses I have ridden. He is certainly not going to stop here.”

Xavier Carstens has had his claim reduced to 1.5kg after making all on 12-1 chance Domina in the Midas Maiden to record his 40^th success. This was the first leg of a double for Vaughan Marshall who also struck with the Aldo Domeyer-ridden Sassy Sal (7-1) in the OFYT Handicap.

The Glen Puller-trained Lucky Mojo and Jet Revez (Dean Kannemyer) have both been suspended indefinitely, the former for refusing to race and Jet Revez for reasons of unsoundness.

It will remain a mystery why he ran below par that day, although jockey Piere Strydom did say subsequently that he had been surprised that a horse lacking in speed had started favourite over a distance too sharp for him. However, history is littered with horses that have not managed to bounce back from their first below par run and among them are greats like Empress Club and Model Man.

It could be argued that Louis The King’s first below par run was actually in the J&B Met, when starting favourite and running a flat race to finish sixth (His run in the Vodacom Durban July could not be considered a below par run as he suffered such bad luck in that race).

However, if there is one trainer who can get them to bounce back it is Woodruff and what better example to use than his dual Durban July winner El Picha, who ran 10,75 lengths back in the Horse Chestnut Stakes before going within half-a-length of winning the Champions Stakes (today known as the Champions Challenge) and then going on to win the July for a second time. However, bookmakers are not too confident Louis The King will bounce back and have him at 7/1, although they do still make him third favourite behind the mighty Majmu and the unlucky Vodacom Durban July loser Wylie Hall.

Tellina (JC Photos)

Woodruff also has the consistent Tellina in the race and his son and assistant trainer Tim said, “Tellina’s last run was very encouraging and if he reproduces it he will have a big shout.” This five-year-old Silvano gelding is a “terrible work horse”, but can be relied on to run to his best in the big ones. His Gr 2 Gauteng Guineas win occurred more than 18 months ago, so he will carry no weight penalties and will therefore receive 2,5kg from the only male Gr 1 winner in the race Louis The King. Tellina is a 10-1 shot with the bookies and looks to be better value than his more illustrious stablemate.

The third Woodruff contender is Killua Castle and Tim described him as a “dogged, tough horse”. He added that this narrow SANSUI Summer Cup runner up had needed his last run in the Gr 2 Colorado King Stakes over course and distance, his first start back from his unplaced run in the J&B Met. He was beaten 6,25 lengths by Wylie Hall in that last start but is now  1kg better off and Tim added that, whereas Louis The King and Tellina go well on any ground, Killua Castle would probably prefer the faster ground that the weather forecast suggests there will be on Saturday.

The yard run the Gr 1-placed Jet Master filly Touch The Sky in the Gr 2 gerald Rosenberg Stakes over her ideal trip of 2000m. Tim said, “She shows incredible work at home but is just not reproducing it on the racecourse so we are trying the blinkers to see whether that will work.” She is not actually carded to race in blinkers, so punters will have to take note of the card changes and/or the dissemination on the day.

Woodruff has a good chance of winning the first race where the classy Shadow Of His Smile runs over his ideal trip of 1600m with Anton Marcus up. Tim said about the yard’s coupling, “Shadow Of A Smile is a top division horse who always needs to be respected. The Captain’s Tune has gone a bit off the boil but has been looking good.”

Pictures: Louis The King and Tellina (JC Photos)

The Mike de Kock-trained Australian-bred daughter of Redoute’s Choice will be seeking her third Gr 1 triumph in succession and takes on older males for the first time in the Gr 1 President’s Champions Challenge over 2000m. Delpech said, “Her form speaks for itself. She is simple to ride, she doesn’t over race and can lead or sit in fifth or sixth.”

The top jockey also confirmed that being a big, robust filly she would not be intimidated by her older male opponents.

This will also be the first time Majmu has raced beyond the mile, but she has always given the impression that she would relish further, as she relaxes so well in the running and couples that with a blistering turn of foot. She has made up plenty of ground before when finding herself out of her ground over shorter.

Ertijaal (Liesl King)

Delpech urged caution about the other Gr 1 favourite he rides, the Investec Cape Derby winner Ertijaal, who runs in the SA Derby over 2450m. He replaces Gavin Lerena aboard Ertijaal and said, “I don’t know what went wrong last time (in the SA Classic), Matthew (De Kock) said the ground didn’t suit him. He showed in the Cape Derby that he stays all day, so the trip won’t be a problem.

“But to have him at 12/10 and the rest of the field at 4/1 and upwards is all wrong. If you go back in the form of Deputy Jud, who beat Ertijaal in the SA Classic, you will find that Ertijaal only beat him by 0,5 lengths previously, so Deputy Jud must have as much chance. I just think that people jumped the gun by calling him a superstar after the easy Cape Derby win because the runner up (Act Of War) was subsequently shown to have had something wrong and a couple of horses Act Of War finished together with have proven to not be too good.”

Ertijaal has a daisy cutting action, which would indeed be better suited to the faster ground expected on Saturday.  He did need the run badly when beating Deputy Jud in the aforementioned race on the Inside track over 1800m and was giving the latter 2kg. Furthermore he is a galloping type who will much prefer the Standside track. The reason for his short price might be that De Kock has won this race nine times.

However, even then it would be no surprise to see the majority of pundits tipping the SA Classic winner French Navy, who is an ever-improving sort and has struck on both running style and pedigree as one who will enjoy the Derby trip.

Delpech’s mount Pine Princess could provide the biggest threat to the Triple Tiara-seeking Siren’s Call in the Gr 1 SA Oaks over 2450m and she has duly been priced up second favourite. Delpech said, “This is the first time she will be going over the trip she really wants.” She has drawn wide in barrier eleven, but Siren’s Call is one outside of her.

Alboran Sea (right) holds on from Captain Of All – Cape Flying Championship (Liesl King)

Delpech rides the second favourite in the Gr 1 Computaform Sprint, the Gr 1 Cape Flying Championship winner Alboran Sea. Most racegoers believed that this speedy three-year-old filly had been pipped by Captain Of All in the Cape Flying but the photo finish showed she had got her head down at the right time. Delpech replaces Weichong Marwing and said, “It is her first run back from Cape Town, whereas Captain of All has had a prep so will be fitter, but over five furlongs she could get away with it.” The outside has tended to be favourable in recent big racemeetings down the Turffontein straight, so Alboran Sea looks to have a plum draw of 13, although the going can vary on occasion.

Delpech’s ride in the Gr 1 SA Nursery, Shaama, will try and repeat last year’s feat by Carry On Alice of beating the boys. Delpech said, “She is a lovely filly but will have her work cut out as this is much more competitive than her debut. She has an eachway chance and looking at the field Gavin Van Zyl has two nice colts who both have good chances.” Shaama is a paternal half-sister to Majmu, being by Redoute’s Choice, but Delpech said that the like of Majmu don’t come around too often. Shaama has also landed a possibly favourable high draw.

Delpech rides Entisaar in the Gr 2 SA Fillies Nursery and said, “She is a nice filly and ran below her best last time. The slow start didn’t affect her, it was probably the soft ground she didn’t enjoy as she didn’t run her race and is definitely better than that. It’s very competitive and the filly who beat her last time (Speedy Suzy) must have a chance.”

In the Gr 2 Gerald Rosenberg Stakes he is aboard Santa Carolina and said, “She needs to get her form back to have a chance.”

He rides Raees in the Gr 2 Gold Bowl over 3200m and said, “He ran a very good race last time as he was baulked and might otherwise have run second. He stays well and has a good place chance.”

Delpech admitted that he didn’t know much about Drifting Dusk whom he rides in the Gr 2 Camellia Stakes. He said about his mount in the first, Rushmore River, “He is a hard knocker and just ran a flat race last time. He has an eachway chance but I think Shadow Of His Smile will be hard to beat.”

Tarry said that being a “seasoned campaigner” he would not be a bundle of nerves before the Elusive Fort filly’s run in the Gr 1 Wilgerbsdrift SA Oaks over 2450m, in which her regular pilot Piere Strydom will have to negotiate a tricky draw of 12. However, Tarry didn’t think the wide draw would be a problem over this trip and also pointed out that she had won in fast going before, as opposed to the bog of her last win in the Gr 1 SA Fillies Classic, so any ground would do. He said she was very well and had taken her last run well.

Siren’s Call (JC Photos)

Her SA Fillies Classic win on 28 March followed wins in both the R2,5 million CTS Book 2 Graduates race over 1400m on February 10 and the Gr2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas on February 28, so she has had a gruelling campaign, but looks to be a tough horse with a huge heart. Tarry didn’t feel that her task would be easier here than in any of the aforementioned races as he felt that the Mike de Kock-trained Pine Princess would be a big improver over this trip.

Tarry has also entered Tiger Ridge filly Epsom Downs, despite being way out at the weights off an 88 merit rating, but said she stayed well and this would likely be her best chance to find a place in a Gr 1.

French Navy could give Tarry an Oaks and Gr 1 SA Derby double on the day. He said that this Gr 1 SA Classic winner’s racing style seemed to suggest that he would stay, particularly considering he relaxed so well in the running. He is another who has won in all types of going.

Tarry has also entered the up and coming Greys In gelding Legal Eagle and felt that he was certain to get the 2450m trip. He has the gelding entered in the July alongside French Navy, Siren’s Call and eight others and said he had put his name in the hat and would see what happened going forward.

The weather forecast shows that there is a 30% chance that 11mm of rain will fall between today and Friday and there is no rain forecast on Saturday, so the ground should be faster than in the SA Classic meeting.

Tarry responded to this prediction by saying, “I think faster ground will probably be in my favour as 2450m in soft going is a different race and would suit an out and out stayer.”

Tarry has Halve The Deficit and Heavy Metal entered in the Gr 1 President’s Champions Challenge over 2000m and said, “Majmu will be hard to beat but both of ours have had good preps. Heavy Metal is doing very well, but needs cover and needs to settle. Halve The Deficit has more in his favour in terms of the draw (2 compared to Heavy Metal’s 7).

Willow Magic (JC Photos)

The yard also have two entries in the Gr 1 Computaform Sprint over 1000m and both of them, Willow Magic and Carry On Alice, are former Gr 1 SA Nursery winners. He said, “Both are doing very well and it wouldn’t surprise me to see either of them win.”

Willow Magic has been targeted at this race and had impressed in his first two comeback runs from a long injury enforced layoff, but last time in the Gr 2 Senor Santa he played up in the starting stalls and never travelled well before finishing last. Tarry said, “It’s not an ideal way to come into the race, but otherwise all is well. The start played a big part in that disappointing run and I hope the starter will have learnt from it and that we see him loaded a little later.”

He said about the three-year-old filly Carry On Alice, who renews rivalry with the two horses that beat her into third in the Gr 1 Betting World Cape Flying Championships, Alboran Sea and Captain Of All, “She comes in off a good win, her form is solid and I think she will be involved in the finish.” By current trends both horses have landed favourable high draws.

Tarry felt that the Ormond Ferraris-trained Lazer Star looked hard to beat in the Gr 2 Camellia Stakes over 1160m, but added that he regarded his charge Bichette as a classy filly who had enjoyed a good prep and he felt she was capable of “upping her game.”

In the Gr 2 Gold Bowl over 3200m he has entered Supertube, who is 1kg under sufferance on official merit ratings. He said, “He had to do it the hard way last time as he was 3kg out at the weights and being better weighted and with a more conservative ride he has an eachway chance.”

In the Gr 2 Gerald Rosenberg Stakes over 2000m, he runs three fillies and said, “I think Tamanee is the right horse and will enjoy the distance. Enchanted Silk is a big runner as her last two runs have been encouraging. Amber Orchid is out at the weights but is fit and well.”

In the big day’s opening race, a MR 100 handicap over 1600m, he runs recent King’s Cup winner The Hangman as well as Baracah. He said, “The Hangman has prepped well and has an eachway chance. Baracah has been disappointing of late. He did well in a staying race last year and we got stuck there. However, we have freshened him up and he has done nothing wrong over the shorter distances. He is also down in the weights so it wouldn’t shock me to see him doing well here.”

His Champions Season string includes Vodacom Durban July entry De Kock as well as Alexis, Maybe Yes, Gulf Storm, Sail South, Zacharias, Cuve Brut, Valerin and four babies.

The four-year-old Dynasty gelding De Kock won the Gr 2 Selangor Cup over 1600m as a three-year-old but fractured his near fore knee in his next start in the Grand Parade Cape Guineas.

He won his comeback over 1000m last September but has run well below par in three sprints since, so will likely be looking forward to going over further. He is entered in the Gr 2 Drill Hall Stakes over 1400m at the Champions Season’s opening meeting on May 2 at Greyville.

Alexis is a top class filly by Dynasty and has a realistic chance of giving Crawford a second successive win in the Gr KRA Fillies Guineas on May 2. She had to be taken from the inside to the outside in her last start over 1400m at Greyville in order to find a clear run, yet still went down by only 1,75 lengths to the proven Gr 1 performer One Fine Day, despite conceding 2kg to the latter.

Crawford won the KRA Fillies Guineas with Maybe Yes last season. This Tiger Ridge filly has a fine turn of foot and races such as the Gr 2 Tibouchina over 1400m and the Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes over 1600m will likely be on her agenda. She has her Champions Season pipe opener in the Gr 3 Poinsettia Stakes over 1200m at Scottsville on Sunday.

The gelding Gulf Storm is a tough four-year-old sprint handicapper by Sail From Seattle with a merit rating of 100 and looks an ideal type for the Gr 1 Golden Horse Casino Sprint as he will come in with a nice galloping weight if he makes the cut. He is running in the Listed In Full Flight Stakes over 1100m at Scottsville on Sunday.

Sail South, another four-year-old gelding by Sail From Seattle, is full of class but has never really fulfilled his potential due to his headstrong antics. If he learns to settle he could pick up a minor feature. He is entered in the Drill Hall, but might not get a place in the final field due to his merit rating of 97 and he might prove difficult to place.

Zacharias, a cheap filly by Lundy’s Liability, won twice in KZN last season from 1400-1600m and is entered in Sunday’s Listed Scarlet Lady Handicap over 1800m, a race the yard scored a one-two in last season with Dancing Dynasty and Luna De Victoria.

Cuvee Brut is a classy, lightly race three-year-old filly by Count Du Bois and the best might not have been seen of her yet as she has only raced beyond 1200m once in six career starts, so it is interesting to see her with an entry in the KRA Fillies Guineas.

Valerin is a merit rated 83 gelding by Lateral, so should be watched in handicaps as the merit ratings of the Cape Town-based horses are often suppressed due to the class of horse there.