The Vaal Inside track stages a low key eight race meeting tomorrow and some good dividends could be the reward for those who do their homework.

A MR 74 handicap over 1500m is the highest rated race and The Rising Legend looks the one to beat. On debut he made up an astonishing amount of ground late in the race over 1160m after a slow start. Second time out over 1600m he was slow away again and had a mountain to climb in the final stages but somehow managed to make up the ground. The early stages of his racing should improve with experience and he looks to be talented. Gavin Lerena should be looking to produce another strong finish from him and as he is by Eightfold Path he should be suited to this trip.

Gavin Lerena

Tumbling Stream is a fascinating runner here as he built up a good lead over 1400m last time and only one other horse, Shortstop, managed to catch him. Shortstop went on to win next time out to frank the form. The 1500m trip will stretch Tumbling Stream, but he is drawn in pole and if able to dictate at a slower pace than last time he will go close. However, another thing against him is he had a 4kg claimer aboard in that last race and has been given an effective one point raise, so at the weights he has a tougher task. However, he does have the experience Gunter Wrogemann aboard. Aranjeuz is a nice looking gelding and faced a much tougher field than this one last time.

Furthermore, he is from the Lucky Houdalakis yard, whose horses continually improve. Trip To Troy is probably ideally distance suited as he moved up well over 1600m in his penultimate start and then found no extra. He has a plum draw. Tokyo Drift is an honest distance-suited sort who has dropped to a competitive merit rating and he could be involved. Savannah King was a commanding winner of a maiden last time over 1400m but before that lost to Tumbling Stream, who now carries half-a-kilogram less weight than him.

Tirzan in the previous race warrants banker consideration after overcoming a wide draw last time over this same 2000m course and distance and finding a nice handy position before winning full of running by 3,4 lengths. He has an effective seven point raise to overcome. Another question is whether there will be as a good a pace. Last time Fort Augustus went well clear and Tirzan sat behind the second-placed horse Barbados Cruise, who had to keep up a fair pace to stay within range of the leader. If it doesn’t pan out well for Tirzan then the risk averse can also include Skynight and Tiger Jet whose recent performance over 1800m make fair reading and they should stay this trip.

Piere Strydom

Another banker consideration is No Mans Land, who raced a bit strongly over 1600m last time after being bounced out to overcome a wide draw. However, he still found a resolute finish in the long Turffontain Standside track and only ran out of steam right at the end. This time he has a better draw of five and he will also appreciate the 100m shorter trip. Streetwear and Wottahottie look the dangers. Piere Strydom has stayed aboard Streetwear after he went close over this trip last time. The consistent Wottahottie had the blinkers removed last time when stepped up to this trip and stayed on well for third. He has a wide draw, but that last run suggests he will enjoy the course and distance and it is just a question of whether JP van der Merwe can find a position for him.

Race three over 1200m is the toughest on the card and Cutey Me could be the one to side with as she ran well the last time she tried this course and distance when staying on behind the fair sort Ninjara. However, the suggestion is to go as wide as possible for this race.

Race five is a difficult maiden over 1800m one but three similarly scopey types, Wolves Among Sheep, Shallcross and Nuntius Oratorion should improve and should be finding finishes. Stop And Stare is also interesting as one who has been effective over 1400m from the front, but who is bred to stay this trip.

In the second over 1000m Scoop can use his early pace from the number one draw, which is a plum one by trends on this track. Last time he had an unfavourable high draw and was up with the pace and was overtaken late by Gone With The Wind for third. Gone With The Wind can repeat the dose as he has another nice low draw and is a rangy type who looks to have plenty of scope for improvement.

By David Thiselton

Candice Bass-Robinson has more than 60 two-year-olds this season and Nous Voila is apparently not the only potential star among them. “It’s an exciting crop,” says their trainer although she cautions: “It’s early days yet and they have to go and do it.”

Lesedi La Rona (named after one of the biggest diamonds ever found) became the fifth to win when catching better fancied stable companion Santa Clara on the line in the newcomer-dominated Fillies Maiden Juvenile at Durbanville on Saturday with the heavily backed (6-1 to 17-10 favourite) Dancing For Rain only third.

Greg Ennion

This was the 70^th success of the season for both Mrs Robinson and Grant van Niekerk who also adopted waiting tactics to complete a treble on Oloye for Eric Sands and the Justin Snaith-trained Love Happens in the last two races.

Greg Ennion, a near neighbour of Bass Racing, has seen his numbers slump alarmingly from 40 to 22 in the past three months but that has not stopped him advertising his talents with a winner at each of the last six Cape Town meetings – and he was full of praise for Sandile Mbhele after the 20-year-old had brought Northern Corner with a decisive run between horses to record his eighth success in the TAB Telebet Handicap.

Ennion said: “This horse doesn’t like being hit but with a hands ride he will give you everything and I told Sandile what to do. He listened to my instructions and he carried them out to a T.”

The five-year-old carries the Braam van Huyssteen colours and so it was no surprise to see him backed from 9-2 to 2-1 joint favourite. But the shock of the day came in the Hassen Adams silks when Shadow Warrior made most of the running at 28-1 to beat the Dan Katz first string Royal Ginger in the Supabets Handicap.

It looked as if Devin Ashby had stolen the race when he kicked several lengths clear before the straight but the jockey, rather more modestly, said: “He has been running over 1 400m and a mile and I suggested trying him over 2 000m. But he is a tearaway and he went a bit hard early as I couldn’t hold him!”

Curiously the improved course layout has had more impact on race times in the distance races than in sprints. The 2 000m record here is 2 min 0.06 sec set by Gimme One Night last September and Delma Sherrell’s American Landing was only just over a second outside that in the Play Soccer Maiden.

Brett Crawford and stable jockey Corne Orffer also took the Tabonline Maiden with 6-10 hotpot Miss Smarty Pants who made most with the trainer predicting: “I wouldn’t be surprised if she won again quite soon.”

First time blinkers worked the oracle with Cape Charlotte in the Betting World Handicap (Grant Behr: “Normally she doesn’t quicken but today she did so as soon as I asked her”) to delight Paddy Kruyer and owner-breeder Spencer Cook who recalled that he didn’t get a bid when he tried to sell the filly as a yearling.

By Michael Clower

Seemingly there was rather more to Whisky Baron’s below-par performance in the Jebel Hatta in Dubai 16 days ago than simply a flat run – although Brett Crawford is playing his cards close to his chest.

Whisky Baron (Liesl King)

The Philippi trainer, asked by Grant Knowles about last year’s Sun Met winner in a Tellytrack interview at Durbanville on Saturday, said: “We were very disappointed with that last run but there were reasons for it. We are busy hard at work on that and we are on top of it. We just need to get him back where he should be.”

Crawford, asked afterwards whether the reasons were physical or mental, would only say: “They are in-house.”

Normally one of the most open in the business, Crawford added: ”They were affecting his performance and I have no doubt resulted in him running the way he did. We just need to get him right.

“He could have run on World Cup night but I felt it would be unfair to run him again so soon without getting to the bottom of his issues and three weeks wasn’t enough.”

In the Knowles interview Crawford seemed to indicate that there could be a doubt about the horse making the Queen Elizabeth II Cup in Hong Kong on April 29 when he said: “You can be assured that if we take him to Hong Kong he will be in top form.”

However he said afterwards that the horse will run in the US$3 million (R35 million) ten furlong Grade 1.

By Michael Clower

The Grade 3 Kings Cup was the headliner at the Greyville turf meeting yesterday and national champion trainer Sean Tarry retained his crown in this SA Champions Season pipe-opening race as record-breaking apprentice Lyle Hewitson got Social Order up to win in courageous style.

The four-year-old Count Dubois gelding travelled down from Johannesburg on Saturday and clearly took the journey well.

Social Order (Candiese Marnewick)

He jumped well and was up with the pace early before being eased back expertly by Hewitson to sit one wide of the rail and covered by Sun On Africa, who sat on the flank of the pace setter and Tote favourite Redeemer. The 2016 Investec Cape Derby winner It’s My Turn was on the rail behind the leader and was followed by his Justin Snaith-trained stablemate Platinum Prince. Redeemer, who was going for his fourth win in a row in KZN, was put under pressure early in the straight and Social Order became involved in a ding-dong tussle up front with It’s My Turn. Social Order courageously maintained his one neck advantage and then late in the day Platinum Prince joined the fray with long strides. However, Social Order held on to beat the latter by a long-head, with It’s My Turn a quarter of a length further back. Red Chesnut Road stayed on in eyecatching fashion for fourth ahead of Redeemer.

Last year, the King’s Cup was run on the poly and was won easily by the Tarry-trained Bulleting Home.

The first race once again displayed the value of barrier trials. On March 11 the Dennis Drier-trained Master Of My Fate colt Goliath Heron showed he possessed plenty of natural speed in a barrier trial over 1000m on the poly. The Paul Lafferty-trained Judpot colt Victorious Man had been the eye-catcher in a barrier trial over 800m at Scottsville on February 28, where he displayed a fine action. Goliath Heron duly started at 21/10 second favourite and Victorious Man was the 5/1 third favourite. The 16/10 favourite was the Dean Kannemeyer-trained Philanthropist colt Clifton Crusher, who had put up a fair debut over 1000m at Kenilworth and is a good looking sort. Goliath Heron was duly placed well in a handy position by Sean Veale and then kicked away from the field to win by four lengths from Clifton Crusher with Victorious Man staying on well for third.

Veale had a fine day as he rode a double for Drier and another winner for Frank Robinson.

By David Thiselton

With a furlong to run in the Michael Roberts Handicap, the stipendiary stewards were probably heading for the boardroom door to collar Marco van Rensburg before his feet even touched the ground on his return to the paddock.

Doing a startlingly good impression of a shop window mannequin on a racehorse, Van Rensburg was viewing the backsides of the opposition on the fancied Duncan Howells-trained Wild Wicket. Even the trainer was panicking – had his rider lost his mind? The stipes will ‘pinch’ me as well!

Wild Wicket

But Van Rensburg either has ice water running through his veins or is a tremendous judge of what he has under him, much to the collective relief of all concerned.

With barely a flick of the reins, Wild Wicket picked up his gallop in an instant and roared through to win going away in a remarkable display by horse and rider.

That was then, Sunday is two days away, and Wild Wicket takes his place in the Gr3 Kings Cup, a stepping stone into the Vodacom Durban July.

Howells has earmarked Wild Wicket as a possible for the July and victory on Sunday will go some way to strengthening the gelding’s chances of making the final field although it’s no ‘given’ – victory and the July.

Van Rensburg is back in the saddle on Sunday against many of the horses he beat last time out. The shorter Greyville straight should hold no fears as he has shown a remarkable turn of foot and with only 54kg to shoulder he should get in a blow.

Redcarpet Captain seldom runs a bad race and Mark Dixon’s gelding was less than a length behind Hong Kong-bound Monks Hood at his last start. However, the winning margin was flattering as Monks Hood cruised to the front hard-held. Given his head the margin could have been five or six lengths.

Stable companion Celtic Captain met progressive three-year-old Roy Had Enough over the Greyville mile last time out and it was only in the dying strides that ‘Roy’ got the upper hand.

Just how Celtic Captain shapes up here could provide a valuable key to bot Roy Had Enough’s chances in the SA Classic and Wild Wicket’s future.

Haddington (Candiese Marnewick)

Wild Wicket faces a hard-knocking field but a reproduction of his last run could have hearts beating fast again but should be enough to see him home.

Haddington steps up over a more suitable trip in the first leg of the PA and should prove a safe exotic bet banker. He only got going late when beaten by Toltec last time out and the extra 300m will be in his favour.

Garth Puller could hold the key to the Sports Betting Maiden plate, first leg of the Pick 6, with two runners, It’s My Turn and Los Barbados. Both step up to a more suitable trip after showing up well in their pipe-openers but Los Barbados has had many chances and the younger It’s My Turn should have more scope for improvement.

The Air Products Handicap is a mine field but Whiteleaf Hills, who came from the clouds to shed his maiden, should prove better than his last run when taking a major step up in class and being ridden by an inexperienced apprentice. Down in class and Callan Murray aboard could be enough to see him home in a very tricky contest.

The Howells stable appears to have turned the corner after battling a virus and Miziara can get his ball rolling in the Morris Vee Sports Bet handicap. She is seldom out of the money and appeared just in need of her last start behind Ideal Winter.

By Andrew Harrison

Bernard Fayd’Herbe, in Dubai since Met day, can score on his first ride back at Durbanville tomorrow when European Roller has a favourite’s chance of giving Justin Snaith a belated first Cape Town two-year-old winner of the season.

Bernard Fayd’Herbe (Liesl King)

Snaith used to go for it from the start with his juveniles – he won the Listed race on the day of the Met five years in succession – but high handicap marks convinced him that it was in the long term interest of his horses to adopt a more patient approach. Snowdance did not race until mid-February and it was April before Oh Susanna saw a racecourse in earnest.

This season the patience has been even more pronounced but European Roller has two runs under her belt and, after running green first time, she beat all except future stars Nous Voila and Canukeepitsecret. She is 19-10 favourite for the Fillies Maiden Juvenile, is well drawn and looks the one they all have to beat.

Fayd’Herbe’s mount holds 22-1 shots Talk The Tiger and Ducky Fuzz. Second favourite Yolta (15-4) was beaten seven lengths when third to stable companion Carioca but it’s the newcomers who may prove the biggest dangers. Million Rand purchase Santa Clara is the most expensive of these and it’s worth noting that three of Candice Bass-Robinson’s four two-year-old winners this term have been with first timers.

Grant van Niekerk rides 6-1 stable companion Lesedi La Rona – he is retained by Drakenstein – and Greg Cheyne is on R275 000 buy Marmalade Sky as the filly is part-owned by Ridgemont. With Vaughan Marshall’s juveniles on fire it is surprising, and possibly significant, that Dancing For Rain (by Rock Of Gibraltar) has drifted from 3-1 to 5-1 but they all have it to do to beat European Roller.

The log leader may also win the next with 33-10 chance Master’s Spirit who failed on Met day but on his previous start is 2.5kg better with Phelan Lucky for a length and a quarter. That should be enough to turn the tables.  Phelan Lucky is 5-2 favourite with World Sports Betting. Vincente (33-10) second favourite, has been raised three points for his win earlier in the month while stable companion Olympian (7-2) has been off for almost four months.

In the Tabonline Maiden Miss Smarty Pants is very short at 8-10 for a horse who has been a beaten favourite on her last two starts but main market rival Strawberry Fire has not raced for four months. The latter’s stable companion Love Of My Life should beat Oloye and Blue Flower in race seven.

By Michael Clower

The Vaal Classic track stages a low key nine race meeting tomorrow ahead of the fireworks in two weeks time at Turffontein’s Classic meeting.

The highlight will be the fourth race, a Pinnacle Stakes event over 1450m, in which some good horses appear as a likely preparation event for the Grade 1 HSH Princess Charlene Empress Club Stakes over 1600m next month. Nother Russia has speed and class and from a good draw looks the one to beat. She is certainly weighted to win, being 3kg better off than any other horse according to official merit ratings. Silvan Star has always struck as one with class and has not had much luck in her career. However, being by Silvano she will be as good as ever as a five-year-old and will make her presence felt over a suitable trip from pole position.

Nother Russia (JC Photographics)

Secret Star has speed and a fine turn of foot and will also be a threat. The last time she met Nother Russia over this trip was also in a Pinnacle event at level weights and she finished just 0,7 lengths behind her. Gimme Six finished just behind Sylvan Star in the Grade 1 Majorca Stakes when running on well from a high draw and should be right there with Strydom up. Kilauea has a tough task at the weights but has done well against the boys twice over this trip recently so can’t be written off with Lerena up, although a wide draw doesn’t help her cause.

The best bet on a tricky card could be Nightwatchman in the eighth over 2000m. He won his maiden over 1600m in workmanlike fashion and will relish this step up in trip. He is drawn well and Gunther Wrogemann will know him well by now. He doesn’t face a strong field, although Yer-Maan, winner of the Grade 1 Castle Tankard three years ago, has proved recently he has dropped to a competitive merit rating and he and the disappointing Inn A Million could be the main dangers.

The value bet could be Cape Infanta in the sixth race over 1600m. She has ability and usually goes close if things go her way. They should go her way here as she has a good draw and with the like of Shelly in the line up there should be some pace. She can then run on in the final stages. The consistent Flowing Gown will be a danger. The last time they met Flowing Gown beat Cape Infanta by three lengths over 1600m, but she is now 5kg worse off, so there is not much in it on paper. Fish River Canyon should also bounce back from a poor run as she is reunited with Lyle Hewitson. She is drawn well and her last win was at this course over 1500m.

The Tin Man in race five has plenty of ability but unfortunately has breathing issues. Over this 1200m trip he can get away with and has a plum draw with Gavin Lerena is up.

Lerena could also win the second race over 1450m on Leslies Pathtofame as she has faced some fair types over this sort of trip without being disgraced and now faces an uninspiring field. She has some pace too and from pole position should be able to dictate.

The last leg of the Pick 6 is a tricky fillies and mares handicap over 2000m, but Lyle Hewitson is an interesting booking for A P Chanel, whose last win was over this trip and she is now effectively one point lower in the merit ratings and well drawn.

By David Thiselton

This year marks the tenth anniversary of one of the Vodacom Durban July’s most celebrated renewals and two of the big race’s finest rides.

In 2008 the great Pocket Power and the gallant filly Dancer’s Daughter dead-heated in an epic tussle, which had the crowd delirious with excitement.

Marinaresco

Five-year-old Jet Master gelding Pocket Power had arrived in KZN with his name already stamped in history, having just defended his crowns in both the L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate and the J&B Met.

However, he was yet to win a Grade 1 outside of Cape Town.

In 2007, he had been desperately unlucky to have lost the Grade 1 Gold Challenge by a whisker. He had been continually baulked in the straight before producing a devastating finish. Legendary trainer Mike Bass had found that result particularly hard to bear, as he had done wonders to have the big bay so fit. Pocket Power had missed his intended preparation when scratched at the start of the Drill Hall Stakes, a scenario which could have been avoided had Bass been on course to offer advice about the gelding’s perennial foot problem. To cap it all his 2007 July preparation had then been interrupted not only by his bothersome foot but also by unseasonable rain. He still ran a great race, though, finishing a 0,45 length dead-heat fourth carrying topweight of 58kg.

So, 2008 was going to be the year Pocket Power made amends.

One horse with the ability to stand in his way was the robust four-year-old British-bred grey filly Dancer’s Daughter, who was coming off a Grade 1 double in the Paddock Stakes over 1800m and the Majorca Stakes over 1600m.  However, after being backed from 5/1 into 2/1 for her Champions Season opener in the SA Fillies Sprint, she didn’t raise a gallop and finished a well beaten eleventh.

Trainer Justin Snaith could see she was not herself. Dancer’s Daughter, like many top fillies, was often unfriendly, but there were two beings in the world she doted on, her stablemate Crimson Blossom and her groom Cyprian Mkhonowana. She had a grate between her and Crimsom Blossom at her Champions Season stable at Clairwood so she could see her. Justin’s mother Sue suggested she was missing Cyprian and consequently the Snaiths flew the filly’s regular groom in from Cape Town.

Sue Snaith recalled at the time, “When she saw him coming she began neighing her head off and kicking the door, she was so happy to see him.” The turnaround in the powerful grey was immediate. However, the public had written her off and she started 10/1 for the Gold Challenge, with Pocket Power 8/10 favourite. Dancer’s Daughter’s run was opposite to her one at Scottsville. She tore off, pulling Weichong Marwing’s arms off, and running three wide. Yet, incredibly, she still found extra in the straight and won by a comfortable 0,75 lengths from Imbongi. Pocket Power was possibly given an overconfident ride and was left with too much to do. He was a fast finishing 1,5 length fourth.

The Conglomerate

Marwing jumped off Dancer’s Daughter for the July, not surprisingly considering how strongly she had raced in the Gold Challenge. She had also over raced when winning the Paddock Stakes and Justin Snaith pointed out what a “serious horse she must be” to have won two Grade 1s in such fashion. Snaith had no doubt she would stay, having ridden her in work himself. He maintained she would drag him twice around Clairwood if she could such was her love of galloping. Ironically, he used to regularly ask Pocket Power’s jockey Bernard Fayd’Herbe to workride her, knowing he was strong enough to hold her. Snaith’s only concern was about her settling and he needed the right jockey. He found the perfect one in Kevin Shea, who had two of the best pair of hands in the business.

And so the big day dawned with an age old family rivalry set to do battle again. Mike Bass and Justin Snaith’s father Chris had shared a house as students and had started their training careers together in the Cape Hunt amateur ranks. Chris was the first to take out his professional license and Mike was his assistant for a year. They were each other’s best men and their children grew up as close friends. Justin was assistant to Mike at one stage too, while Bernard Fayd’herbe, Pocket Power’s jockey, and Justin are great friends.

Pocket Power started 28/10 favourite and Dancer’s Daughter, receiving 5kg, was 8/1 second favourite. The gates opened and Dancer’s Daughter was slowly away from a draw of 13, surely by design, as Shea then tucked her in behind runners. The ultra-tough filly was unphased by the jostling she received before the first turn. Meanwhile Pocket Power had jumped beautifully from draw three, but also experienced some rough and tumble before the turn. Dancer’s Daughter raced two wide most of the way, but had cover, and coming up the hill Shea had managed to get her one wide and between horses.  Pocket Power was travelling well in midfield on the rail. Both horses were poised to strike. Fayd’Herbe bided his time in the straight as he had a wall of horses in front of him, but upon switching outward at the 300m mark the big bay showed an explosive turn of foot.

However, the filly had crept up and was on his flank. Pocket Power’s huge stride carried him past the horses inside of him, but Dancer’s Daughter was galloping resolutely, her nose bobbing up and down with determination, and was gaining inch by inch. She put her head down on the line and after an agonising wait the second ever July dead-heat was announced. The photo finish showed Pocket Power’s hoof across the line, an illustration of his enormous stride. The pair had another titanic clash in the 2009 Met, but on weight for age terms this time Pocket Power won by a quarter of a length.

By David Thiselton

Last week it was Glen Kotzen, today it’s Vaughan Marshall and tomorrow Justin Snaith. The annual racehorse migration to Durban is on in earnest and in the vast majority of cases the man organising the great trek is Peter Choice.

Choice (“the best in the business,” according to Marshall) is a 62-year-old Australian who once trained a Group 1 winner and who has been in South Africa since 1994. His Choice Carriers firm has eight trucks (he doesn’t use the word float) each specially built for horse transport.

Taking anything as highly strung as a racehorse on the open road can be fraught with danger and few in the industry have forgotten that dark day in 1989 when ten of the legendary Terrance Millard’s best horses were injured in an accident on the N1 and July winner Right Prerogative was among those killed.

Pack Leader (Candiese Marnewick)

Choice, somewhat understandably, places particular importance on his drivers and on ensuring they avoid fatigue. “Anyone can drive a truck,” he says. “But with racehorses the driver has to be special. He is carrying a very valuable cargo, he mustn’t brake too suddenly and he has to know how to load horses.”

The principal driver and his co-driver split the journey into two hour-plus shifts and aim to leave Cape Town by 7.00am. The trucks take 16 horses, each in a partitioned stall, but the normal load to Durban is restricted to between ten and 13 to allow for all their accompanying baggage.

The horses are given roughage such as oat hay, but no concentrates, and are watered in Laingsburg, Beaufort West and Colesberg. Depending on roadworks Choice expects them to make the 1 000k to the Bloemfontein stopover between 7.00pm and 8.00pm.

“They go into five star accommodation there and stay for two hours minimum and possibly longer, depending on how they have travelled.”

The remaining 600k to Summerveld is done through the night and, as it is so much cooler, usually only one stop for water is required. They arrive at dawn, importantly before the heavy N3 traffic begins in earnest.

The cost to the owner – there are no subsidies – is between R4 000 and R 5 000 per horse and the same again when they return to Cape Town at the end of the Durban season.

Choice, who has been doing this for the past 15 years, has been planning his loads for weeks. “Vaughan has 19 or 20 horses going and so we split the load because we try not to have colts and fillies on the same truck.

“When that’s not possible we put them on different levels – each truck has three levels as transporting racehorses is such a specialised thing.”

By Michael Clower