The rejuvenated poly track gets put to the test at Greyville this afternoon. The entire poly track has undergone a major overhaul so hopefully there won’t be any complaints by jockeys or trainers who were given an opportunity to gallop horses on the track yesterday morning but there were no takers.

Turffontein-based Brian Wiid has in the past been a successful raider on the poly and he saddles a brace with Jackman lining up in the fifth and Soldat next up in the sixth.

Touch Of Magic

Jackman looks the more likely of the pair. He finished three lengths back in MR80 company last time out in his first start in blinkers and today drops to an MR64 handicap. He does have top weight but has drawn well and does not meet a particularly strong field.

Lezeanne Forbes sends out the consistent Toltec who looks the most obvious threat. Toltec has hardly been out of the money in a dozen starts and has finished close-up in both outings since shedding his maiden. He has improved in blinkers and is no stranger to the synthetic surface.

Soldat faces a more difficult task. He took 21 runs to shed his maiden and that in a work riders plate where he kept going to win over the Vaal 1500m. He also does not have the best of draws but one gets the impression that the switch of surfaces may bring out the best in him. But it is a wide-open affair and the luckless Viking Red, down in trip and back on his favourite surface, could finally nail down his second win for Frank Robinson. He over-raced and compounded over 1950m at Scottsville last time out and the shorter trip could work in his favour.

Track & Ball have Dale House up as a weak 11-2 favourite. The Michael Roberts-trained gelding found one too good for him in the front-running Master Sam last time out and can do better here.

For exotic bet punters it’s not a race to go ‘light’ in.

Timetoperfection and Touch Of Magic look the principal contenders in the seventh with the former at the top of the boards although easy to back at around 3-1. The daughter of Judpot has plenty of miles on the clock for her two wins but made a promising local debut for Brett Crawford when third behind Miss Millionaire who was responsible for a major boil-over that day.

Blinkers appear to have sharpened her up a little and the switch of surfaces could also prove a major plus.

Paul Lafferty thought enough of Touch Of Magic for her to take her place in the float for Cape Town for their summer. She only had one start before her return and she was not too far behind Nanna Anna.

Lafferty has booked poly specialist Anton Marcus for the leg up and from a good draw looks a lively contender.

Apprentice Ashton Arries piloted home the 60^th winner of his career when Statute scored at Scottsville on Sunday so Kahula will not get the benefit of his 1.5kg claim in the opening leg of the PA, that’s if she runs after she finished third behind Head Honcho on Sunday. That could leave the way open for Craig Eudey’s game mare Mark My Card. She won first time out for her new stable and has since finished close-up on two further occasions.

She is always game and honest and has the benefit of Marcus in the irons.

Via Con Dios has attracted some early market support in a tricky closing leg of the jackpot and is now a marginal favourite while rank outsider Parasailor, a half-sister to the smart Isingamoya, and with absolutely no form to recommend, has found some long-shot support.

By Andrew Harrison

The Grade 3 Tommy Hotspur Handicap over 1000m at Turffontein Standside on Saturday saw a scintillating performance by the Gary Alexander-trained Champagne Haze, who is now eyeing one or two of the big SA Champions Season sprint events.

Alexander thus achieved the rare feat of winning a race which was named in honour of a horse he trained and remarked it was very rewarding to have done so. Meanwhile, Lyle Hewitson, who rode Champagne Haze, edged closer to breaking the all-time South African record for the number of winners as an apprentice.

Champagne Haze, a five-year-old gelding by Kahal, is a half-brother to “The People’s Horse”, the Alexander-trained Pierre Jourdan. Therefore, he is not surprisingly better from 1200-1400m than 1000m.

Champagne Haze (JC Photographics)

Carrying 61,5kg on Saturday he was duly outpaced. He was near last going through the half-way mark and still had about five lengths to make up. However, as the leaders began running out of steam, he hit top gear and was soon eating up the leeway. He passed the line 1,7 lengths clear, a result which had looked impossible half-a-minute earlier.

Alexander said Champagne Haze would now defend his title in the Grade 2 Senor Santa Stakes over 1160m at Turffontein on March 31 and he would then have a go at the Grade 1 weight for age Computaform Sprint over 1000m at Turffontein on May 5.

The gelding’s SA Champions Season targets would likely be one or both of the two big sprints at Greyville, the Grade 2 Post Merchants over 1200m on June 15 and the Grade 1 weight for age Mercury Sprint over 1000m on July 21. Champagne Haze ran in the Mercury Sprint last year and finished a decent 2,4 length fifth from draw 14 of 14. Alexander won the Merchants two years ago with Kangaroo Jack.

Champagne Haze was bought for R280,000 at the CTS Johannesburg Ready To Run Sale. To date he has won six races, including the R2,5 million Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run Cup, and has earned R2,268,950 in stakes.

However, he is only halfway to the R4,598,173 earned by his half-brother Piere Jourdan. Both horses were bred by Summerhill stud and are out of the four time-winning Qui Danzig speedster Vin Fizz, who finished third in the Grade 2 Sceptre Stakes over 1200m at Kenilworth.

Tommy Hotspur was the best sprinter Alexander ever trained. He won his first eight races before being defeated narrowly at odds of 6/10 in the Computaform Sprint by Shoe Shac. However, he exacted revenge in the following year’s Computaform Sprint, winning at odds of 17/10 and finished his career as a ten-time winner. The best female sprinter Alexander trained, Ruby Clipper, was also a ten time winner.

Tommy Hotspur is not the only Alexander-trained horse who has a race named after him. His dual Grade 1 winner Drum Star, who was a 1993-born foal by Hard Up out of the Equus Champion broodmare Star Drums, has a Listed race named after him.

Hewitson is only three victories away from equalling the all-time South African apprentice winners record of 284, currently held by Gavin Lerena.

However, Hewitson is currently serving a suspension from 18 to 24 February.

The now 32-year-old Lerena’s record has stood for 11 years. He ended his apprenticeship in July 2007.

“Perhaps that [the suspension] will give me the chance to break the record on Guineas Day,” said Hewitson, referring to the big race day on March 3.

Hewitson only started his apprenticeship in March 2016, whereas Lerena served the usual five-year apprenticeship. However, Hewitson had plenty of race-riding experience behind him when arriving at The Academy after completing his matric. He rode 23 winners as a workrider. Due to his previous experience, he will serve only three years as an apprentice.

By David Thiselton

Rose In Bloom, second in the Sceptre Stakes and third in the Majorca, is expected to start a warm favourite to win the Vasco Prix Du Cap at Kenilworth’s Prawn Festival meeting on Saturday. The filly’s trainer Joey Ramsden won this with Just Sensual 12 months ago and is bidding for his sixth win in the Grade 3 in 14 seasons.

Robert Khathi has the mount. His only previous ride on the filly was on her debut just over a year ago when she had the misfortune to come up against no lesser horse than Snowdance!

Callan Murray flies down for seven rides for Justin Snaith including Miss Catalin in the Prix Du Cap and Fifty Cents in the Jet Master. Donovan Dillon, out with a broken bone in his right hand, returns to the fray for four mounts including Milton in the Jet Master but, surprisingly, he rides nothing for Andre Nel.

Instead Nel has booked the in-form Keagan De Melo for four of his six runners including Love To Boogie in the Prix Du Cap.

This meeting usually attracts a Kenilworth attendance second only to the Met and this time the live entertainment has been stepped up. The draws include R70 000 worth of giveaways while the seafood now extends to a far wider range than just the prawns that started the whole crowd-pulling idea five years ago.

By Michael Clower

Horizon, who was a narrow 0,65 length sixth in last season’s Vodacom Durban July, is out for the rest of the season after undergoing surgery to remove a knee chip.

Horizon (Liesl King)

The Candice Bass-Robinson-trained four-year-old Dynasty colt set a sales record in South Africa when being knocked down for R5.2 million at the CTS Premier Yearling Sale of 2015, although that record has since been surpassed.

To date he has won three races, including the Grade 3 Politician Stakes over 1800m, and earned R598,525 in stakes.

Bass-Robinson has not yet finalised her team for the SA Champions Season.

Last year’s July winner Marinaresco will not be among them as he went into quarantine yesterday and will be trained by Mike de Kock overseas.

By David Thiselton

The unbeaten Hashtagyolo, 33-10 favourite for the Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas at Turffontein on Saturday week, will work on the course on Thursday.

Dean Kannemeyer is determined to leave no stone unturned and has had her at Turffontein for the past five weeks even though the altitude acclimatisation is not as severe coming from Summerveld as it would be from Cape Town.

Hashtagyolo

He said: “I galloped her there last Thursday and she will go over 1 400m this Thursday. She hasn’t got the best of daws in the race (21 out of 24) and Piere Strydom will take over from Anthony Delpech who is committed to ride for Mike de Kock.”

De Kock has five in the Grade 2 with Fish River at 4-1 by far the shortest-priced of the quintet. The Paul Peter-trained Folk Dance is 7-2 second favourite with Alec Laird’s Cashel Palace next on 10-1.

World Sports Betting makes Peter’s Majestic Mambo 28-10 favourite for the Gauteng Guineas on the same card and goes 4-1 Surcharge, 6-1 Monks Hood, 7-1 Mustaaqeem, 8-1 Greek Fire, 10-1 and upwards others.

Glen Kotzen will send last Saturday’s Kenilworth mile handicap winner Luna Child to Port Elizabeth for the Breeders Guineas on 9 March before she joins the rest of his Durban team.

Also bound for Port Elizabeth is Brutal Force who holds the Kenilworth 1200m course record and showed he still has what it takes by finishing fourth in last month’s Cape Flying Championship. He has been sold by Mayfair Speculators to Braam van Huyysteen and Hedley McGrath and has joined Yvette Bremner. According to Van Huyysteen the plan is a Pinnacle followed by a tilt at the Computaform Sprint on 5 May.

However Joey Ramsden, who managed to hold on to Cape Flying fifth Attenborough, has his eyes on Scottsville’s Tsogo Sun Sprint (May 26) for the four-year-old.

Ramsden said: “I think he is well capable of winning a Grade 1 and I put some mates together to buy him.”

BLOB Whisky Baron is the highest-rated of the 12 entries for the Group 2 Zabeel Mile at Meydan on Thursday. He is on a mark of 118 with the locally-trained Championship next on 114 and Mike de Kock’s 2015 Cape Guineas winner Noah From Goa third-highest on 112.

By Michael Clower

Apprentice Ashton Arries rode out his claim at Scottsville yesterday with a polished performance on the Michael Roberts-trained Statute for the 50^th winner of his career. He rode a patient race producing filly up the outside and the well related daughter of Dynasty won impressively allowing Arries to ease her up close home.

Statute won by five lengths on debut over the same course and distance as yesterday.

Head Honcho (Candiese Marnewick)

Roberts thought highly enough of Statute to run her in the Flamboyant Stakes at just her second visit to the race course where she was far from disgraced finishing 5,55 lengths behind talented and unbeaten Hashtagyolo and the form lines of that race are working out well. Roberts will be rubbing his hands for the upcoming South African Champions Season as Statute looks way above average and won’t be out of place lining up for a sprint feature.

Miss Varlicious kicked on well to finish second ahead of Royal Agree and Free State. It was Free States second run back from a lengthy rest and she is sure to be back in the winner’s enclosure soon. The disappointment of the race was Isingamoya who found nothing in the closing stages.

The race was whittled down to only six runners due to Duncan Howells scratching his three runners with a suspected virus.

The feature of the day was the umThomboti stakes a non black type event where another small field was assembled. Sun On Africa was a late scratching as he was injured in transit on the way to the course which left only six runners to face the starter. Celtic Captain was head strong but then allowed to go out and race up handy. Red Chestnut Road, who was trying the distance for the first time, was ridden from slightly off the pace. The free striding son of Querari, Head Honcho hit the front early and romped away from the opposition winning well and making it two from two over the distance. A tongue-tie appears to have made all the difference and he looks to be a serious stayed in the making and another to be watched in the coming Champions Season.

Warfarer from the Lizeanne Forbes stable put in a late challenge to finish second. The only filly in the race, Kahula, ran third and then only the 9/10 punters favourite Red Chestnut Road. Techno Captain and Celtic Captain finished second last and last and can be put down as the disappointments of the race. Head Honcho was ridden by talented young rider Keagan De Melo who rode three winners on the day. His two victories came on the first-timer Satara and Autumn In Seattle in race three giving Pat Lunn a welcome double.

By Warren Lenferna

The Vaal Inside track stages a low key eight race  meeting tomorrow and punters who study hard could be rewarded with some handsome dividends.

The meeting starts with a Maiden Plate over 1000m and Shiloh is tipped to upset two horses who beat her the last time they met over this trip, Western Shamrock and Flying Falcon. That was Shiloh’s second run after a six month layoff and she was entitled to need it. Nevertheless she ran on well in the context of that race. Next time out over 1200m she was a touch too handy but stayed on for a well beaten third. She should now be cherry ripe and has a favourable low draw with 4kg claimer Dylan Lerena aboard for the third time in a row. Western Shamrock and Flying Falcon are not going to Hollywood but should be in the shake up. Vanilla Orchid showed good pace last time over 1300m and might appreciate the step down to this trip. Baize Door is by Group 1-winning sprinter Speightstown, who has produced 14 Group 1 winners around the world, out of an Irish-bred placed maiden by Danehill Dancer. However, by riding arrangements Bourbon Bouquet appears to be the stable elect. The latter does not have great form but in the context of this race her third place in her penultimate start will make her a threat.

Eric Ngwane

The second race is a maiden over 1800m and the most interesting runner here is Collegiate. He tends to be a bit lazy in his races and has to be driven along for much of the way but then stays on at the end. Not surprisingly the blinkers are now on. However, this long-striding lightly-raced five-year-old Ideal World gelding has a wide draw and this is always a concern for a horse running in first-time blinkers as he might be caught wide and begin over-racing. The selection is thus Agent Kay. He had to be used up a bit early in his penultimate start over this trip in order to find a nice position from a wide draw and only just failed to win. He will now get a nice position for free from a plum draw and this Golden Sword colt is made the best bet on the card.

The third is a fillies and mares maiden over 2000m and Charmz Luck is tipped to win. This Pathfork filly was green on debut around the turn over 1500m and did not have much room in the straight. However, she was doing her best work late for a 3,2 length fifth and can reverse form with the more experienced Wild Lady. Charmz Luck will relish the step  up in trip and the long straight and she has a plum draw of three. Ashdown is tipped for second as she beat Wild Lady when they last met and has a better draw than the latter.

The next race over 2000m should be won by the resolute galloper by Fort Wood, Fort Augustus. He galloped them into the ground last time over this trip in a maiden and won by 8,25 lengths, despite it being his second run after a six month layoff and gelding. He has a 75 merit rating to overcome but should be cherry ripe and can continue to progress. The expected good pace should suit Shotgun Rider. He was flying at the finish last time over 1800m. He is likely to be dropped out from a wide draw and should be finishing fast again over a trip 200m further. Throng caught the eye when winning first time out the maidens and should also enjoy the step up in trip.

The fifth is a staying event over 2400m and on paper Just A Jet is the one to side with as she beat Arte last time and will now be 2kg better off. However, Arte won well in her penultimate in a 3200m handicap and back in handicap company, as opposed to a feature last time, she will be more at home and can’t be discounted. Tundra Taita is interesting here as one who has caught the eye with strong finishes over middle distances before.

The sixth over 1800m looks to be a good opportunity for Dawn Flight. It is an 1800m fillies and mares apprentice handicap and Eric Ngwane can make the most of a fair draw of five aboard a mare who runs over an ideal trip. Cool Fantasy has dropped to a merit rating which could see her  begin earning again and Cosmo Russe can go close from a good draw as she sneaks into the handicap with the minimum weight and is distance suited.

In the seventh over 1800m Braxton is on the up for a yard who bring them on slowly but surely. She can defy a five point merit rated raise and a wide draw. Beautiful Shay’s good draw will suit her handy style over a suitable trip. Tigerlace had good maiden form and won easily last time over this trip so can’t be ignored first time in a handicap off a reasonable 72 merit rating, although she does have a tough draw.

In the last race over 1400m Lock Him Up won fluently in her penultimate start over this trip and will appreciate the step back to this trip. A 1,5kg claimer up will alleviate the four point raise she was given for that win, but she does have a tricky draw. This is the toughest race on the card and going wide is the advice for the exotics.

By David Thiselton

Colm O’Donoghue will take over from Greg Cheyne when last year’s Sun Met winner makes his Dubai debut in the Zabeel Mile at Meydan on Thursday.

Ridgemont racing manager Craig Carey said: “We felt that we should have an international jockey who knows the tracks out there and Colm has committed himself to the horse for the whole campaign.

“Brett Crawford flew out there last Monday and the horse is doing well but the word from Mike de Kock is that he will need the run on Thursday.”

O’Donoghue, who won the 2011 Irish Derby on Treasure Beach for Aidan O’Brien, won the UAE Derby on Daddy Long Legs at the following year’s Dubai Carnival and has also won big races in Britain, France, Canada and the USA.

Just Sensual, winner of the 2016 Cape Fillies Guineas for Joey Ramsden and Mayfair Speculators and second only to Carry On Alice in the South African Fillies Sprint, has gone into quarantine after being bought by an Australian-Japanese syndicate. She will go via Mauritius to Australia.

By Michael Clower

Featured Image: Whisky Baron (Liesl King)

Zinedine stirred the blood like no other two-year-old in Cape Town so far this season when annihilating the opposition in sensational style at Kenilworth on Saturday.

The 11-10 newcomer led from the gate and stretched whenever anything threatened to come near her. When M.J. Byleveld looked round inside the final furlong he could have done with a pair of binoculars. As it was he passed the post five lengths clear in a time only a tenth of a second outside Big Mistake’s class record.

Vaughan Marshall said: “It’s very exciting to have a horse like this and the nice part is that he will go a mile. We have high hopes for him.”

Richard Fourie

In the Gold Medallion at Scottsville? “We haven’t really thought about anything like that,” Marshall answered. “We will go slowly, slowly – it’s early days yet.”

But seemingly Ken Truter, Mike Fullard and James Drew have richer fish to fry because the first-named explained that they put the colt through the CTS ring 13 months ago to qualify for the R5 million races.

The trio bought the dam in Australia in 2011 but she was bitten by a snake after winning first time out and was never the same again. Seemingly the snake venom affected her heart. They sent her to Var but the foaling took so much out of her that she had to be rested for a year and an attack of colic then killed her.  But her legacy lives on and, as Truter said: “A horse like Zinedine is what we are all in this game for.”

Elle Va, all the rage for the second juvenile race, was backed from 9-2 to 15-10 favourite but trailed in with only one behind her. The course vet reported her abnormally fatigued but Grant Behr said she was not striding freely in the final two furlongs.

The race was won by Richard Fourie on Carioca for Joey Ramsden who was particularly taken with the performance of third-placed newcomer Yolta, saying: “She looks as if she will be a cut above the rest when she goes a trip.”

Ramsden had his left arm in a sling to help his recent shoulder operation but he was lucky not to be back in hospital. He went to the course early that morning to watch a horse being worked. When he put his foot on one of the seats in the stands it gave way and pitched him down several concrete steps. He landed on his head and on the damaged shoulder, twisting his ankle for good measure – “It was the worst accident like that that I’d ever had.”

Greg Cheyne had a tough day too. On Eternal Night in the Betting World Maiden (won by Sihle Cele for Mike Robinson on Team Valor’s Tally-Ho) he found himself travelling like a winner behind a wall of four and every time a gap looked like opening the door promptly slammed in his face.

He had some compensation when the Glen Kotzen-trained Luna Child won the next but 40 minutes later supposed bet-of-the-day Marion Belle found nothing in the closing stages and managed only fourth behind Wings Of Honor for the Kotzen-Fourie combination. “I expected a lot more from her than that – it was a very disappointing run,’ said her rider who had no excuses.

To add further insult he was then unshipped from Pata Pata on his way out onto the course and his mount was scratched. Corne Orffer was left to enjoy an armchair ride on hotpot Pacific Trader while Fourie completed a treble on the Piet Steyn-trained King Of Aces in the last.

Andre Nel had some respite from his virus problems when Robert Khathi led a furlong out on Selailai in the Tabonline Maiden. Khathi is now devoting a lot of his work-riding time to Plattner Racing and is being rewarded with more opportunities.

By Michael Clower

Marion Belle looks good for the Supabets Handicap at Kenilworth tomorrow and she should be hard to beat after winning the last two of her three races in impressive style.

The Brett Crawford-trained Australian bred led over half a furlong out when raced over 1 000m four weeks ago and she won comfortably with Greg Cheyne declaring: “It’s onwards and upwards now.”

Brett Crawford (Liesl King)

The handicappers took the win at face value, upping her only three points and not building in anything for what she might have had in hand. Little wonder that World Sports Betting opened her favourite at only 13-10.

Regal Ruby, who made the running last time, was beaten just over a length into third and is a kilo better so, theoretically at any rate, she should go close. She is joint second favourite at 13-2 with Cape Charlotte who has run well at Durbanville on her last two outings.

The market is likely to prove the best guide in the opening Maiden Juvenile as Despasito is the only one to have raced, he has a lot of improvement to find and is a 40-1 shot.

After the way Vaughan Marshall’s two-year-olds ran last Saturday Zinedine opened favourite at 17-10 and was promptly backed. He is a Var colt, was bought by Ken Truter for R700 000 and could be the one unless there is significant money for any of the others tomorrow.

Tarsus (by Var out of a French Listed winner) is the most expensive in the field at R850 000 and is the first horse in Cape Town to carry the colours of Qatar Racing. Qatar are major players in Britain where they are also big in sponsorship and they could be very good for South African racing.

Tarsus opened at 9-2 and Joey Ramsden, whose juveniles are running really well, also introduces Arrivederci (11-2) who is a What A Winter colt out of a full sister to two-year-old champion filly Historic Lady. Robert Khathi’s mount was bought by Mayfair for R550 000 and now carries the colours of Braam van Huyysteen.

But watch out for R500 000 buy Fabian who is also by What A Winter and opened second favourite at 7-2.

Selailai went close at Durbanville on debut on New Year’s Day and opened 22-10 favourite for the Tabonline Maiden. Runner-up Chatuchak’s good subsequent run gives him obvious claims but slight preference is for Richard Fourie’s mount Sea Fury (7-2). Fourie may also win the next on 3-1 chance Ladysmith.

By Michael Clower