Craig Bantam, rattling up the winners with his 4kg claim, could find things more difficult now that he is down to 2.5kg but the way his talent has been shining through suggests he will have few problems bridging the gap and he can strike on Varifast in the Itsarush.co.za Handicap at Kenilworth today.

Bantam won on this filly and over this trip in February and, although the three-year-old now races off a mark five points higher, she would have gone very close indeed last time had she not lost valuable ground at the start.

Craig Bantam

She was 7-2 second favourite with World Sports Betting yesterday although it is perhaps worth noting that it is the other Marshall runner Secretariat’s Girl that has been attracting the money. She opened at 10-1 on Monday but little more than 24 hours later 4-1 was the best available. She ran better over this trip last time than she had done in her two previous races over a furlong further.

Darryl Hodgson’s bold bid to go for a quick follow-up with last Tuesday’s maiden winner Emerald Gal came to nought when she had to be scratched yesterday after going lame. Hodgson now relies on 9-2 shot Frosted Honey who faces a stiff task with a five point rise in her rating for her win three weeks ago.

It could be significant that Grant van Niekerk, who rode Emerald Gal, had already committed himself to Elusive Empress who is 3-1 favourite, has been dropped a point and reverts to 1 200m after three runs over a furlong further.

The three Joey Ramsden two-year-olds failed to collect on Saturday but Apollo Star can resume normal service in the first. Donovan Dillon’s mount was second against older horses when he suffered slight interference over 1 400m last time but the stable reckons that he is just as effective over this shorter trip. Indeed he was fourth in the Kuda Sprint on Met day. He has already been backed from 5-2 to 18-10.

Supreme Orator (3-1) and What A Summer (33-10) both made the frame first time and are obvious dangers while there has been money for the Snaith newcomer Oratio.

Oh Susanna, ponied to the start when second favourite on debut, lost significant ground coming out of the pens but recovered to beat all except surprise fellow newcomer Raya Baya and could prove hard to beat at 15-10 in race two.

She should confirm the placings with 5-1 chance Evie’s Light (1 ¼ lengths back third) as well as with Daring Jayne, Easy Virtue and Dubai Queen who were all long shots and ran accordingly. Mainland’s debut fourth has been franked by the subsequent win of second-placed Lily Theresa and Aldo Domeyer’s mount is second favourite at 9-2.

By Michael Clower

The R40k fine imposed on trainer Paul Gadsby for an indiscretion by one of his grooms, has been met with consternation by the racing fraternity, especially in light of the fact that Gadsby followed all legal procedures in disciplining the transgressor.

This obviously did not impress the National Horseracing Authority (NHA) enquiry board who imposed the fine reasoning that even though Gadsby was not even on the racecourse when the incident occurred, he was still responsible for the actions of his employee. Gadsby has since appealed against the finding and the fine.

Paul Gadsby

Robert Mauvis, former Chairman of Gold Circle, although disagreeing with the findings of the inquiry board, said it was time that all role-players got together in an effort to educate the grooms.

“While I was chairman of Gold Circle it was one of my plans to start some sort of groom’s school.

“Training racehorses is one of the most difficult jobs there is. They all love their horses but it is time that grooms undergo some sort of formal education,” he said. He suggested that every training centre have a groom’s school where someone with the knowledge is able to talk to the grooms three or four times a week to educate them on how to treat and look after horses properly.

“These grooms look after millions of rands worth of horseflesh and many of them have never even dealt with horses before being employed,” reasoned Mauvis.

“This is a serious matter and grooms must know that it is totally wrong to hit an animal, but they need to be taught the correct way to treat the horses.

“Now is the time for all in racing to stand together and the NHA should help in this regard,” he concluded.

By Andrew Harrison

There were some fine Vodacom Durban July trials over the weekend and as seems to happen every year in this great race it was two relatively lowly merit rated horses, Elusive Silva and Nother Russia, who burst into prominence as potential winners.

However, they were not the only pair who caught the eye.

Elusive Silva (Liesl King)

The Justin Snaith-trained Elusive Silva is a four-year-old gelding by the former champion sire Silvano, who set a record a couple of years ago when his progeny ran one-two-three in the July. The winner that year, Power King, did not possess the class that Elusive Silva possesses if Sunday’s running of the Listed Sledgehammer over 1800m at Greyville is anything to go by. The tall and athletic four-year-old gelding’s previous run had been when winning the Gr 3 Winter Derby over 2400m in effortless fashion on June 25 last year. He was turned out in fine condition on Sunday and turning for home in midfield under Anthony Delpech the acceleration was once again effortless.

He was admittedly receiving 4,5kg from the 1,75 length runner up Helderberg Blue, but won with more than a ton in hand. Betting World reacted by shortening him from 25/1 into 14/1 fourth favourite. Snaith was cautious in his comments and said Elusive Silva would still need to make a considerable step up. However, under the conditions of the race he can only be raised a maximum six merit rated points to 99. Snaith said he would give him one more run in either the Gr 2 Betting World 1900 on May 19 or the Gr 3 Cup Trial on June 10.

The former might be the better option, considering he has proven he runs well fresh and that race also carries a condition that the winner cannot be raised more than six merit rated points. A ten point raise is possible for the Cup Trial winner. If he does run in and win the 1900, he will go into the July with a 105 merit rating and as things stand will carry just 54,5kg. Furthermore, Snaith said he could not have come out of Sunday’s race in better shape. It is too early for Delpech, a record-equalling four-time July-winning jockey, to make a commitment, but Elusive Silva is sure to be on his shortlist.

Horizon (Liesl King)

Elusive Silver’s stablemate, the four-year-old Dynasty gelding Prince Of Wales, ran on from last to finish a good two length third in the Sledgehammer, despite needing the run. He was giving the winner 3kg and will relish the step up to 2200m in the July. Betting World shortened him from 50/1 to 25/1 for the July. Placed horses were not allowed to be given any merit rated raise under the Sledgehammer conditions, so he will remain on a 100 merit rating. Snaith said Prince Of Wales had come out of the race perfectly, and would come on from the run tremendously. For the superstitious Prince Of Wales runs in colours which look almost identical, if they are not the exact same colours, to those of the immortal Sea Cottage who won the July exactly 50 years ago.

The expensively purchased Candice Bass-Robinson-trained Horizon also caught the eye at Greyville on Sunday when winning an Allowance Plate over 1400m under Bernard Fayd’Herbe. The R5,2 million three-year-old Dynasty colt is not by Silvano, but is out of a full-sister to Silvano. He ran on strongly to beat Zodiac Ruler on Sunday by a head with Palladium a further two lengths behind. Both Zodiac Ruler and Palladium were having their first runs as geldings. Zodiac Ruler finished runner up in the Cape Derby and Horizon only managed fifth, but it still remains to be seen whether the form of the Cape Derby will turn out to be as strong as it was last year.  Betting World reacted to Horizon’s win by shortening him from 18/1 into 16/1, the same price as Cape Derby winner Edict Of Nantes’. Zodiac Ruler drifted from 20/1 to 25/1.

The four-year-old Tiger Ridge filly Nother Russia looks to be a chip off the old block as, just like her famous dam Mother Russia, she is a smallish chestnut with a massive heart and a beautiful action which covers a lot of ground. On Saturday she joined her mother as a winner of the Turffontein weight for age mile event, the Gr 1 Empress Club Stakes, which was this year sponsored by HSH Princess Charlene of Monaco. She ran on fluently under Craig Zackey to win by 1,4 lengths from Bella Sonata. July entries Safe Harbour and Trophy Wife were a 3.05 and 3,3 length fourth and fifth, while other July entries Heaps Of Fun, Fort Ember, Juxtapose and Star Express were all unplaced. Nother Russia possesses the exceptional turn of foot of her mother, so will love Greyville and her odds have been slashed by Betting World to 22/1. However, the Gr 1 win mean the handicappers did not have to cap her merit rating and they have raised her to a 106. This means she will, as things stand, carry 53kg in the July.

By David Thiselton

Races being used as warm-ups for bigger events can often prove tricky and as the SA Champions Season approaches the three features at Greyville tomorrow are no different. Given the weights the Highland Night Cup would be at the mercy of stable companions and top weights Ovidio and Krambambuli but the spectre of a false pace and the fact that there are more lucrative races on offer over the coming months, conjures some doubt.

Top heavy-weight rider Bernard Fayd-Herbe has recently signed on as stable jockey to the powerful Justin Snaith yard and although Ovidio has cracking staying form in the Cape, Krambambuli looks to have more speed and this 2400m trip should be right up his street.

Dean Kannemeyer’s runners appear to be over their summer hiccup where many were the victim of a low-grade virus and the stable came within an ace of a treble at Scottsville mid-week. He saddles last season’s Track & Ball Derby winner Cape Speed that has been lightly raced since finishing down the field in the Gold Cup where he cast a shoe.

Krambambuli (Nkosi Hlophe)

He has only had three outings since, the last being in the Sun Met where he was fitted with blinkers in an effort to sharpen him up over what in hindsight now looks to be a trip on the sharp side.

The Gold Cup is an obvious winter season target with the Gold Vase in the offing on July Day.

All will be hoping that the front-running Serissa sets a reasonable gallop but one runner that will be suited to a slow pace is the filly Forbidden Jewel. She has a smart turn of foot, stays the trip well along with a light weight. But in the final analysis the Snaith pair are the two to beat.

The Listed Sledgehammer Handicap is another warm-up event and with some betting shops having already priced up on the Vodacom Durban July, races such as this will be closely monitored. Snaith has two early July entries in the line-up in Prince Of Wales, last year’s Betting World 1900 winner, and Elusive Silva, both coming off breaks. Snaith was quoted earlier in the week as saying both were in good order. Greg Cheyne is up from Cape Town to partner some of the Snaith runners but Anthony Delpech could be on the pick of the pair. Although not having been out since winning the Winter Derby last term, he is lightly raced, stays the trip and has the benefit of the inside gate.

Epona will be one of the leading candidates for the Gr1 Woolavington 2000 and the half-sister to champion galloper and leading sire Jay Peg has the form to back her claims in the Listed The Scarlet Lady.

The lure of $500 000 US for the CTS 1600 at Kenilworth on Met day was a carrot for all that were eligible but they ran into the now retired William Longsword with Epona some seven lengths back. However, prior to that Epona had opened her feature race account with a fluent victory in the Jamaica Handicap. Regular pilot Donovan Dillon is back aboard and he is no stranger to Greyville.

Trophy Wife (Nkosi Hlophe)

Snaith is three-handed in the race with Francia, Qing and Nima, all with smart form but with the Qing possibly the pick of the trio. She looks held by Epona on the Jamaica Handicap form but the drop to 1800m could see her more competitive. Nima finished just over two lengths back to Epona in the Jamaica and was then touched off by The High Life over the Kenilworth 2000m, so also comes into the reckoning.

Even trainers at the top of an already difficult profession admit that they learn something new almost every day and Justin Snaith has taken a leaf out of the Mike Bass book as he saddles Star Express for the Gr1 HSH Princess Charlene Empress Club Stakes to be run at Turffontein this afternoon.

Bass sent up Inara from her Summerveld base to triumph last year and although Star Craft lacks the Grade 1 pedigree that Inara took into the race, she comes off some solid Western Cape form which often proves superior to that on the Highveld.

Star Express has been given plenty of time to acclimatise to her Summerveld surroundings and those with long memories will remember that the likes of David Payne and Herman Brown Snr often raided the Highveld with impunity from their Summerveld base.

Narrowly beaten in the Gr1 Majorca Stakes and running the smart filly Bela-Bela to a neck at level weights puts Star Express up there with the best.

Sean Tarry has a knack of getting his runners spot-on for the big events and sends out five fillies all in with chances. Safe Harbour has proven Cape form having run Bela-Bela to less than a length in the Gr1 Paddock Stakes and more recently failed narrowly in the Gr1 SA Fillies Classic behind Orchid Island. That was her first run in a tongue-tie and she is the narrow choice ahead of stable companion Trophy Wife. Beaten two lengths by Inara last year, Trophy Wife is often a tardy starter but ran an excellent race behind crack sprinter Carry On Alice last time out. She will much prefer this trip. Of the others, Fort Ember, Juxtapose and Nother Russia could all feature in what stacks up as a tough call.

By Andrew Harrison

Tevez is well-nigh impossible to oppose in the Racing. It’s a Rush Pinnacle Stakes at Kenilworth tomorrow and he is a confident selection to overcome both top weight and a 12-week lay-off.

Aldo Domeyer’s mount won a similar race last year, albeit over a furlong less and run three weeks later, and his close-up fifth in the Cape Flying Championship suggests he is as good as ever.

“He has had a break and he will need it a bit,” warns Candice Bass-Robinson who adds “but he is the best horse in the race.”

Tevez (Liesl King)

Indeed he is. The handicappers reckon he has 2.5kg in hand over the next best (Heartland) and he is considered to be better over this trip despite that blistering run in the Cape Flying.

That would have entitled him to have another crack at the best in the Computaform Sprint but he has not been entered as his stable points out that in a few months he will be eight years old.

Heartland has not raced for nearly five months and in any case he is probably better over an extra furlong and La Favourari probably represents a bigger threat. He surprised Andre Nel when winning a 1 000m pinnacle five weeks ago but there were enough hard luck stories behind him to fill a punter’s notebook and the favourite should have his measure.

Line Break, the favourite’s stable companion, has made the frame on his last two starts but he is 5kg (over four lengths) wrong with Tevez on adjusted handicap ratings.

Purple Mountains has not been seen since finishing plumb last in the Diadem 14 weeks ago – he was returned not striding out – and is well-nigh impossible to fancy while The Stone Thrower has the most to do on ratings.

Recent Kenilworth two-year-old races have proved difficult to predict with the last four winners averaging 25-1 and only two outright favourites successful in the nine events so far this month. Just about the only positive is the success rate of the Ramsden horses which have won eight of the last 18.

The stable’s Rommel may have improved enough to reverse placings with Royal Marine in the first where Victorious Captain is an obvious danger.

The second juvenile race is trickier. Donovan Dillon partners Bayeto but stable companion Blow In The Box made up a lot of ground in the closing stages when unfancied on debut and may beat Phelan Lucky.

By Michael Clower

The Vaal Outside Track hosts a competitive eight race meeting tomorrow. High draws by trends are favourable in all races, but some of the best form horses on the day have low draws. An example is the three-year-old Toreador gelding Refuge, who runs in the highest merit rated race of the day, an MR 88 handicap over 1200m.

Refuge has three wins, two seconds and a third in eight career starts and has acquitted himself well against some useful sorts.

Piere Strydom

Piere Strydom has won on him twice and was aboard last time on his return from a three-and-a-half month layoff. On that occasion Strydom was forced to switch him inward for a run and he still managed to do some excellent work late to get up for third. He should have benefitted from that run and can win this time, but unfortunately the low draw of two is a concern.

Refuge’s Scott Kenny-trained stablemate Hidden Agenda is a fascinating runner in this race. This five-year-old Brave Tin Soldier gelding has won over 2000m before, yet his 1200m form makes good reading and includes a victory over the classy Rafeef.

The admirable Golden Man earns a cheque virtually every time he races and is effective over this trip so should run on into the money from a fair draw under his regular pilot Ryan Munger.

Al Azraq can’t be ignored as he has talent and has dropped to a competitive merit rating. He is drawn on the right side and his penultimate start can be ignored as he missed the break. However, it has to be said he had every chance last time at Turffontein over 1160m and failed to kick on, although he was found to be coughing afterwards.

Dennis The Menace is capable of a strong finish and has a good record over this course and distance, so can’t be ignored.

Morpheus, Kapitan and Machismo are also tough to ignore in a typically competitive sprint handicap.

The previous race, the sixth, is a fillies and mares MR 84 handicap over 1200m and Silver Class makes a lot of appeal. She was campaigned in strong plate races and feature races until last time when she was finally put back in a handicap off her lowered merit rating. She proved she was better than an 82 by running a good second in the 1450m event. She was duly raised three points, but still looks well handicapped and has a fair draw over her probable optimum trip.

The best bet on the day could be Playing Games in race three, a Maiden for fillies and mares over 1200m. She fought for her head early on over 1200m last time, but was still doing good work late to finish second. She should have benefitted from the experience and should be more settled this time. She is thus preferred to Martha’s Vineyard, a well-bred filly who made a good debut, but who is bred to Northern Hemisphere time so is six months younger than her contemporaries and she also has the tough number one draw to overcome.

By David Thiselton