There is a low key meeting on the Turffontein Inside track tomorrow and Rumbavar should give punters a good start.

This Var filly caught the eye in a couple of sprint starts in Cape Town and in her Turffontein debut she led from the off over 1400m and was only cut down late by the smart Aurelia Cotta. The latter has remained unbeaten after two starts. Rumbavar now has a good draw of two and should also have benefitted from her previous outing.

Weiho Marwing

The only winner in the field, Desert Rhythm, jumps from pole position and on pedigree should handle the step up in trip. She won her penultimate start over 1200m and ran an unthreatening fourth in the Gr 3 Pretty Polly Stakes over 1100m last time out. She was beaten a length by Celestina in the latter race, although she was giving away 3kg, and Rumbavar beat Celestina by a length over 1000m down in Cape Town. Rumbavar will also be receiving 3kg from Desert Rhythm tomorrow and that should swing it in her favour.

In the second race Seventh Of June looked outpaced over 1000m last time and should relish the step up to this trip, so can win from a good draw. Soldat doesn’t come out too well on formlines here as he was beaten by Valado the last time they met over course and distance, but a lot of use was made of him that day and from this better draw can go close. Seventh Of June and Soldat are the fancies for the Bipot.

There looks to be a fair opportunity for punters in the third, over 2600m, with Frikkie. He is from the yard of Weiho Marwing, who is known as an outstanding trainer of stayers. The top class veteran Weichong Marwing is aboard, a further plus. Frikkie doesn’t have much luck with draws and jumps from out wide again but his style should make him tailor made for the Turffontein Inside track. He has an instant turn of foot, but has been seen to be out-lasted by other stayers over the long Standside track straight. On recent form he has the measure of his possible main danger here, Fortune Fella. The latter beat the up and coming stayer King Of Blues narrowly over 2400m in February and if weight for age changes are taken into account he is only 0,5kg worse so there is nothing between them.

In race 5 over 1000m Royal Variety kept up with a furious pace in a maiden down the straight over this trip last time out before sprinting into the lead and winning easing up. He has a chance of following up off a reasonable 70 merit rating from a good draw. However, Approval Mode is unbeaten in two starts over course and distance and has dropped to a competitive merit rating, so will be a danger.

The sixth is an interesting Graduation Plate over 1450m. The beautifully bred Di Mazzio, by the three-time Gr 1-winning middle distance horse Bernardini out of a half-sister to the European and Australian champion sprinter Starspangledbanner, drifted alarmingly in the betting on debut over 1160m but still won in courageous style. The drift was probably on the grounds he needed more ground so he can’t be ignored here despite a wide draw.

In the second of the Graduation Plates State Star is selected as she impressed on debut and should relish the step up in trip, while being from the Alec Laird yard she should come on from the run too.

She could be going places and so could Oh My Darling, a robust filly who impressed in her maiden last time out. The Western Winter filly can follow up in her first handicap start in the eighth from draw three over a suitable 1600m.

By David Thiselton

The future stars are beginning to emerge in the two-year-old races. On Tuesday it was the turn of R6 million purchase Silver Coin and in the first at Kenilworth tomorrow keep a close eye on Cot Campbell.

This R3.3 million Trippi colt is the first foal of Ebony Flyer who won the Cape Fillies Guineas, Majorca and South African Fillies Sprint for Justin Snaith and much is expected of him.

“We rate him and he is going to be a top horse,” says Chris Snaith but seemingly, for tomorrow at any rate, this is one to put in the notebook rather than back. “He is going to need it here. Bernard Fayd’Herbe rode him on Tuesday and said he wasn’t ready.”

Justin Snaith (Nkosi Hlophe)

Joey Ramsden, who has won half the last 12 Cape Town two-year-old races, introduces Rommel. This Var colt is out of the Cape Fillies Guineas third Joshua’s Mistress but apparently he is also not expected to make a winning debut – “He will run well but he is no star at the moment,” says his trainer.

Unless there is a real market move for any of the other newcomers – What A Summer cost R850 000 and is a half-brother to the 2015 Cape Guineas winner Noah From Goa while Brett Crawford introduces the Captain Al colt Dollar Tractor – the finish looks like being fought out between Pen-Chan and Royal Marine. There was only three-quarters of a length between them when they both made their second starts here a fortnight ago and Greg Cheyne’s mount gets only fractional preference.

It’s a different story 40 minutes later when the Ramsden-trained Lily Theresa is likely to start odds-on and is well-nigh impossible to oppose. She was second to Regal Ruby in a field of 18 nine days ago – prominent throughout and kept on well – and has mostly newcomers to beat.

Kingston Passage is on a hat-trick in the Itsarush.co.za Handicap and looks smart enough to go in again despite not having raced for almost two months. He has only had three runs and was a close second in the first of them. He went up 2.5kg for scoring on his first time out of the maidens but still receives weight from all except Mount Keith.

Ovar and Starflash are obvious dangers. They are close on their running over this trip here at the end of February and Ovar then finished second in a hot pinnacle over the same distance, avoiding a penalty in the process.

By Michael Clower

The Robbie Hill pair Red Chesnut Road and Kilmokea were travelling down from Johannesburg to their home base at Summerveld yesterday (Wednesday) ahead of their Graded race engagements on Sunday.

Red Chestnut Road (Nkosi Hlophe)

Shannon Hill said both horses were laid back types, so he expected them to travel well. He was looking forward to good respective runs in the Gr 3 Byerley Turk and Gr 3 Umzimkhulu Stakes, both over 1400m on the Greyville turf. Red Chesnut Road ran a decent fourth with topweight in the Gr 3 Man O’ War Sprint over 1100m at Turffontein last Saturday.

The best fillies had a big weight advantage in that race and duly finished first and second. Shannon said Red Chesnut Road had only been doing “good, solid work” for about five weeks before the Man O’ War. He admitted the preparation had not been ideal, but was not concerned about the second run after a rest syndrome and believed last Saturday’s race would have been the equivalent of a good gallop.

He said on pedigree Red Chesnut Road would comfortably stay Sunday’s 1400m trip and further. He revealed Gavin Lerena, who rode him on Saturday, had got off and told him he wanted to stick with this horse right through the season. His wide draw is a concern, but Shannon concluded, “He’s top class.”

Shannon rates Kilmokea a “smart filly” and expected a “very big run” from her over a trip she would like. He said her penultimate start could be ignored as she had dropped almost to her knees just before the jump and had returned “full of pharyngitis”. She had needed her last run too, when a close second in a 1200m handicap.

By David Thiselton

Justin Snaith believes the Gr 3 Byerley Turk looks a little less competitive than the Gr 3 Umzimkhulu Stakes at Greyville on Sunday, but on the other hand he said the filly Gimme Six would be more forward than the colt Copper Force.

Justin Snaith (Nkosi Hlophe)

Snaith said, “I had Jo’s Bond ready last Sunday, as it was her target (she won the Listed Kwazulu Natal Stakes). This is Gimme Six’s main target and she is properly ready. She has taken very well to KZN and has really been doing well at home. She has been at Summerveld for two weeks and put up a very impressive gallop here.

I am happy with Copper Force, but I have left a little in the tank, so he may need it a little, he is at about 90%, but he is ready enough to run a nice race. There is a long season to go with him, but I expect a good run from a good draw. Gimme Six will need a bit of luck from the draw. If my horses don’t run into the money here they are in trouble for the season. None of my horses have seen Greyville, which is going to make it harder. I don’t know whether they will take to the track or not.”

He also runs Sir Frenchie in a Juvenile Plate over 1200m and Captain Splendid in a MR 93 Handicap over 1800m.

He said, “Sir Frenchie is very well at home, we will see how he handles Greyville. Captain Splendid has taken well to Durban and is very well and looks amazing, but I think he might just be one run short.”

Gavin Lerena rides Captain Splendid and Anthony Delpech, who formed a lethal classic race combination with Snaith last SA Champions Season, rides the other three.

By David Thiselton

Nickel Coin won the Grand National. Silver Coin will never be asked to do that but he could well run in some of the top races in South Africa and Joey Ramsden is already thinking in terms of the Langerman.

R6 million is a hell of a lot to pay for a horse but you could see why when this one strode impressively round the Kenilworth parade ring shortly after noon yesterday with his powerful bay, almost black, frame marked only by a broad white blaze stretching down his face to his nostrils.

Punters had seized on him during the morning, backing him from 33-10 to evens before he eased to 5-4. “There was money for him alright but not a fortune,” said on-course bookmaker Bertie Dobbie. “But there wasn’t much for anything else bar the second favourite, Victorius Captain.”

Silver Coin (Wayne Marks)

The Silvano colt certainly moved like a dream going to post but he wasn’t as quick out of the gates as Victorious Captain on whom MJ Byleveld set out to gallop the opposition into the ground – and he was soon six lengths clear.

“MJ certainly got a good lead and for a minute I didn’t think any of us were going to get to him,” said Silver Coin’s by now anxious rider Donovan Dillon. “I had to ask my horse a bit sooner than I wanted and he just lengthened.”

He certainly turned it on in the closing stages, making up three lengths in the final 300m to get up almost on the line to score by just under half a length from What A Winner who pipped the tiring Victorious Captain on the post.

“He was a beautiful horse at the sales but price tags never bother me,” said Joey Ramsden wearing a rather more relaxed expression than he had done ten minutes earlier.

“I wasn’t expecting fireworks but this is a smashing horse and it was a good effort. It would have been easy for him to throw in the towel first time but he didn’t and I loved the way he pegged them back. I thought this was a run full of merit.”

But when asked about plans the often-outspoken Milnerton trainer wanted to know why the authorities scratched the two winners’ races this coming Saturday and replaced them with maidens – and he was in no mood to be appeased by any not-enough-runners explanation.

“It’s pathetic,” he declared. “We put the effort in and there is nowhere for our horses to go. We can’t get manipulated like this. They should run the races and teach them (those that scratched or didn’t enter) a lesson. They would put them in next time.”

But, brought back to Silver Coin, Ramsden mentioned his love of dominating the Langerman – and the June 24 feature looks like being on the shopping list.

by Michael Clower

Silver Coin will be the subject of considerable attention in the first at Kenilworth today as this Silvano colt is the highest–priced yearling to race in South Africa.

The half-brother to Halve The Deficit attracted some ferocious bidding at last year’s Cape Premier Yearling Sale before the hammer came down at R6 million. The owners are Mayfair Speculators, Sue Magnier, Diane Nagle and D.M. Graham.

Halve The Deficit (Nkosi Hlophe)

But what matters to punters today is whether he will be ready enough to go close first time out. “Yes, I think he will – and I like him a lot,” says Joey Ramsden.

The colt opened 33-10 favourite with World Sports Betting and he has a lot more riding on him than he will have when the gates open at 12.40pm. The Coolmore involvement is of the utmost importance for this country’s racing and breeding industries and it is likely to mushroom if this one proves a star.

So is the trainer feeling under any pressure? “I would feel more pressure if I didn’t have the horse,” answers Ramsden, echoing the response given by Aidan O’Brien when he was asked the same question in his early tentative days at Ballydoyle.

Mind you, Ramsden has been in this position before with Brutal Force who at R4.5 million was the highest-priced of his day and he found one too good for him in his first two races.

Perhaps more significantly not one of Ramsden’s six Cape Town two-year-old winners this season has won first time so, while Silver Coin should go close, it might be prudent to look elsewhere for the winner.

The Barry Burn is Bernard Fayd’Herbe’s first ride since his return from Dubai but Justin Snaith is not optimistic about the 8-1 shot being a winning one. “He is a nice type but this will be a gallop for him,” he says. “I have no gallops at the moment.”

The Brett Crawford-trained Valbonne is a Var colt out of the Prix Du Cap and Final Fling winner Sunsational. He was entered for last year’s National Yearling Sale but was withdrawn. He is joint second favourite at 5-1.

The twice-raced Victorious Captain is also on 5-1. He started favourite last time but was returned shin sore and now wears blinkers. He could be the one.

Herodus, nibbled at from 8-1 to 6-1, is also expected to get into the shake-up despite disappointing when upped to 1 400m last time. “That was too far for him and this time we are going to give him a chance,” says Candice Bass-Robinson.

Whatever Ramsden’s fortunes with Silver Coin he should win the Itsarush.co.za Handicap with the vastly improved Professor Brian who has gone up ten kilos for three straight wins. He gave away a lot of ground at the start last time and didn’t get a clear run so his 2 ¼ length win looks value for more than the 3kg the handicappers put him up. He is favourite at 28-10 and probably has most to fear from Bobby Dazzler (7-2), Greenflashsunset (5-1) and the blinkered 10-1 chance Seven Wood.

By Michael Clower

The Frank Robinson-trained dual Gr 3 winner Olma is in foal to Trippi, but there is a plan to run her while in foal on Vodacom Durban July day. She will run in the Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes, in which she was runner up last year.

Meanwhile, Robinson’s Antonius Pius filly Under The Stars impressed on her debut on the Greyville poly on Friday night and the yard have high hopes for her. Olma was bred to Northern Hemisphere time and will travel later in the year to Europe. Her owner Zalim Bifov has a breeding operation in Ireland. Robinson said there was also a plan in the pipeline to send Olma to the mighty Frankel.

Olma (Nkosi Hlophe)

Racing a mare in foal is not unusual and they sometimes actually show significant improvement. The USA-based record stakes earner Spain won a Gr 2 while in foal to Storm Cat and there are many other examples, a South African one being the Ormond Ferraris-trained Overarching, who finished second to Ilha da Vitoria in the Gr 1 Horse Chestnut Stakes while in foal to Fort Wood.

Spain’s trainer D. Wayne Lukas said back in 2002 after Spain was impregnated that little had changed in her training regimen. He added, “Since she got in foal, from knowing her and being around her her entire career, I could see that she was really blossoming. Her hair coat was unbelievable and her whole glow and demeanour were excellent.”
Dr Michelle LeBlanc, a veterinarian specializing in equine reproductive issues, said at the time that this wouldn’t have been a coincidence.

She said, “Progesterone is a wonderful calming drug. Once they get pregnant, you have high levels of progesterone, so you don’t have to deal with the nervousness or the finickiness and they become less high strung.”

On Friday night the rangy Under The Stars was backed into 9/2 in a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1000m. She was slow away before using her big stride to get within striking distance under Muzi Yeni.

She ran on strongly in the straight and at the line was pulling away from the running on Pathfork first-timer Tweed Valley. She won by 1,75 lengths and there was a further 2,5 lengths back to the third-placed horse, the Querari first-timer So Vain. The rest of the field were spread out like the washing, which is often the sign of good form. On the downside the time was nearly half-a-second slower than the following race, which was a weak maiden plate contested mainly by three-year-olds.

However, Under The Stars was extending at the line and Robinson confirmed she is definitely looking for further. He will be looking at Juvenile races over 1400m for The Alchemy-bred filly and how she performs will determine whether she goes for the Gr 2 R600,000 Golden Slipper over 1400m or the Non-Black Type KZN Yearling Million over 1300m. Both race are run on Vodacom Durban July day and the one carries a black type opportunity, while the other is more lucrative.

The Under The Stars’ formline should be worth following, such was the impression she created.

by David Thiselton

Milton ticks all the boxes in the Boland Promotions Pinnacle Stakes at Kenilworth tomorrow and Billy Prestage’s admirably consistent five-year-old should win for the first time in almost a year.

He is officially the best horse in the race, he comes out top (admittedly by the narrowest of margins) at the weights and he has shown good class form this year – he beat all except Whisky Baron in the Peninsula Handicap when was receiving only 1.5kg from the subsequent Met winner.

Candice Robinson (hamish NIVEN Photography)

The one negative is that he seems to be marginally better over a furlong further even though he frequently makes the running. “I would have preferred 1 600m,” his trainer confirms. “But he is working well, I think he has an outstanding chance and I’m debating whether to send him to Durban.”

Perhaps the most intriguing of his seven rivals is Our Mate Art who was expected to challenge for the Guineas and Derby but chipped a splint bone when bumped in the Selangor and hasn’t been seen since. Potentially he is a fair bit better than his rating.

“He was out of work for quite a while after chipping that bone but he has been gelded and is doing really well,” says Candice Bass-Robinson. “I think he will run well too but he will need it a bit.”

The Selangor was 19 weeks ago, Turbulent Air has been off for 17 weeks and Dynamic for 15. Elevated is also expected to need the outing, Catkin won over the trip two races back but finished last on his most recent start. African Night Sky, who goes particularly well for Craig du Plooy, could prove a threat but, according to the handicappers, the hat-trick seeking Icon King has the worst chance of the eight.

Live Life faces a stiff task at the weights in the Golden Bulls Allowance Plate – China Pearl comes out her equal and Miranda Frost half a kilo better than either of them – but her own stable companion Extradite looks the biggest threat of all and may well beat her.

Sihle Cele’s mount was five lengths behind Live Life at levels in the CTS Sprint and receives 6kg here, theoretically evening out their respective chances. But it is Extradite who has had the better lead-up.

“Live Life had a break after the CTS and it has been a rushed preparation. I am throwing her in here for a gallop,” says Mrs Robinson. “Extradite, who always tries hard, is a bit more ready.”

By Michael Clower