Mega Secret, one of the few maidens to run in the Investec Cape Derby in the last decade, could be worth waiting for in the last race at Kenilworth tomorrow.

The Paddy Kruyer-trained gelding  ran two good races over this mile before finishing 11^th of 15 behind It’s My Turn and Brazuca. He was beaten less than eight lengths and only the badly drawn, six-month absent Imperial Dancer is rated his superior in the Patronage Maiden.

“I think he got the 2 000m that day although he just rolled on a bit at the finish,” says Kruyer. “His best distance will probably be 1 800m but he is in good shape for this.”

Grant Behr’s mount opened at 4-1 with World Sports Betting yesterday and he has 15 up against him with Imperial Dancer (11-2) rated the biggest danger.

The first four races have an ominously straightforward look about them – usually a sign that upsets can be expected – but 14-10 favourite Attenborough stands out in the opening maiden juvenile and should certainly be able to confirm the placings with Rand Hedge (7-2) and Studiolo (14-1) as he lost valuable ground at the start on debut.

Barak Lavan showed promise first time and another to bear in mind is Rasta Rebel, who although last in the Listed race on Met day, met with some interference just inside the final furlong.

Mike Bass, with four winners, is only two behind Justin Snaith in this season’s Cape Town two-year-old log and he can add to his score in the Play The Bipot Maiden Juvenile with Whose That Girl (2-1) who finished eye-catchingly strongly when only just beaten by stable companion Wake Up Maggie on debut three weeks ago.

Ubiquitous Star and Baseema look held on that run but it’s worth noting that there is a line of form that puts 7-2 chance Colorado Rose (fourth to top-notch Cloth Of Cloud) in front of the Bass hope.

Brett Crawford’s luck deserted him at Durbanville last Saturday but his Juba (8-10) looks nailed on for the Place Your Bets Maiden (race three) after taking third to Leisure Trip last month despite losing five lengths at the start.

You might think that Helen’s Bay, the only non three-year-old in the race, has lost her chance of winning at the age of five (this is her 11^th attempt) but the year younger Ravishing Lad won at the 23^rd time of asking last month and Exclusive Knight (five) at the 36^th. Helen’s Bay (6-1 here) showed significant improvement last time and Mike Robinson says that was because he dropped her back to this 1 000m.

Crawford and Corne Orffer can double up with 2-1 favourite Tide Is Turning in the Quinte Plus Maiden 35 minutes later when Oli Miranda looks the one for the forecast.

By Michael Clower

Paddy Kruyer has ambitious plans for his Cape Fillies Guineas fourth Anglet who was badly jarred after running on odd shoes in the World Sports Betting-sponsored classic.

Kruyer said yesterday: “I am getting her ready for the season and I will be taking her to Durban a bit later on when she will have a go at the Garden Province on Vodacom Durban July day.”

The Biarritz filly won her last three starts as a juvenile including the Irridescence and beat all except shock winner Budapest in the R2.5 million Lanzerac Ready To Run.

She was doubly unlucky in the Fillies Guineas. She wore special front shoes but lost one on the way to the start and the racecourse farrier had to fit an ordinary racing plate as he did not have one to match. Then Raymond Danielson was forced to snatch her up to avoid the fallen Gareth Wright.

By Michael Clower

Picture: Patrick Kruyer (SAHorseracing.com)

Weichong Marwing’s neuro surgeon has granted permission for the top class jockey to begin physiotherapy on his back in order to strengthen it.

However, he will only be able to begin workriding again at the beginning of next month.

Marwing described the situation as “very frustrating”, but was following the best professional advice.

The debilitating back injury has forced him on to the sidelines since taking part in only one race at the January 14 meeting at the Vaal.

He consequently missed such rides as Illuminator in the CTS Million Dollar and Smart Call in the J&B Met, both of whom won.

However, he has already stated his philosophical attitude to the missed opportunities and wished respective replacement riders Heavelon van der Hoven and JP van der Merwe all the best for their big victories.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Weichong Marwing (Nkosi Hlophe)

The Paul Lafferty-trained champion Harry’s Son will attempt to guarantee his place in the $5 million Dubai Duty Free over 1800m on Dubai World Cup night by running in the  Gr 1 $US300,000 Jebel Hatta over 1800m on Super Saturday this weekend.

Meanwhile, Harry’s Son’s regular jockey Piere Strydom, who is nursing a broken collar bone, faces a race against time to be ready for the Duty Free.

Piere Strydom

Harry’s Son’s last outing in the Zabeel Mile on February 25 didn’t pan out in his favour as the slow pace saw him over racing slightly. This blunted his usual turn of foot and he could only stay on to the line for fourth place.

However, Lafferty was not concerned, especially considering the smart Australian-bred Haradasun colt will now be having his third run after a rest.

He reminded of the form of great horses like Variety Club and Jay Peg, who were both defeated in their second runs in Dubai before going on to win on World Cup night.

Harry’s Son has drawn four in Saturday’s ten horse field.

Strydom has always been of the opinion Harry’s Son’s best trip is 1400m, but Lafferty revealed the great jockey had said the same before winning the Gr 1 Premier’s Champion Stakes over 1600m at Greyville on him as a two-year-old. The colt had also run a fair fifth in “bottomless ground, which he hated”, in the Gr 1 SA Classic over 1800m.

Lafferty added Harry’s Son was “very well” and had actually put on 1kg since his last race.

Meanwhile, Harry’s Son has been invited to run in the prestigious HK$14 million Champions Mile at Sha Tin on May 1.

Strydom has been in a sling for three weeks and the recovery process is being aided by the use of a hyperbaric oxygen chamber. He has been able to remove the sling occasionally so is now at least getting some movement in the injured area.

Harry’s Son (JC Photos)

He would normally allow the injury to heal at a natural pace, but is very keen to make it for World Cup night on March 26.

He estimated he had a 50/50 chance of doing so.

The doctor had reckoned six to seven weeks would be required, but Strydom said this had been from a cautious point of view.

Strydom would like to ride in a couple of meetings before flying out, in order to avoid ring rustiness. He would also like to be in Dubai for the build up, as he said this was probably the most enjoyable week possible for anyone of his profession.

He would therefore probably need to be ready to ride in the Turffontein meeting of March 17 and he could then also take in the Highveld meeting the following Saturday.

Strydom described the week’s build up to the Dubai Word Cup. Jockeys are treated like kings and it also provides an opportunity to rub shoulders with the best riders in the world for a few days.

He believed this week should be on every racing fan’s to-do list and recommended the tour put on by Phil Georgiou’s Let’s Go Travel company.

By David Thiselton

Ashburton Trainer Paul Gadsby always seems to make the most of his limited opportunities and the classy Var filly Miss Varlicious is the latest good horse he has taken through the ranks with aplomb, despite difficult circumstances.

Gadsby wanted her to be roundabout a five-time winner before asking her to race at the highest level, but faced a problem because the handicapper always seemed to be on top of her.

Miss Varlicious (Nkosi Hlophe)

He said, “The handicapper never made her one of the line horses despite her, as far as I’m concerned, being the most consistent horse in KZN.”

She was thus already on a 91 merit rating after her second win and later gained further increases for a couple of placed runs in handicaps.

Gadsby said, “It has been a helluva battle for us to place her and we have had to keep her well for extended periods.”

However, the yard can now breathe a sigh of relief having got her the fifth win at just the right time, on 21 February over 1200m on the Greyville poly.

Her target is now the Gr 1 City Of Pietermaritzburg Fillies Sprint on June 4 over 1200m at Scottsville.

Gadsby has sent her for a deserved “mini break” to Jill Fox’s The Fort Stud, where the yard rest all of their horses.

He said, “I am no longer worried about her merit rating. I think she’s had a very nice prep as it has allowed us to fit in the break before bringing her back to prepare for the Fillies Sprint.”

This is former jockey Gadsby’s second stint as a trainer and although he is still looking for another San Carlos, whom he trained to 15 wins including a Gr 1 in the late 1980s and early 1990s, he and his wife and assistant Beth have always done well with the few decent horses they have had.

They took Black Wing from a cheap farm purchase, who had not received a bid at any Sale, to a runner in the Vodacom Durban July in just the second year of Gadsby’s second stint as a trainer. Then Candy Moon was nurtured to six wins and a Gr 3 runner up spot. In the same period Kalmia wrote a victory over Champion Stayer Hot Ticket next to his name but had many problems, while Singing River, who was even more talented than Candy Moon, was unfortunately a bleeder.

Miss Varlicious, who was bred by Boland Stud, could make up for the latter misfortunes.

Gadsby concluded about the tall, 103 merit rated four-year-old speedster, who has never finished worse than third in eleven career starts, “We have big hopes for her. She has bumped one good horse, Muscatt, and been beaten both times but that’s no disgrace and we hope there’s time for more improvement.”

Other current hopefuls in the yard from a string of 36 are Mad Pushpa and Seattle Belle, whom Gadsby thinks could be Oaks types, although he is not sure yet whether either of them are good enough.

Fans can always expect consistent performances from the Gadsby yard, as underlined by Royal Colours who won six in a row between July and November 2014, and they deserve more opportunities.

By David Thiselton

Double Whammy has been added to Glen Kotzen’s Durban raiding party after making a 1 500k round trip to return to black-type winning form in the Pendant Stakes at Fairview last Friday.

Kotzen said: “She needed to wake up – after she chipped a fetlock in January last year she went to a farm and she thought ‘This is the life.’ But I liked the way she won at Fairview and it will have brought her confidence back. She will probably have one more run in Cape Town and then I will take her to Natal.”

Double Whammy (Liesl King)

Last season’s Cape Fillies Guineas third beat stable companion Night In Tahiti by half a length but the Woodhill trainer said the three-year-old will be staying at home – “The tracks in Durban are far too fast for her.”

Andre Nel is to try again in top company with Lohnromance even though the dual winner beat only one home when upped to Graded company for the Vasco Prix Du Cap.

He said: “Lohnromance needed the run that day more than we thought. She will run in a progression of races in Durban- the Poinsettia at Scottsville (May 1), the Tibouchina at Greyville (June 11) and possibly the Garden Province – although she probably needs to win one of the other two to push her up the ratings.”

Devin Ashby, surprisingly agile on crutches, reckons it will be another two months before he can dispense with the surgical boot on his right foot and that he will be out of action for seven months in all.

He said: “That’s a long time but I shattered my shin and I also shattered the ankle I damaged in the previous fall.”

The injury happened when he was unseated from Olimpic Airways going to the start at Kenilworth on January 2 while the previous fall was at Milnerton in September when a horse fell on top of him, necessitating two pins in his ankle.

By Michael Clower

Sean Tarry was not overly concerned by French Navy’s failure at short odds at Turffontein on Saturday, despite obviously being disappointed.

Sean Tarry

By the end of the big day, the reigning national champion trainer had surged into the lead in the Championship race for the first time this season and with plenty of firepower looks a racing certainty to land his second title.

He said about star gelding French Navy, “He pulled up with a little niggle, but nothing serious.”

He added he had let it be known before Saturday’s 1800m Pinnacle Stakes event the yard had eased up on the big Count Dubois gelding and brought him into the race fresh. However, he had hoped the stable companion Stonehenge would set a faster pace. Instead the front-running Diesel Jet set slower fractions than he normally does and French Navy thus travelled more strongly than ideal. He consequently “emptied out” in the straight and could only manage fourth place.

“I am not too phased, it’s not a train smash,” said Tarry.

The classy bay remains firmly on course for the Gr 1 R4 million President’s Champion Challenge over 2000m on April 30.

Tarry was also not concerned by Trip To Heaven’s 1,75 length fifth in the Gr 2 Hawaii Stakes, where he started 3/1 second favourite.

He had an awkward stride shortly after the start and he then had to come from near the back off a slow pace.

Tarry said, “It didn’t work out and he didn’t run a bad race at all.”

Tarry said the Trippi colt would either go for the Gr 2 Senor Santa Handicap over 1200m on March 26 or the Gr 1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes over 1600m on April 2 next, either of which will be his second run after a three month layoff. His ultimate targets come in the South African Champions Season, the Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge over 1600m and the Gr 1 Mercury Sprint over 1200m, both at Greyville.

French Navy (Nkosi Hlophe)

Tarry said of his Gr 2 Gauteng Guineas runners on Saturday, “Malak El Moolook ran a brilliant race, Liege was restless in the stalls, Rikitikitana needs gelding and Lunar Approach’s saddle slipped.” They finished third, seventh, 15^th and 16^th respectively. Tarry added, ‘I was glad to just have got a piece of the pie.”

Tarry also won the Gr 3 Acacia Handicap over 1600m on the day with the progressive four-year-old Jet Master filly Off The Mark, who came from some way back under JP van der Merwe to record her third win on the trot. She had snuck into the handicap with the minimum weight of 52kg off her 81 merit rating and can progress further considering she is out of the good broodmare Sport’s Chestnut (Sportsworld), who won the Gr 1 Cape Fillies Guineas. Off The Mark is a full-sister to Gr 1 runner up Sports Coach, who was very highly regarded by Charles Laird and Anton Marcus but was unfortunately plagued with issues.

Tarry was about R200,000 behind pace-setter Justin Snaith on the National Trainer’s log on Saturday morning but by the end of the day was R432,125 ahead of Snaith and R944,875 ahead of third-placed Mike Bass. Tarry will go into the richest race between now and the end of the season, the R4 million President’s Champion Challenge, with a strong hand, including the like of Legal Eagle and French Navy, and that could be the day on which the proverbial champagne is put on ice. However, as a thorough professional he will only likely pay attention to the championship when the trophy is in his hand and at the same time will be planning for the next season.

By David Thiselton

The renowned panellists of the Summerhill Breeze Ups have shown to be on the mark again as six out of eight of them included the filly Witchcraft as one of their best five fillies in the 2014 version and she is now on her way to being a huge runner in the Gr 2 Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks, to be run at Turffontein on April 30.

The Sean Tarry-trained Kahal filly was one of three Summerhill-bred horses knocked down on the CTS Johannesburg Ready To Run Sale of 2014 to excel at Saturday’s big Guineas meeting at Turffontein. She easily won a MR 74 Handicap for fillies and mares over 2000m under S’Manga Khumalo. The others graduates were the Tarry-trained Visionaire filly Heaps Of Fun, who won the Gr 2 Gauteng Fillies Guineas, and the Gary Alexander-trained Kahal colt Champagne Haze, who finished second in the Gr 2 Betting World Gauteng Guineas.

Witchcraft, who was the most popular filly of her draft among the panellists, was knocked down for R400,000 and is raced by Chris van Niekerk, Bruce Gardner, Markus Jooste and Ken Truter.

Tarry said on Sunday, “She has always been our Oaks horse.”

Graeme Hawkins, who has an enviable record at the Breeze Ups, was the only panellist to pick Heaps Of Fun in his top five fillies back in October 2014. She later went for R200,000 and was knocked down to Nchakha Moloi, who now races her.

Tarry was the only panellist to pick Champagne Haze as one of his top five colts. However, it was no surprise he found his way to the Alexander yard, being a half-brother to the stalwart Piere Jourdan. Bruce Gardener bought him at the Sale for R280,000 and he now races in the colours of Laurence Wernars for a big syndicate, including Gardener. The classy colt ran on strongly from a long way back on Saturday and looks likely to handle the 1800m trip of the Gr 1 SA Classic.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Sean Tarry

American Barry Irwin is known among his clients as “B Eye,” using his initials to refer to his uncanny ability that has gained him ‘legendary’ status in ferreting out talent from some of the most unlikely venues of the racing world.

In South Africa he discovered an internationally untapped source of top quality stock and has since forged a huge reputation in this country as a straight shooting man of vision. A glimpse of his genius was on display at Turffontein on Saturday with Aussie Austin winning the second and Heaps Of Fun the Gr2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas.

Barry Irwin

The Sean Tarry-trained Heaps Of Fun was the second South African stakes winner in the first local crop of Irwin’s Summerhill-based sire Visionaire. The first being Gr3 Strelitzia Stakes winner Royal Pleasure.

A Group 1 winning son of Grand Slam, himself a son of super sire Gone West, was imported into this country as Irwin thought he would make an ideal match for locally bred mares.

Visionaire had only 25 named foals in his first U.S. crop and stood at one of the smaller farms in Kentucky where he was not promoted very well. Irwin wanted to stand a horse in South Africa that he thought would produce straight-legged foals that he could breed to his own mares.

“I don’t like overpaying for classy but sometimes unreliable stallions that produce foals with front legs that are not consistently correct enough. The reason I chose Visionaire is that he is tall, his front limbs are perfect, he has a lot of bone, he was fast enough to sprint with the best and yet he easily got a middle distance around turns in America,” he once commented.

In Heaps Of Fun, Visionaire appears to have produced a potential star.  S’Manga Khumalo had no hesitation in taking the filly to the front ahead of hot favourite Negroamaro. The two fought a ding-dong battle up the long Turffontein straight with Heaps Of Fun finding more with every stride. This was the first leg of the Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara and the evidence of Saturday’s showing the 1800m of the Fillies Classic will be well within her compass.

Bred by Summerhill out of the one-time winning Northern Guest mare, Dream Starling she was a R200 000 purchase at the 2014 CTS Johannesburg Ready To Run sale.

Michael Azzie and his stalwart owners Adriaan and Rika van Vuuren had a red letter day on Saturday with Abashiri winning the Gr 2 Betting World Gauteng Guineas and their Australian import Aussie Austin winning the second. Aussie Austin is by another of Irwin’s stallions, Breeders Cup Juvenile winner Pluck who stands at The Vinery Stud in Australia.

A son of prolific sire More Than Ready, Pluck is out of the superbly bred but ill-fated mare Secret Heart. A daughter of Fort Wood, Secret Heart has a super South African pedigree and is closely related to London News.

By Andrew Harrison

The Michael Roberts-trained six-year-old Victory Moon gelding Muscatt became the second horse in two weeks to break a Scottsville course record down the straight on Sunday. Muscatt, who carried an actual 54,5kg due to the 4kg claim of apprentice Calvin Habib, lowered the 1000m course record to 55,81 seconds. The previous holder was the Dennis Drier-trained Equus Champion Sprinter Captain Of All, who recorded 55,96 when carrying a welter 61,5kg on March 29 last year.

Muscatt, who was bred by Milkwood Stud, is an impressive specimen who weighed in at 545kg for Sunday’s race. He displayed high cruising speed from his draw of six and had soon drifted across to join the pacemaker Tonto, who jumped from the number one draw. When challenged by the favourite Beloved Country, Muscatt kicked away under the hands in impressive style and Habib only had to give him a couple of backhanders to keep the talented Mark Dixon-trained London Call at bay by 3,5 lengths. He beat third-placed Sheik’s Brashee, who finished third in last years’s Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint, by six lengths.

Muscatt (Nkosi Hlophe)

Muscatt has big, flat feet and relished the forgiving underfoot conditions, with the penetrometer reading at an official 24.

He has always had huge potential and showed it from day one of his career, winning his opening two races over 1000m and 1200m at Fairview for his first trainer Gavin Smith by 12,25 lengths and 5,5 lengths respectively.

However, his feet have given him plenty of problems, so Roberts and his farrier Dom Finnis have done wonders to bring him back to his best at this relatively advanced age. The process was begun by putting him in a grass paddock for a month upon arrival at the yard. His first run for Roberts was on January 3 and he was beaten 0,25 lengths by Beloved Country over the Scottsville 1000m. Muscatt was 3kg better off with Beloved Country on Sunday, if the 4kg claim of Habib is included, and Roberts was confident of reversing the form. The big horse duly did so, slamming her by 6,3 lengths.

Muscatt had one race in between and ran way below par over 1200m at Greyville.

Roberts admitted yesterday (Monday) it appears 1000m is his best trip, but looking at his record believes he is better down the straight than around the turn.

Therefore his target will be the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint over 1200m on the first Saturday of June.

The Tony Rivalland-trained four-year-old Miesque’s Approval gelding Humidor, bred by Backworth Stud, broke the Scottsville 1200m course record when carrying 55,5kg  on February 14, lowering the 67 second time of Kildonan (carrying 57,5kg in the Golden Horse Casino Sprint of 2007) to 66,98 seconds.

By David Thiselton