The highlight of a low key meeting at Greyville on Friday night was a ride by Anton Marcus on the Doug Campbell-trained The Lonsdale in the first race which would be a master class lesson to any aspiring youngster and would be contender for ride of the season if there was such an award. Marcus and Campbell both went on to score hattricks at the meeting.

The Lonsdale was slow away from a wide draw in the Maiden over 1400m and was initially caught eight lengths off the pace. The Mogok gelding had over-raced behind the leaders in a 1600m race in his previous start and consequently found little extra in the closing stages. Marcus had clearly done his homework on Friday night, the first time he had ridden The Lonsdale, because it was soon clear the expected faster in this shorter race was not materializing and the horse was once again beginning to over race. Marcus summed up the situation in an instant and immediately switched his horse outward and rushed him some eight lengths around horses to the front, from where he was able to give him a breather running up the hill. He then stole a length or two at the top of the straight and held on to beat the admittedly weak field by 1,5 lengths. “Superman” had once again done it for the public, who have always appreciated his professionalism in treating every race, whether it be the Vodacom Durban July or a Maiden Plate, with equal resolve. Campbell was full of praise for the ride and confirmed Marcus had phoned him at least twice during the week to discuss the race. It was a good training feat by Campbell too as the Scott Brothers-bred gelding, who races in the famous colours of Des Scott, had earlier had to have a throat operation and has to wear special glue on shoes. Marcus was typically humble and said he had “wanted to get him going” because having watched some replays he had noticed the horse had often “flattered to deceive”. His plans were initially scuppered by The Lonsdale’s tardy start, but he was given a second chance when the pace proved slow.

The two stand out equine performances of the night came from the Duncan Howells-trained three-year-old Argonaut colt Kitty’s Destiny and the Kumaran Naidoo-trained three-year-old High Chaparal filly Princess Vurunya.

Kitty’s Destiny had always struck as a horse who would get better and better and who would enjoy going over ground. He was comfortable in the running of Friday’s MR 66 Handicap over 2000m under Muzi Yeni, who has now without doubt broken into the top echelon of riders in the country, and it was race over when he moved up effortlessly at the top of the straight. He went on to win by 5,75 lengths running off a merit rating of 81, so looks to be going places.

Princess Vurunya later ran in a MR 75 Handicap for fillies and mares over 2000m on the turf and made light of her 86 merit rating, relaxing nicely before quickening well and winning by 2,75 lengths under Anthony Delpech.

Earlier, Marcus and Campbell had scored a quick double when the Campbell-bred and part-owned A.P. Answer filly Dark Rose, who has been knocking on the door for a whole year, proved her liking for 1400m and finally got her nose in front at the expense of the promising Michael Roberts-trained Durban Blues, who was making her seasonal reappearance.

The Glen Kotzen-trained Western Winter mare French Lass, who had been campaigning in Port Elizabeth, then made it two out of two on the Greyville poly by winning a MR 70 Handicap for fillies and mares.

Western Winter progeny then made it a quick double when the blinkered Alyson Wright-trained gelding Dark Avenger relished the 2000m trip with blinkers on and beat a maiden field easily under Brandon Lerena.

The Charles Laird-trained three-year-old Australian-bred Bernadini colt Team Guys has always been a talked about horse due to his excellent homework and he is starting to put it together on the racecourse. He won a MR 73 Handicap over 1600m under another finely judged ride by Marcus to follow up on his recent maiden win. It was a meritorious victory as he beat a horse who had brought some useful Cape Town form, Ferdinand The Bull, and the rest of the field well beaten under.

Campbell clinched his hattrick in the last race, a fillies and mares Maiden over 2000m on the turf, and made it a double on the night for progeny of A.P. Answer that he had bred and part-owns. The three-year-old filly Maybe relished the step up in trip and ran on well to score comfortably under Ian Sturgeon.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Anton Marcus

Silver Mountain has been installed 16-10 favourite for Saturday’s Grand Parade Cape Guineas with World Sports Betting. The Mike Azzie-trained Premiers Champion winner Rabada is next on 3-1 and Mike de Kock’s Investec Dingaans scorer Noah From Goa is a 4-1 chance.

Oddsmaker Hilton Hasson said: “We feel that, although Silver Mountain is something really special, the three-year-old fillies crop is not as good as everyone would like to believe. This is why she isn’t hovering around the even money mark as probably expected.”

Victory would make the Mike Bass star the first to complete the Cape Fillies Guineas double since Star Effort in 1991 and the first filly to win the this race for 22 years. If all 17 declared stand their ground it will be the biggest field for more than two decades.

Aldo Domeyer, who has ridden Silver Mountain in all her five starts, was forced to give up his rides at Kenilworth on Saturday. According to Andre Nel, for whom he missed a double, the problem was a twisted thumb ligament “but nothing is going to keep him off Silver Mountain.”

Black Arthur is a notable absentee with Justin Snaith explaining: “I don’t want him to get hammered like Bela-Bela did, going up seven points for finishing fifth. I would rather wait. He will go for the Politician and the Investec Cape Derby.”

Stable jockey Bernard Fayd’Herbe, who has won three of the last five runnings, has opted for Baritone rather than Star Chestnut (Greg Cheyne) and Ready To Attack (Donovan Dillon).

Dean Kannemeyer, successful five times in the last 11 seasons, will be without a runner after deciding against Mambo Mime (“I wasn’t happy with him after his last run”), Lord Marshal and Cape Speed.

Saturday’s Kenilworth meeting will be a Hassen Adams-inspired spectacular with the GrandWest Paradiso Lounge providing live entertainment, the children’s Burger King theme park expected to attract thousands and the Stop Hunger Now campaign aiming for 25 920 meals to feed hungry kids.

World Sports Betting prices: 16-10 Silver Mountain, 3-1 Rabada, 4-1 Noah From Goa, 7-1 Brazuca, 12-1 Budapest, 14-1 Hard Day’s Night, 16-1 Eighth Wonder, Victorious Jay, 20-1 Illuminator, Nassa, 25-1 Star Chestnut, 33-1 Liege, Ready To Attack, 40-1 Baritone, 50-1 Purple Mountains, Rodney, Jet Air.

By Michael Clower

Picture: Silver Mountain (Kenilworth Racing)

Silver Mountain has been raised 3kg for her five-length win in last Saturday’s World Sports Betting Cape Fillies Guineas putting her on a new merit rating of 111.

She will receive 2.5kg when she takes on the colts and geldings in the Grand Parade Cape Guineas in nine days’ time and , in theory at any rate, she has two and a half lengths in hand of the highest-rated of them, Premiers Champion winner Rabada.

Candice Robinson said yesterday: “She took her race well and, although two weeks running is a big ask, at this stage she is a runner on Saturday week.”

The handicappers upped second-placed Our Destiny a whopping 10kg to 100 after using Taffety Tart (third on 99) as the line horse. Anglet (fourth) went up 3.5kg to 98 and Bela-Bela (fifth) the same amount to 97.

Anglet is to have a break and Paddy Kruyer explained: “She raced with odd front shoes after being reshod at the start and she jarred her joints.”

Athletes often train at altitude to give them an edge when they return to near sea level and Joey Ramsden is doing the same with last month’s Amtote Merchants winner Brutal Force.

He said: “The horse will stay in Jo’burg until a week or so before the Betting World Cape Flying Championship (Jan 30). Derek Brugman is keen on this as he thinks the altitude might help the horse.”

By Michael Clower

Picture: Silver Mountain (Kenilworth Racing)

The Paul Lafferty-trained Unbelievable Chad returned to Summerveld no worse for wear after taking hold of the bit at Turffontein before the Investec Dingaans on November 28 and bolting to the start. He was duly scratched much to the disappointment of his KZN fans.

He always travels well and Lafferty said, “When you have a Ferrari you look after it and this horse is a Ferrari. So we checked him thoroughly, including his mouth and there was no damage to his teeth. But we have cut back two of his molars to try and prevent him from grabbing the bit like that again.”

Lafferty will take the Toreador colt to the racecourse for a gallop on a raceday as another preventative measure.

He will then likely run him in a Novice Plate with the aim of preparing him for the Champions Season.

Unbelievable Chad is named after and part-owned by the by Olympic swimming gold medallist Chad le Clos.

Chad’s father Bert, who coined the term “Unn-Believable”, was a former bookmaker, so knows the racing game well, and both he and Chad took the mishap well after travelling up to Johannesburg to watch. They proved their sportsmanship too by making a point of congratulating the connections of the winner, the Mike de Kock-trained and Wilgerbosdrift Stud-bred Tiger Ridge gelding Noah From Goa.

By David Thiselton

Last year’s J&B Met runner up Gold Onyx “will need the run badly” in Saturday’s Gr 2 Premier Trophy over 1800m at Kenilworth warned national champion trainer Sean Tarry.

Tarry said the eight-year-old Black Minnaloushe gelding’s last gallop had “unfortunately” revealed he had needed it significantly and he consequently adjudged he would still be some way below his peak for Saturday’s race.

Gold Onyx is known for his devastating turn of foot but short run-in and is drawn three on Saturday in the race which was used as his Cape Summer Of Champions Season pipe opener last year. He finished a 2,5 length sixth from a wide draw of eight back but had a November run in Durban under his belt back then, whereas Saturday’s run will be his seasonal reappearance.

He went on last year to finish an unlucky third in the Gr 1 L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate followed by a second in the Met so there is plenty of life in him yet, despite it now being six seasons since his only Gr 1 win in the Premier’s Champion Stakes over 1600m at Greyville as a two-year-old.

His resurgence last year was thought to have had a bit to do with his association with a jockey who brought the best out of him, Grant Behr, but one of the Tarry yard’s chief stable jockeys, S’Manga Khumalo, will be back aboard on Saturday.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Gold Onyx (Nkosi Hlophe)

Jockey Jarred Samuel has been in the thoughts and prayers of the entire racing industry since being hospitalised after his terrible fall last Friday night and the good news is that he is now out of sedation and off the ventilator.

Jarred “woke up” Tuesday morning and, whilst still being very groggy and sleepy due to all the medication in his system, his levels of communication and  responsiveness are improving by the hour.

He has the use of an oxygen mask, a normal precaution to improve the levels of oxygen in his body, and physiotherapy on his bruised body has begun.

He will be taken for further scans to check that everything is alright.

The initial diagnosis shortly after arriving in hospital was that he had escaped without any head injury or broken bones.

By David Thiselton

Justin Snaith, 41 last Thursday, needs just seven more winners to reach 2 000 and Captain Swarovski can take him a step nearer this notable landmark – and at a good price too – in the Itsarush.co.za Graduation Plate at Kenilworth today.

Justin Snaith (Nkosi Hlophe)

He also runs the four-month absent Harry Lime but stable jockey Bernard Fayd’Herbe is on the Captain and Snaith says: “They are both very well but I think that Captain Swarovski would be the one on his gallop which was very impressive.”

This is an open race because a number of the eight runners unlikely to run up to their merit ratings. One that almost certainly will is The Tripster who has good recent form but, if the handicappers have got it right, he has one of the worst chances!

Light The Lights is best-rated and has 3kg in hand of the next best (Harry Lime). “He is better over further but his last run, which was over this trip, was good,” says Glen Kotzen. “It’s a very competitive race but I believe he is a big runner. After this he goes for the Jet Master on Saturday week and, if he qualifies, he will go for the J & B Met.”

Captain Nemo started odds-on at Turffontein on his last start for Geoff Woodruff and joined Brett Crawford not long afterwards. He has a chance on ratings. “I am still learning about him but he put up a nice grass gallop,” says his new trainer.

Silicone Valley is 1.5kg worse with Prince Of Thieves for the two lengths Aldo Domeyer’s mount beat him over this distance last month but Silicone Valley was repeatedly baulked that day and should be able to confirm the placings. He was 5-2 favourite with Betting World yesterday but there was money for Captain Nemo who shortened from 4-1 to 33-10. Light The Lights and The Tripster were next at 9-2 while the two Snaith horses were 6-1 chances as was Prince Of Thieves.

Harry Lime (Nkosi Hlophe)

The Dennis Drier-trained Ferrie is odds-on for the opening maiden. He is held in high regard and finished third first time but the same applies to Percival who looks value at 5-2. He would have finished a lot closer on debut had he got away on terms and Andre Nel spoke highly of him beforehand, saying: “He can run and he is very smart.”

Nel and Fillies Guineas hero Domeyer may also win race three with 18-10 favourite Keep On Chooglin who has won both his starts. He went up only 2kg for his last win and, given normal improvement, he should be able to give weight all round. Seymour is second favourite at 5-2 but Panga Panga (9-2) looks just as big a danger.

Tender Trip is 18-10 favourite but 4-1 chance Variance from the Vaughan Marshall stable has the form to win the Summer Of Champions Maiden. Brooklyn Brawler (12-10) could be another for Snaith in race five. However he will have to put his best foot forward if he is to beat Crawford’s 5-2 shot Rock On Geordies who showed promise on debut.

BLOB Michael Clower concluded last Friday’s Fillies Guineas preview by saying: “Our Destiny is probably best of the long shots.” She came second at 100-1.

By Michael Clower

Trainer Candice Robinson, assistant to her father Mike Bass, has confirmed the brilliant filly Silver Mountain will likely go for the Gr 1 Grand Parade Cape Guineas on December 19 and thereby attempt to become the first filly to win this race since the David Payne-trained Little Ballerina did so in December 1993.

Silver Mountain (Kenilworth Racing)

An interesting statistic is Andrew Fortune rode Little Ballerina to victory in the Cape Guineas, while his son Aldo Domeyer is the regular pilot aboard Silver Mountain.

Other fillies to have won the Cape Guineas include the great Tony Millard-trained Empress Club (February 1992), the Geoff Woodruff-trained Star Effort (February 1991), Renounce (February 1965) and Response (February 1957). Star Effort remains the only horse in history to have won both the Cape Fillies Guineas and the Cape Guineas and Silver Mountain will thus attempt to become only the second to achieve this feat.

The Highlands Farms Stud-bred daughter of Silvano landed a plum draw of two in the Cape Guineas and after her devastating performance from a wide draw in the Fillies Guineas on Saturday, which inspired unbridled plaudits from pundits countrywide, she is likely to start favourite. She is likely to also be hot favourite for the inaugural running of the CTS Million Dollar on January 23.

By David Thiselton

Mike de Kock and Sheikh Hamdan won the 2014 renewal of the Secretariat Stakes with Mitraad (Aus) and they followed up at Turffontein on Saturday with Suyoof (Aus) who, like his stablemate, raced to an impressive victory under top weight of 60kg.

Suyoof is entered for the Gr1 Cape Guineas and Mathew de Kock commented: “We will see how he comes out of the Secretariat and play things by ear for the Guineas. Suyoof has all the ability but he’s still dumb, a bit green and due to his lack of maturity may not be up to it at this stage.”

Mathew also complimented replacement jockey Sherman Brown on a professional ride.

De Kock saddled another promising three-year-old Mooghamir (Gallileo) to a top-notch win in a MR78 Handicap over 1800m at Kenilworth on Saturday, considered as a pipe-opener with a view to the forthcoming Gr1 Cape Derby.

Jockey Anthony Delpech commented: “When Mooghamir saw Nebula sailing by, he woke up and took off after him. This was a notable win and he will improve more.”

Mike commented: “I like the way Mooghamir came back to beat Nebula. He’s a proper mile-and-half horse, he only got going properly at the 1800m mark. We brought him down to the Cape with Entisaar a few weeks ago and he settled very well here, based with Brett (Crawford) at Phillipi. He’s a horse that never stopped coughing back home but that seems to have stopped now.  We were considering the Derby for him and after this win we’ll be going for it.

Mikedekockracing.com

Picture: Mooghamir (Kenilworth Racing)

Mike de Kock’s latest recruits have arrived in Dubai and are currently in quarantine in the UAE.

The group, comprising Ertijaal, Liquid Mercury, Tellina, Mutamakkin and Al Mashooqa, as well as two new acquisitions Eisenhower (USA) and Winkleman (IRE), have all arrived safely and will be in quarantine for five days.

Most of the horses were trained by De Kock in South Africa but he also received two new acquisitions in Tellina and Liqiud Mercury who have joined the string for the 2016 Dubai International Racing Carnival.

Liquid Mercury is a four-year-old grey gelding by Trippi raised at Drakenstein Stud. Formerly in the care of Joey Ramsden, he’s won five of 11 starts, including the Grade 3 Cape Winter Derby. He was also placed in the Grade 1 Cape Derby – third to another Dubai-bound, Ertijaal.

One of the leading runners of his generation, six-year-old Maine Chance-bred Tellina has only four wins to show from 25 runs, but the Silvano gelding is a quality type with a Grade 2 Gauteng Guineas and the Grade 3 Wolf Power Handicap to his name. He has showed his mettle against the best for trainer Geoff Woodruff and has been unlucky at times, getting places in among others, the Durban July (third and fouth in respective years); and the J&B Met (fourth).

De Kock said: “Liquid Mercury is a smart sort. He was purchased for the stable from Joey Ramsden’s yard by Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, while the well-performed Tellina was given to us for this campaign by Dr Andreas Jacobs.”

– mikedekockracing.com

Picture: Ertijaal (Liesl King)