South African Quartet Pools with fractional betting offered at Chelmsford City, Newcastle and Salisbury (UK) – 02 October 2025

David Thiselton

A fillies and mares MR 98 handicap over 1600m is the highest rated handicap race of the Vaal eight race meeting today and there is also a Middle Stakes event over 1800m which has attracted some good horses.

The Robyn Klaasen-trained Streisand is an impressive specimen and this big William Longsword filly’s last run can be ignored, because she was outpaced early and then had to use up petrol early when wide on the turn and going forward. She not surprisingly found no extra late. She now has a good draw and Kaidan Brewer would have learnt from that run and his confidence should also be up after his successful two weekend stint in Malaysia. The scopey Streisand’s three career wins have all been over this trip and she should make a bold bid from draw three in the nine horse field. Kisshoten is in fine form and is on the up, but did cop a nine point raise for her last win and there isn’t much between her and Across The Pond. Kisshoten beat Across The Pond by a head last time over this trip and is now half-a-kilogram worse off so there won’t be much in it.  Its Her Way goes for a hattrick over an ideal trip and last time gave Kisshoten half-a-kilogram over this trip and a 1,80 length beating and she is now getting 3kg from Kisshoten, so should confirm the form on paper. However she returns from a short layoff and has a wide draw. Warning Sound is a well-bred sort who should improve but she returns from a four month layoff and is drawn wide.

In the Middle Stakes event over 1800m The Ultimate King is expected to go places this season so from pole position over a suitable trip he will be hard to beat. Palace Dancer has good form and should give a good account of himself. Hawkbill is always capable of popping up and has a good draw. Luce Verde won well last time, beating the Ultimate King, and is only half a kilogram worse off. However, the latter should have come on from the run. Vesuvio will enjoy the step down in trip and could be a factor.

In the first leg of the Pick 6 over 1000m His Lordship has always struck as a scopey, progressive sort and he has a high draw, which is favourable over the Classic course 1000m. Trent Mayhew claims 1,5kg and ended his long drought on Tuesday so his confidence should be up. Inafix has not raced for four months but was busy for a long time so might well have benefited from the layoff. He had four wins last season and is only two points higher than his last win and he has the favourable standside draw. In The Ether will enjoy stepping back to this trip and with a 4kg claimer up could earn if repeating her penultimate start.

In the second leg over 1600m Fair Proposal should come into her own this season and with Muzi Yeni up she can overcome her tricky draw over a step up in trip she should relish.  Chantilly Dream was not disgraced first time out the maidens in just her third career start and can still improve. Sigfrid Swing narrowly beat Chantilly Dream last time, but had a draw advantage that day and there should not be much in it this time with both having tricky draws.

In the sixth race over 1700m Red Sparrow beat Bob Lee Swagger by 5.9 lengths last time and faces him on close to the same terms, so should confirm the placings. Bob Lee Swagger can do better than last time from a fair draw and he should have come on from that run which followed a layoff. Rosy Lemon is an honest sort who’s drawn in pole and she should give another good account of herself, although it is never easy against the boys. Trident King has the ability to be right there if able to overcome a wide draw. Michael Farraday should have benefited from his first two Highveld runs and is well drawn over a step up in trip he might well enjoy these days as he did do well in two 1600m races in Cape Town.

In the last race Eiger Sanction would be right there from a good draw. Futurewolff and Coppola have plum draws and have the form to go close. Street Art has the ability to be a contender and Follow The Master won a weak maiden by 10,50 lengths and is off a reasonable 77 merit rating has a 4kg claimer up.

In the first race over 1000m Gaslight Dancer has a nice high draw and after a good second start she faced a good field last time and can do better in this lesser company.

RACE 1

4 GASLIGHT DANCER 1 CHILLI MARMALADE 9 PRINCESS OF ALL 5 POWER OF PEARLS

Preview: 4 GASLIGHT DANCER has an advantageous high draw and has the form to be right there. 1 CHILLI MARMALADE is also drawn towards the right side and can earn if producing her best. 9 PRINCESS OF ALL  made a fair debut and should improve and has a draw towards the right side. 5 POWER OF PEARLS is drawn on the right side and has the form to be a contender. (David Thiselton 4-1-9-5)

RACE 2

7 PIVOTAL ROLE 2 RINGHO 1 OLD FASHIONED 9 WINTER BELLE

Preview: 7 PIVOTAL ROLE finished second on debut to a well backed sort and could go one better here. 2 RINGHO  has 2.45 lengths to make up on Pivotal Roll and has a nice high draw. 1 OLD FASHIONED has shown enough to be able to earn but will need to bounce back from a poor effort last time and comes back from a layoff. 9 WINTER BELLE is drawn on the right side and has shown some good form, so has a chance here with a 4kg claimer up. (David Thiselton 7-2-1-9)

RACE 3

8 HIS LORDSHIP 5 INAFIX 7 IN THE ETHER

Preview: 8 HIS LORDSHIP is better than his form seems to be and with a 1.5kg claimer up from a high draw over this suitable trip he should be right there. 5 INAFIX is drawn on the right side too and has consistent form over this trip. 7 IN THE ETHER bounced back to win well last time and with the same 4kg claimer up from a high draw she could be in the shake up. (David Thiselton 8-5-7)

RACE 4

4 FAIR PROPOSAL 6 CHANTILLY DREAM 7 SIGRID SWING

Preview: FAIR PROPOSAL has some fair form and can be there abouts if able to overcome a tricky draw. 6 CHANTILLY DREAM has the form to have a chance here but does have a tricky draw. 7 SIGRID SWING is course and distance suited and has a fair draw. (David Thiselton 4-6-7)

RACE 5

8 STREISAND 4 KISSHOTEN 5 ACROSS THE POND 6 IT’S HER WAY

Preview: 8 STREISAND has talent and a good draw and should go close here. 4 KISSHOTEN  is progressive and from a good draw should be in the shake up again. 5 ACROSS THE POND has plenty of ability and from a fair draw over a suitable trip should be in the shake up. 6 IT’S HER WAY goes for a hattrick here but does have to overcome a four point raise and has a tricky draw. (David Thiselton 8-4-5-6)

RACE 6

7 RED SPARROW 8 BOB LEE SWAGGER  3 ROSY LEMON 2 TRIDENT KING

Preview: 7 RED SPARROW beat Bob Lee Swagger by 5.9 lengths last time and faces him on close to the same terms so should confirm the placings.8 BOB LEE SWAGGER can do better than last time from a fair draw. 3 ROSY LEMON is an honest sort who’s drawn in pole and she should give another good account of herself. 2 TRIDENT KING has the ability to be right there if able to overcome a wide draw. (David Thiselton 7-8-3-2)

RACE 7

2 THE ULTIMATE KING 8 PALACE DANCER 3 HAWKBILL 4 LUCE VERDE

Preview: 2 THE ULTIMATE KING is a talented sort who’s been aimed high so he should prevail in this contest. 8 PALACE DANCER has good form and should give a good account of himself. 3 HAWKBILL  is always capable of popping up and has a good draw. 4 LUCE VERDE won well last time beating the Ultimate King and is only half a kilogram worse off. (David Thiselton 2-8-3-4)

RACE 8

2 EIGER SANCTION 3 FUTUREWOLFF 5 COPPOLA 1 STREET ART

Preview: 2 EIGER SANCTION went close last time and from a good draw should be right there. 3 FUTUREWOLFF is in good form and from a good draw should also be in the shake-up. 5 COPPOLA is drawn well and if repeating his win last time he should be thereabouts. 1 STREET ART has the ability to be a contender. (David Thiselton 2-3-5-1)

South African Quartet Pools with fractional betting offered at  Kempton (UK) – 1 October 2025

David Thiselton

Jan van Goyen, Dave The King and Spumante Dolce are being readied for feature race campaigns, but it hasn’t gone as well for their Mike and Mathew de Kock-trained stablemate Immediate Edge, while their Gr 2-winning grey White Pearl has been purchased and retired to stud and the classy Greaterix comes back on Saturday.

The De Kock yard ended the season with a bang when the Master Of My Fate colt Jan van Goyen more than fulfilled his potential by slamming a good field in the Gr 1 World Pool Moment Of The Day Champion Stakes over 1600m at Hollywoodbets Greyville by 3,70 lengths under Callan Murray on World Pool Gold Cup day.

Mathew de Kock said, “We are aiming him at the Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas. He drew very badly in the Spring Challenge so we’re not running him there and he probably starts on Charity Mile day (in the Gr 3 Betway Graham Beck Stakes over 1400m). It will then probably be the Dingaans (on Betway Summer Cup day November 29) and then the Cape Guineas (on December 13).”

He said Jan van Goyen, who has three wins and a second from four career starts to date, had been doing “very well”.

The 2023/2024 Equus Horse Of The Year Dave The King could have put the cherry on the top for the De Kocks on Gold Cup day by defending his HKJC Champions Cup crown, but he failed to kick on in his usual style after controlling the pace early and then stretching them from a long way out in his customary style.

He finished a 2,95 length fifth, which was no disgrace behind Gladatorian, The Real Prince, See It Again and Fire Attack, but more was expected and Mathew said, “Obviously we were disappointed he never won, but we couldn’t put a finger on it. It just wasn’t his best day.”

Dave The King’s form points to him enjoying KZN and he duly stayed at Summerveld after the Champions Cup.

He will be raiding Cape Town to take in the Green Point Stakes on  December 13 and the L’Ormarins King’s Plate on the first Saturday of January.

Both Jan van Goyen and Dave The King will depart for Cape Town close to their first races, which means they run the risk of not being able to travel if there is an African Horse Sickness breakout within a 30km radius of wherever they are traveling from.

Mathew said, “We’re not going to put them out of their comfort zones, so if we get stuck, we get stuck. It is otherwise just a nightmare staff-wise and with the horses comfortable where they are, you will be playing bit of Russian Roulette anyway.”

Immediate Edge looked to be a ready made Betway Summer Cup candidate, but Mathew revealed, “He didn’t come through the July very well. We gave him a holiday and he’s just taking a bit longer to be spot on, so he’s not going to be ready for the Summer Cup.”

The yard’s Gr 2 Wilgebosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas winner Spumante Dolce, who was also runner up in all of the Gr 1 Empress Club Stakes, the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 and the Gr 2 WSB Fillies Guineas, has been in good shape.

Mathew said, “She will probably be our Summer Cup horse. She will have her first run in the Charity Mile and her second run in the Summer Cup.”

White Pearl won the Gr 2 Mike de Kock Ipi Tombe Challenge last season for the ASSM Syndicate and she was sold for R1,2 million at a Filly and Mare Sale in August, purchased by Vendel Civils.

She is currently at Boland Stud.

The classy grey Vercingetorix colt Greaterix comes back from a seven month layoff in a 1450m Conditions Plate at Turffontein Inside on Saturday. The mile seemed to stretch him at the highest level last season, so the trip on Saturday will be ideal and it should answer some questions about where he will go this season.