Punters brave enough to bet at odds-on face a difficult decision with Front And Centre in the Betting World Handicap at Kenilworth today. There is not much doubt that she is the best horse in the race, and she is almost certainly better than her handicap mark would suggest, but she is not 100% and this is not her objective. In other words this is a stepping stone rather than an end in itself.

Yet at 7-10 the bookmakers are assuming that she will be able to run somewhere near her best. They are largely neglecting that she was found to have an abnormal blood count when ante-post favourite for last month’s Western Cape Fillies Championship and ended up on the sidelines as a result.

Hard Core (Candiese Marnewick)

“She has had a couple of hiccups and as a result she is going into this race a little bit underdone,” explains Brett Crawford who, in his own way, is in almost as difficult a position as the punters. “I am happy with her – I galloped her on the course last Thursday and she went well – and I am expecting a very good run. This will bring her to peak fitness but I want to see her finish the race well.”

Anton Marcus’s mount is also up against it to the extent that she is the only three-year-old in a field of four-year-olds. But, looking at the positives, the 3.5kg that the handicappers put her up for last time’s Durbanville win was hardly harsh considering the impressive way she won, making up six lengths to score pulling up.

If she doesn’t win it will be because she is short on fitness, not as a result of anything outstanding amongst the opposition. Stable companions Travel In Style (5-1) and Strawberry Fire at 33-10 are the shortest priced of them. The latter’s most recent four runs were all over a mile and, although she ran below her best at Durbanville six weeks ago, she was only beaten just over a length and a half.

Travel In Style has been dropped a point for last time’s third of seven and has the advantage of a talented 2.5kg claimer. Top weight Kamaishi (who has drifted from 9-1 to 14-1) is also ridden by a good claimer and won three off the reel a few months back. Forget last time’s below-par effort – he pulled hard early and his saddle slipped.

Fours A Crowd  is not without a chance, fellow 14-1 shot Lanark has been dropped 2.5kg but the last five runs of Regal Ruby (18-1) have all been over 400m less than this.

Crawford has a fancied runner in the first in 7-2 chance Louisa May but the Justin Snaith-trained Alsflamingbeauty (28-10) is given slight preference.

Crawford’s Northern Spy, though, can prove just too strong for Snaith’s Gimmetherain in race two while Marcus’s mount Fluttering is preferred to Madonna and Indi Anna 35 minutes later.

By Michael Clower

Image: (by Candiese Marnewick) The Dennis Drier-trained HARD CORE runs in race eight at Kenilworth today.

Met heroine Oh Susanna could run next in the Victress Stakes at Kenilworth on December 15 en route to the Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes three weeks later. But Lady In Black, her conqueror in last week’s pinnacle stakes, is set to go straight for the Grade 1.

Justin Snaith said he was satisfied with Oh Susanna’s three-quarter length second after a five-month break and added: “She was stuck in quarantine for a month after the Durban season and she had only had one gallop. Also she always gets beaten on the short run-in – remember last year’s Western Cape Fillies Championship? I will have a look at the Victress Stakes.”

Oh Susanna (Liesl King)

After the Pinnacle Dennis Drier alluded to Lady In Black being “a different filly this year.” He explained later: “She has matured and has put on 40lb since this time 12 months ago. I don’t think she will run in the Victress, though. She will probably go for the Paddock next.”

However Brave Move, beaten just over two lengths into fourth, will be in the Victress line-up. “I was very happy with her performance,” said Adam Marcus. “The way the race was run, with a five-metre spur, everyone came middle to the outside which was not what we planned. But she ran to the line and she has come out of it exceptionally well. She goes for the Paddock and the Majorca after running in the Victress.”

Hashtagyolo, last of the seven but beaten less than four lengths in her first race for over ten months, will also be nominated for the Victress. “She is rated 105 so where else could I run her?” said Dean Kannemeyer. “We all thought we would go for an easy pinnacle last Thursday and it turned into a mini Paddock Stakes.”

Eric Sands confirms that Rainbow Bridge has come out of his Cape Mile win in good shape and that the gelding will attempt to extend his unbeaten run to six in the WSB Green Point Stakes on December 8 when the opposition may include the mighty Legal Eagle. The latter looked as good as ever when winning a sprint on his reappearance at Turffontein last Thursday.

Captainofthesea (Richard Fourie) is now 5-1 clear favourite to give Snaith his second successive win in the R2.5m CTS Ready To Run Stakes at Kenilworth on Saturday. World Sports Betting yesterday pushed the badly-drawn Cirillo out half a point to 11-2 even though the Sean Tarry runner appeared to move nicely when ridden by Marcus in a gallop with a stable companion over 1 100m on the course on Saturday.

Cape Classic winner Twist Of Fate (Bernard Fayd’Herbe) pleased connections in a solo spin over 1 000m but was also eased yesterday, in his case from 6-1 to 7-1 for the Concorde Cup. The unbeaten Vaughan Marshall-trained One World (Marcus) is a warm favourite at 11-10 with Sean Tarry’s Chimichuri Run (S’Manga Khumalo) next on 11-2. Dutch Philip, second in last year’s Cape Merchants, is 4-1 favourite to go one better this time.

By Michael Clower

The R500 000 Gr2 Dingaans was moved forward a week from its conventional Summer Cup Day slot with purpose and forethought.

Legal Eagle (Liesl King)

With Summer Cup day being run on 1 December, the traditional 3yo pointer to better things will now be run at Turffontein on Saturday 24 November, alongside the Gr3 Fillies Mile.

“We moved the Cape Guineas forward a week as there was some concern expressed that it was being run too close to Christmas Day. That will now be run alongside the Cape Fillies Guineas on 15 December. Coupled with the decision to run the Summer Cup on 1 December, rather than a week earlier in November, we are hoping that the repositioning of the Dingaans and the Fillies Mile will give the better Gauteng 3yo’s the opportunity to consider going for the Cape classics too,” said Phumelela’s Vee Moodley.

Moodley went on to point out that the Gr2 Green Point Stakes would now take pride of place on Saturday 8 December at Kenilworth. Last year the traditional Queen’s Plate prep feature was run on the same day as the Cape Fillies Guineas.

“The emergence of some serious star milers over the past few months to take on the champion Legal Eagle has fortuitously meant that the Green Point now deserves star billing – and in hindsight the move of the Cape Fillies Guineas forward has panned out well,” added Moodley.

– Phumelela

Grade 1-winning Sand And Sea made a fine comeback from a wind operation on Saturday but kicked the float on the way home and is now a doubtful starter for Saturday’s Grade 2 Cape Merchants.

KZN Trainer Dennis Drier, a perennial thorn in the flesh of the big Cape yards, looks likely to put his last couple of disappointing Summer Seasons behind him as all of Sand And Sea, Lady In Black, Mastagambit and Anime have won in the first fortnight of his current campaign.

Twice Over gelding Sand And Sea won the Grade 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion in his second career start as a two-year-old but after four successive disappointing starts as a three-year-old, by which stage he had “completely gone in the wind”, a tie back operation became necessary.

The operation was obviously a success as he waltzed in by 2,25 lengths in a competitive Progress Plate over 1200m on Saturday under his loyal pilot Anton Marcus, despite it being his first appearance for seven months.

Lady In Black (Candiese Marnewick)

“The joys of training racehorses,” lamented Drier after revealing the setback.

The gelding will require stitches but it is hoped he will not be out for long. His main summer target is the Grade 1 Betting World Cape Flying Championship.

Drier had defended his crown in the Listed Laisserfaire Stakes the previous Saturday. He won it last year with subsequent Grade 1-winner Sommerlied but does not believe this year’s winner Anime is as good. He said, “It was the right race for her at the weights and she was as well as could be. She has never been far off them and is hard knocking but I don’t know how competitive she will be at level weights against the best.”

He does not have the same doubts about Lady In Black. She is by Dynasty so pundits will always be comparing her to the great Drier-trained Beach Beauty. He said, “Like Beach Beauty she has improved tremendously as a four-year-old, she is a different filly, and keeps on improving. She is very good and is carrying between 20 to 40kg more than she was so I have a little bit to work on.”

Last Thursday Lady In Black downed the reigning Equus Horse Of The Year Oh Susanna by three-quarters of a length at level weights over 1600m at Kenilworth.  Drier said she would not run often and her chief target would be the Grade 1 Cartier Paddock Stakes over 1800m in which she was runner up last year to Oh Susanna.

Mastagambit, a three-year-old gelding by Master Of My Fate, won from pillar to post in impressive style on the same day over 1200m. Drier thinks highly of him and the US$500,000 CTS 1200 on Sun Met day is his main aim.

Drier brings out the promising three-year-old Captain Al filly Outlandos D’Amour tomorrow in a MR80 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1000m at Kenilworth. After a good debut win she disappointed in the Grade 1 Allan Robertson but at the time many of the Drier horses had been plagued by a blood disorder.

“I have her back where I want her and expect a decent run,” he said.

Earlier he runs the promising Go Deputy colt Northern Route. He said, “He is interesting going over 1800m, I think that is what he is looking for.”

He describes Hard Core as a nice little horse and runs him in a MR 80 Handicap over 1200m. He said, “He may just need it but could get away with it.”

He runs Driven Force in the same race and said it would be a pipe opener and he would need it.

Anton Marcus rides Hard Core and the other three will be ridden by stable jockey Sean Veale.

By David Thiselton

Corne Orffer has a lot to look forward to this Cape Summer season as stable jockey to Brett Crawford and the yard’s stalwart sprinter Bold Respect makes his seasonal reappearance on Saturday in the Cape Merchants over 1200m at Kenilworth.

He said, “He has had one gallop but his main mission is the Cape Flying Championship so this is a preparation run and we will want him to come on from it.”

Undercover Agent is another of the big Crawford-trained horses Orffer is looking forward to and he is well on track after winning over 1200m on his seasonal reappearance on October 27.

The Green Point Stakes on December 8 is likely to be his next race before he takes part in what is going to be a star studded Grade 1 L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate on January 5.

Orffer mentioned Charles and Hudoo Magic as yard three-year-olds who have a lot still to come.

By David Thiselton

Featured Image: Bold Respect (Candiese Marnewick)

Candice Bass-Robinson said Dutch Philip was ready for the Cape Merchants to be run over 1200m at Kenilworth on Saturday but believed under handicap conditions it would be a difficult race.

Dutch Philip (Liesl King)

She said, “He has only had the one run but I think he has come on from it and won’t need it on Saturday. However, he has to give 2,5kg to a horse like Kasimir who has always finished close to him, so it is not going to be easy. It is a very open race.” Dutch Philip has the Diadem over 1200m and the Grade 1 Cape Flying Championship over 1000m on his program and will have a shout in both although 1000m is on the quick side for this classy son of What A Winter.

Bass-Robinson also has Tevez, Our Mate Art and Bernie in the Cape Merchants and she said, “Our Mate Art is doing very well. He has no proper distance as he doesn’t quite get a mile and is not an out and out sprinter but I am going to stick to sprints with him this season. Tevez is now a nine-year-old so you take what you get and he always runs well in the Merchants, but you can’t rely on him at this age. Bernie is under sufferance but I believe he is a fair sprinter. I think he will run well with bottom weight but whether he is good enough I’m not sure.”

Bass-Robinson would have given Majestic Mozart a big chance in the CTS Ready To Run Stakes over 1400m if it were not for his wide draw on the old course which has a short run in. “He is in good shape and is a decent horse.”

She said her Grade 2 Concorde Cup (1600m) contestant More Magic was “very well”, but feared he might be outclassed in a strong line up.

By David Thiselton

The Vaal meeting tomorrow is on the Outside track and the exotics look to be the way to play, although the earlier races must be monitored for any draw bias.

In the first leg of the PA over 1400m Eureka Effect has shown promise and being from the Stuart Pettigrew yard he should now be cherry ripe having his third run after a layoff and gelding. The most interesting runner here is the Mike de Kock-trained Anjom who is a big and classy looking son of the top Australian sire Snitzel, but he might still need another outing as the penny clearly had not dropped on the evidence of his first start and on jockey bookings his stablemate Naizak looks the yard elect. The latter was staying on for close finishes over 1000m and 1200m in his first two starts and should relish the step up in trip. However, Vontreo, who went close on debut is tipped to split Eureka Effect and Naizak as he made a fine debut from the widest draw of all over 1200m on the Inside track and should enjoy the step up in trip. Owlinthetree disappointed last time but is another one to consider having been unlucky when staying on over 1200m on debut.

Infamous Fox (Candiese Marnewick)

Against The Grain is selected as the best bet on the card and a Pick 6 banker in the first leg. He stayed on well for a close fourth in the KZN Yearling Sale Million on VDJ day over 1300m and the question was whether the 1160m of the Million Maiden on Charity Mie day was going to be too sharp. He duly only just failed after running on well. He has some class and should despatch this field. The De Kock first-timer Lasair by Var could prove to be the main danger, being a R650,000 half-brother to three stakes winners.

The first leg of the Jackpot is the classiest race on the day, an Assessment Plate over 1400m. Champion Jockey Lyle Hewitson will be aboard Aurelia Cotta, who looked to be going places after winning her first two career starts, both over this trip as a juvenile. She then became a touch disappointing but had a busy campaign as a three-year-old and her last two runs were fair efforts. She might have benefited from a layoff. She is 1,5kg under sufferance with Dagmar on official merit ratings. The latter finished a decent fourth in the Grade 1 Thekwini over 1600m last time out on Gold Cup day and this is the trip of her last win. Rock A Roll Dancer won well at the end of August having been beaten in two starts before that by promising sorts Nafaayes and In The Dance respectively. She should enjoy the step up in trip and might prove better than her current merit rating, although she is officially 5,5kg under sufferance wit Dagmar. Tamarina looks to be full of ability but clearly has issues as she has not raced for ten months having had a five month gap between her first and second starts. There is very little between Rock A Roll Dancer and Crimson Royale on a line through Nafaayes, so the latter must also be included.

A lot will depend on how the draws are panning out on the day in the sixth race as Infamous Fox makes appeal but has a low draw, which used to be a disadvantage on this track. He is a classy sort who was inconvenienced by a tough draw last time out in the Charity Mile and he could resume winning ways. Doosra at one stage looked to be most promising but then began disappointing. However, blinkers have given him a new lease of life and his class is evidenced by his close third in the Charity Mile. He is a must include and so is Catkin. The latter did well in first time blinkers last time and should be cherry ripe over an ideal trip.

In the seventh over 1600m Daffiq should enjoy the 100m step down in trip having found no extra over 1700m last time. This former De Kock-trained horse has always had class and can gain an overdue third career win. Classify was making late headway over 1450m last time so is interesting over this trip and Lone Survivor, who has won three out of six career starts, should enjoy the step up to this trip and has Gavin Lerena aboard. The risk averse can also consider the always dangerous Jubilee Line as well as Nordic Rebel and the big horse Visigoth, who has dropped to a competitive mark.

The eighth over 1200m is a fillies and mares sprint handicap, which are usually nightmares but there are three stand outs here. Ulla was not disgraced last time over 1100m to the exciting In The Dance and that was not the first time she had acquitted herself well against good types. Rock Pigeon won her penultimate start when under sufferance and then waltzed in last time, so is on the up. Madamoiselle is also on the up and now tries a step up in trip. Che Bella and Nicky Noo can also be included in the Pick 6 as the former was highly tried as a juvenile after an easy win and the latter had fair form in the strong centre of Cape Town and looks to have a reasonable merit rating.

In the last race over 1000m Effortless is chosen as the value bet on the day and a PA banker as he has done well from tough draws in his last two starts over this trip. However, it is an open race and punters should attempt to go wider if able to afford it. Seventh Son, Certifiable, Alex The Great, Nitro Charge and Moggie Brown make most appeal of the rest.

By David Thiselton

Sand And Sea, cut from 12-1 to 7-1 for the Cape Merchants after his impressive return in the Tab Telebet Progress Plate, is not a certain runner at this stage and punters should hold fire until Dennis Drier clarifies the position.

Drier said after last Saturday’s race: “It is a great pity that the Merchants is only a week away. We will see how Sand And Sea comes out of this race and then decide.”

Dennis Drier (Nkosi Hlophe)

The four-year-old was a revelation. This was his first appearance for seven months – after being gelded and having an operation on his wind – yet he travelled well throughout and swept clear inside the final furlong to win comfortably.  Significantly Anton Marcus said: “He is probably even better than this. His engine is still there, and he is willing and able.”

This was the trainer’s fourth Cape Town winner in three meetings but 16-10 favourite Pleasedtomeetyou switched off as abruptly as an Eskom outage after making the running at a decent clip and he finished with only one behind him.

Andre Nel said later in the afternoon: “The horse is sound but we had a couple during the week who started coughing.”

Candice Bass-Robinson was adamant after Nous Voila’s flop in the Western Cape Fillies Championship that the reason was the horse’s inability to handle the turn, and the filly proved her point by making all under Corne Orffer to floor the odds laid on WCFC runner-up Temple Grafin in the fillies Progress Plate. She started at 10-1 but you could have got 14-1 on course earlier in the afternoon.

“Nous Voila throws out a leg and as a result she doesn’t go well round a turn.” said her trainer, reflecting that Dutch Philip is much the same. “We will keep her up the straight and I think she can win a Group race.”

Glen Kotzen had originally intended to go straight for the Fillies Guineas with Temple Grafin but the decision to put the race back a fortnight threw his calculations and he is now glad it did. “The gap between races would have been too big but this was typical second run (after a rest) – she didn’t kick,” he explained. “I’m not unhappy and now we’ve just got to crack a draw next month.”

He was even less unhappy when the ear muff-fitted Expedite won the next under Craig Zackey, but not as delighted as Mike Stewart after Beethoven came good under an inspired Donovan Dillon in the opener to give the Noordhoek trainer an overdue first success of a hitherto frustrating season.

By Michael Clower

At Kenilworth on Saturday Justin Snaith successfully defied Cape Town convention that loose horses are automatically scratched – and more trainers seem likely to follow his example in future, particularly when they realise that they are not going to be condemned for anything from cruelty to incompetence.

When Ladder Man unseated Richard Fourie as he was being loaded into the pens for the mile maiden the favourite galloped loose back to the parade ring.  Snaith rushed off to meet both the horse and the course vet who he knew would be waiting with her metaphorical red pen poised.

He said: “We had already told the public that this was one we thought had a big chance and I didn’t want to take a fresh horse home – owners pay a lot of money to keep them. The course vet said she was happy with him and that he would be checked again at the start.”

Ladderman was trotted back riderless by a groom, passed the second inspection, loaded without problem and duly won the race to initiate a treble for Snaith and Fourie who ended a most satisfactory day on the 50-winner mark.

There were suggestions that the resultant 15-minute delay could see the trainer in hot water in the boardroom but acting senior stipe Nick Shearer implied that there was never any question of this while Snaith pointed out: “The horse was favourite and so, even if he had been scratched, there would had to have been a delay to allow punters to adjust their bets.”

Shearer added: “It is the course vet’s call whether a loose horse runs, the only exception being when the vet passes the horse fit but the trainer then says he (or she) does not want the horse to run.”

There have even been cases of fancied horses in Group 1 races, even classics, being scratched after getting loose and galloping back. However there is a school of thought, perhaps more prevalent outside South African than in it, that horses (like some human athletes) can benefit from a sharper warm-up than they get from the normal canter down to the start.

By Michael Clower

Featured Image: Richard Fourie (Liesl King)

The relationship between the Vodacom Durban July and the ground-breaking South African Riding for the Disabled Association (SARDA) in Summerveld stretches back more than ten years and the annual donation from Africa’s Greatest Horseracing Event has helped change the lives of the young boys and girls that ride at the equestrian centre outside Hillcrest every week.

Spearheaded by  Tracey Cumming and her team of volunteers, SARDA caters for schools in the greater Durban area that care for children with a wide variety of physical and mental challenges, using the closely supervised rides to offer each child individualised therapy sessions at the Ridgetop Equestrian Centre.

The rides aim to provide for each child’s unique physical, cognitive, emotional and sensory integration needs and under the guidance of their senior instructors, each youngster is guided through a series of fun exercises, each with a specific goal in mind that will contribute to improving their physical conditioning or mental cognitive ability.

Through support from Lotto and a variety of corporate donors and their annual donation from the Vodacom Durban July SARDA has been able to expand its operations to include a vast covered riding arena that enables them to offer daily rides irrespective of the weather, and a new sensory trail, while still covering all its costs of stabling, feeding and caring for its horses.

“There is an obvious synergy between the Vodacom Durban July and the inspiring work that SARDA does,” said Gold Circle’s Graeme Hawkins. “We pack into Greyville Racecourse to watch the best thoroughbreds in the country racing for the premier crown in African horse racing, and then see horses making such a profound impact on the lives of these young men and women.

“It is a pleasure and privilege to be able to channel some of the proceeds from the Vodacom Durban July to SARDA each year and to share the many touching stories of how these weekly rides impact on their lives,” he added.

SARDA relies heavily on donations and the time of volunteers to offer these weekly rides. Any interested parties can reach them through www.sardadurban.org.za

By Dave Macleod