The exotic bets have become easier to catch since the introduction of Assessment Plates in Gauteng as this usually leaves approximately one to three horses potentially well in at the weights.

Punters could also find an edge in other races if keeping up to date with the handicapping system in South Africa, which can leave horses potentially well weighted even in handicaps.

South African handicapping is based on the globally popular Merit Rating system but a number of rules have been added to restrict the handicappers’ power.

The restrictions are in place to prevent horses from becoming unfairly handicapped.

An offshoot is that some horses slip through the net and become well handicapped.

Listed below is a sample of five of the many rules which can potentially leave a horse as an eye-catcher at the weights.  

1) The maximum penalty applicable to any handicap on either surface shall not be higher than 8 merit rated points. This is not applicable to Graded and Listed races, or horses carrying over-weight or weighted under sufferance. (A recent amendment said this also applies to Listed handicaps).

If a horse wins a 1600m handicap by five lengths it could be in for a potential raise of ten merit rated points considering one length equals two points over that trip. However, the handicapper will only be able to give it a maximum of eight points due to the above rule, so it should theoretically be 1kg well in when next running in a handicap. Of course if a six-year-old achieves such a feat it should be treated with caution as it might have been due to freak circumstances. However, if a progressive three-year-old achieves it, one should sit up and take notice.

2) For Grade 1 and Grade 2 races there is upward Adjustment to the first 5 finishers only and in Listed and Grade 3 races upward adjustment to placed horses only.  Related to this is a recent amendment stating: The winner and placed horses in a Grade 2 or Grade 3 race is capped at a 10 point penalty for the winner, 5 points for 2nd place and 3 points for 3rd place.

A good example of a horse who has become potentially well handicapped due to the above restrictions is Senatla. This horse finished 2,25 lengths behind the merit rated 115 Twist Of Fate in the Grade 3 Politician Stakes over 1800m when receiving 7kg. On that run he was only 18 merit rated points inferior to Twist Of Fate, which put him on a 97 rating, although the horses who finished around him suggested he had run to his 84 merit rating. He was only allowed to be given a five point raise so went to an 89. Then in the Grade 1 Cape Derby over 2000m he finished seventh so escaped punishment. He finished two lengths behind Bunker Hunt, who went up to a 100 merit rating, so on paper Senatla should in comparison be about a 97 over that distance. Therefore, he will be potentially well handicapped off his 89 rating next time. This is particularly in light of the 2000m trip of the Derby having likely stretched him. His best trip, as one who races quite strongly, looks to be from 1400m to a mile. He is one to look out for in a forthcoming handicap.

The Sun Met sixth-placed Doublemint will also be well handicapped for the Vodacom Durban July. He escaped punishment and remained on a 104 merit rating despite having finished on top of five horses who are now all rated in the 120s.

The July horse who fell in to that boat last year was African Night Sky, having also finished sixth in the Met. He duly started favourite for the July and could well have gone close had there been a truer pace as he unfortunately began pulling the jockey’s arms off. 

3) Currently, a 4 y.o. and older maiden winner must be capped at a nett MR of 70 in a major centre, 65 in PE, 60 in Kimberley and 58 in Zimbabwe. The discretion to vary this in exceptional circumstances no longer applies.

This restriction can leave late blooming horses well handicapped on occasion and they are then able to run up a sequence of handicap wins. A good example can be provided by Chepardo, who made his debut in the November of his four-year-old year. He was given the maximum rating of 70 for his comfortable win over 1160m and won his next three races, all handicaps from 1200-1700m, comfortably.

4) In minor plate races placed horses will not be adjusted upwards unless requested by the connections.

Horses can run close up in plate races when way under sufferance at the weights and they then look well handicapped when running next time out in a handicap. However, punters should be wary of this scenario as top horses often use races such as Pinnacle events as a preparation and the lower rated horses can be flattered, so it is worth watching the replays to see just how hard ridden the higher rated horses were.

5) Horses not having made the anticipated WFA improvements must be brought back to its highest achieved nett rating within 3 runs. 

In this regard watch out for young horses who come down the ratings and are then stepped up to a potentially more suitable trip. This can be seen in the career of Wonderous Climber, who easily won a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1600m in the May of his two-year-old season and was accorded a merit rating of 85. He then continually disappointed and his gross merit rating had to be continuously dropped to keep up with his highest achieved nett merit rating. He had eventually plummeted down to a 61 gross merit rating by the November of his four-year-old year. This corresponded almost identically with his highest achieved nett merit rating considering two-year-olds in May receive 23 half-kilograms over 1600m (85-23=62). However, he then found his forté when stepped up to staying trips and won four handicaps on the trot.

The handicapping guidelines and accompanying amendments and restrictions can be found on www.nhra.co.za. It can pay to learn their ins and outs.

By David Thiselton

Chesney van Zyl, recently granted boxes at Summerveld where he could join father Gavin and brother Gareth in the near future, has fired a couple of salvos already with Marchingtontogether winning last week and Sea Venture landing her short odds in the fifth at Greyville yesterday although the filly’s supporters were poised to tear up their tickets two furlongs out.

It’s not often that Anton Marcus gets himself into trouble but he was faced with an N2 traffic jam as he looked to make his run up the centre. But like a good mini bus taxi driver, he switched to the yellow lane and Sea Venture responded with alacrity like any 9-20 shot should, going on to win as she like. “Jockeys like to ride horses like this,” said Marcus, panting in the heat. “She was far superior to the rest of the field.”

“I thought there was enough space,” said Marcus of the gap that appeared in front of him but will have had visions of Friday night when apprentice Jason Gates lost his compass for the umpteenth time costing Marcus of any chance he had of winning. “He should have been had up for attempted murder,” said Marcus after he had scored a narrow win on odds-on favourite Genereight for Robbie and Shannon Hill in the first although the line came just in time as Diego de Gouveia was closing fast on out-of-province raider Oona.

De Gouveia, who has improved markedly as a rider since moving to the Highveld, made amends for that narrow defeat as he rode a superb finish on Bel Canto Chorus for Stuart Pettigrew in the fourth. He tracked the pace all the way through before making his move. “This won’t be the last time that you will be seeing her. She loves the poly.”

Runaway Gal, just short of an outing in her come-back run, made light work of the sixth as Brett Crawford’s filly scooted away from her rivals with Lyle Hewtison copying a bike rider on a down-hill stretch of the Tour de France as he coasted to the line.

O’Keeffe kept up her remarkably consistent form on the poly track, never finishing further back than second as she edged out Ella’s World.

Runaway Gal was Mario Ferreira’s second winner of the afternoon after a never-say-die ride on Flamenco Dancer for Dennis Bosch. Favourite Spring Breeze led into the final 50 m but was swamped by a tidal wave of runners led by Flamenco Dancer who go home by a head with Spring Breeze back in fifth, beaten less than a length.

Former champion Mark Khan, out of action for close on a decade before making a comeback last year, drew on all his reserves to get favourite Mylisha home in the shadow of the post for Lezzeanne Forbes whose stable has come to hand nicely in recent weeks.

It was a day of favourable results for the most part but the bomb landed in the last where Silver Cent landed a 40-1 body blow under Eric Ngwane for Lola Crawford.

By Andrew Harrison

Trainers are expressing concern about security following the horrific attack on Eric Sands at Cape Town’s Milnerton Training Centre last week.

The Sun Met-winning trainer, who is 62, was in the yard of his stables around 6.00pm last Wednesday when an intruder burst in wielding an axe and charged towards Sands. The trainer, with considerable presence of mind and no little courage, ran at the man and hit him with the point of his shoulder.

The assailant lost his balance and fell. But Sands’ advantage was short-lived. Three more men appeared and they were armed with knives. In no time it was Sands who was on the ground and in mortal danger. One of the trio was intent on smashing his face in.

“He had a pellet gun. I was on my back and I couldn’t really move. I saw him lift the gun and prepare to bring it down, butt first, into my face,” Sands related. “In the last fraction of a second I managed to move my head sideways and the butt only grazed my cheek.”

It was a bit more than a graze – the scar is still clearly visible. The men tied up Sands in his office before making off with R7 500 in cash as well as some foreign currency left over from overseas trips.

There was a security man on duty but he was on the road frontage side of the stables guarding the cars. Apparently he is under orders to stay put until the last of the cars has left and, in any case, he heard nothing.  However somebody obviously knew that there was cash on the premises and tipped off the raiders. Sands has let it be known that he is prepared to pay a reward for information leading to the arrest of the men and he has so far received some feedback.

Greg Ennion, whose yard adjoins Sands’ stables, said: “It is believed that the quality of the security has deteriorated markedly over the last two years. They must improve it. We are paying for security as it is included in our rent.”

Candice Bass-Robinson’s yard is further up the road and she said: “Phumelela has to work on this. It happened to Harold Crawford a few years ago (November 2013) and we can’t have this sort of thing – otherwise it’s only a matter of time before it happens to us all.”

She pointed to the obvious dangers of a woman sitting in the office of a yard on her own but she was thinking, not of herself, but of assistant Mel Arnold who is often working there on a Saturday afternoon when the rest of the complex is either off duty or at the races.

The most famous Milnerton attack came over 20 years ago when Joey Ramsden, then assistant to Vaughan Marshall, was attacked by two men when he was paying the wages. One had a gun and the other a knife which he plunged into Ramsden’s padded jacket.

Seemingly, and dangerously, not a lot has changed.

By Michael Clower

Justin Snaith is set on making Kasimir Equus Champion Sprinter after Richard Fourie’s mount followed up his Cape Flying Championship success by taking the Khaya Stables Diadem Stakes at a crowd-filled Kenilworth on Saturday.

“Sprinter of the Year is a big thing for me and Kasimir has won every main sprint race we could throw at him this season,” he said. “He won’t go for the Computaform – he will have a break – but he will go to Durban for the Mercury Sprint.”

Snaith, also on the mark the Corne Orffer-ridden Libra, was limping like the proverbial wounded soldier – apparently the result of a swollen foot developed as he tried to get himself ready to race. There were no shortage of medical experts in the crowd offering advice including one woman who had a Latin name for the affliction and a dire warning of what would happen if he does nothing about it.

Joey Ramsden was a little unlucky not to win the Diadem with 44-1 shot Speedpoint who was fast closing the gap and went down by only a short head. He had better luck with Rose In Bloom in the same Brian and Kathy Finch colours in the Vasco Prix Du Cap, thanks in no small part to a power-packed S’Manga Khumalo ride.

Ramsden, winning this for the sixth time in 15 seasons, said: “She is an absolute superstar. She got pneumonia coming back from Jo’burg and was in hospital for 12 days. Yet she promptly finished fourth in the Sceptre. She is for sale and she is piro-free.”

But it was Vaughan Marshall who stole the show with his latest Captain Al star. Captain Of Stealth,a R500 000 CTS Premier purchase, was backed from evens to 6-10 for the 1 400m Divine Jet Maiden Juvenile, led after two and a half furlongs and coasted home over five lengths clear with M.J. Byleveld waving his index finger as if he had a message to impart.

Indeed he had, saying: “This horse has a massive action and a huge cruising speed, and my only concern was that he had never been off the bit.”

Marshall, who also trains his triple wining half-sister Rocket Girl, confirmed that the colt will go the One World route (Langerman) and added: “He is a super horse. I think he is something special.”

He is 20% owned by Johannesburg-based John Habib and 80% by a thrilled Pat Freestone who also part owns Rocket Girl and related: “I said to Vaughan at the sales that I wanted to have a go at the big time but this was the first occasion I realised that he was going to be good. It was more than exciting. Indeed I’m still shaking – but boy oh boy, he didn’t want to stop. What can he do next?”

Next on the agenda for the first two legs of a Candice Bass-Robinson/Aldo Domeyer treble is Durban. Vandah’s Spirit, who made it look so easy in the Kepu Trading Juvenile, goes for the Allan Robertson at Scottsville while Aeolus OTR Kenilworth Cup winner Pacific Chestnut has the Gold Vase and the eLan Gold Cup on his bucket list.

Anthony Andrews now has some idea of how John The Baptist felt – only in his case the wilderness lasted four times as long – yet throughout the barren spell he has remained cheerful (outwardly anyway) and positive, and he rode a peach of a race to win the Selangor Jet Master on Run Red. “Anthony is an unsung hero. He rides a lot of our work at home yet he doesn’t really get the chances,” said Andre Nel, paying tribute.

William Bambiso made his experience tell on River Rhone in the Work Riders Maiden but the stipes were so appalled at the general standard of riding that they had all six of them in and warned them that their licences could be in jeopardy if their riding does not improve.

BLOB The size of the crowd, and the overall atmosphere, attracted favourable comment from a succession of Tellytrack interviewees. Events Officer Clinton Theys, who is entitled to take a bow, said: “At a thumbsuck we had between 3 500 and 4 000 here although it seemed more than last year. Certainly people stayed longer this time.”

By Michael Clower

The Turffontein Inside track stages a nine race meeting tomorrow and the exotics look to be the best way to play it on a track which can produce the odd upset.

The seventh race, a Pinnacle Stakes event over 1200m, is the highest rated race on the card and Green Plains is the one to beat. She is the best in at the weights according to official merit ratings and is unbeaten in two starts on the Turffontein Inside track. Both of them were over 1000m but she has shown good pace and the ability to kick on over 1160m so has it all in her favour here from pole position around the turn. Rock A Roll Dancer beat a useful field last time in good style and there is not much between her and Schippers on some formlines so she can do well from a fair draw.

Witch Of The West has always struck as one with class and she should have come on from her last run, which was her seasonal reappearance, so she is the dark horse from a plum draw over a suitable trip. Schippers has come into her own this season and has won three out of four starts including one over this course and distance. Last time out she won the Grade 3 Magnolia Handicap over 1160m by four lengths. However, the form has not worked out exceptionally well and she was given a nine point raise, so she is up against it, although she is joint second best in at the weights. Desert Rhythm won the Grade 2 Golden Slipper as a two-year-old but is an enigmatic sort, although her best recent run was over this trip so she is difficult to ignore.

In the first leg of the PA Glamorous Scandal went close last time over this 2600m trip and is the one to beat. Bondiblu has fallen to a competitive merit rating and Emily Hobhouse, despite being 5,5kg under sufferance, is coming into her own in the typical fashion of a daughter of Ideal World.

In the first leg of the Pick 6 Aurelia Cotta enjoys running on from behind and so the draw will not be a bother and on pedigree she has a chance of staying the trip. Rail Trip has niot lived up to expectations but has to be included. Miss Sabina, by Silvano and a half-brother to the twice Summer Cup winner Master Sabina, is going the right way.

In the first leg of the Jackpot Mighty Rock went close when stepped up to this 2000m last time. Blame Game is by Captain Al and is a half-brother to Whiteline Fever who finished close up in the Vodacom Durban July once so he can improve over this trip. Humour Me should relish this step up in trip and has a chance if bouncing back after not striding out last time.

In the sixth race over 2000m Arlington’s Revenge’s last two wins over 1600m have worked out very well and he should stay the trip on pedigree. Zeal And Zest has always had ability and bounced back with a good win last time. Yamoto can improve being by Dynasty and having his third run after a layoff and gelding and he was staying on over 1600m last time. There is not much between Zeal Zest, Seventh Of June and Kings Cup.

In the eighth over 1500m Epic Dream is 1kg under sufferance with Orpheus on official merit ratings but has a touch of class and has always struck as one who would get this trip. Only To Win is on the up and is a threat and Orpheus has talent but the concern is his breathing issues.

In the ninth over 1500m Xplosive Kiss is the best in at the weights and should enjoy this step up in trip on pedigree. Irish Wonder Girl is drawn in pole and is in good form, but would prefer further and Vi Va Pi Pa is capable of producing a good performance.

By David Thiselton

Kasimir is a confident selection to follow up his Cape Flying Championship win in the Khaya Stables Diadem Stakes at Kenilworth’s Prawn Festival meeting tomorrow.

The Justin Snaith four-year-old won the Cape Merchants over this course and distance in November but his performance on Met day was an eye-opener. Far from being inconvenienced by the 1 000m – as most people thought he would be –  he was able to hit the front over half a furlong out and stride on strongly to beat Bold Respect by almost two lengths.

He has definitely improved this season and should be able to confirm the form with the runner-up. The latter’s stable companion Search Party should not be faraway and don’t ignore the 2017 winner Trip To Heaven. This slow starter with the brilliant finishing speed has an extra furlong to find his feet following his Cape Flying fifth.

According to the handicappers Chimichuri Run should bounce back to winning form after disappointing in the Cape Guineas and the CTS 1600. They make him best by half a kilo, even before adding in anything for having Anton Marcus on his back. Personally I find this hard to swallow.    

The race is run six weeks later this year and so past results may not be quite as relevant but four-year-olds have won half the last ten runnings and only two favourites and one joint favourite have been successful during this period.

Kasimir opened 2-1 favourite with World Sports Betting on Wednesday and was 22-10 by noon yesterday with Bold Respect on 15-4 and Chimichuri Run a 9-2 chance. Search Party had been backed from 17-2 to 11-2 but nobody seemed to want to know Trip To Heaven who had drifted from 17-2 to 10-1.

Joey Ramsden has by far the best record in the Vasco Prix Du Cap, winning five of the last 14 runnings, and he can collect again with Rose In Bloom who has a theoretical 3kg in hand and is favourite at 33-10. She was a four-length sixth in the Majorca and before that had the speed to finish fourth in the Sceptre- and the last two weeks have shown local punters just what an advantage it is to have S’Manga Khumalo in the irons.

The bookmakers have a high opinion of the Dean Kannemeyer Graduation winner Silva’s Bullet and have her favourite for the Selangor Jet Master at 33-10. But Brave Move is the one with the form in the book and, despite a rather disappointing season so far, she makes strong appeal at 9-2.

Cedar Man (5-2), although under sufferance, may be able to turn the tables on 3-1 shot Dynasty’s Blossom in the Aeolus OTR Kenilworth Cup.

By Michael Clower

Moved from Wednesday to today, racing is on the Greyville poly track this evening where the exotics may be the best way to tackle a tricky card. Check out the change in starting times.

In the opening leg of the Place Accumulator, Class Of Eight has shown signs of coming to hand and has shown up well in her last two. She is down in trip here but looks ready. Elusive Diva will probably start favourite for the umpteenth time and has been expensive to follow. She is obviously limited but could find this shorter trip more to her liking.

The first leg of the Pick 6 looks wide open. So Var has shown up well in his two starts since a break and this is his peak run. Di Mazzio carried bottom weight in the Marula Sprint but beat a strong field. He went up six points in the ratings but should still be competitive in this company. Roy Magner raids from the Highveld with Life Is Good who has come down rapidly in the ratings and showed improved form in blinkers. Another to consider is Royal Amour who goes best on the poly and found some good market support last time out. He may just have needed it and should feature prominently.

Garth Puller and Anton Marcus have an enviable strike rate and top-rated Mana Santana has all the right credentials in the fourth. However, Italian Way was not far off the promising Last Of The Legend and Wednesday’s winner Mr Fitz so could oblige at a decent price.

One always needs to take note of Highveld raiders and Brian Wiid has a knack of sending the right horse for the poly. Petite Aime is a long-time battler but has shown some recent improvement and is up against some equally limited opposition in the fifth. A head separated Ruby Slippers and Summer Day when last they met. Ruby Slippers gets a tongue-tie so could reverse the placings.

Marcus will have had a pick of a few mounts in the sixth and has opted for the lightly raced Mashari for Puller. The gelding is a late starter, and judging by the number of barrier trials, has his problems, but he is winner of two of his three starts and looks progressive. Marcus was aboard Cruz Giovanni and The Master when shedding their maidens. They are both lightly raced geldings so should have more to come while Emperor Niarchos is an old campaigner who has dropped even further in the ratings and could surprise.

The seventh is a minefield although Awayinthewoods has yet to run a bad race and has a light weight. Both of her wins have come on the poly. Adorable Analia nearly caused a major boil-over when narrowly beaten at her last start and appeared to enjoy the extra so may be one to follow. The list of possible winners is a long one so it may prove prudent to load up in this leg.

Although a little disappointing last time out, Toronto has been consistent and the switch to the poly could be in his favour. Roy’s Physco has taken tome to come to hand but has proved of late while Fashionada made some promising improvement at his second outing and can do even better over this trip. He is one to watch.

In the card opener, one can draw a line through Alfonso Spagoni’s last effort when playing up badly at the start. He had some promising form before that and the Mark Dixon stable has hit form. He takes to the poly for the first time. Mokoko and the two Highveld raiders One Of Our Own and Phoenix Sun also come into the picture.

By Andrew Harrison

The Mike de Kock-trained Gin Fizz is probably the best two-year-old filly seen out this season and is living proof her late sire Soft Ralling Rain will be a big loss to the industry.

Soft Falling Rain passed away in September 2018 during his fourth covering season at Wilgerbosdrift Stud.

He had full books and his progeny are sort after.

At the recent Cape Thoroughbred Premier Yearling Sale six of his progeny were sold for a total of R2,15 million with a high of R800,000 and an average of R358,333.

The R800,000 lot was out of a Listed-winning Var mare who is a half-sister to the like of Chesalon, Mardi Gras and Valeta (the dam of She’s A Giver).

Gin Fizz stood out in the parade ring on Sunday as an imposing individual with plenty of substance and presence.

In the running she looked a chip off the old block, displaying a huge stride and winning hands and heels under Gavin Lerena by 7,4 lengths.

Her dam Espumanti, a British-bred by Dansili, won the Grade 2 Ipi Tombe Challenge over a mile and the Grade 2 Betting World 1900 and she finished second in the Grade 1 Garden Province Stakes to the great Beach Beauty.

Ginn Fizz is her first foal.

Gin Fizz should follow in the footsteps of her father by running in either the SA Nursery of the SA Fillies Nursery. Soft Falling Rain, who was by the speed influence National Assembly and was trained by De Kock, won all four of his starts in South Africa from 1000-1160m and won his first three starts in Dubai, where he was named Champion three-year-old Miler. He won the Grade 2 Joel Stakes over a mile at Newmarket in his second start in the UK and the following year finished a length second to the great Variey Club in the defence of his Godolphin Mile crown. In his final start he finished a four length sixth in the Group 1 Queen Ann Stakes over a mile at the Royal Ascot meeting.

Gin Fizz should also get a mile in time.

There have been some other eyecatching two-year-old fillies seen this season like the Candice Bass-Robinson trio Cousin Liz (Captain Al), Miss Honey (Pathfork) and Vandah’s Spirit (Trippi), the Alan Greef-trained Brandina (Capetown Noir) and the Yogas Govender-trained Her Royal Majesty (Great Britain), but none of them have been as impressive as Gin Fizz.  

Soft Falling Rain has seven lots on the forthcoming BSA Cape Yearling Sale on March 17 at the Mistico Equestrian Centre between Durbanville and Paarl.

By David Thiselton

Adam Marcus is calling on Uncle Anton in a bid to restore Brave Move to her old form in the Selangor Jet Master Stakes at Kenilworth on Saturday.

The mare won six in a row last season, including the Ladies Mile and the Final Fling and went up in the ratings from 74 to 107. Yet in three outings this term she has failed to finish closer than fourth and an abnormal blood count ruled her out of the Majorca.

Her trainer said: “I was expecting bigger things this season – the way she was winning last year I thought she wasn’t going to stop – but she is in good form and I am hoping we can get her back on track. She was drawn off the course in the Prix Du Cap so we are going for the Jet Master with her.”

Brave Move was 9-2 second favourite when World Sports Betting posted up its prices yesterday. The Dean Kannemeyer-trained Silva’s Bullet, odds-on when winning a graduation at the end of last year, heads the market at 7-2.

Cape Flying Championship winner Kasimir is 2-1 favourite to follow up in the Khaya Stables Diadem Stakes and Rose In Bloom is 28-10 favourite to give Joey Ramsden his sixth Vasco Prix Du Cap in 15 seasons.

By Michael Clower

In an interview earlier in the week, Gavin van Zyl was confident that the winner of yesterday’s umThombothi Stakes (Non Black Type) at Scottsville would come from one of his four runners – he included son Chesney’s pair in the mix – but was uncertain of the right one.

Punters were not fazed however, as Marchingontogether was backed as if the result was already known. He duly landed the plunge, although hard-pressed to the line by ‘stable companion’ Blackball.

Marchingontogether had solid credentials before lining up in the Gauteng Guineas earlier this month where he finished with just three behind him.

But with blinkers removed, the son of Pathfork was settled mid-field by Warren Kennedy before moving though in the straight to win smartly. The year-older Blackball made a race of it but came up nearly a length shy with the filly Flichity By Farr running a cracker in her come-back from a break in third.

Anton Marcus seldom goes home without a winner, most often two, and he collected another double yesterday.

The first came for Shane Humby whose Mr Fitz looked the best bet on the card and lived up to his billing. Runner-up on debut behind Last Of The Legend, a winner in good company next time out, Mr Fitz franked that form with a solid performance that bodes well for the colt’s future.

There are few more passionate owners in racing than Rob Haswell, retired Municipal Manager of Msunduzi (Pietermaritzburg), but he was missing in action yesterday – work commitments – as Marcus rode a copybook race on Cumulus in the White Horse Function Room Handicap. Showing early pace, Marcus sat for as long as possible before asking Nathan Kotzen’s gelding for and effort and Cumulus responded smartly, finding another gear to motor to a convincing victory.

Milnerton-based trainer Piet Steyn, after winning a race at Kenilworth on Saturday, made a passionate plea for owners to support the smaller trainers, without them he reasoned, racing would be doomed. However, racing has a habit of ploughing the same furrow regardless of consequences.

The most popular winner on the day, no matter the lengthy odds, was the Gary Rich-trained Connect Me – spectators and fellow trainers alike warm in their congratulations. Rich, son of July winning trainer Dessie (Lightning Shot), operates a small string with the help of his daughter Tessa, and they get the best out of what they have.

Steyn put it bluntly to Racegoer writer Michael Clower. “In a year or two’s time we are going to end up with only four or five trainers in Cape Town, and racing can’t survive on that. They have got to start to support the smaller trainers. I know you can’t tell people where to put their horses but come and look at Milnerton and see how many empty stables there are.

 “It’s a disaster and it comes from agents, breeders and the whole clique. It doesn’t matter how good you are – if you are not in that flow you can forget about it.”

Possibly an early warning for us in KZN!

By Andrew Harrison