There were a few trainers bemoaning the switch to the Greyville poly track yesterday after Friday’s monsoon but Louis Goosen was not one. “If they switch to the poly then Varallo will be in trouble,” he predicted after homework at Ashburton on Thursday.

Zen Arcade (Candiese Marnewick)

Charles Laird’s runner looked to be one of the better bets on the afternoon with a lot in his favour, but although he put up a sterling performance, Goosen’s assessment was spot on as Di Mazzio took to the surface an exploited Varallo’s three-month holiday although it was a close-run thing.

The two hooked up a furlong from home and it was down to a neck at the line.

Third-placed Monks Hood had everything go wrong at the start, getting a back leg hooked up in the gate and then cannoning into the outside rail in the straight. Alistair Gordon’s gelding was an eye-catching third and definitely one for the notebook.

Goosen was not much enamoured by the handicap mark given Zen Arcade but the handicappers may have got their sums just about right as Zen Arcade followed up on his maiden win, getting the better of a bruising battle with Ryker and Perfect Jay.

Not only was it a red-letter day for Goosen, but also prolific owner Mario Ferreira and jockey Gunter Wrogemann who landed a treble. Wrogemann, Ferreira and Gratuity led home a Goosen 1-2-3 in the sixth with the daughter of Dynasty out-duelling stable companion Captain’s Girl with Yaas filling the shallow end of the purse.

Mark Dixon looks to have a useful filly in She’s A Dream, a smart winner of the second. Given that she was closely related to the Dixon stable star London Call, she was always on the Dixon shopping list when coming up for auction at the National Yearling Sales. “I went out back to bid and was surprise when she only made R70k. Bruce le Roux breeds a good horse so we are very happy.”

By Andrew Harrison

Aldo Domeyer, second only to Gavin Lerena on the national log, has a strike rate of 21% at the moment and his relentless determination may be enough to get the frustrating Bernie home in front in the Tabonline Maiden at Durbanville tomorrow.

The Candice Bass-Robinson colt has made the frame in five of his seven starts and has losses to recover after being beaten at 14-10 last time. He drops back a furlong and is well drawn.

He probably has most to fear from the well bred Love Happens (by Silvano out of the 2010 Majorca dead-heater Love Is In The Air) who overcame a slow start and being squeezed to take a hugely promising third on debut three weeks ago.

Candice Robinson (hamish NIVEN Photography)

“He is a very nice horse but that was a bit of a surprise – I thought he would take a few runs to get to that level,” says Justin Snaith who cautions: “This is another big jump for him and he has yet to go round the turn.”

Bernie better fits the profile of a typical Cape Town maiden winner – consistent placing rather than obvious first or second time talent – and gets the vote.

Domeyer may also win the Betting World Maiden 40 minutes later on stable companion Intothelimelight even though this Australian-bred filly comes into the promising debut category. She ran really well to go close against Still I Rise and Bid Before Sunset whose previous run would appear to underline the strength of the form. Dragonair, also a Bass-Robinson runner, and Silver Streamer look the dangers.

Valentine’s Girl stands out in the first, or at least she would do but for her terrible draw. The jockeys have been almost unanimous in saying that winners here can now come from anywhere but the fact that remains that a bad draw in a sprint on this course remains a bad draw.

Furthermore Richard Fourie’s mount lost a lot of ground at the start on debut and punters are going to have to rely on the effectiveness of her subsequent home tuition. Runaway Rebel and Secret Name will take advantage if she fluffs her lines.

Secret Rebel, although a five-year-old and beaten 21 times, showed significantly improved form nine days ago and Harold Crawford says: “She should run better on this course because she doesn’t really get 1 000m and this is an easy 1 000.”

Race two, the TAB Telebet Maiden, is much trickier with a case to be made for many of the 14 runners. Domeyer’s mount Johnny Black has a big chance but a tentative vote goes to Red Eight who was second to Rommel after making the running in a race run at a decent pace. The decision to drop him back a furlong can pay dividends.

By Michael Clower

Top jockeys don’t necessary make top trainers but Garth Puller was and is both. He is also in a rich vein of form at present and can add to his tally when he saddles Saint Marco in the KZN Breeders Club Handicap on the Greyville poly this evening.

Garth Puller

The gelding makes his debut over the 1900m, having never gone further than a mile, but now that he is older the extra 300m may well be what the five-year-old is looking for. He very seldom runs a bad race and last time out was touched off by the strongly fancied Wild Wicket over the Scottsville 1600m. It was an excellent run, and one that also impressed the handicappers who promptly bumped him up four pounds for his efforts.

In a small field there is always the danger of a false pace but there are a number of runners in this event that do like to race handy. Saint Marco was up with the pace set by stable companion Main Player in the race won by Wild Wicket and he races off the same mark with apprentice Craig Bantam again taking 2.5kg off his back.

At the bottom of the weights, Roy Had Enough could be contesting favouritism with top weight Warfare, both winners of their last starts.

Roy Had Enough makes his seasonal debut for Frank Robinson and led all the way when following up on his maiden win over tonight’s course and distance. He is up in class here but with only 52kg to shoulder he will have many supporters.

Warfare is also at home over course and distance and with Serino Moodley claiming 2.5kg he too will have his supporters.

The more one dissects the form the trickier it starts to look but Saint Marco is taken to come into his own over the trip and is selected ahead of Warfare and Roy Had Enough.

Draugluin has twice let his supporters down and has been expensive to follow. However, he makes his poly debut with blinkers in the card opener from pole position draw and Dennis Drier’s runner can make amends. Alistair Gordon saddles Mambo Rock who was a neck behind Draugluin when last they met jumping from a wide draw. If Draugluin does not make the expected improvement in blinkers then Mambo Rock should be right there to pick up the pieces. Dean Kannemeyer is enjoying an island break but assistant Barbara Bardenhorst does a sterling job and Slightly Scottish was running on well on debut behind heavily supported Zen Arcade and can do better at his second visit to the racecourse.

Zen Arcade (Candiese Marnewick)

Shane Humby is back in his home province after an extended spell in the Western Cape and the Ashburton-based trainer saddles two runners who should be included in all calculations in their respective races.

Dusty Button is lightly raced but is showing signs of finding her best form. She was not far back on her local debut after returning from a six-month break and followed up with a cracking effort on the Greyville poly next time out. This being her third run after a break she looks pretty much primed.

Also returning from a break is Green Ice who showed excellent promise last season. Her last two outings were against winners and she was three lengths back to subsequent Gr1 winner Lady In Black last time out. Alyson Wright’s filly may be short of a run after a three-month break but her class could carry her through.

Humby saddles Stunning Seed in the opening leg of the PA and she looks overdue a maiden win after three smart efforts in blinkers. However, she does face a couple of form runners in Meet The Logans and Continuum while Excellistic makes her poly debut for Charles Laird who has her third run after a break and with her American pedigree she should enjoy the poly first up.

By Andrew Harrison

Being parochial can prove a costly exercise when it comes to horse racing. On the other hand, it could also prove profitable and Ashburton-based Duncan Howells has seen fit to send a raiding party to the Vaal for tomorrow’s Grand Heritage raceday, including last season’s Gr2 Daisy Guineas runner-up Secret Captain.

Howells has long had this race in mind for the grey who wrapped up his preparation with a good piece of work on Tuesday morning. “It may be that he’s not good enough,” commented Howells, “but he will definitely be fit.”

Secret Captain

The gelding has been something of an enigma, having flattered to deceive on many an occasion, leaving Howells in a quandary as to his optimum trip. He was a surprise winner on debut in a performance that stamped him as a horse with a future but he has since been up and down the scale without further success although he has turned in some smart performances, including runner-up in the Daisy Guineas.

After a particularly lack lustre effort in the Thukela Handicap towards the back end of last season, the vet was called in and Secret Captain made his seasonal debut as a gelding. It was a smart effort behind top sprinter London Call and with a handy galloping weight and a run under his girth, Secret Captain does look good enough to make his mark tomorrow.

One can never under estimate runners from the Mike de Kock and Sean Tarry yards on occasions such as this and both are likely to fancy their chances.

Elevated had some excellent early Cape form for the trainer combination of Carl Burger and Riaan van Reenen before being found out a little when up against the best of his generation during the Cape summer into the Winter Series. Sent to the Highveld, Elevated made a winning debut for his new stable and looks ideally suited to tomorrow’s event.

Tarry inevitably has a host of runners but of his five runners, Count Tassilo with S’Manga Khumalo aboard, could be the stable elect. The five-year-old has hardly missed a beat in his career, having earned in 16 of his 18 starts including victories over course and distance. He caught the eye at his seasonal debut when jumping from the widest draw in a Pinnacle Stakes event on the Turffontein inside track in one of his rare misses. He should be all the better for that outing an is sure to be among the fancied runners.

Geoff Woodruff saddles a trio of runners, all three of which are in with a shout. Zouaves is lightly raced but has yet to miss out in five career starts and looks ideally course and distance suited with a light weight to boot. Also among the bottom weights is Starrett City who has his third run after a break and was not far back to Tommy Waterdevill over the Turffontein mile last time out. He has done most of his racing over further but also looks primed for a crack at the lucrative first prize.

With 28 runners in the line-up it will be every man for himself come the final 200m but Secret Captain gets a tentative vote ahead of Elevated and Count Tassilo.

By Andrew Harrison

Dutch Philip produced an explosive burst of speed to go from last to third inside the final 200m of his reappearance in the Supabets Handicap at Durbanville yesterday. The Choice Carriers Cape Classic on 28 October now beckons.

But Candice Bass-Robinson went home convinced that Aldo Domeyer’s mount should have won and explained: “He got taken out at the start. He would have won on the line otherwise.”

Aldo Domeyer (Liesl King)

Whichever way you look at it, though, this was a good performance considering he had been off for four months, the handicapper had taken no chances with his 102 merit rating and the distance was well short of his best. Percival, who made all under Bernard Fayd’Herbe, gave Andre Nel his third winner of the afternoon.

Anton Marcus is a surprise booking for Goodtime Gal in the WSB Diana Stakes at Durbanville on Saturday week.

Mike Robinson, who had expected the four-time champion to be on Cape Fillies Guineas winner Just Sensual, said yesterday: “Bernard Fayd’Herbe couldn’t ride mine because he is riding for the Snaiths. Anton rang me for the mount and he confirmed it with me on Tuesday. Naturally, I am delighted.”

Joey Ramsden reported that Just Sensual will miss the race although not because of her wide draw. Marcus will ride the stable’s Cape Classic winner Table Bay in the Matchem on the same card.

Goodtime Gal is a 10-1 chance with the sponsors but that price is not going to last long now. Indeed there is likely to be a wholesale shake-up in the market this morning. The sponsors have had Just Sensual on 5-2 with Gimme Six favourite at 18-10. Justin Snaith says she “is doing well.”

World Sports Betting have installed Sun Met fourth Gold Standard as 12-10 favourite for the Matchem and go 3-1 Table Bay, 6-1 Copper Force, 8-1 Nebula, 16-1 Always In Charge, 20-1 and upwards others.

Gavin Lerena, despite being given a seven-day suspension on Tuesday (for failing to ride fourth-placed Ilha Da Var to the line at Turffontein on the 19th)   is 12-10 favourite to regain his title.

Prior to yesterday’s racing he had a lead of four over 9-1 chance Callan Murray and Domeyer (28-1). The last-named is in blistering form in the Western Cape – he won three of the first five yesterday – but WSB reckons the dangers are going to come from dual champion S’Manga Khumalo and three-time title holder Anthony Delpech. Both are 9-2 chances.

The expansionist firm has also opened a book on the Sansui Summer Cup and the Sean Tarry-trained KZN Breeders Million Mile winner Matador Man heads the market for the November 25 Turffontein Grade 1 at 10-1. Second favourite at 12-1 is the Empress Club winner Nother Russia trained by Mike de Kock who also has charge of 16-1 chance Elevated.

Geoff Woodruff has farmed this big handicap, winning it in each of the last four years and six times in all. His Pagoda is 15-1 third favourite and stable companion Master Switch is a 16-1 chance. Master Sabina is quoted at 18-1 to win the race for an unprecedented third time but is now registered with Joey Soma who was successful with Wagner five years ago. Triple Crown winner Abashiri is a 16-1 chance.

Eight have been left in against Whisky Baron in tomorrow’s Shadwell Joel Stakes at Newmarket. The Andrew Balding-trained Beat The Bank is 5-2 favourite but the British bookmakers, mindful of the Sun Met winner’s 244-day absence, have pushed out the Brett Crawford-trained gelding from 12-1 to 14-1. The going remains good-to-firm.

By Michael Clower

Whisky Baron is a 12-1 chance with most British bookmakers for his UK debut in the Shadwell Joel Stakes at Newmarket on Friday. Favourite for the mile Group Two at 5-2 is the Andrew Balding-trained three-year-old Beat The Bank (Oisin Murphy) who has won four of his last five.

Whisky Baron (Liesl King)

The all-conquering Aidan O’Brien has six of the 15 still in the race but the situation will become clearer, and smaller, after this morning’s declaration stage.

The Sun Met winner has no official British rating but he is on a mark of 122 with the Racing Post and this puts him 4lb below the best in the race – Beat The Bank and Zonderland who is trained by Clive Cox and will be ridden by Adam Kirby.

Whisky Baron will have to contend with the famous dip as well as a daunting straight mile for the first time but a bigger imponderable could be the going. When Greg Cheyne rode Whisky Baron in a gallop at Newmarket nine days ago he reported that the horse could not quicken in the soft ground.

However there was good news on that front yesterday as the official going description was changed from good to good-to-firm although there are showers forecast. British good to firm is roughly the equivalent of good ground here.

By Michael Clower

The imminent introduction of barrier trials in KwaZulu-Natal is a welcome move towards greater transparency in South African racing which for some time has not enjoyed the full trust of the racing public and, together with the dissatisfaction with the merit rated handicap system, left all but the die-hards of the sport disheartened to the extent of calling it quits.

Top marks to Paul Lafferty in spearheading the drive to introduce barrier trials which will be introduced by Gold Circle early in November under the supervision of the National Horseracing Authority and will be applicable to all unraced horses and horses that have been off the track for an extended period.

It is a good step in the right direction. However, a lot is going to depend on how the information from the trials will be disseminated relevant to a horse’s appearance in a race thereafter in a way that it can be equated to that race and the opposition it faces.

For the first-timers it will be an important factor and could do away with the ridiculous on-course trainer comments such as “he’s a nice sort” which tells one nothing and “he’ll need the run” which, according to my “oldish” rule book, is tantamount to admitting that he or she is breaking the rules.

Rule 62.1 reads: “Every horse shall be run and shall be allowed to run to the best of its ability and on its merits.” To me that means it should be presented to race in a racing fit condition and be given every chance to perform to the best of its ability.

It is comments such as these that upset racing supporters and it is no consolation to punters on other occasions, when a trainer steps up after winning a race and quite brazenly states “he needed the run last time” – an admission that he or she had presented the horse in an unfit condition for punters to bet on believing that, on its form and exposed ability, it had a winning chance when in fact it was effectively not even trying.

The barrier trials will only be worth the time and effort put into running them if the “fitness” factor is enforced. They will be of little value if treated merely as “educational” runs and while pushing a runner out with hands and heels or even with the encouragement of a tap on the rear end may be impressive, it will not enable the animal to do better than its current fitness level will allow.

It requires more stringent implementation of the racing rules and they should encompass all levels of racing. That would eliminate the situation where an odds on favourite with the ability and form to win as it likes, struggles home out of the money and the trainer comments that it needed the run and that everyone knew it was a prep run for another race.

Punters have got to have the confidence that the horse they are backing will give them an honest run for their money and if beaten, it was a better horse that beat them. The industry cannot afford to turn the people that keep the sport alive against it, particularly as there are many avenues these days for the gamblers to satisfy their craving.

The National Horseracing Authority is currently undergoing a re-organisational programme if reports I have seen are correct and one can only hope that the policing side of their duties can be more vigorously addressed in a way that will give everyone in the sport, and most importantly the punter, greater trust and confidence in the sport and the beautiful creatures so many of us love.

By Richard McMillan

African Night Sky is a surprise omission from the 16 nominations for the historic Matchem Stakes at Durbanville on Saturday week.

Snaith Racing, successful with Changingoftheguard five years ago, said earlier in the month that the Winter Series winner would begin his four-year-old campaign in the 1 400m Grade 3 but they have had second thoughts.

African Night Sky (Liesl King)

Justin Snaith explained: “The horse is fine but the Matchem comes too soon and I have been caught out year after year by running my good horses in it.”

Snaith, whose only entry is the wide-drawn Copper Force, has the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and the Sun Met as the targets for African Night Sky but he has yet to decide where the horse will start off.

Joey Ramsden has won two of the last six runnings with the high class Variety Club and Act Of War and his two entries include last year’s Cape Classic scorer Table Bay. The highest-rated entry is Cape Guineas runner-up and Met fourth Gold Standard.

Cape Fillies Guineas winner and Equus champion Just Sensual heads the 17 entries for the Diana Stakes on the same card but Andre Nel is undecided about last year’s winner Captain’s Flame, explaining: “She has had a bit of a setback and she wasn’t that well a week ago.”

By Michael Clower

Dutch Philip warms up for next month’s Cape Classic in the Supabets Handicap at Durbanville tomorrow.

Aldo Domeyer’s mount won four out of five last season including both the Somerset and the Cape Nursery and he is clearly a class act. World Sports Betting was taking no chances yesterday and opened the colt favourite at 14-10.

Aldo Domeyer

But that price doesn’t really allow for the negatives, namely that this is his first race for four months, his first against older horses and that he races off a high mark of102. Also he is stepping back in trip and that could be the biggest stumbling block of all.

“He will need his run and, while I’m not saying he can’t win, 1 000m could be a bit quick for him,” says Candice Bass-Robinson.

The one that makes most appeal is 9-2 second favourite Starflash who was having his first race of the season when third to Rock Of Africa in a good 1 200m handicap a fortnight ago. He was drawn wide that day and he has a much better position here.

Al Wahed missed that race – off-feed was the reason – but previously he was only beaten a neck by Master’s Spirit. He will have appreciated Monday’s rain and looks real each way value at 12-1 even though he has been raised three points and there is a line of form that says he shouldn’t beat Starflash.

Black Cat Black (5-1) has gone up five points and, although he has won his last three starts, they were all over a furlong further and this is his first outing of the season. Olympian, also a 5-1 shot, is a stable companion of Starflash and is not without a chance.

Evelina is 17-10 favourite for the first and could be hard to beat. The Andre Nel filly is well drawn and would have finished closer last time (only her second start) but for racing green and ducking out sharply 100m from home. Spam Alert is second favourite at 4-1 but don’t ignore 13-2 shot Romantic Crusade. Grant van Niekerk’s mount was only just over a length behind Evelina and then lost ground at the start on her only subsequent outing.

Van Niekerk has a favourite’s chance on Orakal in the next but the 33-10 chance faces stiff opposition, notably from 5-1 hopes Tyrandeus and The Sun Also Rises. The form book says the latter could be the one.

The older horses meet the three-year-olds on far better terms than weight-for-age in these maidens and Destiny Duchess (33-10) can prove the point by beating 5-2 favourite Woodstock Fairy in the Betting World Maiden 35 minutes later.

By Michael Clower

With 19 runners to saddle, Duncan Howells will be a busy man at Scottsville tomorrow and it will be a surprise if he does not make it into the winner’s circle at least once in the afternoon. But the pressure will be on. It’s one of those days where he could be the toast of the town or heading home wondering what went wrong.

Howells holds a strong hand in the Fillies and Mares Pinnacle Stakes that heads the card with three top class runners but was far from bullish about any of them.

Neptune’s Rain

“They are not well weighted and this is a tough field. I don’t know if I can win it,” he said on Thursday morning.

Howells added that he had given stable rider Keagan de Melo the pick of the rides for owner Dave MacLean and he had decided on Neptune’s Rain who Howells thinks has a bright future. However, he felt that Dawn Calling was the more forward of the pair at this stage and although looking for further had a strong chance if racing fresh.

That said, Howells was of the opinion that Lunar Rush was the fittest of the three and “has a chance if she’s good enough.” But even with Anton Marcus, Anthony Delpech and De Melo riding for him he was not overly confident.

Paul Gadsby’s runner Vision To Kill has the benefit of a 2.5kg claimer aboard in Serino Moodley and comes of a cracking last win when fitted with a tongue-tie while Isingamoya is a classy mare who enjoyed just rewards last time out and Mark Dixon’s runner is also in with a winning chance.

The first, if any, of Howells’s winners could be Bear Hug in the third. The gelded son of Ideal World was all at sea on debut, also losing a shoe in the process. He showed good improvement at his second start where in spite of a tardy start he was running on nicely behind the heavily backed Silva’s Bullet.

The step up in trip should be in his favour and he could finish ahead of the consistent Toltec.

Lezeanne Forbe’s runner was reported to have been making a respiratory noise when fading late at his last start but it may also have been that the 1950m was a little out of his compass after finishing close-up in his two previous starts over 1600m. These two look the principal contenders.

Howells saddles Mirwa in the opening leg of the Pick 6 along with three other runners and he will be looking for major improvement from the daughter of Fort Wood. Mirwa was never in the hunt behind Silva’s Bullet but was all over the course. She will definitely prefer tomorrow’s trip and gets the services of stable rider Keagan de Melo who has picked her ahead of stable companions Pharoah’s Tiger, Rippling Music and Roy’s Vogue.

Crime Victim

Queen’s Plain made a winning debut for Howells and can follow up in the fifth although she is up against some seasoned handicappers, most notably top weight Flying Silver. Garth Puller’s mare is hardly ever out of the money and was a game second to Master Of Mischief last time out. The step up in trip should not be a worry although she does have to give the progressive Queen’s Plain 8kg which may prove beyond her.

It was written somewhere that your first winner as a racehorse owner is up there with war and sex. I don’t think either was on the mind of Lady Colleen Glaeser as she dropped the lead rope like a hot potato after Amor Ardiente entered the winner’s circle at Scottsville earlier this month and not necessary out of excitement. “I’m terrified of horses!” she exclaimed.

Belinda Impey’s 25-1 shot was met by a few mutterings from punters but visiting rider Gunter Wrogemann was impressed. “He’ll easily get eight to 10 furlongs,” he surmised.

Amor Ardiente certainly enjoyed going around the turn for the first time and Wrogemann will be in the irons again to back up his claim in the All To Come Handicap.

Of the balance, Crime Victim, another Howells runner, has dropped a further four pounds in the handicap and now looks competitive.

The Soccer 6 Fillies Handicap is a tough race with plenty in with chances. Howells again holds a strong hand with Miziara who was close on stable companion Fiorella’s heels when the two met and is better off at the weights here. With Marcus up she’s a big runner. Fiorella was a close-up second first crack out of the maidens and will much prefer this trip from a good draw while a very much in form Dennis Drier saddles the progressive Tsessebe who has done most of her racing at Greyville and could well improve on some good form over this longer straight.

By Andrew Harrison