Duncan Howells will be crowned the KZN Champion trainer for the second time in his career later in the year at the KZN Racing Awards.

Overall KZN yards had a few highlights in the 2016-2017 season, but will be hoping for a better Graded class campaign this term.

Duncan Howells (Nkosi Hlophe)

Howells got the better of Dennis Drier in what has become an annual duel for the KZN title, although Cape-based Dean Kannemeyer, who has a satellite yard at Summerveld, threatened once more to join the fray.

The KZN Trainer’s Championship is decided by number of winners in KZN-based races. Howells finished with 75 to Drier’s 69 and Kannemeyer’s 58.

However, the highest stakes earner in KZN races was national champion trainer Sean Tarry. In KZN he had 42 winners and stakes earnings of R9,277,425.

Tarry won three Grade 1 events in KZN. Carry On Alice won the SA Fillies Sprint and Bull Valley won both the Tsogo Sun Sprint and Mercury Sprint.

Drier had two Grade 1 victories during the season, both in KZN. Sand And Sea won the Grade 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion and Lady In Black won the Grade 1 Thekwini Stakes. Remarkably, it was Drier’s sixth Gold Medallion victory in eight years and seventh overall.

Howells was second in stakes earnings in KZN races with R7,853,262 and Drier was third with R6,934,412.

On the national log Howells finished in eleventh place with stakes earnings of R8,144,138 (75 winners) and Drier was in twelfth with R7,784,163 (80 winners).

The duel at one stage in KZN was between Drier and Mike de Kock, but Howells emerged in the 2013/2014 season to beat De Kock to the title.

Drier won for the next two seasons from Howells as De Kock began diminishing his KZN operation. However, this season it was the famously hard working Howells’ turn. Drier had his winning-most month in August last year with 11 victories, a month in which Howells had only three winners. By the end of September Drier was on 18 and Howells on ten and by October’s end Drier was on 23 and Howells 15. Kannemeyer’s eight winners in November saw him moving into second place on 17 winners behind Drier on 25, while Howells was in third on 16.

Dennis Drier (Nkosi Hlophe)

Drier’s quiet spell was not surprising as he takes his best horses down to Cape Town to campaign in the Cape Summer Of Champions Season.

Howells, in typical fashion, emerged from his November drought firing on all cylinders and had his second best month of the season in December with eleven winners. His yard proved once more their dynamism during this month.

The three-cornered contest had now hotted up.

The log in the next six month-ends’ respectively read: December: Drier 28, Howells 27, Kannemeyer 26; January: Drier 33, Howells 33, Kannemeyer 32; February: Howells 39, Drier 36, Kannemeyer 36; March: Howells 43, Drier 43, Kannemeyer 41; April: Howells 50, Drier 49 Kannemeyer 45; May: Howells 55, Drier 54, Kannemeyer 47.

There was all to play for entering the last month of the season as the standings at the end of June were Howells 62, Drier 60 and Kannemeyer 56.

However, the Howells yard had their best month of the season when it counted. Their 13 winners in July saw them finishing the season six clear of Drier’s yard, who were in turn eleven clear of Kannemeyer.

Howells’ highlights were winning the Grade 2 Betting World 1900 with Ten Gun Salute, the Grade 3 Strelitzia Stakes with Neptune’s Rain, the R1 million BSA Mile with Legend and he also won three other Non-Black Type events.

Drier had his most disappointing Cape season this decade. However, besides his two Grade 1 wins in KZN, he also won the BSA Million Sprint with Hack Green and the Cornubia/Phoenix Sun Durban Dash with the three-year-old filly Sommerlied, who in the first KZN meeting of the season last Thursday lowered the Scottsville 1000m course record to 55,61 seconds.

There were a few highlights for other KZN yards during the season.

Dean Kannemeyer (Nkosi Hlophe)

Gareth van Zyl made a dream start to his career as a licensed trainer at Greyville on Friday night, 28 October, when sending out a winner with his first  runner and later in the evening he capped it by winning the Listed Jonsson Workwear Michaelmas Handicap over 1900m with Celtic Captain. Gareth also won a Non-Black Type race with Celtic Captain and won the Listed Gatecrasher Stakes with Trojan Harbour. He finished the season with 25 winners.

His father Gavin, who has a yard at Summerveld and a satellite yard run by his son Chesney at Turffontein, finished in 15^th place on the National Trainers log and had 73 winners in all.

Among these was a Non-Black Type feature victory.

Charles Laird was as prominent as usual in KZN with 41 winners.

Paul Lafferty doubled his number of winners this season from 17 last term to 34.

Alyson Wright, Dennis Bosch and Mark Dixon all had good seasons with 31, 30 and 29 winners respectively.

Dixon’s crack sprinter London Call started the season with four wins on the trot including in the Non-Black Type Marula Sprint and ended it with a fourth place finish in the Grade 1 Mercury Sprint.

Lezanne Forbes, Yogas Govender, Dennis Bosch, Tony Rivalland and Michael Roberts all had one Non-Black Type victory apiece too.

By David Thiselton

Glorious Goodwood may have been hit by the worst weather in its history this week, but by Friday order was restored. The sun came out; the gale force winds died down and Al Jazi (IRE) under Frankie Dettori defended her Group 3 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate Stakes (1400m) crown in style. The race is part of a twinning agreement between Goodwood and the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate.

Frankie Dettori (Liesl King)

It was the third straight victory for French trainer Francois Rohaut and Goodwood Festival sponsors Al Shaqab, who won also won the race in 2015 with Amy Eria (IRE). By Canford Cliffs (IRE), who will join the Highlands Stud stallion band in 2018, Al Jazi is a 1400m specialist and with Dettori in the saddle the mare started as 9/4 favourite.

Despite a dash for the line Eternally (GB), Tomyris (GB) and even former South African runner Same Jurisdiction (SAF), the result was never in any doubt. With just over 400m left to go Dettori sent Al Jazi into the lead and the mare extended away from her rivals to win by 1.25 lengths with Eternally in second and Tomyris in third, a further head back.

It was the first victory of the week for crowd favourite Dettori and the roar as the popular jockey entered the winner’s circle was deafening. Dettori did not disappoint and despite his recent troubles with a persistent shoulder injury, he flew skywards in style, followed by a happy dance once safely back on the ground.

Harry Herbert, racing manager for Al Shaqab, was equally delighted with the victory: “She’s a specialist at this trip and at this racecourse, coming back to win this for the second year running. It is Frankie’s first win of the week so far. It’s great, the reaction he gets from the racing public is so unique and so special and of course he feeds off that, and those scenes in the unsaddling enclosure is what it is all about. It’s good for Frankie, he’s a superstar. Gregory Benoist would have ridden the filly, but he’s hurt his neck and has been off for a few months.”

Herbert confirmed that Al Jazi would be returning to top level competition, with the Group 1 Prix de la Forêt over 1400m on Arc weekend the most likely target.

By Liesl King

South African jockeys Raymond Danielson and Brandon Lerena have arrived back in South Africa after their ordeal in Mauritius and Muzi Yeni has also been cleared to leave the island and will be on a flight this morning (Sunday).

Brandon Lerena (supplied)

It is well documented Lerena, Danielson and Yeni went on a catamaran trip on a sunny day in June and one of the other people on the boat, unbeknown to them, turned out to be a licensed bookmaker.

Lerena and Danielson were found to be in breach of a Mauritian Turf Club (MTC) rule regarding associations between licensed jockeys and licensed bookmakers and were charged.

However, an appeal against the subsequent guilty verdict and the three month riding suspension handed to them was heard internally on the MTC premises on Tuesday and was upheld.

They were subsequently cleared to leave the island

Yeni was not charged with the same breach and was in fact never charged with any breach of Mauritian law whatsoever.

However, for reasons which have still not been explained by anybody an “objection to departure” was placed upon him and an application he brought to the supreme court regarding the matter was adjourned until about August 18.

However, he was suddenly given notice of an intent to clear him for departure on Thursday and was then cleared to leave the island.

By David Thiselton

Brett Crawford, six Grade 1s last season, has tremendous strength in depth and he can strike with Captain Ram in the Racing Association Maiden at Kenilworth on Sunday.

This colt was pipped on the post on his first attempt over this 1 400m and, while he looked as if he might not have quite seen out the trip that day, he had enough ability to run in the Somerset 1200 and Corne Orffer can be relied upon to nurse him home.

Brett Crawford (Nkosi Hlophe)

Tripple Explosion is second favourite and looks a big danger after finishing second in his last three starts but, as a four-year-old, he may not have as much scope for improvement as his younger rival.

Crawford, incidentally, was only narrowly beaten by Justin Snaith for the top Western Cape trainer award and had a strike rate of 13% at Kenilworth last season. Joey Ramsden also recorded 13% while Snaith and Mike Robinson fared next best with 12%. Andre Nel (20%) did better than anybody apart from Shane Humby (25%) who moved his string to KZN in search of more opportunities.

With the exception of Anton Marcus who clocked up an incredible 33%, Aldo Domeyer and Bernard Fayd’Herbe had the best Kenilworth riding strike rates with 19%. Western Cape champion Richard Fourie recorded 18% and Grant van Niekerk 15%.

The Crawford-trained Greenstreet Tractor, a R260 000 Captain Al newcomer, was the early favourite for the opening maiden but the originally booked Greg Cheyne is now sitting out a suspension. Orffer partners stable companion Undercover Agent, also a Captain Al first-timer.

However Streetfighting Man still makes more appeal. His previous run gives him an advantage and it is worth noting that he was considered useful enough to start joint favourite – and that he would have finished a fair bit closer had not his inexperience cost him valuable ground at the start.

Wine Festival looks the bet of the day in race three. This Ramsden filly has had two good runs – the second of them over this trip – and she has a good draw which is important over 1 400m. Daring Miss and Le Claire may follow her home.

Hithimagainchuck is favourite to defy top weight in the Place Your Bets Handicap (race seven) but the Snaith gelding faces a stiff task for a horse only just turned three and preference is for Western Storm who ran well over a furlong further last time.

By Michael Clower

The horse transport companies will be busy over the next week or two ferrying the visiting horses back to home base, but there are still a few with unfinished business, one being Johan Janse van Vuuren.

Many of his horses have already left Ashburton and returned to the cold and dusty Vaal, but others like Hardball in the first and Till Dawn in the second look to have bright chances on the Greyville poly tomorrow.

Anton Marcus (Liesl King)

Hard Ball makes his local debut but has shown promise on the Highveld in spite of being lightly raced. Van Vuuren has stepped him up to 2000m tomorrow but his Australian pedigree suggests that this is what he has been looking for all along. If he stays he rates the one to beat in what otherwise stacks up into a weak maiden. If there is a danger the threat will in all likelihood come from the consistent Air Salute who has been consistent and stays the trip. The form of his last poly race has worked out well so he must rate a serious threat.

The draw on the Greyville poly track does not appear to be a major factor so Till Dawn’s wide gate should not be too much of a hindrance. The gelding made good improvement at his second outing when racing in a tongue-tie and winner that day Borya, contested a Gr1 feature at his next start. Charles Laird had a quite Champions Season by his standards but steps out a host of runners tomorrow and Mighty Mercury could get him off the mark for the season. Laird’s runner has a plum draw and should enjoy the extra.

Of the balance, Q Behind Me returns from a break but has shown some ability while Lions Den has his third run after a break and tries blinkers. He is one to watch.

The third is something of a minefield but Roy’s Barbel has improved with each outing and now looks ready although the long-suffering Pomona is long overdue and should be thereabouts again. Another to consider is One Dimension who has had a single sprint and should much prefer the extra. He is one to watch in the market.

Laird is two-handed in the fourth with Yankeedoodledandy and The Carpenter, both in with strong chances. Anton Marcus presumably had the pick of rides of the two Mayfair Speculator-owned horses so the consistent Yankeedoodledandy may be the right one. He has some consistent form to stronger and with a fair draw he should be competitive. Stable companion The Carpenter was not too far back in useful company at his last two and has won over course and distance. The Des Egdes-trained Asyouplease showed up well first up in handicap company from a difficult draw over the Scottsville mile and must come into the reckoning.

Laird has another strong hand in the fifth where the stable elect could well be Dance On Air. He ran a good second to Cutting Edge last time and looks ready to go one better. Stable companion Waltzed Home is seldom far off the action and loves the surface. He should make a race of it.

The sixth is another lowly handicap and decidedly tricky Roy’s Rolls Royce is a bit of a poly specialist and has the form to be very competitive. Toa Nui shed his maiden last time out but that form has been franked and he must come into the reckoning in a field of this calibre. Selvan’s Jet, Master Shogun, Emperor Niarchos and the lightly weighted Discourse all rate winning chances.

The Lion Guard has a wide draw to overcome in the seventh but has the form to be competitive. His last run to Roy Royale was particularly good. He can go one better. Veteran Eddie Sweat is running well and is seldom far off the action. He gets the services of an astute judge of form in Anton Marcus and the veteran gelding can break a long winning drought.

If the two in the first two races do not fire for Janse van Vuuren he could end off the meeting on a winning note with the lightly raced mare Clifton Road. She has her third run after a break and could prove too strong for the likes of Kutlwanoslove and Mermaid Siren.

By Andrew Harrison

Turffontein’s first weekend meeting of the new season is on Sunday on the Standside track and punters look to have some fair chances in the eight races.

Maximizer (Nkosi Hlophe)

The highest rated race is the sixth, a MR 88 handicap over 1400m. National Key is an eight-year-old who has won his first start of the season on three different occasions and he could do so again here, although his wide draw is a concern. In his penultimate start over 1600m, having dropped to his lowest ever merit rating of 81, he was narrowly beaten but was more than five lengths clear of Maximizer, who won a Listed race on the Greyville poly over 1600m next time out. In his next start over 1400m National Key pecked at the start and was never in it, so that run can likely be ignored. He is still off an 81 and is the selection to win. Yankee Captain has to bounce back from a poor run last time when something felt amiss over 1600m and he finished eleven lengths behind National Key.

However, his course and distance record here is hard to ignore, as he has won twice and placed second once in four attempts, and furthermore he is drawn in pole position. Kings Archer also has a decent course and distance record and if he repeats his last run here he will go close as he was under sufferance in that Pinnacle Stakes event over course and distance yet charged home to be beaten only half-a-length by the useful Will Pays. Quinlan looks to have scope and also looks likely to stay this trip. He has had a busy campaign and if his trip to Durban, where he finished fourth in a Grade 3 over 1200m, did not take too much out of him he can be involved. Danza has dropped to a competitive merit rating and has a fair draw over an ideal trip so should make his presence felt. Vulcan has been knocking on the door over this trip, but does have a wide draw to overcome so will likely have to be used up to some extent to get to the front where he likes to be.

The first race, a Maiden over 1160m, is interesting as the form horse The Puma is returning from a six month layoff. However, he looks to be a cut above the rest and can beat home Midnight Messenger, who should improve from his fair debut, and the speedy Wellspring. Alwahsh and Piaget Prince are first-timers to take note of.

In the second over 1000m, The Thinker is a solid sort who won the last time he ran over course and distance and he can defy topweight off a four point higher merit rating. He is lightly raced and won the last time he returned from a three month layoff. However, it is an open race and the like of the speedy but inconsistent Isphan and the consistent All Night Flight also have chances.

Will Pays (Nkosi Hlophe)

The third over 1600m is an uninspiring maiden, but Imperial Ounce, Dancing Rebel and Skiminac should be enough to get punters through the exotics.

In the fourth over 1600m Teenage Dream could surprise as she will relish the step up in trip from 1400m last time and has dropped to a competitive merit rating. She has a fair draw and the Lucky Houdalakis yard are in good form. However, Sim-Alley Bank will be a good back up as she has proved competitive off her current merit rating and has a good draw with Gavin Lerena up.

In the fifth B Twenty One looks a fair bet to continue her winning ways over staying trips as she could well still be ahead of the handicapper, although Arabian World has always struck as a staying type and will likely give plenty of cheek.

The progressive High Seas Beauty, the well drawn and distance suited Rouge Allure and the promising Dame Kelly can fight out the seventh over 1400m as they are all nicely drawn, although End Game is also a capable sort and Jo Mambo and Comme-Ci-Comme-Ca can’t be ignored.

In the last race over 1600m Spring Indeed is the form horse and should be cherry ripe to deliver as she is having her third run after a layoff, although she doesn’t have an easy draw. Iridium Silver has excellent course and distance form so looks the main danger.

By David Thiselton

Kwazulu-Natal-based trainer Kom Naidoo has found a happy hunting ground at Flamingo Park on their big day and he will be raiding Kimberley again on Saturday to cash in on their three big races.

Naidoo has a remarkable knack of knowing which horses perform well on the sand and this year he will be sending 11 runners to the Northern Cape in order to pick up some of the big stake money on offer.

Sabre Charge (Nkosi Hlophe)

There are a number of highlights on the day, which is headed up by the three feature races, the R200,000 RA Flamingo Mile, the R135,000 RA Sprint over 1000m and the R110,000 Department Of Economic Development And Tourism Diamond Stayers over 2200m. All three are Non-Black Type events.

Trainers have come from all over the country with runners for this 10-race programme, including Jacques Strydom from Port Elizabeth and the likes of Stephen Moffatt, Clinton Binda and Stanley Ferreira from Johannesburg. The other “first” this year is the introduction of a race for work riders. These guys work in their respective races and do most of the work on the horse. The Work Riders’ programme is particularly active on the Highveld and in the

Western Cape. The first work riders’ races in the Eastern Cape started last year and it is a mission of all concerned to see the programmed rolled out throughout the country over the next few years. The programme is aimed at providing previously disadvantaged people the opportunity to undergo training in the sport so that they can ride at a level equivalent to that of a professional jockey.

This Flamingo Park racing meeting is aimed at introducing a new, high-quality experience to the Kimberley community and is an opportunity for Kimberley to raise its profile as a destination worth visiting. Kimberley, which has the only authentic sand track in the country, will be aiming to make this a multi-cultural and inclusive event that caters for varying tastes of horseracing enthusiasts as well as the Kimberley community.

For those who have not attended a race meeting this is an ideal chance to experience the excitement of the sport and enjoy a day packed with entertainment that will provide for all age groups and varying tastes. In addition, 10 local entrepreneurs have been invited to promote youth businesses in the city and province at large.

The nominees for this event are:

JUVENILE MALE: AL MARIACHI, ANCESTRY, DUTCH PHILIP, EYES WIDE OPEN

JUVENILE FILLY: MAGICAL WONDERLAND, PRINCESS PEACH

THREE-YEAR-OLD MALE: AFRICAN NIGHT SKY, EDICT OF NANTES, GOLD STANDARD, WILLIAM LONGSWORD

THREE-YEAR-OLD FILLY: JUST SENSUAL, LADY OF THE HOUSE

OLDER MALE: CAPTAIN AMERICA, MARINARESCO, SAIL SOUTH, WHISKY BARON

OLDER FEMALE: BELA-BELA, NIGHTINGALE

CHAMPION SPRINTER (1 000M TO 1 200M): LIVE LIFE, SEARCH PARTY, JO’S BOND

CHAMPION MILER (1 400M TO 1 600M): CAPTAIN AMERICA, WILLIAM LONGSWORD

CHAMPION MIDDLE DISTANCE: (1800M TO 2200M):

BELA-BELA, MARINARESCO, SAIL SOUTH, WHISKY BARON

CHAMPION STAYER: AFRICAN NIGHT SKY, BANNER HILL, CAPTAIN SPLENDID, KRAMBAMBULI, MR WINSOME, ROYAL BADGE

OTHER AWARDS

WP GROOMS’ SCHOOL WORKRIDER

CAPE APPRENTICE JOCKEY

CAPE JOCKEY

CAPE TRAINER

ACKNOWLEGMENT OF ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

EXCEPTIONAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

HORSE OF THE YEAR

OWNER OF THE YEAR

South African jockeys Brandon Lerena and Raymond Danielson were on Tuesday successful in their appeal against a three month suspension from riding handed to them by The Mauritius Turf Club (MTC) and are now awaiting clearance certificates to leave the island.

Brandon Lerena

However, in a situation which Durban-based legal representative Bruce Armstrong described as “bizarre”, SA jockey Muzi Yeni remains forcibly stranded on the island despite no charge having ever been laid against him.

It is well documented Lerena, Danielson and Yeni went on a catamaran trip on a sunny day in June and one of the other people on the boat, unbeknown to them, turned out to be a licensed bookmaker.

Lerena and Danielson were found to be in breach of a MTC rule regarding associations between licensed jockeys and licensed bookmakers and were charged.

However, an appeal against the subsequent guilty verdict was heard internally on the MTC premises on Tuesday and was upheld.

Yeni was not charged with the same breach for the reason the MTC accepted that, as he had only been on the island for a few days, he could not have known the aforementioned man was a licensed bookmaker.

Earlier, Yeni had volunteered information to the MTC regarding a “WhatsApp” screen shot, posted on a Facebook group, in relation to a conversation which allegedly took place between somebody called “Muzi Yeni Q” and another person, the identity of whom is unknown. The Racing Stewards of the Mauritius Turf Club carried out an Inquiry into this matter and concluded that there was no evidence of Yeni having acted in contravention of the MTC Rules of Racing. They therefore decided not to proceed further with the inquiry and no charge was laid against Yeni.

In relation to the above issue, the South African NHRA sent out a press release on July 19 under the headline “Alleged Impersonations in the Racing Industry” which stated:

“The National Horseracing Authority confirms that it is aware of a number of advances and communications made to various people in the Industry by certain persons purporting to be Jockeys or persons connected to Jockeys. These persons offer tips and inside information under the guise of being in the know and well informed.  They request that payments be made directly into their banking accounts in return for the information. It has been established that the Riders, whose names are being used are not aware of these communications.”

Raymond Danielson

Yeni’s contract of employment to ride for the Ricky Maingard stable in Mauritius had ended on June 26.

Before any foreign worker is allowed to leave Mauritius, he has to obtain clearances from all relevant authorities, and Yeni was granted these by both the MTC and the Mauritius Revenue Authority (MRA).

On about the 28^th day of June, Yeni was requested by the “Police des jeux” , a department of the MRA, to record a statement in relation to the “catamaran” incident.

Together with a Mauritian legal representative, Yeni fully cooperated with the “Police des jeux” and voluntarily gave a detailed version on the issues raised by the latter.

Thereafter, the “Police des Jeux” allowed him to leave the premises and told me him he was free to go.

Not only has no provisional charge of any nature whatsoever been levelled against Yeni to date, but the “Police des Jeux” were also satisfied with his explanations, which confirmed there was no evidence to link him with any offence under the Laws of Mauritius.

Therefore, Yeni appeared to be free to leave the island in order to ride Ten Gun Salute in the Vodacom Durban July at Greyville on July 1.

However, in the first of a “shocking” sequence of events, Yeni’s legal representative was informed on the same day by the officers of the “Police des Jeux” that there was “objection to departure” placed upon Yeni and such objection was lodged at the request of the Prime Minister’s Office.

Yeni’s subsequent appeals to all of The Permanent Secretary, Prime Minister’s Office; The Commissioner of Police; The Gambling and Regulatory Authority; The Passport and Immigration Officer; and the Director of Public Prosecutions to provide a reason for the objection brought no joy.

Muzi Yeni

To date neither Yeni nor his legal advisors have been provided with any reason whatsoever for the “objection to departure”.

Even worse, the “objection to departure” in question seems to be for an indefinite period as he has not been informed of the duration of such objection.

A further distressing event occurred when Yeni’s application to the Supreme Court was adjourned until August 18, despite Yeni’s legal representatives pointing out the urgency of a resolution to the matter.

Yeni has been deprived of earning a living since June 26, and he is the sole breadwinner in a family also consisting of his wife and two children, both of whom attend paid school.

Yeni, who has riding commitments in South Africa, has also apparently lost sponsors.

His legal representatives have also pointed out the irreparable prejudice which had been caused to Yeni and his family.

Yeni’s legal representatives have also emphasised their belief that such a state of affairs stands contrary to Yeni’s constitutional rights guaranteed under Section 15 of the Constitution of Mauritius entitled “FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT” and more specifically sub section (1) thereof which reads: “No person shall be deprived of his freedom of movement , and for the purposes of this section, that freedom means the right to move freely throughout Mauritius, the right to reside in any part of Mauritius, the right to enter Mauritius, the right to leave Mauritius, and immunity of expulsion from Mauritius.”

By David Thiselton

Another South African Champions Season may be a thing of the past with the curtain coming down on Gold Cup day at Greyville on Sunday, but it’s still business as usual at Scottsville tomorrow where Racing. It’s a Rush Pinnacle Stakes heads a competitive card.

Once the country’s highest rated horse, Talktothestars has not won since scraping home in a Pinnacle Stakes event at Flamingo Park. Be that as it may, the former Gr1 Tsogo Sun Sprint winner was matching it with the best towards the tail end of the season, finishing second to Rafeef in the Gr1 Computaform Sprint, beating Carry On Alice, and then second in the Gr2 Post Merchants to Search Party with a host of the country’s best sprinters behind him.

Coennie de Beer’s champion ran no sort of race in the recent Gr1 Mercury Sprint last month but was reported as coughing post-race.

He was decidedly unlucky not to have finished closer than three and a bit lengths behind Bull Valley when defending his title in the Tsogo Sun Sprint, and although he may not have won, he ran into serious traffic just as he was making his final bid and lost all momentum.

With rising star in the apprentice ranks in Ashton Arries taking 2.5kg off his back, Talktothestars has a lot in his favour and he can kick his season off on a winning note.

Talktothestars (Nkosi Hlophe)

Brutal Force has not found the form that saw him win two races on the Highveld when sent up for the Computaform Sprint as his target but he did show signs when three lengths back to Bull Valley in the Mercury Sprint. Joey Ramsden is likely to hold off heading back to a wet and wintery Cape Town for a while and Brutal Force will need to pay his way.

Dennis Drier was touched off in the last two weeks of the KZN Trainer’s Championship, losing his crown to Duncan Howells, but he signed off his season in style with Lady In Black winning the Gr1 Thekwini Stakes.

In Sommerlied he has another smart filly but the daughter of Var has been lightly raced in spite of winning three of her four starts.

She has it all to do at these weights with the likes of Talktothestars and Brutal Force but she should have come on from her come-back win when touching off Sergeant Hardy and should be a big threat to her older male rivals.

Formerly Vaal-based Louis Goosen has his first runners as an official Ashburton-based trainer, saddling three runners in Doing It For Dan, Hashtag Strat and Bonnie Dawn. The last mentioned was touched off last Saturday by Gee Wizz in a five-furlong dash at Greyville under 61.5kg and with apprentice Craig Bantam, back from a successful spell in Cape Town, taking 2.5kg off her back, she will feel as if she is running ‘loose’.

Aforaway met winners when some lengths behind Bear Hug in the KZN Breeders Juvenile Plate and newly crowned champion trainer Sean Tarry can get his KZN season underway. The step up in trip and Anton Marcus aboard points to a much improved run although there are a number of well bred debutante’s in the line-up and the betting could prove a better guide.

African Honey is lightly raced with modest form to back her but a step up in trip and a tongue-tie could see Robbie Hill’s filly show major improvement and open the Pick 6.

Eina! Was probably what many punters where feeling after most took a drubbing at Sunday’s Gold Cup meeting but the horse of the same name can ease some of that pain in the fourth although the likes of Sitia and Black Cashmere will make it difficult.

By Andrew Harrison