Dynasty’s Blossom is a confident choice for the Fillies Maiden Juvenile at Kenilworth tomorrow. This R4.5 million purchase looked a certain future winner when making a promising debut a fortnight ago and the extra furlong should be in her favour.

The Joey Ramsden filly ran on nicely after making a slow start and had the much more experienced Cosmic Dust over four lengths behind. She is drawn on the rails and is rated 2kg clear of the next best, Rings And Things.

Joey Ramsden (Kenilworth Racing)

The handicappers don’t normally release any two-year-old ratings until the handicaps start next month but on this occasion the results of their calculations slipped through the net.

The other two-year-old race is much more problematical. Pen-Chan, well beaten when over four lengths-second to the admittedly smart Valedictorian, is top-rated of those that have raced and would have to be the tip unless there is significant money for any of the newcomers.

Those that appear to be the choice of the top stables cost between R500 000 (Supreme Orator) and R100 000 (Pinwheel and the appropriately-named Endofmarch) although Querari’s Secret (R280 000) commands the most respect at this stage even though her pedigree suggests she wants further.

The sahorseracing computer goes for Pen-Chan – but it conveniently ignores all the unraced horses!

Dalibhunga, bred in the purple – by Var out of dual SA Fillies Sprint winner Joie De Grise, has a lot to make up on the top three in the finale on a strict form interpretation of his Valentine’s Day debut but there was a lot of promise about the performance. He lost several lengths at the start after playing up in the pens but he made up six lengths in the last 300m.  He should be good enough.

Arctic Green started favourite when fourth to Miss Stake a month ago – probably because rider Anton Marcus was on a roll – but she did suffer some interference and she finished only half a length behind Daring Miss who re-opposes in the Racing Association Maiden. The Tab sheet has her at 10-1 and at that price you can back her each way. Weston has some decent form but has been off since early January while the Inspired Choice form has not worked out that well.

BLOB Last year’s Woolavington winner Bela-Bela leaves Cape Town for Durban tomorrow morning and will have her first race of the KZN season in the City Of Pietermartizburg Fillies Sprint at Scottsville.

By Michael Clower

Anton Marcus and Anthony Delpech ride many a false favourite as their mere presence in the saddle trims much of the fat off returns, be it the tote or bookmakers. Piere Strydom is outspoken in this regard and has been vilified in some quarters as being a poor sport and just making excuses.

Anton Marcus (Nkosi Hlophe)

The simple fact is that riders of the ilk of Delpech, Marcus and Strydom are at the top of the pile because of sheer ability and as a consequence can cherry-pick rides. However, they may not necessary be on the best rides, but only on the best mounts they could secure as many stables also having preferred riders. Often in their defence a horse whose form suggests that it is say a 5-1 chance can start as short as 16-10 simply because of who’s been pencilled in to ride.

That said, Delpech and Marcus look set to fight out the first leg of the Greyville PA this evening where Delpech will be aboard likely ante-post favourite Georgina for Alyson Wright with Marcus in the saddle on Saint Karli for Jeff Freeman. The two fillies met last time out with Georgina shading Saint Karli so with two top riders in action and the balance of the field nothing to write home about we should be in for a tactical battle between two of the best.

Anthony Delpech (Nkosi Hlophe)

Beaten favourite Modesty can get the Jackpot rolling and make amends for her disappointing last effort when starting at a short-price. She was all at sea on the soft Scottsville track and a switch to the firmer poly could bring out the best in Duncan Howells’s filly.

Dean Kannemeyer’s runner Figaro makes his local debut in the Track & Ball Gaming Plate after showing some promise in the Cape and is the likely favourite. The Silvano gelding is rated far superior to anything else in the field and although this will be his first outing since gelding, if the ratings are correct he should be difficult to beat even if not at his peak. Of the opposition, Kali’s King improved with gelding and back over a more suitable trip could pose a threat.

Mr Hallo can round off the evening’s proceedings for Gavin van Zyl and stable rider Warren Kennedy. Since being relocated from Van Zyl’s Gauteng satellite yard, the Kahal gelding has put up two smart showings on the Greyville poly track and although he has picked up three pounds for his recent placings, his rating has dropped from a career high of 84 to tonight’s 67.

By Andrew Harrison

Meydan Selections  Saturday Mar 25

Race 1 (13) KAFUJI TAKE (3) Le Bernadien (8) Heavy Metal (include 2-6-7)

Race 2 (1) FAUCON DE LOUP (10) Sniper De Monlau (12) Handassa (include 11-9-13-7)

Race 3 (12) HEARTBREAK CITY (7) Big Orange (8) Kingfisher (include 1-11-3)

Race 4 (13) THUNDER SNOW (3) Lancaster Bomber (10) Epicharis (include 6-5-9-2)

Race 5 (6) ERTIJAAL (11) Limato (1) Amazing Kids (include 5-3-12)

Race 6 (14) MIND YOUR BISCUITS (11) St Joe Bay (5) Cool Cowboy (include 8-2-6)

Race 7 (2) ZARAK (4) Decorated Knight (6) Mutakayyef (include 13-1-7)

Race 8 (3) HIGHLAND REEL (7) Postponed (5) Prize Money (include 6-2)

Race 9 (9) ARROGATE (5) Gun Runner (12) Hoppertunity (include 7-4-14)

For downloadable Meydan racecards visit www.tabgold.co.za OR http://www.emiratesracing.com/node/3?id=2788

Featuring Paul Lafferty and Budgie Byrne

Andrew Bon chats to Pat Cummings

Andrew Bon chats to Laura King, Malan du Toit and Pat Cosgrave

Andrew Bon chats to trainer Mike de Kock in the lead up to the 2017 Dubai World Cup

Andrew Bon chats to trainer Bob Baffert in the lead up to the 2017 Dubai World Cup

The Gr 1 R1 million weight for age Empress Club Stakes has been moved from 15 April to 22 April for the reason Phumelela are hoping to be graced by the on course presence of HSH Princess Charlene of Monaco.

Princess Charlene of Monaco

The prestigious Turffontein Standside 1600m event for fillies and mares will also be named the HSH Princess Charlene Empress Club Stakes. Furthermore, the two maiden plate races of R250,000 which Princess Charlene sponsors and which were previously run on Peermont Emperor’s Palace Charity Mile day have been moved to this meeting.

The later date of the race will be welcomed by Highveld trainers of top three-year-old fillies as this will give them three weeks recovery time after the Gr 1 SA Fillies Classic, which is to be run on April 1. On the other hand, the race will now be only two weeks before the Gr 2 Daisy Fillies Guineas at Greyville in KZN, which is to be run on May 7.

One top three-year-old filly who will be in the Empress Club Stakes is the Roy Magner-trained Anna Pavlova and she will arrive relatively fresh as she is skipping the SA Fillies Classic.

Anna Pavlova, by St Petersburg, was purchased in-training by Barry Irwin’s Team Valor International before her last start in the Gr 2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas, although a share in her was retained by original owners Courtney and Megan Soal.

She has a magnificent turn of foot, which was evident when she won the Gr 3 Three Troikas Stakes over 1450m on the Turffontein Inside track.

However, from a wide draw in the Fillies Guineas, she was simply too far out of her ground turning for home. She did run on well in the very soft conditions for a six length seventh, so connections will be hoping for a better draw this time.

Anna Pavlova is only merit rated 93, so is going to face a tough task at the weights. However, it will be fitting to have her in a race on the same day of the visit of Princess Charlene as she was named after one of the most graceful ballerina’s of all time.

By David Thiselton

Jo’s Bond, who beat Carry On Alice in the CTS Southern Cross before finishing just over a length fourth to the star mare in the Betting World Cape Flying Championship, will be one of the first of Justin Snaith’s big KZN team out of the blocks.

Jo’s Bond (Liesl King)

Snaith said: “She runs in the KwaZulu-Natal Stakes at Scottsville on Sunday week. However there is not a lot for her in Durban as she is limited to five furlongs and I would be surprised if she goes back to Scottsville for the City Of Pietermaritzburg Fillies Sprint.”

Copper Force, who had subsequent Gauteng Guineas winner Janoobi behind when coming from a long way back to beat all except William Longsword in the CTS Mile, will also be making an early start.

“Copper Force had a shocking draw that day,” Snaith recalled. “But he will run in the Byerley Turk (at Greyville on  April 7) before going for the Canon Guineas.”

The former champion trainer has long had a particularly high opinion of Star Express who went close in the Klawervlei Majorca despite missing most of last year.

“She rapped a tendon. It was nothing that serious but it was a warning sign and so we had to back off with her,” Snaith explained. “We will see how she goes in a couple of races and then make a call. Her best distance is 2 000m.”

On the local front the stable has found an explanation for Kasimir’s shock Kenilworth defeat at 2-10 earlier in the month. The colt was found to be shin-sore afterwards.

Greg Cheyne has been suspended for ten days (March 25-April 3) for interference when winning on La Favourari last Saturday.

By Michael Clower

Trainer Bob Baffert keeps steering back to the present those who want to talk about Dubai World Cup favourite Arrogate in forward-thinking terms, reminding all that ‘gimmes’ simply do not exist in competitive sports.

“Right now we are just trying to stay focused that he is doing well, because you have to make sure that they show up,” Baffert said. “Right now, we know he is an exceptional horse. He is the heavy favorite. But he still has to have racing luck.”

Arrogate (Liesl King)

The luck of draw was the latest obstacle to be cleared in Arrogate’s favor with the 4-year-old gray colt landing post No. 9 in a field of 14 for the March 25 Dubai World Cup.

The draw for the 2,000m test was largely kind to its main contenders as fellow Gr 1 winner Gun Runner drew post No. 5, Mubtaahij drew the outside gate 14 with Keen Ice, Neolithic and Hoppertunity set to break from posts 10, 11, and 12, respectively.

“He’s settled in pretty well and everything has gone pretty smooth,” said Baffert, who will also saddle Hoppertunity. “We’re just playing the waiting game now. The draw is over so that’s the last of the suspense. We just have to keep him happy the next couple of days.

“As long as he shows up, that’s the key. But he’s done everything well here. If he runs his race, we know what he can do.”

What Arrogate can do is set a track ablaze and break his opponents’ hearts all while looking like a big, goofy kid out for a stroll. What the connections of Gun Runner hope their colt can counter with is a high cruising speed that, when left to its own devices, has its own track record of running foes into the ground.

With Arrogate not always the fastest out of the gate, Gun Runner will likely have every chance to set the pace in the Dubai World Cup and make his champion rival have to go through him at the finish.

“I was happy with it,” co-owner Ron Winchell of Winchell Thoroughbreds said of the draw. “Just let him use his natural speed and hopefully they’ll let him go on the lead. The track seems to play speed-favoring.”

-Bloodhorse.com

Andre Nel, preparing for his first assault on a Gauteng Grade 1, took the progressive Kampala Campari to Kenilworth for a work-out last Saturday.

“Grant van Niekerk rode him in a gallop over 1 400m and he went well,” said Nel who reckons Saturday week’s SA Classic is a better option than Cape Town’s Winter Series for the colt who has won two of his three starts. “The Classic is no stronger than a Winter Series race and it is worth eight times the money.”

Andre Nel (Supplied)

Nel is fully aware that he has the altitude to contend with but he believes that the results of a recent recce put him in good stead, saying: “I sent five horses up there by float and, while two didn’t handle the going, the other three were placed.”

Philae, who has also won two out of three, runs in the Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic but SA Classic entry Loadshedder goes for the presumably easier pickings of the East Cape Guineas at Fairview tomorrow week.

Ngaga, the forgotten member of the Plattner Racing three-year-old line-up, has not been seen since making it three out of three at Kenilworth on New Year’s Eve but Igugu’s half-sister is on the way back.

Nel said: “She strained a suspensory in that last race and, while it wasn’t career-threatening, I had to back off and rest her. I had been planning to run her in the Investec Cape Derby – and I think she would have run very well. She came back into work last Friday and she will run in the Winter Series assuming it doesn’t come too soon for her.”

Riaan van Reenen will run Cape Guineas fourth Elevated, also runner-up in the Cape Classic, in a 1 400m Pinnacle at Kenilworth on Saturday week.

He said: “I put him in the 1 200m handicap this Saturday but it would only have been a grass gallop and it makes more sense to run him over 1 400m as he is going to run in the Winter Guineas on April 22.”

By Michael Clower

After taking a hammering country-wide over the weekend most punters will be hoping for a change of fortune at Greyville today although they again face another tricky card.

In Other Words (Nkosi Hlophe)

With the South African Champions Season on the horizon, trainers will be warming up their feature race contenders but as the Drum Star Handicap showed at Turffontein last Saturday, most of the big guns will be short of peak fitness going into their warm-up races so caution needs to be in the back of the mind when looking at these contests.

In Other Words and A Womens Way are two that fit that category when they line up in the Racing.Its A Rush Pinnacle Stakes on the poly this afternoon but in spite of the cautionary, look likely to fight this one out.

In Other Words is well weighted and although she is returning from a break she has an excellent record over course and distance. Couple that with Sean Tarry’s blistering form and you have a likely winner.

A Womens Way was eligible for the CTS $500 000 1200 last time out and Duncan Howells had little option but to send her on the long trip to Cape Town to take her chances. It proved a trip in vain and A Womens Way was never going well, finished down-field. Her form before that was promising and she should appreciate the step up in trip. Just how she features here will be watched with interest.

The handicapper appears to have caught up with Pearl Emblem but she loves this course and distance and as this is a set weights race she cannot be written off. Littleblacknumber is never far off and was out-paced throughout behind stable companion Elusivenchantment at Scottsville last Wednesday and will prefer this trip. Stable companion Wind Singer loves this course and distance and with a light weight gives Howells a trio of options.

Littleblacknumber (Nkosi Hlophe)

Howells could get the meeting off to a winning start where he saddles Victory Cross, a beaten favourite last run. She makes her poly debut but has shown promise on the turf and can make amends if she handles the surface.

The Durban View Restaurant Handicap could rest between Variscite and Winder Darling in an open affair. Gavin van Zyl’s filly Variscite has improved in a tongue-tie and although only shedding her maiden last run she does not take on much of note and after only four outings still has room for improvement. Veteran Winter Darling on the other hand came in for some market support last run and has been thereabouts at recent starts. Anthony Delpech will be aboard for Dennis Bosch who hit form at Greyville on Sunday and the stable, that has been quiet for some time, could be turning the corner.

In the sixth, Noodle can make amends for her no-show on the turf at Scottsville last time out compounded by the soft ground and goes much better on the poly. She has a bright chance of coming good in this field with Anton Marcus booked for the ride. Danger could be See The Sea who surprised recently but only got a two-point raise in the handicap and can go in again.

In the last, Liquid Rainbow has run two fair races since taking to the track and with the experience looks to have a bright chance in this field comprising mostly of professional maidens. The obvious dangers are Gold Chalice who was disappointing last run after showing improvement but he now sports blinkers and may be worth another chance while Mojo King disappointed when sent out favourite on debut but possibly didn’t handle the soft ground and may also be worth another visit.

By Andrew Harrison