After a promising start to his career where he reeled off three wins from just four starts, Natal – the horse not the province, although some may argue a case for both – has been in the doldrums. But a drop in the handicap ratings and a gentle build-up to tomorrow evening’s race could herald a return to form.

Natal (Nkosi Hlophe)

If the forecast betting in Computaform is any guide (33-1), Natal has little or no chance in the Morris Vee MR 86 Handicap that heads the Greyville card, but if one delves back into the gelding’s form he is more than capable in this company should he find his best form that came at about this time last season.

Racing off a rating high of 101, garnered after three victories in his first four starts and at the top of most handicap races that he contested, Natal subsequently showed that the handicappers may have over-rated Michael Roberts’s charge as he showed good pace before folding late when stepped up into stronger company.

His rating has dropped rapidly since his unplaced effort in the Gr3 Umgeni Handicap and he now runs off a mark of 88.

Taking his early form into account, his drop in the ratings and a much improved last run, Natal could prove good value.

Georgina is likely to be a firm favourite in the card opener after three runner-up berths in just four starts and Alyson Wright has declared blinkers on her charge that suggests that the filly is still not giving her all.

But there are a couple of potential hurdles to overcome. The oddly-named Show Me Your Rosie made marked improvement in blinkers and a repeat could pose a threat as could Cats Baloo and Dream De Ra. Cats Baloo was backed at long odds in her poly debut and can surprise while Dream De Ra was friendless in the market on debut and ran accordingly. However, she has a tongue-tie here and she can show good improvement for a stable that is bang in form.

Kept Secret (Nkosi Hlophe)

If Georgina obliges in the first, Honest Prince could provide the stable with a quick double come the Cupboard King Maiden Plate. The gelding made significant improvement on his debut when close-up next time out. The opposition is mostly well exposed with the exception of Grey Ice. Sean Tarry’s runner made a modest Turffontein debut but it always pays to take note of runners from this stable making their poly debut and any market support could prove significant although he has been pencilled in again for next Wednesday.

Ashburton-based Belinda Impey can provide a possible exotic bet banker in the form of Kept Secret in the SAFA Chatsworth 66 Handicap although she too holds an entry next Wednesday.

Kept Secret ran well below her best last outing after running up a string of places. Tonight she is back in female company and rates a strong chance given her previous showings.

For the rest the card looks more than just a little tricky. The Hotel Savera Maiden Plate is just one of the stumbling blocks for those trying to cut down on their exotic bet spend. Enticer, having her third run after a break and catching the eye at her last start, will have her supporters but so too will the likes of Rae’s Dyna Jet, Roy’s Kaitrina, Lungi, Stola and Justajewel.

The DPG Logistics FM 62 Handicap is equally tricky with Roy Is Second living up to her name, finishing runner-up at her last two. However, she has a good draw and can finally go one better.

The Pavilion Hotel MR 62 Handicap is another wide open affair but Selvan’s Jet tried further last run but prior to that had fair form to stronger and Delpech has jumped ship from Heptagon to ride here.

By Andrew Harrison

Muzi Yeni was the face of South African racing at Markopoulo Racecourse in Athens on Sunday and did not let his supporters down.

The meeting in Greece was sponsored by Phumelela and it appears to have been an extremely successful day. Even early rain failed to put a dampener on an outstanding event.

The party representing Phumelela was headed up by International Executive Director John Stuart.

Since January Greek punters have already had the opportunity to bet into South African pools in the over 1,000 OPAP (who run betting in Greece) agencies that offer horseracing betting.

Yeni has become a favourite with Greek bettors and the likeable South African jockey did not let his supporters down. He was hailed as a “grand ambassador for South African racing”. There were six races on the card and Yeni rode in five of them, fittingly winning the main race of the day which was named The South African Races Cup.

The organisers at Markopoulo Racecourse are in the process of setting up a winners’ lounge adjacent to the foyer area and the framed Phumelela saddle cloth and photos will be the first “winners’ photo” to be hung up in that lounge.

TABNews

Tuesday’s Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival was a history maker as legendary trainer Nicky Henderson recorded his sixth victory in the great race, while equally famous o

wner, and punter, JP McManus reached the 50 Festival winner mark.

The six-year-old Buveur D’Air was supposed to be at the Festival as a novice chaser this year, but the ever shrewd Henderson changed his mind in January and his decision-making proved spot on once again as the bay stormed to a 4,5 length victory at odds of 5/1 to give jockey Noel Fehily his second Champion Hurdle victory.

Henderson is now the most successful trainer in the history of the Champion Hurdle, as well as being the Festival’s most successful trainer overall. McManus’s six victories in Britain’s most prestigious hurdle event is also a record.

Nicky Henderson (jpfestival.com)

McManus owned the horse regarded by many as the greatest hurdler of all time, the Aiden O’Brien-trained Istabraq, who won the Champion Hurdle three times in succession from 1998-2000.

McManus, who has a range of business interests, has always been a keen gambler too. He was a bookmaker at one stage, but gave up his license to concentrate on punting in 1982. Things didn’t initially go to plan and he needed his Edward O’Grady-trained Mister Donovan to win the Festival’s Sun Alliance Hurdle of that year.

McManus made a reported 250,000 pounds when the horse won at odds of 9-2 to give him his first Festival victory.

McManus admitted after Buveur D’Air’s victory on Tuesday he had lumped so much on Mister Donovan 35 years ago there might not have been a second Festival winner had the horse lost. McManus hired the most successful jockey in jumps history, Tony McCoy, for a reported one million pounds a year retainer in 2004. McCoy’s first Festival success in McManus’ famous green-and-gold hooped colours was on Reveillez in the Jewson’s Novice’s Handicap Chase in 2006.

The horse had opened at 6-1 and was backed into 9-2, including a bet of 100,000 pounds. “I couldn’t let him run loose at 6-1,” whispered McManus. Henderson has now trained 57 Cheltenham Festival winners. He surpassed Fulke Walwyn’s previous record of 40 five years ago.

His first Cheltenham winner was See You Then in the Champion Hurdle in 1985. This horse went on to win the Champion Hurdle three years in succession.

Henderson saddled seven winners at the Festival in 2012, a record which was surpassed by top Irish trainer Willie Mullins, who sent out 8 winners in 2015.

Henderson has won the Cheltenham Gold Cup twice, with Long Run in 2011 and with Bobs Worth in 2013, while McManus has won the meeting’s flagship race only once, with the Jonjo O’Neill-trained Synchronised in 2012.

Henderson has no Gold Cup runners tomorrow, while McManus has two, the O’Neill-trained pair More Of That and Minella Rocco.

By David Thiselton

The entry cut off time for the R2 million Gr 1 SA Classic over 1800m to be run on April 1 at Turffontein was extended to 9am on Tuesday after only eight horses had initially been entered by 11am on Monday.

However, Western Cape-based Andre Nel was the only trainer to take advantage of the situation and entered two horses, Loadshedder and Kampala Campari, to increase the entry list to ten.

Andre Nel (Supplied)

The initial eight entries were from only four yards. Mike de Kock entered Gr 2 Betting World Gauteng Guineas winner Janoobi alongside Heavenly Blue and Alaadel.

National Champion trainer Sean Tarry had three entries, Al Sahem, Furiosa and Tilbury Fort. Johan Janse van Vuuren entered Crowd Please and Gary Alexander entered Unagi.

Nel has reportedly said Loadshedder would be unlikely to make the journey due to preferred targets in either Cape Town or Port Elizabeth.

He added about Querari colt Kampala Campari, who has only raced three times for two wins from 1200-1600m, ““He is a very nice horse. We’ve been planning this raid for a while and have brought horses up to Joburg twice in preparation for this trip north. Both were successful, with three of the five horses we floated up placing and two of the fillies just not acting in the soft going. I’m not scared, but it is daunting.”

Al Sahem and Heavenly Blue could be the pair to beat in the Classic.

Heavenly Blue finished third in the Gauteng Guineas, but will have come on from the run and will relish the step up in trip.

He has 1,5 lengths to make up on Janoobi, but the latter was at his peak for the Guineas and the 1800m trip will likely be at the upper end of his stamina range.

Al Sahem was unbeaten in two runs before finishing a 0,2 length second in the Gauteng Guineas. He is by Silvano out of Gr 2 winner Alderry, who won up to 1800m, so will enjoy the step up trip. Furthermore, he had an interrupted preparation into the Guineas due to the weather and is likely to have benefited from the run.

By David Thiselton

The Turffontein card tomorrow looks to be quite a tricky one, but the Pick 6 race in which punters can go thin looks to be the eighth, a MR 80 Handicap over 1160m.

Piere Strydom

Fieldmarshal Fenix and Refuge should dominate this race, although Spring Steel can’t be ignored either. Fieldmarshall Fenix, a four-year-old gelding by Brave Tin Soldier, wore blinkers last time out and he ran well below par. The blinkers are duly off again. Before that he finished second twice in succession to the progressive Just As I Said. The latter followed up with a fine run in a strong Pinnacle Stakes event before winning yet again. Fieldmarshal Fenix is in fact 3kg better off with the talented Spring Steel, despite having beaten the latter by 1,5 lengths the last time they met, which was in a race over tomorrow’s course and distance. He and Spring Steel were well clear of the rest in that aforementioned race, which is always the sign of good form.

The pair should be right up there in the finish again, but at the weights Fieldmarshal Fenix gets the vote. However, he can’t be confidently backed to win due to the presence of Refuge. Refuge met Fieldmarshal Fenix last July on the same terms as tomorrow, if apprentice claims are included, and lost by only a length. However, he was only a two-year-old then, so if weight for age is taken into account he is now effectively 5kg better off. On paper he should romp home, according to that piece of form. However, on the downside he is returning from a layoff of just over three months. Piere Strydom has duly taken the ride. Fieldmarshall Fenix and Refuge should be enough to get punters through the Pick 6, although Spring Steel could perhaps be included in lower cost Jackpots. Fieldmarshall Fenix appeals as a PA banker.

The best bet of the day comes in the first race, a Juvenile Maiden over 1400m for fillies. The R1,9 million purchase Rumbavar has caught the eye in two starts over 1000m at Kenilworth. She is a long-striding daughter of Var who will relish the step up in distance and she looks to possess considerable class, so is going to be hard to oppose. There are a few first-timers here and Aurelia Cotta and Think Twice make most appeal of them, but they would have to be smart to trouble Rumbavar, who looks likely to go off at cramped odds.

Hot Curry, who runs in the third race, is a Mike de Kock-trained stablemate of Rumbavar’s and has been chosen as the value bet on the day. It is seldom a horse who finished last in her previous start can be fancied next time out, but he ran in a strong maiden Juvenile Plate over 1000m at Kenilworth and was not at all disgraced. He will relish the step up in trip here and should be involved in the finish of a race where there are no stand out horses.

By David Thiselton

The race meeting on the Vaal Classic track on Tuesday afternoon was abandoned after the running of Race 4.

This was the first race meeting on the surface since it was closed last November for its annual maintenance programme, during which time the track’s drainage was enhanced.

Vaal

The first two races, both down the straight, went off flawlessly but concerns were raised after Race 3 over 1700m about inconsistencies in the going in some areas where the drainage had been enhanced.

A track inspection was held and in the interests of safety the distance of Race 5 was reduced from 2000m to 1700m.

After the running of Race 4 over 1700m, however, the jockeys expressed concerns about the safety of the track around the turn.

It was then mooted to switch the remaining races round the turn to the Outside Track using bollards to demarcate the inside of the straight 1600m course. After due consideration this was deemed unsafe.

The only alternative was to move the running rail from the Classic Track to the Outside Track, which had not been prepared for racing. But despite every effort it was found it would take too long to remove and re-install the running rail. Consequently there was no option but to abandon the meeting.

The state of the track will be reviewed by the track management team tomorrow (Wednesday) and any shortcomings in the surface will be remedied as quickly as possible.

According to the ruling that at least two legs of any Exotic bet must to run to effect a payment, a dividend for both the BiPot and Place Accumulator was declared. The BiPot paid out R2.20 and the Place Accumulator R1.20.

All Pick 6 and Jackpot bets will be refunded.

By Phumelela

It was no surprise to see the Geoff Woodruff-trained Bi Pot entered in the Gr 1 Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic after her impressive win on Saturday in a MR 82 Handicap for three-year-old fillies over 1600m at Turffontein. The Judpot filly will be coming in under the radar so might offer some fair value in the race which is to be run on April 1.

Geoff Woodruff (Nkosi Hlophe)

Woodruff had two runners in last year’s SA Fillies Classic, including Bi Pot’s half-sister Alexa, and they  both finished unplaced. However, Bi Pot, looks to have more scope than Alexa did. Furthermore her relatively young sire Judpot has an outstanding record at the Classic meeting.

Last year Judpot’s daughter Juxtapose won the SA Fillies Classic and two years earlier his daughter Along Came Polly was runner up in this lucrative race. In 2014 the Judpot colt Mister Cricket finished second in the SA Classic to triple crown hero Louis The King. A year later another Judpot colt, Deputy Jud, finished third in the SA Classic. Bi Pot is a long-striding bay and has won two of her four starts to date. Woodruff is sure to have her tuned up as a trainer whose string always peak for the Autumn classics and she has a plum draw of five.

There were 16 entries in the SA Fillies Classic and the favourite will undoubtedly be the Sean Tarry-trained Gr 2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas winner Smiling Blue Eyes. This grey Dynasty filly also won the Gr 3 Fillies Mile. However, she is out of a Badger Land mare and has won over 2000m before, so will have no problem with the 1800m trip, especially from a good draw of 7. She looks to be a genuine Triple Tiara candidate.

Bela-Bela (Nkosi Hlophe)

Her stablemate Safe Harbour went close in the Gr 1 Maine Chance Paddock Stakes over this trip, losing narrowly to the champion filly Bela-Bela, so has a chance in the SA Fillies Classic. She needed her last run in the Gauteng Fillies Guineas, so her unplaced effort there can’t be taken literally. However, she did have a tough campaign in Cape Town and Smiling Blue Eyes will be fresher.

Al Hawraa was running on well when runner up in the Gauteng Fillies Guineas and on that evidence looks likely to stay the SA Fillies Classic trip. She has drawn in pole position. The third fourth and fifth placed horses in the Gauteng Fillies Guineas, Orchid Island, Babbling Brooke and Belle Rose, will all appreciate the step up in trip.

An interesting raider is the Joey Ramsden-trained Captain Gambler, who was third against the boys in the Gr 1 Investec cape Derby. Those look to be the main players, although the enigmatic Judpot filly Maleficent has the ability to be a player too and on pedigree should stay the trip being a full-sister to the SA Derby runner up Rocketball.

By David Thiselton

Elusivenchantment and Call Me Winter will be warming up for Champions Season when they clash in the Racing.It’s A Rush Pinnacle Stakes over 1000m at Scottsville this afternoon.

Duncan Howells has high hopes for the Elusive Fort half-sister to the exceptional sprinter Via Africa and has another crack at the Gr1 City of Pietermaritzburg Sprint in mind. In that feature last year she was in contention until the final 50 m before being swamped and finishing sixth, beaten two lengths by Real Princess.

Elusivenchantment (Nkosi Hlophe)

Elusivenchantment subsequently followed up with two comfortable victories, the last over course and distance, but that was back in October last year with Howells giving the filly an extended break. She has enough talent to more than match this field even though the lengthy lay-off may not see her at her best.

After making a cracking start to her career, Call Me Winter went off the boil towards the latter part of last season but after a break, returned looking like a stakes race contender for Mike Miller.

She won two on the bounce in lesser company, the last shouldering the welter burden of 64.5kg. The handicappers were impressed and gave her an eight-point shunt up the handicap for that win and as a result she shouldered a big weight against males at her next outing where she finished a game third giving the winner, Highway Explorer, 4kg.

That was back in early January but she should strip close to her peak this afternoon, the one doubt being the switch from poly to turf, so just how she shapes against Elusivenchantment will give Miller and owner-breeders Steve Sturlese and Peter de Marigny an inkling as to their filly’s Champion Season possibilities.

Miss Varlicious and Littleblacknumber are always game but look comfortably held in this company.

Paul Lafferty, away in Australia for the Magic Millions Sale, had a treble at Scottsville on Sunday and Moon Shadow can make it a more profitable week in the Itsarush.co.za Maiden Plate where the gelded son of Breeders Cup Juvenile winner Pluck should prove difficult to beat after two runners-up berths at recent starts.

Littleblacknumber (Nkosi Hlophe)

Danger is Kildonan Lad from Paul Gadsby’s yard who has finally come to hand. He gave notice when fading late at his penultimate start and was only caught in the last few jumps last time out, that being on the Greyville poly over 1200m. The drop in trip should see him close again.

The balance of the card looks tricky. Very Vary has his third run after a break in the Track & Ball Gaming Handicap and caught the eye with a late burst behind Hot Chilli.

Puchini is another iron horse from the Chris Erasmus yard who lines up nearly every second week. He takes a drop in class and with the blinkers back on could have his efforts rewarded in the Rockafellas Restaurant Handicap in a race that is decidedly open while Accidental Tourist could give Howells and stable rider Keagan de Melo a double on the day in The White Horse Function Room Handicap.

Rounding off the day is another difficult handicap but Cape Town-based Hester Kuhn, Gold Circle’s Owner of the Month for April, will be on course to receive her prize and a possible bonus with Seattle Spell one of the fancied runners to round off the meeting although Coral Lights and Notacademicatal could upset the party.

By Andrew Harrison

Captain America is to be campaigned in Durban this term after going to Johannesburg in the last two years and giving the KZN season a miss.

Brett Crawford said: “Captain America didn’t enjoy Durban as a three-year-old but he is a different horse now. Mind you, for a horse who didn’t enjoy it he didn’t do badly – he was third in the KRA Guineas, fourth in the Daily News and beaten less than six lengths in the July despite getting squeezed coming out of the gates.

“He may run in the Independent On Saturday Drill Hall (May 6) and the Rising Sun Gold Challenge (June 10) and then the Vodacom Durban July. If he doesn’t run in the July he could go for the Champions Cup instead.”

The six-year-old won the 2015 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut and beat all except Legal Eagle in last year’s race. More recently he was second in the Queen’s Plate and third in the Met for the second year running.

By Michael Clower

Picture: Callie-Jo Bouman and Chante Holloway, two semifinalists in this year’s Miss SA, pose with Captain America on the beach. (Liesl King)

Featured Image: Captain America (Liesl King)

Former National Champion Trainer Justin Snaith will be arriving at Summerveld in about a week’s time with an SA Champions Season string of 22, which he said would be one of the strongest teams he had ever sent to KZN.

Snaith said a decision had been taken halfway through the Cape Summer to rest some of the yard’s top horses and save them for the Champions Season, because little had been going right for the yard at the time. There is nowhere to gallop horses on the grass in Cape Town at present, so the string will arrive in KZN earlier than usual in order to make use of the Summerveld grass. Snaith will have a strong hand in the Vodacom Durban July.

Justin Snaith(Left) Bela-Bela(Right) – Tracy Robertson

The like of It’s My Turn, Black Arthur, Elusive Silva, Zodiac Ruler, Prince Of Wales and Star Express will likely be among the yard’s entries. It’s My Turn, a Dynasty gelding who won last season’s Gr 1 Investec Cape Derby and finished fourth in the July, had a fair Cape Summer Of Champions Season. He finished a 2,4 length third to subsequent Sun Met winner Whisky Baron in the Gr 2 Peninsula Handicap over 1800m, despite giving the latter 1kg. He then finished a 5,6 length eighth in the Met, where he carried a 2kg Gr 1 penalty. He had few excuses in the Met, although could have got closer if not having to be switched inward. His connections will be glad to hear Whisky Baron is off overseas and that Met fourth-placed Gold Standard is unlikely to make it to KZN in time for the July.

Snaith said the Silvano four-year-old Black Arthur, who came from last to win the Gr 2 Canon Guineas last year before finishing seventh in the July, had done “very well” with a recent rest and gelding. It’s My Turn and Black Arthur are merit rated 106 and 104 respectively, a nice base from which to work.

Elusive Silva, a Silvano colt who has been rested since winning the Gr 3 Winter Derby over 2400m at Kenilworth last June, is merit rated only 93. However, he is described as a “very nice horse” by Snaith. He certainly showed a fantastic turn of foot in his Winter Derby win, coming from near last in a slow run race. He beat none other than Whisky Baron by 3,15 lengths, although that was the latter’s final run before career-transforming gelding.

Zodiac Ruler is an Australian-bred by Zoffany who showed his liking for Greyville last year by winning the Gr 2 Durban Golden Horseshoe over 1400m. He finished runner up in this year’s Cape Derby. He set the pace and fought back after being overtaken in the straight, so will get the July trip.

Prince Of Wales is a four-year-old gelding by Dynasty who has been rested since running an eye-catching one length fourth in the Gr 2 Premier Trophy over 1800m. He looks to be a horse to follow.

Zodiac Ruler (Nkosi Hlophe)

Star Express, a four-year-old Silvano mare, finished strongly for a narrow second in the Gr 1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes over 1600m on Met day. She has won easily over 2000m before, so can go for either the July or the Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes.

Meanwhile, the yard’s champion filly Bela-Bela’s inclusion in the string is still to be finalised. It is likely she will be going to KZN and it will be no surprise to see her avoiding the July this year in favour of the Garden Province. The yard will be well represented in the sprint division by Sergeant Hardy and Bishop’s Bounty, as well as the filly Jo’s Bond. The admirable pair Krambambuli and Ovidio, first and third in the Gr 2 Cape Stayers over 2800m on Met day, head the staying team along with Listed Settler’s Trophy-winning filly Francia.

Copper Force, a Royal Air Force gelding who finished second in the US$500,000 CTS Mile, is described by Snaith as a “very nice horse and one to watch.” He will take part in the three-year-old classics. Gimmethegreenlight filly Gimme Six, third in the Prix du Cap, will go for the Fillies classics. Dynasty filly Qing disappointed the yard during the summer, but will be tried in fillies staying features during the Champions Season.

Snaith only brings two two-year-olds. Sir Frenchie is an Australian-bred speedster by Choisir, who has won two out of three starts. Captain Al filly Esteemal is described by Snaith as “the right type of horse for Durban.” The Snaiths will be using their facebook to provide the public with information per runner before every meeting.

By David Thiselton