Garth Puller leads the KZN trainer’s championship at this early stage of the season.

He said whilst he was always striving to improve and build his clientele he was realistic enough to admit he did not have the firepower yet to hang on to this lead.

He said, “We usually have a good run at the beginning of the season but I know how these things change and we don’t have the top horses to compete with the big yards in the Champions Season.”

The former jockey great has 68 horses at present although a lot of them are youngsters.

He has had 15 winners this season from 100 runners, so his strike rate is 15%.

Among the promising ones is the three-year-old Gimmethegreenlight filly Travelling Light, who won by 4,80 lengths on debut last season before finishing unplaced in the Grade 1 Allan Robertson Championship. She has had two starts since in a handicap over 1000m at Hollywoodbets Greyville for a narrow second and a win in a Graduation Plate over that same course and distance. Her merit rating is 99. She is currently resting on the farm after being given her African Horse Sickness vaccinations. 

Puller said, “She is very fast and will be back in training in three weeks’ time.”

Puller’s long-striding four-year-old Jackson gelding Jack Of Hearts has won his last two starts over 1950m and 2200m respectively. The Jacksons are starting to shine throughout the country and Puller rates Jack Of Hearts “an improving stayer.”

His promising three-year-old colts Bay Tibbs (Bold Silvano) and Brass Bell (Pathfork) are both owned by Hong Kong residents and Puller expected them to soon be on their way overseas to David Ferraris’s yard.

Puller is hard working and arrives at Summerveld at 20 to four every morning and only leaves at half-past six in the evening.

He was known as a fine horseman during his riding years so it is not surprising he has become a good trainer.

Meanwhile, the nine times KZN champion trainer Dennis Drier is currently lacking in big race firepower and will only be sending a “low key” string down for the Cape Summer Of Champions season this year.

Drier is sure to make a bold bid for a tenth KZN championship, although he is currently only in fourth place with nine winners gained at a strike rate of 10,59%.

Dennis Bosch and Gavin Van Zyl are in joint second place on eleven winners apiece, achieved at a strike rate of 18,97% and 17,19% respectively.

Johan Janse van Vuuren is in joint-fourth place with Drier on nine winners.

Former KZN champion trainer Duncan Howells is in a rebuilding phase following the departure of his chief owner Dave McLean, but he has still managed to send out seven winners this season to put him in joint sixth place on the KZN log together with Alyson Wright.

Next on the log with six winners each are Tony Rivalland, Kumaran Naidoo, Dean Kannemeyer and Brett Crawford. 

Drier and Howells have dominated the KZN championship over the last few years.

However, this season it looks to be more open, although Drier is still the overwhelming favourite to win it.

By David Thiselton

Head Honcho should be able to get the better of Tap O’Noth in the clash of the titans in the TAB Telebet Pinnacle Stakes at Durbanville today.

The six-year-old, ridden this time by Richard Fourie, has not raced at the country course before and has not been seen since dropping back in the closing stages of the Vodacom Durban July. But he was good enough to take third in the Sun Met and on adjusted merit ratings he has 4.5kg in hand.

It is easy to picture him going off in front at a strong gallop and being difficult to peg back. “I think he will suit the course,” says Andre Nel. “I was really pleased with the way he went when he went there recently for a gallop.

“He is the type of horse that can run well fresh and I wouldn’t be surprised if he wins but it is a prep run and I want to give him at least two of them before he goes for something like the Premier.”

Tap O’Noth, winner of the 2017 Cape Guineas, has not raced since the Met in January. “We gelded him and then sent him to the farm but he has come back a much better horse,” reports Vaughan Marshall. “He has been doing well and he galloped on the course with One World recently but whether he is quite sharp enough I am not sure.”

Nel has three others in the race but, while Kampala Campari is far from certain to run, he expects a good showing from Capoeira – “He is doing very well and I think he is worth watching.”

Most bookmakers had Head Honcho favourite at around 16-10 and Tap O’Noth on 7-2 yesterday morning but those odds will shorten considerably if Kampala Campari comes out. Man About Town is probably the pick of the remainder but it will be a surprise if he comes home in front.

Mr Cobbs has the form to change Candice Bass-Robinson’s luck in the Play Soccer 6 Maiden (race two) but Anthony Andrews’ mount has a difficult draw to overcome and preference is for Stormin Norman, the second of eight rides for S’Manga Khumalo.

Imperial Rage was the stable’s second string when going under by less than a neck to Veratrum early last month and the Justin Snaith runner may have come on enough to account for Lit in the Interbet.co.za Maiden (race six).

By Michael Clower

The progeny of the late Soft Falling Rain proved their father was going to be a great loss last season and they now appear to be blossoming as three-year-olds.

Last weekend Soft Falling Rain’s daughter Gin Fizz excelled against older horses and this weekend his son Donderweer stole the show.

This big Paul Matchett-trained Fanie Bronkhorst-owned gelding had a hard task in his race, a Progress Plate over 1200m, in just his third career start. He faced the like of Grade 1-winner Eden Roc, Grade 2-winning filly Cockney Pride and other useful sorts, although as a one-time winner he did receive 6kg from Eden Roc. He opened at 20/1 but looked a picture in the preliminaries and shortened into 11/1.

Ridden by Jarryd Penny, he showed good pace from draw three and took the lead. However, Cockney Pride, carrying just half-a-kilogram more than him, was still under the hands when cruising to his quarters in the straight. But then Donderweer showed himself to be a useful prospect, quickening and using his big action and big heart to keep the filly at bay. The Pecan Hill Stud-bred gelding won by three-quarters-of-a-length. Dublin Quays and Informative were third and fourth respectively and Eden Roc was 3, 25 lengths back in fifth.

Donderweer has scope for further improvement and another encouraging point is that the filly Gin Fizz, who is similarly speedy, had enjoyed the step up to 1450m the previous weekend.

She pulled early in the Grade 2 Joburg Spring Fillies and Mares Challenge but thereafter relished the good pace and in the end was only beaten a quarter-of-a-length by the highly regarded four-year-old Vistula.

Donderweer won his second career start well over 1000m on the Vaal Classic track on September 26. He showed good speed, a fine turn of foot and plenty of resolve to see off the Captain Of All gelding Captain Hindsight.

Jockey Devin Habib called him “well above average” in the post-race interview.

Bronkhorst added he had always shown good work at home and believed he could “go on from here”, although he revealed he did not have “the best legs.” He also revealed how he was named. He said the Soft Falling Rain’s are the opposite of what his name suggests, they are “like thunderstorms.”

On Saturday Donderweer’s maiden win was franked in the first race on the card over 1450m, won by Bouncing Tigger, who had finished a 6,25 length third in the September 26 Maiden.

The champion freshman sire last season was Captain Of All with 14 winners of 16 races but Soft Falling Rain also had 14 individual winners and they won 17 races but they did not accumulate as much stakes.

Soft Falling Rain’s percentage of winners to runners was 40% while Vercingetorix’s 13 winners were at a percentage of 41,9% and Captain Of All’s were at 36.8%.

This season Soft Falling Rain has had six winners of seven races and his winners to runners percentage is 18.2%, the same as Captain Of All’s, but it is still early days and they are some way behind the new boom sire on the block Vercingetorix, who is the leading sire of three-year-olds this season Vercingetorix’s 12 winners of 17 races this season have come at a winners to runners percentage of 31.6%.

Soft Falling Rain has produced one stakes winner to date, the Grade 2 Debutante Stakes winner Montreal Mist, while Gin Fizz is multiple stakes placed and the colt Alramz has been twice stakes placed.

Soft Falling Rain’s second crop sold well and 22 lots fetched an average of R334,535 at session one of the National Yearling Sales.

He will have three full crops.

Both Soft Falling Rain and Vercingetorix were trained by Mike De Kock, another feather in the cap for the South Africa’s most internationally celebrated trainer.

By David Thiselton

The Mike De Kock-trained Soqrat would probably be of the quiet unassuming sort if he were human as he is not at all imposing and has impeccable manners.

However, this does not prevent him from being an exceptional racehorse and he proved this again at Turffontein on Saturday under Callan Murray.

He once again obeyed his jockey’s every command in the Pinnacle Stakes event over 1600m, going to the front from a wide draw and then switching off, allowing Flying Winger to take the lead.

In the straight he crept up under the hands and when asked the question changed into a higher gear.

He was soon forging clear and won easing up by 1,10 lengths from his heavily backed and running-on stablemate Like A Panther, who was returning from a layoff but nevertheless shortened from 20/1 to 113/20. Flying Winger was a 2,75 length third.

Soqrat was comfortably best in at the weights but did have to carry 62kg, no easy task first up, so this was a fine start to a season in which the races he will contest like the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate might well see their strongest ever renewals.

By David Thiselton

Pomodoro is the latest in a long list of headline makers left by his famous sire Jet Master and three of his progeny won in one meeting at Turffontein last week.

All three, Ballon D’Or, Golden Belle and Westlife are trained by Pomodoro’s former trainer Sean Tarry and were ridden by Raymond Danielson.

The first two were bred by Klawervlei Stud and the other by Guillaume Stud.

Tarry has the midas touch in the sales and breeding rings and by now people should know to sit up and take notice when he supports the unfashionable.

Pomodoro could not have been considered a highly sort after sire when he first appeared and Tarry also supported the Jet Master sire Skitt Skizzle, who was not a stakes winner but is proving a useful sire.

Pomodoro’s five lots at this year’s Cape Premier Yearling Sale sold for an average of R295,000.

The former Vodacom Durban July winner can be considered a miracle horse as he had to be nursed back from serious illness by Baker and McVeigh veterinarians while still in training.

His best progeny to date are the twice Grade 1-winner Return Flight and the four time Grade 1-placed Cirillo.

By David Thiselton

Umkhomazi winner African Warrior has to give between 4kg and 10.5kg to the entire field in in the Cape Classic when Cape Town racing returns to Kenilworth on Saturday week. In addition he has been hit with a 21 draw and so it is hardly surprising that he is far from certain to run.

Dean Kannemeyer, who won the 1 400m test with Depardieu eight years ago, said: “The draws have not been kind to African Warrior. He was drawn widest of all when he won the Group race in Durban and when he ran fifth in the Matchem. I haven’t yet made a decision on whether he will run in the Classic.

“I have other horses in the race and I am going to gallop some of them at Durbanville on Thursday including Liberty Hall who was second in the Premiers Champion. He comes in quite well in the Classic but it depends on how he works on Thursday.”

Durban-based Dennis Bosch has booked Craig Zackey for recent Graduation winner Padre Pio while Candice Bass-Robinson has accepted with Sophomore Sprint winner Three Two Charlie, Arctic Drift and Langerman victor Snow Report who was seventh in the Pinnacle on Saturday.

Justin Snaith has declared three and intriguingly these include General Franco who will be ridden for the first time by dual champion S’Manga Khumalo. Richard Fourie will be on Sachdev and Robert Khathi on Captain Tatters.

By Michael Clower

S’Manga Khumalo is back and hungry after an extended spell in the doldrums and the former champion jockey is now a regular at KZN meetings. He paid for his airfare and some more as he got his meeting off to a flying start on the Dennis Bosch runner Treading Water in the card opener at Hollywoodbets Greyville yesterday.

First timer James Peter was hampered out of the gate which did his chances no good but with Donovan Dillon pushing forward on Valiente a thankful Khumalo slotted in behind in second and James Peter also pressing forward.

Two furlongs out Valiente looked to have it all in hand but his fuel gauge went from full to empty in a matter of strides leaving Treading Water to go clear. But he too was ‘treading water’ as the filly Ode loomed up on his outside, the line coming just in time.

Valiente may have let the side down in the first but Dillon made no mistakes on Brett Crawford’s filly Gwendolyn in the next. Gwendolyn, Royal View and Another Secret stood out as the form runners and the finished one-two-three.

With Belinda Impy handing in her brief towards the end of last season, Lady Colleen Glaeser moved most of her runners to Wayne Badenhorst and Lady Legend provided their first winner together. A close-up second over course and distance last time out, Muzi Yeni took no prisoners with Lady Legend bolting clear to win by the best part of four lengths.

Parting company with his mount Silent Crusade at Hollywoodbets Scottsville last month will have been fresh in Keagan De Melo’s mind. It was a fearful fall and a miracle that he escaped serious injury.

De Melo was back on board Mark Dixon’s filly yesterday where he rode a cracking finish on the favourite. Tracking the pace, Silent Crusade shifted into top gear 400m out but didn’t look at all comfortable as she hung out and seemingly not to keen to go on with her effort. But De Melo kept hard at her and she gamely held off a charging phalanx headed by Generous Lady and Exclusive Quantity.

No doubt young Luke Ferraris will have designs on a career in Hong Kong where his father is a leading trainer and judging pace correctly a prerequisite. Ferraris has a way to go yet if he is ever to get the nod from the super picky Hong Kong Jockey Club but he rode a perfectly judge race on Self-Mastery for Garth Puller. He got a soft lead from a wide draw and made the most of it, going for the line on the home turn and drawing off to win comfortably.

That said, he may have misjudged the pace on Georgina Rose in the very next race as Calvin Habib played the small field on the brake. All under a hard hold for much of the contest, Mary O kept finding when asked the question. Electric Surge tried hard and Jacks Bird arrived late with Georgina Rose struggling to quicken off the slow pace.

On contrast, there was no hanging around in the seventh as apprentice Jason Gates set a solid pace on Bling A Ding Ding that suited winner Coyote Girl. Stuart Randolph sat her in one from last and when all were gasping for air, Coyote Girl picked them off to win smartly.

Title-chasing Warren Kennedy, twice beaten into second on the day, got it right in the last as Dennis Bosch opened and closed the meeting. Kennedy left it late on Mutawaary to ware down game veteran Big King and deny Randolph a quick double.

By Andrew Harrison

Pretty Young Thing is going to be a major contender in Saturday week’s Western Cape Fillies Championship judging by the emphatic way she beat older horses in the TAB Telebet Conditions Plate at Durbanville on Saturday.

Only two fillies in the 1 400m Grade 2 are rated superior to her – the Mike de Kock-trained Gin Fizz and Alan Greeff’s World Radar – and the Ridgemont filly is clearly on the upgrade, winning three of her last four.

True, she is drawn 24 out of 28 but neither Greg Cheyne nor Brett Crawford seem unduly concerned, both pointing to her considerable gate speed. The jockey, now third on the national log with 45 winners, added: “She pinged the gates here and, when I asked her to go, she really lengthened – and to the line she just coasted.”

Drama Queen, an encouraging third in her first race for three and a half months, is also bound for the Western Cape Fillies but she will be 2kg worse.

Crawford, true to recent form, went home with a treble with Kilindini convincingly justifying favouritism in the Betting World Maiden and Bag Of Tricks (backed from 7-1 to 2-1) just holding on in an incident-packed finale.

But this was a treble with a difference because Bag Of Tricks enabled the Philippi trainer to join the successful band who have trained 1 000 winners.

Corne Orffer, who also rode Kilindini, had to survive an objection from Donovan Dillon on runner-up Brother Louis before he could join in the celebrations and he was suspended for a week (Oct 16-22) for causing interference to the unplaced Snowy Mountain.

Morne Winnaar, riding the leader Bindi, was given the same unwanted seven-day holiday for causing interference to runner-up Lana Belle early on in Pretty Young Thing’s race.

Racehorse trainers, and often owners too, need to be blessed with abnormal amounts of patience and Agent Of Fortune provided a perfect example of how this gift can pay off in the Tellytrack.com Pinnacle.

While Bwana, in the words of commentator Philip Sarembock “went off like a dirty shirt,” M.J. Byleveld sat handy a couple of lengths behind and pounced when the leader’s exertions took their toll in the final furlong.

Vaughan Marshall said: “It has been a long hard struggle with this horse. He won a feature first time out (the Kuda Sprint on Met day last year). We then took him to Durban and he chipped a knee at Summerveld. Then he went in the wind.”

The expression of Marsh Shirtliff, who shares ownership with Bryn Ressel, seemed to suggest he was reliving every painful moment when he was asked about the horse’s history!

Richard Fourie, four winners at Fairview on Friday, landed a Justin Snaith double on Queen’s Club and Dancing Sally to take his total for the season to 33.

Anthony Andrews and Andre Nel were also in double form, landing the opener with Aqua Bolt and the third with Quickstep Lady, one of four horses on the day who set new class records.

By Michael Clower

Garth Puller has been cautious and down-played Georgina Rose after her recent wins. Unbeaten in both, she was a tad lucky last time with runner-up Accidental Tourist finding traffic but apprentice Luke Ferraris picking a clear run up the outside rail. But just where Georgina Rose is headed over the next few months could be answered on the turf at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday.

Both of her victories have come over 1200m, but judged on pedigree the step up to 1600m on Sunday could prove closer to her optimum trip. Michael Roberts and Lezeanne Forbes have contributed to keeping the Group Wreck International Non-Ferrous Beach Beauty Mile alive, saddling two and three runners respectively in the seven-horse field.

The pick of the Roberts pair could be Jack’s Bird. She has been rested but ran a cracker in a strong feature at the end of last season and will be a big runner even if short of a run. Stable companion Winter Season has smart form to date. She has also been rested and steps up in trip and must also have a chance.

Two of Forbes’s runners are making their debuts in a high-class field and given that they are both declared in steel shoes, the exposed Mary O is the obvious stable elect. Mary O was narrowly beaten last start and although she does face a little stronger this time around, she is having her third run after a break and that could give her the edge on the Roberts runners.

Tony Rivalland’s stable has turned the corner of late and Exclusive Quantity is on track for his fourth victory after running the progressive Ultra Mahnus to within two lengths at his last start.

He does step up in trip but has smart form in useful company and is well weighted in this contest. His two biggest dangers could come in the form of Twice As Smart and Arianos Shadow.

Wendy Whitehead’s yard is also in good form and Twice As Smart has useful form in strong company. She is both course and distance suited and jumps from the best draw. Arianos Shadow showed signs of her best form last outing and from a good draw could finally get off the mark for Frank Robinson.

With most of his roadblocks seemingly out of the way, Duncan Howells is starting to turn the corner with a treble last month and the Ashburton trainer put it into perspective. “On any given day there are over 120 runners, so the chances of winning one race, let alone three takes a lot of luck.

He will be hoping that his luck holds for the last two on the card.

Love Theme has been much improved with cheek pieces and with a stronger rider aboard this time around she can go one better but at least should be right there again. If Love Theme cannot oblige then maiden winners Mystic Dreamer and Soiree from the Corrine Bestel yard will be threats along with Bling A Ding Ding and Coyote Girl who made a fair local debut and boast steady Highveld form.

Howells saddles Rocket Fire who was a touch disappointing last run. He looks held of form but he races in a tongue-tie for the first time which could make a difference. Mutawaary had to play second fiddle to the Howell’s trained Coldhardcash last week but has been holding form and could be thereabouts again.   Of the balance, Blaze Of Silk comes form an in form stable and goes well over course and distance while Royal Rustler has shown his best form on the poly but has not been far back of late.          

By Andrew Harrison

Bwana could be the answer to tomorrow’s Tellytrack.com Pinnacle Stakes and at a rewarding price.

Such races are notoriously difficult to predict – most of the horses are using it as a warm-up and many have been off for a long time – and the Durbanville draw bias adds to the uncertainty. Remember how Pacific Trader made a mockery of it a fortnight ago?

Bwana comes from the same stable and is drawn even worse but it is much in his favour that he often races prominently and that the Philippi yard is on fire at the moment.

“The way the track is running he doesn’t have to be in front,” points out Brett Crawford. “If he turns for home two or three lengths off them that should be close enough.”

Corne Orffer’s mount has drifted slightly, from 5-1 to 6-1, and he should be fit after running a 2.4 length-sixth to Pacific Trader in his first race since May.

Elusive Trader is the one that the early money has come for and by yesterday morning he was favourite at 4-1. There is no denying the form claims of the Greg Ennion runner, and he is going to pop up one of these days, but he finds it hard to win – he has only done so once out of the maidens – and he has cost this column too much to justify going for him again.

Of the others Sergeant Hardy (9-1) is theoretically the best in at the weights but stable companion Green Jacket’s chance is as good and Photocopy is smart round here.

The TAB Telebet Conditions Plate has also attracted some class horses, notably Canukeepitsecret who has 4.5kg in hand on adjusted ratings. But she has not raced since trailing in 18 lengths behind the winner in the Olympic Duel and Vaughan Marshall voices a note of caution, saying: “She might just need it. She took a bit of a dive during the winter and I went easy on her.”

Pretty Young Thing, yet another in-form horse from the Crawford stable, is clear favourite at 3-1 but it just might pay to take a chance with 9-2 shot Too Phat To Fly who also comes from a stable in form and has a much better draw.

Justin Snaith can again start the ball rolling by winning the first two races but I prefer Bollinger to Richard Fourie’s mount Lead Singer in the first while Queen’s Club may have improved enough to account for the superior form claims of Caribbean Sunset in the next.

By Michael Clower