Andrew Harrison

The Shepherd as always given the impression that his form belies his inherent ability and he can finally show that when he lines up in the Middle Stakes over 1600m on the poly at Hollywoodbets Greyville today.

He tended to be a difficult customer at the gates at the start of his career but Peter Muscutt is the consummate professional and has guided The Shepherd to four wins in his 15 career starts and in the money on six other occasions.

After finishing second to Gladatorian, now a Gr1 winner, back in September last year, The Shepherd was off the course for a month shy of a year before making his comeback at the back end of July this year and finishing just over two lengths behind Rosh Kedesh. He has since had two further starts where he was close up to the winners. He steps out on the poly and with some solid form to back his chances he could be the horse to beat.

Frank Robinson has been relatively quiet of late but saddles his smart mare Mocha Blend in this contest. She is an imposing filly with plenty of class but she does return from a break after two smart Champions Season efforts in the Gr2 Woolavington 2000 and the Gr2 Gold Bracelet.

This is an obvious warm-up for a tilt at the lucrative Highveld spring season but talented horses do well over almost any distance and the poly holds no fears.

With the scratchings of Sign Of Fate and Officer In Command, her task has been made a little easier but she could still face stiff opposition from the Mike and Mathew de Kock’s Ingqwele who does duty in the absence of Officer In Command.

The De Kock’s could post the first two winners on the card. In the first, Bombardier Boy found market support on debut and finished a close-up second. With that run under his girth one can reasonably expect further improvement. Opposition could come in the form of the Duncan Howells-trained Austrian Beauty. She takes on males but has come well for her new stable and should make another bold bid from the best of the draw.

The second is tricky maiden where form is thin. However, the De Kock’s debutante Ovation Star does not have to be too good to win here and any market support should prove significant. Of those that have run, Kali Bwana has shown some ability and should show in this line-up while Dee Day is battling but does pop up on occasion. Back to a sprint on the poly she can feature. The Scarlet Cat has shown little to date but tries blinkers for the first time in her poly debut and has a light weight.

Xiphos looks to be one of the better bets on the card. He has been much improved on the poly and first time blinkers. The step up in trip should suit and he has a strong chance in another weak maiden field. O Space O has been disappointing of late but did show some ability early in his career. The blinkers are back on. The De Kock’s will bank on Captain Frank who has had two starts on the poly and steps up in trip. On pedigree he should enjoy the extra. Dean Kannemeyer’s runner Susurrando was not far back on debut and should improve on that showing although he does have a deep draw to contend with.

Visitor Paul Matchett on has one runner in Rejuvenate in the second leg of the Pick 6 . The filly has shown her best recent form on the poly and a repeat of that effort could see her home. Kom Naidoo sends out Red Lhasa who has had two starts for her new stable and ran a smart race first up from a wide draw. She should be involved in the finish. Fine Wine is lightly raced but she stays the trip, goes well on the poly and was close-up last run on the turf. Call Me Harriet is better than her last two. She gets full-on blinkers this time around and a 4kg claimer aboard.

The sixth is another competitive handicap but Princess Goldie has been tumbling down the ratings and is also down in class so makes plenty of appeal. Mountains Of The Moon was a good second last run over a sprint with the blinkers and tongue-tie removed. The blinkers are back on over a more suitable trip and she appears to enjoy the poly. Schipole was touched off in a tight finish last time out but of concern is that she did not feature in her poly debut. Mrsglittersparkles made a promising seasonal debut and shed her maiden on the poly at the tail end of last season. She does look to have improvement to come.

The final two races are tough handicaps. In the seventh, School Policy took on slightly stronger last time out and the switch to poly could bring out the best.  Ilha Da Orange has improved in blinkers and her last two wins have come on the poly. She got a five-point jump in the handicap for her last win but has 5.5kg less to shoulder. Purple Flower has a deep draw to contend with but loves the poly and has a handy galloping weight while Emerald Green made sudden improvement last run but a repeat performance from the best of the draw could see her go one better.

Finally it could pay to load up in the exotics for the last but World Pharoah has shown up well in his first two outings for his new stable and this is his third run after a break. Bless Me Fred is something of a Hollywoodbets Scottsville specialist but has been in good form over the trip of late and the switch to poly could see him holding form. Ibhele has been dropping in the ratings and now also takes a drop in class.  Not one to leave out of any calculations. Catavar is in good form and over his best trip. He also goes well on the poly.

Andrew Harrison

Sean Tarry is an absolute master at getting his horses ready for the big occasion and he started his Highveld Spring Season off on a high note with victory in both the Gr2 Joburg Spring Challenge and the Gr2 Joburg Spring F&M Challenge.

Joint bottom weight Tin Pan Alley converted his favourite tag as Keratile Katjedi rode a perfectly judged race to score the first Graded Stakes win of his career. With two of Tarry’s regular riders sidelined through suspension Katjedi, a natural light-weight, answered the call and delivered in a ride that will do his reputation the world of good.

Katjedi secured a ground-saving position on the rail, tracking the early leaders into the straight and making his bid for the lead at just the right time. However, last year’s Gr1 Betway Summer Cup winner Atticus Finch gave the winner 10kg and made an eye-catching start to his title defence, Alec Laird gelding motoring home to snatch second over a trip well short of his best.

Tarry’s runners scored a memorable exacta in the filly’s edition as Callmegetrix  under Louis Mxothwa, up from Cape Town for the ride, finally getting the better of pace-making stable companion Rodeo Drive in a tight finish with the balance of the field in another race, some seven lengths back.

If Atticus Finch caught the eye, so did Confederate. Fabian Habib’s charge ran way below form in the Hollywoodbets Durban July, the first time he had finished further back than second, but was back on track winning the Conditions Plate over 1450m, much to the delight of his horde of connections.

Rachel Venniker had no hesitation in making the pace and Confederate responded to all her urgings to hold off Money Heist who finished best of the rest.

Last season’s Gr1 SA Classic winner has yet to win beyond 1800 m so it remains to be seen whether Habib will set him up for a crack at the Summer Cup.

Andrew Harrison

The spring rains have arrived which is good news for Hollywoodbets Scottsville currently undergoing spring treatment, but not so much for the turf at Hollywoodbets Greyville where rain over the past week forced Friday evening’s racemeeting to be switched to the poly track.

In the past, the switch to the poly would have resulted in a multitude of scratchings but since the revamp of the synthetic surface, most trainers will have been more than happy with the switch.

Hierarchy has always given the impression that she is a filly out of the top drawer and she confirmed that opinion in the Progress Plate that headed the card.

It was a small but fairly useful field but Hierarchy made short work of her opposition, coming home hands and heels under Kabelo Matsunyane. Run out of it into second by Major Tommie in her seasonal debut over the Hollywoodbets Scottsville 1200m, there was no mistakes this time out as Matsunyane took her to the front and was not for the catching, drawing away to win as she liked with second-placed Buttercup Baby throwing in the towel with a furlong to run.

Duncan Howells, who has an enviable record with fillies notably star filly Via Africa, dam of current Australian sensation Autumn Glow, has earmarked the Cape Summer Season for his charge where she will be under the card of his former boss, Eric Sands who also looked after Via Africa in her Western Cape campaign. Howells was of the opinion that last season’s crop of two-year-old fillies was vintage so Hierarchy deserved a crack at the Cape summer features.

Another smart winner on the night was the Mike and Mathew de Kock-trained Exocet. Foaled in South Africa but with an Irish pedigree, the son of Mehmas fluffed his lines second time out after his smart debut victory, but did appear to be all at sea.

He made amends in good fashion, overcoming some early scrimmaging before bounding out of the pack to win a smart race with the minimum of fuss under Callan Murray who was riding his third winner of the evening starting off in the card opener.

Mike de Kock was happy with the change of surface as Queen Braganza cruised to a comfortable win, stating post-race that the filly had shown smart sand work at home and the poly was in her favour. It was not the strongest of maiden fields but the daughter of Potala Palace won with authority, the hot favourite Sun In My Pocket handy but not able to go on with her effort finishing a well-beaten fourth.

The step up to 1400m brought out the best in favourite Light Of Gabriel in the second. Dean Kannemeyer’s filly had made steady improvement and got going too late when narrowly beaten over 1200m last time out. She looked to be struggling early in the straight but once changing legs she picked it up smartly under Marco van Rensburg to win going away.

Dezahn Louw is quickly making a name for himself as an apprentice well worth his 4kg claim. He was fearless when pressing through a closing gap as Alyson Wright’s grey Kagura was the ham in the sandwich between the filly Intro and Carnival Park, the two form runners in the first leg of the PA. Serino Moodley on Intro saw Kagura coming and allowed his mount to shift ground in a classic race-riding tactic but to no avail as neither Louw or his mount were intimidated.

Moodley had better luck in the first leg of the Pick 6 as Ice Rain hunted down Alannah in a tight finish. Alannah was always handy with favourite Tomyris setting the pace and then fought off all challengers in the charge for home until Moodley produced Ice Rain with a telling late run.

Happy Fortune made short work of her opposition in the fifth. Rachel Venniker was sitting with a double handful crossing the subway and Darryle Moore’s filly put the race to bed in a matter of strides. Poursomesugaronme, slow out of the gate and bringing up the rear for most of the race, finished best of all to finish a well-beaten second.

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