The Gr 1 2 R1 million Peermont Emperor’s Palace Charity Mile at Turffontein on Saturday saw a similar finish to last year as trainer Alec Laird recaptured the race, this time with the Argentinian-bred five-year-old Giant’s Causeway gelding Bouclette Top, and once again it was at the expense of trainer Gavin van Zyl, whose charge M L Jet fought on for second. Last year the pair of trainers finished first and second with Bezanova and No Worries respectively.

Bouclette Top, who was ridden superbly by national champion jockey Gavin Lerena, has sharpened up notably in his racing since being fitted with blinkers for the first time in March this year. His improvement with the headgear saw him having to carry joint-second topweight of 58kg yesterday. He also had to overcome a tricky draw of eleven. However, that didn’t stop him producing a resolute finish from off the pace to master M L Jet, who fought bravely throughout the straight after turning for home in second place. Bouclette Top won by a comfortable 2,25 lengths. Mitraad flew late from some way back to snatch third from Mac De Lago, who also finished well, and Bezanova had to settle for fifth this year.

Bouclette Top is owned by Wilgerbosdrift Stud.

The lucky Charity attached to Bouclette Top was the Thembakazi Primary After Care Centre and the celebrity representing them was Jonathon Boynton-Lee.

Thembakazi received R150,000, Khangezile Primary After Care Centre (attached to M L Jet) received R100,000, San Michele charity (Mitraad) received R80,000 while the Highveld Horse Care Unit (Mac De Lago) received R70,000. All twelve of the remaining charities involved received R50,000 each.

The Justin Snaith-trained Australian-bred colt by Star Witness, Lineker, started 12/10 favourite for the R2,015,000 Bloodstock South Africa Ready To Run Cup over 1400m and there were a few anxious moments for the connections when he went into his number nine stall early and then started slowly. However, it worked in his favour because there was a scrum at the front and he was able to find cover and settle. Piere Strydom was patient in the straight and eventually produced him with a perfectly timed challenge to beat the Gary Alexander-trained and Andrew Fortune-ridden 16/1 shot Crystal Glamour with the widely drawn Gavin van Zyl-trained Redcarpet Captain next best. Snaith praised the magnanimous nature of Lineker’s owner Michael Leaf, whose horse Wylie Hall was the victim of a heartbreakingly controversial upheld objection in the Vodacom Durban July of 2013 at the expense of the Snaith-trained Legislate.

Alexander and Fortune made up for that defeat by winning the R2,5 million Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run Cup with Champagne Haze, a Kahal colt who is half-brother to a previous winner of this race, the Alexander-trained Pierre Jourdan. Champagne Haze, drawn 6, was backed in to 5/2 despite the presence of the unbeaten Mike Azzie-trained Gr 1-winner Rabada, who was drawn 16 but still shortened from 15/10 to 13/10. The two market rivals ended on opposite extremes of the course but Champagne Haze was still full of running after stealing a march and Fortune was able to wave at Anton Marcus and Rabada on the outside before crossing the line three lengths clear. The 55/1 shot King Of Chaos’s third-place finish completed a lucrative day at the office for the Alexander yard. Champagne Haze was bred by Summerhill Stud and has a big syndicate of owners.

The Mike de Kock-trained Australian-bred O’Reilly colt Muwaary was too strong for the Gr 3 Graham Beck Stakes field after the favourite Bull Valley had bolted and had to be scratched. Muwaary overtook the pacemaker Unbelievable Chad quite early in the straight and powered clear to win comfortably by 2,25 lengths under Anthony Delpech. Liege was second and Malak Al Moolook just pipped a brave Unbelievable Chad for third. Lunar Approach was next best.

Strydom landed his second feature of the afternoon on the Robbie Sage-trained Madame Dubois and did it so in brilliant fashion in the level weights Gr 3 Starling Stakes for three-year-old fillies. Jumping from a tough draw of 14 over the 1400m trip, Strydom had the Count Dubois filly wide but slipstreamed throughout the turn and kept her covered down the straight until exactly the right moment. She ran on strongly to nab the Mike Azzie-trained Mella Maria and the Lucky Houdalakis-trained Joan Ranger on the line. The odds of the first three were 10/1, 20/1 and 20/1 so this was an upset for the Place Accumulator. Madame Dubois, who finished third in the Gr 1 Allan Robertson Championship over 1200m for two-year-old fillies in May, is owned by Colin Bird and was bred by AJ McNabb and E Miliotis.

The Mike de Kock-trained New Zealand-bred filly The Centenary by Mastercraftsman was allowed to go off at generous odds of 14/1 in the Gr 3 Yellowwood Handicap over 1800m. She was admittedly six points higher in the merit ratings since her last win over this trip on the Inside track, but she was always going to relish the Standside course and distance as one whose new tactics of running on strongly from behind have been most effective. She duly cruised through to win comfortably under regular jockey Randall Simons, beating the favourite Marmalady by 1,5 lengths. Gr 1-winner Bilateral was third. The much vaunted De Kock-trained three-year-old Persian Rug started second favourite but faded tamely after being prominent.

Weiho Marwing did it yet again in a feature staying race on the Highveld when his six-year-old Captain Al gelding Fulcrum, who caught the eye going down, was sent for home early in the straight of the Listed Java Handicap over 2400m by his nephew Wesley Marwing and just held on from the gallant seven-year-old Henry Higgins with Arch Rival next best.

The two R250,000 HSH Princess Of Charlene Of Monaco Maiden Plates, over 1160m and 1600m, saw impressively easy 3,5 length and 6,25 length respective wins for the Sean Tarry-trained three-year-old Silvano filly Tahini, under Raymond Danielson, and the Johan Janse van Vuuren-trained Australian-bred New Approach three-year-old colt New Predator, under Weichong Marwing.

By David Thiselton