The Rising Sun Gold Challenge winner was running for the first time since an emergency colic operation to save his life in September and, while he didn’t manage to repeat last year’s Cape Mile win, the way he bravely moved up into a challenging third was typical of the gallant grey and filled his trainer with hope.

Joe Ramsden said: “I was very pleased with that. He will quite possibly go to Durban for the sort of races he ran in last season but he might also have a crack at the HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut on 28 March.”

King Of Pain (Nkosi Hlophe)

The race was won in good style by 12-1 shot Ze Kaiser who was brought with a smooth run from last by Grant van Niekerk whose constantly-improving riding since landing the Bass job has been a revelation. But plans for his mount are up in the air.

Bass said: “I don’t know about Durban because he is a 1 400m/mile horse and there is not that much for him there. He has come right now after having problems with his feet and rather losing his way in the process.”

Power King, beaten less than half a length, leaves for Durban shortly but Dean Kannemeyer felt he could have won and explained: “He drifted across the width of five horses in the last half furlong. That cost him the race.”

Hammie’s Hooker returned to her best to win the Breco Seafoods Prix Du Cap with ease but it was difficult to tell who was more surprised, her trainer of her jockey. Bernard Fayd’Herbe had got off her on Thursday and bluntly informed Bass: “That’s the worst she has ever felt!”

Bass, winning this Grade 3 for the fourth time in nine seasons, said: “She made the others look ordinary today and that’s how good she is. She should have won a few Grade 1s but things just haven’t worked out for her in those races. There is the Garden Province to come but I will have to talk to the owners about whether I take her there or whether she should go straight to stud.”

A crack at the Gold Cup is on the cards for Coltrane who led a furlong out to justify 18-10 favouritism in a slowly run CTS Chairman’s Cup to give Joey Ramsden his seventh win in this two-miler in 16 years and Fayd’Herbe his first.

Ramsden was equally taken with Kingvoldt and Happy Forever, second and third to Gulf Storm in the Pinnacle Stakes.

He said: “I will have to check with Kevin Sommerville but the obvious target for Kingvoldt is the Tsogo Sun Sprint at Scottsville on 23 May. Maybe we will go to Turffontien again with Happy Forever.”

Gulf Storm goes to Durban and Brett Crawford said: “I am going to keep him to sprint distances and I think 1 200m is his trip.”

Mrs Plattner informed Govender early in the season that she intends cutting down on her previous near 100-horse string but the split came as a surprise when Govender announced it at Kenilworth on Saturday.

He said: “It was a mutual decision and I feel this is the right time for me to go on my own. My wife Ronelle and I want to move back to Durban and I have applied for boxes at Summerveld.

“I realise this may not be easy with the Durban season about to start but I may be able to get some private boxes outside the training centre.

“I have already had a lot of people ringing me to inquire so things are looking positive. I am proud of my achievements with Plattner Racing and my good strike rate with the horses. I’ve had around 315 winners including several Graded races, notably the 2013 J & B Met with Martial Eagle.”

Govender, 41, took over when Brett Crawford quit the post in August 2009. He had been assistant trainer there for four years and previously worked for Glen Kotzen and the legendary American-based Michael Dickinson.

Mrs Plattner was unavailable for comment yesterday.

There looks to be some fair Pick 6 banker prospects tonight.

In the first leg over 1600m Roy’s Selvan has run some fair races on turf and is drawn well over a step up in trip he should relish.Temple Rock finished just seven lengths behind the classy Forries Waltz over 1400m before going close over 2000m on the poly. Charles Laird always has them fit so this trip running fresh from pole position with Anton Marcus up should be ideal for Temple Rock. Those two make most appeal. Putchini had some fair Cape form and has not been disgraced in two better fields than this in two KZN runs over 1600m. All For The Money, who also hails from the Cape, looks to have some ability having placed in maidens against some useful sorts. However, he returns from an epistaxis (bleeding) suspension and this is his first try beyond 1000m, so he can be included but can hardly be backed with confidence. Spirit Of Dover will relish the step up in trip, but Dennis Drier’s stable jockey Sean Cormack is aboard Slewsgate, so both could be considered.

Art Deco (Nkosi Hlophe)

In the second leg, a MR 70 Handicap over 1600m for fillies and mares, the Drier-trained Art Deco looks to have some class and has a reasonable 77 merit rating considering her easy and impressive maiden win over course and distance. She is a possible banker. It Wasn’t Me will be good place value if jumping ok as she is drawn well under an in form 4kg claimer and could enjoy the step down in trip. Dancing Arrow could feature if jumping on terms, despite being under sufferance. Karelia has some fair polytrack maiden form and can be considered. Danish Zealot, Nanojet and Artistically Done can ‘t be ignored.

In the next leg, a MR 74 Handicap over 1000m, Prince Of Magic finished close to some fair sorts in Cape Town over 1200m and showed pace on his poly debut over 1200m when finishing third despite rearing and being hampered. He now has a good draw. Burrwood can be included from a good draw with Marcus up over his ideal trip and Risky Rosco could possibly threaten with a late run.

Victory Emblem makes appeal in the next leg, a MR 70 Apprentice Handicap over 1900m, as he has always been well regarded and has a good record over course and distance. His 4kg claimer is in good form. Merits Conceded ran a fine race when front running tactics were employed last time and that might be the key to him, so he could have another chance despite a seven point raise. Caprivi Strip, on a dispersal sale on Wednesday, will offer good place value as he is a fair sort on his day and better than his form suggests. Pilgovan Star took ages to win his maiden but is distance suited and clearly enjoys the poly. Lebeoana, Born To Rule and Hamelin Bay also have to be considered.

Risky Rosco (Nkosi Hlophe)

D’Vash has been a frustrating sort to follow but could finally get it right in the fifth leg of the Pick 6, a maiden over 1900m, a trip he will enjoy. Count Zafonic and Nishac can be included if wishing to go wider.

In the last, a fillies and mares maiden over 1900m, Likeness was close up to three promising sorts last time and had the rest of the field well beaten, so should get it right here and is a banker consideration. Imperial Star is improving and will relish the step up in trip. Mullins Model also looks likely to enjoy the trip. Seventh Joy’s best run was over course and distance so she can be included in the quartet along with Dellavera, Smart Mamba Chalcedony and Amoyi.

Duncan Howells could win the first race with Pena Palace, who will likely relish the step back to 1400m.

The second race could see Regal Ransom follow up on his KZN debut victory over this 1400m course and distance as he had some fair Cape form against far better, but his wide draw is a concern. Vavasour and Buffalo Bill make most appeal of the rest and Melson can be considered while Storm Surf can never be ignored over course and distance.

On Sunday the Non-Black Type Fever Tree Handicap over 1400m on turf could be won by Lake Arthur who loves this course and distance. He is well drawn in two and has come down the merit ratings. He returns from a layoff but has run well fresh before. Kingston Boy and Goldie Coast are classy sorts and make appeal as the dangers.

The Non-Black Type unThombothi Stakes over 2000m could be won by the best weighted horse Candy Moon over a suitable course and distance. He has a fine turn of foot so the wide draw should be manageable. The Howells-trained Zestful is only 0,5kg under sufferance and in his only previous attempt beyond a mile he finished just 4,3 lengths behind Futura here over 1900m, although the latter was still inexperienced at the time.

Horse Chestnut made his debut over 1000m at Turffontein on 20 December 1997 in the famous yellow and black Oppenheimer silks. And he did not disappoint, changing legs at around the 200m mark to leave the field floundering in his wake. He romped home, nearly 6 lengths clear of his nearest rival.

In 1999, Horse Chestnut started his onslaught on the Triple Crown with an emphatic 7 length victory in the first leg in the Cape Argus Guineas (while stable mate Fort Defiance took the Johannesburg leg in the Newmarket Guineas, making it a double for the De Kock yard).

Horse Chestnut (Summerhill.co.za)

There is a saying that your horse can only be as brave as you are and they don’t come braver than trainer Mike de Kock, who decided to run his 3yo prodigy at the J&B Metropolitan Stakes over 2000m. It was the first time Horse Chestnut had been asked to go such a distance and it is a big ask for any 3yo – so much so that the Met had not been won by a 3yo in over 50 years. However, horses don’t read the record books, they write them. Horse Chestnut quite literally annihilated the competition. As second placed Classic Flag struggled an almost comical 8 lengths in his wake, race caller Jehan Malherbe’s voice rang out across the course: “This is true greatness! Horse Chestnut is killing them in the J&B Met!”

The second leg of the Triple Crown, the SA Classic over 1800m, was run on 27 March 1999. Horse Chestnut again showed his superiority by beating Fort Defiance home by nearly 4 lengths.

The SA Derby, his last start in South Africa, is perhaps remembered as his most impressive. It was the longest race of his career at 2450m, but Horse Chestnut simply used the trip to put even more daylight between himself and his rivals, winning by an almost ridiculous 9.5 lengths. In doing so, he became the first horse in history to win the South African Triple Crown.

He closed out his 3yo campaign by being named 1999 Equus Champion 3yo Colt, Equus Champion Male Stayer as well as being honoured as the Horse of the Year.

Greatness beckoned and Horse Chestnut left our shores for the United States. Despite the new country and a different surface, he took it all in his large stride. His made his American debut on dirt in the Broward Handicap in January 2000. Again he showed his incredible turn of foot, carrying Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith across the line to thunderous applause, 5.5 lengths clear of Isaypete.

An unfortunate injury shortly afterward signaled a disappointingly early end to his American campaign, but Horse Chestnut had shown himself to be a true champion. Not only had he won over different courses, different distances, different surfaces, and different continents, he had also shown that he had the big match temperament to match. In a fitting end to an illustrious career, he joined a long line of racing luminaries, by retiring to stud at Claiborne Farm.

Horse Chestnut’s American progeny enjoyed their fair share of success, producing 61% winners, and 13% stakes horses, including a group 1 winner out of his first crop, Lucifer’s Stone. He has also left an American legacy as a broodmare sire and is the maternal grandsire of 2015 Triple Crown candidate, Ocho Ocho Ocho. However, being primarily a ‘grass horse’, his appeal to the American market was limited. But every cloud comes with a silver lining and in this case, it presented an opportunity for the big chestnut to come home.

Purchased by the Horse Chestnut Syndicate, he returned to South African shores in 2009 to take up residence at the magnificent Drakenstein Stud Farm. He stood 6 seasons at stud locally and of his runners to date, has produced a number of promising-looking progeny, including debut winner Chestnut’s Rocket, the ill-fated Zobens and Rake’s Chestnut. With several generations still to hit the track, the best may yet be to come.

There is a notion that you only get one great horse in a lifetime, but as Mike de Kock said, Horse Chestnut is the sort of horse that comes along once in every 10 lifetimes.

When Horse Chestnut’s sire Fort Wood passed away just a few short weeks ago, Jessica Slack posted on Facebook that she could imagine her grandparents feeding him carrots up in heaven. It seems their stable is expanding.

RIP Horse Chestnut, a true South African racing legend.

–          Sportingpost.co.za

“She ran well from a wide draw in the Klawervlei Majorca and she is much better drawn here,” says Bruss who won the J & B Met with Zebra Crossing in 2006 and three years later sent out the third and fourth in the Dubai World Cup.

Red Flame (Nkosi Hlophe)

Richard Fourie’s mount and Lanner Falcon come out 2kg better than the next highest rated (Hammie’s Hooker) on adjusted merit ratings and, while there was only a short head between them in the Majorca, Lanner Falcon is badly drawn here.

Hammie’s Hooker opened 3-1 joint favourite with the other two with Betting World yesterday but her last three runs have been below par. Incidentally this has been a bad race for favourites in recent years and the last five have all been beaten.

One to note is 7-1 chance Maybe Yes. “She has a good draw and we are going to ride her a bit more forward,” says Brett Crawford. “Last time she was drawn wide and she got a little bit far back.”

Coltrane is evens favourite to give Joey Ramsden his seventh CTS Chairman’s Cup this century and the handicappers have gone gently with him – only a kilo extra for winning the Cape Summer Stayers and nothing at all for his next win or his good run on Met day.

Coltrane (Liesl King)

But no favourite has won this since Major Bluff nine years ago and, while Shingwedzi (2-1) is best on adjusted ratings, Putney Flyer could be a snip at 4-1. He won the Kenilworth Cup over this course and distance in November and is 7,5kg better with Coltrane for last time’s two and a half lengths.

This is the Prawn Festival meeting with Breco’s best on sale at bargain prices and free draws for a multitude of household products. But punters also want winners and Power King appeals at 3-1 in the Cape Mile, particularly as he is dropping in trip after finishing seventh in the Met.

“He moved up nicely on the inside and I thought he was going to finish in the first four,” recalls Dean Kannemeyer. “He then went a little bit up and own in the last half furlong but he has come out of the race exceptionally well.”

Natatela’s run last Saturday may not have been Andrew Fortune’s finest hour but the former champion certainly didn’t deserve all the flak that came his way. His is still an outstanding talent and he should put the record straight in the Nima Consulting Maiden even though the 200m shorter trip is not in his mount’s favour.