The highest rated race tonight is the sixth, a MR 74 Handicap over 1800m, and it is ultra competitive. Big Bird is 15 points lower than his last winning mark on turf and is drawn well over a trip and surface he should enjoy.

Big Bird (Nkosi Hlophe)

Mr Royal has shown some good form over this sort of course and distance and took to blinkers well last time, so from pole position draw for an in form yard he has a chance. Pearly King has always struck as better than his form suggests, but was often head strong, so now that he has become more settled and is low in the ratings he could follow up on his recent win. He was ridden by an apprentice having his first ride around the turn last time and ran wide into the straight so that run can probably be ignored and he now has a more experienced 2,5kg claimer up.

His stablemate Priceless Gem is in good form and has a better draw than he did last time when running on well from near last over course and distance for a close second. Black Jaguar has run on well over 1600m on the poly before so is interesting stepped up to this trip. Discourse was 0,35 lengths behind Priceless Gem last time when racing a touch wide, but he now has an even wider draw. Sean Cormack has remained aboard Roy’s Jet so has to be considered despite needing to improve on form.

On My Wits Alone was a touch disappointing last time but he is now re-united with Sean Veale who won a maiden easily aboard him over course and distance before that. Silver Spring is a disappointing sort and the handicapper isn’t being too kind to him, but he did beat Priceless Gem over 1900m on turf in his last start so can’t be ignored. Emblem Royale also comes out better than Priceless Gem on their last meeting on the poly, but that was over 1600m and to date he has failed when stepped up in trip. The horses are selected in the order mentioned.

The first race over 1000m forms the first leg of the bipot. Varlotone has a 2,5kg claimer up and with second time blinkers from a good draw she could be the one to beat as she has shown pace before. Dark Rose stumbled at the start over course and distance last time but still managed to stay on for third. Ginger Biscuit is costly to follow but has a chance if fulfilling her potential. Roy’s Angel hasn’t been disgraced and could improve.

In the second race Anasa was slow away and then ran all over the course on debut at Scottsville, but was doing good work late and she is the one to beat from a good draw with Anthony Delpech up.

In the third Supreme Power was given a nine point raise for his last win but on his best Cape form he still has a fine chance of defying the handicapper. Legend Fighter was a bit outpaced in the straight over 1200m last time before staying on strongly so he should love the extra 200m here. Hat-trick-seeking Nitro Nori is in fine form over course and distance and as one that has always potentially been better than this level, he should be right there.

Beautiful Jet (Nkosi Hlophe)

In the fourth race White Christmas showed ability on debut over 1200m before plugging on when appearing to be outpaced throughout over 1400m last time and he should relish this trip on pedigree. Roy’s Flyer is an obvious form contender in this weak field. Fairtrade wasn’t disgraced over 1200m last time and should enjoy the step up in trip.

The fifth is another weak race, but Bev’s Baby has some fair poly form over this sort of trip and is the one to beat with Cormack up.

In the seventh Beautiful Jet returns to the course and distance of her fine penultimate run. She ran on well from a long way back then and nearly got up, so her wide draw is not too much of a concern although she would like a fair pace. Saint Camille is a half-sister to Serissa and could set the fractions. She has some fair poly form in the maidens and fought back to just fail over 1400m the last time she ran on it, which suggested she should stay this trip. Queen Eliza also has to be considered.

In the last race Cape Vesta was most unlucky over this 1600m trip in her penultimate start on turf and could get it right here as she is only 0,5kg under sufferance. Rachel Leigh has been knocking on the door off this merit rating and is well drawn.

At Scottsville the eye catching sort Snowman returns to action in the seventh race over the 1600m course and distance of his unlucky defeat at the end of December. This is definitely a horse to follow.

CTS offered a once off bonus of R1 million attached to the 2013 Book 2 Sale that would go to the trainer of the horse that had amassed the most stakes earnings by the end of its three-year-old year. The Dennis Drier-trained Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Medallion winner Guiness was thought to have been the highest earning graduate of the sale before Tuesday night on a figure of R425,450.

However, with first and second prizes of R1,250,000 and R500,000 respectively in the sales race, Siren’s Call and Trophy Wife have now left him a long way behind. Siren’s Call has now earned stakes of R1,434,375 and Trophy Wife has earned R677,650. Both fillies will likely be running in forthcoming Johannesburg feature races where they could accumulate further earnings. Guiness, meanwhile, is recuperating well from a successful wind operation and will only be back in training towards the end of this month.

The win was also a boost for Drakenstein Stud as the colt is by their newly acquired stallion Duke Of Marmalade. The trip was thought to be a touch on the sharp side for Moofeed, who is owned by Sheik Mohammed bin Khalida Al Maktoum, so he was allowed to drift out to 20/1.

However, he enjoyed the fast conditions and was up with the pace early. Khumalo then cleverly stole a march at the halfway mark and the colt stayed on well to deny the running on Louis Goosen-trained One Man’s Dream and the flying Sean Tarry-trained Willow Magic by 0,2 lengths and 0,3 lengths respectively.

Willow Magic was all the rage and started at 7/10, but it was his second run after a long layoff and he also had a much tougher task with topweight under handicap conditions than he had last time out. The race should have brought him on and Tarry said his route now will likely be the Gr 2 Senor Santa Handicap over 1200m on April 4 followed by the Gr 1 Computaform Sprint over 1000m on April 25, both at Turffontein.

Siren’s Call’s sire Elusive Fort, who won the Gr 1 SA Derby and Gr 1 Daily News 2000 under Geoff Woodruff, was sold in training to the USA by owner Ebrahim Khan, but injured himself over there and his best effort was a second in a Gr 3.

He consequently had minimal stud value in America and Millenium Stud’s Tony Mincione alerted De Beyer to the opportunity of bringing him home. De Beyer financed and syndicated Elusive Fort and ended as chief shareholder, owning close to half of him. He sends half of his mares to him too. Elusive Fort originally stood at Arc-En-Ciel Stud and his support increased from 40 mares in his first season to 60 in the second and 80 in the third. However, complications following  Arc-En-Ciel’s closure saw him back to 40 mares the following season. The syndicate then decided to move him to Klipdrift Stud and through a mammoth marketing effort as well as the form of the like of Siren’s Call and Elusive Stars on the race track, they were able to close his book at 108 mares last season. Furthermore, De Beyer reported that 90% of these mares are in foal.

Elusive Fort’s progeny appeared on the sales for the first time in 2013.

Siren’s Call (JC Photo)

De Beyer had six of his own-bred horses on the CTS Book 2 Sale of that year, including Siren’s Call and the Dupont colt Forest Fox, who finished fourth in the big race on Tuesday night.

He said, “It was a very tough sale to try and sell fillies and I ended buying back four of them.”

He bought Siren’s Call back for a mere R60,000 and recalled, “That was well below what I thought was a fair price, but anybody could have had her for R80,000!”.

De Beyer wanted to give Elusive Fort some exposure in Johannesburg, so sent two of his progeny, including Siren’s Call to Sean Tarry.

He said, “It came out of the blue, so Sean was surprised but his record speaks for itself. Unfortunately the other Elusive Fort died in  training, but Siren’s Call surprised us by hacking up by 5,5 lengths on debut over 1200m. But it was only when she won a strong Novice Plate over 1600m in her next start that we realised that we could aim her at the Sales race with a winning chance. She then ran second to Majmu in the Gr 3 Starling Stakes and Sean was already saying then that she was looking for 1800m plus. It was perhaps a tactical error to enter her in the Dingaans, but she drew well and we only thought we had Harry’s Son to beat as we didn’t know about Unparalleled yet.

Piere (Strydom) was also committed to Harry’s Son and S’Manga (Khumalo) didn’t know her as well. Sean then decided to give her a break and give her injections, so that she would come into this race fresh. You can see that she struggles to get into a race early enough, but when she gets going she has a devastating kick. The course was running fast so they were all coming around from the wide draws and it was a very rough race, there was a lot of scrimmaging and bunching on the turn and it was like dodgem cars. But Piere rode a fantastic race and she was going away at the line. It was a magnificent ride and you can see why he has ridden 5000 winners. It was great as an owner to win the race, but even better as a breeder and she will now go for the Triple Tiara series.”

Siren’s Call has now earned R1,434,375 in stakes. Her dam, the West Man filly Siren’s Cove, unfortunately died while foaling down a couple of season’s after Siren’s Call was born.

Vaal-based trainer Paul Peter bought Forest Fox for R210,000 for his chief clients GK and MM Nassif and the Hyperpaint Syndicate, but Bernard Kantor as the underbidder was then accepted into the partnership together with Hassen Adams.

De Beyer said, “He was a really good looking yearling. He was reportedly a little unsettled by the lights and has improved so much since gelding that it was really only his third run. . It will be a step up in division in the Guineas and Classic, but he is a super little horse.”

Meanwhile, the yard’s star filly Same Jurisdiction is improving all the time ahead of her engagement in the Gr 2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Guineas on February 28, where she will have a long awaited clash with the mighty Mike de Kock-trained Majmu.

Howells said about Easy Lover’s run, “He ran a very good race, I think he was just beaten by the draw, but these are once in a lifetime races. It was a very rough race and he made up a lot of ground.”

Easy Lover (Nkosi Hlophe)

He praised Randjesfontein-based trainer Stuart Pettigrew, who provided a box and helped take care of Easy Lover during the colt’s stay in Johannesburg.

Howell’s fiancé and assistant trainer Cathy Rymill and one of his chief owners Ian van Schalkwyk short-listed Easy Lover together at the Book 2 Sale. Van Schalkwyk owns him in partnership with GP Stoltz.

Howells said, “He was a very good buy at only R120,000 and has turned out to be one of the best horses from the sale.”

Easy Lover has earned R501,975 in stakes and already has a stakes win to his name, having been an easy winner of the Listed KZN Guineas Trial over 1600m on the Greyville turf.

Howells said about the decision to avoid the Gauteng Triple Crown events, “You have to be realistic, I think he’s a Group 2 horse. We are going to save him for the KZN season. I think he is now looking for a lot more ground.”

The Mambo In Seattle filly Same Jurisdiction will raid for the Gauteng Fillies Guineas and will then stay on for the Gr 1 Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic. She will likely stay with Joey Soma at Turffontein between races, which will give her the opportunity to gallop on the grass track and get used to the facilities.

Howells added, “She is doing very well. I am very happy with her progress and she has improved, there are no negatives. She’s a very good filly and still unexposed due to the long break she had.”

Same Jurisdiction was suspended for three months for epistaxis after her Gr 1 Thekwini win at the end of last season and her only run since has been an easy and impressive victory in the Gr 3 Flamboyant Stakes over 1600m at Greyville.

In other less positive yard news there have been a lot of temperatures among the horses, which is “setting them back and delaying things”, and they have not yet found the cause. Same Jurisdiction has not been affected and is “fine.”