Stable jockey Alec Forbes rode all four of the winners.

Gordon’s first win on Friday night was by the four-year-old Right Approach filly Donna Amata, who was returning from a seven month break and making her poly debut, so it was a good training feat to have her fit enough to win the 1400m maiden.

Later Gordon’s four-year-old Ashaawes gelding Assegai, who has always impressed with his lovely action, landed his third successive polytrack victory when winning a competitive MR 90 Handicap over 1900m.

The yard’s last runner on Friday night, the improving Ideal World filly Highly Regal, led close to home in a fillies and mares maiden over 1900m before finishing third. The winner of that race, the Mike de Kock-trained Archipenko filly Noor Dubai, looks one to follow as she overraced early but still finished like a train, so she must have some engine in her.

Yesterday Gordon won a weak maiden over 1200m on the poly with the three-year-old Argonaut filly Syringa, who was having only her third start, and later the four-year-old Judpot gelding Sugarbuzz proved far superior to the field in a 2400m maiden on the turf. The latter is out of a Montjeu mare and, despite being a bit keen early in the race, he waltzed clear to win as he liked so could have a fair future in staying events.

Gordon has a 16,05% win strike rate on the Greyville poly and his strike rate on the Greyville turf in the last two seasons has been 25%, so he is always one to follow at KZN’s flagship racecourse.

Drakenstein Stud are big supporters of this sale and their high flying stallion Trippi will be well represented.

The late great Fort Wood has one lot and his national log leading son Dynasty has two, while the like of established stalwarts Captain Al, Var, Horse Chestnut, Tiger Ridge, Right Approach and Black Minnaloushe are all represented. Buyers will also be interested in the lots by up and coming sires like Judpot, Mambo In Seattle, Jay Peg, Lateral, Sail From Seattle, Archipenko and Ideal World and exciting new sires like Gimmethegreenlight, Pathfork, Gitano Hernando, Querari and Philanthropist.

Trippi’s stallion manager John Freeman said recently when reflecting on Trippi’s current outstanding three-year-old crop, “Trainers now understand not to rush them and give them the time they deserve and the rewards are coming.”

Trippi – Liesl King

The first of four Trippi’s on the sale is a bay colt (lot 5) out of a Fort Wood mare Celtic Cross who won two of her first four races and was considered good enough to be taken to Durban for the Champions Season by Basil Marcus. Trippi then has a bay colt (lot 14) out of the National Emblem mare Milden Magic whose daughter Pamushana is the dam of Triple Crown and Summer Cup hero Louis The King. The Trippi-National Assembly cross has to date produced the stakes-winning speedsters Franny and Agra. Trippi has another bay colt (lot 18) out of Model Man mare Olympic Dam, who is a half-sister to Gr 1 Daily News 2000 winner Flying Duel. This colt is a half-brother to the promising Dennis Dier-trained debut winner Oh Boy. The last of the Trippi’s on the sale (lot 24) is a bay filly out of the Listed-winning Al Mufti mare Secret Pleasure.

The two Dynasty colts on the sale (lot 7 and 10) are both out of black type Jet Master mares and the latter is a half-brother to the stakes placed Kiss Me Hardy. Captain Al has a colt (lot 4) out of the Gr 2 SA Fillies Classic winner Caughtintheslips from the family of the classy but ill-fated Mister Cricket.

Judpot has a full-brother to Mister Cricket (lot 8) and a filly (lot 57) out of Gr 1 Garden Province winner Final Claim.  Horse Chestnut has a filly (lot 6) who is half-sister to Gr 1 Sansui Summer Cup winner Wagner.

Gimmethegreenlight has a colt (lot 23) that should attract huge interest as he is out of the Fort Wood mare Secret Mission, an own sister to Secret Heart, the dam of Breeder’s Cup Juvenile winner Pluck. Secret Mission is a half-sister to Promisefrommyheart, the dam of the classy Master Of My Fate.

Gimmethegreenlight also has a colt (lot 52) out of the dual Gr 1 winner Duchess Daba. Sail From Seattle has a colt (lot 83) out of SA Oaks winner Noble Destiny. Lot 81 is of interest being a filly by former teaser stallion Thomas Crown, whose  two first crop foals included the useful Thomas Lytton.

The auctioneers shouldn’t be hard pressed to encourage buyers at this quality, not-to-be-missed sale.

Meanwhile, Julia Pringle will be taking over the duties at the Snaith satellite yard in Port Elizabeth. The yard have also sent the promising two-year-old Buckinghampshire as well as the useful older horse Readytogorightnow up to Johannesburg early for their forthcoming autumn targets.

Jonathan Snaith revealed that the connections of Legislate were looking into the quarantine situation as well as available races overseas before making a decision and the same would likely apply to Futura as owner Jack Mitchell is a common denominator in both horses.

Buckinghampshire is an impressive looking Australian-bred colt by Lonhro, who won the Listed Sun International Summer Juvenile Stakes over 1000m on J&B Met day in fine style, and he is being aimed at the R1 million Gr 1 SA Nursery over 1160m at Turffontein on April 25.

Readytogorighnow, who has always been highly regarded but has not yet quite fulfilled his promise, was withdrawn from the Queen’s Plate in order to be peaked for the Gr 2 Hawaii Stakes over 1400m at Turffontein on February 28 and the R1 million Gr 1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes over 1600m on March 28.

Justin Snaith’s former satellite assistant trainer Estelle Blake had a lot of success in Port Elizabeth and nearly landed the East Cape trainer’s title for the national champion yard last season. However, she and her husband Gavin have departed for England. Justin’s father Chris has been running the yard for the last week or two. He has already sent out three winners in just two meetings. Pringle, a highly regarded former assistant trainer to Alec Laird, is being mentored by Chris in the Snaith methods and will soon be taking over the running of their Port Elizabeth satellite yard.

The Snaith’s Johannesburg satellite yard, consisting of 26 boxes at Turffontein, will open on May 1 and the yard have made a shortlist of applicants to run it. A couple of boxes were made available early for Buckinghampshire and Readytogorightnow.

This R450 000 Var filly has really caught the eye of rival trainers at Milnerton and she is bred to be fast. She is a full sister to the speedy Happy Forever and a half-sister to the Allan Robertson winner Happy Valentine.

Marshall confirms that she is quite quick “but not like her sister.”  She was a 4-1 shot in the Betting World forecast yesterday while Forever Alert was favourite at 16-10 after running a creditable second on debut.

“She is a nice filly,” says Paul Reeves, wheelchair-bound with a broken ankle, the result of taking an awkward step backwards a month or so ago. “She was very green the first time but she has come on nicely.”

Greg Cheyne (Liesl King)

Carmina is coughing and has been scratched but one to note is newcomer My Emblem. “She is quite fast but hasn’t been here,” says Eric Sands.

Ovar, a beaten favourite in his last two races, opened at 7-10 for the Prawn Festival Maiden and should collect this time. “He is still a big baby but he is very well,” says Yogas Govender, proud of his current Cape Town strike rate – 16% win and 62% place. “He just needs to learn what it is all about and he could start here.”

There is not a lot between him and 5-2 shot Breathless Bertie but watch out for the latter’s 14-1 stable companion Downton Abbey who is dropping in trip. He normally leads but fails to last home. “Greg Cheyne told me ‘Put him over 1 000m and he will have a huge chance,’” says Mike Stewart. “But I think we’ve all got Ovar to beat.”

Cheyne is going great guns this term and, whatever his fortunes on Downton Abbey, he can win the next on Ashram. Glen Kotzen’s 3-1 chance looks good enough to account for 4-1 shot Caesour’s Ides although the money is starting to talk with Let It Rip. Dean Kannemeyer’s first-timer opened at 33-10 on Monday and was only half that yesterday.

Upper Echelon’s maiden win was not boosted by Fear Not last Saturday and so Saint Mary (2-1) is taken to beat Queens Music (11-2) in the Soccer 6 Handicap despite being raised 2kg for last time’s much-improved run.

The handicappers have made wholesale changes to the ratings of the runners in the Racing.It’s A Rush Handicap so punters need to tread carefully. Friendly Tibbs and Playingtheenemy have been raised 3kg and 3.5kg while Black Toga and Matador In Red have both been dropped a kilo.

To further complicate matters Playingtheenemy is only half a kilo worse for beating Tomba La Bomba a length and a half. That said, the Bass filly did not get a totally clear run and hunch, rather than form, says she could be the one. The bookmakers take much the same view and she was favourite at 28-10 yesterday.

Assistant trainer Robert Fayd’Herbe, who looks after Bass’s new satellite yard at Turffontein, said the horse had travelled well and that he had been taken for a walk to see the course.

Asked whether he gave the horse a chance, he said, “Absolutely. He is quite a light horse, so will improve all the time as he fills out. He is a big runner as long as the altitude doesn’t affect him.”

Usually altitude only really comes into the equation for races beyond a mile, so he should be fine over this trip.

He is certainly progressive and in his third career start in November, his first after gelding, he finished just 1,35 lengths behind his stable mate Equity Kicker over a too sharp 1000m and the latter has gone on to win two more races, including beating tough older horses like Castlethorpe and Happy Forever in a Pinnacle event over 1000m.

Spirit Of Hamilton was then stepped up to a more suitable 1400m two runs later and waltzed in by 6,75 lengths.

First time out the maidens off a merit rating of 80 in a MR72 Handicap over 1600m, he showed good gate speed and settled well enough on the flank of the leader, who dictated a “Cape Crawl”.  He showed a good turn of foot before staying on resolutely and was still full of running at the line. He certainly struck as one with plenty of scope and one that would prefer a quicker pace which he is likely to get tonight.

Bernard Fayd’Herbe (pictured) is on a high after his superb  J&B Met ride on the brilliant Futura so will be a bonus in the saddle. Furthermore, Spirit Of Hamilton jumps from a plum draw of two.