Zambezi River and Felix Coetzee (Liesl King)

Coetzee said, “We are very excited about Zambezi River’s run on Saturday as he is a heck of a horse. He is such an imposing individual and you can’t help but like him when you see him. He is a heck of a strong horse, and very strong in character too, and is a great mover. I have a lot of respect for him and if he is right on the day I think he is going to take a lot of beating. I bumped into S’Manga Khumalo at the airport and told him how I thought, so he knows now how much I think of his ride on Saturday. He was happy to hear it from my side and he also likes him a lot.”

Coetzee went to Mauritius at the request of the South African Jockey’s Academy in order to recruit apprentices. “I interviewed 16 youngsters and have shortlisted five of them.”

Mauritian riders have recently made a big impact on South African racing and have dominated the Apprentice Championships in the last three seasons. Nooresh Juglall won it for two years in succession, before Akash Aucharuz won it last season, and Karis Teetan was also highly unlucky not to have won it in his final year in 2008/2009.

Coetzee hopped from Mauritius to Johannesburg and then straight on to Hong Kong. His visit co-incided with the Chinese Island nation’s big International racemeeting last weekend.

Coetzee is a celebrity in Hong Kong and was the Guest Of Honour at Racing South Africa’s annual promotion last Friday at the city’s Foreign Correspondents Club. He talked at the presentation and was not only pleased by the interest shown in South African bloodstock, but also by the loyalty of some of Hong Kong’s regular buyers at South African Sales.

The results at the big race meeting at Sha Tin on Sunday then turned out to be a fine advertisement for South African breeding.

Able Friend is given a huge hug by jockey Joao Moreira after winning the Hong Kong Mile at Sha Tin. (Liesl King)

In the second race of the day, a handicap over 1800m, the Scott Brothers-bred Tony Millard-trained Mogok colt Monsieur Mogok, who cost a mere R30,000 at Bloodstock South Africa’s National Two-Year-Old Sale of 2012 and was having just his third career start, was dropped out by Joao “Magic” Moreira from a wide draw and then weaved his way through down the rail to get second place behind the Derby hopeful Got Fly. The result excited the South African contingent, especially considering the stake for this race was an amazing $HK1,060,000 (R1,603,033). Monsieur Mogok earned HK$233,200 (R352,689) for his effort, which puts into perspective the value buys that can be found at South Africa’s thoroughbred sales.

Later, Able Friend’s record-breaking 4,25 length victory in the HK$23 million Longine Hong Kong Mile was another indirect advertisement as this local hero was annihilated by  the South African-bred Variety Club in the Champions Mile over the same course and distance back in May. Furthermore, Moreira reportedly said after Sunday’s win that Able Friend was the best he had ever ridden.

The export situation is always the hurdle that has to be overcome when advertising the South African sales and potential overseas buyers are always notified of the tremendous efforts that are being exerted in order to persuade relevant countries to change their export protocols. The intended building of a new lockdown quarantine facility in KZN were among the developments towards this aim that were explained at Racing South Africa’s promotion at the Foreign Correspondents Club was.

Furthermore, professor Alan Guthrie, director of the Equine Research Centre, and Dr Bev Parker of the Equine Health fund, attended the International Federation Of Horseracing Authorities’ (IFHA) annual International Movement of horses committee meeting in Hong Kong on the same weekend, where they were also able to put internationals in the picture.

Kotzen said, “He will be suited by the longer run in of the New Course because he takes time to unwind and we’ve been waiting for this. He is well in himself and has had a good preparation.”

Light The Lights finished a meritorious 6,55 lengths behind Equus Horse Of The Year Legislate in the Gr 2 weight for age Green Point Stakes over 1600 last time out.

Legislate broke the course record that day and Kotzen also pointed out that Light The Lights finished only 2,3 lengths behind the Gr 1 winner Futura.  However, he did admit that Light The Lights would be better suited to the 2000m distance of the Gr 1 Investec Cape Derby on J&B Met day at the end of January.

Jet Belle

He selected the bay colt, who will run in the colours of Tripple H Trust on Saturday, at Bloodstock South Africa’s National Yearling Sales. He said, “He was a bit narrow but had a lot of scope and is filling out nicely as he matures.”

Kotzen believes Light The Lights will get better and better and his long term aim has always been the Vodacom Durban July. He is following exactly the same route taken by the Kotzen-trained July winner of 2009, Big City Life, and will continue to do so. Big City Life ran disappointingly in the Cape Guineas, but was found later to have not been right on the day, and he made up for it in no uncertain terms by winning the Cape Derby before sweeping all before him in the Champions Season.

Light The Lights will be ridden by stable jockey Greg Cheyne on Saturday and jumps from a plum draw of three.

The classy Jet Belle has arrived back at Kotzen’s Woodhill racing estate from Robbie Sage’s yard in Johannesburg in “top top condition” and unlike last year has not suffered from any travel sickness. However, Kotzen views her run in the fourth race, a Conditions Plate over 1500m, as a race to “see where we are with her” and as a “preparation for the Paddock Stakes.”

The conditions for the Cape Premier Listed Jet Master Stakes over 1600m on Saturday favour females so the Kotzen-trained Omaticaya must have a chance over a suitable distance from draw six with apprentice Xavier Carstens up, although the latter will not be able to claim his normal 2,5kg, and the other female in the race Jet Aglow also looks to be a tough nut to crack. Cheyne can’t make the weight on Omaticaya so rides Gone Baby Gone and Kotzen believes this horse will be as effective over this trip as he is over further.

The other horse he mentioned for the day was Be Fabulous in the fifth race over 1800m as he said this Kahal filly had always been crying out for racing to be switched to the New Course with its longer straight.

Corne Orffer’s mount was impressive when winning her previous two but in the R2 million bonanza she lost ground at the start and ran so far below expectations that the stipes ordered a veterinary report. Now she drops in trip and has been installed 8-10 favourite with Betting World.

Jockey Corne Offer takes Alexis for a stroll on the beach. (Picture: Liesl King)

“I don’t have an excuse for last time but I don’t think the distance was the reason,” says Brett Crawford. “However I had three that ran below form that day and I think she just had an off-day. Certainly she has been working very well and I am expecting an improved run.”

Twentymanjones looks the pick on form and attractive at 33-10 in the preceding 1 200m handicap but caution is advised. “He took the skin off a hind joint coming off the float last time and I had to leave him in his box for a while so he may not be 100%,” explains Darryl Hodgson.

Greg Cheyne’s mount could still win but Door Of Deception (7-2) and Gulf Storm may be better value. Gulf Storm finished a neck in front of Richard Fourie’s mount last time and is a kilo better. He has already been backed from 18-10 to 12-10.

Fourie has a big chance on 3-1 shot Princess Chloe in the Tickets At R125 Handicap (race five). She started favourite on Selangor day after winning her previous two but failed to find a clear passage in the final furlong.

“It was a disappointing run and that is why I am bringing her back in trip,” says Justin Snaith. “I’m hoping she will be better over this 1 200m.”

The hat-trick seeking Goldandsilver is favourite at 2-1 and looks the danger but she has been hiked 3kg for her last win and that could make her vulnerable.

There are several with strong claims in the opening Welcome Maiden, including the badly drawn pair Sail For Gold and Master James, but Be At Peace has the draw in his favour and went close over the trip here a month ago. “I can’t say that he has come on because he doesn’t show a lot at home,” says Paddy Kruyer. “But the longer straight will suit him and he should go well.”

Jam Tart should be hard to beat in race two and Air Chief Marshal has the credentials to win the Soccer GG Maiden 35 minutes later. The Mike Bass colt really caught they eye on debut at Durbanville and would have finished closer last time but for losing ground at the start. The money yesterday was for Bono Vox (4-1 to 33-10) but Air Chief Marshal appeals at 9-2.

Evoke Emotion, runner-up in her last two, steps up in distance in race four and this favourite should confirm the placings with Ipsissima and Little Bear.

He said: “I picked Harry’s Son because I committed to the yard and to the owners some time ago and they have big plans for the horse, whereas when Anton Marcus comes back he will be riding Act Of War.”

Marcus, sidelined by an injured thumb, is retained by Act Of War’s owner Markus Jooste and won the Cape Classic on the horse.

Harry’s Son (JC Photo)

Strydom’s immediate reaction after riding his 5 000^th winner on Act Of War in last month’s Selangor Cup was that the colt was “probably better” than Harry’s Son and he still believes that all the advantages lie with the Joey Ramsden-trained hope in Saturday’s big race.

The six-time champion said: “He is a quality horse who is based in Cape Town and he has gone round a left-hand turn but I hope my horse surprises us.”

Strydom won the Cape Guineas on Pointing North in 2008 and Bernard Fayd’Herbe, who takes over on Act Of War, was successful on Solo Traveller four years ago as well as on Elusive Gold 12 months ago.

Fayd’Herbe’s mount opened at evens with Betting World but that was quickly snapped up and he was 9-10 by lunchtime yesterday. Harry’s Son has been eased from 9-2 to 5-1 and Zambezi River from 6-1 to 7-1. Other prices are 12-1 Mljet, Kingvoldt, 14-1 Light The Lights, 16-1 Brutal Force, 25-1 Balance Sheet, Charles Lytton, 33-1 Sheer Trouble, 66-1 and upwards others.

A pleased Joey Ramsden said: “I put in a strong pacemaker and they went a very good clip over seven furlongs. All three went well.”

Ramsden added that Kingvoldt has been showing little sign of the haemoconcentrating that affected the end of his two-year-old season – “he seems very good.” Anthony Delpech will ride the colt for the first time in Saturday’s classic and Sean Cormack will be on Brutal Force.

The Milnerton trainer, touching on Harry’s Son who looks the main danger, said: “He is clearly a very good horse and I have the biggest respect for him.”

Act Of War ridden by Piere Strydom (Liesl King)

Ramsden has provisionally decided not to include next month’s R1 million CTS Stakes in Cold As Ice’s bid to gain compensation for getting loose at the start of the Avontuur Cape Fillies Guineas.

He said: “We sat down and chatted about it, and at the moment we will do the Laisserfaire (Dec 27), the Sceptre (Jan 17) and maybe the Klawervlei Majorca (Jan 31). Three-year-olds have a good record in the Majorca.”

Some observers have said that he should have allowed Cold As Ice to take her chance in the Fillies Guineas pointing out that, while she galloped a mile, she didn’t do so at any great speed.

Ramsden shook his head and added: “I’ve done it in the past, even when they galloped back faster, but this time I wasn’t tempted. It was a Group 1 and I felt the race had been delayed long enough. Also she might have been OK physically but mentally she could have been a bit cooked.