The winner of the Premier Trophy could be the Bass-trained Helderberg Blue who has always been well regarded. His temperament let him down last season, but the highly professional Bass yard have got on top of his issues and he was impressive last time out when winning with a bit in hand over this distance. He could continue to progress and is well drawn in three.

Power King showed how good he is when finishing just 1,75 lengths back in last season’s high class Grand Parade Cape Guineas. He was gelded after his last start and that has made a “big difference” according to trainer Dean Kannemeyer and any improvement on his recent outings would see him right in the thick of things over a suitable course and distance.

True Master has had a successful wind operation since returning from Durban so is likely to be better than his form suggests and Justin Snaith’s stable jockey Richard Fourie has opted to ride this one above three others.

Captain America was not at all disgraced in the Green Point Stakes, but is a big horse drawn wide and has never quite shown the same zip he had in last season’s Cape summer, so there are question marks.

Dynamic is the best of the Snaith runners on ability, but Snaith believes he might just be one race short of peak fitness. He can’t be ignored considering he won his penultimate in good style after a break of nearly a year.

Arion has always been well regarded and Snaith said he would strip fitter and is expecting a big run over a suitable course and distance.

Johnny Rockets has soundness issues so is coming into the race fresh and at his best will be running on strongly.

Paterfamilias is up against it having not raced since finishing third to a top class sort in this race last year.

Punta Arenas needed his run in the Green Point Stakes, but would have had to have come on a lot since then to be a threat.

Gold Onyx, who is having his first start in the Cape aged seven, is a soldier but needs things to go his way as he has a short burst.

The selection is Helderberg Blue to beat Power King, True Master, Captain America, and Dynamic.

The horse to beat in the Victress looks to be Snaith’s Acrostar, who has come into her own this season and is threatening to be high class. She has come from last with withering runs to win her last two races and wasn’t stopping at the line, so will likely enjoy the longer straight.

Shingwedzi came again after being overtaken by Acrostar over 1600m last time and was finishing strongly, so looks likely to relish the course and should strip fitter. She could be a big threat.

Indaba is also a progressive type and will enjoy this trip as well as the longer straight.

Jet Supreme ran on very well last time over a trip short of her best and should be cherry-ripe.

The classy Red Flame has a fine turn of foot and her probable career best performance was over this distance on the similar left hand course of Clairwood, but she only has her recent winning reappearance race over 1200m under the belt this season, which is not ideal.

The Bass-trained Lucky Tuesday should enjoy the step up in trip, but stable jockey Grant van Niekerk is probably only aboard her, and not Shingwedzi, due to her light weight of 52kg.

Star Jet is said by Snaith to be “primed” for this race and will love the trip, so can’t be ignored.

The selection is Acrostar to beat Shingwedzi with Indaba, Jet Supreme and Red Flame next best.

Captain Blackwater’s hard knocking form has been franked and he will be hard to beat in the first, a workrider’s maiden over 1200m.

The third is a tough race, but Carousel Swing looks likely to enjoy the long straight and could mow them down late.

In the fourth over 1400m Sail South ran well over 1000m in his reappearance and the form has been franked and he should strip fitter over this more suitable trip. Solar Star ran a cracker in a Graduation Plate over 1600m last time and is drawn in pole, so should be involved in the finish. Front-running Blarney Bay is ideally distance suited and can’t be ignored.

In the fifth race over 1400m Diplomatic is well drawn and has fallen to an attractive merit rating. He has been dropped back to a trip that will suit him on pedigree, but this is a tough race and it would likely be best to go wide in the exotics.

In the eighth over 1200m Lady Ming and Trilateral make most appeal.

In the ninth over 1600m Star Of Paris has some useful formlines and has a fair merit rating, so could win from a nice draw having had to race wide the whole way when she won her maiden over 1400m last time out.

Kannemeyer also runs the talented Power King in the Gr 2 Vasco Premier Trophy over the same course and distance.

Indaba is a progressive sort, so looks likely to rise above her current merit rating of 87. She was particularly impressive last time out over 1600m when powering clear to win as she liked under Anthony Delpech.

Kannemeyer rates her his best runner of the day. He said, “The horse she beat in her penultimate start (Inara) finished second in the Cape Fillies Guineas. She has lots of scope and this distance will suit her.” She is drawn well in four with Gerrit Schlechter aboard.

Power King, a four-year-old by Silvano, was beaten 1,75 lengths by Premier Trophy candidate Helderberg Blue last time out over 1800m, and will only be 0,5kg better off.

However, Kannemeyer said, “We gelded him after that last start as his blood was getting a bit thick and it has made a big difference. He took the operation exceptionally well and was back in full work the week afterwards. He is only a 96 so in the deep end but has shown with his 1,75 length second last year in the Cape Guineas that he has the ability. He will get better and better. He will enjoy the 1800m and the nice long run in of the New Course.”

Red Flame has always impressed with her turn of foot and has won four of her seven starts, including one over this distance and on a left handed course, Clairwood. She was given a rest after her KZN campaign and showed her usual good acceleration in her recent reappearance three weeks ago to win over 1200m.

She is drawn six with Fayd’Herbe up and Bruss said, “She is spot on and will just need luck in running.”

Betting World yesterday opened him at 18-10 with Champions Cup winner Futura 4-1 second favourite together with last Saturday’s Avontuur Cape Fillies Guineas winner Majmu who, if she runs, will be bidding to become the first three-year-old to win for 15 years.
Act Of War, sure to start favourite for Saturday week’s Grand Parade Cape Guineas, is next on 7-1 together with Triple Crown and Sansui Summer Cup hero Louis The King (pictured) who was sent down to Cape Town last week.

His trainer Geoff Woodruff was yesterday blessing his foresight, saying: “Apparently there was a case of African Horse Sickness on Tuesday and they have just closed it (for movement of horses). It was for exactly this reason that I sent Louis The King down early.
“Arcetri Pink and Tellina are with him at Harold Crawford’s yard at Milnerton but the other horses are stuck here.”
Woodruff also has Rake’s Chestnut (20-1) and Summer Cup second Killua Castle (25-1) in the Met.
He said: “We are going to see how it goes with Louis The King but, if he gets a reasonable draw in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate, I would use that as a lead up to the Met. However if he happened to draw wide I would rather just gallop him.
“Tellina (40-1) has been gelded and he will probably need to run in the Queen’s Plate regardless of draw while Arcetri Pink goes for the Klawervlei Majorca.”

Meanwhile, Medallion winner Guiness faces a wind operation after going from first to fifth in little more than 100m in the Graduation Plate at Kenilworth yesterday.
Sean Cormack’s mount could hardly have been more friendless in the market had he lost his Facebook page and he drifted from odds-on to 14-10. He made the running until just over 100m out when most of the others started to sweep past.
Dennis Drier, after consulting the course vets and phoning owner Markus Jooste’s racing manager Derek Brugman, said: “You could hear the horse whistling. Derek says we must do the op.”
The race was won 15-2 shot Zinnavar, well handled by Xavier Carstens for Vaughan Marshall.

Now three years old and unbeaten in South Africa, Forries Waltz has settled down at Mike de Kock’s stables in Dubai. He arrived in the UAE a few weeks ago with several other former South African-based runners and De Kock reports that they’re all well and being prepared for the 2015 Dubai International Racing Carnival.
He said about Forries Waltz: “He’s a promising horse and with racing back on dirt in Dubai we’ll be hoping he acts on the surface. He is from a Rich Man’s Gold mare which gives us confidence as his offspring generally perform well on sand.”
De Kock will be jetting off to Dubai on Wednesday as preparation for the Carnival starts in earnest.
Here is an alphabetical list of Mike’s Dubai Carnival string for the 2015 season:
Ad Idem, Ajeeb, Ajwad, Alareef, Almoonqith, Anaerobio, Atomic Rush, Banaadeer, Captain Lars, Contador, Darwin, Disa Leader, El Estruendoso, Flying The Flag, Forries Waltz, Fountain Of Youth, Full Combat, General Marshall, Johann Strauss, Journeyman, Lehaaf, Master Plan, Mastermind, Mensoora, Merhee, Mickdaam, Mubtaahu, Mujaarib, Mushreq, Pylon, Red Ray, Rock Cocktail, Royal Ridge, Sanshaawes, Shahrasal, Star Empire, Sugar Boy, Tannaaf, Toscanelli, Umgiyo, Vercingetorix, Via Africa, Whistle Stop, Yorker and Zahee.

Source:www.mikedekockracing.com

It’s fair to say that of the 12 riders lining up in tonight’s contest, none boast such an inspirational tale as the 29-year-old’s unlikely path to stardom.

Plucked from a Durban school as a 14-year-old by a South African Jockey Academy talent scout, Khumalo rose through the ranks to become the first black jockey to win his country’s most prestigious race, the Durban July, and then again made history when crowned the first black champion jockey of South Africa this year.

Just as winning last year’s July earned Khumalo respect and opened up opportunities for the ambitious rider, he hopes success tonight can do the same here.

“It was a huge breakthrough for me to win the July, and I wouldn’t be here riding against these great jockeys if it wasn’t for that win,” he said.

“That’s the race that showed people I have the talent. But there’s still a lot I want to accomplish and, ever since I was an apprentice, I wanted to come and race here in Hong Kong.

“This is definitely that same sort of chance to show what I can do. I want to show I belong and prove it on the track. I want to show the trainers and let them make the decision, and say, ‘Wow, this guy rides well’ and then want me to come back.”

Khumalo said his freelance status allowed him some flexibility if a short-term contract were to become available in the latter part of the season.

“I’m not tied to a stable and I would love the chance to ride here,” he said. “We watch the racing here closely and when I look at the jockeys I have tried to learn from and look up to like Piere Strydom, Anton Marcus and Anthony Delpech, they all spent time here and became better riders.”

A solid book of rides has Khumalo in the top half of betting in the four-race series, and while he only got his first glimpse of the unique city track yesterday, he was not intimidated.

“Hopefully, my experience at Greyville can help me,” he said. “It is a bigger track than this, but right handed as well and with very tight turns.

“It’s all about having the right horse, but at least racing at Greyville is the same sort of style.

“It’s all about getting your horses out of the gates quickly and getting them into position early.”

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as Inspirational Khumalo eager for Happy Valley success