The Sporting Post’s two main articles on superstar Ryan Moore replacing former South African champion Gavin Lerena on last year’s winner Rainbow Bridge in Saturday’s Sun Met attracted a staggering 85 comments.

They were split almost 50:50 between those condemning the decision (“A bad move, a low blow for Gavin”) and those applauding it with remarks like “Good on you Eric, best jockey in the world riding the most consistent Grade 1 horse in the race – what a combo.”

The man at the centre of it all, having already said that he took what he admits was a difficult decision in the best interests of the horse and its owner, is now concentrating on the international implications.

“How good is it for South African racing that we can attract a jockey of Ryan’s calibre?” is the first question Sands poses, and the second is almost a natural progression. “Assuming they sort out the protocols as planned, we could have Aidan O’Brien deciding he wants to send horses here for the Met in two or three years’ time – and who is he going to turn to tell him what a great place this is?”

But back to the horse. Sands is not happy about what happened down at the start – and after it – in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate. “The long delay was a killer for both Rainbow Bridge and his half-brother Hawwaam. They were next to each other in the early part of the race and between them they pulled each other’s guts out.

“All credit to my horse, though – he stayed on into third and his number is in the frame. I’m not complaining but I thought he had an unnecessarily hard run. Also, had he been ridden differently, I think he would have been a lot closer in both the Queen’s Plate and the Green Point previously.”

There is only a three week gap between the Queen’s Plate and the Met. Is that enough to recover from the first of them and be freshened up for the second one? “For my horse, yes,” answers the trainer. “I prefer four weeks between races but the Met is there and we’ve got to take it as it comes.”

Re-runs of last year’s race show Rainbow Bridge putting in his best work when he was well into the final furlong. Despite having finished third in the Queen’s Plate, he gave every indication of relishing the extra distance. “Correct, that’s the way he runs and this is much more his trip,” says Sands for whom victory would make him the first trainer to win the race in successive years since Mike Bass won four in a row a decade ago.

By Michael Clower

Hollywoodbets Scottsville hosts an eight race meeting today and the exotics should pay rewarding dividends for those who do their homework.

In the seventh race over 1000m the Wayne Badenhorst-trained Vercingetorix filly Mai Tai has always been well regarded and having led last time over 1200m before being caught late she is interesting dropped to the minimum trip. The jockey dropped his crop at the 300m mark last time but pushed the horse out well. A more significant factor was she over-raced a touch with cheek pieces on and they are now off. She should still have enough pace to be within touching distance and this time will be able to find the necessary extra at the finish. She looks to be off an attractive mark of 82 considering she was regarded as feature class as a two-year-old and placed fourth in the Listed Devon Air Stakes over 1400m. 

The Alyson Wright-trained Soft Falling Rain filly Gail Force won well second time out over this trip on the poly and has been accorded a competitive looking merit rating of only 77. 

Garth Puller has been in fine form this season and his Seventh Rock filly First Sighting has been right there the last twice she has tried this trip so she can go close with the advantage of a 4kg claimer now up.

Louis Goosen has been on good form and his filly Song Of The Forest should be finishing strongly under a 4kg claimer. 

Puller’s Flaming Lass won well second time out over 1200m and she could also be involved despite being accorded quite a high merit rating of 85.

Soiree and Coyote Girl also warrant respect.

The first leg of the Pick 6 is a maiden over 1200m and Anton Marcus is an interesting booking on Alma Mater. This horse improved with blinkers on over 1100m last time and doesn’t face an inspiring field. 

King Cyrus made a fair debut in the strong centre of Kenilworth and wasn’t disgraced in his first run after gelding on the Greyville poly. He can improve and should be included.

In the second leg of the Pick 6, a Progress Plate over 1750m, Williams Land was beaten 4,25 lengths by G G’s Dynasty over 1600m last time. The form has been franked as the latter went on to win the Listed Michael Roberts handicap. Williams Land will relish the step back up to a similar trip as his last win although drawn six of ten won’t make it easy for Keagan de Melo. Paths Of Victory is an interesting runner as he prefers further but on this tough course he will be staying on well. He is second best in at the weights. Moon In June is third best in at the weights and is drawn five over a suitable trip, so she can make her presence felt.

In the fifth race over 1750m Silva Magic, Dark Moon Down and In Jest could fight it out. Silva Magic went close over 1800m last time off this merit rating and has a fair draw of five. Dark Moon Down comes from the Paul Lafferty yard, whose fortunes are on the up, and she was staying on over 1600m last time in her first run out the maidens. She will relish the step back to the course and distance of her maiden win and she now has a plum draw of three compared to 14 when she won her maiden. In Jest beat Silva Magic by half-a-length last time but is now half-a-kilogram worse off and has a tricky draw. 

In the sixth over 1000m Washington Square has always been well regarded and is in fine form so can go close with the same 4kg claimer up. Sarabi has won over course and distance before and has Warren Kennedy up off a slightly reduced merit rating. Candle Cove won her only start over this course and distance and has Marcus aboard.

In the last race over 1950m Wylie’s Wonder showed improvement with blinkers on last time and should relish the step to this trip. She is drawn in pole so has a chance if starting better than she did last time. Salah’s Girl was a revelation when stepped up from sprints to 2000m last time so she is an interesting contender, although she does have a tough draw to overcome. Captive Gold has fair form and with first time blinkers on has Marcus up from a good draw. Rise was staying on well over 1750m last time but also has a wide draw. Mission Beach has shown enough to be able to contest the finish.          

By David Thiselton

Eric Sands is very happy with the well-being of the defending Sun Met champion Rainbow Bridge in the week of the big race.

Some of the five-year-old Ideal World gelding’s fans have been concerned about the hard race he had in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate but Sands said, “He got caught in the front with Hawwaam and they were fighting head to head for about three furlongs so it was a great effort for him to still stay on for third. So we had to ease back on him a little after the race, but he has now come well, I am very happy with him.”

Big race jockey Ryan Moore is globe-trotting at present and Sands was not sure whether he would arrive in time to sit on Rainbow Bridge before Saturday. 

Moore was in Florida last Saturday to ride in the Pegasus World Cup, where he finished second on the Aidan O’Brien-trained Magic Wand, he then finished second yesterday on the KW Lui-trained More Than This in the Hong Kong Classic Mile at Sha Tin’s big Chinese New Year meeting, and today he will be riding work in Saudi Arabia ahead of the US$20 Million Saudi Cup on February 29.

Sands believes there will be a fair pace in the Met.

He identified Twist Of Fate as a horse who had run his best races when going strongly up with the pace and mentioned Head Honcho as another who liked to be right up there.

He added, “We are drawn outside of both of them too.”

He said he could not see either of those horses setting a very fast pace but felt there would at least be an honest pace. 

Rainbow Bridge has a fine draw of five and Twist Of fate and Head Honcho are drawn three and four respectively.

Sands clinched his first Met victory last year.

His previous best in Cape Town’s biggest race had been second with Grand Jete in 2002.

Sands only has one other runner on the day, Black Belt in the last race.

He said about this hard-knocking Black Minnaloushe gelding, “He is a five-year-old so is not improving but is very honest and it is not a killer field. In fact I think the field he ran in the other day was stronger and he is doing well.”

By David Thiselton

Adrian Todd now expects South Africa to be able to export horses direct to Europe – without having to go via Mauritius – in either September or October.

This follows the official confirmation from the European Union that its bloodstock protocol audit will take place between April 20 and May 1.

Todd, managing director of SA Equine Health & Protocols, said yesterday: “Audits in any sector seldom return flawless results and nobody ever gets a 100% clear report. There will be additional recommendations from the EU team after the audit; they will send a report and we will implement what they suggest but I am confident that the audit will be successful and I would expect that, once any additional recommendations have been implemented, we should be looking at the reinstatement of direct exports to the EU by September/October.”

By Michael Clower

Mike de Kock is very happy with the condition of Hawwaam ahead of Saturday’s Sun Met and is actually pleased he is drawn wide, although he described the betting for both the Met and the Grade 1 Bidvest Majorca Stakes as “ridiculous”.

De Kock said about the draw, “At least from draw 12 Anton Marcus will not have to think about getting away from the rail, he will already be away from it. He was obsessed about getting away from the rail in the Queen’s Plate, I struggle to think why when you are in the perfect position to take the shortest way home, but this time he won’t have to do all that thinking.”

Hawwaam over-raced in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate when caught in a head to head fight with Rainbow Bridge for about  three furlongs, so many were of the opinion he had a hard race.

However, De Kock disagreed and said, “I am not convinced he had a hard race. Once his chances were ruined and it became obvious he was not going to place he made no effort in the finish.” 

He concluded, “He has had a good prep, I couldn’t be happier with him.”

The Met has the known front-runner Head Honcho in the line up and there are others like Undercover Agent who like to get on with it.

De Kock predicted the race would be run at a “good, even tempo”.

Hawwaam is the ruling favourite at roundabout 18/10 while the Queen’s Plate and Green Point Stakes winner Vardy is only second favourite at 28/10.

De Kock said, “The Met betting is absolutely ridiculous. Even if things had gone better in the Queen’s Plate Vardy would have been very difficult to beat. When is Vardy going to be given the credit he is due? He is an absolute champion. I just don’t understand it but I think it is because of all this hype from people who seem to have no idea about form.”

De Kock is also bewildered by the betting for the Majorca, a weight for age mile for fillies and mares. 

Whilst agreeing Queen Supreme is looking to be a very good filly he said, “She doesn’t have nearly the formlines of Celtic Sea. Celtic Sea is a a multiple Grade 1 winner and the champion of her generation, yet the betting has Queen Supreme at around even money and Celtic Sea at about 7/2. There is no logic in that.”

Queen Supreme has won five of her seven starts including an easy 2,50 length victory in the Grade 1 Paddock Stakes over 1800m last time, which followed an excellent 1,60 length fourth in the Grade 1 Gauteng Summer Cup. The Exceed And Excel filly is Irish-bred and although officially a four-year-old she has not yet turned four in actual terms, so she will be improving all the time. She gets a half-a-kilogram hemisphere allowance. 

De Kock said, “She has had a very good prep. She stayed down in the Cape after the race and has blossomed. As time goes on she will get better and better as she is not even physically four yet.”

Queen Supreme is drawn nine compared to Celtic Sea’s eight.

De Kock has three horses in the CTS 1200, Vaseem, Battleoftrafalgar and Alramz.

His regular first call jockey Callan Murray is on Vaseem.

De Kock said, “Vaseem is probably the best sprinter of the three. Battleoftrafalgar had an abscess on the epiglottis after winning the Million Mile so missed a fair bit of work but he is getting there, although the Million Mile form looks ordinary. Alramz has done nothing wrong and has been better in blinkers.

The yard’s other runner on the day is Atyaab in the Grade 2 New Turf Carriers Western Cape Stayers over 2800m where he is second favourite at around 11/2.

De Kock said he was well and added, “He is exposed, what you see is what you get with him.”

The Australian-bred Dundeel gelding carries second topweight of 59,5kg and jumps from draw six under Murray. 

By David Thiselton