Do It Again’s participation in the Sun Met on Saturday fortnight hangs in the balance after the horse’s L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate run was found to have taken more out of him than normal – and apparently this was due to a delay after the race as much as to the 22 minute hold-up at the start.

Justin Snaith said yesterday: “We are doing a lot of things to try and get him ready and we are going to see what his wellbeing is like closer to the race. Much will depend on the next week or so.

“The ten minute wait after the race was something the horses didn’t need and there seemed to be confusion between the course vet and the stipes. We were waiting for the all-clear from the stipes and every time the vet asked if he could let the horses go there was no answer forthcoming. The horses were tired and dehydrated and we wanted to get a hosepipe on them.

“What happened makes my job of getting Do It Again ready for the Met that little bit harder and it just might prove to have been the turning point in whether he runs or not.”

Senior stipe Ernie Rodrigues, who was dealing with another matter while the course vet was waiting for a decision, yesterday confirmed that there was a delay in giving the go-ahead for the horses to leave the parade ring post-race.

In contrast Adam Marcus was delighted with the way the winner Vardy came out of the race and said: “You expect a horse to take a day or two to recover after winning a race like that but Vardy was jumping out of his skin and I couldn’t be happier with him.

“Twist Of Fate (fourth) also came through it exceptionally well and Aldo Domeyer feels he will be better suited to the 2 000m of the Met.”

The trainer’s uncle kept punters happy by winning on his only ride of the day, the superbly bred newcomer Our Prized Jewel who started 9-10 favourite for the 1 200m maiden. The Ridgemont-Highlands homebred is a half-sister to Cape Fillies Guineas winner Silver Mountain and to Cloth Of Cloud who won the SA Nursery.

The 9-10 shot led two furlongs out and won convincingly. “She hadn’t been tuned up at home and she might take another run or two to learn what it is all about,” said Anton Marcus. “But she is a nice filly, she has ability and I like her.”

Also odds-on was Cape Guineas runner-up Viva Rio who put up a good performance under top weight in the Tabonline.co.za Progress Plate with Morne Winnaar’s mount scoring by two and a quarter lengths.

“This should have been a 1 800m race going towards the Cape Derby (Feb 22) but they changed the programme and put it back to a mile, “said Glen Kotzen.” Viva Rio is a proper horse and the Derby is where he is heading.”

By Michael Clower

The eight race meeting at the Vaal tomorrow provides a few good looking opportunities for punters.

The first race over 1000m should be won by the Paul Peter-trained Judpot colt War Room, despite him having to give 3kg to the rest of the field. He showed a lot of pace on debut to beat Zimbala by 0,75 lengths over this trip and the rest of the field were 6,25 lengths back. The form of the race has worked out well. A Promise To Dream looks the best of the others to have run and the first-timer who makes most appeal is Karnallie, a gelding by Futura out of a three-time winner over 2000m.

The second might provide Paul Peter with a quick double, although the first-timer Brooklyn Bridge is preferred. Peter’s two-year-old filly Miracle Flight is unbeaten in two starts. She has a lot of pace and stays on so might hold on over the minimum trip despite having to give the rest of the field 5kg. However, there could well be an upset as it is not easy for an early two-year-old to give that amount of weight away. Brooklyn Bridge is by promising new sire Global View. The latter has had two runners and both won on debut, so he will be attempting here to equal Western Winter’s feat of having three debut winners with his first three runners. Brooklyn Bridge is out of full sister to Listed-winning Australian-bred sprinter Uber Rock so should have speed and is tipped to upset Miracle Flight. Elusive Woman could give some cheek being 2kg better off with Miracle Flight for a 3,75 length beating.

In the third race over 1200m Viper Jet comes off a far from disgraced fifth place finish in the Listed Secretariat Stakes over 1400m. He has some zip and will likely enjoy the step down in trip so is going to be hard to beat in this maiden. However, there will be very little between him and Solarize. The latter has run two good races over 1200m and the horse who beat him by 1,10 lengths last time, Valetorio, finished fifth in the Grade 3 Tony Ruffel Stakes over 1400m next time out.

In the fourth race over 1200m Allez Le Bleu makes most appeal having finished close to Lady Of Steel over this course and distance in her penultimate start, but does have a low draw which might be problematic. Little Rain ran on strongly last time over 1160m at Turffontein and just failed so can go close. Roman Royalty was slowly away in that race after being backed from 10/1 into 33/10 on debut and she ran on well before tiring in the latter stages to be beaten 1,90 lengths into third. She will have come on from the run and should be right there. Leading Fast went close over 1160m last time and ran an identical time to Little Rain on the same day. She is by Silvano so should be improving. Fire Flower showed good pace on debut in that race and with improvement will be right there too. Bid Catcher was backed on debut and after a slow start stayed on for a reasonable 3,75 length sixth to Masaaqaat, so she is another who could earn. 

The fifth race over 1200m should go to Eden Roc, who is a Grade 1 winner over this trip and is well in at the weights. Carbon Atom and Fitzwilliam are selected to follow him home.

In the sixth over 1200m Mr Flood impressed in his comeback from a year’s layoff last time when winning the Grade 3 Lebelo Sprint. He needed that run and can follow up here. Van Halen is a Grade 1 winner over this trip and has been in fine, consistent form so is the main danger. Schippers is the best in at the weights and will relish the step back down in trip and hopefully her low draw will not be a problem. Romi’s Boy could be in the shake up to, being 1kg better off with Mr Flood for a 1,25 length beating. Rebel’s Champ is a must include as he has speed and a lot of courage and comes off a narrow loss over this trip. Matador Man is an interesting runner as he has class and should be flying home after his usual slow start.

In the seventh over 1500m Three Peaks won cosily over 1400m in the maidens and off an opening handicap mark of 81 she could follow up. Oh Mercy Me ran on strongly over 1600m last time after being dropped out from a wide draw and should be closer to the pace down the straight here. Gavon Lerena stays aboard and she will go close. Seven Sea has to be included too after running a good race in the Three Troikas.

In the last race Evening Bell ran a disappointingly flat race over 1600m last time but she has been lowered two points and will relish the step up to 2000m here. Hawthorn didn’t take to blinkers last time and they are off so she will be a threat. It is an open race and Moroccan Flame, Jive Express, Plum Field, Jacko Boy, Sammi Moosa, Cranberry Crush and Rabia The Rebel also warrant consideration.  

By David Thiselton

It’s never easy for a horse to step into a 92 MR Handicap straight out of the maidens and win – but when they do, it is worth sitting up and taking note.

Whizz Of Odds has given out all the signals that she is a filly out of the top drawer, a view that can be confirmed at Hollywoodbets Scottsville today.

Gavin van Zyl acted pleasantly surprised when Whizz Of Odds trotted up in a strong field over the same course and distance last time out but heaped praise on the filly. “I was happy to be in the first three. That would have been a good run against seven-time winners like Effortless Reward. I must be honest, I was pretty impressed with that.”

Warren Kennedy also sang the filly’s praises and was talking about the SA Fillies Sprint come Champions Season.

The drop in class today and the strength of her win has resulted in a corresponding hike in the weights and the 59kg on her back will prove a searching test but another victory will set her up nicely for the season.

At the other end of the scale and draw is Captain Of Colour. Johan Janse van Vuuren’s charge took time to shed her maiden but Van Vuuren was not shy to take on males. She is a filly with plenty of substance and was touched off by the promising High Voltage at her penultimate start. All her local outings were on the Hollywoodbets Greyville poly but stepping out on the Scottsville turf for the first time she ran out a comfortable winner beating Flaming Lass who has since franked that form.

Apprentice Thabiso Gumede takes 4kg off her back so she will be in receipt of 9.5kg from Whizz Of Odds which is a lot of pudding. The latter is at 5-2 while Captain Of Colour is easy to back at 12-1.

Van Zyl also saddles Wave (15-10) in a Novice Plate and if the gelding can live up to the promise that he showed last season he should prove difficult to peg back.

He made a smart seasonal debut when beaten by the older Goliath Heron last time out and although the blinkers come off he should strip fitter now.

Eden Roc and African Warrior, two of the feature winners that he was up against last season, have not exactly covered themselves in glory this term which is something of a worry as far as Wave’s form goes but they have been contesting features whereas Van Zyl has taken a more cautious route.

Still a maiden, High Voltage (10-1) finished ahead of Wave in the Godolphin Barb Stakes last season but his form from there on was patchy. He stepped out as a gelding back in November and had a battle royale with the filly Captain Of Colour to shed his maiden. But his rider had his stick knocked out of his hand and the winning margin could have been greater. He raced in some top company last season and the form of his maiden win has been franked. Share Holder (11-2) and Cavalieri (10-1) are others to consider.

Staying races are often tricky to call given the quality of the runners in KZN but Paybackthemoney (16-10) was narrowly beaten by the much improved stable companion Merlin From Berlin last run and should be good enough to go one better in the fourth. Greek Sword (5-1) ran a good race first up in handicap company last time out beaten by Victorious Man and Clouds Of Witness. He has come well since arriving in KZN from the Cape and this trip should suit. Of the balance, Impact Zone (12-1) was only a length behind Paybackthemoney when last they met and has been coming to hand again while MJ Odendaal has given notice that his yard is finding form with Quick Star winning the last on Sunday. He saddles Wildlife Safari (20-1) who has been a little disappointing at his last two but this trip will suit and the tongue-tie goes on. Top of the Computaform speed ratings is nine-year-old Crime Victim (12-1), probably the only horse still racing that shed his maiden at Clairwood Park.

By Andrew Harrison

With a yard seemingly over-flowing with quality bloodstock, Paul Peter is the envy of many a battling colleague. That said, Peter has worked his way up the ranks and now must look further afield for opportunities for his charges on a crowded Highveld programme that does not have a synthetic track.

Peter’s runners are now becoming regulars on KZN tracks but he only has a single participant on the poly at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday.

There are more than just a few Manchester United supporters in the province and Theatre Of Dreams, trained by one of the country’s best, ridden by one of the country’s best in Anton Marcus, poses something of a conundrum for United, and in deed, Theatre Of Dreams supporters.

Log-leading jockey Warren Kennedy is Peter’s go-to man on the Highveld where the combination has tremendous success but in KZN, Kennedy is closely aligned with the Gavin van Zyl yard.

“Trainer’s are the ones that usually fire jockeys but I’m worried that Warren will fire me,” quipped Van Zyl after they had teamed up for another winner at Hollywoodbets Scottsville recently.

Kennedy was aboard Theatre Of Dreams when well supported in her recent Vaal start but switches to the Van Zyl-trained Al Jazeera.

Kennedy has ridden the filly in all of her last five starts and knows her well. Not the easiest, she was tried in pacifiers for a spell and her form held good, but ear-muffs may have been the right piece of equipment as she finished a close-up second to the hot favourite Themba on the Greyville turf last time out from a difficult draw.

Al Jazeera has again pulled a tricky gate at 12 while Theatre Of Dreams jumps from barrier three which could on summation be the difference between the two and hopefully she fares better than the mis-firing Red Devils.

This pair may dominate but Chase Maujean, a rare visitor to KZN these days, is down to ride for Johan Janse van Vuuren so Maldives could prove a threat and he also partners Van Vuuren’s runner Gentleman’s Wager in the seventh, his only two rides on the card.

The key to most exotics is finding a reliable banker, two or more if you can, in order to cut down on expenses.

Two stand out on Sunday in the form of Jackson Wells in the fourth and Captive Gold two races later, in the sixth.

Jackson Wells takes to the poly for the first time but has put in two cracking performance since ‘winning’ her barrier trial.

Mark Dixon legs up Keagan de Melo, a regular for the Dixon yard, who partnered the filly on debut. Dixon has tossed a bone to Marcus who partners Blanchetta for the stable, the filly finishing a distant fourth when stretched to a mile last time out.

Should Jackson Wells fail to run up to expectations, it may be prudent to back up with as many as finances one can afford as the balance of the field look evenly matched.

A safer option could be Captive Gold. Like Jackson Wells, she makes her poly debut but Duncan Howells has brought her along to where she should be at boiling point come Sunday. Apprentice Thabiso Gumede has been replaced in the saddle by Marcus and given the quality of the opposition there should not be any mistakes.

By Andrew Harrison

Hawwaam can bridge a nine-year gap for Mike de Kock in the R1.5 million L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate at Kenilworth tomorrow.

It was in 2011 that he won South Africa’s premier mile race with Mother Russia, the first – as well as the most recent – of her sex to land the Queen’s Plate since the great Empress Club 18 years earlier. Appropriately Anton Marcus, who rode them both, is also on Hawwaam as he bids for his own eighth success.

Hawwaam has looked something special ever since he made a winning debut in that historic no-whip race at Turffontein in November 2018 and he has been beaten only once in eight races since.

His suspect temperament has been well documented and is likely to be tested to the limit by all the razzmatazz on Sun Met day but tomorrow is much quieter occasion. He came through an even quieter one in the Premier Trophy, hardly turning a hair despite provocation in the form of a long delay at the start. “We are constantly working with him and Malan does a lot too,” says his trainer who believes that age and racing experience are also helping to settle the four-year-old. A negative is that four of the last six Queen’s Plate favourites have been beaten.

Second string Soqrat has had a tougher build-up than Hawwaam but he is a good horse and on last season’s Cape Guineas form he holds Twist Of Fate and One World who never runs a bad race and should not be far away.

Do It Again, one of a number treated like a boxer’s punch bag in the WSB Green Point, has been coughing since and Justin Snaith will have to have worked a near-miracle if the dual July winner is also to make it two in this race.

Rainbow Bridge had a rough time of it as well, in his case just over a furlong out, and his jockey had to stop riding. He is a tough customer, though, and he should not be far away despite a suspicion that he is better over a bit further.

However the biggest threat may come from Vardy despite his being worse off with his Green Point victims. His running that day in his first race of the season, and in his first since a knee-chip operation, was a revelation. True, he came close to losing it by hanging in – as he had done last season – but it was still quite some performance. Adam Marcus is convinced he has come on a fair bit since and Craig Zackey’s mount appears to be still improving. His Achilles heel is his trouble keeping straight under pressure.

Snaith runs three in his bid to win the Cartier Paddock Stakes for the fourth successive season, and the sixth time in all, but 15-10 favourite Front And Centre looks too talented.

De Kock has won the race four times, most recently with Mother Russia ten years ago, and his Summer Cup fourth Queen Supreme is 22-10 second favourite. The Irish-bred receives a kilo Northern Hemisphere allowance for being six months wrong but you would have to wonder if this is enough when the local three-year-olds receive 5.5kg.

A big danger at a decent price (7-1) could be Snapscan who showed signs of significant improvement when winning the Victress over this trip three weeks ago.

Champion sprinter Kasimir reappears in the Design Indaba Pinnacle but it could in the long term be more profitable to study this race rather than bet on it. However stable companion Belgarion will give you a run for your money in the Glorious Goodwood Peninsula Handicap.

Today Celtic Sea may thwart Candice Bass-Robinson’s bid to win the Cartier Sceptre Stakes for the fourth year on the trot. The Sean Tarry filly was fast enough to win the SA Fillies Sprint at Scottsville.

By Michael Clower

Image: Richard Fourie gallops DO IT AGAIN (left) with Crown Towers at Kenilworth in preparation for the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate at Kenilworth tomorrow. (Liesl King)