The weather has played havoc with racing north of the Orange River. As parts of the country buckle under a devastating drought, other parts are floating to the sea as torrential rain makes racing virtually impossible.

Continuous rain during the week was enough to flood the Hollywoodbets Greyville poly with nearly 400mm recorded in three days. As a result, tonight’s scheduled meeting on the turf has been switched to the poly.

According to the early market, Duchess Of Windsor is virtually home-and-hosed in the first. Track & Ball has Johan Janse van Vuuren’s filly priced up at 4-10 According to the early market, Duchess Of Windsor is virtually home-and-hosed in the first. Track & Ball has Johan Janse van Vuuren’s filly priced up at 4-10 with only Mystery Trip and Imperial Seal in single figures, bracketed on 8-1.

Duchess Of Windsor arrives with solid Highveld form to back her claims and the presence of Anton Marcus in the saddle will have further shortened her price.

Nathan Kotzen is enjoying a good run of late and Mystery Trip could prove the biggest threat. Donovan Dillon replaces a claiming apprentice and she can do much better than her last effort.

Imperial Seal has been consistent for Lowan Denysschen but she will need to improve on her recent showings if she is to have the measure of Duchess of Windsor.

Duncan Howells endured ‘one-of-those-days’ at Scottsville on Sunday, two runners being badly hampered and a third touched off in a tight finish. He will be hoping for better luck with Brilliant Disguise in the second and has cut his odds with Marcus engaged from a pole position draw. Running on well behind shock winner Bordeaux last time out, his first outing since being gelded, the 1600m should be right up his ally.

However, 12-10 looks a tad short with Master Vision knocking at the door having finished a close-up second in his last two with championship-leading rider Warren Kennedy aboard although the 11 draw is something of a concern.

Sherman Brown teams up with the Howells runner All The Way Up in the hope of a quick double for the Ashburton-based trainer. The gelding has shown marked improvement since racing in a tongue-tie and was a touch unlucky behind What A Blast in his latest outing.

But he will not have things his own way. Stuart Ferrie, deputising for Dennis Drier while the boss is in Cape Town, saddles Holy Land. Granted, the gelding has not been out for two months but has seldom been far off the pace and this shorter trip may suit.

Gentleman’s Wager will need more than a handshake from the opposition to get home in the fourth, a highly competitive handicap. But Janse van Vuuren’s runner has come good of late and has a top rider aboard. Seasoned trainer Pat Lunn oversees the stable which in its self is a big plus.

Sea Sponge and Justfortheepenny strike as likely threats in an open race.

The fifth is another difficult handicap. Green Ice and the younger Arrabiata look to be the principal contenders with Zerina, a 14-1 shot on the books, a must inclusion in all exotics.

Born To Perform made a late start to his racing career and given his pedigree, there must have been plenty of faults with his R55 000 price tag.

But Dennis Bosch has been around the block a few times and has coaxed the best out of the gelding that boasts five wins from just seven starts. But it starts to get tougher as one climbs the ladder and the consistent GG’S Dynasty, beaten by Born To Perform last time out, is now 1 kg better off and goes into the contest on the back of two smart warm-up races.

Gary Rich is concerned that Connect Me will find the 1400m of the seventh on the short side but has been hard-pressed to find another suitable race. However, she has done little wrong of late and 5-1 strike as fairly generous odds.

The last is another nightmare but Mademoiselle can round of a productive night for Janse van Vuuren and Pat Lunn.

By Andrew Harrison

One World can make the most of his race fitness and get the better of both Do It Again and Rainbow Bridge in the World Sports Betting Green Point Stakes at Kenilworth tomorrow.

The selection has won both the Matchem and the Cape Mile this season and has only been beaten twice in 11 starts. He has a bit to find with the big two on adjusted ratings but this is his trip and at 5-1 he is a decent price.

You have to go back to Legislate in 2014 to find this race being won a horse having his first run of the season but, as Legal Eagle won the last three runnings as part of a well-executed plan by Sean Tarry, not too much notice should be taken of that particular statistic – and nor of the fact that the favourite has won five of the last eight.

Do It Again almost brought it off 12 months ago and, while Justin Snaith speaks of the dual July winner being only 80%, it was he who trained Legislate and Richard Fourie’s mount is an exceptional horse. He is favourite at 17-10.

Similarly, while old rival Rainbow Bridge has also not run this term, he can be expected to get into the shake-up and is next in the market at 26-10.

But, if you take the view that you are putting too much faith in sheer ability by going for a horse without a run, you are realistically left with only two choices – One World and Undercover Agent who almost did it a year ago and looks a major threat this time. He is a huge price at 10-1. Of the others Head Honcho could do with a bit further but at 28-1 he could be worth considering each way. Vardy is not quite ready according to his trainer and is much too short at 5-1. Pack Leader (40-1) and the sprinter La Favourari (80-1) are surely too far out of the weights to be considered.

Anton Marcus, who has won the last three runnings, will this time be watching from the jockeys’ room, albeit with considerable interest, but the four-time champion may still enjoy a bumper pay day and I expect him to win the WSB Cape Fillies Guineas for the third time in four seasons.

Kelpie, now 7-2 favourite, has a lot to find on ratings but she keeps winning and she looked really special last time. I am not convinced that the Johannesburg horses are better than the Cape Town ones, let alone better by the margin the handicappers assess 4-1 shot True To Life.

Third Runway (15-2) looked the part when winning the Western Cape Fillies Championship – a race that has been won by the subsequent Fillies Guineas winner five times in the last nine years – but she has a lot to do from that wide draw. Too much to do? Well, no surprise if Morne Winnaar lands the biggest win of his 20-year career but Kelpie looks a safer bet.

Driving Miss Daisy (14-1) and 20-1 stable companion Larentina, who both had little luck in running when badly drawn behind Third Runway, have place prospects as does Pretty Young Thing (17-2) despite starting from the widest pen of all.

Roi Querari looked the part for the R.25 million CTS Ready To Run when winning at Durbanville but since then Invidia has put that to bed with his performance here three weeks ago. He should justify 22-10 favouritism.

Clouds Unfold is a formidable proposition in the WSB Southern Cross but Run Fox Run is unbeaten and may prove yet another for Marcus.

By Michael Clower

Saturday’s Southern Cross Stakes is dominated by the Sceptre and Majorca winner Clouds Unfold, beaten only once in her last seven starts, and Run Fox Run who has won all her four races. Neither has raced since May but sponsors World Sports Betting make it almost a straight fight with 22-10 against both of them. You can get 10-1 and upwards about anything else.

It is Clouds Unfold’s first appearance since chipping the point of her hip when slipping on the grass at Summerveld but apparently she is none the worse.

“She has come on nicely, she has been doing well and she looks great,” reports Candice Bass-Robinson. “She has had two gallops and, while it’s her first run back in a long time and she has top weight, I think she will run well. However they might run her off her feet a little bit over 1 000m.”

There is little danger of that happening with Run Fox Run whose races have all been over sprint distances. “She has had two gallops here in preparation for this and, being a five furlong, I am not worried about her fitness – she will be fit enough,” says Brett Crawford. “I am expecting a very good run.” 

Hawwaam’s absence from the WSB Green Point makes it an all Cape Town race and Vardy’s price has been halved to 9-2 joint third favourite. But is that too short? Not according to the ratings because he has no penalty and comes out equal top with Do It Again when you adjust for the weights. This makes him a kilo better than Rainbow Bridge!

But, before you rush off to back him, listen to Adam Marcus’s words of caution: “He has improved a lot physically and I am excited about him for the season. But he has had a small chip removed from his near-fore knee and this is his first race since the operation. It should be a nice come-on run but, while he is quite well-in, he is not at his peak so I don’t think those one or two kilos are going to help that much.“

Fellow 9-2 shot One World, though, could be quite a different story. He has only been beaten twice in 11 starts and the way he won both the Matchem and the Cape Mile this term suggests he is crying out for the longer run-in of the summer course. Furthermore he has a fitness advantage over the top two.

“He has been doing well since the Cape Mile and he put in some nice work when he galloped on the course last week,” says Vaughan Marshall. “I am very happy with him, he has a good draw and I think he is going to run very, very well.”

Head Honcho, you might think, will ensure a cracking gallop – but apparently not this time. “We will be more patient,” says Andre Nel.  “Also 1 600m is not his best trip but he runs here because I am trying to work in two races before the Met.”

Nel, who believes he can win the WSB Cape Summer Stayers with 15-1 shot Crome Yellow, also runs 80-1 outsider La Favourari. “The jockeys who ride him keep saying ‘Go a mile,’ he is nearing the end of his career so we are doing that before he retires.”

In addition to all the top class racing Kenilworth is laying on a Christmas market and providing treats for children. Burger King is providing 500 meals for them while 150 orphan children have been specially invited and each will be provided with a special first-day-of-school package for next term.

World Sports Betting will have a presence in the first floor Paddock Room as well as their customary spot on the ground floor.

By Michael Clower

With most of the Highveld under water and a couple of wash-outs, one hopes that tomorrow’s Vaal meeting holds up. But we toil on in faith and one puzzle punters will need to solve is whether Basadi Faith is fit or good enough to get the better of Chimichuri Run.

These two look the principal contenders in an otherwise competitive sprint that makes up the fourth race. In Chimichuri’s favour is that Sean Tarry has given him two starts so far this season, beaten less than a length in his seasonal debut over 1450m at Turffontein and then finding Hawwaam a little too classy in a Pinnacle Stakes sprint.

Against him is that he may find the five-furlong short cut on the sharp side and with 62 kg to shoulder he is set to give the filly 10.5kg which is a lot of pudding in anyone’s form book.

Basadi Faith on the other hand, has not been out since finishing down the field in the Gr1 Allan Robertson Championship and slapped with an automatic three-month suspension after she bled. Paul Matchett extended that break to six months so Basadi Faith’s lengthy lay-off is of some concern.

She was due to have her first race of the season at The Vaal last Saturday but the meeting fell victim to the weather. Given that she won four on the bounce last season, including the Gr2 SA Fillies Nursery, the break may not be much of an issue over the minimum trip and a light weight could swing it in her favour.

Track & Ball have priced the pair up as joint 2-1 favourites with Rebel’s Champ, who had excuses for his last showing, on offer at 5-1.

Tobefair and Raqaaby, the only two with any decent form to boast about, should fight out the second, first leg of the PA.

Not so easy is the first leg of the Pick 6. Path To The Stars was one-paced on debut but did find some market support and is sure to come on from that effort. Not much was expected of Malvern on debut as she started at long. She was, however, was doing her best work late and can also make the required improvement. Anne Boleyn is another that featured prominently on debut and like the above two is likely to make good improvement.

With eight of the nine runners priced up at 10-1 and shorter, it goes without saying that the fifth will be a tricky contest. Solar Flare has her third run after a break and should strip close to her peak. She showed good pace before fading late last time out and could go all the way over this shorter trip. Arikel has been in good form over the minimum trip and Strydom stays aboard.

The sixth is another difficult race but Pidgeon Rock is in mustard form as is his rider and they should at least contest the finish. Tokolosh at 12-1 looks fair value as the gelding is quick and has been racing in fair company since shedding his maiden. With a light weight he could pinch it. Bockscar along with Pidgeon Rock give Tarry a strong hand in the race. He tends to get going late but under Gavin Lerena he should be closing late. Fitzwilliam has come good for his new stable and cannot be overlooked with any confidence.

The unbeaten Querari Ferrari, in spite of being something of a tricky customer, does have plenty of talent and won well first up out of the maidens Gallic Princess has her third run after a break and has been finishing off her races well. She will be a major contender along with Wild ‘N Grey that won well at second time of asking and will enjoy the extra.

The last is another wide-open affair where Ashbaal has his third run after being gelded and showed signs of life at his last outing when tried in blinkers. Waqaas has won over course and distance and is in very good form. A handy weight should see him staying on.

By Andrew Harrison

Hawwaam, odds-on for Saturday’s World Sports Betting Green Point Stakes yesterday morning, will miss the clash with his half-brother Rainbow Bridge and dual Vodacom Durban July winner Do It Again. Instead he will begin his Kenilworth campaign in the 1 800m Premier Trophy a week later and he sets off from Johannesburg today.

Mike de Kock scratched his stable star at lunchtime yesterday and told the Sporting Post: “He was supposed to run at Turffontein last Thursday. We cut back on his work and then the rains came. He is extremely fresh and, given his temperament, I have to consider all the best options – and I don’t believe it is best that he runs on Saturday.

“It’s not ideal but it’s the prudent best course of action right now and on the positive side it gives us a chance to give him a breeze on the left-handed Kenilworth track in advance of raceday. And we are on course for the L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate (January 11).”

The Green Point sponsors responded by cutting Do It Again from 33-10 to 15-10 and halving Rainbow Bridge’s odds to 5-2. Other prices are 9-2 One World, Vardy, 10-1 Undercover Agent, 14-1 Head Honcho, 28-1 Pack Leader and 35-1 La Favourari.

By Michael Clower