Very often when a track has been out of commission for some time it takes the riders a little time to adjust. That was probably the cause of some of the pain punters had to endure as favourites fell short of their billing and riders wandering all over the track hunting the best going, that two months back proved to be a distant memory at Hollywoodbets Scottsville yesterday.

But as Mark Dixon pointed out after 20-1 chance News Stream had held off favourite Gimme Peace; “the second horse was unlucky but in this game, you take your luck when you can.”

Gimme Peace found traffic as the field bunched up the centre of the track in the 1600m KZN Summer Challenge final and only got out when it was too late. Special Blend found even more trouble. “I was following Keagan (Gimme Peace) but then got carried out,” explained S’Manga Kumalo. “There was nowhere to go so a had to switch in.” Desperately unlucky are words that spring to mind.

Also riding his luck was Merlin From Berlin that benefitted from an incident that nearly saw High Altar and apprentice Thabiso Gumede disappear over the outside fence. Sean Veal on Wealthy hunted a tight gap between Paths Of Victory and High Altar in the straight resulting in Wealthy cannoning into High Altar costing her any chances she had.

Wealthy got off relatively lightly and chased hard but Merlin From Berlin got home by a neck.

The stipes had the incident on multiple video replays and will be looking into the incident.

Master Keys, touched off in a PE raid last time out, was back in the winner’s circle as she put in a sustained finish to win the River Indigo Handicap (Non-Black Type). Helped by a solid early gallop, she was always handy under Khumalo, and the top weight quickened like a good horse.

This was her fifth win from ten outings in the colours of Alderman Rob Haswell and Nathan Kotzen has the Gr3 Flamboyant Stakes at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Boxing Day pencilled in as her next target. Her win was the first of a Kotzen double with Merlin From Berlin the second leg.

Yogas Govender saddled the first juvenile winner of the current KZN season as Harlington Express out-gunned the filly Magicallee in a tight finish much to the delight of rider Billy Jacobson who is on a hot streak at present. Visiting colt Accomplishment was sent out favourite but was not match for the first two home, beaten a furlong out.

Govender was back in the winner’s box soon after as Quatro Five Six made full use of the fresh Scottsville turf. Starting from the widest draw only to finish up on the inside fence. Seasoned jockey Sherman Brown was content to let his mount drift for fear of breaking his stride as his mount was clear of the opposition. Experience is an invaluable asset in race-riding.

Favourite Avro Lancaster scraped home to keep many PA punters alive but the Bi-Pot nose-dived in the first leg as rank outsider’s filler the first two places.

In A Minute, paying just short of R70 a win on the tote, and Fateful Mistress, R8.90 a place, got home ahead of favourite Explosive Beauty, consigning most Bi-Pot tickets to the bin.

Denis Schwarz, soon to drop his apprentice tag and fresh from his victory in the Gr 1 Gauteng Summer Cup, is riding at the top of his game, and flew home to Gauteng with a double. He rode a pearler on the Gareth van Zyl’s filly Slievanorra in the fourth, coming from way back to snatch victory to follow up on Celebration Rock, getting Paul Lafferty’s import home by the shortest of short heads from the filly Marsanne.

By Andrew Harrison

The Vaal straight track features one of the most exciting races of the season tomorrow, the WSB Grand Heritage over 1475m, and a field of 28 will go to post.

The one to beat is the highly regarded Riverstown, who was staying on strongly over 1450m last time to be beaten just 1,25 lengths by the classy Ikigai. Riverstown has a merit rating of 104 but has earned it and even then, as a three-year-old, he only has to carry 53,5kg. The draw always plays a part in this big field race but if there is a bias it is usually on the outside and that is where Riverstown is drawn. Against the Grain is talented and as one who had an interrupted three-year-old campaign he is lightly raced and could still be ahead of the handicapper. This is an ideal distance and he will be cherry ripe having his third run after a layoff.

Social Order has some class and has recently proved himself useful over sprint distances so as one who stays a lot further this trip should be ideal. These three could get punters through all of the exotics. For those who want to go wider the two in form mares Aurelia Cotta and Florida Quays are drawn on the right side and are distance suited. Fired Up is proving useful and is distance suited but the unknown is whether his low draw will be a disadvantage. Danza can never be ignored over this trip and last year’s winner of the Grand Heritage match race final, Dan The Lad, also has a shout off a competitive merit rating. 

Order has some class and has recently proved himself useful over sprint distances so as one who stays a lot further this trip should be ideal. These three could get punters through all of the exotics. For those who want to go wider the two in form mares Aurelia Cotta and Florida Quays are drawn on the right side and are distance suited. Fired Up is proving useful and is distance suited but the unknown is whether his low draw will be a disadvantage. Danza can never be ignored over this trip and last year’s winner of the Grand Heritage match race final, Dan The Lad, also has a shout off a competitive merit rating. 

In the Non-Black type WSB Sophomore 1000 Spring Break returns from a 133 day layoff but in her previous start on Gold Cup day in the Grade 3 Umkhomazi Stakes over 1200m against the boys she only just failed to hold on from the classy African Warrior. Her ability can pull her through here. Rio’s Winter was unlucky last time in a feature and could also be in the shake up. Basadi Faith is unbeaten in four starts on the Highveld and her class will help her carry topweight. For wider Donderweer will appreciate the step back in trip and Land Of The Brave looked to be useful over this trip last time. 

In The WSB Consolation the ex-Zimbabwean horse Oden looks useful and should enjoy this 1475m trip, judged on her last start in which she ran on effortlessly over 1200m to win cosily. Putontheredlight will go close if bouncing back from his Graham Beck run, where nothing went right. Mr Greenlight has shown touches of class and enjoys this distance. Lake Kinnaret has ability and will be finishing well and In Cahoots has a drop in class over a suitable trip so could earn.

The first leg of the Pick 6 is an uninspiring contest over 2400m and Martha is the obvious horse. These staying maidens can produce upsets though and Irish Dame, The Joceleyn Tree, Carry Me Carrie and Alicante also warrant consideration.

In the fifth race over 2000m Evening Bell is a scopey sort who will relish stepping back up to the 2000m trip of her maiden win. Jacko Boy is improving all the time and goes for a distance hattrick and the talented Jet Start also has to be included, despite having her second run after a layoff.

The last leg of the Pick 6 over 2000m could be won by Sammi Moosa who is drawn well and is capable of a strong finish. She enjoys soft going too. The biggest threats could be Smiley River and Itsmydarlin, but Tehuano, Perfect Light and Jive Express also warrant consideration.      

By David Thiselton

Brett Crawford, in tremendous form this season, can start the ball rolling at Kenilworth tomorrow with Sing Out Loud in the first.

The Philippi trainer has had 53 winners – only Alan Greeff (60) and Justin Snaith (57) – have sent out more and Sing Out Loud went into the notebooks after her promising debut over this 1 200m three weeks ago. She was little fancied that day, despite being ridden by Anton Marcus, and she was no match for comfortable winner Queen Of Quiet but she beat everything else in a manner that suggested she would come on enough to beat tomorrow’s opposition.

There are really only two negatives – firstly whether the trip might be a bit sharp for a daughter of Dynasty and secondly that the bookmakers also noted just how promising that first run was and have opened her at odds-on.

Forget O’Girls (9-1) should make the frame and the other main danger is 6-1 second favourite Lady Of The Lake who is returning after a five-month break and is dropping back in trip after two runs over 1 400m.

Crawford also has good prospects of taking race three, the 1 400m Betting World Maiden, with 2-1 favourite Smart William who didn’t start racing until he was four. He meets his rivals on terms 4kg better than weight-for-age and has finished a promising fourth on both his starts. He steps up a furlong here but Corne Orffer has to overcome a poor draw.

That apart, he probably has most to fear from 33-10 second favourite Fade To Black, over three lengths behind last time but again ridden by Marcus and well drawn. Mr Fergie and 4-1 shot Themadirishsheriff would not need to improve all that much.

Sing Out Loud’s running in the first should be a pointer to the chance of Academic Gold in race four because the Andre Nel filly started a warm favourite when a length and a half behind her last time and is taken to win this.

It could be worth siding with Priceless Ruler in the last even though he has to give 4.5kg to the highly regarded Liberty Hall. The Dennis Drier four-year-old ran significantly above his rating in the Cape Mile and the handicappers were limited to a six point increase. On the debit side he has top weight and 4-1 is plenty short enough

Liberty Hall (also 4-1) ran way below his good Durban form on his return in a sprint handicap and looks a major threat.

By Michael Clower 

Dancing Feather was caught one-paced when not able to catch pacemaker Liquid Irish over the Hollywoodbets Greyville 1400m turf early last month where she started 7-10 favourite.

Gavin van Zyl sends her back over a mile, probably a more suitable trip, at the same venue this evening, although racing takes place on the poly.

Dancing Feather has a pedigree that suggests that anything short of a mile would be a test and her record – although only spanning four races – would suggest that. Both defeats have come over 1400m and she does boast a comfortable maiden victory over tonight’s course and distance.

Dancing Feather, 18-10 in early betting, could well be a contender for the Gr1 Woolavington 2000 come South Africa’s Champion Season, but she will first have to past today’s test.

Warren Kennedy is charging hard for the national title and although his loyalty is to the Van Zyl yard where he is first call, he is unlikely to be held to stable obligations should he find a stronger ride.

Kennedy will know what he is up against as he partnered second favourite Electric Surge to a narrow loss to the progressive Mary O and Robbie and Shannon Hill have picked up the services of Anton Marcus on a filly that has hardly put a foot wrong in six outings. She shed her maiden over course and distance three runs back and has shown up strongly in handicap company so it could be a close call.

Marcus and the Hill’s team up in the first with Quant Master that was narrowly beaten last time out back over what, at this stage, looks to be his optimum trip. Just how he fares could rest with just how far along Chief Officer is in his preparation for this race. Alyson Wright’s charge returns from an eight-month break but did show that he is a horse with some potential, taking on African Warrior at his last start. Early exchanges have Quant Master even money favourite with Chief Officer 3-1.

Apprentice Denis Schwarz has been well schooled by Gary and Dean Alexander who took him under their wing early in his career and it has paid dividends for the 22-year-old who recorded his first Gr1 victory in last Saturday’s Gr1 Summer Cup, making all the running.

Visiting trainer Clinton Binda teams up with the Cup winning apprentice with Kings Road in the second. Starting at lengthy odds on debut, Kings Road caught the eye with a close-up finish and is currently joint 28-10 favourite with Pafuri, that made sudden improvement first up in KZN. Maldives, blinkered and tongue-tie for the first time, could prove another threat.

Mount Anderson (12-10) and Bold Phoenix (2-1) dominate the betting for the third with the balance 9-1 and better. Dean Kannemeyer’s runner made good improvement on his debut effort and looks a worthy favourite after finishing in front of Bold Phoenix last time out. However, Bold Phoenix has more experience and the synthetic surface could suit after being ‘run over’ in two starts in soft going on the turf.

In the fourth, Lundy’s Lad gives Kannemeyer a strong chance of a quick double although the lightly raced Master Of Destiny could extend his rival’s run of second places to four.

By Andrew Harrison

Hawwaam, the early favourite, will need to prove himself better than his current rating if he is to beat last season’s winner Rainbow Bridge and dual Vodacom Durban July hero Do It Again in the Sun Met.

The triple Grade 1 winner is rated 131 compared with Do It Again’s 136 and the 134 of Rainbow Bridge. Indeed even the favourite’s stable companion Soqrat is rated higher – on 133.

These four stars head the 25 who were yesterday nominated for the first February Met since the Vaughan Marshall-trained Hill Fifty Four came home at 15-1 under Hawwaam’s regular partner Anton Marcus in 2014. There were 29 nominated at the corresponding first entry stage last season while there 31 for the 2018 race (the first year that it was run on pure weight-for-age terms) and 27 the year before.

Mike de Kock, who will be bidding for his fourth Met, has confined himself to just two entries as has Brett Crawford, the only other current trainer to have won the great race three times. The Crawford pair are last season’s fourth Undercover Agent and Charles.

Andre Nel has the biggest entry with five headed by Head Honcho who ran such a great race to take third last term. Sean Tarry, successful with 50-1 shot Alastor in 2005, is the only trainer to enter three-year-olds this time (Shango, Putontheredlight and On My Mind) and Candice Bass-Robinson is the only other trainer with more than two entries – Majestic Mozart, More Magic and Sovereign Spirit.

Although the conditions remain essentially the same as last year – there will be a slight difference in the relative weights of the three and four-year-olds because the weight-for-age scale changes from January to February –  the race’s financial complexion has altered dramatically.

While the total stake comes down from R5 million to R3 million, with the winner’s share dropping from R 2 850 000 to R 1 710 000, the pre-VAT cost of the initial entry has gone up from R 5 000 to R6 000. However it costs much less to supplement – R9 900 on December 17 as against R16 492 last year and R19 800 on January 13 compared with R32 984.

Entries Sun Met (Grade 1) 2 000m  Kenilworth  1 February 2020

0	Bunker Hunt	Justin Snaith	120
0	Capoeira	Andre Nel	115
0	Charles	Brett Crawford	113
0	Do It Again	Justin Snaith	136
0	Eyes Wide Open	Glen Kotzen	119
0	Hawwaam	Mike de Kock	131
0	Head Honcho	Andre Nel	129
0	Kampala Campari	Andre Nel	119
0	Majestic Mozart	Candice Bass-Robinson	107
0	More Magic	Candice Bass-Robinson	99
0	On My Mind	Sean Tarry	89
0	One World	Vaughan Marshall	127
0	Putontheredlight	Sean Tarry	110
0	Rainbow Bridge	Eric Sands	134
0	Roy Had Enough (AUS)	Frank Robinson	115
0	Run Red	Andre Nel	104
0	Shango	Sean Tarry	120
0	Soqrat (AUS)	Mike de Kock	133
0	Sovereign Spirit	Candice Bass-Robinson	95
0	Tap O’ Noth	Vaughan Marshall	119
0	The Sultans Bazaar	Dean Kannemeyer	100
0	Twist Of Fate	Adam Marcus	127
0	Undercover Agent	Brett Crawford	130
0	Vardy	Adam Marcus	128
0	Vikram	Andre Nel	100

By Michael Clower