Thomas Henry should be the answer to the Interbet Maiden Juvenile, the first two-year-old race of the Cape season, at Kenilworth tomorrow – and not just because he cost more than all the other runners put together.

Glen Kotzen bought the half-brother to Dutch Philip for Hugo Hattingh for R580 000 at the CTS Cape Premier Sale and won this race with Gold Image three years ago.

The Woodhill trainer has his horses in fine form and he said yesterday that Thomas Henry is a speedy sort, adding: “He is a nice sensible colt – he will jump out and do what he has to do – but he hasn’t been tried to win first time out or anything like that. I galloped him with a maiden and he went the better. I will be disappointed if he doesn’t run well and I hope he wins.”

Justin Snaith, successful with The Black Rose in 2011 and with Var Ahead four years ago, has supplied the favourite in each of the last four seasons. Stuck On You, who cost R100 000 at the National Yearling Sale, was 22-10 second favourite yesterday morning with Thomas Henry heading the market at 12-10.

The dual champion trainer said: “She is a speedy sort by What A Winter and I am expecting a good run. But she has only been on the grass once and, if there is a hottie in the race, maybe you should go with that.”

Lady Catherine is third favourite after being backed from 6-1 to 9-2. She cost R100 000 at the Cape Premier and, like 8-1 stable companion Star Captain (also bought for R100 000 but at the Cape Yearling Sale), is by Captain Of All.

Greg Ennion said: “Lady Catherine is a lovely big filly who has got a lot of pace. She shows enough to be competitive and would be the quicker of my two. Star Captain might want a little bit further.”

Glen Puller won this race with Harlem Shake five years ago and is two-handed with 12-1 shot Legitimise and 15-1 outsider Broken Promises. They were bought for R40 000 and R35 000 at the Cape Yearling Sale.

Assistant trainer Riaan van Reenen said: “They are both forward, full of potential and are well prepared but they are not really 900m horses and so there are no great expectations.”

Piet Botha, on the mark with Warrior Tiger here on Wednesday, is expecting a good run from R30 000 Cape Yearling Sale purchase Captain’s Flo, yet another by Captain Of All. She is an 11-1 shot.

Botha said: “I haven’t galloped her but she has got quite a bit of pace. I think she will be a sprinter and I expect her to run well.”

Aldo Domeyer, who rides Thomas Henry, can complete a quick double on Diva’s Express in the Wilgerbosdrift Stud Maiden while Kotzen’s Imperial Rage (5-2) may get the better of 13-10 favourite Flowerscape in the Vaughan Marshall Racing Maiden 35 minutes later.

By Michael Clower

There have been some big win payouts in recent weeks and although there may not be any in the R100 range at Hollywoodbets Greyville this evening, there should still be some decent dividends on a card that is none too easy. One hopes that it does not turn out to be a black Friday for punters.

Wayne Badenhorst scored a long-priced double last Sunday with Bordeaux paying R97 a win followed by Lady Legend, R10 on the tote. He saddles Mai Tai in the seventh, the Henro Bulk FM 76 Handicap, and he should know where he’s at with the filly after she takes on some seasoned but well exposed older rivals.

A winner on debut, she ran a cracker in a graded feature on July day and was then put away for the balance of the season.

She recently made her seasonal debut in a fillies handicap and was not far off Accidental Tourist. With that run to her credit, she should strip a lot fitter this evening and she does looks to have some scope whereas most of the opposition is pretty much in their place.

Sorting out the balance is difficult but Extravargant has been up against stronger of late. She has a big weight but should feature from draw one. Song Of The Forest gave Louis Goosen his first winner since moving to Summerveld, coming home unchallenged, but she does take on a lot stronger here. Suzie Woo was in need of her last start and along with Purple Persuasion, cannot be overlooked.

The Campbells Cargo Graduation Plate is a sample of what punters will be up against all evening with all seven runners in with a chance. Nikiya is not well in at these weights and is the rank outsider in the seven-horse field, but has been finishing off her races nicely. She may just have needed her last run with her best recent form on the poly. With a stronger rider up, Michael Roberts could be leading in his home-bred filly. Favourite Made In Hollywood is well in at these weights, a point that did not escape Anton Marcus. However, she does have some patchy form on the Highveld before being moved to KZN after Ormond Ferraris handed in his licence. Peter Muscutt, who runs Brett Crawford’s KZN satellite yard, has brought out some improvement with the addition of a tongue-tie and Made In Hollywood did have valid excuses last time out after pulling a shoe in the race and finishing up lame.

She looks the biggest threat to the selection although Dive Captain and Petra will not be without their supporters.

Roberts could have a fruitful evening even though his runners have been virtually ignored in the market.

He saddles Hand On Heart in the fourth who looks to be fair value at 16-1 ante-post.

Lightly raced, he has his third run after a lay-off and made good improvement last time out. The draw is a concern but the addition of blinkers could bring out the best in the gelding.

In the last race of the evening Roberts sends out At The Opera. He’s had a few chances but has seldom been far back and apart from taking a further drop in the ratings, he has the best of the draw after having drawn 12 out of 12 at his previous start. The lightly raced Agent Murphy and Mokoko head up this market.

By Andrew Harrison

To take a bet go to www.tabgold.co.za or www.trackandball.co.za

The Grade 2 TAB/Betting World Dingaans to be run at Turffontein Standside on Saturday is the first big three-year-old event of the season and, although it’s glittering list of winners have prompted many to call for it to be a Grade 1 race, it does not look to have a particularly strong renewal this year.

Promiseofamaster is a smart colt with a big action who will relish this course and distance. He has a fair draw and should make a bold bid.

Mike de Kock has a fine chance of making it two in a row, having won it with the mighty Hawwaam last year. His highest rated runner this year is Frosted Gold, a powerful Australian-bred grey gelding. Frosted Gold’s sire All Too Hard was a Group 1 winner over a mile and his dam won over a mile, so he should enjoy this trip. He has a fair draw of six and can use his good acceleration to good effect late in the day. 

De Kock’s other runner is Marshall, who is unbeaten in two starts. He cruised to a comfortable win last time in a handicap over this trip off an 88 merit rating. This is a lot stronger and he will have to show considerable improvement and he also has a wide draw, but he can not be ignored.

Astrix has some class and will enjoy the step up in trip.

Eden Roc displayed a fine turn of foot last year as a smart two-year-old. He should have come on from his first two runs this season and if bouncing back to his best he is a runner.

Shango is a long-striding colt by Captain Al who will relish the step up in trip after staying on late in the Graham Beck and he is a dark horse. 

The only filly in the race is the classy Cockney Pride. She has a plum draw for a change and this could see her using her strong finish to maximum effect. She has not been at her best in her last two starts but possibly didn’t enjoy the heavy going in the Starling Stakes and had a wide draw to overcome last weekend in the Fillies Mile. 

Donderweer has class but he pulled hard when dropped out from a wide draw over 1450m last time so the step up in trip from another tricky draw doesn’t augur well. If he does manage to settle he could be a surprise package.

John Hancock won a good race last time out over this trip but he is a sort who prefers tighter tracks.

Steak And Ale ran a cracker for fifth in the Graham Beck but he is well held by Frosted Gold on these level weight terms.

Battle Of Alesia would need plenty of improvement to feature here.

Oyster King took eight runs to win his maiden so is unlikely to be a threat. He ran a good second first time out the maidens but that was off just an 80 merit rating.

By David Thiselton

The early money has been for Thomas Henry in the first two-year-old race of the Cape season at Kenilworth on Saturday. Glen Kotzen has booked Aldo Domeyer (who called off his rides yesterday) for the R580 000 purchase, a Querari half-brother to the good sprinter Dutch Philip, and this colt was quickly supported from 16-10 to 13-10 favourite

The Justin Snaith-trained Stuck On You originally headed the market but has drifted from 12-10 to 16-10. Richard Fourie’s mount is one of three fillies taking on the colts and the daughter of What A Winter is out of a half-sister to Champions Cup winner African Appeal. Greg Ennion’s Lady Catherine (Corne Orffer) has been nibbled at from 6-1 to 11-2 while stable companion Star Captain (Sean Veale) has come in from 11-1 to 8-1. You can get 12-1 and upwards about the other three runners.

Saturday’s fixture is the Western Cape Equine Trust meeting that raises funds for the rehoming of ex-racehorses. According to NHA statistics there are nearly 5 000 horses in training in South Africa at any one time. Some 1 200-plus are retired each year and, except for all but a select and ultra-talented few, the male 50% of the leavers have to be found a new life outside racing.

There have been some horrific stories of well known names reduced to little more than skin and bone, and in some cases abandoned altogether, but under the recently-introduced Rule 41.10 the owner remains responsible for the care and welfare of his or her horse for the rest of its life unless it is transferred to an approved rehoming facility like that of the WCET’s retraining operation at Polkadraai between Stellenbosch and the N2.

It takes two months to turn a racehorse into a riding horse and, even though some of the input comes from voluntary help, it costs money so sponsors have come forward to back Saturday’s races and raise further funds from the sale of stallion nominations (Captain Of All, Pomodoro and Coup De Grace are among those coming under the hammer in the Peninsula Room on Saturday), lunch and raffle tickets.

By Michael Clower

The Grade 2 WSB Ipi Tombe Challenge will be possibly the classiest race at Turffontein Standside on Saturday and it looks ultra competitive.

The Frank Robinson-trained Roy’s Riviera looks to be the value in the race. She is full of class and her fine turn of foot coupled with her sustained finish makes her ideally suited to the Turffontein Standside course. However, she unfortunately has a wide draw to overcome so Bernard Fayd’Herbe, who won a feature on her over 2000m in May, will have to be at his best to find some cover for her. If he manages to do that she has a chance as she is versatile and will be effective over this tough mile. Proof of how good her odds are is that she was just 0,40 lengths Vistula in the weight for age Grade 1 Garden Province Stakes over this trip at Greyville and now receives 1kg from the latter. Vistula has been priced up here as 22/10 favourite and Roy’s Riviera is way out at 22/1.

Vistula has come into her own this season as one would expect from a daughter of Ideal World. She has plenty of class and has a fair draw of seven. She might be at her best over 1400m, but she has won twice over this trip. In the Garden Province she had to do the donkey work out in front and ran out of steam in the latter stages. She will likely attempt to find a handy position this time and Warren Kennedy has become an expert in placing horses in the running.

In The Dance has a turn of foot to match her half-brother Capetown Noir’s and she wasn’t disgraced in her first attempt at this trip in the Charity Mile when a 7,25 length sixth to Barahin in heavy going. The weather forecast suggests the ground will be a lot faster on Saturday and she should be a big player.

Mill Queen is one of three classy three-year-olds in the race. She won the Grade 3 Starling Stakes over 1400m last time despite having had an interrupted preparation. She is described by her yard as immature, so will be improving all the time both physically and mentally and will strip fitter than last time. She has a plum draw and proved at the end of last season when a narrow second to the Equus two-year-old champion filly Gabor in the Grade 1 Thekwini that she enjoys this trip.

Wisteria Walk is a long-striding daughter of boom sire Vercingetorix who went down by just 0,30 lengths to Mill Queen in the Starling despite having to round horses from draw 14 of 14 in order to get to the lead. She should enjoy this step up in trip and with an easier passage than last time will be a big runner.

Snow Palace was well beaten by Mill Queen in the Starling but proved she is better than that with a good win over this trip last time. She led on that occasion and from a low draw here could attempt to do the same.  

Ronnie’s Candy has always possessed plenty of class and her three runs since an epistaxis suspension last March have been good enough to suggest she can produce her best here. She has an exceptional turn of foot but can race a bit strongly if not finding cover, so Luke Ferraris will have his work cut out from draw nine. 

Running Brave often slips under the radar despite her feature race consistency. She was thought by most to be best from 1400m to 1600m before winning the Grade 2 Gold Bracelet over 2000m under a fine front-running ride by Muzi Yeni on Gold Cup day. She could use the same tactics on this galloping course but on the downside she has not raced since the Gold Bracelet and she has a wide draw. 

Schippers is the highest rated horse in the race but has gained that rating from sprints and looks well held by Vistula on the grounds of her last two starts over 1400m and 1450m respectively.

Perfect Tigress is 1kg better off with Vistula for a 1,50 length beating over 1450m and has won up to 1800m so is an interesting contender here. There is a reversal in draw fortunes with Vistula that is not in her favour but she does have a good turn of foot and a sustained finish. She was well beaten by Roy’s Riviera in heavy going last time over 1800m but she was perhaps too handy and with the fine judge of pace Callan Murray now aboard she has a shout.

Chitengo is a progressive sort who should come into her own this season and she comes off a good second to the champion filly Celtic Sea in a 1400m event. She has won over course and distance and has a plum draw with Gavin Lerena aboard, so is yet another one who can’t be ignored. 

Pretty Border has run some gallant races against the best and beat Ronnie’s Candy over this trip at level weights when they last met. However, the latter was returning from her epistaxis suspension then and might have needed it.

By David Thiselton