A confirmed case of African Horse Sickness in Gauteng has cast an ominous shadow over the Cape Summer Season with doubts expressed about whether horses from that province will be able to travel to Cape Town.

The Sporting Post reported the outbreak on Saturday morning, saying: “This will unfortunately affect movement into the controlled area for a lot of Kyalami and Randjesfontein and it will impact on movement to the Cape area.”

Mike de Kock, after winning the Victory Moon with the Sun Met-intended Soqrat at the Vaal that afternoon, said: “Hopefully we will sort out all this Horse Sickness nonsense because, if Gauteng horses can’t race in Cape Town, then it is not a season worth talking about.”

The eight-time champion, who is also a founder director of SA Equine Health & Protocols – the company set up to re-open South Africa for direct exports, added: “In South African racing we have got our problems and we are in trouble. We need every bit of betting turnover and we need every bit of participation.

“The powers-that-be need to get their heads around things – and this has to happen. If we have no confidence to travel horses within our own country how can we give our trading partners confidence?”

By Michael Clower

One World will take on big guns Do It Again and Rainbow Bridge in next month’s WSB Green Point after justifying favouritism in the Cape Mile at Kenilworth on Saturday. But this season’s new tactics gave his jockey a few anxious moments while some of those who backed the horse thought they were going to have a heart attack.

This was very different from those smooth out-in-front performances in the likes of the CTS 1600 but maybe that defeat in the Winter Classic has been weighing on Vaughan Marshall’s mind because he explained: “I don’t think you can win big races by lugging it out in front so we have tried to teach him to settle.”

The 21-20 shot did so quite comfortably but picking up was another matter and Anton Marcus had to start riding going into the final turn. Just as he had done with M.J. Byleveld in the Matchem, One World looked in serious trouble a furlong and a half from home.

Anton Marcus, who had studied the Matchem, said: “I thought M.J. rode the most amazing race that day and here, just prior to turning for home, the horse had a tendency to lug in. I tried to get him on the rail but Corne Orffer (on Charles) kept me out – and rightly so. Early in the straight I was worried but I knew I had the ratings.”

Amazing to think that in the heat of battle, perilously perched on the back of a half-ton horse travelling at 60kph and striving to make it go even faster, he could find time to think of the handicappers’ assessments. Little wonder he is so hard to beat!

“But this horse doesn’t want to lose,” Marcus continued. “He helps you and he gets you out of it.” Sure enough he did just that, he was in front 100m out and travelling so well that his rider was able to drop his hands before the line.

It takes some doing to transform a natural front-runner into a horse that’s waited with and Marshall said: “I am proud of him. After the Green Point it’s the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate. Then it’s lullah time before we go to Durban.”

Whatever about the punters, the race and the tactics took their toll on the owners with Ken Truter saying: “I was a bundle of nerves and I am so relieved it’s over” while Etienne Braun added: “I think I aged ten years at the 400m.”

Stable companion Tap O’Noth, who ran on in the final furlong after being last much of the way, will run in the Premier Trophy on December 21 while Brett Crawford is eyeing the Peninsula Handicap (Jan 11) for fourth-placed Charles. That 1 800 race could also be on  the agenda for 50-1 runner-up More Magic who is an improver worth noting as Candice Bass-Robinson said she had expected  him to run this well.

Bunker Hunt would have finished closer than fifth but for twice being hampered in the straight. “He was very unlucky. Earmark him for next time,” advised Justin Snaith.

Snaith, four winners here last Tuesday, took the other two features with Strathdon (Marcus) and Casual Diamond ridden by Robert Khathi who was suspended for a week for causing chain-reaction interference just under two furlongs out.

Strathdon, winning for the first time for almost two years, is to be aimed at the Western Cape Stayers on Met day and Marcus said: “I had made him the horse to beat in most of the staying races in Durban but clearly he holds his best form in the Cape.”

Louis Kirsten’s Casual Diamond was running for only the second time since February and Snaith explained: “We retired her and sent her to the stud farm but she wasn’t covered. I got a phone call from my uncle Jan Mantel asking what we wanted him to do with her. So I said ‘send her back.’ Now she could be worth breeding from.”

Aldo Domeyer, whose new born son Elijah is now out of hospital and in good shape, celebrated his return by winning on Mayfern and said: “The intention is to stay for the whole Cape summer season but it depends on the Hong Kong Jockey Club and what the rota looks like. I will keep in touch with them.”

By Michael Clower

Scratchings played a leading role at Hollywoodbets Greyville yesterday. Two defections left the way open for Blackball in a seven-horse field – reduced to five – in the second. The only surprise being Top Classman under his third trainer, Kom Naidoo, edging out The Dazzler, after being touted as the exacta for the century by television commentator Kevin Shea.

“But that’s racing,” a comment immortalised by racing writer Damon Runyon.

Olmeca Black made the expected improvement to land the opening leg of the Pick 6, holding off the attentions of Mount Anderson who showed a good turn of foot on his inside. On The Bayou continues to disappoint, with Anton Marcus riding a forward race, hitting the front in the straight but unable to hold on.

The scratching of Baby Shooz with a respiratory tract infection left the way clear for Greek Sword, narrowly beaten at his last start. Not the easiest to handle, he got himself into a muck sweat before the start, but did it all right when it counted for Dean Kannemeyer and stable rider Keagan de Melo.

Fancied runner American Princess blew her start to the fifth. Rearing just as the gates opened, the stipes deemed it a fair start but she was never in the hunt from there on as Cherry Road accelerated through to give Gavin van Zyl and Warren Kennedy their second winner of the afternoon. Arizona Sunset continues to be a soldier for her owners, running on gamely for second with Pina Colada staying on for third after hitting the front at the top of the straight.

If anyone needed the ‘office’, Blackball’s earlier win provided it. Paths Of Victory, second to Blackball in the Michaelmas Handicap, franked that form as apprentice Luke Ferraris obliged for Gareth van Zyl getting the better of White Lightning and top weight Silver Rose who plugged on for third and probably not suited to a slow early gallop.

The lightly weighted Sarabi looked to have it all sewn up approaching the final 100 m of the seventh but was swamped two jumps from the line as Queen Of Alamo and La Bella roared home on her outside to relegate her to third.

The De Melo / Kannemeyer combination rounded off a wet afternoon, as Gimme Peace steamed up the inside of the track to catch long-time leader Admiral’s Guest.

By Andrew Harrison

There is something much more appealing to races over ground than the helter-skelter of a five-furlong dash. Sprint races, and they are by far the majority, have their place and for punters where only the numbers count, the sooner the race is over the better.

Tactics and the nuances of the different tracks are more in play in staying races and if there were more races for horses blessed with stamina rather than precocious speed, racing would be the better for it.

The Track & Ball Pinnacle Stakes over 2400m on the Hollywoodbets Greyville Turf on Sunday is a chance for stayers to earn a decent cheque for their often, long-suffering owners.

Silver Rose has to give plenty of pudding to his seven rivals but the now seven-year-old has an exemplary staying record, having won seven races, and looks primed for this event.

Byron Forster, KZN assistant to Cape-based Andre Nel, has planned the gelding’s programme to peak in this event after finishing four lengths back to Roy Had Enough in the Track & Ball Derby at Hollywood Bets Scottsville back in June.

Two pipe openers over a mile and 1900m should have brought him close to a peak for this race over a distance that the gelding excels.

Obvious dangers are Jack Of Hearts and Paths Of Victory. The latter stays well and Gareth van Zyl will have been well pleased with his last effort behind Blackball in the Michaelmas Handicap where he finished two lengths ahead of Silver Rose behind his father’s runner.

However, this time around, Silver Rose is 4kg better off in the weights which could be the difference between the two.

Jack Of Hearts is a promising stayer who has only recently come into his own, having won three of his last five starts and placing in the other two for Garth Puller. Apprentice Jabu Jacobs rode an enterprising front-running race in his penultimate start and Thabiso Gumede took full advantage of his 4kg claim for King Of Hearts to score again at his next start. Jacobs is back aboard with his 4kg claim but will need to be as sharp this time around.

Likely to be at long odds is the nine-year-old Crime Victim. Never finishing too far back in his races, it has been a long time since Duncan Howells’s charge visited the winner’s box. Crime Victim may be hard-pressed to win here but cannot be written off lightly given the weights. He was beaten eight lengths at level weights by Jack Of Hearts last time out and is now 6 kg better off with his rival, taking apprentice allowances into account.

The Van Zyl’s, father and son, have a stranglehold on the second where between them they saddle five of the seven runners, four by Gavin and one by Gareth.

Blackball was a comfortable winner of the Michaelmas Handicap over course and distance after returning from a break. He is fairly well treated in the weights and probably rates the one to beat. However, his filly Railtrip is smart and has been tested with some distinction against the best of her generation. She has shown up well in two starts since returning from a break and with a handy weight could make things hot for her stable companion. The Dazzler is 1.5kg better off at the weights with Blackball in what was his third outing for his new stable and Gareth has engaged the wily Anton Marcus. Tactics could play a big part in the outcome.

By Andrew Harrison

One World, beaten only twice in ten starts, is the obvious choice for the Cape Mile at Kenilworth tomorrow.

The Vaughan Marshall four-year-old has a theoretical 2.5kg in hand on adjusted ratings and made a winning return in the Matchem five weeks ago. Little wonder that he is favourite at around 16-10. But what also points to his chance is that Anton Marcus, an astute judge of form and successful on all but one of his five rides on the horse, asked for the mount.

Marshall also saddles his 2017 Cape Guineas winner Tap O’Noth (15-2) who showed his wellbeing with a fine effort on his return at Durbanville. Marshall agrees with the handicappers’ assessments of the pair’s relative merits but adds: “Tap O’Noth is going to need further now.”

That last comment was echoed by trainers of others high up in the betting with Brett Crawford saying of 33-10 second favourite Charles: “I do think he needs more ground but I have always felt that he is a good horse and I am expecting a good run.”

Stable companion Search Party (10-1) is better known as a sprinter but his trainer points out: “He did win over a mile as a three-year-old and I think he is capable over it.”

Bunker Hunt, 9-1 and joint second best with Tap O’Noth on ratings, has been off since July day and Justin Snaith cautions: “He has only had one gallop and he would probably be better over a bit further.”

Bernard Fayd’Herbe, who won this 12 months ago on favourite Rainbow Bridge, this time partners 14-1 shot Majestic Mozart but if you are optimistically looking for a big price 20-1 about Priceless Ruler is generous for a Dennis Drier horse who has won his last two.

The Laisserfaire Stakes, despite its name, is a handicap and the hat-trick seeking Boomps A Daisy is favourite at 9-2 but she has been off for nearly five months. The other Ridgemont runners, Nastergal and Mushi Sterek, are both 13-2 chances as is top weight Freedom Charter who was second 12 months ago and also runner-up more recently in the Diana.

She has big chance but in what looks an open race it could pay to go for the 12-1 Drier-trained In The Stars who is on a hat-trick.

The weights in the Woolavington Stakes are calculated on merit ratings, bracketed together in bands of five, and top weight Kampala Campari (17-2) comes out best, a kilo above Elusive Silva and Man About Town. But this is his first race of the season.

“He is not the type of horse that needs a run,” says Andre Nel. “It’s more a question of whether he will get the trip.”

And will he? Nel grins and shakes his head. “I dunno – but there is only one way to find out!”

Winter Derby winner Dharma (13-2) will like the distance and is probably still on the upgrade. Strathdon is favourite at 9-2 but this is his first appearance since the Gold Cup and the vote goes to 5-1 chance Herodotus.

By Michael Clower