The Turffontein Inside track stages an eight race meeting tomorrow and the exotics look the best way to approach it.

In the first race Creation makes his comeback having last been seen in March. This Vercingetorix gelding is a half-brother to the Listed placed Querari filly Champery. In his two starts to date he has not been disgraced finishing 4,60 lengths behind Guantanamo Bay over 1000m and 6,90 lengths behind the Equus Two-year-old champion male of last season, Got The Greenlight, over 1200m. He looked to have class and will have matured in his eight months off. He is thus preferred to those who have run before as none of them look to be world beaters. Crazy Charlie stayed on well last time over this trip, showing a good turn of foot. That was a weak workrider’s race but he does have a good draw here and has gone close with Muzi Yeni up before. Trend Master has done well in all three of his starts and has proved effective over this trip. However, a place in the trifecta positions must also be found for the R4,5 million Mike de Kock-trained Dynasty colt Oscar Wilde. He is out of the Western Winter mare Lady Windermere, who won both the Grade 1 SA Fillies Sprint and the Grade 1 Garden Province Stakes. He jumps from a fair draw of six under Gavin Lerena. Temenee is another interesting first-timer. She is the only filly in the race but is by Var out of the Grade 2 Gerald Rosenberg winner Tamaanee.

In the second race over 2600m Romantic Sea has run two fair races over 1600m and 1800m respectively and should relish the step up to this 2600m trip being by stamina influence Lateral out of a Caesour mare who won up to 2400m. Poppycock is proven over staying trips having narrowly failed in two outings over 2400m. Magic Vision has shown some ability and steps up in trip. However, on pedigree there is a stamina doubt as he is by Visionaire out of the Grade 1-wining Jet Master miler Little Miss Magic and he also has a wide draw to overcome. 

The third race over 2600m could be won by Glamorous Scandal who has never quite lived up to her potential and has only won one race in 26 starts. However, she has dropped to a competitive mark and is the one to beat based on the form of her penultimate start. One factor against her is her wide draw. Perfect Light beat Glamorous Scandal by 3,25 lengths over 2400m last time, but she was raised four points, and before that was beaten two lengths by Glamorous Scandal over this course and distance. Cranberry Crush won the latter race and followed up with another good effort over this same course and distance off her current mark of 72. However, her last run puts her on the back foot and she has to carry 60kg from a wide draw. Ritchi is thus preferred for third with a 4kg claimer up off a reasonable opening merit rating. It hard ignore the rest, especially Flying Fantasy and Shezahotti. 

In the fourth race, also over 2600m, Gentleman’s Wager has always struck as one with some ability and has a long stride and a good turn of foot. He won a maiden handicap over 1450m easing up by 3,25 lengths last time out. He is by Oratorio out of the Var mare Princess Of Light, who won over 2450m and finished second in the Gold Cup, so has a chance of staying this trip and with bottom weight will be hard to beat if he does. Gold Griffin has drawn well and this consistent stayer makes most appeal of the rest. 

In the fifth over 1600m Waqaas was raised two points for just failing to beat the improving Captain Flynt over this course and distance, although he has to come from another wide draw. Marshall Foch was progressing nicely last season after being stepped up to this trip and can continue from where he left off, although he also has a wide draw. Supa Mufti’s win last time has been franked by Captain Flynt and Waqaas. He is half-a-kilogram under sufferance but 4kg claimer Cole Dicken, who carries 1kg overweight, is aboard. He is another with a wide draw. Tokyo Drift and Gimme The Fire should be considered as horses with runs under their belts.

In the sixth, a Graduation Plate over 1600m, Spero Optima is not officially well in but impressed second time out and looks to have plenty of scope. This Dynasty gelding is well drawn too and might be making a bid to qualify for the Dingaans. The best weighted horse is Glider Pilot but he was beaten 15 lengths last time in a comeback from a layoff of more than a year. Promiseofmyheart is the best weighted three-year-old and has some good form up to this trip. The filly Frosted Steel looks to have class and should enjoy the step up in trip. Informative has decent form over sprints and is also interesting stepped up in trip from pole position, being by Greys Inn out of a Jet Master mare who won over 1300m and placed second over a mile once.

In the seventh over 1000m Madamoiselle is a form choice and should get away with returning from a five month layoff over this trip. Ocean City will make a bold bid from the front from draw two. Arikel comes off a good win over course and distance. 

In the last over 1200m Chainsaw has a chance on some of his best form although he ran badly in his only start over course and distance. King Of The Delta is in good form and is well drawn and distance suited. Gemcutter, Strikeitlikeamatch and Perfectly Putt also have to be included. 

By David Thiselton

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Dennis Drier got off the mark for the Cape season in some style when newcomer Croisette made a winning debut – and like a real good horse – in the Tabonline.co.za Maiden at Kenilworth yesterday.

The Var filly, a half-sister to SA Fillies Classic and SA Oaks winner Juxtapose, was surprisingly easy to back considering the promise she had shown in a Scottsville barrier trial, and she went off at 8-11. Sean Veale had her first away and, although the more experienced Cyber Blossom soon headed her, it was only on sufferance. The favourite came away from two furlongs out to win in a common canter with her rider patting her admiringly down the neck.

Veale said: “I know she didn’t beat much but it was the way she did it. I rate her highly and I think she is very special and very classy.”

Drier echoed this, saying: “I am thrilled with this run. I think she could be something special although I will take it slowly with her.”

He has brought 15 others down from Durban “but no Beach Beautys or Master Of My Fates this time.”

However he had some disturbing words – disturbing that is if you are an owner or trainer with horses in Cape Town – about the comparative level of the stakes in the two centres. “Most of the 16 are Cape Town-owned and I am very grateful to their owners for allowing me to bring their horses down here because they are not going to be racing for the stakes we have in Durban.”

Apparently several of his owners based elsewhere were not keen for their horses to race for the prize money now on offer at Kenilworth. 

BLOB The Eric Sands-trained Bitter Lemon, who was Anton Marcus’s only ride of the day when a disappointing seventh of eight in the 1 400m fillies handicap at Kenilworth last Saturday, has been suspended for 60 days.  The 11-2 shot was found to have suffered a bilateral epistaxsis (burst blood vessel with blood coming from both nostrils).

By Michael Clower

The arrival of many long-shots at recent Hollywoodbets Greyville meetings these past couple of weeks has made it difficult for an army of punters. However, the flip side is decent pay outs for those that got it right. But it is another one of ‘those’ cards on the poly at the same venue today and although the field sizes are relatively small, it has not made finding winners any easier.

With the Western Cape Summer season on the horizon one could reasonably speculate that Sunset Eyes would have a date with some of the big sprint races during their season. But Brett Crawford elected to keep the gelding in KZN with assistant Peter Muscutt after his win in the Umgeni Handicap on the last Saturday of last season.

Sunset Eyes romped home in that race, beating Filippo who will be in opposition again today. In contrast, Yogas Govender has kept Filippo on the boil since the Umgeni Handicap and may strip the fitter horse this afternoon. He followed up his Umgeni second with victory at Scottsville and turned in a useful effort in a strong Pinnacle Stakes last time out, finish just over a length back to the promising Ultra Magnus.

Govender has declared blinkers on his charge for the first time, no doubt on the advice of regular pilot Sherman Brown, so there should be very little between Filippo and Sunset Eyes.

The balance of the eight-horse field have smart sprint credentials so it would be unwise to write any of them off lightly although it would be pointless going through their individual credentials, but Filippo and Sunset Eyes look the principal contenders.

After two good showings in barrier trials, admittedly eight months apart, James Peter made his debut as favourite early last month over course and distance and can get punter’s off to a good start. In spite of his two educationals in barrier trials, the penny still had to drop for Gavin van Zyl’s runner on debut and he arrived on the scene too late to trouble Treading Water.

With that experience under his girth he can make amends in the card opener.

The second is something of a head-scratcher. Annaberg has shown up well in both starts to date and from a good draw should contest the finish although she faces difficult opposition. Arianos Spinner has improved at her last two on the poly and has a good draw while At Your Request needed her last run, her first for a new stable. She makes her poly debut and is one to watch in the betting. Trap Queen makes her local debut after showing some improvement at her last two in the Cape and is another in with a winning chance.

Unlike some trainers with big strings where the attrition rate is not always of paramount importance, small yards have to nurture what they have. Mai Tai has been off the track since June after pulling up lame in the Devon Air stakes, some four lengths off the winner, that after making a winning debut. Wayne Badenhorst will have been ever cautious with what is possibly the best horse in his small string and has picked a race with a favourable draw.

Dive Captain and Accidental Tourist should be there to pick up the pieces should Mai Tai let the side down.

By Andrew Harrison

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The former Stuart Pettigrew-trained Surcharge, now known as Yulong Prince and trained by NZ and Australian Hall of Famer Chris Waller, won a listed race at yesterday’s Melbourne Cup meeting at Flemington.

The Varsfontein Stud-bred Gimmethegreenlight five-year-old entire was in an awkward spot nearing the top of the straight, in last place and trapped on the rail in the one mile one furlong Furphy Plate, a handicap contested by 12 horses in which he was joint top weight.

However, jockey Nash Rawiller was able to switch him outward and get him through a gap.

Once in the clear he showed his class and stretched out impressively. He got up by a head.

He returned odds of 17/2 as his previous overseas form, consisting of two races in Dubai and three in Australia had not yielded a place, although they were in a higher class including two Group 1s.

Yulong Prince always showed tremendous class in South Africa where he infamously had to contend with a spate of bad draws.

He is one to follow as he could build on this win.

By David Thiselton

Reigning national Champion trainer Sean Tarry has hit the front in stakes earning for the season but just unofficially as his only feature win at Saturday’s Peermont Emperor’s Palace Charity Mile meeting was in a restricted race, whose stakes don’t count towards the championship.

His Visionaire filly Spiritofthegroove stormed home from way off the pace to win the R1 million Emperor’s Palace Ready to Run Cup.

Jockey Marco van Rensburg dropped her out from a wide draw and in the straight he faced a wall of horses on the inside.

However, he somehow managed to weave her through and she won going away by 2,25 lengths.

She is owned by Singapore-based Mark Yong’s Equine Hub SA and was bred by Tmen Stables.

Tarry, whilst mindful Spiritofthegroove had won this 1400m contest in testing conditions, was still concerned about her getting the tough Turffontein Mile of the Grade 3 Fillies Mile on November 23.

He said he would see how she drew in the WSB Cape Fillies Guineas, which was another option.

Tarry said he had endured an overall disappointing day on Saturday.

He said, “I would have liked In The Dance to have had another run going in to the Charity Mile, but she travelled well in the race and still finished well. She could have got closer with a better draw. Tilbury Fort needed the run and the soft ground made it more testing. So they will both come on from the run. Zillzaal looked a picture before his last run and a picture in the parade ring on Saturday but he then went into a complete sweat behind the starting stalls, so something went wrong between the parade ring and the start, so it was disappointing. He and Tilbury Fort will still be going for the Summer Cup and there is a nice four week gap for In The Dance into the Ipi Tombe so hopefully she can fluke a draw.”

He continued, “Eden Roc ran a good race at the weights in the Graham Beck and should be cherry ripe for the Dingaans. Putontheredlight had a complete no show and the rider stood up at the 300m mark, it was a nothing run, so I don’t know what to read into it. Sidonie did at least stay on so that was a result you can live with. “

In the official championship standings Tarry is in third place on earnings of R3,410,838. Justin Snaith leads on earnings of R3,603,163 and Paul Peter is in second place on R3,486,675. Mike de Kock’s halcyon day on Saturday took him into fourth place on R3,197,750. Alan Greeff and Brett Crawford are in 5th and 6th place respectively on R3,183,638 and R3,030,963. Yvette Bremner is in 7th on R2,389,600. Glen Kotzen, Gavin Smith and Garth Puller fill the final three places in the top ten on the log.

By David Thiselton