Mike de Kock said Hawwaam would definitely be avoiding the Gauteng Summer Cup, for which he is the ruling favourite with bookmakers in the ante-post market.

De Kock said the champion Silvano colt was being targeted at the L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate and the Sun Met.

He plans to run him in two Pinnacle Stakes events in Johannesburg before taking him down to Cape Town.  

De Kock’s charge

Mike de Kock runs four horses in Saturday’s Grade 2 Peermont Emperor’s Palace Charity Mile, including topweight and favourite Buffalo Bill Cody.

This talented Irish-bred entire cost himself any chance last time in the Grade 2 Jo’burg Spring Challenge over 1450m, dwelling and losing a few lengths. 

De Kock said, “He has been flying out the gates at home and always works well and this is probably his best trip. But he is becoming quite coltish and we have no intention of gelding him as he has great potential at stud. So if he misbehaves again I will have to sit down with Mary (Slack) and reconsider his future.”

The Redoute’s Choice five-year-old is unbeaten in four starts over a mile and in his first attempt at black type in last season’s strong Grade 1 Champions Cup over 1800m he wasn’t disgraced, finishing 2,90 lengths behind Rainbow Bridge.

He is merit rated 125 so has to give 1,5kg to the second top weights on Saturday and he has to jump from a tricky draw of 12 too, so his odds of around 2/1 look a bit cramped.

All three of De Kock’s other candidates, Barahin, Cascapedia and Noble Secret, have the Gauteng Summer Cup as their main target.

De Kock said about Barahin, who carries 58,5kg off his merit rating of 122, “I was happy with his last run, although he wants a bit further and could do with another run under the belt. He is doing well but is another who needs gelding.”

He said about his six-year-old Irish-bred mare Cascapedia, “She needs another run to reach her peak as she had a long holiday on the farm. But I expect improvement on her last run.”

He said about Noble Secret. “His last run was his first after a wind op so he needs another run and he needs further.” 

By David Thiselton

Last Winter will have his second race in Britain in a 2 400m Listed event on the all-weather at Kempton next Monday.

According to Lady Laidlaw’s racing manager Jehan Malherbe, Sir Michael Stoute has yet to finalise riding arrangements as Ryan Moore – who rode last year’s Sun Met second on his British debut – will be in Australia for the Melbourne Cup.

The now six-year-old’s previous British run was in last month’s Chasemore Farm Fortune Stakes, a Listed race over a mile at Sandown, when he finished last of six but was beaten less than seven lengths – a reasonable effort considering he had been off for 20 months. He took a keen hold, was ridden two furlongs out but was unable to make much impression.

Bernard Fayd’Herbe, sidelined on medical advice since the end of last season, resumes at Kenilworth on Saturday when he has been booked for the first seven of the eight races including, somewhat appropriately, Bernie in the Tellytrack.com Handicap.

Kampala Campari, ruled out of the Durbanville pinnacle won by stable companion Head Honcho a fortnight ago because of a temperature, has been given top weight of 61kg in the Woolavington Handicap at Kenilworth on November 9. Candice Bass-Robinson, bidding to win the 2 400m test for the third year in a row, has the biggest entry with three – Pacific Chestnut, Celestial Prince and Ballad Of The Sea.

The Milnerton trainer is also responsible for nine of the 29 entries for the Laisserfaire Stakes on the same card including three of the four highest rated – Santa Clara, Freedom Charter and Nous Voila.

By Michael Clower

Sean Tarry has saddled the runner up for the last two year’s in the Grade 2 Peermont Emperor’s Palace Charity Mile and will be hoping to go one better this year with one of his four contestants.

Tilbury Fort made his seasonal reappearance in this race last year and finished a short-head second and he comes in fresh again. 

Tarry said, “He is doing very well but I would have liked another week or two with him. He is slightly underdone and I feel he was a little fitter last year but this can’t be quantified and we are mindful that he runs well fresh.”

The six-year-old Horse Chestnut gelding ran off a 103 merit rating last year, so off a 118 this year is effectively five points higher if the ten point across the board raise is taken into account. He is drawn one lower than last year in eight.

Four-year-old Zillzaal is merit rated 114 so carries 54,5kg, 2kg less than Tilbury Fort, and he is drawn well in seven. He is by Silvano so should be improving all the time and Tarry said recent gelding has also helped. He said, “He has always had the ability but he wasn’t producing in his races. Although he was running decent races he wasn’t finishing them off. So, it was nice in his last race to see the gelding had the desired effect. He was well weighted there but he did what he had to do at the business end of the race. I think he is competitively weighted on Saturday and has a lot in his favour. This is part of his preparation for the Summer Cup but that doesn’t mean to say he can’t win.”

Tarry’s exciting four-year-old filly In The Dance, merit rated 111, has as good a turn of foot as her half-brother Capetown Noir and being by miler Gimmethegreenlight should relish the step up to this trip. Tarry was not concerned about her draw of eleven, saying she was likely to be dropped out. He said, “We haven’t got to the bottom of her yet and she’s fit and well, but it would have been nice to have another run under the belt going into this tough mile.”

He runs the six-year-gelding Pilou from a draw of nine and he sneaks into the handicap with bottom weight off his 109 merit rating.

Tarry said, “He showed at Greyville he doesn’t have to lead, although he will like to be handy. He is doing very well and was short of his best in his last run so he has had a nice preparation.”

By David Thiselton

Celestial Storm at 11-2 could be the answer to the Interbet.co.za Pinnacle Stakes at Kenilworth today, particularly as the M.J. Byleveld-ridden bottom weight is so well treated.

The weights in pinnacles are determined by merit ratings, but in bands of five points at a time, and the best horses tend to come out marginally better than in a normal handicap. However fillies and mares receive a 2.5kg allowance which they don’t get in a handicap and on adjusted ratings here the selection comes out equal top with Bold Respect – and the pair are 2kg clear of the next best (Sergeant Hardy who doesn’t seem to be quite the force he was).

Bold Respect has not raced since the Mercury Sprint three months ago whereas Celestial Storm won a conditions race at Durbanville before taking third to Pacific Trader in a pinnacle there a month ago. She would probably have finished second had she had a clear run.

The danger could well be Bold Respect’s stable companion Traces, the mount of Anton Marcus. This one suffered serious interference in that pinnacle, not once but twice, and Brett Crawford said: “He was in need of the race – it was his first run since having a wind op – and he has come on a hell of a lot since.”

What A Flirt caught the eye on debut at Durbanville earlier in the month and gets the vote to reverse the placings with Silver Tiara in the Play Soccer 6 Maiden (race two). It might seem folly to suggest she can turn the tables on the in-form Glen Kotzen/ Morne Winnaar combination. However Greg Cheyne, who rode Silver Tiara last time, is now on the Paddy Kruyer runner who is bound to have come on from the run and has only half a length to make up.

It could pay to follow the Crawford-Marcus-Ridgemont combination in races three, four and five. It is unlikely that all three will win but they all have chances and the Crawford stable is in tremendous form with 14 winners at the last seven Cape Town meetings.

Duke Of Cards (33-10) in the 2 400m maiden (race three) has the weakest chance of the trio and, being out of a Trippi mare, there must be doubts about him getting the trip but his trainer says: “He is a big horse and he is relishing to go this type of distance.”

In the next Water Spirit (28-10) will be having her second run after an enforced rest (a bad sign!) when she had problems behind the saddle but apparently she has come on since her fourth-placed return seven weeks ago.

Flame Tree (22-10 for race five) was good enough to win first time out but lost ground at the off when tried in handicap company on Matchem day. Her trainer says: “Her work at home has been good.”

By Michael Clower

Turffontein Inside track has a nine race meeting tomorrow and there has been some welcome rain this week which should lead to easier going.

Three-year-old prospect Gin Fizz appears in the fifth race, a Graduation Plate over 1450m, and is best in at the weights. Last time out she just failed to beat the highly regarded Vistula in the Grade 2 Joburg Spring Fillies and Mares Challenge over this course and distance. The concern is that she threatened to over race on that occasion before a strong pacemaker allowed her to drop in and settle in second. There does not appear to be pace in this race and she is drawn wide so she might have to lead. Four-year-old filly Green Top is well regarded by Alec Laird and is only half-a-kilogram under sufferance. The blinkers are back on after she was beaten 9,5 lengths by Gin Fizz in that last race and she also has her third run after a long layoff, so hopefully can bounce back.

Against The Grain is 4kg under sufferance with Gin Fizz and has his second run after a long layoff, but is talented and the trip is ideal. Urban Rock is 11kg under sufferance with Gin Fizz but looks capable of rising above his merit rating and has a plum draw. However, on pedigree, being by Seventh Rock out of Black Minnaloushe sprinter Mary Stuart, there is a slight stamina doubt. Tiger’s Rock is a whopping 12,5kg under sufferance and does not make much appeal. Glider Pilot will find this too sharp and is returning from a 483 day layoff. Over Sharing’s recent form is uninspiring and Shadows Night will be outgunned.

The meeting starts with a Maiden over 1200m and Eppagilia makes appeal as one with plenty of scope and having his second run after gelding from a better draw than last time. 

In the second over 1600m Oyster King was caught in second place without cover last time and still stayed on for a close third so could prevail this time from a better draw. Cairon made a good front-running debut over 1450m and with expected improvement should go close from a plum draw. G I JOE quickened well to hit the front over 1200m last time before being run out of it and he has done well over this trip before, but it is his second run after a layoff and he has a tough draw.

In the first leg of the PA Eightfold’s Lass drops back to her favourite 1600m trip and is well drawn. The enigmatic Aurelia Cotta has been consistent over this trip lately and is drawn in pole. Evening Bell is talented and could run well fresh over a trip too sharp.

In the first leg of the Pick 6 over 2000m Atomic Blonde is well regarded so is interesting stepped up in trip. Festive Linngari will relish the course and distance from a good draw and Rocky Path is ultra consistent. Tough Choice is in good form but was given a four point raise last time and So Long Spring could be involved if reproducing her run in September over course and distance. In For A Penny could be dangerous from a good draw with a 1,5kg claimer up if taken to the front. 

In the sixth over 1450m Hartleyfour might well be looking for this trip and is well drawn. Category Four has a fine chance from a good draw and African Rock should also be involved. Pidgeon Rock must be included although he has to prove he stays the trip and Pop Icon can be considered despite a wide draw as he waltzed home in his first try at this trip. 

In the next Flash Burn has undoubted talent and is well drawn over an ideal course and distance. His stablemate Culture Trip won well last time and is the danger.

In the eighth over 1450m Marygold won well on debut and starts handicapping off a reasonable mark so can remain unbeaten. Golden Spiral is in fine form and Kapama emerges well on formlines, but both have tough draws. Querari Ferrari can be considered from a good draw off a reasonable opening mark and The Sash is capable so could bounce back with this good draw. 

In the last over 1000m Arikel’s form has been franked and she is taken to beat the consistent Claremorris and Black Ferrari, who is better than her last lacklustre outing.

By David Thiselton