Eking out a living at the bottom end of the food chain when it comes to training thoroughbred race horses is no bed of roses. Even those at the top of the food chain don’t have it easy in this country’s shrinking economy with well-heeled owners who enjoy the sport increasingly hard to come by.

Gary Rich operates a small string out of Ashburton and is no mug when it comes to horses. Born into a racing family, his father Des, won the July with Lightning Shot ridden by Gary’s brother-in-law Leslie Mustard.

It has been a rewarding week for Rich who saddled Clouds Of Witness to win last Sunday and he followed up with Stormy Miss in the second at Hollywodbets Greyville yesterday.

Stormy Miss may not have been a hit with punters, given that she was friendless in the market at 45-1, but given her nature she is well named. A handful in the mornings, pacifiers will have given some indication of her nature but not her ability.

Going head-to-head with short-priced favourite Ode, Keagan de Melo with first to pull the stick. “When Keagan pulled his stick first, I knew a had him,” enthused Billy Jacobson, a journeyman rider who has stuck loyally with Rich.

“She’s a bit dippy,” Rich confided. “But she’s shown us that she can run.”

Owner Geoff Perkins has also been a staunch supporter of the yard and was on hand to lead the filly in. “We didn’t expect much although Billy and Gary said she had worked well at home. I wish that I had a little bit more on!”

Rumours of the Ashburton Training Centre closing have been doing the rounds for years and given the current financial state of affairs, there are a few that would like to see the centre mothballed.

However, there is no doubt that it is a prime facility, three of yesterday’s eight winners coming out of Ashburton, Kom Naidoo and Duncan Howells also on the bandwagon. Juniper Lane scored for Naidoo in the first and Coldhardcash staying on gamely to dead-heat with Kingsmead in the fourth for Howells.

Ashburton’s only fault is that it is situated a long drive from the Umhlanga playground.

Seasoned trainer Doug Campbell, privately based on his farm outside of Richmond, has never been tempted to move to one of the two training centres although he makes use of Ashburton to pass his runners through the pens and give them a good blow-out on the grass track.

It worked a treat in the Greyville Convention Centre Handicap with Kentucky Spur finishing too strongly for Merlin From Berlin, a recent addition to the Nathan Kotzen stable.

Kotzen makes a rare raid on Fairview this weekend where he has Tommy Grand in the Algoa Cup on Sunday and three other runners, all owned or in partnership by Alderman Rob Haswell, former mayor of Msunduzi (Pietermaritzburg), and a staunch supporter of the sport.

In addition, there will be the full Kotzen family of trainers, Glen from Cape Town, Nathan, from Durban, and Sharon, who will be on home soil.

By Andrew Harrison

Anton Marcus will make his long awaited comeback to race riding on Friday night at Greyville and among his six rides are three talented Gavin van Zyl-trained horses, Wave, Railtrip and Whizz Of Odds.

Marcus said last week his wrist and knee had “improved” from the state they were in before surgery and believed fitness would be his main obstacle.

However, Van Zyl had no concerns about the latter and said, “When Anton Marcus is riding your horse you know he will be ready. He is a professional. He will start off where he left off from and will be a force to be reckoned with for as long as he puts his backside on a saddle.” 

Ironically, Marcus was able to pick up those three rides because the national log leading jockey, Warren Kennedy, who is Van Zyl’s stable jockey, is sitting out a one week suspension.

KZN racing can look forward to a fierce rivalry between the pair as Kennedy has recently looked more and more capable of filling the gap left by the retirement of Marcus’s arch rival Anthony Delpech. 

Van Zyl has no doubt Kennedy will fill the gap and added, “He will give Anton a run for his money. But Warren’s agent will have to sharpen his pencil and be quick on the draw to outmanoeuvre Anton for the best spare rides. Anton picks his rides himself and is very choosy. He is as sharp as a two-edged blade. You know anything he asks to ride has a chance, especially when he phones, because you know he will have done his homework and handpicked the horse. His ability to pick them out is why he has such a phenomenal strike rate in KZN.”

Kennedy’s one advantage over Marcus will be the strength of the Van Zyl strings.

Gavin probably has the strongest string in KZN at present and his son Gareth, who also has Kennedy as his stable jockey, also has some good horses.

Gavin is currently in joint second place on the log with twelve winners and Gareth is in joint seventh with seven.  

Gavin said about his three Marcus-ridden horses on Friday night, “Whizz Of Odds barrier trialed well but unfortunately has a bad draw. But we are taking our chances because she is very quick. I rate her and she has a good winning chance.”

“Wave is Grade 1-placed and comes back from a rest. He is not quite where I want him but is good enough to run well in this competitive field. If they have a place chance, they have a winning chance. He was caught wide in the Grade 1 Premier’s Champion Stakes without cover and didn’t stay so we are going to stick to sprints with him. We have fitted him with blinkers so he should get out of the pens quicker. A couple of times at Greyville he has been sluggish, especially at night.”

“Railtrip finished second in a Grade 1 as a two-year-old and we have sorted out some problems with her, so she is back to her best. She is looking for further than this 1700m but she is well prepared and should be competitive.”

By David Thiselton

The Vaal Classic track has an eight race meeting tomorrow and hopefully the rainfall earlier in the week should have eased the ground.  

In the first over 1200m the first-timer Karino is by Duke Of Marmalade out of Grade 1 Empress Club Stakes winner Stratos, meaning she is a half-sister to Orpheus, the runaway winner of the Listed Sledgehammer. The Azzie yard have described Karino thus, “A nice filly, could run a decent race, will be a bit green.” She will not have to be a superstar to beat this field and jumps from a fair draw with S’Manga Khumalo aboard, so is selected to win on debut. Orchid Express could improve on her first two starts over a step up in trip she will appreciate, provided she gets a better start. Varnica showed pace with first-time blinkers on over 1200m last time and finished third, although she now has a tougher draw. Stormy Weathers will be dangerous with a 4kg claimer on from a good draw. Sapphire Rock has been highly tried so must be well regarded but she still has to live up to it and has a wide draw.

In the second race, a maiden for three-year-old fillies over 1600m, Flower Season has a nice long-striding action and has scope for improvement. She has been thereabouts in all three of her starts from 1160m to 1450m and should appreciate the step up in trip, so is selected to win under S’Manga Khumalo, despite a tricky draw of eight. Fluorescent stayed on from way back over 1200m on debut and will relish the step up in trip, although she has a tricky draw. Bat Orchid stayed on quite well over this trip last time from pole position on the Turffonftein Inside track and could be involved with a repeat from a good draw of two. Flaming Opal ran a cracker in her last start as a juvenile when stepped up to this trip and has a chance on that form, but she has not raced for 131 days and has a tough draw. Super Duper is another to consider having shown improvement to finish third when stepped up to 1600m.

In the third race over 1600m, a MR 88 handicap, Ragoon comes off a run over 2000m where he pulled, brushed the rail and cast a shoe. However, his record over this course and distance is three wins, a second and a third in five starts so he can bounce back. Nordic Rebel looks to be the main danger being 3,5kg better off with Finchattion for a one length beating over this distance. Hidden Agenda has been ultra consistent lately and proved he was up to his current merit rating last time out.

In the first leg of the Jackpot, a MR 72 handicap over 1800m, the promising Heart Stwings has a plum draw and will relish the step up in trip. Big Myth is an effective front-runner and this distance looks ideal but she does have a wide draw. Itsmydarlin has been in fine form, but does have a tough draw here. Plum Field stayed on over 1600m last time and should enjoy this step back up in trip.  Passion Peach ran an encouraging race over 1600m last time and could earn here with a repeat. Picadilly Square is also worth considering.

In the fifth race over 1800m Jive Express has mixed it with the talented Jacko Boy recently and on that form is the one to beat from a good draw under 2,5kg claimer Juglall. Littlewood was a head in front of Jive Express in the latter race but is effectively 2,5 kg worse off due to Juglall’s  claim. Illuminate ran a good race with first time blinkers on over 2000m last time and is 1,5kg bettter off with Circle Of Latitude for a 1,15 length beating. Circle Of Latitude is well drawn but was well beaten by Jive Express and Littlewood last time out over 2000m. Pink and No More Words can be considered.

The sixth race, a Graduation Plate over 1000m, Crown Guardian is a talented speedster and is the best weighted male in the race. The race sees the return of Grade 2 Golden Horseshoe third-placed Invidia. He has won over this trip and is the second best weighted male. Scoop is only half-a-kilogram worse off with Invidia accoridng to official merit ratings and can earn. Snow Palace is the best weighted runner but might find this a touch sharp. Singforafa is better weighted than any of the males and will enjoy this trip. 

In the seventh race over 1200m Hear The Trumpet has dropped to a competitive mark and has a 4kg claimer up so looks the one to beat. Rosalina and Nordic Queen come off good races over this trip and look to be the chief dangers.

In the last race, a Maiden Handicap over 1450m, Gentleman’s Wager has caught the eye a couple of times. This long-striding sort should not mind the drop in trip considering he quickened some way from home last time out when just failing over 1800m. He does have a tricky draw but jockey Chase Maujean is particularly good when coming from off the pace. Stone Judgement ran two good races over sprints and then found little extra 1600m, so he should enjoy the step down in trip. Whipping Boy has also disappointed over 1600m, twice, but if reproducing his previous run over 1400m when running on from far back he could be in the shake up.

By David Thiselton

Justin Snaith, despite uncharacteristically meeting with defeat in the first three maidens at Durbanville yesterday, is keen on the chances of several of his 15 runners at Kenilworth on Saturday and, intriguingly, some of those he considers value are at big prices.

He said: “I have some high quality runners on Saturday including in the maidens. Richard Fourie enjoys riding  Sachdev but in the Cape Classic he might have his work cut out from that draw (ten). The horse would have to be the next Do It Again to win from there – but then he might be!”

Snaith also runs Captain Tatters (Robert Khathi) and the highly rated General Franco (S’Manga Khumalo) ïn the Classic and added: “Captain Tatters needed the run last time but he is really well now and I am expecting a big run from him. At 12-1 he is the one I think is the best value.

“In the Western Cape Fillies Championship I am a bit worried about Casino Queen being drawn 11 but Richard is very good from there.”

Khumalo rides Somewhere In Time but apparently it could be 20-1 shot Amy Johnson (Khathi) that punters should bear in mind – “She is the dark horse and she could be the best value. She cuts through her field better than anything I have seen this year but, while she quickens well, she then stops so I have put a lot of work into her and I am now happy with her.”

By Michael Clower

Coldhardcash showed early that he had loads of ability but that came with many problems that added some grey to Duncan Howells’s already thinning thatch. Shedding his maiden after gelding in December last year, things looked back on track but then Coldhardcash developed breathing problems which had form guide Computaform commenting, “pace tired,” “moved up – no more,” and “handy – faded out.”

As a last resort and on the advice of vet Dr Ralph Katzwinkel, Coldhardcash was fitted with a cornel collar. The device helps keep the air passage open and the results have been immediate with Coldhardcash showing why he impressed in his early homework.

Coldhardcash is unbeaten in two starts with the cornel collar, making most of the running on both occasions, and can keep that record when he lines up in the Soccer Any 15 MR Handicap over 1000m on the Hollywoodbets Greyville turf today.

Given Howells’s early assessment and taking current form into account and a good draw, the opposition could be left chasing shadows and punters will be in sorely need of an exotic bet banker on a card that will deliver some lucrative dividends.

Ode took on males when arriving on the scene too late, going down to Treading Water over the Greyville 1000m last time out. That was only her second visit to the races and the extra furlong against her own sex should see her back in the money, if not the winner’s box, in the opening leg of the PA. Kildonan Bay, a 50-1 chance on debut when second to Diamondsandpearls, and To The Max look the obvious threats.

Winter Sun has not been out since finishing third in the Gr2 Debutante Stakes, beaten just over a length by Montreal Mist. She started ignored at 66-1 that afternoon from a coffin draw of 14 so that was an exceptional effort.

She makes her seasonal debut in the Track & Ball Gaming Handicap and although rested, she could have too much class for some of her older rivals that includes the very much inform and year older Wildly In Love that has come good at recent outings.

Things get decidedly more tricky from here on.

Leicester Square was most disappointing first up out of the maidens but judged on his previous showings can do much better. Northern Route has had his form franked by Techno Captain who has since twice finished runner-up while On The Bright Side and Merlin From Berlin also warrant close scrutiny.

The seventh is another tough race but Good Rhythm has had two warm-up sprints since a lengthy break and was a close-up third last run when finishing with a rattle under Sherman Brown, making up five lengths in the straight to finish a neck back to the useful sprinter Goliath Heron. Alistair Gordon now has him over what looks to be his optimum trip and Brown has been booked again. GG’s Dynasty is another back from a break and making his poly debut. However, his form before the rest was good and the stable in form.

There are a host of first timers in the last so keep an eye on the betting. Lowan Denysschen had a winner with Eternal Words last Saturday and Imperial Seal looks the pick of the runners with exposed form. In the early market she shares favouritism with debutante Jackson Wells, Mark Dixon’s filly coming off a forward showing in a barrier trial.

Currently at 10-1 is the five-year-old Go Kitty. She made a smart debut for Gary Rich behind the promising Maiden’s Prayer before disappointing at her next start. Forgive her that showing and she looks fair value in a difficult race. Blushing Diamond has a poor draw but did find some betting support on debut and is sure to improve while Class Of Eight is a long-time maiden but has shown flashes of ability and has a chance at best but this does not look to be a race that one can go light in with any confidence.

By Andrew Harrison

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