S’Manga Khumalo is back and hungry after an extended spell in the doldrums and the former champion jockey is now a regular at KZN meetings. He paid for his airfare and some more as he got his meeting off to a flying start on the Dennis Bosch runner Treading Water in the card opener at Hollywoodbets Greyville yesterday.

First timer James Peter was hampered out of the gate which did his chances no good but with Donovan Dillon pushing forward on Valiente a thankful Khumalo slotted in behind in second and James Peter also pressing forward.

Two furlongs out Valiente looked to have it all in hand but his fuel gauge went from full to empty in a matter of strides leaving Treading Water to go clear. But he too was ‘treading water’ as the filly Ode loomed up on his outside, the line coming just in time.

Valiente may have let the side down in the first but Dillon made no mistakes on Brett Crawford’s filly Gwendolyn in the next. Gwendolyn, Royal View and Another Secret stood out as the form runners and the finished one-two-three.

With Belinda Impy handing in her brief towards the end of last season, Lady Colleen Glaeser moved most of her runners to Wayne Badenhorst and Lady Legend provided their first winner together. A close-up second over course and distance last time out, Muzi Yeni took no prisoners with Lady Legend bolting clear to win by the best part of four lengths.

Parting company with his mount Silent Crusade at Hollywoodbets Scottsville last month will have been fresh in Keagan De Melo’s mind. It was a fearful fall and a miracle that he escaped serious injury.

De Melo was back on board Mark Dixon’s filly yesterday where he rode a cracking finish on the favourite. Tracking the pace, Silent Crusade shifted into top gear 400m out but didn’t look at all comfortable as she hung out and seemingly not to keen to go on with her effort. But De Melo kept hard at her and she gamely held off a charging phalanx headed by Generous Lady and Exclusive Quantity.

No doubt young Luke Ferraris will have designs on a career in Hong Kong where his father is a leading trainer and judging pace correctly a prerequisite. Ferraris has a way to go yet if he is ever to get the nod from the super picky Hong Kong Jockey Club but he rode a perfectly judge race on Self-Mastery for Garth Puller. He got a soft lead from a wide draw and made the most of it, going for the line on the home turn and drawing off to win comfortably.

That said, he may have misjudged the pace on Georgina Rose in the very next race as Calvin Habib played the small field on the brake. All under a hard hold for much of the contest, Mary O kept finding when asked the question. Electric Surge tried hard and Jacks Bird arrived late with Georgina Rose struggling to quicken off the slow pace.

On contrast, there was no hanging around in the seventh as apprentice Jason Gates set a solid pace on Bling A Ding Ding that suited winner Coyote Girl. Stuart Randolph sat her in one from last and when all were gasping for air, Coyote Girl picked them off to win smartly.

Title-chasing Warren Kennedy, twice beaten into second on the day, got it right in the last as Dennis Bosch opened and closed the meeting. Kennedy left it late on Mutawaary to ware down game veteran Big King and deny Randolph a quick double.

By Andrew Harrison

Pretty Young Thing is going to be a major contender in Saturday week’s Western Cape Fillies Championship judging by the emphatic way she beat older horses in the TAB Telebet Conditions Plate at Durbanville on Saturday.

Only two fillies in the 1 400m Grade 2 are rated superior to her – the Mike de Kock-trained Gin Fizz and Alan Greeff’s World Radar – and the Ridgemont filly is clearly on the upgrade, winning three of her last four.

True, she is drawn 24 out of 28 but neither Greg Cheyne nor Brett Crawford seem unduly concerned, both pointing to her considerable gate speed. The jockey, now third on the national log with 45 winners, added: “She pinged the gates here and, when I asked her to go, she really lengthened – and to the line she just coasted.”

Drama Queen, an encouraging third in her first race for three and a half months, is also bound for the Western Cape Fillies but she will be 2kg worse.

Crawford, true to recent form, went home with a treble with Kilindini convincingly justifying favouritism in the Betting World Maiden and Bag Of Tricks (backed from 7-1 to 2-1) just holding on in an incident-packed finale.

But this was a treble with a difference because Bag Of Tricks enabled the Philippi trainer to join the successful band who have trained 1 000 winners.

Corne Orffer, who also rode Kilindini, had to survive an objection from Donovan Dillon on runner-up Brother Louis before he could join in the celebrations and he was suspended for a week (Oct 16-22) for causing interference to the unplaced Snowy Mountain.

Morne Winnaar, riding the leader Bindi, was given the same unwanted seven-day holiday for causing interference to runner-up Lana Belle early on in Pretty Young Thing’s race.

Racehorse trainers, and often owners too, need to be blessed with abnormal amounts of patience and Agent Of Fortune provided a perfect example of how this gift can pay off in the Tellytrack.com Pinnacle.

While Bwana, in the words of commentator Philip Sarembock “went off like a dirty shirt,” M.J. Byleveld sat handy a couple of lengths behind and pounced when the leader’s exertions took their toll in the final furlong.

Vaughan Marshall said: “It has been a long hard struggle with this horse. He won a feature first time out (the Kuda Sprint on Met day last year). We then took him to Durban and he chipped a knee at Summerveld. Then he went in the wind.”

The expression of Marsh Shirtliff, who shares ownership with Bryn Ressel, seemed to suggest he was reliving every painful moment when he was asked about the horse’s history!

Richard Fourie, four winners at Fairview on Friday, landed a Justin Snaith double on Queen’s Club and Dancing Sally to take his total for the season to 33.

Anthony Andrews and Andre Nel were also in double form, landing the opener with Aqua Bolt and the third with Quickstep Lady, one of four horses on the day who set new class records.

By Michael Clower

Garth Puller has been cautious and down-played Georgina Rose after her recent wins. Unbeaten in both, she was a tad lucky last time with runner-up Accidental Tourist finding traffic but apprentice Luke Ferraris picking a clear run up the outside rail. But just where Georgina Rose is headed over the next few months could be answered on the turf at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday.

Both of her victories have come over 1200m, but judged on pedigree the step up to 1600m on Sunday could prove closer to her optimum trip. Michael Roberts and Lezeanne Forbes have contributed to keeping the Group Wreck International Non-Ferrous Beach Beauty Mile alive, saddling two and three runners respectively in the seven-horse field.

The pick of the Roberts pair could be Jack’s Bird. She has been rested but ran a cracker in a strong feature at the end of last season and will be a big runner even if short of a run. Stable companion Winter Season has smart form to date. She has also been rested and steps up in trip and must also have a chance.

Two of Forbes’s runners are making their debuts in a high-class field and given that they are both declared in steel shoes, the exposed Mary O is the obvious stable elect. Mary O was narrowly beaten last start and although she does face a little stronger this time around, she is having her third run after a break and that could give her the edge on the Roberts runners.

Tony Rivalland’s stable has turned the corner of late and Exclusive Quantity is on track for his fourth victory after running the progressive Ultra Mahnus to within two lengths at his last start.

He does step up in trip but has smart form in useful company and is well weighted in this contest. His two biggest dangers could come in the form of Twice As Smart and Arianos Shadow.

Wendy Whitehead’s yard is also in good form and Twice As Smart has useful form in strong company. She is both course and distance suited and jumps from the best draw. Arianos Shadow showed signs of her best form last outing and from a good draw could finally get off the mark for Frank Robinson.

With most of his roadblocks seemingly out of the way, Duncan Howells is starting to turn the corner with a treble last month and the Ashburton trainer put it into perspective. “On any given day there are over 120 runners, so the chances of winning one race, let alone three takes a lot of luck.

He will be hoping that his luck holds for the last two on the card.

Love Theme has been much improved with cheek pieces and with a stronger rider aboard this time around she can go one better but at least should be right there again. If Love Theme cannot oblige then maiden winners Mystic Dreamer and Soiree from the Corrine Bestel yard will be threats along with Bling A Ding Ding and Coyote Girl who made a fair local debut and boast steady Highveld form.

Howells saddles Rocket Fire who was a touch disappointing last run. He looks held of form but he races in a tongue-tie for the first time which could make a difference. Mutawaary had to play second fiddle to the Howell’s trained Coldhardcash last week but has been holding form and could be thereabouts again.   Of the balance, Blaze Of Silk comes form an in form stable and goes well over course and distance while Royal Rustler has shown his best form on the poly but has not been far back of late.          

By Andrew Harrison

Bwana could be the answer to tomorrow’s Tellytrack.com Pinnacle Stakes and at a rewarding price.

Such races are notoriously difficult to predict – most of the horses are using it as a warm-up and many have been off for a long time – and the Durbanville draw bias adds to the uncertainty. Remember how Pacific Trader made a mockery of it a fortnight ago?

Bwana comes from the same stable and is drawn even worse but it is much in his favour that he often races prominently and that the Philippi yard is on fire at the moment.

“The way the track is running he doesn’t have to be in front,” points out Brett Crawford. “If he turns for home two or three lengths off them that should be close enough.”

Corne Orffer’s mount has drifted slightly, from 5-1 to 6-1, and he should be fit after running a 2.4 length-sixth to Pacific Trader in his first race since May.

Elusive Trader is the one that the early money has come for and by yesterday morning he was favourite at 4-1. There is no denying the form claims of the Greg Ennion runner, and he is going to pop up one of these days, but he finds it hard to win – he has only done so once out of the maidens – and he has cost this column too much to justify going for him again.

Of the others Sergeant Hardy (9-1) is theoretically the best in at the weights but stable companion Green Jacket’s chance is as good and Photocopy is smart round here.

The TAB Telebet Conditions Plate has also attracted some class horses, notably Canukeepitsecret who has 4.5kg in hand on adjusted ratings. But she has not raced since trailing in 18 lengths behind the winner in the Olympic Duel and Vaughan Marshall voices a note of caution, saying: “She might just need it. She took a bit of a dive during the winter and I went easy on her.”

Pretty Young Thing, yet another in-form horse from the Crawford stable, is clear favourite at 3-1 but it just might pay to take a chance with 9-2 shot Too Phat To Fly who also comes from a stable in form and has a much better draw.

Justin Snaith can again start the ball rolling by winning the first two races but I prefer Bollinger to Richard Fourie’s mount Lead Singer in the first while Queen’s Club may have improved enough to account for the superior form claims of Caribbean Sunset in the next.

By Michael Clower

The Turffontein Inside track nine race meeting tomorrow should attract plenty of interest as there are some good horses turning out.

The three-times Grade 1-winning miler Soqrat makes his seasonal reappearance in the seventh, a Pinnacle Stakes event over 1600m. He is comfortably the best weighted horse according to official merit ratings but does have a welter 62kg to carry and is drawn wide in eleven. However, he is an easy ride, being one who can be switched on and off, and doesn’t look like one who will need a lot of work to reach his peak, so his class, coupled with his good turn of foot, should pull him through. 

Barahin never got going in the July when quietly fancied and the blinkers are now on. He is well drawn and has the class to go close. Unagi is enigmatic but this is by far his favourite course and distance, bringing him four wins, two seconds and a third in eight starts. He finished three lengths behind Soqrat in the weight for age Horse Chestnut Stakes over this distance and now faces him on 3,5kg better terms than weight for age so on that form he has a shout from pole position.

Lake Kinnaret keeps on improving and is capable of a strong finish so could place here despite officially being 4kg under sufferance with Soqrat and having a tricky draw. Roy Had Enough would prefer further but is versatile and possesses a good turn of foot, so with Strydom up he can earn.

The meeting starts with an interesting maiden over 1450m. Exion should come on from his debut when handy behind a strong pace and finding no extra. However, he could be vulnerable to any useful first-timers and the one who makes appeal is Arminus, a Vercingetorix half-brother to Grade 2-winning Kangaroo Jack. If his turn of foot is half as good as Kangaroo Jack’s he should be able to mow this field down after being dropped out from a wide draw. 

In the second race over 1450m Illusion won well on debut considering he was green. He has a speedy pedigree being by Var out of a Grade 2-winning sprinter but has substance and class and from a plum draw with a 4kg claimer up this class could pull him through. Category Four is knocking on the door and although he strikes as one who would prefer further he is capable of running on well. He has a tough draw but the 1,5kg claim of Jason gates will help. 

In the third over 1200m Solar Flare was caught wide on her seasonal debut and now has a plum draw so should improve on that showing and should enjoy the step up in trip.

Impressive Duchess wasn’t disgraced in the Grade 2 Debutante and should have improved since then being by Duke Of Marmalade, although this is her return from a layoff. Eskimo Kisses has ability and Ponchielli and League Of Her Own are also worth considering in this tricky race.

In the fourth over 1200 Cockney Pride has class and is the best in at the weights and is well drawn so she can beat the equally classy Eden Roc.

In the fifth over 1200m Hartleyfour has always been well regarded and from a good draw can continue to progress over his best trip. What A Joker and Bridge Of Spies look to be the dangers. Snow In Seattle and Baahir also have to be included in the Pick 6 and Jackpot.

In the sixth over 1600m Virginia is starting to fulfill her potential and from a good draw is marginally preferred to the classy Queen Supreme, who has a tricky draw. Saints Alive should also be in the shake up from pole position.

In the eighth over 1600m Summer Pudding will appreciate the step up in trip and although this is her return from a layoff she could outclass them. Charmz Luck is drawn in pole and looks to be the other one to consider in a generally uninspiring field.

The last over 1600m is an uninspiring maiden and Zodiac Princess should have too many guns for them from a good draw. If she fluffs her lines Starting Line and Midnight Top are the one who could pick up the pieces.

By David Thiselton