Callan Murray, Warren Kennedy, S’Manga Khumalo and Keagan de Melo all fly in this morning to do battle with the Cape Town jockeys at Durbanville and Murray can start the ball rolling on Duchess Of State in the 1.35pm opener.

This is one of five rides he has for Candice Bass-Robinson who asked him to come down and the filly is odds-on to make up for two close seconds at Kenilworth. She has the considerable advantage of being drawn on the inside.

“I’m not sure that Durbanville is the ideal course for Duchess Of State and she would prefer further,” qualifies the Milnerton trainer. “But she will have a good chance and she stands out.”

The fact that last time the filly’s jockey (De Melo) reported that she changed stride continually is a concern but Mrs Bass-Robinson explains: “She is a big long-striding filly and she can get unbalanced. The going that day was heavy and she is still a bit weak.”

At the time of writing none of the others is priced below 10-1 but Over The Way and At Your Request are two to bear in mind.

Track Attack, a R5.2 million Dynasty half-brother to Summer Cup winner Yorker, impressed in a barrier trial in Durban and was fancied to make a winning racecourse debut here last month – only for it all to go pear-shaped when Morne Winnaar on Hubble stole a march on the rest of the field.

The Dean Kannemeyer hope was beaten nine lengths but he should gain compensation in the mile maiden. He opened favourite at 19-10 with Kennedy’s mount Captain Flinders next on 15-4 on the strength of a succession of good runs. Significantly the Captain is the highest rated horse in the field and this time he races without the blinkers he has been wearing.

“He does need blinkers but he also needs 2 000m and he is a bit too keen when he races with the blinds on,” explains Eric Sands and so seemingly the horse could be vulnerable. Captain Turk is a big price at 13-2 and may well get into the shake-up.

As a general rule it pays to bet against four-year-olds in maidens even though they are much better treated than on the weight-for-age scale – the reason is that the younger horses tend to have more improvement in them – and the Snaith-trained Double Crown is taken to confirm last time’s form with the older Khopesh in the Tabonline.co.za Maiden (race three). The pair opened joint favourites at 28-10.

Black Knap ran away with things over a furlong less in that race last month and the rest finished out with the washing but Richard Fourie’s mount makes more appeal than his rival.

However Maningi Indaba may fly the flag for the older generation in the Betting World Maiden. Greg Cheyne’s mount has strong form claims and looks value at 4-1 despite not being well drawn.

By Michael Clower

The twice Equus Horse Of The Year Legal Eagle stays in training this season as an eight-year-old.

Trainer Sean Tarry said it had been a mistake to send the Greys Inn gelding down to Durban for the Vodacom Durban July last season.

It was the first time he had run in the country’s premier race since his three-year-old season and Tarry will adhere to the campaign which he had excelled at in the previous three seasons.

Last year Legal Eagle failed in his attempts to win both the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and Horse Chestnut Stakes for the fourth time in succession.

He lost his unbeaten record over a mile, which had stretched to ten races, in the former event when finishing fourth.

Tarry pointed out that despite having been labeled as “disappointing” by most last season Legal Eagle had still managed to win two out of eight races, including beating the like of Do It Again and Rainbow Bridge in the Green Point Stakes.

He had also finished just 2,25 lengths back when finishing strongly from off the pace in the Sun Met.

Sean Tarry questioned the price of 5/10 the bookmakers were offering about his unbeaten  Silvano colt Al Mutawakel, who makes his seasonal reappearance over 1600m at Turffontein today, and said he was waiting for the  rains before expecting to see the four-year-old at his best this season.

However, Paul Peter, is bullish about the chances of his unbeaten three-year-old colt Riverstown, who races in the next race, a MR 80 handicap over 1600m.

Tarry said Al Mutawakel was not the soundest and as his trainer he had been left between a rock and a hard place due to the lack of rain and the continuing hard ground. He said the four-year-old colt would be more comfortable with softer underfoot conditions and reckoned he would only get to the bottom of him after the rains had arrived.

On the other hand the Silvano colt, who is a full-brother to SA Derby winner Al Sahem, has won twice in fast going to date, running on powerfully on both occasions in the respective 1400m and 1600m events.

Peter said the Byword colt Riverstown had been showing “top class” work at home.

He is clearly excited about his prospects and hoped he would do as well as expected today so he can target him at the Dingaans.

By David Thiselton

Vistula and Front And Centre put their hands up over the weekend as horses to follow in top female mile races this season, although the latter will be just as effective over further.

Waiting in the wings is their contemporary Celtic Sea, last season’s Equus Champion three-year-old, who was given a deserved break after her busy winter campaign and won’t be seen out for a while.

Trainer Paul Peter had Vistula at 100% for Saturdays Grade 2 Spring Fillies and Mares Challenge over 1450m on Turffontein Inside. He was confident of her chances knowing she had been at just 70% for her seasonal reappearance in which she routed the opposition in a Pinnacle Stakes event over 1400m on Turffontein Standside.

Her draw of eleven was a concern but Warren Kennedy delivered again when managing to slot her in to sixth place with cover as Sidonie, having just her second career run, set good fractions in front.

Vistula’s supporters would have been confident knowing what a fine turn of foot the Ideal World filly has.

However, the talented three-year-old Gin Fizz relished the fast pace and step up in trip and was clearly going to take some catching after sitting in second place in the running and then hitting the front.

But Vistula, making her run down the inside, showed she also has a big heart when fetching Gin Fizz in the last couple of strides to win by a quarter of a length.

Perfect Tigress ran on well for third and is another to follow.

Peter said Vistula’s class had pulled her through and reckoned she would come on from the run, it being her second run after a layoff.

She will now be targeted at the Grade 2 Ipi Tombe Stakes over 1600m on Gauteng Summer Cup day.

However, her main aim is to win a Grade 1. Peter said they would avoid the Majorca in Cape Town and instead target the Empress Club Stakes at Turffontein in April.

Gin Fizz is also bred to go further being by miler Soft Falling Rain out of Espumanti, who won the Ipi Tombe and the Grade 2 Betting World 1900.

Gin Fizz inherited some of her mother’s temperamental issues, but horse whisperer Malan Du Toit helped her get to the races last season. On Saturday she pulled momentarily after using her natural speed to get into the leading line. However, Sidonie then did her a favour by taking the lead and going at a brisk gallop, which gave Gin Fizz cover and allowed her to stride out.

Gin Fizz looks to be a lively classic contender in the mile races at least.

Down in Cape Town Front And Centre’s performance to win the Grade 3 Diana Stakes over 1400m at Durbanville was even more impressive than Vistula’s as she carried a Grade 1 penalty. Greg Cheyne had the Brett Crawford-trained Dynasty filly in the box seat but in the straight she appeared to be battling to get on terms with the pacemaker Helen’s Ideal.

However, this was deceptive because when Freedom Charter ranged up dangerously on her outside she took off and won cosily in the end by half-a-length. She showed none of the hanging-to-the-right antics which had cost her the Grade 1 Woolavington 2000.

She will likely be targeted at the Grade 1 Cartier Paddock Stakes over 1800m and either the Grade 1 Bidvest Majorca or the Sun Met. Meanwhile, Captain Al filly Celtic Sea, winner of the Grade 1 SA Fillies Sprint and the Grade 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes, might raid for the Majorca on Sun Met day. Tarry reckoned that was the only realistic race for her down in Cape Town.

By David Thiselton

Tap O’Noth, the 2017 Cape Guineas winner who gave last Saturday’s Matchem a miss, will now begin his campaign in the 1 800m Pinnacle at Durbanville a week today.

Vaughan Marshall said: “He was to have gone for the G-bets Algoa Cup at Fairview on October 27 but they gave him 68kg!”

Bernard Fayd’Herbe confirms that he will be back in action next month after sitting on the sidelines so far this season on medical advice, in order to counteract the cumulative effects of past concussions. But he was looking in good shape – and remarkably slim – at Durbanville last Saturday when he said: “Sometimes a break does you good. I have kept my weight in trim and now I want to come back with a bang.”

Alfred Mzondi, the stalls handler who was treated like a human football in the pens at Durbanville ten days ago, is making a good recovery. He was kept in the local Mediclinic for two nights while the doctors monitored his progress. He was released with a nasty cut on his face and plenty of bruises but, miraculously, no broken bones or internal injuries.

The two CTS R5 million sales races will be run for the last time – at least for the moment – on Sun Met day, February 1.

CTS sales manager Kirsty Coertze said: “A lot of the cost was falling on the vendors and, in order to assist them, we have done away with the two races – but that is not to say that we will never host them again.”

They began in 2016 with the CTS Million Dollar which  carried a total stake of R16.6 million, was presented with great razzmatazz and was won by Illuminator, a 16-1 shot  owned by Ian Robinson and Francis Carruthers, trained by Glen Puller and ridden by the apprentice  Heavelon van der Hoven. Whatever happened to him?

Thereafter the races, and the total stakes, were split in two to cater for sprinters and milers but the interest that they generated at the sale was huge and was certainly reflected in the prices. Hopefully the races, and the money, will be back before too long.

According to CTS the country’s most valuable sales race after next February will be next year’s R1.25 million Ready To Run in November.

By Michael Clower

I am certainly glad that this meeting is taking place tomorrow as I will be in the office with my colleagues watching stride for stride on the big TV! Some very good racing awaits and some horses competing at Turffontein Inside could end up going on to much greater things.

The starter will press his starting stalls button to send the first race field home at 12H10pm and they compete over 1 200m where there are a lot of horses starting their careers here and it would be advisable to keep an eye on the betting market. Ballon D’Or comes from a strong yard and could do well on debut.

Race two also sees quite a few first timers and again the betting could be the best guide but of the raced runners Cosmic Ray looks to be the one they all have to beat for Tarry and Strydom. This daughter of Dynasty impressed when finishing fourth on debut and with natural improvement could win!

Race three could go the way of Jockey Warren Kennedy – he rides Magic School who has really impressed thus far.

One cannot help get the feel that she has a lot more still to come.

Golden Belle made a smart winning debut and could be absolutely anything.

We could be in for a thrilling finish here but the Gary Alexander trainer daughter of Philanthropist is the narrow first pick.

In Race four which kicks off the Jackpot we see the unbeaten, talented and exciting son of Silvano, Al Mutawakel take his place. He has been rested since June but wow, he has impressed in all three of his wins and he is an exciting prospect for the coming season. Absolutely no shock to see him amongst the early entries for the Gauteng Summer Cup. Despite he may need this run, he could still get past the line first purely on ability. He excited me this horse and I will be following him with great interest.

Another horse that excited me takes his place in the very next event but this time it is from the bang in form Paul Peter yard and runs in the famous black and yellow silks of Mauritzfontein. This son of Byword called Riverstown really made a statement when making a winning debut and making his opposition look ordinary and there was a strongly fancied odds on in the race too!

He could go on to be anything and really looks an exciting prospect. I will be bankering him.

When I caught up with his Jockey Warren Kennedy soon after the Riverstown’s maiden win, I asked the in form rider what he thought and there was an immediate sparkle in the man’s eye!

Trainers Mike and Adam Azzie look to have a very strong hand in the sixth where all three of their runners have bright chances.

I have selected Oravar to win again. He charged home last time to win and win well. In the seventh, Approach Control, Zillzaal and Russian Beat are ones to include on the shortlist. Approach Control won well last time and can follow up. The yard is in form.

We don’t need to say too much about Warren Kennedy – go look at his stats!

A maiden event brings down the curtain at 16H20 where it would come as no shock at all to see the Habib team in the winners area with Our Man In Havana.

An exciting card awaits and whatever happens it could pay to follow some of these which could be top quality individuals into the season.

By Warren Lenferna