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

Justin Snaith is on crutches with his right leg in plaster after having an operation to repair some horrific tendon damage.

The dual champion trainer, 44, said: “I tore all the tendons off the inside of my right leg – I have played a lot of sport and over the years I have done quite a lot of damage to my ankle – and I have had to have constructive surgery to get it all back the way it was.

“The operation has been a long time coming – I put it off for four months because I didn’t want to have it during the Durban season – and I then had to find the time to get it done.

“It means being in a wheelchair for a while and then I will be fine. I’m not sure when I will be back on the racecourse as I am concentrating on the horses in the yard for the time being.”

By Michael Clower

Not since Capetown Noir six years ago has the winner of the Matchem gone on to land the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate but so impressive was One World’s finishing kick in Saturday’s Durbanville highlight that you would have to think that the double might well be achieved this season.

This is a horse who, don’t forget, has only ever been beaten twice in his life and on this occasion he snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in a manner seldom seen since Jonah emerged from the mouth of the whale.

The Truter colours could be seen uncomfortably far back early on and halfway up the straight you could name your own price. Even 100m out the 53-20 shot was only fifth yet he flew home like Pegasus to beat Search Party by four-tenths of a length with the favourite Undercover Agent a length and a quarter further back third.

Victory was particularly sweet for M.J Byleveld who had been forced by injury to hand over all last season’s triumphs on this horse to Anton Marcus. “My plan had been to have him handy but he didn’t have the speed and they went too quick for him,” Byleveld related. “At the 300m mark they started coming back to me and, once he lowered, I knew I was going to win. It now looks like being an exciting season!”

This was the third Matchem in 15 years for Vaughan Marshall who promptly outlined plans: “There are a couple of opportunities coming up including the Cape Mile (Nov 9) and the WSB Green Point (Dec 14) but the Queen’s Plate is obviously the main one.”

African Warrior, only fifth in his bid to become the first three-year-old Matchem winner since Variety Club, finished close enough – and well enough – for Dean Kannemeyer (who won the last with Captain Elliodor) to decide to aim him at the Cape Guineas.   

Front And Centre started odds-on for the Diana Stakes and, although those who backed her had a few nervous moments a furlong out, a couple of confident pushes from the man on top was all it took to settle the issue. “Helen’s Ideal (third) had a soft lead and so I didn’t want to give her too much start,” Greg Cheyne related. “The pace was only average – given the class of the race I thought it might have been a bit stronger. Front And Centre is not wound up yet and she has a lot of upside going into the season.”

This was the first Diana victory for Brett Crawford and he has yet to win the Majorca but avenging last season’s third is an obvious objective for him and the Kiewswetters. The combination were also on the mark with Kelpie in the Betting World Handicap after the in-form Cheyne shrewdly chose this one in preference to unplaced favourite Flame Tree.

Freedom Charter, off since May and a little considered 16-1 chance, was only beaten half a length in the Diana and an understandably pleased Candice Bass-Robinson said: “She has matured into a lovely sort and she will now go back sprinting for the Sceptre Stakes and a couple of races before that.”

Robert Bloomberg had already worked out plans for Cane Lime ‘N Soda even before Byleveld brought the three-year-old with a strong run to lead inside the final furlong of the New Turf Carriers Handicap and beat the older horses – “The Racing Association Mile in P.E., Cape Guineas, CTS sales race on Sun Met day and Cape Derby,” he said.

It was quite a day for Marshall and his stable jockey and they kicked off with Fynbos making up four lengths in the final furlong of the mile maiden to delight breeder and part-owner Peter de Beyer. He had been surprised when he failed to get a meaningful bid on his R600 000 reserve when she came up at the big CTS sale just days before her half-brother Last Winter went close in the Met.

The Snaith stable continued their seemingly unstoppable march through the maidens with Camp David and Sovereign Secret (the latter the first winner for Pete and Janet Carolin) while stable jockey Richard Fourie produced a fine turn of foot to take the jockeys race.

The crowd was big by present-day standards – “It’s like the July,” quipped one official – and events officer Clinton Theys promptly predicted that “this meeting is going to grow and grow.” Certainly it augurs well that so many children found the racecourse such an enjoyable experience. 

By Michael Clower