Sun Met winner Rainbow Bridge, who began last season’s campaign with a win in the Matchem, will this time wait until the WSB Green Point Stakes at Kenilworth on December 14. The subsequent WSB Champions Cup winner and Vodacom Durban July runner-up was beaten only millimetres when fourth in that famous four-way photo for last year’s Green Point.

Eric Sands said: “He is a lot stronger horse this year and he has been back in for a few weeks now. When he was on the farm he trotted in the mornings, and I just cantered him to begin with when he returned, but he is now doing pace work.”

Three Two Charlie, comfortable winner of the 1 200m Sophomore Sprint, will step up a furlong in the Cape Classic at Kenilworth on October 26. Candice Bass-Robinson, asked if this indicated that the What A Winter gelding is not considered purely a sprinter, answered: “That we don’t know – he could be – but we will find out in the Classic.”

Wild Coast, Beach Beauty’s son who scored convincingly at Durbanville 12 days ago, is one of those Justin Snaith is considering for the R150 000 Listed Racing Association Stakes over a mile at Fairview on October 25. “He won his maiden nicely but he is still very immature. I will gallop him and see how he goes,” said the trainer.

Computaform Sprint winner Pacific Trader, despite a near five month-absence and a difficult draw, has opened 18-10 favourite for the Interbet.co.za Pinnacle Stakes at Durbanville on Saturday. Recent course and distance winner Celestial Storm disputes second favouritism with Pacific Trader’s stable companion Traces at 5-1.

Belgarion, who returned to win over a mile at Kenilworth earlier this month, is 13-10 favourite to give Justin Snaith a sixth Settlers Trophy and Richard Fourie his fourth. The hat-trick seeking Crome Yellow is next on 9-2 with the Geoff Woodruff-trained Winter Derby winner Dharma on 13-2.

By Michael Clower

Last season’s champion apprentice Luke Ferraris probably has ambitions of a career in Hong Kong where his father is one of the leading trainers. To date his two terms in the saddle as an apprentice have gone well and if he can keep reproducing rides like that on Abbey in the Soccer 6 FM 66 Apprentice Handicap at Hollywoodbets Greyville yesterday then he does have a future in what is probably the planet’s most competitive riding environment.

That said, Ferraris still has a lot to learn and he was taking on fellow apprentices yesterday. But his decision to take on the front runners before the home turn indicated a thorough understanding of pace and judgement and also correctly assessing what was under him.

Ferraris rolled Karen and Greg Anthony’s filly wide up the hill and before the penny dropped among his fellow apprentices, the bird had flown. Chatty Cathy was out of her ground at the top of the straight with only one behind her, but Julie Dittmer’s filly rattled home for second.

After Justaguything bolted up in the first, giving log-leading Warren Kennedy a welcome winner after taking a tumble at Turffontein last Saturday, Gavin van Zyl gave punters some insight into the result of the second, warning them that they ignore Cantata Choir’s current form at their peril.

It didn’t quite work out as the more race-ready Mr Minister gave Serino Moodley the first leg of his double. Cantata Choir was in full voice a furlong out, but her condition gave out the last bit as Mike Miller’s filly worn her down to win going away.

Favourite Hot Money behaved in the gate as if SARS had her number and blew her chances at the jump.

If Abbey’s form needed scrutiny, her supporters were buoyed by Sacred Ibis in the preceding race as Moodley sent Garth Puller’s filly for home early, a move that paid dividends as Guadeloupe came good over the extended trip and was shutting down the odds-on favourite with every stride.

Be Happy is a quick filly and ran the opposition off their feet in the fifth. With a strong tailwind helping them home, multiple champion jockey Mark Khan took full advantage to turn the tables on Noemi and a game Starlight.

It has taken apprentice Thabiso Gumede a little time to get his opportunities and he has doubled his tally of winners in the space of a few days. A winner for Paul Peter on Saturday, he added Mokoko to his list as he kept Paul Lafferty’s gelding hard to his task in the sixth although fellow apprentice Gabriel Pieterse, hunting his first winner, had a difficult time on second-placed Bedazzled Joker who was looking to run in under pressure.

Lowan Denysschen’s string are looking a million dollars at his Ashburton base and apprentice Jason Gates has struck up a good relationship with the mare Eternal Words. There was a glitch in her form when pulling up lame last time out, but there were no mistakes yesterday as Gates got her home ahead of a late-charging Liquid Irish.

There is not an apprentice more confident in his abilities than the talented Gates although the stipes will have taken a dim view of his whip-waving before the line. In his relatively short career, he has copped more suspensions than most have traffic fines.

By Andrew Harrison

Punters face a difficult card on the Vaal Classic course tomorrow but as the cliché states, ‘the bigger the risk, the greater the reward’. And it’s not going to get any easier in the future as mid-week meetings have been cut to eight races on the Highveld, a move that is especially likely to see the lower division races filled to capacity.

Heading the Vaal card is the International Jockey’s Challenge 16 November Pinnacle Stakes where backers are again faced with the dilemma of ability as opposed to race ready.

Rebel’s Champ, an accomplished sprinter in the top echelons, is well in at the weights in this five-furlong dash in spite of being lumbered with 61.5kg, the rider being that Paul Peter’s charge has not been out since early May when down the field in the Gr1 Computaform Sprint.

In his day, Rebel Champ would be a confident choice, and with Warren Kennedy aboard, he must still be the preferred runner of the Peter trio, but he will not have things all his own way.

Veteran galloper Talktothestars rarely has a month off but is tough as nails and with the handicappers giving him some relief in the ratings, he has come good again, winning over course and distance last time out in spite of casting a shoe.

A 10-1 chance in the ante-post market, Connie De Beers soldier has ability, fitness and 4kg claimer Yuzae Ramzan in the plus column and although he takes on considerably stronger opposition than in recent outings, he is a proven Gr 1 galloper.

Pire Strydom teams up with Mike and Adam Azzie’s Down To Zero, a gelding who also has recent races under his girth so should not be short of a gallop and a must inclusion in all calculations.

Mike de Kock and Sean Tarry take the wraps off two fillies bred in the purple in the opening leg of the Pick 6 where Riqaaby and Cosmic Ray are up against some fairly modest opposition.

The odds-makers have not taken any chances, marking them up as first and second favourites respectively, although 28-10 and 3-1 are not cramped odds. The fully exposed Zodiac Pearl, and probably short-priced favourite had these two not been in the race, is third favourite at 7-2 with Madox Tune (8-1) the only other runner quoted in single figures.

The fourth is something of a guessing game with a number of runners in with chances. Slay The Dragon was narrowly beaten at his last start and is seldom far back while Jagesa Jagesa came from well back to win his latest and although second-placed pacemaker Rocky Path is now 1.5kg better off he may not be able to turn the tables.

De Kock could have pulled off a master stroke with Bold Ellie in the sixth. Still a maiden, she has had two warm-up sprints and judged on pedigree, should much prefer this trip in what is not a strong field.

In the seventh, top weight Destiny’s Game has not been out of the money in her last five starts and can go one better in this small field although she will face strong opposition from the likes of Shivers, Elusive Butterfly and Sammi Moosa who are all evenly matched.

Lone Survivor and Tierra Del Fuego are at the top of the ante-post boards for the last but 33-10 does not inspire much confidence. However, Lone Survivor has been in mustard form and goes well over this trip and has the benefit of a good draw. Tierra Del Fuego has been rested. He won an Assessment Plate last start but rarely runs a poor race.  Big Blue Marble has dumped many of his supporters after two disappointing recent efforts when well fancied but the step up in trip may be what he is looking for. Tricky draw but he may be worth another chance.

By Andrew Harrison

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Stakes cuts in Cape Town begin with the Matchem and Diana Stakes at Durbanville on Saturday week when each of these Grade 3 races will be run for R200 000, R50 000 less than last year.

They had both been R250 000 races since 2014 when the Matchem was upped from R200 000 and the Diana from R150 000. Neither race is sponsored for the first time in three years.

The sahorseracing.co.za website reveals the cuts in Grade 2 and Grade 3 races to the end of November, with the forward programme being amended to show the Western Cape Fillies Championship, Cape Merchants and Concorde Cup (all Grade 2) having been reduced from R400 000 to R350 000 while the value of the Grade 3 Cape Classic will be dropped by R50 000 to R200 000.

However the programme does not yet show the races for December and January when the Group 1s will be run – including the showpiece Sun Met whose value was upped from R2.5 million to R5 million in 2017.

Phumelela racing executive Patrick Davies stressed on Monday that the cuts will fall across the country (or, to be more accurate, in the jurisdictions in which the company is responsible for stakes), and added that he is discussing the situation with the various Racing Association regional chapters. Phumelela plans to make a detailed announcement once this has been done.

The sahorseracing website indicates that the values of ordinary handicaps and maidens are unaffected by the cuts – at least so far as the end of November – but Davies pointed out that the programme was drafted some time ago. He didn’t specifically say so but seemingly it would be unwise to assume that these races will necessarily continue at the same level.

The cuts have been caused by falling betting revenues which, in turn, are believed to be mainly the result of the weak South African economy.

This year’s Matchem, won in the past decade by subsequent L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate winners Variety Club and Capetown Noir and 12 months ago by Rainbow Bridge en route to landing the Sun Met, has again attracted a quality entry.

Vaughan Marshall says he will probably run both Cape Guineas winner Tap O’Noth and prolific scorer One World while Joey Ramsden, successful with Variety Club and Act Of War, has nominated Twist Of Fate (winner of the Cape Classic and KRA Guineas, and second in the Cape Guineas).

Brett Crawford, who won with Captain America three years ago, has three entered and said: “They are due to gallop on Thursday but it is more than likely that Undercover Agent and Search Party will run.”

Crawford will also gallop Front And Centre tomorrow before deciding whether last season’s WSB Cape Fillies Guineas winner begins her campaign in the Diana. Surprisingly Crawford has yet to win this race.

Candice Bass-Robinson has the biggest Diana entry with six and said: “Freedom Charter, Star Fighter and Lesedi La Rona will all run. I will decide about the other three (Santa Clara, Nastergal and Intothelimelight) nearer the time because they are all drawn in the bush.”

Dean Kannemeyer, successful woth Roman Charger in 2001 as well as with Capetown Noir six years ago, has nominated five for the Matchem including his Umkhomazi winner African Warrior and the highly regarded Seventh Gear who runs in this Saturday’s Tellytrack.com Handicap.

Kannemeyer said: “I believe my three-year-old crop is much stronger than last year’s but I am trying to box smartly with them and I need to place them well to get them where I want them.”

This Saturday’s Listed Settlers Trophy is unaffected by the cuts with stakes remaining at last year’s R150 000 level but the distance has been shortened from 2 400m to 2 000m. Elusive Silva (Louis Mxothwa), third in last year’s Vodacom Durban July, shoulders 60kg top weight in the nine-strong field which also includes the Geoff Woodruff-trained Winter Derby winner Dharma (Anthony Andrews).

Last season’s Computaform Sprint winner Pacific Trader is the star name in the 1 000m Interbet.co.za Pinnacle Stakes with Corne Orffer facing the by no means straightforward task of tacking his way over from pen eight in a field of 12.

By Michael Clower

Could it be an omen with Andre Nel saddling three runners on the poly at Hollywoodbets Greyville today, all with a floral connotation and spring in the air? A treble of Pink Rose, Blue Flower into Vase in the seventh are tempting odds as all three are not without hope.

Pink Rose is currently an 8-1 shot with Track & Ball and the lightly raced daughter of Duke Of Marmalade has only had a couple of starts. She showed pace in her 1000m barrier trial – given her pedigree a distance that she was always going to find on the sharp side – and then caught the eye in her local debut on the poly behind the smart Marsanne over 1400m. Today’s 1700m trip should be more within her compass and given that she has only had two official starts, she should have improvement to come. Gareth Wright, who scored a double at Scottsville last Sunday, has the ride.

Heading the market is Sacred Ibis but 9-10 about Garth Puller’s filly looks a little skinny. She was caught late over the Hollywoodbets Scottsville mile last time out and although she too stretches to this trip for the first time, she has had her chances.

All three of Nel’s runners will be saddled by his KZN assistant Byron Forster and he will leg up apprentice Jabu Jacobs in the fourth in an apprentice handicap. Jacobs rode an excellent race aboard Jack Of Hearts last Sunday and his 4kg claim from a good draw should benefit his mount. Blue Flower was decidedly unlucky behind Lady Abigail at her most recent outing after being caught in traffic and there is little doubt that she would have finished a lot closer given a clear passage.

She also found good market support that day, her odds slashed in half from an opening call of 16-1, so the 14-1 currently on offer look tempting.

Ahead of Blue Flower that day was Julie Dittmer’s filly Chatty Cathy and she shares the top of the boards with Roy’s Novice and Bold Beauty, all bracketed on 4-1.

Finally, Vase in the seventh, has shown her best form on the poly and was possibly just in need of her last run, that her second after a fairly lengthy break. She has drawn well in a competitive field and although going an extra furlong for the first time, she has the best of the draw.

The trio of Electric Surge, Karatage and Liquid Irish are bracketed on 4-1 joint favourites but a bigger threat to Vase could come in the form of Bequia.  Puller’s filly has been consistent and has been dropping steadily in the handicap. She goes very well over this trip and with apprentice Yuzae Ramsen claiming his full 4kg, Bequia only has 48.5kg to shoulder.

The sixth is another tricky apprentice handicap but Gentleman’s Way could prove the pick. He does have temperament issues but won well at long odds when shedding his maiden. He does seem capable of further improvement and Dennis Bosch has talented apprentice Nathan Klink as a bonus.

Xola Jacobs gets a chance on Lowan Denysschen’s gelding Captain Cobalt who was touched off late by Prince Of Venice last time out. His form is a little patchy but on his day he will go close. Lotsa Silver returns from a break but Tony Rivalland’s charge had fair poly form over the trip before that while although Tripple Explosion was a narrow winner over course and distance last time out he has made steady recent improvement and can feature again.

By Andrew Harrison

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