It was a case of back to the drawing board for Michael Roberts after Solid Gold was comprehensively out-pointed in the Gr2 KRA Guineas last season, finishing last of the dozen runners behind Twist Of Fate.

However, nothing ventured is nothing gained and Roberts will now know where he stands with the gelding.

Solid Gold lines up in a Graduate Plate on the poly at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday and if his handicap rating is any guide, he should make short work of the opposition and many punters will be banking on him in the exotics to cut expenses on a difficult card.

He is rated superior to any of his rivals and with apprentice Yuzae Ramzan giving a further 4kg relief from pole position, he should prove difficult to beat.

The mile may have contributed somewhat to his Guineas showing as both of his wins have come over 1200m and although he has not been out since May, he should prove good enough to overcome the hurdle of a lay-off.

Graduate is rated 15 pounds inferior to Solid Gold but was a beaten favourite last time out when third behind Coldhardcash over the Greyville shortcut on the poly. The latter ran the field off their feet that afternoon and the extra furlong on Sunday can see Graduate a little more competitive.

Dark horse is the lightly raced Francisco. The gelding started favourite in his first two starts but showed in his third outing why he had been at short odds, bolting home by five lengths.

That was in October last year but runners from the Dennis Drier yard are seldom short of match fitness even after a long break and any market support must be respected.

If there is to be a boil-over it could come in the form of Man Of Action.

The colt is seemingly hopelessly out at the weights but the handicappers have their hands tied as far as possible penalties are concerned and this could be a shrewd move by the Anthony’s.

Of the balance, Mr Fitz has a touch of class but is likely to find this trip on sharp side given the strength of the opposition.

Warren Kennedy made a rare visit to Kenilworth mid-week and it paid off with a double, riding winners for Adam Marcus and Eric Sands. With Anton Marcus side-lined, Lyle Hewitson in Hong Kong Muzi Yeni facing suspension, solid support on the Highveld, strong roots in Port Elizabeth and the odd trip to Cape Town, Kennedy could be in a position to challenge for the national title come the end of the season.

Gavin van Zyl is a staunch Kennedy supporter in KZN, they had a winner on Wednesday with Liverpool Champ, and they team up with So Var in the seventh.

The gelding has been performing consistently and was not far off Sunset Eyes in the Umgeni Handicap over course and distance last time out. So Var is re-united with Kennedy, Keagan de Melo doing the honours in the Umgeni, in what will be a tough test as he is up against some quick opposition, notably the filly Boeing City and the grey Isca.

Boeing City is a 1000m specialist and has been narrowly beaten in her last three starts over the trip. Garth Puller will leg up 4kg claiming apprentice Jabu Jacobs and from a good draw the pair should be competitive.

Isca is another distance specialist and his most recent win came over course and distance. However, Kennedy is sure to have had the choice between Isca and So Var.

Champion trainer Sean Tarry has shut his Summerveld satellite yard for the time being but still has runners in KZN. In Full Bloom can be his first local winner of the new season when she contests the last race. Although she looks held on her showing behind Noemi, she races in blinkers for the first time and can turn the tables.

A blanket would have covered the first few home with Be Happy prevailing in a tight finish. She lumps top weight here but is in good form and goes well over the trip. Sarabi found market support last run and is due a change of fortune while Yaas is always game and on her day will go close.

To sum up, punters face a tricky card and will be hoping that Solid Gold lives up to his name.

By Andrew Harrison

It has been nearly two years since Kings Archer recorded the last of his six victories but the now eight-year-old has lost none of his zest for racing. He is due to line up in the eighth race on the Turffontein inside track tomorrow and although he has the worst of the draw, he only faces eight runners – possibly seven as Culture Trip was due to start at the Vaal yesterday.

Stuart Pettigrew has kept the son of AP Arrow on the boil throughout the year and from a handicap high of 100, Kings Archer was as low as a 75 before the universal 10-point hike in the ratings.

He has been close-up in both recent starts and should have an outstanding chance in this small field.

The Paul Peter / Warren Kennedy combination yielded many winners this past season and they team up with ante-post favourite Bien Venue who makes his debut for the stable. The gelding’s recent form is solid but he does have to give the selection 2kg which may be beyond his compass.

Punters face a competitive card but Dickens should get them through the opening leg of the Place Accumulator. Johan Janse van Vuuren’s gelding finally cracks a decent draw but will face stiff opposition from the likes of Port Key and Segontium.

Callan Murray has his first ride back in the country on Port Key after leaving Singapore last week so he will be keen to get his local season off to a winning start on Mike de Kock’s runner.

The four-year-old has only had one outing, that nearly a year ago, where he finished his race off well. He has obviously had issues so it could pay to keep an eye on the market.

Another trainer / jockey combination that has blossomed is that of Gary Alexander and apprentice Denis Schwarz. Alexander has been instrumental in giving Schwarz opportunities and to date the young rider has not disappointed. He teams up with See Me Run in the opening leg of the jackpot, the filly narrowly beaten on the Greyville poly last time out. The blinkers go on for the first time and from draw one, See Me Run may be the horse to beat with Piccadilly Square a possible threat.

The fifth is a punter’s nightmare and the ante-post market has priced up 4-1 the field. Joint favourites are Lasair and Zabarjad, both ex-Mike de Kock, with Paul Peter having a second string to his bow in top weight Seventh Of June.

It’s not an easy race but Flame Fella has been re-united with Muzi Yeni for Bertie Sage and his last showing is best ignored. He could be good value at 11-1.

Punta Cana is the top-rated horse in the sixth, a Graduation Plate, but has been a well beaten third at his last two.

A better proposition could be Jonny Hero. It’s tough for newly turned three-year-olds in this early part of the season but Tyrone Zaki’s charge finished with a rattle to win at the tail end of late season and from a good draw should at least be competitive.

Another to consider is Joey Soma’s charge Roll Of Drums. He ran way below form in the SA Classic behind Hawwaam and has since been gelded. His form before that was useful and if anywhere near his best he will be right there.

Banking on a horse to win four on the bounce can be risky but Promise is unbeaten over course and distance in the seventh and can justify her 2-1 odds. She has galloped all into the ground in those three wins and the opposition must be wise to those tactics by this time.

Yeni is one rider not afraid to take them on up front and Tehuano was up there all the way since being tried in blinkers. She has been trying further of late but she could be better suited to this shorter trip.

The last is another difficult race and it could well pay to load up this leg in the exotics.

By Andrew Harrison

KRA Guineas winner Twist Of Fate, placed in the Vodacom Durban July and earner of more than R3 million, could start this season’s campaign in the Matchem Stakes at Durbanville on October 5.

Joey Ramsden, who won the Matchem with Variety Club and Act Of War, said: “Twist Of Fate is enjoying a holiday at the moment after having a great season but he could well start off in the Matchem.”

The opposition may include Head Honcho, winner of the Premier Trophy and third in the Sun Met, as Andre Nel reports: “The Matchem would be tempting. Otherwise the plan is a copy and paste of what he did last season. He has been wintering in Natal as the weather is so much warmer there but I may move him back to Cape Town in another week or so.”

The Matchem’s sister race, the Diana Stakes, is expected to be the starting point for last season’s Sweet Chestnut and Stormsvlei Mile winner Helen’s Ideal. “She has gone to Mike Stewart’s place at Noordhoek for a holiday on the beach,” says Paul Reeves. “But it’s more than likely that the Diana will be her first race of the season.”

Winter Derby winner Dharma will be back in action as early as Saturday week. “The Kenilworth race will be his prep for the Setttlers Trophy at Durbanville on September 28,” reports Geoff Woodruff’s daughter and Cape Town assistant Lucinda. “He will then go for the stayers’ races at Kenilworth right through to the end of February.”

By Michael Clower

Mark Khan pretty much summed it up after Final Assembly scored in the second at Hollywoodbets Greyville yesterday. “Buying horses on a horses in training sale is a bit of a lucky packet – but it won, that’s all that counts.”

Final Assembly arrived in Lezeanne Forbes’s yard a four-year-old maiden and although he did not meet the strongest of maiden fields in his first outing for the stable, he justified his purchase by finishing hard up the inside with Khan throwing everything but the kitchen sink at his mount.

Rob Haswell is having the run of his life with his colours prominent in the winner’s enclosure in recent weeks and Master Keys obliged with back-to-back victories in the seventh for Nathan Kotzen. Most of Haswell’s runners have been bred by good friend Anton Procter who is also an advisor to Nothemba Mlonzi who has a fledgling stud outside of Howick in the KZN Midlands and who bred Master Keys.

Starting favourite, she looked in trouble a furlong out, but she responded gamely to Muzi Yeni’s urgings to get the better of Spam Alert and Mitra Music.

Path To Glory has not been the easiest horse to follow but Mike Miller’s charge, once as high as 80 in the handicap, took full advantage of a further three-point relief to upset in the sixth.

Earlier, Alyson Wright, who had success with Matterhorn, cautioned that favourite Scarlet Chill may be short of peak fitness after coming off a virus, and so it proved as Serino Moodley motored home on the 10-1 shot, Scarlet Chill some three lengths adrift in second.

Matterhorn, who made a smart debut against winners, started a short price for the second but gave all supporters a heart attack, scrapping home by the narrowest of margins from pacemaker Frankie Two Shoes.

Raymond Danielson, who booted home a double for the Wright stable, was magnanimous in victory giving credit for a good ride by Ant Mgudlwa on the runner up.

In spite of the tight winning margin, Matterhorn does look to have scope. “He needs to mature and when he goes a distance, he’ll be a nice horse,” said Wright. Danielson concurred. “He took time to get going today. A course like Scottsville will suit him.”

Techno Captain was once one of the leading lights in Paul Gadsby’s Ashburton yard three season’s back but he was a tricky customer in his early days and not the easiest to train.

However, Gadsby has persisted and although not reaching the heights originally expected, Techno Captain has paid his way and was rewarded with his fifth win yesterday. He looked to be the ‘right’ horse in the race in spite of top weight but Sherman Brown had to work hard. Brown is one of the most powerful riders in a finish and tough to get past. Al Jackman would not go away like an irritating fly on your fruit salad, but Brown was always ready with the fly-spray.

Wright rounded off a fine afternoon with Danielson doing the honours aboard Someone Exciting in the last.

By Andrew Harrison

The fields may be on the small side but the form is mostly thin so punters will need to tread warily at the Vaal tomorrow where racing is on the Classic track.

One of the shorter priced runners and a possible exotic bet banker could come in the form of Wordyness in the eighth. Since being tried over a bit of ground and shedding her maiden, Wordyness has been a model of consistency for Lucky Houdalakis and she looks set to snap a sequence of runner-up berths.

Although reported to be over-racing in her last start, she was still running at the eventual winner, finishing just under two lengths back to Nimcha. A repeat of that showing from a good draw should see her right there.

Wordyness was on offer at 12-10 in early market exchanges with Berry Flambeau at 5-1 for Weiho Marwing. Like Wordyness, she has started to show form since being tried over ground and the extra furlong here could see her as the principal threat to the selection.

A recent raid by Paul Peter on Scottsville was rescued by Corrido scoring in the last race of the day but earlier there were high hopes for Big Blue Marble in a handicap sprint. After showing pace, Big Blue Marble blew up over the final furlong, trailing in mid-field some 10 lengths off the winner Ultra Magnus.

It was a warm afternoon and Big Blue Marble had to be hosed down after the race.

Prior to that his Highveld form had been solid, his last win an end-to-end effort over tomorrow’s course and distance.

He does have a big weight to shoulder so you may need insurance in your exotic bet perms. Culture Trip is the ante-post favourite at around 28-10 with Sean Tarry’s gelding yet to finish out of the money in four outings. A lightly raced four-year-old, he finished with a rattle to get up on the line to win his latest start and he gets 1.5kg relief courtesy of apprentice Kabela Matsunyane.

Captain’s Alpha is at the bottom of the handicap and only got off the mark as a late four-year-old. He followed up on that maiden win and was not disgraced when fading late behind the talented but largely disappointing Purple Diamond last time out. He is in receipt of 8kg from Big Blue Marble which should make him competitive.

In the opening leg of the Pick 6, Mazavaroo showed signs of life when staying on for fourth behind Gallic Princess and given her good draw, Muzi Yeni on board and a pedigree that suggests that 1500m should be right up her street, she has a lot in her favour.

In a difficult first leg, Miss Cap Mala and Wiley Kim could be worthy additions to any perms.

The second leg is no easier. Rocky Path got his new season off to a promising start when making marked improvement behind Lighthearted last time out. The handicappers were not impressed with St John Gray’s runner and dropped him a further three points which could be enough to see him home ahead of the eight-year-old Sleepinseattle. Erico Verdonese’s veteran has notched eight victories in 64 starts, six more than any of the other runners barring Kimberley specialist Bishop Of Bombay who is way off form.

Peter will be hoping for a quick double after Big Blue Marble when he saddles Dread The Dragon and Way Of The World in the seventh but it is not a leg to go light in. Dread The Dragon gave the starter a difficult time when breaking through the stalls before his last run and that effort may have taken its toll as he faded late after showing early pace.

Young apprentice Jeff Syster will be aboard with his 4kg claim which may be enough for him to get the better of stable companion and top weight Way Of The World while Fictitious, touched off at his last start, is a must inclusion in all calculations.

In the last race of the day, Miss Tycoon has finally come to hand in blinkers but she also stays well and can follow up on her maiden win. Magic’s First is the only runner for Diane Stenger on the day and she is the early ante-post favourite at 22-10. The filly goes well for Muzi Yeni who has ridden her in all of her recent starts and they were end-to-end victors over the Turffontein 2400m last time out. However, she does have to give Miss Tycoon 6.5kg which may be beyond her capabilities.

By Andrew Harrison