Gabor is a worthy favourite for the Grade 1 Thekwini Stakes over 1600m on eLan Gold Cup day at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday.

This Gavin van Zyl-trained filly was drawn wide in the Grade 2 Golden Slipper over 1400m on Vodacom Durban July day and was then caught wide in the running. Yet she still managed to stay on well for third. She has substance and the perfect pedigree for this event being by Kingsbarns, who won the Grade 1 Racing Post Trophy over a mile as a two-year-old in the UK, out of a Trippi half-sister to the Thekwini winner Roxanne (Western Winter).

Warren Kennedy said before her last race that if had not been for her wide draw he would confidently predict she would finish in the first three. She managed to achieve that feat anyway and now has a plum draw of two.

However, she won’t have it all her own way as the winner of the Golden Slipper, Cockney Pride, looked a picture in the preliminaries that day and then showed her class by settling well on the rail in midfield and then using her long stride to run on strongly. She looks to have scope for further improvement. She does have a wide draw now of 12 but does look capable of making up plenty of ground so might well be dropped out.

Those two look to be the principles in this intriguing race but the bookmakers are siding with Gabor, who is around 17/10, while Cockney Pride is only third favourite at 6,25/1.

True To Life is the second favourite at around 5/1 but is under a cloud as she moved up well in the straight in the Golden Slipper before finding little extra and finishing fourth. On pedigree this long-striding Duke Of Marmalade filly will relish the step up to 1600m, as her dam by Medaglia D’Oro won up to 2000m, so that might have just been an off day.

By David Thiselton

Kasimir will be crowned Equus Champion sprinter if converting 19/10 favouritism in the Grade 1 weight for age Mercury Sprint over 1200m at the eLan Gold Cup meeting at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday.

However, Chimchuri Run or Celtcic Sea could wrest it from his grasp if they win the R1 million event. 

Kasimir stamped himself as the best sprinter in the country when winning the Grade 1 Betting World Cape Flying Championship over 1000m at Kenilworth in impressive fashion. He has a magnificent action and proved his courage next time out in the Grade 2 Khaya Stables Diadem Stakes over 1200m when seeing off some late challenges despite having been used up to overcome an unfavourable draw. He will have come on considerably from his last start in the Post Merchants and will be hard to beat from a fair draw of eight. 

Celtic Sea displayed her terrific turn of foot when sitting behind the leading line and then taking off in the Grade 1 SA Fillies Sprint over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville. She then showed her versatility by winning the Grade 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes over 1600m. She has always had a liking for Hollywoodbets Greyville and from a favourable draw of five will be running on strongly. 

Chimichuri Run proved how good his turn of foot is when winning the Grade 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint over this trip. From his wide draw on Saturday he will likely have to be dropped out so will have to rely on his acceleration again.  

The pace is going to be of importance and it could be provided by Snowdance, whose best career runs have been when allowed to use her big action throughout. From a high draw of 13 Anton Marcus might have no option but to go to the front. She made a bold bid to lead from start to finish in the SA Fillies Sprint when losing by 1,70 lengths to Celtic Sea. However, that was her first run for four months and she be in fine shape coming off a third place finish to Celtic Sea in the Garden Province. Her finishing kick is likely more effective over a bit further, but she can’t be written off.

Bold Respect led from pillar to post when winning the Tsogo Sun Sprint last year so is another possible pacemaker from draw eleven. He has placed in good company in all his starts this season but does have issues and has been a touch disappointing. He has a tough task reversing from with the like of Kasimir but should be thereabouts again.

The most interesting entry is the two-year-old Frosted Gold. He was unlucky in the Grade 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion over 1200m when having to be switched to the outside for a run and only failing by 0,60 lengths. If his innate ability is as good as the like of Kasimir’s he will have just as much chance of winning because he will receive 7,5kg in accordance with the weight for age system which has been tried and tested over one-and-a-half centuries. In fact one of Britain’s top weight for age sprints, The Nunthorpe Stakes, has been won twice by two-year-olds in the last 30 years.  

Alyaasaat showed a good turn of foot when beating a good field over 1400m in his penultimate start. He likely used his last start over 1160m as a preparation for this event. He is six points lower than Kasimir in the merit ratings but has been running over further so is unknown over this trip and is a dark horse.

Van Halen will also be a dark horse. He looked to be top class when winning the Grade 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion last year, but then disappointed in Cape Town this season. However, he has looked like his old self recently and has also learned to settle in the running. He has consequently reeled off two wins in succession at Hollywoodbets Greyville, using his fine turn of foot from off the pace. He is worthy of his 110 rating, which gives him a hard task with Kasimir, but he is proven Grade 1 class.

Last year’s winner Will Pays is another dark horse as this is the first time since that win that he will be dropping back to this trip. He is drawn in pole so will dive down the inside like he did last year. However, it looks to be a stronger field.     

Africa Rising has a big heart and a good turn of foot but has a tricky draw and on Tsogo Sun Sprint form is 1,5kg worse off with Chimichuri Run despite being beaten by 0,95 lengths. The latter as a three-year-old would have made weight for age improvement since then too.

Palace Chapel has pace and a good kick but was beaten 1,65 lengths by Chimichuri Run in the Tsogo Sun Sprint and is now 2kg worse off.

Search Party won the Post Merchants over course and distance two years ago and finished third in the Cape Flying this year but is an unlikely winner here from a wide draw.

Vision To Kill ran on strongly from off the pace for third in the SA Fillies Sprint and will be hoping for a good pace, but she does have 3,80 lengths to find on Celtic Sea. 

La Bella Mia won the Post Merchants in good style but she was well weighted in that race and is officially by far the worst weighted horse here.

By David Thiselton

Aldo Domeyer, now one of the stars of Hong Kong, will be back in South African action at Kenilworth on Saturday when he has four rides for Justin Snaith, two for Andre Nel and one for Candice Bass-Robinson.

The Cape champion has made a huge impact in Hong Kong during his short spell there, getting off the mark with a double on his first day and finishing up his abbreviated season (less than three months) with 13 winners from just 116 rides.

Racegoers need to get there early on Saturday because race one has been brought forward to 11.15am so that the first four races can be included on the French tote betting menu. This is expected to generate substantially increased turnover and earn significant – and much needed – income for South African racing.

Eric Sands believes that he has taken the necessary steps to ensure that Rainbow Bridge does not fall victim to any adverse bounce factor when the Vodacom Durban July runner-up attempts to go one better in Saturday’s World Sports Betting Champions Cup.

Finishing second in the July can often take more out of a horse than it shows at home and, while Marinaresco went on to win the Champions Cup in 2016, the two previous July runners-up – Punta Arenas and Wylie Hall – finished second last and third last.

Sands said: “There is always that risk but we purposely went easy with Rainbow Bridge for ten days after the July and he just did light work. He did go off his manger for a little bit but he had had a hard race so that wasn’t unexpected.

“His work last Tuesday was good and on Thursday it was top class. He is fit, he is sound and he is well in himself. I don’t see the two furlong shorter trip worrying him and Richard Fourie is unbeaten in three rides on him.”

Gavin Lerena, who rode Rainbow Bridge in the July, is retained by Mary Slack and so rides Buffalo Bill Cody who continues to attract punter support and the sponsors now have him 17-10 joint favourite with Rainbow Bridge.

Made To Conquer, second in last year’s July but finishing with only two behind him this time, has been sold to Mauritius and will leave after running in the eLan Gold Cup.

Eyebrows were raised in some quarters when Snowdance was declared for Saturday’s Mercury Sprint. Although she ran a great race to take second in the SA Fillies Sprint, Justin Snaith said before her third in the Jonsson Workwear Garden Province that she was not a sprinter and never would be.

He explains: “This is potentially her last run, there is nothing else for her and it was either this race or come home. She is doing well so why not run?”

No more waiting up until after midnight, or sitting through those never-ending Hong Kong previews. The post-race interviews are now shown on the tabonline website and they are posted up quite soon after each race, complete with a clip of the final stages. It’s a marvellous innovation and should do wonders for customer relations. Apparently it was the brainchild of Phumelela racing analyst Germaine Maharaj. He is entitled to take a bow.

By Michael Clower

The KZN Falcons won yesterday’s Rider Cup and one of their members, Keagan de Melo, was crowned Victor Ladorum.

The favourites, the Highveld Hawks, got off to a good start when Muzi Yeni won the opener on the Sean Tarry-trained Highveld raider Over The Limit. De Melo was just touched off on Duchess Lane and that was a boost to the Falcons chances. However, S’Manga Khumalo and Lyle Hewitson finished third and fourth in this race and Ryan Munger sixth, to give the Hawks a tally of 54 after the first with the Falcons on 32 and the Cape Eagles on 26.

In the second race there was another ding-dong tussle down the straight and it was Sean Veale on the Mike Miller-trained Stormbourne Thunder who got the better of Bernard Fayd’Herbe on Spam Alert. Eden Garden Glitz with Munger up finished third. The Hawks collected 28 points to remain in the lead on 82 points but the Eagles and Falcons collected 45 and 39 points respectively to close the gap and were both on 71 points.

The third leg saw another thriller and it was De Melo who exacted a strong finish out of the Paul Gadsby-trained Isla Morada to deny Greg Cheyne on Such A Rush and Muzi Yeni on Bronnie. The Falcons scored 44 points this leg to the Hawks’ 24 and they thus swooped into the lead with a tally of 115 to 106. The Eagles scored 33 points in this leg and now trailed on 104 points.

Anton Marcus brought the favourite Gimmie A Cohiba home in the last to an easy victory from De Melo on Gibraltar Green and Hewitson on Techno Captain.

The Falcons had thus wrapped it up comfortably.

Their tally of 46 points in the last leg took them to a total for the competition of 161 points. The Eagles scored 31 points in the last leg to finish second on 135 points and the Hawks 24 points relegated them to last place on 130 points.     

De Melo collected an impressive 59 points to Bernard Fayd’Herbe’s 47. Yeni was third on 44 points.

By David Thiselton

Image Caption: The KZN Falcons claimed the New Turf Carriers Rider Cup at Hollywoodbets Greyville in convincing fashion yesterday. Led by captain Anton Marcus, their tally of 46 points in the last leg took them to a total of 161 points for the competition.

The Cape Eagles scored 31 points in the last leg to finish second on 135 points and the Highveld Hawks 24 points relegating them to last place on 130 points.     

De Melo collected 59 individual points to Bernard Fayd’Herbe’s 47. Yeni was third on 44 points.         

The Highveld Hawks were bidding for their third straight win in the annual competition.

KZN riders won three of the four legs, De Melo, Veal and Marcus obliging with Muzi Yeni claiming the first leg on the Sean Tarry-trained Over The Limit. From left: Michael Sham from New Turf Carriers, Victor Ladorum Keagan de Melo, Falcons captain Anton Marcus, Warren Kenney, Sean Veal and Matthew Sham of New Turf. (Image Credit: Candiese Marnewick)

The Grade 1 weight for age Champions Cup, to be run on eLan Gold Cup day this Saturday, is always an intriguing race as it attracts a top class field but often the fresher horses perform better than those who have taken part in the Vodacom Durban July, which is not only the country’s premier race but also one of the roughest and toughest.

Joint-favourite Buffalo Bill Cody has always been regarded by Mike de Kock as “a little better” than Hawwaam. He has won six out of seven and has won all four of his mile starts with ease. He has never run in a feature before but last time out slammed the Grade 1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut and Grade 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge runner up Cirillo by 3,25 lengths and probably needed that run too. De Kock has a fine record with sons of the top shuttle sire Redoute’s Choice and this colt looks capable of becoming another of this stallion’s champions. He will be coming into his own now being an Irish-bred four-year-old who is six months younger than his contemporaries and he should relish the step up to 1800m considering his running style. On pedigree his dam by Sri Pekan was a sprinter, but she produced a horse who came third in a Group 1 over a mile and two furlongs (2000m). Buffalo Bill Cody has a plum draw of three and will be ridden by Gavin Lerena.   

His stablemate Soqrat has not raced since finishing fourth in the Gold Challenge, so will be relatively fresh. He is able to relax well in the running and then has a good turn of foot and a sustained finish so he should enjoy this step up in trip. A wide draw was his undoing in the KRA Guineas and he has another wide draw here but over 1800m it should be easier to overcome.

Cirillo had to be dropped out the day he was well beaten by Buffalo Bill Cody but he now has pole position and will be able to take up his favourite front-running role. He will be dangerous although he will likely have to keep up a good momentum as Undercover Agent does not like to hang around.  

The other deserved joint-favourite is Rainbow Bridge, who is drawn in pole and will enjoy the 1800m trip. He has settled well in his last few starts and has an electric turn of foot. However, he peaked for the July and that took place only three weeks before this race, so there has not been a lot of time to freshen him up. There is no doubt he will give it his all though as he has proven courage.

Undercover Agent finished second in this race last year and will once again come in fresh having avoided the July after running fifth in the defence of his Gold Challenge crown. He has a middle draw and should be right there, although this field is considerably stronger than last year’s.

Twist Of Fate is a courageous sort who was able to overcome a wide draw in the July and still run third. He will have to overcome another wide draw here. He looks to be a tough horse so can be involved in the finish despite his July exertions.

Eyes Wide Open was the unlucky horse in the July where he was well weighted, He rallied again after being squeezed out and finished a fine fourth. He now has a much tougher task at the weights.

Matador Man is an enigmatic sort who usually loses ground at the start. He is best over a mile but has a devastating turn of foot and running fresh here he could make a bold bid to repeat his third place finish of two years ago, although this is a much stronger field.  

Infamous Fox loves Greyville and proved his class last time when waltzing home in the WSB 2200. However, he faces a much stronger field this time.

Kampala Kampari is the joint lowest rated horse along with Eyes Wide Open but he showed his liking for this course and distance when beating the latter to win the Grade 3 Cup Trial. He comes in fresh but is now 1kg worse off with Eyes Wide Open for a head beating and this field is also a lot stronger.  

By David Thiselton