Wolfgang made a promising debut at Hollywoodbets Scottsville recently and can build on that efforts with a bold showing in the first at Hollywoodbets Greyville today. The form of that race has proved solid with second placed Impressive Duchess winning by eight lengths at Flamingo Park on Monday and third-placed Shango winning for Sean Tarry and is among the nominations for the Gr1 Premiers Champion Stakes in a fortnight’s time.

Given that form, the 33-10 on offer with Track & Ball look fairly generous about Dean Kannemeyer’s charge, especially as the stable is on hot form at present.

Nearest market rival and ante-post favourite at 3-1 is Johan Janse van Vuuren’s gelding Gladstone. A close-up third in both recent starts on the Turffontein inside track, Van Vuuren obviously feels that he has not got the best out of his charge and has declared first-time blinkers.

Both horses make their poly debut but given the depth of Wolfgang’s form and barring a ‘springer’ he is a confident selection.

She’s A Crusade in a 900m specialist, the final 100m having found her out in her last four starts. She has been beaten by some fairly progressive fillies so back on the poly from a plum draw she can finally get it right for Corrine Bestel and is worth another chance.

Opensea was another to let the side down when favourite at his last start, but the 1950m appeared to test his stamina and he was caught one-paced over the final two furlongs, but staying on for fourth.

Gavin van Zyl has dropped him back to 1400m today and with blinkers on for the first time his supporters will be looking to him to recoup some of their losses.

But it will not be easy. Knight Warrior has not been out of the money in his four starts, the last two runner-up when starting favourite. Dennis Bosch has booked Richard Fourie for the ride and these two could fight it out.

Hidden Influence is no stranger to the poly track, his last win coming over the course and distance of the fourth. He has had two starts since, both times finishing behind Via Salaria, but the addition of blinkers could see him improve enough to put one over his rivals that include recent winner Celebration Rock who found form with first-time cheek-pieces and Born To Perform who possibly found his last start over 1950m on the turf beyond his compass. Both wins have come on the poly and the drop to 1400m could see him back to form.

Nathan Kotzen saddled a double at Scottsville on Sunday and just how Hidden Influence in the previous race fares could shed some light on the chances of his charge Donnan in the fifth.

Donnan finished ahead of Hidden Influence when both were beaten by Via Salaria but the former takes a drop in class. That has pushed him to the top of the handicap and he has to concede 1kg to Pantsula who has backed up the Hidden Influence form.

Travelling Light made short work of her opposition on debut which seemingly put her in with a fair chance in the Gr1 Alan Robertson Championship. She was never travelling that day although a subsequent examination by the course vet didn’t shed any light.

She is obviously much better than that showing and could prove a cut above the opposition in the sixth where an obvious threat will be Kom Naidoo’s charge Satara who found form in blinkers at her last start behind the seasoned campaigner Winter Blues who was winning his sixth race.

Silva’s Bullet has been costly to follow and again found one too good for him in the Highveld raider American Indian last time out. Kannemeyer has dropped him down to a mile today but he faces three smart three-year-olds in Triple Fate Line, Cat Daddy and Mr Greenlight, either of who could give their older rival another stich.

Triple Fate Line was not far back to the progressive Mastagambit over course and distance last time out while Cat Daddy comes off a recent victory over GG’S Dynasty and Mr Greenlight caught the eye behind GG’S Dynasty prior to that.

Blue Flower didn’t do this column any favours when down the field last time out, but Andre Nel’s runner could be better suited to the step up in trip today although she can hardly be labelled a safe bet in a field where the form is a little thin.

By Andrew Harrison

Anton Marcus rides in Cape Town for the first time for a month at Kenilworth on Saturday when the four-time champion restricts himself to just two mounts. Both are for Brett Crawford and for his Ridgemont retainer.

He renews his partnership with the unbeaten Run Fox Run in the Champagne – he rode her in the first three of her four victories – and is also on the once-raced Yorktown in the Tabonline.co.za Maiden Juvenile Plate.

Ryan Munger, a much rarer visitor to Cape Town these days, rides in six of the eight races. His mounts in the two features – Coral Bay and Too Phat To Fly – are both for Glen Kotzen for whom he was briefly first jockey earlier in the season and he has also been booked by Joey Ramsden, Mike Robinson and Glen Puller.

By Michael Clower

This year’s Gold Cup to be run on July 27 over 3200m at Greyville will mark the 40^th anniversary of one of the most famous renewals of the country’s premier staying event.

The winner was The Basil Cooper-trained The Maltster, who was talented but also a rogue and inconsistent.

This bay provided the legendary Lester Piggott with one of the most astounding wins of his celebrated career.

That race took place at Scottsville in November 1975 and the three-year-old The Maltster lost at least 12 lengths at the start.

However, Piggott somehow managed to get him up to win the race in class record time.

In a book written by Sam Magee called My Greatest Race, Piggot nominated his win on The Malster as his greatest ever ride.

In the Gold Cup of 1979 the now seven-year-old The Malster, ridden by Freddy Macaskill, was sent off at 16/1 and carrying 53,5kg beat the 9/2 favourite, the grey five-year-old Preciptack, by 0,3 lengths.

The Malster had a pathological hatred of greys and some will say it was his refusal to be overtaken by Preciptack which won him the race.

Years ending in nine have often produced Gold Cups to remember.

In 2009 the small Cape yard of Stephen Page had their biggest ever success, scoring a one-two in the Gold Cup with 8/1 shot Mokaro and 75/1 chance Noblewood, both owned by Bridget Oppenheimer. Mokaro was ridden by Richard Fourie. The race was run on August 1 and Mokaro’s sire Manaloj was briefly leading the National Sires championship, despite having left the thoroughbred stallion ranks and being registered as a warmblood sire. Manaloj (Gone West), whose third dam was Natalma, dam of the great Northern Dancer, produced pretty horses and it was little wonder that he became sort after by dressage fans.

In 1999 Robbie Hill scored a July-Gold Cup double when winning the big staying race on the Pat Shaw-trained 8/1 shot Place Of Gold, who beat the 2/1 favourite Golden Hoard by 1,5 lengths. The race was run on August 28 and nine weeks earlier Hill had won the July on the Geoff Woodruff-trained 14/1 shot El Picha, who went on to win the July again the following year.

The 1989 Gold Cup saw a spectacular win by the Ralph Rixon-trained 9/2 shot Tropicante ridden by Paddy Wynne. He sat in last place for much of the journey and emerged out of the blue to deny the outsider Allied Party who had looked all over the winner. Tropicante was a most deserved winner because as an unconsidered outsider he had been most unlucky to not win the July, finishing a 0,25 length second to Right Prerogative despite suffering interference in the straight.

The 1969 Gold Cup was won by the 2/1 favourite Golden Jewel under top jockey Marti Schoeman. Among the beaten were the previous year’s winner Caradoc, a classy, versatile horse who later had a staying race named after him, and another previous winner Smash And Grab.

In the 1959 race the former July and Gold Cup winner Excise started favourite and ran a gallant fourth carrying 58,5kg, just 0,6 lengths behind the winner, the 14/1 chance Cumanus, who carried only 44,5kg and was ridden by Shorty de la Rey.

This year’s entry list includes some good stayers and it is sure to produce another race to remember.  

By David Thiselton

Dean Kannemeyer has more winners with his Durban string than with the yard at Milnerton these days but Joseph Jagger should make the winner’s box in the opening mile maiden at Durbanville today, particularly with Keagan de Melo flying down to ride him.

The Ideal World colt is a well bred sort and, although one of only two juveniles taking on three-year-olds, he finished well in good to soft last time (only his second start) in a manner that suggests he can beat the older horses. His current price of around 8-10 is pretty miserly but he just might start at slightly more generous odds when the on-course punters cast around for better-priced alternatives..

The obvious danger is the Justin Snaith runner Peter Paul Rubens, the 2-1 second favourite. Forget his last run – he stumbled shortly after the start and was returning not striding out behind. He went close in a reasonable maiden on his previous start.

First time out of the maidens is a traditional no-no for punters but it could be worth making an exception with Silver Dazzle in the Betting World Handicap (race four)- particularly as odds of 11-2 look particularly attractive.

The Andre Nel runner was having her fifth start when she tackled a mile fillies maiden at Kenilworth just over five weeks ago and she led a furlong out to win every bit as comfortably as the three-length verdict would suggest. She was rated 63 going into the race and the handicappers have assessed her only three points higher for this race.

What is more, the going last time was good to soft – the sort of underfoot conditions that she may well encounter here – and Andre Nel is having a tremendous season with 74 winners so far and ninth on the national log while 149-winner Greg Cheyne has only four above him in the jockeys’ lists. You could argue that Kawakami (7-2) and 5-1 shots Indian Song and Blush Scarlet have stronger claims but I don’t think so.

The Play Soccer 6 Maiden 35 minutes later looks a toss-up between It’s My Life and Duntoche with the verdict going to the former for the sole (and rather unsatisfactory) reason that Duntoche is a four-year-old who has already run 16 times without winning. She is rated 3.5kg behind the Brett Crawford runner but her recent form looks just as good and Fayd’Herbe rides.

Deposition had Winter Shadow four lengths behind over 1 800m on good to soft at Kenilworth last time, he stays 2 500m and so should confirm the form in the 2 400m Tabonline.co.za Maiden. But don’t completely ignore Nel’s Head Boy.

By Michael Clower

The various national championships have become clearer over the last couple of weeks and it will be a surprise if there is an upheaval in any of the major ones.

In the jockeys championship both Lyle Hewitson and his nearest rival Muzi Yeni rode at every meeting in the past week. Hewitson accumulated eleven winners, including a treble at Fairview on Friday, while Yeni only rode five winners. Anton Marcus only had four rides during the week and had one winner. Hewitson is consequently on 211 winners, 12 clear of Yeni on 199 and 28 clear of Marcus, who is on 183. WSB were 1/11 on Hewitson, 9/2 on Yeni and 25/1 on Marcus yesterday morning.

In the trainer’s champions Sean Tarry increased his lead during the week. The log was last updated at 16h38 on Saturday and Tarry was on R24,830,200, Justin Snaith was on R22,579,463 and Mike de Kock was on R22,354,563. Snaith has to make up a leeway of 2,250,737 according to those figures and De Kock has to make up a leeway of 2,475,637. There is only one big meeting left, Gold Cup day, where there are ten feature races. Snaith has eleven horses entered in the features on that day and in the unlikely event they score a perfect return they will accumulate R2,568,750.

De Kock has twelve entries, although effectively only eleven as Frosted Gold is entered in both the Grade 1 Premier’s Champion Stakes and the Grade 1 Mercury Sprint. His perfect return which would have to include Frosted Gold running in the Mercury and finishing in the top two would net him R3,198,750. So it is possible for either De Kock or Snaith to catch Tarry but unlikely especially considering Tarry has 23 entries in the features on the day and is unlikely to go home empty handed. Hollywoodbets make Tarry a 0,08/1 shot, De Kock a 5/1 chance and have defending champion Snaith at 10/1.

In the apprentice championship Luke Ferraris had two winners during the week to his nearest rival Dennis Schwarz’s one. Ferraris’s 79 winners are 18 clear of Schwarz’s 61.

The Breeders championship has been wrapped up by the Mary Slack and Jessica Jell-owned Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein Stud breeding operation. Slack and Jell are Harry and Bridget Oppenheimer’s daughter and granddaughter respectively and by all accounts this will be the first time the Oppenheimer family have won the championship. It is long overdue as they have done an enormous amount for South African racing.

Maine Chance Farm’s stallion Silvano will be the champion sire for the fourth time. Seven-times national champion sire Jet Master will be champion damsire for the first time. The important Freshman sire title is wide open. Captain Of All (Captain Al) has had 12 winners of 14 races for R1,635,525 in stakes, Vercingetorix (Silvano) has had eleven winners of 17 races for R1,376,425 in stakes and Soft Falling Rain has had 12 winners of 14 races for R1,130,125 in stakes. The title is decided by stakes money.

Chris van Niekerk is almost R3 million clear of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum in the owners championships. Do It Again is likely to be crowned Equus Horse Of The Year, having won three ‘Grade 1s, the Vodacom Durban July, the Rising Sun Gold Challenge and the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate, as well as the Grade 2 Green Point Stakes. In his only other run he finished second in the Grade 1 Sun Met. However, he has not earned the most stakes for the season. Hawwaam, who also won three Grade 1s, has earned R5,628,125 to Do It Again’s R5,102,500.

By David Thiselton