Joe Soma, annoyed that his pre-race comment about Left Hook was omitted from the list of trainers’ comments published by Computaform last week, has urged his fellow-trainers to help punters by providing sensible pre-race information.

Soma said: “I have not been giving comments myself, but I decided recently to give punters access to as much info as possible. Punters are getting bored, they are losing interest and we need to do everything we can to keep them in the game.”

Soma had said about Left Hook: “Not today boys. But watch this horse, he can get us out of it in the future!” A comment that somehow didn’t find its way into Computaform.

“I gave it to the Racing Bureau and I thought I’d been censored for some reason.” Danie Toerien, Editor-in-Chief at Phumelela, who publishes Computaform, said that Soma’s comment must have gone missing somewhere along the line. “I am not sure what happened but there was nothing wrong with Joe’s comment. We encourage comments by trainers and if they happen to offer something extra, in an unusual note like this, even better.

“We will accept any comments within all reasonable publishing limits, because punters thrive on information. The more they have, the better. Punters hate going in ‘blind’. If there are five first-timers in a race with no comments available, what must they do? They may as well play the Lotto. We’d like trainers to type in their comments themselves on the Bureau system to prevent info from getting lost.”

Soma added: “We need to speak to the punter in his language, to spruce up our presentation of information on television and in print. You know, punters get tired of the same old, same old, same old. We need to find new angles in our written copy and our television presentations to keep the betting public interested. “I said, for example, ‘Left Hook can get us out of it in the future’. I think this is something the punter understands better than the standard comment, ‘will need the run’, which is something that makes them pull their hair out!

“Left Hook is a horse with nice form, many may fancy him on paper, but he’s had a colic operation and he’s recovered from injury, so he’s an unlikely winner. If he sticks his head into the frame for fourth, fantastic, but I’ve given he punter the info I believe to be as true and valuable as possible.

“I think trainers are wary of being proved wrong, or putting their owners in the middle, but there is a way of commenting that will keep everyone happy. We see too many ‘will need the run’ horses that fly up to win and nothing annoys a punter more than thinking he has been lied to. Worse still is ‘no comment’, of which I was guilty of but I look at things in a different way now.”

“When you’ve had any horse in your stable for a while, you have a fair idea of what it’s worth, what its ability is. I’m suggesting that trainers add just a bit extra, like saying, ‘needs the run but not without place prospects in a weak field’… that says so much more and gives the bettor a chance. If you’re wrong, you’re wrong, stiff. Try again next time. Punters appreciate honesty more than shots in the dark or nonsensical drivel.”

Soma concluded: “The days of the big coup are gone. The market establishes the runners in race fairly, reflects what’s going on. You can maybe get R10,000 of a horse, or a bit more, but the big money is no longer there to pull off massive betting coups. We must look after the punters we have left, give them the info to win. It will benefit all of us.”

– turf talk

Candice Bass-Robinson is to try again with her three fillies who failed to run up to form in the Allan Robertson at Scottsville and step them up to 1 400m in the Grade 2 Golden Slipper at Greyville on Vodacom Durban July day.

Roll In The Hay fared best of the trio in sixth but Vandah’s Spirit started joint second favourite and finished with only four behind her – she was reported by the course vet to be not striding out on her right fore – and Miss Honey finished last of 16, coming back with abrasions on her left fore.

Their trainer said: “It was a very rough race and Roll In The Hay suffered traffic problems four times over – she would have gone close otherwise. Vandah’s Spirit was hampered against the fence and didn’t enjoy the race at all while Miss Honey reared up in the pens, put her leg over the gate and got a cut on her knee.”

Little went right for the stable that day. Freedom Charter (tenth in the SA Fillies Sprint) suffered an epistaxis and was suspended for 60 days while Dutch Philip finished last but one in the Tsogo Sun Sprint.

Mrs Bass-Robinson said: “It was a disastrous day and very frustrating. Freedom Charter might run again at the end of the season, otherwise she will go to stud, while Dutch Philip has rather lost his way. He didn’t enjoy Scottsville and he will probably go and race in Port Elizabeth.”

The Milnerton trainer has her own yard adjoining Summerveld and with Marinaresco three years ago she went down in racing history as the first woman to train a July winner and, in all probability, the first to win the country’s greatest race in her first season. This term she has had more Cape Town two-year-old wins (13) than any trainer with the exception of Justin Snaith (14).

By Michael Clower

The Vaal stages a low key nine race card tomorrow but there look to be opportunities for both on the nose and exotic punters.

In the eighth race, an Assessment Plate over 1400m, Running Brave looks to be a ready made banker. She is well in at the weights here and this is an ideal trip. The only concern is she might just need the run having likely been freshened up after a busy campaign. Cordillera, who has two wins and a narrow second to her name over this trip, is one of the dangers. Afrostar could also be a big danger as a scopey horse who is having her third run after a layoff over a step up in trip she will relish. She is a good looking filly and will likely be going places. However, a chance is taken and the nuggety Running Brave is made a banker in all bets.  

In the first leg of the PA over 1800m Moroccan Flame is a typically big and rangy daughter of Ideal World who failed on the head bob over 1450m on debut. She should relish the step up to this trip and can make amends from a good draw of two. It might be worth including Vijeta, who is drawn well and flew from last when stepped up to 1700m last time and being by Duke Of Marmalade she should also be improving continuously.

The first leg of the Pick 6 is an Assessment Plate over 1000m and Gimme A Wave has plenty of substance and struck as a nice type from day one. Last time out over 1200m he moved up well to hit the front against a decent field but was then run out of it. He was not disgraced finishing just 5,50 lengths in third behind the well regarded former Cape horse Crown Guardian. He should relish the step down to 1000m on the evidence of that race and is the one to beat. Big Blue Marble is well regarded and little went right in his Highveld comeback run last time out after a Cape Summer campaign. He must be respected and so must the well regarded Royal Cavalier, who has always struck as one who is better than his current mid-sixties merit rating suggests. He did well in first time blinkers last time and could be a threat to the two aforementioned three-year-olds. 

In the first leg of the Pick 6 Romi’s Boy has a record of one win and two seconds over this 1200m course and distance.  He has been competitive off a 106 mark and now drops one point to 105 so should be in the shake up in his third run after a layoff. Angel’s Power has a fine record over this course and distance and off a mark three points higher than his last win he is also a contender. The classy Monopolize returned from a rest to win over the sharper than ideal 1000m last time and he can follow up over this more suitable trip. Billy Silver is talented and is coming to hand. Danza disappointed last time but should go close if repeating his penultimate start where he was a touch unlucky.

In the sixth race over 1200m, an apprentice handicap, the talented Bockscar bounced back to his best last time and can continue fulfilling his potential off a three point higher mark. Casual Wear is a quick filly who might find this further than ideal but in the prevailing fast conditions she could be a threat. The in form Moon Warrior has to be included, especially as 4kg claiming apprentice Juglall knows him well. Written In Stone disappointed first time out the maidens but is much better than that and could be an outsider to consider here. Mount Keith has been back in form and Brigtnumberten is another quick 1000m type who could be dangerous in the fast going.

In the seventh race over 1200m What A Poet had been selected as the value bet of the day. Last time out he caught the eye taking a strong hold over 1400m and just found no extra late. He could well appreciate the step down to 1200m and he has Gavin Lerena up. However, it a lot will depend on whether the number one draw is disadvantageous on the day, as it can sometimes be. The suggestion is to go as wide as possible in this race.

The last race over 1500m is an apprentice handicap and the topweight Florida Quays makes most appeal as a hard-knocking sort running over a suitable trip. Tsitsikamma Bush can go close if repeating his penultimate start over 1400m.  Shortstop stayed on well last time over this trip. Manhattan Cocktail, Supa Mufti and Visigoth are other to consider for the Pick 6.

By David Thiselton

Track And Ball yesterday cut Do It Again from 5-1 to 3.85-1 clear second favourite for the Vodacom Durban July. Hawwaam still heads the market but he has been eased from 16-10 to 2.1-1 while Rainbow Bridge is out from 5.25-1 to 6.25-1. Other major layers have done much the same although at least one is still offering 5-1 about Do It Again

Punters are now weighing up whether to take advantage or whether to wait, and indeed whether Do It Again’s chances three weeks on Saturday have actually improved as a result of Saturday’s performance. History is all against last year’s winner and there is more to it than simply no horse succeeding in winning the country’s greatest race twice since El Picha at the turn of the century.

In truth, the Rising Sun Gold Challenge has been a poor guide to the July. Since Flaming Rock won both races back in 1991 only one horse has won the Gold Challenge and the July in the same season and that was the dead-heater Dancer’s Daughter 11 years ago.  Possibly significantly both horses were trained by a Snaith. But in addition the July winner has not even run in the Gold Challenge in nine of the last ten seasons.

Do It Again will need to overcome the dreaded second-run-after-a-rest syndrome and apparently also temperament problems that were revealed for the first time on Saturday – Justin Snaith: “I was very nervous. We had a few hiccups in the parade ring and I could see his head was starting to turn. He was getting annoyed.”  Snaith had even taken the precaution of flying in the famous horse whisperer Malan du Toit from Cape Town (“and thank goodness we did”).

And those whose price has lengthened? Well, Rainbow Bridge would surely not have been beaten anything like the official length and three-quarters had Anton Marcus not been forced to switch as he was making his run while the supremely talented shadow of Hawwaam hovers over the race like a colossus. His price will surely shorten if Mike de Kock is given the green light.

By Michael Clower

Armando may have run his last race in South Africa. When Brett Crawford trained Elusive Gold for a Tony Millard client the horse stayed here until he had won the Cape Guineas but Crawford, after watching the Lammerskraal-bred What A Winter colt put up a performance in the Cape Of Good Hope Nursery that had Guineas written all over it, expressed doubts about history repeating itself.

He said: “I am waiting to hear from Tony and Mr Ng but, now that Armando has proved that he is Group winner, it’s more than likely he will get going for Hong Kong.”

Understandable – that is what he was bought for – but he won as if he could put the Cape Nursery a bit more on the classic map and Bernard Fayd’Herbe was impressed, saying: “He won a gutsy race. The horse of Vaughan Marshall’s (Fearless Warrior) is decent. I picked him up about the 300 and I thought I would have him quite easily but he went on again.”

By this stage Fayd’Herbe was in the sort of inspired form that does not countenance defeat. His five-timer embraced the last four races and he had already landed the Kenilworth Fillies Nursery on 61-20 shot Cousin Liz who also had a Marshall-M.J. Byleveld fancy as her principal victim.

“I knew it was going to be hard to hunt down Mirage (the 22-10 favourite) because M.J. had a length and a half on me,” Fayd’Herbe related. “Mine got tired in the last bit but she is a smart filly, a sprinter.”

Candice Bass-Robinson, who has now won half the six runnings of these two nurseries in the three seasons she has been training, is optimistic that the Captain Al filly will get further. “I am sure she will try a mile and I hope she will get it but she does have a lot of speed.”

The situation is complicated – and clouded – by soundness issues. “She has a knee problem. It was tough getting her here today and I couldn’t get a run into her.”

Marshall and his jockey might have suffered Group reverses but they unleashed a good’un in the first In Silver Operator who had the bookies running for cover – he was backed from 9-1 to 11-10 – and came away from a furlong out to score by three and a half impressive lengths.

“You can see from the betting that we did fancy him,” confirmed Marshall’s assistant Adele Alsop. “This is a super, super colt.”

Byleveld added: “His work was magnificent and I thought it would take a very good horse to come and fetch him. It’s early days yet but he is something to look forward to.”

Greg Cheyne was the only other jockey to get a look-in, deputising for the sidelined Donovan Dillon on the Geoff Woodruff-trained last gasp winner Retro Effect and following up on Sacred Arrow who initiated a Bass-Robinson double in the Tellytrack.com Handicap.

By Michael Clower