The racing at the Tsogo Sun Sprint day on Saturday proved there is no longer any draw bias on the sprint course at Scottsville.

Triumphant trainer Sean Tarry had wondered before the event whether his leading Tsogo Sun Sprint contender Chimichuri Run would be disadvantaged by a high draw of 15 but as it happened the three-year-old Trippi colt was able to stick to his station and power through to beat his stable companion Trip To Heaven (drawn 13) and Africa Rising (drawn seven).

Tarry said, “It was a great day and the course being fair, enabling horses to win from all over, helped. There wasn’t bunching and the consequent worrying of getting a run. Well, the Allan Robertson was a bit like that, but the jockeys became more and more confident of spreading out as the day progressed.”

For a long time, starting in the second half of last decade, the going was palpably advantageous towards the inside of the Scottsville sprint course.

Once this problem has set in it is exacerbated by the jockeys doing everything in their power to get to that strip of going.

Consequently, the horses become bunched on that strip, which, due to the repetitive pounding, becomes like a road. It is similar to the way a path is formed in the veld. The constant weight of feet causes compaction of the earth and the path is formed.

It is very difficult to reverse this trend on a racecourse once it has set in.

As one top jockey retorted a few years ago after the riders had been encouraged to use the width of the track at Scottsville, they would risk criticism or even belittling from the connections if they did not at least make an attempt to find the perceived better going.

Various measures were taken to solve the problem.

The inside fence was at one stage moved outward for a few meetings in order to prevent the road effect.

However, as soon as the fence was moved back inward the jockeys made a bee-line for the fresh grass.  

The problem became so entrenched that in 2016 Gold Circle decided to move the inside fence outward for the Tsogo Sun Sprint meeting and limit the Grade 1 field sizes to 14.

However, this caused understandable disgruntlement from connections whose borderline horses missed out on a run.

Yet, despite the aforementioned snowball effect, the ground staff to their credit have somehow slowly but surely managed to solve the draw bias problem.

The improvement was started by the late track manager Inos Majola and continued by the renowned Ralph Smout.

Latterly, the teamwork of the like of Vilasen Pillay, Michael Ndlovu and KZN’s senior track manager Kurt Grunewald have brought the track to its current fair state.

Any regular watcher of racing at the Pietermaritzburg track over the last couple of years would hardly have bothered to check the draw before placing their bets for Saturday’s Grade 1 sprint events.

By the time of the Tsogo Sun Sprint, the last of the Jackpot of Grade 1s, even the jockeys were convinced there was no bias. The 16 runners were spread evenly across the track. In fact the first two home, Chimichuri Run and Trip To Heaven, were among a bunch of four horses who were hugging the outside rail.

Hopefully, that race spelt the end of the mindset which causes bunching towards the inside of the Scottsville sprint course. 

If it does the hard luck stories which have tended to accompany the Festival Of Speed meeting will be minimized as they were on Saturday.

By David Thiselton

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Jean’s Man looks worth an interest in the opening maiden juvenile at Durbanville today even though the big prices have already gone.

Bernard Fayd’Herbe’s mount opened at 6-1 with World Sports Betting over the weekend but this was down to 33-10 yesterday morning when Betting World was offering the same price. Billy Prestage mentioned just before taking on General Franco six weeks ago that his horse had been showing a lot of speed at home and Jean’s Man finished a highly promising fourth of 11. He missed a subsequent Durbanville engagement because of a swollen off-fore.

“He had a scratch that went septic – very common at Milnerton – and it took longer to come right than I would have liked,” said Prestage yesterday before adding about the debut run “I thought he would have been doing better at the end of the race than he did but he was a bit warm in the shins afterwards.”

As Prestage points out, the form of that April 16 race is mixed even if you ignore the General’s subsequent flop. Runner-up Three Two Charlie went on to win emphatically at Durbanville while third-placed Stormin Norman (in opposition again here) was only fourth next time

“Personally I think Grey Ferrari will be a hard horse to beat,” says Prestage. “But I am looking forward to Jean’s Man. He has lots of speed and he should go well.”

Grey Ferrari (9-2) is close with Jean’s Man on a line through Three Two Charlie while Joie De Vivre was a neck behind Grey Ferrari here last time and is 33-10 favourite. The 11-2 shot Stormin Norman also has claims but the selection has the advantage of Fayd’Herbe and that may swing it.

Fayd’Herbe has a favourite’s chance on Scottish Ally in the Tabonline.co.za Maiden Juvenile two races later. The 13-10 shot disappointed last time but had to switch. However Mon Cherie gets marginal preference at 3-1. Greg Cheyne’s mount has been showing signs of improvement and she didn’t get a clear run when beaten five lengths by Roll In The Hay who went on to finish a respectable sixth in the Allan Robertson.

Wadi Rum (5-2) had Kingston Rock nearly a length behind when they met here last month and the in-form Robert Khathi’s mount can confirm the placings in the Betting World Maiden, particularly as his rival is badly drawn and his trainer Mike Robinson showed he has his horses in winning form with Transylvania on Saturday.

Veld Flower went close on debut despite being hampered and is well-nigh impossible to oppose in the Tab Telebet Maiden despite being odds-on with both the big two.

By Michael Clower

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Saturday was a day that young apprentice Jeffery Syster will remember. One can list on one hand apprentices that have ridden a winner on their first ride and fittingly it was for riding legend and now trainer, Michael Roberts, who also rode his first winner at Scottsville. The youngster was overwhelmed as he made for the winner’s enclosure, looking to dismount before even being led in by stalwart owner Nick Labuschagne and Shirley Koster.

Kingsmead looked to be hopelessly out of his ground going through halfway but Syster hunted every gap seamlessly and without going for the stick, Kingsmead rocketed home.

By Andrew Harrison

Elusive Silva, third in last year’s Vodacom Durban July and a member of Snaith Racing’s veritable armada for the great race five weeks on Saturday, arrived at Summerveld last Friday to begin his preparation in earnest.

Jono Snaith said: “He has had a wind operation which is why he travelled late but it worked well – his wind is now clear – and he galloped at Kenilworth last week. We will see how he goes before deciding if and when he runs before the July.”

The stable’s master strategist outlined plans for the others still in the R4.25 million showpiece – “Last year’s winner Do It Again runs in the Rising Sun Gold Challenge on Saturday week, Bunker Hunt in the Daily News this Saturday, Doublemint in the Cup Trial (June 8), Made To Conquer either in the Cup Trial or straight to the July, Magnificent Seven possibly in the Cup Trial but may not run again before the July; he is fit and well and he doesn’t need another run, Myabi Gold will have one more outing while Oh Susanna will not run in the July. Platinum Prince has been scratched. He hasn’t enjoyed Durban and is coming back to Cape Town.”

Mark Khan (Made To Conquer) is the only confirmed riding arrangement so far – so, said Snaith, “jockeys need to get on the phone.”

The Snaith family are bidding for their fifth July. Chris was successful with Flaming Rock in 1991 while Justin scored with Dancer’s Daughter in 2008, Legislate in 2014 and Do It Again who is the shortest priced of this season’s challengers at 5-1. The Mike de Kock-trained favourite Hawwaam has been the main mover in the past week, shortening from 7-2 to 28-10 with Betting World.

By Michael Clower

Run Fox Run stole the Winter Classic’s thunder, and had Greg Cheyne dreaming of big race glory, when extending her unbeaten run to four with a display of almost blinding speed in the Olympic Duel Stakes at Kenilworth on Saturday.

Run Fox Run stole the Winter Classic’s thunder, and had Greg Cheyne dreaming of big race glory, when extending her unbeaten run to four with a display of almost blinding speed in the Olympic Duel Stakes at Kenilworth on Saturday.

The 17-20 shot came out of the pens like a greyhound after a hare and, while she appeared to be doing little more than saunter, nothing was able to get near her as she scorched home five lengths clear.

“Going through the 600, Sceptre Stakes was going through my mind and passing the post I was I thinking ‘I will be at Scottsville next year,’ ” said a thrilled Cheyne. “When the gates opened I had two lengths for nothing, the fractions I set were pretty decent and it’s been a long time since I’ve ridden a horse that can cruise at this speed.”

The Kieswetter family were away at a wedding – how they would have loved this – while for Brett Crawford it was some compensation for a largely frustrating Scottsville. “There is a possibility that she may run in the Champagne on July 27 and after that she will obviously have a break,” he said practically.

Most trainers are equine psychologists to a certain extent but Adam Marcus dedicates as much time to the minds of his charges as a top psychiatrist in the Panorama and he was privately convinced that Vardy’s defeats by One World were due to something other than inferior ability. The Winter Classic proved his point.

“Vardy has a severe parrot mouth and a very soft palate – anything with a link presses on that and is uncomfortable for him so he doesn’t settle,” Marcus explained. “I was convinced he would have beaten One World in the Winter Guineas had he done so.

“I felt the dressage world was the place to look and I found a flexible plastic bit in Italy. I then had to get it passed by the NHA. They only gave me the go-ahead three days before the race.”

Rather than look a fool if it didn’t work, he kept quiet until after the win but he then declared,  “It has made the world of difference to the horse.”

“I knew I had One World just before the straight – it was as early as that,” said a delighted Craig Zackey who had to contend with heckling from punters (“mind you keep straight this time”) as he went out on to the course.

One World, who to be fair was conceding 2kg, was beaten two and a quarter lengths. “Beaten by a better horse on the day,” M.J. Byleveld sportingly conceded while Vaughan Marshall will now give the CTS 1600 winner a rest – “He has had a tough season.” The Winter Derby on June 29 beckons for Vardy and his Italian mouthpiece.

That day Helen’s Ideal will bid to complete the fillies Winter Series in the Winter Oaks after adding a hard-fought Stormsvlei Mile to last month’s Sweet Chestnut. “I thought we were in a bit of trouble when I saw her tail swishing,” admitted Paul Reeves who paid tribute to Donovan Dillon for promptly putting his stick down and riding her out with hands and heels.

Breeder Peter de Beyer, who shares ownership with Paul Barrett, believes she will stay the extra 600m “even though she shows so much speed that you always ask yourself.”

The rest of the day belonged to Robert Khathi who landed a treble and Harold Crawford who is battling his way back from his stroke with the help and encouragement of his daughter Michelle Rix. They had an emotional win with Alfred’s Girl (the last horse bred by Gwen Heyns’ late husband Alfred) and followed up with Ready Steady Go –“A rebellious child who gives us all grey hairs.”

By Michael Clower