Rainbow Bridge makes his long-awaited debut in KZN when he runs in The Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes (Gr2) at Greyville this evening. Eric Sands is using this race as the gelding’s warm-up for Champions Season and ultimately a crack at the Vodacom Durban July while a couple of hours before, Justin Snaith will put Do It Again and Made To Conquer, first and second respectively in last year’s July, through their paces, also over 1400m.

Sands has already warned that Rainbow Bridge has a couple of obstacles to negotiate, namely this being his first run under lights, first time around a right-handed turn and a lay-off since beating Do It Again in the Sun Met.

With the July in mind, Rainbow Bridge will obviously not be anywhere near his peak at this stage of his preparation but he is a class act, has won over the distance and racing fresh should at least see him running at them late.

Undercover Agent, not a July entry but arguably over his best trip, has finished behind Rainbow Bridge in his last two starts, namely the L’Ormarins Queens Plate and the Sun Met, prompting bookmakers to have him at the top of their boards in the ante-post market.

However, Rainbow Bridge may have most to fear from the three-year-old Cirillo. Sean Tarry’s colt turned in a tremendous performance when going down late to hot favourite and Cape Guineas winner Soqrat in the dying strides of the HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes. That was a tremendous front-running performance and those tactics could pay dividends this evening.

It is difficult to nail one’s colours to the mast with any degree of certainty in races of this nature where many of the top runners are warming up for the bigger races in the next three months but a win for Rainbow Bridge will surely enhance his July chances.

The Drill Hall Stakes along with the Gr2 KRA Guineas and KRA Fillies Guineas are the traditional Champion Season openers and this year the card has been boosted by the addition of a host of minor features that were due to be run at a washed-out Scottsville meeting last Sunday.

The eight features are supported by the ‘No Whips’ first race where the jockeys have, for some reason cried off, forcing officials to replace them with apprentices, and the 400m Dash that closes the meeting.

The ruling favourites for the two Guineas races, namely Cape Fillies Guineas winner Front And Centre and Cape Guineas winner Soqrat, have both drawn wide in their respective races which leaves the door ajar for their rivals.

Front And Centre jumps from the extreme outside gate in the Fillies Guineas, usually a coffin draw over the Greyville 1600m. However, Anton Marcus is never shy to push forward, be it maidens or Graded features. He is a master of the quick start so one can expect Front And Centre to be right up there before the turn but given her draw, she will need to be a length or two better than some smart opposition if she is to pull this one off.

With the likely defection of reserve runner Mazari, Nayfaayes has pulled the plum pole-position gate, always an advantage, and Mike de Kock’s filly has some smart Highveld form to commend her, having not finished out of the money in her eight starts.

Of the balance, Silvano’s Pride was unable to overcome a wide draw in her last start and has again drawn wide as has Santa Clara, runner-up to Temple Grafin in the Umzimkulu Stakes where she was drawn on off the fence.

Marcus rode a particularly good race on Temple Grafin that afternoon and Greg Cheyne will need a repeat performance to get her home here.

Mike de Kock will have shrugged his shoulder in despair as Soqrat drew 13 for the KRA Guineas but the Australian-bred is no stranger to Greyville and boasts some cracking form in the top tier. He ran Do It Again to a neck in the L’Ormarins Queens Plate and was tremendously game when getting the better of Cirillo in the Horse Chestnut. This will be his third run after a break and he should strip extremely fit which will allow Randal Simons a little licence.

National Park, the only horse to beat Hawwaam, should be a major force over this Greyville mile and it may prove prudent to draw a line through his SA Classic run where he did not appear to see out the extra furlong.

Joey Ramsden looks certain to be lost of SA racing as he prepares to leave for Singapore and Twist Of Fate, second to Soqrat in the Cape Guineas, could provide a fitting sent-off.

Charles and Bunker Hunt, separated by two lengths in the Cape Derby, are both Vodacom Durban July entries so their performances will be watched with interest while local hopes will rest with Tristful and Thanksgiving who could well up their games.

By Andrew Harrison

Top KZN trainer Duncan Howells is expecting a fine run from Thanksgiving in the Grade 2 KRA Guineas at Greyville on Friday night.

The meeting heralds the opening of the SA Champions Season and there will be eight feature races for fans to look forward to.

Ashburton-based conditioner Howells said, “Thanksgiving’s Cape Derby run can be ignored as he pulled up lame behind and in retrospect it was a huge mistake to go down to Cape Town anyway but we took a chance. He needed his last start (in the Byerley Turk over 1400m) and was caught flat footed in a slow run race. He put up an extremely good recent gallop and is drawn well on Friday night so I expect him to give a very good account of himself. Look, it is a tough race. This is one of the strongest three-year-old crops in recent times but he is up with the best of them and will finish right on top of them.”

The Dynasty colt caught the eye early in his career but was an unconsidered 33/1 shot when travelling up to Johannesburg to run in the Grade 2 Dingaans over 1600m last November in just his fifth career start. He was backed in to 15/1 and justified the support. He produced a fine turn of foot in the straight and ran all the way to the line. Unfortunately he was up against a firecracker in Hawwaam, who has since been rated the highest South African Horse on the Longines World rankings.

Thanksgiving finished a 3,40 length second in the Dingaans. He had KRA Guineas candidates National Park 8,60 lengths behind him.

On Friday night he jumps from draw two of 13. He is up against the highest merit rated three-year-old in the country, Soqrat, whose three Grade 1 wins have all been over a mile. The latter does have the widest draw of all to overcome, but has the perfect racing temperament, so should relax well wherever he is. He also has a fine turn of foot coupled with a resolute finish and extra gears. His first Grade 1 win was over this course and distance as a two-year-old in the Premier’s Champions Stakes.

Howells has a few other runners on the night in a not to be missed meeting which is always full of thrilling racing and one which always has an effect on the three-year-old pecking order.

Neptune’s Rain runs in the Grade 3 IOS On Saturday Poinsettia Stakes over 1200m, where she has a wide draw of ten.

Howells said, “She needed her last run and was a little unlucky not to win, it was a great run. The weights are in her favour on Friday night. It not a good draw but she is not a quick starter so it will give us the opportunity to tuck her in and she finishes extremely well.”

He runs High Voltage in the Grade 3 IOS Affluence Godolphin Barb Stakes over 1100m and said, “The going caught him out last time. He is improving all the time and has not been beaten by two bad colts. He is capable and can run in the first three.”

Howells runs Coldhardcash in the IOS Sports and Racing Dash over 400m. This gelding shows a tremendous amount at home and Howells said he had recently realised he should have been running him over five furlongs (1000m). He said, “He is a very fast, strong and solid horse and can get going quickly. He will be competitive, he has just got to run like he works.”

He runs Buffalo in the IOS Arts and Pleasure Pinnacle Stakes over 1200m and said, “It has been difficult to find races for him.”

By David Thiselton

Horse racing is not always about the rich, famous and the best. Just as in any other sport, tactics, courage and a little luck make for riveting viewing, be it an Under 15 C schools rugby match or a lowly handicap on the Greyville poly.

Race riding is often a matter of split-second decisions, the best riders making the least mistakes. To add spice, there is often a little needle in the competition as was evident in the Durban View Restaurant Handicap yesterday.

In a race of muddling fractions, Warren Kennedy and title chasing Muzi Yeni had a right royal battle on the Glen Kotzen pair of Heart Of A Legend and Be Yourself, the more fancied of the two just prevailing under Kennedy.

With no pace on in the early fractions, Yeni slowed it down to a point where Kennedy was fighting an over keen Heart Of A Legend. But coming up the hill, Kennedy let loose and Heart Of A Legend, the brake released, strode clear to open up a clear lead on her rival.

With 25 starts under her girth, one would have expected Heart Of A Legend to have learnt the ropes. She took a good lead into the straight but started to run around when asked the question and Yeni looked to count coup as he set about cutting down the leeway.

50m out Be Yourself was up-sides Heart Of A Legend, looking all over a winner, but Kennedy regathered his mount and she stuck her head in front just when it counted.

Although nothing but a lowly handicap, it was a tactical battle to savour with two horses giving their all and two jockeys at the top of their game.

Dean Kannemeyer was reluctant to reveal any plans for Emerald Band after the gelding had held off a determined challenge from Justaguything in the card opener, but the red and white silks of Mike and Norma Rattray will be in the glare of the spotlight on Friday night when the recently acquired Rainbow Bridge takes his first step towards the Vodacom Durban July in The Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes in a card littered with features, supported by a ‘no whips’ race and a 400m dash to round off the evening.

On a personal note, colleague Warren Lenferna took time off from his television presenting to lead in Marsanne in the Greyville Convention Centre Maiden.

At last year’s National Yearling Sales, the daughter of Mogok tried to take a piece out of Lenferna’s arm in the company of Dave MacLean. It was decided that the filly should be bought and she races in partnership with MacLean, Frank da Ascencao, Lenferna and trainer Duncan Howells.

Marsanne had a setback after a smart barrier trial but got it all together yesterday to win rather comfortably and the partnership could be in for a bit of fun.

By Andrew Harrison

Sun Met winner Rainbow Bridge heads the ten declared for the Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes at Greyville on Friday evening and, while Eric Sands reports him in good order, he points out that there are several factors not in the horse’s favour.

Sands said: “I had planned for him to see the course last week and I wanted him to have an easy gallop there but it was flooded. He is doing well but it’s a night meeting (his first), a right hand turn and a new course. He will be competitive, unless he is completely off the bit because of the strange surroundings. It is his first run back and he must come through it and enjoy it.”

It will also be the four-year-old’s first run in the distinctive red and white quartered colours of new owner Mike Rattray who is a former chairman of Greyville. Anton Marcus’s mount is 15-4 second favourite with World Sports Betting which makes the Brett Crawford-trained Undercover Agent – just over two lengths back fourth in the Met – the market leader at 5-2. Sean Tarry’s CTS 1200 winner Cirillo is on 9-2 while 8-1 shots Matador Man and Lady In Black are the only others in single figures.

The no whip race experiment returns this week with the Eden Rock Estate Maiden at Greyville on Friday and the Hands ‘N Heels Handicap at Turffontein the following day. There is a subtle difference in the two race conditions as stated on the sahorseracing website. Whereas those for the Greyville event stipulate that ‘riders will not be permitted to use crops’ the corresponding wording for the Turffontein race says ‘no crops will be allowed.’  This would suggest that the jockeys at Greyville, unlike those at Turffontein, will be allowed to carry their whips but not wave them or hit their mounts.

However senior racing control executive Arnold Hyde, when this was put to him yesterday, was unequivocal, saying: “The riders will not be permitted to carry crops in both races.”

The initial no whip race at Turffontein in November was well received by some of the leading trainers – notably Mike de Kock and Justin Snaith – and made headlines around the world with South Africa seen as setting the standard for other major racing countries. It is good that the experiment is being continued.

Candice Bass-Robinson, bidding for her third successive Perfect Promise win, runs three in the two-year-old fillies Listed race at Kenilworth on Sunday with Keagan de Melo retaining the ride on last time’s convincing Durbanville winner Sanskrift. Justin Snaith also runs three but Greg Ennion (Hidden Strings) is the only other trainer represented.

Vaughan Marshall has the biggest hand in the Somerset 1200 with three while Joey Ramsden, who has won five of the last six runnings, relies on Minnesota Dream and has also gone for De Melo.

By Michael Clower