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

Cersei, not far back in her barrier trial ‘won’ emphatically by James Peter, came in for a ton of market support on debut and it was a coup nearly landed as she finished a length off the winner.

Kom Naidoo’s filly takes on winners in the opening leg of the Pick 6 on Workers Day and with a solid race under her girth could be the filly to beat in spite of taking on winners.

Best of the winners could be Mike Miller’s charge Ardenne who has been priced up as joint 33-10 favourite with the selection in the ante-post market.

Cersei is in receipt of a handy 3kg from Ardenne, but carries the same weight as Ardenne’s stable companion Centre Stage who was much improved when tried in blinkers. She has drawn well and could pose the biggest threat to Cersei

On a difficult programme, Emerald Band could help fill the wallet in preparation for the rest of the card when he lines up in the first. Dean Kannemeyer’s runner was a close-up second in a strong juvenile stakes race on Sun Met day and although he has been rested since, he looks more than just useful at this stage of his career.

But he will not have things all of his one way. Ninotto raced very green when a beaten favourite on debut and is a smart looking colt form a very much in form Dennis Drier yard. He looks the most likely threat.

The Durban View Restaurant Handicap is the main course on the day’s menu but again punters are faced with a difficult choice. Runaway Gal heads the ante-post betting but 5-2 looks relatively skinny odds given the opposition. She was not too far back in feature company last start in spite of fading over the last furlong. However, she does seem better on the poly and can go close here. Sweet Mary Lou was relatively friendless in the market in the last race on Sunday but was not far back in a strong field where she was also out at the weights at her previous start. Sean Tarry’s filly looks to be coming to hand slowly and cannot be overlooked lightly. Of the balance, Classic Guard is lightly raced but took to the poly last run but took a hefty penalty for her efforts while Heart Of A Legend won well and had her consistency rewarded when winning recently and from a good draw should be right there again. Not one to leave out of any calculations.

By Andrew Harrison