The Candice Bass-Robinson-trained star filly Clouds Unfold will start off her winter campaign in a 1000m Pinnacle Stakes event against the boys at Kenilworth on Sunday before travelling to KZN to run in the Grade 2 Tibouchina Stakes over 1400m at Greyville on June 8 and the Grade 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes over 1600m on Vodacom Durban July day.

Bass-Robinson explained why she avoided the Grade 2 KRA Fillies Guineas to be run on SA Champions Season opening night this Friday, “I didn’t want to start her in a 1600m and then come down to 1400m and back to 1600m, so she starts in a 1000m sprint.”

Bass-Robinson does still have a runner in the KRA Fillies Guineas, the well-bred Santa Clara, who is by Duke Of Marmalade out of a full-sister to champion stallion Silvano. The progeny of both Duke Of Marmalade and Silvano tend to improve all the time and she should follow suit. Bass-Robinson said, “She is a nice little filly, although not as good as Clouds Unfold, and unfortunately she is drawn in the bush on Friday night.””

Santa Clara started off her KZN campaign with a fine 0,40 length second in the Grade 3 Umzimkhulu Stakes over 1400m at Greyville on April 7. She was drawn two there as opposed to eleven on Friday night and will also be 1,5kg worse off with the Umzimkhulu winner Temple Grafin. However, she will relish the step up in trip, as she was seen to stay on resolutely in the GBETS Cape Derby over 2000m, where she finished a 3,45 length sixth. Bernard Fayd’Herbe replaces the sidelined Aldo Domeyer on Friday night.

Bass-Robinson’s SA Champions Season prospects are a bit thin this season. 

Her two-year-old fillies Vandah’s Spirit and Miss Honey are being targeted at the Grade 1 Allan Robertson Championship and she believes they are up to that class. They start out in the Grade 3 Strelitzia Stakes over 1000m at Greyville on Friday night. The race was originally due to be held at Scottsville on April 28 but had to be switched to Greyville due to the heavy recent rains. So it is not an ideal preparation for the Scottsville Grade 1. Bass-Robinson said she could not separate them. Miss Honey has won two of three starts and last time out won the Listed Summer Juvenile Stakes over 1000m on Sun Met day.

However, she has to jump from draw eight of eight on Friday night. Vandah’s Spirit has also won two of three starts. She was all the rage for the Summer Juvenile Stakes but ran a disappointing 3,80 length sixth. However, she bounced back to win a Juvenile Plate race over 1200m at Kenilworth by four lengths on February 23. Vandah’s Spirit is by Trippi out of the speedy Sean Tarry-trained Captain Al mare Mana Mou, who won a Grade 3 over 1100m. She is a full-sister to Flying Myth who won the Listed Storm Bird Stakes over 1000m. Miss Honey is by Pathfork and is the first foal of Fort Wood mare Honey Bun, who won one race over 1400m. 

Freedom Charter runs on Friday night in the Poinsettia on her way to the Grade 1 SA Fillies Sprint. She finished third in both the Grade 2 Southern Cross Stakes over 1000m and the Grade 2 Cartier Sceptre Stakes over 1200m, so is just off the best and will be a Champions Season dark horse. 

Bass-Robinson’s stayer Ballad Of The Sea, who has placed in the top three in four staying stakes races in Cape Town, arrived at Summerveld last week. 

Her other useful stayer Pacific Chestnut, who won the Listed Kenilworth Cup over 3200m, will be arriving next week.

Both of these stayers will be running in the big SA Champions Season staying races.

By David Thiselton

The Vaal stages a low key eight race meeting and the Pick 6 looks catchable as it includes three plate races.

The first leg is an Assessment Plate over 1400m for fillies and mares and Vistula is a nice type who comes off a good effort over 1200m, running second to the decent La Bella Mia. She is by Ideal World so should not only be improving but should also enjoy the step up in trip. She has already proved the latter as she finished a close fourth in the Grade 3 Three Troikas over this distance. It is hard to choose between her and Anneka, a progressive sort who ran a cracker in her penultimate start over this course and distance against the boys. Vistula gets the nod only due to her slightly better draw. Both have low draws which tend to be unfavourable but only a small field of eight face the starter so it will hopefully not have a dramatic effect. If it does then Westwing Belter could pick up the pieces as she has caught the eye in both of her starts to date and could rise above her lowly current merit rating of 70.

In the next race, an Assessment Plate for fillies and mares over 1000m, Dalai’s Promise was undone by a low draw last time in a handicap and has an easier task here at the weights and also has a plum high draw of seven out of seven so she should bounce back. The only filly better in at the weights is topweight Summer Afternoon, who unfortunately has draw one. Operetta can also be included in the Pick 6 as the form of her recent races has worked out well.          

The third leg of the Pick is a handicap over 1000m but punters needn’t go to wide as Scoop and Topmast stand out on form and have fair draws. Gallactic Warrior can be included by the risk averse as a hard knocker who is competitively merit rated and distance suited.

The next race is a difficult fillies and mares handicap over 1600m and punters will have to go as wide as possible. Topweight Abelie is the choice as a progressive sort with good form. She is also drawn well over a suitable trip and Muzi Yeni looks to have chosen her above Rabia The Rebel. The latter is also improved and can be included. Virginia is well regarded and has some class, but has been a touch disappointing so is interesting returning from a rest as such types can benefit from a layoff while maturing. Those are the first three choices but going as wide as possible is the suggestion.

In the next race over 1600m Private Ruler is distance suited and drawn high and comes off an unlucky second. He can beat home the progressive Gone With The Wind, who has talent but makes breathing noises. Norland is always thereabouts so is a must include. Winter Crusade could still improve and Sovereign Reign can never be ignored as one with plenty of ability. Molleloa and Refuge can also be considered.

The best bet on a tricky card is chosen to be Kayla’s Eagle in the last over 1600m. She has a fair draw and having not been disgraced last time in fifth when doing the donkey work in her first attempt at this trip she can do better with a more conservative ride. However, she cannot be made a banker and Oh So Cold and Wild Thoughts must also be included.

By David Thiselton

Vaughan Marshall said yesterday One World would “definitely” not travel to KZN for the Grade 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge or any other race during the SA Champions Season, although Adam Marcus was leaving his options open and said there was a “slim chance” Vardy would be seen in Durban over the winter.

The pair fought out a thrilling duel in the first leg of the Winter Series, the Grade 3 Winter Guineas, at Kenilworth on Saturday.

One World prevailed by a head under Anton Marcus.

An objection was lodged by Adam Marcus but the head on replay showed Vardy initiating the continual bumping in the final stages when hanging inward on to One World, so it never looked likely to be upheld.

Vardy was receiving 2kg from One World but on official merit ratings was still 6,5kg under sufferance with the 117 merit rated favourite.

Adam Marcus was thrilled with the improvement Vardy showed and said, “He is very immature and has a lot to learn so my initially feeling was to not take him to Durban as they have to go the opposite way around there and it is also a different style of racing, but the improvement he has shown has been really incredible, so we will keep our options open and take it race by race. But there is only a slim chance he will go to KZN and I will prepare him with the Winter Classic in mind. I think he will be much better as a four-year-old.”

Marshall said One World’s next engagement will also be in the Grade 3 Winter Classic, to be run over 1800m at Kenilworth on May 25.

So, the rivalry will be renewed and it is a race for the notebook.

One World is yet to be tried beyond a mile. However, being by Captain Al out of a Giant’s Causeway mare who placed over a-mile-and-two-furlongs in England he should get 1800m.

Marcus said about Vardy’s stamina range, “He is by Var but has classic looks and a beautiful length of rein and I’ve always been of the opinion he would be a 2000m horse.”

By David Thiselton

One World and Vardy, separated in Saturday’s Winter Guineas by only a head – as hard-fought in the boardroom as it was on the racecourse, may well meet again over a furlong further in the Winter Classic on May 25. Hopefully it won’t be quite such a rough affair.

Anton Marcus’s mount, starting a prohibitive 4-10, led after 200m but two furlongs from home main market rival Vardy began to move up travelling ominously easily. He joined the favourite and looked sure to win as he went a head up.

But One World has only been beaten once in eight starts and, as many will remember, no less a horse than the Cape Flying Championship winner Kasimir also once dared to head him only to be battled out if it. Vardy was given the same treatment and was the first to wilt.

He came off a straight line and bumped the favourite. From then on it was no holds barred, with the pair touching several times, but Craig Zackey had his whip in his right hand. Horses tend to drift away from the whip and towards the ones they are battling and Vardy did just that. True, Marcus also switched his crop to his outside hand in the heat of battle but the stipes took the view that he was doing this to stop Zackey’s mount from bumping him again.

There was only a head in it at the line and Vardy’s trainer Adam Marcus promptly lodged an objection against his uncle for interference, leaving one wit in the weighing room to quip: “You can choose your friends but you can’t choose your relations!”

The objection was over-ruled and jockey Marcus commented: “I thought it was straightforward – he hit me four times.” No action was taken against Zackey – he had been given a week when Vardy caused interference winning on his previous start – but Marcus was fined R1 000 for hitting his mount more than three times in consecutive strides.

The Klawervlei-bred Captain Al winner, bought by his trainer for R425 000, has now won nearly R3.4 million for Ken and Jane Truter, Etienne Braun and Braam van Huyssteen. “He is a very good horse and a very game one,” said Vaughan Marshall.

In the Sweet Chestnut 35 minutes earlier Bernard Fayd’Herbe and Helen’s Ideal made light of their 11 draw to delight Paul Barrett and breeder Peter de Beyer and book her ticket for next month’s Olympic Duel Stakes.

“Blinkers turned the corner for this filly and there are bigger things to come,” said Paul Reeves. “Hopefully she gets a draw next month. Every time I have a runner in a feature they seem to be drawn on another planet.”

By Michael Clower

Joey Ramsden intends finding a couple of days in his packed next fortnight to make a flying visit to Singapore to determine whether he should make the place the new home for himself, his partner Steph and their small daughter. Sadly for South African racing, he looks like doing so.

He said on Saturday: “The training facilities there are different class, the prize money is huge, owners’ incentives are massive and there is the opportunity to trade which is just not possible here.”

The Singapore Turf Club’s announcement in a press release on Friday – that he was one of three trainers to be allocated boxes – took him by surprise. “I had not been over. I had inquired if there were any availabilities but that was as far as it went. While I have now been given the green light, and they have offered me the opportunity to train there, nothing is signed and I don’t have a licence.

“It is all subject to me going over there, giving everything the OK and signing everything up. Obviously we are very focussed and busy here right up to the end of the season but I am going to try and get over in the next couple of weeks.”

The announcement from Singapore also caused him considerable embarrassment. He had not told his owners that he was considering leaving South Africa and he had to hastily send out an email explaining why he hadn’t and adding: “I have provisionally accepted  boxes at the Singapore Turf Club but, until I go to Singapore and discuss things further, it’s business as usual at Goodhope Racing.”

Ramsden, 50, has been hit hard by Markus Jooste’s overnight decision to stop owning horses in South Africa. The troubled business tycoon was by far his biggest owner and he had to move to a smaller yard to cut costs. He and Steph have adopted an attacking policy both in attracting new owners and in trying to win as many races as possible. It has been successful but the yard does not have the same fire power as in the Jooste glory days.

In his email to owners he said: “I have dire concerns about the future of Cape racing and racing in this country in general.” Asked about this on Saturday, he spoke of rumours about one of the country’s biggest owner-breeders (not a Ramsden client) expanding to 150 horses-in-training next season and the numbers his main Cape Town rivals will train. “I estimate that there will be less than 800 horses in Cape Town next season. How many will be left for me?

“I don’t want to come across as a whiner. I love Cape racing and it has been absolutely fabulous to me but stakes are not going to go up. The way fields have been filling (or rather not filling) they are going to cut races, and I don’t blame them. I am not being nasty but it is going to happen.”

He feels that his present rewards are not enough. “I can have six winners in a month and my percentages will come to less than 30 grand. After tax, what is left for me and my operation? This not intended as a bitch but these are the facts and I can’t go on ignoring them. It is sad because I love it here and I always thought I would die in South Africa.”

His reference to the opportunity to trade in Singapore is something that trainers in certain other racing jurisdictions use to exploit their abilities and boost their income. Ramsden is unhappy that it doesn’t apply here. “I can go out and buy a yearling to pinhook for 100 grand and win first or second time up with it but I will then be offered less than it cost. That is the state of the market here. Basically there is no market.”

If he does leave Ramsden will be a big loss to South African racing. He is a world class trainer – he showed that when he won the Godolphin Mile with Variety Club at Meydan five years ago. He has won over 1 750 races, including 26 Grade 1s, most notably the 2016 Vodacom Durban July with The Conglomerate. True, others would take his place but they wouldn’t be the same colourful, larger-than-life character who attracts interest (in racing as well as in himself), believes in calling a spade an effing shovel and will be remembered in racing folklore long after he is gone. 

In the meantime – and this is what suggests the visit to Singapore will have to be next week rather than this one – there is the KRA Guineas on Friday and his bid to win the following day’s Computaform Sprint with either Attenborough or Speedpoint, first and third 12 months ago.

“Twist Of Fate has done fabulously. He galloped on Friday at Greyville and Anton rode him. I wasn’t there to see it but Alson was and he pronounced him very happy and very excited for when he goes over a bit further.

“Attenborough has also done great. We galloped him on the grass at Randjesfontein on Friday. He went with Speedpoint and they were magic. I couldn’t be more happy with them.”

By Michael Clower