The Turffontein Inside track stages a low key nine race meeting tomorrow and most of the races are competitive, so the exotics could be the way to go.

The first leg of the Bipot should be fought out by Keep Smiling and Flying High who both made fair debuts when staying on over this same 1200m trip. They both have scope for improvement but Keep Smiling was up against males on debut so will appreciate being against her own gender now and she has a better draw.

In the first leg of the PA Super Fine can be bankered. She made the pace from a wide draw over this 1200m course and distance last time and just failed. This time she is well drawn and being by Duke Of Marmalade would have improved. However, Jay Bomb will be a big threat as she ran on well from draw ten of ten to be beaten just 1,80 lengths by Super Fine last time and this time from a fair draw under Gavin Lerena should be closer to the pace.

In the first leg of the Pick 6 Petroni Vini ran on well over 1000m last time with first time blinkers on to finish a 1,90 length third. He is a rangy type with scope and should relish the step up in trip so has a shout from pole position. The two-year-old Union Castle has plenty of scope and ran on well last time over this trip so he will be the biggest danger, despite having to face Petroni Vini on terms 5,5kg worse than weight for age. Written In Stone beat Petroni Vini easily over this trip in his penultimate start but now has a tough draw, although he can be included in the Pick 6 and PA.

In the first leg of the Jackpot Deerupt is not the most imposing but her 79 merit rating looks attractive considering her from against some good sorts in Assessment Plates. She has a plum draw of three over this 1200m trip. Topweight Casual Wear usually runs over shorter but has some class and as a handy type will be dangerous from draw two. Peppermint Tea, Mazari and Generous Notion can also be included although it is an open race and others can also be considered.

In the sixth race over 1600m Flash Burn is going the right way and makes appeal from a plum draw despite being officially out at the weights with the two fillies. Bize has class but will find this a touch sharp and Captain’s Princess was unlucky last time when stepped up to this trip for the first time. 

Trip To Troy makes appeal in the seventh over 1450m as he is distance suited, well drawn and has come down to an attractive merit rating. Shortstop and Missouri can also be included.

In the eighth over 2000m Slay The Dragon stayed on resolutely over 1600m last time and should enjoy this trip so is the one to beat. Jose Di Nero has hard-knocking form from 1200m to 1600m and tries a step up in trip and will be thereabouts if he stays, although on pedigree there is a stamina doubt. Vetri Vel, Dry Your Eyes and Mr Cuddles have to be included too.

In the last race over 2000m Jive Express and Ideal Cut will relish the step up in trip and hard knocking Jungle Jane can also be included.

By David Thiselton

One World is hard to oppose in the Winter Guineas at Kenilworth tomorrow even though there are grounds for thinking he is not such a certainty as his prohibitive 11-20 price would suggest. On the plus side he has only been beaten once in seven starts – when third in the Cape Guineas – and on ratings he has a theoretical six lengths in hand.

However more recent form book evidence puts his advantage at considerably less than this, at less than two lengths in fact. In the CTS 1600 three months ago he had Vardy three and three-quarter lengths back third and here he has to concede 2kg. Furthermore he has not raced since whereas his principal rival had a pipe-opener three weeks ago and won it.

But Vaughan Marshall, who surprisingly has not won the Winter Guineas this century, has not got where he is today by running his horses a couple of gallops short and Anton Marcus has won on three of his last four rides in this race. The stats also favour the favourite. While the last two market leaders failed to make the frame, five of the previous six came home in front.

Vardy (9-2) is on the upgrade. He was raised ten points for his CTS performance and a further two for last time’s handicap top weight success. In other words he is closer to the favourite than Met day running would suggest. “I think he has improved,” said Anton’s brother Basil yesterday as he fielded calls while son Adam was at the sales. “He is maturing, and also learning more about it, with each run. He has a tough competitor – in fact a couple of them – but his prep has gone very well and we are holding thumbs.”

Herodotus (8-1) is presumably the other one he had in mind. S’Manga Khumalo’s mount has only once finished out of the first four in seven starts, his trainer Glen Kotzen won this with Irish Assembly in 2005 but he was five lengths behind One World in the Concorde and is only 2kg better.

The Bass stable has won this race eight times in the last 21 runnings and Majestic Mozart (who has drifted from 8-1 to 12-1) probably has the strongest claims of Candice’s three. Rider Bernard Fayd’Herbe is bidding for his fourth Winter Guineas and, although over six lengths behind One World in the CTS, his mount was only two and a half lengths behind him in the Cape Guineas – and he is 2kg better.

Helen’s Ideal has a favourite’s chance in the Sweet Chestnut Stakes and looks a decent bet at 33-10 despite her 11 draw. “That is a concern,” acknowledged Paul Reeves yesterday. “Obviously we have to try and get her over as quickly as possible but Bernard is more than capable of getting her in the right place. As long as he can have her relatively handy I will be pleased.

“This 1 400 is not a problem although she will be even better over 1 600m. We dropped her to 1 200m last time to sharpen her up but she has natural gate speed and she can turn it on. She has come on heaps since that last run, she is in top form and I don’t think I could have got her any better.”

By Michael Clower

Dean Kannemeyer is a man for the big event, his horses have won South Africa’s premier race on three occasions, Dynasty, Eyeofthetiger and Power King who races in the silks of Lady Christine Laidlaw’s Kaya Stables silks.

The talent in his stable has been a little thin on the ground in recent season’s but Kannemeyer will have some indication on what his chances are for this year’s Vodacom Durban July when Silva’s Bullet lines up in The Sledgehammer on the Greyville poly on Sunday.

The race was abandoned last Sunday at Scottsville after persistent rain rendered the track around the turn un-raceable. It was re-scheduled for Greyville on Sunday but the switch to the poly has seen the defection of the two Snaith runners, Made To Conquer and Platinum Prince.

Entries were re-opened and Frank Robinson took advantage entering Roy Had Enough and Top Classman, as did Johan Janse van Vuuren who will saddle Doosra.

 However, the Snaith defections have left the way clear for Silva’s Bullet who gets an opportunity to enhance his prospects of a place in the VDJ. Silva’s Bullet has some smart recent Cape form and has not been out of the money in seven starts. He is an improving gelding and just how far he has come and his prospects for Champions Season should be revealed come Sunday.

Cape Derby winner Eyes Wide Open is the proven class in the field but he has been winless since beating Do It Again in that Grade 1 event

In his defence, he was up against the cream during the Cape summer and was only five lengths back to Rainbow Bridge and Do It Again in the Sun Met at his last outing.

He is not the greatest traveller and this his first outing in three months carrying top weight could be a bridge too far at this stage of his prep for the VDJ.

Shenanigans is a lightly raced five-year-old having his third outing after a break and was close-up last start and along with Orpheus who won his last two against weaker can finish in the money.

After a stuttering start to his training career where he switched from Summerveld, to Richmond and back, Wayne Badenhorst appears to have settled in at Summerveld and one needs to take all his runners into account.

That said, picking winners out of barrier trials is fraught with danger but Badenhorst’s filly Mai Tai

caught the eye in a smart trial at Scottsville. In a quality trial field, she struck is a big solid filly with plenty of scope, a fine example of the progeny of first season sire Vercingetorix who has tongues wagging. She finished off her gallop smartly and could be good enough to get punters off to a winning start.

Glen Kotzen’s colt Master Jay can follow up in the second. He started favourite in both starts and although fluffing his lines on debut there were no mistakes next time out as he ran out an easy winner. A son of Jay Peg, he should enjoy the extra 300m and may be the one to beat in a competitive field.

Spring Fling looked a winner at Scottsville last outing at Scottsville when starting favourite but was run out of it of late as Tripple Z arrived on the scene late. He can do better in the opening leg of the PA but in Al Jazeera, he faces a two-year-old who showed up well from a poor draw on debut. This field is not filled with stars and Gavin van Zyl’s colt could prove too good for most of this line-up. 

By Andrew Harrison

The Andre Nel-trained Head Honcho began his transformation from average handicapper into a true Grade 1 class horse last season and the turning point was some advice given by Anton “Superman” Marcus.

Nel’s Summerveld assistant trainer Byron Foster said, “He always showed a lot of speed at home but Anton Marcus got off him after a 1600m event at Scottsville and said this horse needs ground. He hasn’t put a foot wrong since we have followed that advice.”

Marcus made that suggestion on Christmas Eve 2017 and since then the rangy Querari gelding has won six times in eight starts over distances from 1800m to 2200m. His stakes wins include the Listed Sledgehammer over 1800m, the Grade 3 Betting World 2200 and a highly impressive win in the Grade 2 WSB Premier Trophy over 1800m at Kenilworth.

Then he stepped up again when running a magnificent 0,95 length third from the front in the Sun Met, thus proving himself one of the best horses in the country.

The 122 merit rated five-year-old enjoyed a “nice break” after the Met and has been at Summerveld for about a month.

His chief SA Champions Season target will be the Vodacom Durban July and his build up into it will be via a Pinnacle Stakes race and the Grade 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge. 

Foster said, “He has improved beyond what we thought and must be some sort of runner in the July. If the same front-running tactics are adopted Greyville will suit him with its short run in.”

He has certainly proved his liking for Greyville before as both the Sledgehammer and the BW 2200 were on the Greyville turf.

Foster said Head Honcho was a sound and tough horse. He looks set for a good campaign. The yard are a bit thin on SA Champions Season horses besides Head Honcho.

Kampala Kampari will be aimed at the WSB 1900 and it will be taken from there.

They have some regard for three-year-old Vikram and Red Shift has been doing well. This pair may be aimed at the Listed Thukela on July day.

He mentioned Q The Music as a tough handicapper who would be targeted at a poly feature.

Silver Rose was deliberately targeted at the Highland Night Cup, which he won over 2400m at Scottsville on Sunday, as the yard realised some of the other Champions Season stayers would not be at their best for the race. However, it is now going to be harder for him with the others having come on and his merit rating having risen.

The four-year-old Var filly Evelina has been bought to KZN but Foster admitted this sprinter to 1400m sort would need to make a big step up.  The Poinsettia will be her starting point.

Foster said training at Summerveld had not been possible on Tuesday due to the rains but they had been able to use the poly yesterday (Wednesday).

By David Thiselton