The Vaal stages a nine race meeting tomorrow and with sun forecast there should be no need for a switch to another venue.

Punters could get off to a good start with Union Castle, who caught the eye second time out running on over this course and distance. He looks to have those who have run held and the danger could be the first-timer Fly Away, a Paul Peter-trained R100,000 What A Winter filly out of a one-time winning Argonaut mare who comes from a speedy family. Fly Away is closely in-bred to Western Winter.

In the second race over 1000m Palace Of Dreams can be bankered in the Bipot. She has a nice stride and showed resolve second time out before producing a strong late run to just fail. A first-timer once again looks the main danger. Montreal Mist is a R700,000 Soft Falling Rain filly out of Esterel, who was a Listed-winning sprinter by Var so she should have plenty of speed.

The first leg of the PA is a weak stayer’s maiden and Smart Deal has a good opportunity to get off the mark from pole position. However, he is not the most reliable sort so Robusto, who was only about 2,5 lengths behind him last time, can be included along with Born Rich.

In the first leg of the Pick 6 over 1000m Robberg Express is a nice looking son of What A Winter who has speed and the ability to stay all the way to the line. He has not raced for 121 days but this is his third run after gelding and he can go well fresh over this trip. Mr Whatson won from the front on debut and looks to have a fair future as he showed resolve. He has substance and a nice stride and has plenty of scope for improvement. Deerupt comes from a fair form race over 1200m and is the best in at the weights according to official merit ratings, so has to be included. Scoop and Dalai’s Promise also have to be included in the Pick 6.

In the first leg of the Jackpot over 1000m Galactic Warrior has always been held in high regard and his last win was over this course and distance with a 4kg claimer aboard. He has been raised four points since then but has another 4kg claimer up and he might well have benefited from a 103 day layoff. Winter Storm is a progressive sort who is capable of overcoming a three point raise for his last win. Purple Diamond has Galactic Warrior held on the form of their last meeting but that was at Turffontein and he does not have the best record at The Vaal. However, he should be included in all exotics.

In the sixth race over 1200m Operetta has shown ability but has not had the best of lucky recently. She has consequently dropped to a mark just two points higher than her last win, which was over this trip on the old Vaal Inside track. She won by 3,25 lengths that day so if she can have more luck than in recent races she can go close. La Bastide drops down in class off a merit rating which has dropped from a winning mark of 81 down to 77. She has a chance despite having to carry 61,5kg. Che Bella has a chance on formlines too. Rings And Things bounced back to form with blinkers on last time over 1400m and has won over this course and distance before, so she cannot be left out of the Pick 6 and Jackpot. Generous Notion is better than her last run and is also worth including, although she is off quite a tough mark at present.

In the seventh race over 1400m Witch Of The West has always struck as one with some class and having had two fair comeback runs over trips too sharp, she now steps up to her best trip. She will go close. Gimme Hope Johanna had to overcome a wide draw over this trip at Turffontein last time and was making late progress. She can be competitive here down the straight. Only To Win is an honest sort who is also effective over this trip. She will be right there as usual. 

In the eighth race over 1400m Manhattan Cocktail is a talented horse who can rise above his current merit rating. He is ideally distance suited here too. He is made the best bet of the day.

In the last race over 1400m Refuge has a good chance as he drops back to his best trip off a lowered merit rating. Endofmarch is another one who will enjoy the step down in trip and his merit rating has also been lowered. Street Flyer falls into the same boat and those three could get punters through.

By David Thiselton

Tobie Spies had the first Durbanville winner of his long career when Anthony Andrews made all on 27-4 shot Singfonico in the VHM Racing Handicap last Saturday and he runs three, plus a reserve, there this Saturday.

He is based at the Vaal and had his biggest success at Kenilworth on New Year’s Eve 1988 with Yardmaster in the Queen’s Plate. He has had a string at Milnerton for the last few months.

He explains: “In Yardmaster’s time we only took a couple of horses for the Cape Town season but this time Van Halen (his most recent Grade 1 winner, in the Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion at Scottsville) was qualified for the CTS 1200 and I thought I might as well take a few others as well and stay for a bit. I have around 17 at Milnerton at the moment and I expect we may pull them back to the Vaal in a month or two.”

What does he make of his chances this Saturday? “I haven’t seen the racecard yet so I don’t have a feel for the opposition but Steffi’s Graft (twice a winner at Kenilworth) ran well for a long way last Saturday but got tired towards the end while All About The Bass (second reserve in the last) ran a very nice race to finish third so he must be in with a bit of a chance if he gets in.”

By Michael Clower

Mpumi Majoka, who suffered a horrific fall while riding work last year, is almost back to full fitness after spending six months on the side-lines.

“The doctors said that I would be off for about a year, maybe 18 months, but it has been just over six months and I am determined to get back in the saddle,” he said at Ashburton yesterday where he put a dozen horses through their paces.

Majoka, who was riding the crest of a wave before his accident, went crashing through the rails when a stirrup leather snapped while riding work. His knee was severely injured and a severed artery added to the complications.

“The surgeon said that he could amputate my leg, or I could take a chance as it was a life-threatening injury. I decided to take a chance.”

The 22-year-old, who has ridden 58 winners, said he was about 96% fit but would take it slowly in making his comeback. “I am working with a bio kineticist and will give it another two weeks or so before I ask for rides. Maybe, one or two a meeting if I can get them.”

“I know it will be hard to make a comeback. You know that if you are out of this game people forget about you quickly. Hopefully I can get some rides here (KZN) before I go back to Jo’Burg but ideally I would like to commute back and forth.”

The South African Jockey Academy has extended his apprenticeship because of the accident and to assist in his re-hab but Majoka only needs two more winners to lose his claim.

By Andrew Harrison

Image: Apprentice Mpumi Majoka with legendary jockey turned trainer, Michael Roberts.

The South African stallion ranks suffered a devastating blow with the passing of leading sire Dynasty on Monday. The 19-year-old stallion died of a stroke, barely a week after Wonderous Climber became his 63rd Stakes winner with victory in Turffontein’s Aquanaut Handicap.

Bred by Wilgerbosdrift, the son of Fort Wood and the Commodore Blake mare Blakes Affair put together a glittering career.

Trained by Dean Kannemeyer on behalf of owners Fieldspring Racing, he scored nine times from two to four and was crowned the country’s Horse of the Year and Champion Classic male at the end of a sophomore season which saw him put together a stellar Gr1 peat of the Cape Derby, SA Guineas, Daily News 2000 and the Vodacom Durban July. In the latter, he jumped from the extreme 20 draw and despite racing wide for some way, produced a powerful finishing burst to win going away.

Dynasty retired to Highlands Stud (now Ridgemont Highlands) in 2005 and in time became the famed nursery’s flagship stallion. Although never Champion sire, he was a permanent fixture among the country’s elite, his best position being second on the General Sires List in 2013 and 2014.

Ironically, in 2014 he was denied the sires title by the weather gods when the final big-race meeting of the season, Greyville’s Gold Cup day, was postponed by a week due to a waterlogged track, thus falling into the new racing season. Involved in a tight race with Captain Al at the time, history will show that the victory of Futura in the Gr1 Champions Cup would have assured him of the title.

Nevertheless, Dynasty enjoyed a stellar stud innings and has the distinction of siring no less than three Horse of the Year recipients. First-crop son Irish Flame, winner of the Gr1 SA Derby and Daily News 2000, received the accolade in 2009, while Legislate and Futura followed in 2014 and 2015 respectively. Legislate won all of the Gr1 Cape Derby, Daily News 2000, Vodacom Durban July and Rising Sun Gold Challenge, while Futura accounted for the Gr1 J&B Met, L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and two renewals of the Champions Cup.

Dynasty’s 15 Gr1 winners also include the champions Beach Beauty, Bela-Bela, Just Sensual, Lady In Black and It’s My Turn. Twice the country’s champion older mare, Beach Beauty had few equals amongst her peers and annexed two renewals each of the Gr1 Garden Province and Paddock Stakes, whilst beating the males twice in the Gr2 Drill Hall Stakes.

Bela-Bela’s victories in the Gr2 Daisy Filies Guineas and Gr1 Woolavington 2000 assured her of the title of champion three-year-old filly in 2015, a feat emulated by Gr1 Cape Fillies Guineas winner Just Sensual two years later. Gr1 Thekwini Stakes victress Lady In Black garnered the champion juvenile filly title in 2016, while It’s My Turn, trained like his sire by Dean Kannemeyer at the time, lifted the champion stayer’s title last season when he won all of the Track And Ball Derby, Gold Vase and Gold Cup in the space of just over a month. This season has brought further classic success, with Front And Centre winning the Gr1 Cape Fillies Guineas.

Although it’s early days yet, Dynasty’s role as a sire of sires is off to a promising start. Jackson, who joined his sire at Ridgemont Highlands in 2014, already counts Gr1-placed Can You Feel It and Gr3-placed Mr Crumford amongst his first crop runners. Legislate and Futura, together with Gr1 Cape Guineas hero Act Of War will make their bow in the sales ring this year, where their sire proved a powerhouse. No stranger to his progeny commanding seven-figure prices, Dynasty sired the record-breaking R5.2 million top lot at last year’s National Sale.

By Ada Van der Bent

Beaten only once in five starts this term, Garth Puller’s runner Sea Urchin has been something of a late starter. The gelding has come into his own as a seven-year-old and five of his eight successes have come in his last seven starts.

He steps out under top weight in the opening leg of the Pick 6 on the Greyville poly today and there is not reason to doubt that he can go to the well again.

Sea Urchin has crept up the ratings and only got a three-point raise after his last win where he kept finding under apprentice Jason Gates. Gates will be aboard again this afternoon, this time only claiming 2.5kg, but he is a much improved rider in spite of his many brushes with the ‘law’.

Ronnie Rocket has been a soldier for Pat Lunn and he made all to beat the well-fancied Wayward over the Scottsville 1200m. The gelding gets on well with Keagan de Melo who will know exactly what he is up against have partnered Sea Urchin to victory on two occasions.

Buckleberry and Solid Gold are others to consider.

Brighteyebushytail has had to overcome a myriad of problems and was one of the worst affected by the virus that plague the stable last season. Duncan Howells appears to have nursed him back to form and he caught the eye when just out of the money behind the promising Last Of The Legend, giving the winner 6kg.

He has the steadier of 61kg in the saddle but has dropped in class so should be up to the task. Lyle Hewitson is riding up a storm of late so Zanzibarian must be a contender along with What A Scorcher, promising Clouds Of Witness and Haddington whose stable was in red-hot form on Sunday.

Hewitson and Louis Goosen teamed up with Jo Mambo to close off the meeting on Sunday and Duke’s Dozen looks set to make a winning debut for his new stable as he is stepped up to what looks to be a more suitable trip given his pedigree. He was touched off over a mile on the poly last time out and rates the one to beat.

The seventh is a wide open affair with any number of runners in with solid winning chances. The Private only got going when the race was all but over last time and the extra furlong could be more to his liking. But he will face serious challengers in Noble Joshua, Sovereign Soldier, Victorious Man and local debutant Gimmie A Cohiba to name but a few contenders.

Punters face a similar dilemma in the last, another extremely competitive handicap. Paul Gadsby could hold the key here with Arrow’s Mark. The gelding has his third run after a lay-off and takes a drop in trip. He also has a pedigree that suggests that the poly track may be his forte and Gadsby has declared blinkers on his charge. Grand Maestro and recent maiden winner Maa Nonu look possible threats.

By Andrew Harrison