Western Cape trainers have hit back at suggestions that they are swamping their Port Elizabeth counterparts with their better class horses and so providing unfair competition.

The Sporting Post website led on Saturday with a piece headlined Should PE Be Closed To Cape Town Raiders? and cited an unnamed local trainer commenting on Facebook: “What’s on my mind? They don’t run their horses in Cape Town yet they come to PE by the truckload and steal honey from our pot. Just have a look at the PE nominations. My argument is that they race four-horse fields in Cape Town – they don’t run their horses but will send three trucks to PE.”

Cape Town trainers have increased their raiding parties since the Met, largely because there is an average of only one meeting a week in the mother city during February and March, but last Friday’s Fairview fixture was the final straw for the Facebook writer. Justin Snaith and Candice Bass-Robinson each had two winners and Vaughan Marshall one. Alan Greeff (3) and Jacques Strydom were the only locals to get a look in.

However Mrs Bass-Robinson hit back at the criticism, saying: “In the UK and in Australia trainers travel their horses all over the place. Indeed they do this in countries round the world so why should we be confined to our own back yard? In any case a little bit of competition is healthy.

“Also it’s not just a matter of putting a horse on a float. It costs R6 000 just for the transport of the horse and then there is the flight for the assistant trainer.”

Justin Snaith fully agreed and pointed to the positive effect Cape Town runners have on Fairview Tote turnover. But the Facebook writer will no doubt be tempted to add further comment by the nominations for two of this Saturday’s Durbanville races.  The Fillies Maiden Juvenile has just six entries and the Fillies Maiden only nine. The National Racing Bureau has warned that these races may be cancelled if the numbers declared fall below six and eight respectively.

Before last Saturday Keagan de Melo’s problem with Durbanville was getting his mount’s head in front where it matters. “I’d only ridden here once before,” he related. “And that was last October when I had three seconds who were beaten by a total of less than a length.”

He made up for it this time, firing of a quick-fire treble on Waldorf Astoria for Joey Ramsden, After Glow (Adam Marcus) and the Dean Kannemeyer-trained Sacred Story.

Aldo Domeyer rode five favourites but had to be content with two winners, both for Andre Nel. Your grandmother could have won on Procrastination but the Metropolitan ride was inspired stuff. Knowing full well that his mount would stop the minute he hit the front, Domeyer waited as long as he dared (the second last stride) before nudging the 5-10 favourite’s head into the lead.

It was quite a day for 20-year-old Liam Tarentaal. He rode his 30^th winner on Eric Sands’ Capacity Crowd and doubled up in the last on the Mike Robinson-trained Fateful.

Both Vaughan Marshall and M.J. Byleveld seem to think that Tutorial will step up on his narrow win in the first but the jockey was also impressed by runner-up Mister Various, saying: “We were flying at the finish but the second horse kept coming at me. He must be a nice sort.”

By Michael Clower

Mike de Kock has followed up Hawwaam’s impressive SA Classic win on Saturday with an impassioned plea for the European Union to send inspectors to South Africa to audit the disease control measures so that horses can be exported direct to Europe once more.

He watched the race in Melbourne and said on his website: “We have a horse here that can take on the best in the world but we are being held back by quarantine protocols. We have everything in place and we are desperate for the European Union to inspect us so that we can show them what we have done, show them that the protocol is in place and that we can go and showcase our product to the rest of the world.

“Hawwaam is good enough to race against the best but we are being held back by politics – not science – and the politics are preventing South Africa, with our massive racing industry, to bring the world our thoroughbreds. We can breed world-class runners but we can’t show them to the world because we can’t compete on a level playing-field.”

De Kock is one of the original directors of South African Equine Health and Protocols which was established two years ago to remove the barriers preventing direct equine exports. It’s managing director Adrian Todd said in a Winning Ways interview last month that he aiming to get everything sorted out by June.

He said at the weekend: “The final hurdle is obtaining an audit date from the EU.  The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has requested that the EU conduct an audit of our control measures. However no commitment of an inspection date has yet been forthcoming from the EU.

“We need political assistance to push this over the line once and for all so that South Africa may finally and fully re-enter the world stage. Without exports our industry will collapse but one final political push will provide our country with a flourishing export market and an influx of much-needed foreign investment.”

By Michael Clower

The father and son combination of Robbie and Shannon Hill have been in good form of late and picked off a double at Greyville yesterday. Not so expected was Triple Fate Line in the second but Brandon Lerena rode a typically powerful finish to get the 25-2 chance home.

Moon In June, on the other hand, ran up to her 5-4 odds, putting five lengths between herself and the opposition.

Champion jockey Lyle Hewitson is way out of the title race, his defence scuppered by injury even before the start of the current season, but he continues to impress and riding a particularly good race on the filly Flichity By Farr for Alyson Wright in the Intelligent Solutions Pinnacle Stakes, giving Wright a double on the day.

Paul Peter was looking for a third victory of the weekend with the hotly fancied Fort Ember after Ring Of Fire on Friday and Rocky Night obliged under Hewitson.

But the wheels came off at the start as Fort Ember missed the break and apprentice Kabela Matsunyane rousted her up to get closer to the lead, going three wide in the process. It was too much too early and Fort Ember was a spent force early in the straight as Flichity By Farr and Our Coys joined battle with Hewitson extracting just that much more out of his filly.

By Andrew Harrison

There are question marks about the two Mike de Kock-trained favourites in the respective Grade 1 SA Classic and Grade 1 Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic over 1800m at Turffontein tomorrow and one, Nafaayes, is tipped to win and the other, Hawwaam, is tipped to be beaten.

Hawwaam looks to be as talented as his half-brother Rainbow Bridge but has the same tendency to over race. If he does manage to settle, as he did in the Dingaans, he has an exceptional turn of foot so it all depends on how well Gavin Lerena can relax the Silvano colt. In his favour is draw five out of nine, a better draw than the eleven out of fifteen he had in the Gauteng Guineas. Secondly it is a smaller field so he will be closer to the front when starting his run from the back. However, against him is an apparent lack of pace in the race and this might allow the classy and long-striding Gauteng Guineas winner National Park to dictate. Hawwaam still managed to run on well in the Guineas from last despite having over raced and he should still go close no matter what happens, but he does have 2,7 lengths to find on National Park. Barahin is one of only two horses of this crop who have beaten Soqrat, so is full of class and should have come on from his Gauteng Guineas run which was his first appearance of the season and in which he finished a decent third. He should stay the trip too. Those three are hard to oppose. Zillzaal could be the other one for the quartet as he is an improving sort who will relish the galloping course and distance with its long straight. Atyaab could also earn as one who won a below par Cape Derby.

In the SA Fillies Classic Nafaayes is as well drawn as she was when winning the Gauteng Fillies Guineas (GFG), where she was settled well with cover by Warren Kennedy from draw three and then stayed on well in the straight to just get up from Running Brave. This time she is drawn in pole and Kennedy has no doubt she will stay the trip despite her pedigree suggesting there could be a doubt.  She is by Exceed And Excel, who was a six furlong to seven furlong horse, and is out of a seven furlong to miler type. Ronnie’s Candy has a lot of speed being the winner of the SA Fillies Nursery. However, she is by the miler King Of Kings out of a horse who finished second in a Graded race over 1800m and furthermore she is a full-sister to a horse who has won over 2000m. Thus she should get the trip on pedigree and she has also relaxed beautifully in her last two starts. If able to get cover from a tricky draw she will go close as she appeared to be the unlucky horse in the GFG as she never had enough room to use her superb turn of foot to maximum effect. Second Request ran on well against strong older horses in the Grade 1 Paddock Stakes over this trip and has a fair draw so must have a shout. Chitengo was making eyecatching late progress in the GFG and is a progressive sort who will relish the step up in trip. Return Flight was the Equus Champion two-year-old filly and has always struck as one who will relish this course and distance. She showed last time she still has it in her and has a plum draw of two, so could dictate. Running Brave is a gallant filly who often flies under the radar. She has as good a chance as any from a plum draw of four. The dark horse is Storm Destiny who has talent and was caught wide in the GFG so not surprisingly found little extra. This time she has a good draw and could surprise. Skye Lane has to be considered as one who ran a cracking fourth in the CTS 1600, although it won’t be easy going 1800m in a Grade 1 first up at altitude. 

In the Grade 2 Hawaii Stakes over 1400m Soqrat should show why he is the highest rated three-year-old in the country from a plum draw. He has a superb temperament and a fine turn of foot, although he is up against some good horses here.

The up and coming Greener Pastures is the tip to win the Grade 3 Acacia Handicap from Silver Thursday and Cashel Palace.

Odd Rob, Walter Smoothie and Samurai Warrior are the choices for the Listed Aquanaut, although it is advisable to go wide in the exotics here. 

By David Thiselton

Tutorial looks nailed on for the opener at Durbanville tomorrow when the biggest danger is the price. The Vaughan Marshall runner opened at a value 16-10 with World Sports Betting on Wednesday but those odds didn’t survive the night and by yesterday morning 15-20 was the best on offer.

That is short enough but there is no denying the claims of M.J. Byleveld’s mount. He was considered good enough to make his debut in the Listed race on Met day and, pushed along for much of the way, he caught the eye running on late and was only beaten five lengths. Winning Ways made him one to follow.

Only one of his five opponents has yet to see a racecourse in earnest and that is Mister Vargus (5-2 to 7-2) who was less than four lengths fifth of seven to Double Alliance, subsequently a length and half in front of Tutorial in the Met day race. Vivant (28-10) is the shortest priced of the newcomers but it is far harder for a first-timer to win here than it is at Kenilworth.

There is as little to choose between Capacity Crowd (28-10) and Drama Queen (5-2) in race two as the betting would suggest. The Eric Sands runner came out less than half a length the better when the pair made their debuts three weeks ago but on this occasion Drama Queen may just come out on top. She has much the worst of the draw but we have seen before that a poor draw here can be overcome with relative ease when you are up against inexperienced two-year-olds.

Aldo Domeyer can follow up on Procrastination 35 minutes later. The Andre Nel filly showed plenty of promise on debut, albeit in what could be quite a modest race. The favourite won easily but our selection had the third over three lengths back. But watch out for stable companion Silver Beauty. She has not raced since finishing five lengths-fifth on debut in December but she has been backed from 11-1 to 9-2 second favourite.

Domeyer is the top jockey at the country course in the past 12 months and he should have few problems bettering his 17% average strike rate tomorrow. He has an obvious chance on Nel’s Metropolitan in race four and rides 3-1 favourite Secret Depths for Mike Robinson (in double form at Kenilworth on Tuesday) in the next. He also has a good each way chance on 11-2 shot Woodstock Fairy in race six.

Domeyer is taken to win the Interbet Maiden (race seven) on 22-10 favourite Lip Service, a relatively rare ride for Joey Ramsden. But winning the last on newcomer Susie’s Son is a tall order and here the vote goes to Robinson’s Fateful.

By Michael Clower