Hawwaam’s emphatic win in the Grade 1 SA Classic over 1800m on Saturday was exhilarating to watch and he was raised nine points to a 121 merit rating.

However, his stable companion Soqrat remains the highest rated three-year-old in the country, despite having been outshone by Hawwaam on the day. 

Handicapper Matthew Lips said a case could have been made to raise Hawwaam even higher, but it was decided third-placed 117 merit rated National Park had not stayed the trip, and second-placed 108 merit rated Barahin had been used as the line horse instead.

National Park and Barahin’s merit ratings remained unchanged and fourth-placed Zillzaal also remained on his 106 merit rating.

Hawwaam beat them by 5,75, 7,25 and 11,25 lengths respectively.

Soqrat was beaten narrowly into third in the Grade 2 Hawaii Stakes over 1400m earlier in the meeting, where he carried a Grade 1 penalty.

The Australian-bred had moved up well from the box seat to hit the front but could not repel the strong finishes of Zouaves and Cascapedia respectively.

He likely needed the run, his first since returning to the Highveld from Cape Town.

Lips, explaining the decision not to lower Soqrat’s 124 merit rating, said, “His run in the Queen’s Plate was too good to drop him on the basis of just one disappointing race.”

The Grade 1 SA Fillies Classic winner Return Flight was raised three points to 105, having won start to finish in a time 2,74 seconds slower than Hawwaam’s.

There are two consequences of yesterday’s SA Classic which are cast in stone. Firstly, Halfway To Heaven, the dam of both Hawwaam and Sun Met winner Rainbow Bridge, will be this season’s Equus Broodmare Of The Year. Secondly, Hawwaam, unlike Rainbow Bridge, will never be gelded now that the value of the family is known.

By David Thiselton

Hawwaam has been cut from 17-2 to 11-2 joint favourite for the Vodacom Durban July following his breathtaking near six-length win in last Saturday’s SA Classic.

World Sports Betting has also clipped stable companion Buffalo Bill Cody from 13-2 to 11-2 in its pre-nomination book and pushed out Rainbow Bridge (previously outright favourite at 5-1) by half a point to make it three on 11-2.  Last year’s winner Do It Again stays on 15-2 but stable companion Doublemint (sixth in the Sun Met) has been cut from 14-1 to 11-1.

Mike de Kock, an 8-1 chance for much of the season, has been cut quite sharply to 9-2 to record a ninth trainers’ championship. Justin Snaith is 12-10 favourite with Sean Tarry a close second on 14-10. Tarry leads the log with stakes of R8.7 million and Snaith has just over R8 million but De Kock is fast closing the gap and is now on R7.9 million.

Muzi Yeni went into yesterday’s Fairview meeting on 123 wins, seven behind Anton Marcus, but he is now as short as 16-10 favourite to win the title for the first time. Marcus is on 28-10, the same price as the 2014/15 champion Gavin Lerena who has ridden 94 winners this term. Current champion Lyle Hewitson (107 wins) is a 9-2 chance.

Concerns that two of the races at Durbanville on Saturday would be scrapped for lack of support have proved groundless. All six nominated for the opening Streamline Agencies Maiden Juvenile Fillies stood their ground at yesterday’s declaration stage as did eight of the nine nominated for the Crawford Racing Maiden.

Race sponsor Klawervlei is also backing a seven-a-side soccer tournament before racing with teams coming from several studs as well as from the Snaith Racing and Eric Sands’ yards.

The big target for most punters, though, will be Boomps A Daisy in race three, the 1 250m Crawford Racing Maiden. This Australian-bred started second favourite for her debut in a 16-runner field at Kenilworth last month and simply flew home to make up five lengths inside the final furlong and go under to Fluttering by a fast-disappearing head.

Greg Cheyne takes over from Anton Marcus on the Brett-Crawford trained Ridgemont filly. Crawford, incidentally, reports that Cape Fillies Guineas winner Front And Centre goes to Durban and has the Daisy Fillies Guineas at Greyville (May 4) on her shopping list.

By Michael Clower

Sean Tarry’s Pomodoro filly Return Flight put herself in the running for a second Equus Award when leading from start to finish under Anton Marcus to win Saturday’s Grade 1 Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic and she will now go for the Grade 2 SA Oaks over 2450m.

Return Flight was last season’s Equus Champion two-year-old filly courtesy mainly of a win in the Grade 1 Thekwini Stakes over 1600m at Greyville and has joined Front And Centre and Clouds Unfold as a Grade 1 winner from the three-year-old fillies crop this season.

Tarry was sure she would get the 2450m Oaks distance.

Marcus took this galloping type straight to the front from draw two and dictated at a pedestrian pace. She kicked on well and was able to keep all the challengers at bay including the Grade 2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas winner Nafaayes, who was a 0,80 length runner up.

Tarry said Return Flight would be nominated for the Vodacom Durban July, but it would first have to be seen how she went in a race like the Grade 1 Woolavington 2000. The handicappers have accorded her a 105 merit rating, up by three points.

Tarry confirmed that the mare bookings to Pomodoro had already been improving in quality due to the early success he had had in his stud career with the like of Return Flight and Cirillo.

Tarry’s other SA Fillies Classic runner, the Twice Over filly Second Request, disappointed and finished an 8,25 length tenth. However, he pointed out she was a staying type and hence had not enjoyed the slow pace at all. She could bounce back in the SA Oaks.

Tarry also won the Listed Aquanaut Handicap over 2400m with Wonderous Climber, who lost ground at the start but ran on strongly under Lyle Hewitson. This four-year-old Dynasty gelding has turned the corner since being sent over staying trips and has now won five of his last six starts. He has risen from a 62 merit rating to an 85. Tarry said his initial target in the Champions Season would be the Grade 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m at Greyville on June 1.

Tarry was disappointed in the run of Zillzaal in the Grade 1 SA Classic over 1800m, despite finishing fourth behind three top class horses. It was his distance behind them which had not pleased him. Before the race he had considered him a Vodacom Durban July possibility, but is now not so sure. However, he did say this horse preferred a quieter ride than he had been given. He had run handy is a fast run race. He also believed he might not be concentrating and would consider equipping him with blinkers. He will go for the SA Derby next.

Last weekend Chimichuri Run ran a good 1,05 length third in the Grade 2 Khaya Stables Diadem Stakes over 1200m at Kenilworth. He was not running with a 2kg penalty, unlike the winner Kasimir, so the margin can’t be taken on face value. Tarry is not convinced he is a five furlong horse, but will still likely run him in the Grade 1 Computaform Sprint over 1000m at Turffontein on May 4, a race which Kasimir will avoid. Tarry reckoned Chimichuri Run had also been a bit too handy in the Diadem and believed he was a better horse coming from off the pace.

The two fillies Green Plains and Exquisite Touch will also be Computaform entry possibilities, although Tarry is happy with what they have achieved to date and anything further would be a bonus.

Another obvious candidate for the Computaform would be Cirillo, although like Chimichuri Run and Green Plains he would probably prefer six furlongs. Cirillo is the highest earning thoroughbred in South Africa this season, which is a fine feather in the cap for Pomodoro.

By David Thiselton

The Vaal nine race card offers some fair opportunities tomorrow for both exotic and on the nose players.

In the second race over 1800m, a workrider’s event, Mighty Rock has everything in his favour and will be hard to beat. Last time over 2000m he had to be used up a little to get into the lead from a wide draw and he was sent for home early too. Under the circumstances he did well to only just fail, especially as he had been found to have cast a shoe. He now has the pole position draw and represents the lethal combination of Paul Peter and Charles Ndlovu. Wild Fire is never far off and represents the chief danger with first-time blinkers on. The filly Plum Field should also improve over this trip.

The third race is a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1200m with a few first-timer involved. Got The Greenlight made a good impression on debut when matching it with an odds-on first-timer from the Mike de Kock yard. He was beaten only 2,2 lengths and the rest of the field were way back so he could also be hard to beat. However, he has to take on another ominously well-bred De Kock first-timer called Ehsaan. This Captain Al colt is out of an unraced More Than Ready mare whose dam by Red Ransom is a daughter of Tracy’s Element, a champion Australian-bred by Last Tycoon who graced the SA turf for Ormond Ferraris in the 1990s. The Bold Silvano colt Western Park is also an interestingly-bred first-timer being a full brother to Star Profile, who had useful juvenile form and finished third in the Grade 3 Pretty Polly Stakes over 1100m, just 3,25 lengths behind Green Plains and beating the like of Desert Rhythm.

In the fourth race over 1200m It Takes Two is made the best bet on the card. She has finished close up to three decent sorts in succession, Scent Of Evening, Florida Quays and Boutique, and has very little to beat from a high draw over an ideal trip. Gavin Lerena is booked and she has a high draw, which is usually favourable. Catch A Glimpse, who was 3,85 lengths behind It Takes Two last time, could be the chief danger. Hartleyfive can be involved if reproducing her debut run behind the useful Blonde Vision.

The fifth race over 1200m should be doddled by Celtic Sea, at least on paper, as she has speed and is well in at the weights. If she fluffs her lines then either Victor Forth of Benji could pick them up.

The sixth over 1200m is one of the more tricky races on an overall easy looking card. In this 1200m handicap Smoke could be the one to beat if reproducing his last run over course and distance when 5,25 lengths behind San Fermin in a race where he was under sufferance. He does make breathing noises and wore a tongue tie for the first time in the latter race. Certifiable is the most reliable PA choice in this race as he loves this course and distance and has Lerena up from a high draw. Moon Warrior has been kept mainly to 1000m but was charging home over that trip last time so might now get the 200m further trip. However, all of Snow In Seattle, Battle Creek and Prince Jordan have to also be included in the Pick 6 and Jackpot and the risk averse should consider going even wider.

In the seventh over 2400m Forest Express and Woodland’s Forest are both proven over the trip and well weighted so should fight it out. Forst Express is preferred as Woldland’s Forest will be having his first run at altitude, which will be a test over this marathon trip. Ryder can also be included in the exotics as he has eyecatching breeding for this distance, although he has admittedly failed in two previous attempts over staying trips. He is by Mambo In Seattle out of the Rakeen mare Winona, who won the Listed Queen Palm over 2600m.

The eighth is a tricky fillies and mares handicap over 1700m. The Sash represents the in form Mike and Adam Azzie yard and is drawn in pole. She has finished close to some decent sorts over distances of 1450m to 1800m and is drawn in pole. Mattina will enjoy this trip from a plum draw and Flowing Gown can never be ignored. Return To Power, Curbstone Shuffle, Elegancia, reserve runner Kapama, Poormanslady and Big Myth can also be included.

The last race over 1400m is an uninspiring maiden and should be fought out by two promising unexposed horses, Hareer and Fife. The hard knocking Targaryen Queen can also be included.         

By David Thiselton

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