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

Chesney van Zyl has made the move to Summerveld from Gauteng, lock, stock and barrel. His recent local runners have been saddled by his father Gavin while he has settled in so La Bahia marks his real start as a KZN trainer, and it could prove a winning one.

La Bahia is rated a couple of lengths better than most of the opposition and Van Zyl is fairly bullish about his filly’s chances as she takes to the poly track for the first time. “She shows good work on the sand at home so I think she will be suited to the poly,” he said. “Anton (Marcus) also asked for the ride which is always a good thing. It’s better when a jockey asks for the ride, rather than you putting them on, because you then know that he has confidence in his mount which is always a good thing.”

La Bahia does look the right one if you are prepared to put a line through her last effort in a work riders plate and bookmakers have her at around 12-10 favourite but the likes of Starlight, Hey Jude and Liquid Irish are all in the picture.

Punters are faced with another tricky card of maidens and lowly handicaps which could make for some rough results.

War Trumpet (28-10) is at the top of the boards for the fourth. Andre Nel’s runner is lightly raced but made good improvement at his second run after a break and should strip at his peak. Bedazzled Joker (7-1) took on much stronger last outing and was not far back. He had consistent previous form but does have a wide draw to contend with here while Lithuanian’s Dream (14-1) can do better than his recent form with the switch to the poly and first-time blinkers.

It’s 5-1 the field in the fifth but Wendy Whitehead was full of praise after Getaway shed her maiden. She has had her problems but won well enough to suggest that she can go in again. Vase was an impressive maiden winner first up on the poly track. She had some fair Cape form before that. The blinkers come off Geographe Bay and with a further drop in the ratings she will be competitive. Yaas and Fair Antonia are others to consider in a difficult race.

Open Court and Royal Rustler should both be competitive in the sixth while Roy Magner, a rare visitor to KZN, saddles the well-tried Alex The Great who has been dropping rapidly in the handicap and takes to the poly for the first time.

Garth Puller and Anton Marcus team up with the relatively lightly raced Belle Of Paris in the Qualified Maiden, another potential minefield. She has improved at recent outings but is likely to be hard-pressed by the likes of Roy’s Novice, Fonteyn and Whispering Hill.

In the last race of the evening, Siberian Husky only got a three-point raise for his last win when taking on stronger and can go in again while Cuduiari goes well on the poly and is overdue a win. He has a handy weight and rates a strong chance.

By Andrew Harrison

The Gauteng Fillies Guineas (GFG) winner Nafaayes is favourite for the second leg of the Triple Tiara, the SA Fillies Classic to be run over 1800m at Turffontein Standside on Saturday, but the question is whether she will handle the step up in trip.

The Triple Tiara and the three races within it are sponsored by Wilgerbosdrift Stud, who have two home-breds running in Saturday’s race, Chitengo and Blossom.

Nafaayes stayed on from a handy position in the GFG, having been given a fine ride from draw three by Warren Kennedy. She should get the run of the race again from pole position and trainer Mike de Kock said he believed she would just get the 1800m but anything further would be a question mark.

Chitengo was caught a touch wide early on in the GFG and after keeping up in the straight from a handy position she was making some eyecatching late progress. She will relish the step up in trip and if Raymond Danielson can place her well from draw nine she has a chance.

Ronnie’s Candy was the unlucky horse in the GFG. She has a fine turn of foot but never saw the daylight which could have enabled her to really let herself down. She was also eased before the line so should have finished third. She has plenty of speed, having won the SA Fillies Nursery, but has learnt to settle recently and could get the trip if Karl Zechner is able to find cover from draw eight.

Last season’s Champion two-year-old filly Return Flight had always struck as one who would be ideally suited to this course and distance as a galloping type who stays on resolutely. The best of her has not yet been seen this season and she will be a threat from draw two.

Her stablemate Second Request proved her class down in Cape Town and could well be the stable elect.

Running Brave was touched off in the GFG and has another good draw so this gallant sort should be right there.

Storm Destiny was caught wide in the GFG and after moving up she faded. That was not the first time she had been undone by a bad draw, but on other occasions she has shown her class so is the dark horse from a good draw of six this time.

Skye lane is an interesting runner having finished a fine fourth at 100/1 odds in the CTS 1600, although it is never easy for a horse who has moved up from Cape Town to Jo’burg running straight away in a feature.

Dagmar was sixth in the GFG but now has a tough draw so is an unlikely winner.

I Like It and Blossom also look held from wide draws.

Perfect Tigress is drawn well and runs for an in form yard but she will need to have improved a lot from the GFG.

By David Thiselton

Procrastination, scratched (not eating up) when favourite for a maiden at Kenilworth earlier in the month, is odds-on  to gain compensation in the Tabonline.co.za Maiden on Saturday when Cape Town racing reverts to Durbanville for the entire month plus three of the first five meetings in April.

World Sports Betting opened him at 4-10 yesterday and the bookmakers also expect Andre Nel to win the next with Metropolitan who already as short as 8-10. Aldo Domeyer rides both and he could have a field day because five of his eight rides are favourites and two are second favourites.

By Michael Clower

Speak to any trainer and you will soon be told how difficult it is to encourage new owners into the sport. There have been many incentive schemes that have gone belly up for one reason or another but one that did pay dividends yesterday was Yessiricanboogie’s win in the first race at Scottsville.

Her owners, and there were a lot of them, lifted the grandstand roof as Gareth van Zyl’s filly put daylight between herself and the opposition – and she did not run loose – backed in from an ante-post call off 28-10 to deep in the red.

The pressure was not lost on Van Zyl. “Driving up, the rescue tablets couldn’t come fast enough. My stomach was a washing machine,” he confessed.

The golf course is where big business is done and first prize in the KZN Breeders’ Golf Day was a buying voucher for the KZN yearling sales.

The voucher was put to good use, resulting in the purchase of Yessiricanboogie and there were a lot of happy owners on course yesterday.

“The aim is to have a runner on July day in the KZN Million race, so hopefully it all goes according to plan,” said Van Zyl. Barring accidents, they are already halfway there.

Pearl Of Asia came out of the same barrier trial as Yessiricanboogie and the form held up in the second with Robbie and Shannon Hill’s colt getting home narrowly in a three-way fight for the line, Gareth Wright managing to squeeze a little bit extra to get home ahead of Master Jay and African Warrior. “He has a good action and I just let him roll and ask the others to come and fetch me.”

One for the notebook is Ruby Spirit. Duncan Howells is top of the KZN trainer’s log by stakes won but the yard has been going through a quiet patch of late, not helped by a disappointing trip to Cape Town for Met day.

The mood will have been lifted somewhat by Ruby Spirit’s comfortable win in the third. “We were pleasantly surprised that he showed so much on debut,” said Duncan. “If the race had been over 1200m he would probably have won. It’s early times but he’s got some scope.”

“We have had trouble with his (flat) feet but thanks to our farrier Dom Finnis, we seem to have got on top of that problem.”

Quite often there is no explanation for a disappointing run when much is expected. Roy’s Flash was quietly fancied for a big effort at Greyville last Friday but it was just one of those days according to Frank Robinson. “We expected much more. It was just one of those runs. You just had to put a line through it.”

It was a good call as Serino Moodley judged his race to perfection and Roy’s Fish did just that, flashing up late to deny long-time leader Kheelan Dynasty, favourite Farm Yard Tractor chugging along into fourth.

It was a Van Zyl one-two in the sixth with Van Zyl senior edging out Van Zyl junior and Luke Ferraris riding a cracking finish on Don’t Look Back to beat Paths Of Victory.

Shane Humby has one of the better winning strike-rates in the country but he is a trainer who does not race his horses just for the sake of it. So, when they do step out there is always a plan and you generally get a solid run for your money.

Anton Marcus rode a confident race on Fever Tree Handicap favourite Tribal Fusion, tracking the pace before firing through to land the odds. The filly Fiorella, over her disappointing trip to Cape Town, stayed on gamely for second and this was a good warm-up before she stretches to a more optimum trip.

By Andrew Harrison