Oh Susanna has recovered from her injuries in the Sun Met and is back on course for the KZN season but the Horse of the Year’s post-race veterinary report reads like a despatch from the Charge of the Light Brigade – a mouth injury, cuts in her right hind leg and lame as well.

Justin Snaith said: “I think it happened when Do It Again ducked in behind her. We put her on antibiotics and anti-inflammatories that night but on the Monday after the race she could hardly walk.

“However by the end of that week she was OK again and she is now in a paddock with Snowdance. She will go to Durban and we just have to choose which races.”

Glen Kotzen had to abandon Vodacom Durban July ambitions with Cape Derby winner Eyes Wide Open last season but he is determined to get there this time despite the problems that have arisen in the meantime.

The Woodhill trainer, successful in the July with Big City Life ten years ago, said: “Eyes Wide Open is haemo-concentrating. We got him right before the Met but obviously not right enough. He came with a strong run but then didn’t go through with it.

“It is a lot of work but we will do it for Durban and get him right. Maybe the change of scenery will help as he has done very well up there in the past.”

The four-year-old won the Premiers Champion two seasons ago and from a limited KZN campaign last year he finished third in the Champions Cup.

Vaughan Marshall is to aim his CTS 1600 winner One World at the Winter Guineas at Kenilworth on April 27 while there is a possibility that last season’s Cape Guineas winner Tap O’Noth could be retired to stud.

Snaith runs three in the opening maiden juvenile at Kenilworth on Saturday with Richard Fourie on Rio Querari. The R625 000 CTS Ready To Run purchase is the first horse the champion trainer has had for former British Racing Journalist of the Year Richard Edmondson and his intrepid Sky News war correspondent wife Alex Crawford. Bryn Ressell and Jill Warner are partners in the colt.

By Michael Clower

The Vaal Classic track stages a ten race meeting tomorrow and exotic dividends should be healthy as the racing is competitive.

In the first leg of the PA over 1800m Powered Beauty makes most appeal. The last time he tried this distance he only just failed and is now three points lower in the merit ratings. He does have a wide draw to overcome but in the aforementioned race came from way off the pace under the same jockey, Hennie Greyling. Ryder was not disgraced on Saturday over 1600m in a strong Assessment Plate having stayed on well to be close up in a handicap over 1450m before that. He stays this trip and is drawn in pole so should be involved. He was beaten by Storm Outgoing when they last met. The latter is also well drawn over an ideal trip. However, he does have to bounce back from a poor run last time where he was found to be coughing. Those are the three chosen to get punters through.

In the first leg of the Pick 6 over 1800m Odd Rob used to be a talented but quirky sort who didn’t enjoy being in front and was hard to win with. However, he has become ultra-consistent and didn’t mind the step down to this trip last time, getting up after a late charge. He is only two points higher so can make another bold bid from a fair draw. The Dazzler is a well regarded and progressive sort who is ideally distance suited and he jumps from a plum draw. He does have to carry a big weight though. Yamoto has his third run after a layoff and gelding from a plum draw off a two point lowered merit rating. He should be coming into his own being by Dynasty and should enjoy this trip. Finchatton has fallen to a competitive merit rating and this is an ideal trip, so is hard to ignore. Throng can’t be ignored either as he was staying on in his penultimate start over this trip and is now 2,5kg better off with Odd Rob for a 2,7 length beating and Hewitson is up. He does have the widest draw in the eight horse field though. Come The Day is distance suited and should also be coming into his own so is another one who is tough to ignore. 

The first leg of the Jackpot is even harder being a fillies and mares handicap over 1800m. Big Myth is the choice as she has dropped to a competitive merit rating and will be dangerous from the front under Hewitson, although she does have to come from a wide draw. Mattina disappointed last time when not striding out over 2000m but is now drawn in pole over an ideal trip and has a tongue tie on, having made a respiratory noise when only just failing over this trip in her penultimate start. Ossetra is chosen for third simply because she is the most consistent horse in a race with muddling form. Pretty Border, Angelic, Angelic Appeal, Blue Sage and Santa Vittoria also have to be considered for the Jackpot and Pick 6.

In the sixth race over 2400m Mighty And Magic, as a Twice Over gelding, is likely coming into his own and he is well drawn over a trip he enjoys with the champion jockey up. Village Deep is 1kg under sufferance but is a stayer coming into his own and has only 52kg to shoulder. Highlander can be relied on to be finishing strongly and can be dropped out from a wide draw.

In the seventh over 1450m Queen Moira had some eyecatching Cape Town form and was beaten by a fair sort in her second run on the Highveld last time over 1400m so can go close from a good draw. Invincible Lady drops right down from 2600m but is versatile and well drawn. She has dropped to a competitive merit rating.

In the eight over 1000m Twelve Oaks could cause an upset being just one point higher than her last winning mark and running over a trip she has won over. See You Tyger is in fine form and could claim the hattrick and Opera should also be involved.

In the last leg of the Pick 6 the topweight Arikel has a fine chance on a formline through Ulla. Ilha Da Var has a chance off a two point lowered merit rating. Fly North improved last time and has gone well for Hewitson before. Florence was not disgraced behind Ulla last time in her first run out of the maidens. Ilha Da Var has to be considered too. Queen Of War has dropped to a competitive merit rating and also has a chance.

By David Thiselton

Candice Bass-Robinson has less two-year-olds this season – between 40 and 50 compared with last term’s 60-plus – but they include some good horses and they have won four of the nine Cape Town juvenile races so far.

Cousin Liz, a R2.9 million National Yearling Sale purchase, looks the best seen out yet after being backed down to odds-on and making short work of the opposition in the Kenilworth opener on Saturday. “She is a smart filly loaded with ability and, not to beat about the bush, I think she is the real deal,” said an impressed (and recently bearded) Aldo Domeyer.

“I have to decide whether she will stay here for the Nursery or go to Durban,” said her trainer. “I don’t want her to get too hot so my gut feeling is to stay put. She cost a lot so I can sleep easy now but I do think she has a bright future.”

Bernard Fayd’Herbe’s future includes a lot of air travel. He flies back to Dubai next week for Marinaresco in the Zabeel Mile (Feb 21) and is considering returning for South African meetings before the July winner’s next run in the Jebel Hatta on March 9.

He is in blistering form. The Pocket Power room punters were still marvelling at Friday’s Fairview treble when he notched up a quick Glen Kotzen double on Cat Daddy and Sommersonne. A painful coming together between his foot and the metalwork left him sore enough to miss the last two races but did nothing to diminish his enthusiasm. “I’m fine – nothing is broken,” he reasoned as he rather tenderly walked back into the jockeys’ room.

Unusually for racing at Kenilworth six of the eight races were won by favourites with Anton Marcus making it look deceptively easy on Nastergal and Run Fox Run (“She looks the real deal,” said Stan Elley, taking a leaf out of the Domeyer quotes book) but the one punters noted was Boomps A Daisy in the Tabonline.co.za Maiden. The newcomer took off when she finally cottoned on to what her rider was asking and she was only beaten a head by Fluttering. She will be backed off the boards next time.

All credit to Fluttering though. The Fosters’ homebred made every metre and bravely answered her rider’s every call to make her critics eat their words. Interestingly both trainer and jockey seemed to blame themselves for last time’s defeat. “I let her go a bit too early and she got found out,” said M.J. Byleveld while Vaughan Marshall, full of praise for his stable jockey here, added: “I was worried that she hadn’t run for quite a while that last time – and the race brought her on.”

Joey Ramsden’s decision to fly in S’Manga Khumalo proved fully justified when the dual champion rode a peach of a waiting race to snatch the TAB Telebet Maiden in the last stride on 11-1 shot November Storm, described by his trainer as “a hard ride who can be quite reluctant.”

“The pace was on and I thought that giving him a chance – and not rushing him – should do the trick,” explained Khumalo, adding modestly: “I managed to get my head down at the right time.”

By Michael Clower

Eric Sands is aiming to make Rainbow Bridge the first horse to win the Met and the Vodacom Durban July in the same season since Pocket Power 11 years ago.

The Milnerton trainer said: “At this stage we are planning towards Natal, ending up with the July, and then bringing him back to Cape Town. The provisional programme is the Drill Hall, the Rising Sun Gold Challenge and then the July but it will depend on the timing of these races proving suitable for the horse.”

The Ideal World four-year-old is enjoying a well-deserved break at Julia Pilbeam’s Soetendal Estate near Wellington. “He does a light trot in the morning and comes in at night,” said his trainer. “He spends the rest of his day in a field with a 32-year-old pony for company.”

Cape Flying Championship winner Kasimir will step up a furlong for the Khaya Stables Diadem Stakes which is being run six weeks later this year on Saturday week. “He is in a very good place at the moment,’ said Justin Snaith who also has last year’s third Sergeant Hardy in the R400 000 Grade 2.

Fresnaye heads the 23 entries for the Vasco Prix du Cap while the Kenilworth Cup has been moved from November to boost this hugely popular Prawn Festival meeting which also includes the Jet Master.

By Michael Clower

Handicap ratings are a handy spanner in the toolbox of any serious punter and when a runner starts to come down in the handicap, it more often than not pays to follow.

Mr Roy was one such runner at Scottsville yesterday, down from a rating high of 104 to yesterday’s 96 in a Pinnacle Plate and with apprentice Jason Gates claiming 4kg, Mr Roy was the equivalent of an 88. That said, it was a fixed weights race but the inference was obvious and Gates, a talented rider not lacking in confidence or an opinion, got the best out of Alyson Wright’s charge to hold off favourite Tribal Fusion and Anton Marcus.

Give Gates the microphone and he is not short of a word or three and this being the 20^th win of his career and his claim cut to 2.5kg, he was not going to let the opportunity pass forcing Wright to forego her interview in order to saddle her next runner.

Marcus looked set for a red-letter afternoon as he booted home the first two winners on the card and in direct contrast to Gates in what has become the norm, he was not back for the interview, leaving the limelight to the owners and trainer.

Marcus partnered Hondo in the card opener for Garth Puller, the gelding having his second run for Puller who took over after the sudden death of Lennie Taylor last year. Always in the vanguard and travelling in first-time blinkers, Hondo kept running to hold off the first timer Ruby Spirit who showed pace and kept running to hold off Krishnies Jet for second. It was another second for Duncan Howells who is currently top of the KZN trainers log courtesy more to his 40 second places than his 29 winners.

Marcus was back in the winner’s circle for Dennis Drier in the second aboard favourite Home Ruler although he had to work a touch harder than expected as Mantle refused to give in and chased him hard all the way to the line.

The third turned into a duel between Marcus aboard another favourite Amex, and reigning national champion Lyle Hewitson. It was a case of two of the best riders in the country up against each other this time it was Hewitson who triumphed narrowly. The two left the balance of the field chasing shadows, Thru’ The Trees in front, then Amex and Thru’ The Trees when it counted to give Lowan Denysschen a welcome winner.

There were more than a few patrons hanging on to the lead rope as King’s Cove made his way into the winner’s box for Doug Campbell. Under a smart ride from Warren Kennedy, who made a telling move to the outside rail in the straight, the Campbell home-bred won comfortably from Frankie Two Shoes with favourite Father’s Frost fourth but reported lame after the race.

If Howells was cursing his luck with his run of seconds, he was joined by Ashburton colleague Shane Humby whose runners finished runner-up in successive races. Top weight Tribal Fusion, game in defeat, was unable to give Mr Roy 6.5kg while Wayward was unable to peg-back the speedy Ronnie Rocket who ran all the way to the line for Pat Lunn and Keagan de Melo.

From the day Solid Gold won his first heat, Michael Roberts knew he had a good horse on his hands and the gelding confirmed that view with a solid win in the seventh, fighting off a determined challenge from favourite Exclusive Quantity with the rest a long way behind. Ante-post favourite Sacred Castle didn’t make it to the track as both Paul Peter runners on the day were scratched – injured in transit.

Marcus and Puller rounded off the meeting, with Jack Of Hearts tracking the pace all the way before Marcus delivered his mount with a telling run to win cosily from pacemaker, Roy’s Physco and stretch the riders tally to 120, a lead of eight over Muzi Yeni in the championship race.

By Andrew Harrison