S’Manga Khumalo has been booked by Joey Ramsden to ride in seven of the eight races when Cape Town racing resumes after its two-week post Sun Met break at Kenilworth on Saturday.

The dual champion, still looking for his first Kenilworth winner of the season (he has had three seconds and two thirds from just 34 rides), gets the call partly because Donovan Dillon is still sidelined as the result of the injuries he received on Met day.

Double Alliance was difficult to load for the Tattersalls Summer Juvenile and reared with him in the pens causing the damage. Dillon finished fifth on the colt and rode in the next before being forced to call it a day. The failure to inform Hong Kong of the subsequent jockey changes caused that well-documented international furore.

Dillon said yesterday: “I tried to carry on with my other rides that day. The adrenaline was still flowing for a time but as soon as I had a bit of break the pain became unbearable. I proved to have damaged ligaments in my knee. I also have a damaged cartilage and bruising on the knee bone. I expect to be out for about six weeks.”

Anton Marcus will also be in action at Kenilworth on Saturday. The four-time champion has six rides – two for Candice Bass-Robinson, three for Brett Crawford and Mythical Bolt (a beaten favourite last time) for Sean Tarry.

Marcus, now leading the championship chase and 15-10 favourite for the title with World Sports Betting, has an impressive  strike rated of 26% at Kenilworth this season but this figure is significantly less than his near 32% national strike rate. Muzi Yeni, at the moment his only serious pursuer, went into yesterday’s Flamingo Park meeting four winners adrift on 111. That came from 921 rides compared with Marcus’s 362. Yeni is 28-10 second favourite.

Ryan Munger (792 rides) is a 14-1 chance and started yesterday in third place on 89 winners, with Greg Cheyne fourth on 82. But it’s the current champion Lyle Hewitson who is regarded as the biggest threat to the top two. He missed the early part of the season but is fast making up for lost time and has now ridden 92 winners. He is a 7-2 chance.

Gavin Lerena, 80 winners this term and champion in 2014/15, comes next on 4-1. Richard Fourie is twice that price despite also having ridden 80. Cheyne is a 33-1 shot – presumably because he has repeatedly said in the past that he is not going to go for the championship come what may!

By Michael Clower

The Vaal Classic track stages a low key eight race meeting tomorrow but there look to be some fair opportunities for punters.

Favourite backers should get off to a good start with Chief Of State who was green on debut when only just failing over this 1000m trip. The Toreador colt now represents the lethal combination of Paul Peter and Charles Ndlovu in this Workrider’s event. On formlines he has the chief danger Saint Michael well held. The latter ran second last week over this trip last week and could finish second again here. None of the other raced horses look to pose a threat.

In the second race over 1000m Cosmic Mist is the one with the most ability over this trip, but she costs herself with slow starts and last time was bumped coming out too which might not have done much for her confidence. She is now tried in blinkers and ear muffs. Captain’s Love ran on in eyecatching style last time over this trip in first time blinkers so has a good chance too. Without Limits was beaten two lengths by Captain’s Love last time and Mercer Girl was 0,6 lengths further back after a slow start and now runs in blinkers for the third time. Mega Lee’s first two runs were fair efforts when up with the pace and staying on but slow starts have cost her recently and she does not appear to be improving.  

In the third race over 2000m Spring Poetry has her third run after a layoff and went close in both of her comeback runs over 1400m and 1600m respectively. She has won over this trip before and has a plum draw. Azkur also has her third run after a layoff and has also won over the trip so should improve on her last two outings especially considering she has been dropped five points in the merit ratings. Waity Katie is a decent type and has dropped to a competitive merit rating. This is the first time she will be trying this trip but she was running on over 1700m in her penultimate start to the useful Chitengo and is drawn in pole so should get it.

In the fourth race over 1600m Wild Thoughts found a good position from a similarly tricky draw last time over this trip on Turffontein Standside and moved up well before being run out of it by a fair sort in Princess Lomitas. If she can repeat she is the one to beat. Sea Like Glass was effective from the front over this trip last time from a similarly wide draw and was only passed late. She was five lengths clear of Pigeon Post, who does however have scope for improvement. Pigeon Post is often backed and has obvious ability.

Last time in her first try at this trip the rider had difficulty settling her when dropping her in behind the field from a wide draw but she then ran on in eyecatching fashion, although she was too far back to be a threat. If she manages to find a handier position and settles she will go close. Julep was handy without cover last time over 1400m which did not suit her and she was also found to not be striding out. If finding cover from a tricky draw and coming from off the pace like she did when going close in her penultimate start over this trip then she has a chance. Ideal Cut was just behind Julep last time over 1400m and can improve over this step up in trip.

In the fifth race over 1600m Only To Win only just failed last time over 1450m when running on against some decent types. She is now drawn in pole off an attractive merit rating and over a trip she is proven over. Seville Orange won in commanding fashion in her last start over this trip from a similarly wide draw and looks to be coming into her own so should go close off just a three point higher mark. High Seas Beauty is capable of a strong finish from off the pace so will likely be dropped out from her high draw. She was staying on in her first try at this trip last time behind a fair sort.

In the sixth race over 2400m Master And Man dictated in a similarly small field over this trip in his penultimate start and only just failed to hold on. He followed with a fine effort over 1800m against some useful horses and is going to be hard to beat in this field. Hands Of Man and Africa’s Gold make most appeal of the rest.

In the seventh over 1450m Warrior’s Rest is a resolute front-running galloper who stretches fields and then continually turns it up a notch. However, he has to be in front, because he does not have the necessary turn of foot when sitting behind slower paces. The blinkers have now been fitted probably to help him get to the front as last time he was held up in second place. Monopolize enjoys this trip and will be a threat. The filly Greener Pastures is the best in at the weights on official merit ratings and is also distance suited. However, it is never easy against the boys and she has a wide draw to overcome.

In the last race over 1000m Elbi makes most appeal having performed above her merit rating last time over this trip when a close up second to the useful Casual Wear. Mademoiselle has become ultra consistent and is distance suited and there is not much between her Ulla and Nicky Noo so those three must also be included. Last Chirp is better than her recent form suggests and has dropped to a competitive merit rating so is an outsider to consider.

By David Thiselton

Last year’s Vodacom Durban July winner Do It Again now has Durban on his agenda for a second time following his three-quarter length defeat in the Sun Met but at the moment he looks unlikely to attempt to win South Africa’s most famous race for a second time.

Jono Snaith said: “We are discussing it with the owners (Nic Jonsson, Bernard Kantor and Jack Mitchell) but he will most likely not run in the July because of the handicap. He will instead go for the Rising Sun Gold Challenge and the Champions Cup.”

No horse has won the July in successive years since El Picha at the turn of the century and as things stand at the moment Do It Again could be expected to be given top weight. Since Pocket Power dead-heated with the Justin Snaith-trained Dancer’s Daughter in 2008 only Marinaresco (2017) has won with top weight.

A week ago the handicappers put Do It Again one point above his Met conqueror Rainbow Bridge. Little went right for the favourite in the Met. He lost significant ground at the start and was shuffled back to second last. Three furlongs out he was last of all and, although he then made good progress, he hung badly right away from the whip and did so again when Richard Fourie changed his stick to his right hand. There now appears to be a jinx on favourites in the Met – Do It Again was the seventh in a row to meet with defeat.

Jono Snaith said: “We thought he was unlucky but that’s racing and, in any case, I wouldn’t want to take anything away from the winner.”

By Michael Clower 

Torrential rain and lightning that affected the outside broadcast was not enough to stop racing at Greyville yesterday. Bucketing rain flooded the poly track but after a lengthy delay, tractors squelching through the puddles and a track inspection, racing went ahead.

The Ashburton stable of Louis Goosen was in the doldrums for a few months towards the end of last year, but the wheel has turned in the past few weeks and he took his season’s tally to 15 as Bravo Zulu, showing no ill effects from his narrow loss last Wednesday, backed up with a solid victory in the first.

Goosen had lodged an objection on Wednesday which was over-ruled, which in the light of yesterday’s win, was probably a blessing.

“It was probably 50/50,” commented Goosen on the objection. “But you know it was 90/10 with the emotion taking over.”

The storm hit shortly after the running of the first and it was over an hour before Getaway got to strut her stuff for Wendy Whitehead. The temperamental Diamondsandpearls was sent out favourite but came under pressure early in the straight as Getaway lived up to her name.

“She’s a really nice filly, very quick,” said Whitehead. Getaway finished fourth behind winners in a KZN Breeders race but pulled a back muscle which took time to heal, hence the lengthy break.

Diego de Gouveia had a rocky start to his riding career, in and out of the Jockey Academy and riding in work rider races for a time, but his perseverance has paid off. More importantly he has caught the eye of some of the bigger yards in Gauteng and made the most of his ride on Atyaab to win the Gr1 Cape Derby for Mike de Kock on Sun Met day.

De Gouveia was only three weeks out of his time as an apprentice before winning the Derby and he showed yesterday why he has been given chances at the highest level as he steered Moshav home in the third for Stuart Pettigrew.

Well off the pace turning for home, De Gouveia steered the favourite through gap after gap to get the favourite home when at one stage he was staring at defeat.

Ivan van Wyk is one of the quiet men of racing training off the farm at Yellow Star Stud in the KZN midlands and he is mostly left with the lessor lights. But he has kept the seven-year-od Putchini on the boil and he scored the eighth win of his career in 83 starts when landing the fourth. “He is never unsound,” said Van Wyk of his charge who had four starts last month.

Anton Marcus has plum rides nearly every meeting and he makes the most of them as he rarely goes home without at least one scalp on his belt. His winning strike rate is nearly one in every three rides – 31.5% currently.

 He scored a double yesterday, driving Wordbuster home for Garth Puller in the fifth to deny championship rival Muzi Yeni on Whiskey Road and he went two clear of Yeni with another polished ride on Sir Bernadini for Dennis Bosch in the seventh with Yeni, who did not get the best of passages, third on Legend.

Serino Moodley is another rider just out of his time and he caused something of an exotic bet boil-over as he got Frank Robinson’s 20-1 chance Komeshans Flight home ahead of Heart Of A Legend.

Keagan de Melo deputised for De Gouveia on the Pettigrew-trained Bel Canto Chorus in the last, as De Gouveia was forced to leave early or miss his flight back to Johannesburg. It proved something of an arm-chair ride for De Melo as Bel Canto Chorus sprinted clear and won as she liked.

By Andrew Harrison

Greyville has two polytrack meetings this weekend and it looks as competitive as usual.

In tonight’s fifth race over 1400m Red Shift is a typically progressive Silvano gelding with a lovely action and can make it three wins from four starts on the poly. However, Edge Of The Sun is the one to beat on paper. They had the identical respective draws of tonight when last meeting and Edge Of The Sun not only beat Red Shift by 0,3 lengths but he is also 2,5kg better off. However, Red Shift is chosen though as he appeared to run a bit of a flat race that time.

In the sixth race tonight Paybackthemoney looks to be a fair sort and can go close first time out the maidens from draw three off a reasonable 76 merit rating. However, topweight Noble Joshua is also on the up and Siberian Husky has some decent Cape Town form and now has Anton Marcus up so is also a must include.

The meeting on Sunday could start with a deserved win for Kingsmead, who has run two good seconds in succession over this 1000m trip. However, Wendylle will be a big runner as he at last has a low draw form which his front-running style will be at its most effective. 

In the third race over 1200m Bridal Veil has had the cheek pieces removed and this might spark a return to form. She has been dropped in trip to 1200m and has a decent draw of six for a change. She looked to be going places at one stage and now runs off a merit rating which has plummeted to 54.

Luke Ferraris rides her and could then score a quick 1200m double as he is drawn in pole in the next on the improved hattrick-seeking Play The Knight who looks capable of overcoming a five point merit rated raise after his commanding win over 1400m last time.

By David Thiselton