When Brett Crawford won the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate four years ago with 6-1 shot Futura the general opinion was that he was lucky. The pace was funereal and odds-on Legislate finished last with his lungs found to be full of mucus. It was not until the Met three weeks later that horse and trainer got the credit they deserved.

Undercover Agent on Saturday is a different story. The second of the Green Point four, he goes into the race acknowledged as a strong contender with his trainer fancying his chances.

Crawford said: “He has improved this season – he is a lot stronger and more mature mentally. There was virtually nothing in it between the first four last time and it’s going to be a question of who has come on the most. I know Undercover Agent has come on and he has done a really good gallop since.”

There is another reason for the trainer’s confidence.Undercover Agent made much of the running four weeks ago and this time it looks as if he won’t have to. “A horse like him needs to use himself so we had to do what we did – we couldn’t wait for the others to go and then turn it into a sprint. Hopefully we will get a genuine pace this time and that will suit my horse.”

What of the opposition? Who does he fear most? “You have to respect the other three in the Green Point finish – any one of them could turn it around. I don’t know how strong the three-year-old colts are this season but the horse coming down from Jo’burg (Buffalo Bill Cody) won exceptionally well at Turffontein. I know he is still quite a few pounds shy on ratings but that doesn’t mean he can’t make the improvement.”

By Michael Clower

It would appear Amazing Strike has been put into “the race of the century”, Saturday’s Grade 1 L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate, as a pacemaker although trainer Eric Sands was non-committal on this question.

Sands’ stalwart four-year-old Rainbow Bridge over-raced for a few strides when caught without cover in the slow run Grade 2 Green Point Stakes last time yet still managed to fly at the finish to beaten a long-head into fourth. He now has to give 2kg to the trio who beat him, Legal Eagle, Undercover Agent and Do It Again, but he has been priced up as the joint favourite with Legal Eagle, which implies bookmakers believe in a true run race he will perform 2kg better.

Amazing Strike’s presence might ensure a true run race as he has the speed to compete with the best sprinters and has won four times from 1400-1450m.

However, Sands said about Amazing Strike, “It will probably be his last run and he is there for a bit of fun. He is by Ideal World (a stamina influence) and has won some of his 1400m races going away so there is no reason he should not stay 1600m. A horse should be given every opportunity and we have him ready for the day. He is drawn in two so will be up there. But there are going to be a lot of horses trying to get into that box seat.”

It will be his first run for the Sands yard.

He is owned by Mauritzfontein Stud, who are the breeders of Rainbow Bridge. Furthermore, Mauritzfontein joint-owner Mary Slack has Buffalo Bill Cody in the race and he will also appreciate a good pace.

Meanwhile, Rainbow Bridge has been doing very well.
Sands said, ““He is just as well as he was last time, he is fit and hopefully there is a decent pace this time.”

He has done his preparation at Sands’ Milnerton base.

Sands did send Amazing Strike to the course for a gallop. He likely needed one as he finished downfield in the Cape Merchants, his fist run of the season and his last outing for former trainer Alec Laird.

By David Thiselton

The Paul Peter yard will discuss whether to send Lebelo Sprint winner Rebel’s Champ down for the Grade 1 Betting World Cape Flying Championship this week.

Meanwhile, Duncan Howells has nominated his crack three-year-old Thanksgiving for the Grade 1 Cape Derby and Fiorella for the Grade 1 Majorca Stakes on Sun Met day.

Peter said Rebel’s Champ prefers a little sting out of the ground, whereas the going at this time in Cape Town is firm so the decision to send him down will not be taken lightly.

The Rebel King four-year-old gelding, owned by the Hyperpaint Syndicate, cost just R10,000 at the sales where he was selected by Peter.

He recalled, “He looked like a little teddy bear with a long winter coat. But I looked through the coat and he was very immature. He has a lovely action and a lovely temperament and gets better all the time. He is very strong, he is stocky and thick set with a strong hindquarter and lovely shoulder, he has the perfect build for a sprinter. He has had his quirks which we have worked on.”

Indeed, as one stage he appeared to prefer running in isolation.
Peter confirmed, “Yes he was a bit claustrophobic but as he gets older it does not worry him so much and the blinkers have helped a lot.”

Howells’ Dynsaty colt Thanksgiving impressed when second in the Grade 2 Dingaans and followed up with a classy win over 1600m at Greyville last week.

He said, “He won’t have a problem with the distance. He and Fiorella will travel down ten days before to give me time to work on them down there. He is not difficult to train and is pretty fit.”

Howells had intended to run Fiorella in the Grade 1 Cartier Paddock Stakes this Saturday but had to shelve that plan.

He said, “She ran a bit of a flat race in Johannesburg last time and took the race hard.”

By David Thiselton

What started as a frustrating weekend with four second places, turned into a New Year’s celebration for Louis Goosen at Greyville yesterday with a trio of winners. It has not been easy for trainers in KZN over the past few weeks. First it was blistering heat and almost drought conditions, followed by a few torrential storms, especially at Ashburton where staff spent their lives sorting out the sand tracks that were seemingly forever being washed away.

As a consequence, work patterns were interrupted, some horses affected more than others.

The Grey Crusader was one of the quartet of seconds last Friday and it is not often that local trainers back up in a race four days later.

“I could only work him 400m on the grass before that last race,” said Goosen. “You can’t get a horse fit like that. Friday night was just a gallop.”

“He cleaned his bowl, no temperatures and no coughing so we took our chances today.”

It was a chance well taken as apprentice Jason Gates took The Grey Crusader to the front and was never headed.

Gates was back in the winner’s box half an hour later as he rode a driving finish on Imperial Royal for Wayne Bardenhorst. It started as a three-way tussle in the home straight with La Duchesse and Fonteyn the initial protagonists but just as La Duchesse got the better of Fonteyn, Gates arrived late to snatch a short-head decision.

Haddington is one of the biggest horses in training and easily picked out in the early morning gallops but he has been affected by the wet weather and a change of equipment, or rather lack of it, saw him put his opposition to the sword in the third to give Goosen his second winner in spite of him dislodging rider Eric Ngwane in the parade.

Ngwane, recently out of his time, rides regular work for Goosen and knows Haddington well. “He doesn’t like horses around him and doesn’t quicken when there are horses in front of him,” explain Ngwane as to why he made an early move on the home turn. “He keeps going at the same pace so I let him roll and just played with him to keep him going.” Haddington rolled home by seven lengths.

“Marco van Rensburg (who rode him last time) said I must remove the blinkers. He was over-racing,” added Goosen. “I just let Eric ride his own race.”

Van Rensburg did the honours for Goosen in the last with Bravo Zulu just getting the better of Royal Rustler with the judges having to resort to a magnifying glass to separate the two.

Jeff Freeman has a small string and he got his New Year off to a good start as Muzi Yeni got home aboard What A Scorcher to tie the lead in the National Jockey’s Championship with Anton Marcus who had ended his year one ahead of Yeni. Marcus’s lead was short-live as Yeni went ahead again, albeit by a single winner, his second race of the afternoon on the Alyson Wright-trained Gorgeous Guest.

It was back to all-square in the championship as Marcus rode a hard-fought finish on the Garth Puller gelding Sentido in the seventh to beat off the challenge from Andre Nel’s pair of Selailai and Washington Square.
It’s still early days in the championship however, as there are still seven months of the season to run.

By Andrew Harrison

The Grade 3 Lebelo Sprint over 1000m heads the card at Turffontein tomorrow and Prince Of Kahal can continue to defy the handicapper.

This four-year-old Kahal gelding looked exceptionally well handicapped when dropping to an 87 considering he finished sixth in the Drill Hall Stakes and was unlucky not to get a place. He has won three times since then and has risen to a 98 but this might not be enough to stop him. The danger is Rebel’s Champ who has developed into a top class sprinter. This long-striding sort will be attempting to mow them down late but he does have to give Prince Of Kahal 6kg which will make it tough. However, those two should be enough to get punters through the Jackpot and Pick 6. Prince Of Kahal should be enough for the PA.

In the first race The Sands is made the value bet of the day. He over raced over 1600m last time so will appreciate the step down in trip and should be running on as he has shown a fair turn of foot before. He was well beaten in the Emperors Palace Ready To Run Cup when racing too handy. This is the weakest race he has been in since his debut in which he stayed on for a fair fifth over 1200m despite being green. A good draw will aid his cause.

In the second race Olofberg disappointed over course and distance on Saturday but is better than that and can be given another chance. Orapa looked to have plenty of promise early in his career and stayed on last time over course and distance to be beaten 1,95 lengths by Aurora Australis. He is now 2kg better off with the latter so there will be little in it.

In the first leg of the PA Nimcha, Flapjack and Wild Fire are the form horses and can all be included in a PA which is not going to cost a lot to play.  

Silver Thursday is 8kg better off than any other horse in the fourth and can be made a PA banker although she could still need it and Invincible Lady and Gottalottaluv can be included in the Pick 6. The latter has always struck as one who has possessed some class but would need time. She did well in first time blinkers last time and can rise above her current 70 merit rating, which puts her a whopping 12kg out with Silver Thursday here.

In the first leg of the Jackpot Throng was highly tried last season and has his third run after a rest off just a 79 merit rating over a suitable 1800m trip. Hakeem cracks a good draw for a change so will go close and Major Return is on the up and can also be included.

In the sixth race Oravar looks to have promise and the blinkers will aid him in his step back down to 1000m. He is a PA banker but Whorly Whorly could pop up one of these days and should be included and so can Brigtnumberten, who has speed and is interesting in his second run after gelding.

In the eighth race Running Brave is relatively well weighted and despite this 1160m trip being too sharp her class can pull her through. Made In Hollywood is comfortably best in at the weights so must be included despite a poor Highveld debut. On her best Cape Town form she would doddle this. Ouro is consistent and can also be included.

The last race is the toughest of the exotic legs. Mouth Keith, Cumberland and Certifiable all have high draws which are often advantageous over this 1160m trip and they should all be included in the PA. However, going as wide as possible is the advice for the Pick 6.

By David Thiselton