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

Vase returns from a lengthy break but comes from a very much in form stable and looks the part in the card opener on the Greyville poly tonight.

It’s a card dedicated to the lessor lights of the horse population but Vase comes off some useful Western Cape form and Andre Nel’s KZN assistant, Byron Forester, has his runners ticking over nicely at present.

Nel also has a knack of sending up horses to KZN that are well suited to the synthetic surface and Vase was not too far back to the well performed Ryker in her barrier trial.

Likely danger is Wishful Words, who was much improved with a tongue-tie last start and has come to hand nicely.

Louis Goosen has had a quiet spell of late but saddles a few with good chances this evening. Yaas could round off his year in the second where Anton Marcus gets the leg up. The filly is way better than her last two and the recent death of her owner, Max Naidoo, will make victory all that more poignant.

The Naidoo-owned Fleek could round off a Goosen double but she will have to get past Redeem The Gold who showed promising improvement at her second start. Sean Tarry’s filly showed up well in her two barrier trials and there should be more to come. Fleek is quick and way better than her last two and with a 4kg claimer aboard she could run them off their feet. Duchess Lane has a pedigree that suggest that she should prefer a lot further but she has not been far back in her first two starts and can still show more.

Brett Crawford’s filly Awayinthewoods has proved expensive to follow and was a beaten favourite at her last two but Marcus has stuck with her and she tries the poly for the first time. She may be worth another chance in the fourth. Biggest threat could come from Alistair Gordon’s runner Lewa Downs who has yet to finish out of the money. She was a beaten favourite last run but one of her best runs has been on the poly.

The fifth is an open handicap but Path To Glory is useful and lightly raced. She has had two outings since a break and did well in a strong field last time out. Miss Calypso has her third run after a break and has been up against slightly stronger while Mitra Music was a narrow winner when favourite last timeout and although taking on slightly stronger here but has a chance again. Girl In Gold has been disappointing but has not been far back at recent outings.

The sixth is a tough race with plenty in with chances. Ideal Duel made steady improvement leading to her last win and goes well on the poly while Laat Laamertjie is never far back and also goes well on the poly. Dark Chocolate and Red Al are others to consider.

The Grey Crusader is likely to set the pace in the seventh. He has a 4kg claimer up but is sure to be tracked by French Legend with Marcus up. There was very little between the two when last they met. Shine Up is a professional maiden but he took on winners last time out and his form before that was not bad and he has a chance in this line-up.

Marcus and Goosen team up in the last with Song Of The Forest and although she takes on males she is lightly raced and is in a weak field.

By Andrew Harrison