It is unusual for a Port Elizabeth horse to be seen running in features in the major centres of Cape Town, KZN and Johannesburg let alone winning them, but Yvette Bremner has already achieved the latter feat twice this season.

On Saturday her assistant trainer Carl Hewitson took the speedy Rebel King filly Princess Rebel to Kenilworth to run in the Grade 2 Southern Cross Stakes over 1000m and she led from pillar to post under Carl’s SA Champion Jockey son Lyle to win by a cosy 2,25 lengths, beating the like of Magical Wonderland.

Last month the yard took their exciting three-year-old gelding National Park to run in the Grade 3 Graham Beck Stakes over 1400m at Turffontein and he slammed some good horses, including the highly regarded Chimichri Run, by 5,8 lengths under Ryan Munger.

National Park then started favourite for the prestigious Grade 2 Investec Dingaans over 1600m but finished a disappointing fourth, beaten 7,4 lengths by the top class prospect Hawwaam.

Carl said he believed the altitude might have affected the horse in the Dingaans and indeed there is anecdotal evidence that coastal horses raiding the Highveld hit a flat spot at about the 19 day mark that can last for a week. National Park’s Dingaans run would have fallen exactly in this period and Carl also pointed out the race had not panned out well as he had found himself having to do “the donkey work” in front, unlike in the Graham Beck when sitting just off the pace.

National Park is currently having a rest, but Carl said he had been “going bananas” in his paddock and looked keen to get back into work. He will be brought back shortly and aimed at the Grade 2 Gauteng Guineas.

Carl said the yard would like to keep four-year-old Princess Rebel to the minimum trip of 1000m as her career record over this trip to date read six wins and two seconds in eight starts. This was despite her staying on strongly on Saturday over the tough Kenilworth 1000m.

The yard are thus likely going to avoid the Sceptre Stakes in Cape Town, as that is over 1200m, and are leaning towards the Grade 1 Computaform Sprint over 1000m at Turffontein as her next out of province target. They also have no plans at present for the Grade 1 SA Fillies Sprint, which is over 1200m at Scottsville.

By David Thiselton

Summerveld trainer Dennis Bosch and his staff put in hours of work just to get the four-year-old Silvano gelding Born To Perform to the races and it paid dividends on Friday night when he powered home to 4,70 length win on debut over 1600m on the Greyville polytrack under Warren Kennedy.

Born To Perform, bred by Highlands Farm Stud and owned by R Hurchund, looks a lot like his famous mother Dancer’s Daughter, a strongly-built British-bred grey whose five Grade 1 wins included a celebrated dead-heat with the legendary Pocket Power in the Vodacom Durban July of 2008.

Dancer’s Daughter was ridden in that July by Kevin Shea, who related yesterday she had a mind of her own.

She would drag riders around the training centres and on the racecourses, other times she would stop dead-still and look around and then only go when she was ready to, and would usually go faster than the rider wanted her to, and by the end of her career she was becoming reluctant to jump out of the starting stalls.

Born To Perform has inherited the strength of his mother in both mind and body

Bosch explained how the grey would walk out of the ring in the mornings and then just stand stock still and no amount of effort would budge him. He just refused to work.

He is bred in the purple and was originally bought for R500,000 at the CTS Cape Premier Yearling Sale. However, this turned out to be a shrewd pinhook for he appeared just three months later in the CTS Empress Palace Select Yearling Sale and was bought by Mayfair Speculators for R800,000.

At this year’s Super Sale at Greyville, held annually just over a week before the July, the beleaguered Mayfair Speculators dispersed a lot of their horses. Born To Perform was one of them. His reputation for being difficult had preceded him so there was little interest and Dennis Bosch purchased him for just R55,000.

Bosch, a top jockey in his day, said, “I rode him for three months myself and I won’t do that again in a hurry. We gave him a lot of time to play in the paddock too and nursed him. A lot of work was put in by everybody in the yard. He is a sound horse but the main thing was his mind started coming right. There was still the worry of how we would get him to the racecourse, but both times we have taken him there he has been exceptionally well behaved. His whole attitude has changed and we got quite excited when he won due to the amount of work we had all put in.  I don’t want to read too much into the win but while we have his mindset right we will plan another race. He has matured into a nice horse and I think he will go further. I think if he runs well next time we will know we have the horse we think we have.”

Born To Perform wore pacifiers in his barrier trial on November 30 over 1000m on the Greyville poly and he stayed on in eye-catching style under Kennedy without being asked any questions.

On Friday night he was caught wide in the early stages of the 1600m Maiden Plate from a high draw but settled well and was then given a lead into the straight when another horse came around him. He had hit the front by the 350m mark and galloped on strongly. Kennedy said. “He galloped through the line so I think there is improvement to come.”

It is early days for the grey, but he is going the right way thanks to the big team effort put in by the Bosch yard and the collective patience of themselves and owner R Hurchund.

Silvano’s progeny tend to get better with age so this horse has an interesting career ahead of him.

To date Dancer’s Daughter has produced five runners and Born To Perform is her third winner.

By David Thiselton

Rainbow Bridge was installed 3-1 favourite when Betting World opened its book on the Sun Met yesterday with Do It Again (4-1) and Undercover Agent (8-1) – both also involved in that dramatic photo finish for last Saturday’s Green Point – the next two in the market.

Legal Eagle, who won the Green Point, is a 10-1 chance along with last year’s Met winner Oh Susanna and Mike de Kock’s pair Hawwaam and Buffalo Bill Cody.

The Sporting Post revealed yesterday that Bernard Fayd’Herbe weighed in half a kilo overweight on Rainbow Bridge. This is within the rules and quite legitimate but in such a close finish it could – theoretically at least – have made the difference between fourth and first.

By Michael Clower

Featured Image: Rainbow Bridge (Liesl King)

The Turffontein Standside track is one of the fairest in the country so punters should be able to have a good time of it in tomorrow’s nine race day time meeting.

In the first race Vida Es Bella hasn’t raced since July 26 over 1200m at the Vaal. This Duke Of Marmalade filly started favourite that day and appeared to be labouring at the 200m mark but then took off, although hanging inward cost her. The form of that race has worked out quite well and she doesn’t face a strong field here unless there are some good ones among the first-timers. The layoff will have given her time to mature and she should get through on ability. Her paternal half-sister Super Fine made a good debut when going close over 1200m. However, that was a weak race and she will need to improve considerably to win this. Miss Sabina makes the most appeal of the first-timers being a R525,000 Silvano filly out of the Sportsworld mare Sabina Park, who won the SA Fillies Nursery and SA Oaks.

In the second race over 2400m Orpheus has an easy task on paper over a trip he should stay as he found extra to repel a challenge over 2000m last time and eventually ran out a cosy winner. Gift For The Gap ran a fair race in the Dingaans and will enjoy the step up in trip so could pick up the pieces if Orpheus fluffs his lines. However, he is officially 5kg under sufferance with Orpheus so has a hard task.

In the third over 2000m Elusive Butterfly is a scopey sort who has plenty of improvement still to come and she will relish the step up to this trip, having stayed on well against a useful sort last time in an Assessment Plate over 1800m. Furthermore, she has the advantage of a pole position draw.She is half-a-kilogram under sufferance on official merit ratings but has to carry only 52kg. Sunshine Silk is a consistent sort and is a resolute galloper so will be course and distance suited and should go close, although she does have a tricky draw in the small field and can be headstrong occasionally in her customary blinkers. 

In the next over 2000m Cardiff Castle has the eyecatching booking of Lyle Hewitson. This horse has some good form in Cape Town in middle distance to staying races and tomorrow will be the first time he has cracked a draw on the Highveld. In his penultimate start he moved up well over 2200m but then found no extra so with the blinkers on for the third time he might appreciate this step down in trip and will enjoy the galloping course. Nuntius Oratorion has always struck a one who will get better as he matures and he should be right there if able to overcome a tricky draw over an ideal trip as his recent form has been franked. Gone With The Wind is a progressive sort who went close to Orpheus over this trip last time despite being way out at the weights under the Assessment Plate conditions and now back in a handicap he must have a big shout. However, he did make a breathing noise in that race which could be a concern. To The Regiment is an interesting runner as he has not been disgraced in his last two over 1700m and 1000m against fair sorts and on pedigree he should enjoy this trip. Highlander returns from a layoff but is capable of a strong finish from off the pace and can’t be ignored.

In the fifth over 1400m Aurora Australis has dropped to a competitive merit rating and sneaks into the handicap with the minimum weight.He was well drawn when winning on debut over this course and distance and is drawn in pole here with Hewitson up. He will need to get into the race quicker than in his last two starts but does pack a strong finish so is the one to beat. Bold Coast is ideally distance suited and in hard knocking form and there is not much between him and Varimax. Those three should be enough to get punters through.

In the sixth over 1600m Green Haze is hard to oppose on paper after his Dingaans third but he had pole position that day and In Cahoots, who had to overcome a wide draw, could get a lot closer and even possibly reverse the form. Chijmes is an improving sort who is worth including to.

In the seventh over 1600m Master Magic moved up well over 1800m last time before finding no extra and he might be looking for this step down in trip. Kurt’s Approval is only two points higher than his last win and is effective over this trip. Swing Vote ran quite well on his comeback from an eleven month layoff and if coming on from that run could be a threat with Strydom up over an ideal trip.

In the next over 1800m Owlinthetree is made the best bet on the card as he has been seen to stay on in his three runs to date up to 1400m and he should relish the step up in trip being by Dynasty out of a Giant’s Causeway maiden.

In the last race over 1800m Fly Thought by Philanthropist out of the Grade 1 Paddock Stakes winner Badger’s Gift is a big, rangy sort who stumbled at the start last time over this trip and was not suited to the tight Inside track. She will much prefer this galloping track and can get off the mark. Her wide draw is a concern and the well drawn Rubix can be included. This filly has talent has but is immature so has likely benefitted from a layoff, although the yard did reckon she would need it.

By David Thiselton

“He will win the Met,” predicted Richard Fourie after so nearly winning the thriller that was the Green Point Stakes on Do It Again at Kenilworth on Saturday.

The July winner was racing for the first time since his triumph in the historic event five months earlier and Justin Snaith was similarly buoyed with optimism. “That was a good run, the first time he has had a real blowout this season,” the champion trainer enthused. “It’s Queen’s Plate and Met now and, if he makes that extra improvement, well ……”

If Do It Again is a big race hope machine then Rainbow Bridge is an enigma. So much talent but so much temperament still to be harnessed. Only Eric Sands knows how and, to this observer at least, the trainer’s task looks to be somewhere between downright difficult and damn near impossible.

Backed down to 14-10 favouritism, the gelding burned up valuable energy fighting for his head in the early stages and, when Bernard Fayd’Herbe pressed the button in the straight, he hung fire for a fatal few strides. Approaching the furlong marker he was in full flight but still with four lengths to make up. The fact that he closed the gap to within all but a few precious millimetres says everything about both his talent and his potential.

True, he was receiving 2kg which he won’t get on January 5 but his jockey enthused: “He is getting better with every run,” while his trainer reflected: “He was taking on the best at their trip. I now know the strength of my horse and I’m happy as well as impressed.”

Sands deliberately took him late into the parade ring where the horse’s usual jig-jogging was much less evident than before. But apparently the four-year-old had got himself as stirred up as ever earlier in the afternoon. “I’ve got work to do,” said Sands feelingly.

In this memorable finish of three short heads Undercover Agent was second (Corne Orffer: “We knew it was only a prep but it was a great run and very exciting”) and Brett Crawford added: “It is very hard being the hare but he will come on from it in the Queen’s Plate and the Met”).

Legal Eagle, watched by proud Avontuur breeder Pippa Mickleburgh, was of course extending his unbeaten mile run to ten and somehow -only he knows how – Anton Marcus poached a big enough lead going to the front a furlong out to enable him to hold on when it must have seemed the hounds of hell were coming at him.

“Even when I got to the line I wasn’t sure,” he admitted.“Legal Eagle is a stronger horse this year than last despite the fact that he isn’t getting any better, and he is holding his form. You can set you clock by him. He is a special horse.”

Sean Tarry was as full of praise for the four-time champion as he was for the horse and confirmed that he has been aiming for the same amount of improvement still in the tank for the Queen’s Plate as he achieved a year ago.

But a word of congratulation to Ravaun Smit. The commentator stuck his neck out as bravely as any of the protagonists and declared Legal Eagle a short head winner while the judges were still reaching for their magnifying glasses.

Snowdance warmed up for her bid to become the first of her sex to win the Queen’s Plate since Mother Russia in 2011 by hardly breaking sweat in the pinnacle. She was almost unbackable at 1-3 with the bookies and 1-10 on the Tote. “She is in a good space which she wasn’t in the Durban season when she was always over-racing,” said Snaith who confirmed that Oh Susanna runs next in the Paddock Stakes before attempting to win a second Sun Met.  “I will have her spot on for the Paddock,” he insisted. “Last time I got caught out and I am not going to let that happen again.”

Lyle Hewitson, who played a part in Legal Eagle’s third Green Point by sitting on the horse as he was led round the parade ring, won both the Cape Summer Stayers on the Crawford-trained Gimme One Night and the Southern Cross on Princess Rebel for Yvette Bremner who is on holiday in Hong Kong. Hewitson’s father Carl stood in for her and plans bringing the filly back for the Cape Flying Championship. Magical Wonderland, the 2-1 favourite, was found to be coughing.

By Michael Clower