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

The unbeaten One World is now odds-on for Saturday’s Cape Guineas following Mike de Kock’s decision not to run  the impressive Dingaans winner Hawwaam. Anton Marcus’s mount is 8-10 with both Betting World and World Sports Betting.

De Kock will now be represented by Soqrat (Randall Simons) who is second favourite and looked good when partnered by Lyle Hewiston in a 1 400m gallop with stable companion Ghaalla (Craig Zackey) on the course on Saturday.  Simons will ride her in Saturday’s WSB Fillies Guineas.

Ghaalla is best-priced 7-1 with Marcus’s mount Front And Centre favourite at 18-10. Second favourite at around 3-1 is the Western Cape Fillies Championship winner Clouds Unfold.

By Michael Clower

When Johan Janse van Vuuren raids KZN he generally returns home with some rich pickings but it all went pear-shaped for him and his supporters at Greyville this weekend.

The omens were good when Ottawa scored a bloodless victory in the first on Friday night, but it was all downhill from there as his fancied runners failed even to hit the boards yesterday.

Some rain on Saturday saw the track on the softer side of good but that did not faze Mark Khan who scored a quick double coming from way back at the top of the straight.

Mr Greenlight had surrendered tamely in the soft when making his debut at Scottsville but Duncan Howells instructed Khan to switch his mount off and come at them late.

“Duncan knew what was going through my mind on the way to the start and I was tempted to sit handy after we jumped well,” confided Khan.

“In the end I listened, but I was lucky to have the right horses around me and I followed Anton through.”

Marcus was on the odds-on favourite Uncle Charlie who was soon in trouble as Mr Greenlight came from last to whistle past the opposition.

Khan employed similar tactics in the third. Coming back from a lengthy break and gelding, Be The Right revelled over the extra ground. Again, Khan sat patiently at the back of the field and came sailing through for a smart win for Ashburton-based Belinda Impey.

The Green Point Stakes finish at Kenilworth yesterday had all a-twitter with four smart horses finishing within a short head of each other, but there were a few close calls at Greyville too yesterday.

Rae’s Dyna Jet, Red Al and Pumpkin Queen was involved in a similar finish to the fifth race with Rae’s Dyna Jet prevailing by the shortest of short heads.

Warren Kennedy has generally flown under the radar as far as being a ‘celebrity’ jockey is concerned but there is not doubting his talent. He is making the most of some better opportunities of late and currently sits sixth on the national table with 48 winners, including his double yesterday on Rae’s Dyna Jet and Ovation Award for Gavin and son Gareth van Zyl respectively.

Taking out a trainer’s licence in these tough economic times is a risky business and with owners an endangered species, so much can go wrong. But Daryl Moore has had a better grounding than most, being assistant to Charles Laird for many years and then joining up with grandfather Ivan Moore, a top jockey and trainer in his day, he has a better chance than most to succeed as he showed when Golden Pheasant got the better of Exclusive Quantity in the seventh.

It was another good day for Ashburton trainers who are generally out-done by numbers and the class of horse and Shane Humby rounded off the meeting with a close victory as Cause And Effect got home in another tight finish.

By Andrew Harrison

The R250,000 WSB Grand Series Match Race over 1475m is an exciting winner takes all event due to start at 13h15 and is the highlight of tomorrow’s meeting at the Vaal.

Match Race topweight Tsitsikamma Dance had some good form in Cape Town including finishing 3,1 lengths back in the Winter Guineas behind Rainbow Bridge. He duly won both of his first two starts on the Highveld, including the second leg of the Grand Series over 1475m when staying on well from a handy position. He showed last time out he has some class, staying on strongly from the back over 1160m to finish just 3,1 lengths behind Legal Eagle.

His opponent Dan The Lad has run over this trip twice, winning the Heritage Consolation last year and losing this years Grand Series leg 1 by a whisker. He is an honest sort but does not have the ability of Tsitsikamma Dance. The 4kg he is getting would probably not be enough in a normal race, but a match race can develop into a cat and mouse affair where tactics play a key role. The confident and ever improving Ryan Munger will be aboard Tsitsikamma Dance and twice South African Champion Jockey S’Manga Khumalo is aboard Dan The Lad. It will be a race full of intrigue but Tsitsikamma Dance is the tip to win.

The first two legs of the Pick 6 consist of a Maiden Plate and an Assessment Plate respectively, so it once again looks catchable. In the first leg over 1600m March To Glory is a son of Marchfield who has some substance and should have come on from his last start, which was his first as a gelding when staying on for third to Against The Grain over 1400m. He should also appreciate the step up in trip and is taken to be a banker.

In the second leg over 1600m there is also a banker possibility in Invincible Lady. She is 3kg better off than the second best weighted Sand Princess on official merit ratings and this nice sized filly with a big stride should have come on from her last start. The risk averse could include Mrs Simpson as she looks destined to be a fair sort having won well on debut over 1200m and on pedigree she will appreciate this step up in trip. However, in order to match Invincible Lady she will need to run to an 89 which is a big ask in just her second start.

In the third leg over 1600m Chepardo should be cherry ripe and having stayed on in two of his last three starts over 1450m and 1400m respectively he will appreciate stepping up to a mile. Nordic Rebel won going away over 1400m last time and off a three point higher mark is another one who should enjoy the trip. Changing Seasons is half-a-kilogram better off than Chepardo for a 0,2 length beating and will prefer this trip so also has a fine chance.

In the seventh race over 1400m Winter Storm should appreciate the step up in trip being by What A Winter out of a National Emblem mare who won over 2000m. This long-striding sort usually shows fair pace before finding no extra but this is likely due to him being outpaced in the closing stages than not staying. Bien Venue has disappointed in his last two starts having shown promise as a juvenile, but he will appreciate the step down in trip from the Dingaans. He was up against exceptional horses like Hawwaam in the latter race so it will be a lot easier here too, so he can be given another chance to prove himself here. Olofberg can also be involved here if repeating his penultimate start.

The eighth race over 1200m Mount Keith was beaten narrowly by a useful looking sort in Carbon Atom last time over this trip so  is the first choice. However, one should be able to afford to go wide here and State Trooper, True Words, Generous Notion, Twelve Oaks and William Nicol can also be included.

In the last leg Nicky Noo moved up well over 1200m last time but found no extra so might appreciate the step down in trip. However Farraranga, who will definitely appreciate the step down in trip, will be a big threat and is the other to include in what is a Pick 6 which is not going to cost a lot to play.

By David Thiselton