The money has come for Rainbow Bridge and Eric Sands’ unbeaten star is now 15-10 clear favourite for Saturday’s Green Point Stakes with World Sports Betting while Betting World has him 16-10 joint favourite with Legal Eagle.

In normal circumstances Legal Eagle would be considered just about unbeatable – he has won the Kenilworth Grade 2 in each of the past two seasons and he has never been beaten in nine starts over a mile.

Sands is under no illusions about the task facing his gelding and he said yesterday: “Really, you can’t look past Legal Eagle. I can hope – but I just don’t know how good my horse is. He has never met the likes of a July winner or Undercover Agent, let alone a Legal Eagle, and if I run fourth I will have to accept that my horse is inferior to them. If I were to win it that would be great and, from the point of view of his preparation and of what has happened so far, I couldn’t have asked for better.

“I don’t think he is at his peak yet but he wasn’t for the Matchem or the Cape Mile either but he has certainly come on since his last run.”

Undercover Agent is third favourite at 5-2 and Brett Crawford, who won this with Captain America three years ago, expects the Gold Challenge winner to put it up to the big two.

He said: “Legal Eagle is a great horse and, so far as I’m concerned, he is the one we all have to beat. He is at the top of his game whereas Undercover is still finding his feet. But this mile is his trip – for the moment at least – and he has done exceptionally well since his win in a 1 200m pinnacle on his return at the end of October. I am very happy with him, there is room for improvement and I am sure he will make Legal Eagle run.”

You can get 8-1 about Vodacom Durban July winner Do It Again and he is up against it, not least because this is his first outing since he put his name into the history books at Greyville.

Justin Snaith said: “We are using this as a race to get him ready for the Met. I wouldn’t call it a prep run but it’s also to see where we are with him.

“It’s a very competitive race and it’s a bit on the short side for him. He is better over further and theoretically the others have been revved up for it whereas he hasn’t.”

Snaith also runs Copper Force who, together with Hat Puntano, is the 25-1 outsider of the six runners. His claim to fame is a close second to Legal Eagle in the Queen’s Plate in January but he has never done anything like that since.

“We always have the feeling that one day he is going to do something like that again and we live in hope that he does,” said his trainer. “This is why he is running.”

By Michael Clower

The Green Point Stakes over 1600m sees a small field of six going to post at Kenilworth New Course on Saturday but it is nevertheless the race of the season to date.

The jockeys of the big three involved and the trainers of the lesser fancied three spoke about their respective charges.

Bernard Fayd’Herbe said it was too early to compare the unbeaten Eric Sands-trained star Rainbow Bridge to the like of Pocket Power and continued, “Let him win one Queen’s Plate before you compare him to horse who has won four. It is the first time he is up against this class of field, but he has improved from his previous run and from what he has shown us in work and on the course we are expecting a big run. He is a very good horse.”

Pace will be one of the questions but Fayd’Herbe was not concerned about it, especially as the race will be run on the New Course with its longer straight. The four-year-old Ideal World gelding, whose five wins have ranged from 1200m to 1800m, showed an exceptional turn of foot under a hands and heels ride last time out in the Cape Mile and in his third run after a layoff on Saturday will be running all the way to the line.

Anton Marcus kept his comments on the Sean Tarry-trained Legal Eagle brief as this superstar gelding has spoken for himself so far this season. Marcus said, “I couldn’t be happier with where he is.”

The Greys Inn six-year-old, who is unbeaten in nine starts over a mile, flew home to beat Grade 1 Computaform Sprint runner up Pinnacle Peak by half-a-length over 1160m at Turffontein in his seasonal reappearance on November 15. Then last Saturday he put up a fine gallop under Marcus at Kenilworth. The Green Point is his usual preparation run for the L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate and although that hasn’t stopped him winning it for the past two seasons the opposition looks stronger this time.

Corné Orffer said about Grade 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge winner, the Brett Crawford-trained Undercover Agent, “He is very, very well, everything is on point, he is 100%. He is a very good horse and is only getting better as he matures and I think he is going to have a very good season.”

Orffer said about the pace, “I will discuss it with Brett on the day. He has a big action and can quicken. If he sits behind horses he settles and I have taken him to the front before too.”

Justin Snaith runs the Vodacom Durban July winner Do It Again and last year’s Queen’s Plate runner up Copper Force. He said, “Do It Again can win over a mile but is much better over further. He was in quarantine for a month after the Durban season so it’s taken a bit longer for him to get back into racing than it would have, but he is doing very well and I am happy with his work at home and with his progress. But this is his first run back and he is up against the best milers in the country who are all fit and well and set for a titanic battle, so this is a preparation run and we would like a good run and to see him coming out well ahead of the Queen’s Plate and the Met. Copper Force is exceptionally well and we have him in there because on his day he can be a top miler, but he is very hit and miss.”

Last year’s Peermont Emperor’s Palace Charity Mile winner Hat Puntano has his first run for Joey Ramsden and the latter said, “He is doing well, I haven’t done much with him yet. Mike (Azzie) did a great job with him but he has been brought here for a different outlook on life and we have freshened him up. He is a big boy now and obviously has ability.”

By David Thiselton

Featured Image: Legal Eagle (Liesl King)

Justin Snaith sets punters a puzzle in the TAB Telebet Open Handicap at Kenilworth today and the champion trainer admits that he doesn’t know the answer.

He runs Bunker Hunt and Knights Templar who both won last time out ridden by Richard Fourie (effectively the stable’s first jockey this season). Fourie is on Knights Templar here but he didn’t have the choice of mounts.

“Don’t look at the jockeys. It was my decision who rode which,” says Snaith. “Bernard Fayd’Herbe (who rode Bunker Hunt first time out) couldn’t do the weight on either of them and I was lucky that Aldo Domeyer was available. But he can’t do the 53kg of Knights Templar. Both that one and Bunker Hunt are very nice horses – one is a Cape Derby horse and the other a Politician type -.and either could win.”

Although he wasn’t committing himself Snaith seemed to be leaning marginally towards Bunker Hunt (“There is just something about him”) and in October he was suggesting that this gelding would be one of the best of his come the time of the Cape Derby. But this is only a mile and Fourie’s mount receives 4kg, the equivalent of four lengths over the trip.

Bunker Hunt gets the vote, albeit only narrowly, and it’s worth noting that World Sports Betting have him second favourite at 16-10 whereas his stable companion heads the market at 15-10.

Dennis Drier runs three with stable jockey Sean Veale on 9-2 shot Priceless Ruler who has so far only run in sprints. Crown And Country (Fayd’Herbe) is on 13-2 and, although considered good enough to run in a Scottsville Grade 1 in May, he has not raced since. Greg Cheyne rides the third Drier horse, 10-1 chance Hard Core, who has a bit of form but is another who has only run in sprints.

Glen Kotzen runs recent winner Quick Star who is the 12-1 outsider of the party but the booking of the talented claimer Sandile Mbhele brings this one into the reckoning.

There has been some support for Snaith’s Augustina in the first but on form there is little to choose between Dragon Power and Empire Glory. Brave Tiger, already backed from 10-1 to 13-2, is 2kg clear top-rated. Dragon Power has the advantage of consistency and may just prevail.

Jacqueline went into the notebook, running on well as if she wanted further, and was well-backed on her Cape Town debut. She had won a barrier trial beforehand and may just get the better of Bella Summer and Fortune Flies in mile Tabonline Maiden.

Dancing Sally is top-rated and well drawn in the mile maiden (race four), she finished well when a 28-1 shot last time and, while you could only get even money yesterday, she looks the part.

By Michael Clower

Sean Tarry said he would keep his feet on the ground with G-Bets Summer Cup winner Tilbury Fort and he was unlikely to go for the Sun Met.

He had a red letter day on Saturday bagging six winners and for the second time this year gave a former horse of his a first stakes winner at stud.

Tarry said he would find a Highveld program for Tilbury Fort and then have another crack at the Vodacom Durban July.

Tarry clinched a first stakes winner for his former July winner Pomodoro when Return Flight won the Grade 1 Thekwini Stakes over 1600m on Gold Cup day at Greyville and on Saturday he clinched a first stakes winner for his former inmate Skit Skizzle, whose Chris van Niekerk-owned daughter Cordillera won the Listed Secretariat Stakes over 1400m.

Both Pomodoro and Skit Skizzle are by the late great Jet Master and both are out of Northern Guest mares. These are also the same lines upon which the great sprinter J J The Jet Plane was bred. However, Skit Skizzle was not nearly as well performed as either Pomodoro or J J. He won three ordinary races and in his only attempt at a Graded race he finished fourth in the Grade 2 Senor Santa Handicap over 1160m.

Tarry said, “He was as good as any of the others and won his first race (over 1200m at the Vaal) by ten lengths. The difference was we decided not to geld him and he just became too heavy. He

was a massive horse.”

His last race in the June of his four-year-old year was mediocre and Tarry and owner Chris van Niekerk than asked Neil and Lyth Orford if they would like to stand him at their Bosworth Farm Stud in Klerksdorp.

In his first season he only received five mares, all Bosworth owned.

Cordillera’s dam by Right Approach, Quinoa, was an ordinary racehorse. She was sent to Port Elizabeth after just two runs on the Highveld and took 16 starts in all to win her only race. However, that hasn’t stopped Cordillera from winning two of her three races to date, including the Secretariat on Saturday where she ran on strongly. Tarry was not surprised and pointed out that although Against The Grain had been the stable elect Cordillera’s last run when green and finishing well in a strong field had been “very, very good.” She had originally been earmarked to make her debut in a barrier trial in KZN but ended up missing it and was then sent up to the Highveld to run in a Workrider’s Maiden. Tarry had expected a good run there, so was thrilled when she won so well.

The Tarry-trained and Van Niekerk-owned Skit Skizzle colt Tierra Del Fuego also looks promising, having gone close on debut then winning his second start over 1400m at Scottsville by 6,25 lengths and then finishing third over 1600m first time out the maidens.

Tarry agreed that considering the success Skitt Skizzle had had to date with so few mares his future looked exciting and he should now receive outside support.

Tarry was also pleased with the run of the Pomodo colt Shuckra in the Secretariat and by all accounts he looks to be one to follow.

Tarry’s first winner on Saturday and the first of four for Lyle Hewitson was an easy one by the Captain Al colt Mythical Bolt and he felt this horse had a bright future. He said he would be taking a chance by travelling him down to Cape Town straight away as he was eyeing a race for him on December 22 which would help him qualify for the $500,000 CTS 1200, if he had not done so already.

He praised S’Manga Khumalo for a terrific ride in the next when he got Purple Diamond up in a 1000m handicap and he said this success would not necessarily mean he would stick to sprints with the former Grade 2 Golden Slipper winner.

Cordillera, ridden by Luke Ferraris, was next and two races later Hewitson won the Grade 2 Gold Rush Derby Run Merchants on his favourite horse, Africa Rising. Tarry is not sure of this horse’s next step yet but he was already earmarking the Grade 2 Hawaii Stakes over 1400m for Captain And Master who missed the break and then from a hopeless positioned powered through the field for third in the Merchants.

The last of the yard’s winners was with Zilzaall rdden by Hewitson to a three length victory in a 1600m maiden. This Silvano colt looks promising although he looks likely to appreciate further than a mile.

By David Thiselton

Veterinarian Dr Johnny Cave of Baker and McVeigh is fast gaining a reputation as one of the best in the business for wind operations in thoroughbreds and two of his latest efforts have seen the Dennis Drier Grade 1 winner Sand And Sea making a successful comeback and his older stablemate Wealthy clinching a rare KZN Winter and Summer 2000 Challenge double.

Drier said in his experience wind operations had only a 50/50 success rate but three which had clearly been hugely successful, those on Sand And Sea, Wealthy and Sea Fever, had all been performed by Dr Cave.

Drier said, “Sea Fever came back and won five races and now Sand And Sea’s and Wealthy’s operations have clearly been unbelievable successes.”

The four-year-old Twice Over gelding Sand And Sea looked to be something exceptional when powering home to win the Grade 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion by 2,25 lengths in his second career start to remain unbeaten. However, he continually disappointed as a three-year-old and after finishing a well beaten ninth in the Byerley Turk in April it was discovered he had “completely gone in the wind”.

His breathing problem was due to a common cause, paralysis of the left side of the larynx.

He made his comeback on November 17 at Kenilworth over 1200m and won easily. He unfortunately kicked the float on the way home but has been stitched up and is back on target for the Grade 1 Betting Word Cape Flying Championships.

Wealthy was bought by racing all rounder Peter Gibson at the National two-year-old Sale for R180,000 on behalf of Hong Kong-based owner Robert Chung.

The now six-year-old Silvano gelding began showing promise when stepped up in trip and in the April of his three-year-old year in a stretch of five races between 1800m and 2400m he won three times and finished second twice. Consequently Drier targeted him at the Grade 2 Cape Stayers race on Sun Met day. However, in his final preparation run over 1800m at Kenilworth he did not finish off the race and was beaten by over eleven lengths.

It was discovered he had gone in the wind, although in a very rare occurrence the paralysis was on the right-hand side of the larynx instead of the normal left.

Chung, due to his past experience of wind operations, was not optimistic about the horse’s future and decided to give the horse to Gibson, who then put together a syndicate of racing friends including himself, Tony Dickinson, Michael Heron, Dean Hayman, Marcus Nel, Sean Singleton and Drier’s wife Gill. They all new what they were in for but their faith in Dr Cave’s expertise has paid dividends.

Wealthy made his comeback in October last year and slowly came to hand. After three unplaced runs he earned four cheques in succession and two runs later won the R200,000 KZN Winter Challenge 2000 in June this year.

On Sunday at Scottsville Wealthy was having his second run after a layoff in the R200,000 KZN Summer Challenge 2000 and finished strongly to win by 0,6 lengths, much to the excitement of the on course owners who had also taken advantage of the Tote pay outs of R21,30 a win and R4,90 a place.

A wind operation is an intricate operation performed by key hole surgery under full anaesthetic and a lot depends on the skill of the surgeon. Cave does all of them at Baker and McVeigh where the policy is to do them with the horse lying down on a table as opposed to standing up.

John McVeigh, the owner of the practice said If doing it that way you require two very strong and brave assistants during the recovery period to hold the horse down as the horse can injure itself if trying to get up too quickly upon regaining consciousness.

The thoroughbred breed will forever be plagued with respiratory problems due to its anatomical design.

The right laryngeal nerve has a simple route, branching off from the vagus nerve, which comes from the brain, and travelling directly to the larynx.

However, the left laryngeal nerve instead must travel all the way to the heart, where it wraps around a large pulsing artery, before coming all the way back to the larynx. It is the longest nerve in the horse’s body and so it stands to reason that it is commonly damaged.

The most common cause of any abnormal respiratory sound is idiopathic left laryngeal hemiplegia (paralysis of the left side of the larynx).

This condition is caused by degeneration of the nerve that supplies the left side muscles of the larynx.

The left side of the larynx consequently “hangs” inward, instead of moving in and out in symmetry with the right side.

There is evidence that thoroughbred’s suffering from biliary are vulnerable to laryngeal paralysis, because the disease causes the artery around which the laryngeal nerve wraps to have an elevated pulse rate.

Long necked horses are also thought to be more predisposed to left nerve damage simply due to stretching of the nerve.

Ninety percent of weakness or paralysis of the larynx is on the left side.

Wealthy’s right-side nerve damage was most unusual.

The paralysis causes an inspiratory ‘whistling’ or ‘roaring’ sound during cantering or galloping due to the obstruction of airflow to the lungs.

As early as the 19th Century, an operation known as the Hobday was performed. It involves making a surgical incision into the larynx under the throat to remove both ventricles and the left vocal cord and is still used today on horses who have lower grade wind problems.

In the 1970s, an ingenious procedure, termed “tie back”, was devised to replace the paralysed muscle with a suture to hold the affected cartilage out of the airway during exercise.

Both Sand And Sea and Wealthy had tie backs and they look to have plenty more races in them.

By David Thiselton