Last season’s Cape Fillies Guineas and Majorca winner Snowdance will start off at Kenilworth on December 8, either in the Southern Cross over 1 000m or in a 1 400m fillies pinnacle, after pleasing in a racecourse gallop yesterday.

Justin Snaith said: “I wouldn’t mind trying her in a sprint but I will have a look at the pinnacle. She then goes for the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate (Jan 5) before aiming for a second Majorca.”

Snowdance (left) – Candiese Marnewick

She was ridden by Richard Fourie in a solo spin over 1000m after being accompanied to the start by a companion who followed her home a furlong behind. The gallop didn’t reveal much other than that she is good shape.

Oh Susanna, second in the Fillies Guineas before going on to take the Paddock and Sun Met, begins her campaign in a mile fillies pinnacle at Kenilworth on Thursday when the opposition includes Brave Move, Lady In Black and the unbeaten Hashtagyolo.

Snaith also worked Durban July winner Do It Again (Fourie) with the Grade 2 Kuda Gold Bracelet winner Miyabi Gold (Athandiwe Mgudlwa) over 1 500m at a good clip. Do It Again tracked the filly but was always going the better. He drew upsides in the straight and eased past over a furlong out. He was impressive.

The champion trainer said: “Do It Again will start in the Green Point (Dec 8) and I will use the race as a prep for the Queen’s Plate. He should be 90% for the latter and 100% for the Met.”

Vaughan Marshall worked his unbeaten Cape Guineas hope One World (Anton Marcus) over 1 400m with last season’s Guineas winner Tap O’Noth. The older horse led and, although One World had to be ridden to join the leader, he appeared to be going the better once he did get upsides.

Marshall said: “I was very happy with both horses. One World runs in the Concord Cup (November 24) while Tap O’Noth starts in the Green Point before going for the Queen’s Plate and the Met.”

By Michael Clower

Rainbow Bridge paid tribute to the late Chris Gerber in the only way he could by producing his devastating trademark turn of foot to extend his unbeaten record to five in the Cape Mile at Kenilworth yesterday.

But he did it the hard way, turning the preliminaries – and indeed the whole time since he left his Milnerton stable – into nervous, sweating and energy-sapping anxiety. Eric Sands, amazingly now almost accustomed to this alarming behaviour, repeatedly threw buckets of water over him to cool him down.

But in the parade ring the favourite jig-jogged round in a manner that had the bookmakers rubbing their hands in glee. They lengthened him from 10-15 to 16-10 in a bid to get in as much money as they could.

Rainbow Bridge (Liesl King)

Bernard Fayd’Herbe deliberately took the horse much further down the course than any of the others in the parade and by the time he reached the start a lot of the nerves had dissipated into the atmosphere.

“I wasn’t too concerned,” he reported afterwards. “The most important thing for me was to get him relaxed and enjoying the race. Indeed he was travelling so well that when we turned into the straight I was looking to put on the handbrake.”

Instead he pressed the accelerator. Not even Lewis Hamilton could have got a better response. The four-year-old slipped into another gear and 150m from home he was in front. The length and three-quarter margin over second-placed Silver Maple does little justice to the ease of victory.

Eric Sands said: “The sweat was dripping off him when we got here but he is better than he was and, as he settles, he shows more and more of his ability. He runs in the Green Point next.”

But the trainer was so overcome that he was having to fight back the tears as he was interviewed by Stan Elley. “It’s Chris’s death and also Rainbow Bridge’s groom who committed suicide a month ago,” he explained.

So just how good is the Ideal World four-year-old? “As good as they get,” was Fayd’Herbe’s unhesitating reply and he has ridden more top horses than most of us have had holidays.

But that nervous sweating hangs over the bay’s future like a threatening cloud. He might get away with it in races like this but the Queen’s Plate and the Met are a different matter. No matter how good you are, you cannot afford to burn up lengths beforehand. Sands’ task is going to be as difficult as anything he has faced in his long career.

Those who can hardly wait to take him on in the Grade 1s include Glen Kotzen and Hugo Hattingh whose Eyes Wide Open gave weight all round and finished an encouraging fifth. “We were delighted,” said the Woodhill trainer. “He’d been off for months. Now it’s the Green Point, Queen’s Plate and the Met which is his real target.”

Dennis Drier and Sean Veale won last year’s Laisserfaire with Sommerlied and this time Anime – backed from 16-1 to 9-1- made much of the running to repeat the performance.

Significantly Veale said: “I am hoping to have some fun this season because we have brought down some nice horses.”

Candice Bass-Robinson ran three in the Woolavington Handicap and they took the first three places. But, sadly for punters, it was the outsider of the party who won with 31-4 shot Benjan leading over a furlong out to give Sandile Mbhele his first feature.

By Michael Clower

Athletes who struggle to breath are usually consigned to the couch in front to the television dreaming of what might have been. On the other hand, racehorses that have difficulty breathing can often be surgically corrected. The mighty Jet Master an example. He was superb up to a ‘mile’ – beyond that he ran out of oxygen.

Chantyman is not in the same league as Jet Master, incidentally, both ridden by Anton Marcus, but according to Dennis Bosch, “If he could breathe, he would be a top horse. He’s actually a seven-furlong horse.”

Marcus, in a superb display of horsemanship, got Chantyman home in the Track & Ball Gaming Handicap at Greyville on Friday night and was lavish in his praise. “This is one of the most courageous horses that I have ever ridden.”

Little Audrey (Candiese Marnewick)

“I said to Dennis that he was wasting his time with this horse. He can’t get any wind. It sounds as if there is an anaconda in his oesophagus.”

I’m not sure what an anaconda sounds like but Marcus nursed Chantyman all the way to the line. Taking the lead early in the straight, Marcus kidded to the gelding until it became obvious that Ishnana was threat. 50m out Marcus released the brake to get home with a neck to spare.

Ovation Award’s triumph in the sixth was not entirely unexpected by his connections but there were many reservations. “He galloped with Zigi Zagi Zugi and lined him,” said Gareth van Zyl. “But when he ran a dirty third, we weren’t all that confident anymore.”

“All the jockeys have been telling me that they feel something. Muzi (Yeni) rode him in the feature and although he finished far back, he still said there was something there.”

“This was his third time to the course. The first time it was washed out, then he kicked the back gate and was scratched. When he lost a shoe on the way to the start, I thought he was jinxed.”

Ovation Award quickened smartly on the straight to hold off Subtropical and Amor Ardiente, both not making any impression on Ovation Award’s lead.

“He’s still a boytjie (entire) but he has clear ability,” opined rider Warren Kennedy. “He has his days. One day he works like a rocket and the next you battle to drag him up the straight.”

Little Audrey finally went one better in the Gold Circle Podcast Maiden, breaking a string of runner-up places. Co-owner Dennis O’Connor, on course for all three of those seconds, decided that bowls would take precedent on Friday.

Duncan Howells was a little concerned the Little Audrey would prefer the turf but Craig Zackey rode a confident race to hold off the improving Sweet Preserve.

Peter Muscutt, KZN assistant to Brett Crawford, is a man of few words, preferring to let his horses do the talking and he got the Marcus ball rolling in the first as Negma smoked home. “She had some decent Cape form but she’s only a little thing, barely 400kg,” he said.

Carlburg, home bred by Verna Roberts and trained by husband Michael, caught most Pick 6 punters by surprise as he held off a late challenge from Tierra Del Fuego and Zgi Zagi Zugi. “I though Ashton (Arries) gave him a peach of a ride,” said Roberts. “I asked him to drop in, the last time a kid rode him and he bolted. I can’t say we didn’t fancy him, but I can’t say that we fancied him strong.”

“Verna bred him and it’s good for the mare. Ideal World onto a Fort Wood mare. To be honest he should go a lot further.”

By Andrew Harrison

The Highveld season may be in full swing but the big race days are interspersed with some ordinary fare that does not make things easy for punters. Tomorrow’s Turffontein card is littered with pitfalls but many will look to Green Top to see them through the fifth, an assessment plate where she is rated lengths superior to the opposition.

Storm Destiny (JC Photographics)

Alec Laird’s filly took on the cream of the Highveld fillies last term and although never making it to the winner’s enclosure in the features that she contested, she was never far back either, running Takingthepeace to a short head in the Gr1 SA Fillies Classic.

She appeared to have had enough after a hard season when down the field in the SA Oaks and Laird put her away for a well-earned five-month break.

She made her seasonal debut in an assessment plate where she was running on nicely behind last season’s Garden Province winner Redberry Lane. She should come on from that effort and given her rating will be a popular banker.

The balance of the card is tricky.

Apprentice Luke Ferraris has been given a flying start to his career from training legend and grandfather Ormond and it has not been only a case of nepotism. Young Ferraris is driven to up his game and Ferraris senior does not entertain slackers, be they blood relations or not.

The family pair team up with Vivir in the opening leg of the Pick 6. The filly was reported not to have been striding out after her last effort in an assessment plate to the run is best ignored. Prior to that she showed promise, beating the useful Railtrip on debut and last time over tomorrow’s course and distance finishing two lengths off Desert Rhythm. She has a feather-weight to shoulder here and should at least be competitive.

Low-rated staying races are often difficult to predict by Weiho Marwing is a master at these marathon events and Desert Sunset ticks many of the boxes. He looked to have run out of real estate when just failing to catch Brand New Cadillac at his last two and the extra furlong should be too his liking. However, the shorter Turffontein inside straight could find him out so Mighty High and Kamakura may be worth including in Pick 6’s as insurance.

The last three races on the card are all tricky affairs. There were excuses for Kurt’s Approval last run after hitting his mouth in the gate. He has come good in blinkers and although drawn badly he must have a chance in a difficult race. Psychic has been taking on slightly stronger at recent outings and looks a threat.

Varimax nearly made all over course and distance last start. With a better draw and a stronger rider aboard, he could prove the pick ahead of O Lucky Man and Cumberland.

Perfect Tigress can round off proceedings. In spite of only being a narrow winner last run she take a drop in class although also a corresponding rise in weight.

By Andrew Harrison

All eyes will be on Rainbow Bridge at Kenilworth on Sunday when the exciting four-year-old bids to make it five in a row in the Cape Mile in what could well prove to be emotional circumstances.

This gelding could turn out to be the best horse the late Chris Gerber ever had and the noted owner-breeder’s tragic death from malaria adds a sad poignancy to the occasion.

The betting – he had shortened still further to 9-20 with World Sports Betting yesterday morning – suggests Rainbow Bridge is a good thing despite merit ratings indicating the complete opposite. No less than six of the ten up against Bernard Fayd’Herbe’s mount should beat him according to the handicappers’ assessments.

Rainbow Bridge (Liesl King)

But his preparation has gone smoothly in marked contrast to that of the Matchem whose build-up turned into a trainer’s nightmare. “I had gallops planned and then there were all those cancellations,” Eric Sands recalls. “We ended up with a month when we couldn’t gallop at all. I had to force him on the sand tracks at home – and he went into the race with only half a gallop, and needing another.”

Yet the gelding was able to produce a truly devastating final burst, the like of which is not seen that often on a racecourse.

“Afterwards he was off for a week with a snotty nose,” relates his trainer. “However he has done very well since and, while I don’t want him at his peak yet, he has come on.”

Asked about what he sees as the dangers, Sands singles out not a horse but “traffic.”

Adjusted merit ratings put the Cape Derby winner Eyes Wide Open (8-1) and 9-1 shot Fifty Cents on top, six points clear of the favourite. But the former has been off for three and a half months and Craig Zackey’s mount was beaten over two lengths in the Matchem and is half a kilo worse.

So is 15-1 chance Copper Force who has three and a half lengths to find on that last run. Horizon (25-1) was beaten seven lengths (admittedly he was slowly away) and needs further. A New Dawn (33-1) has been off since May but watch out for Silver Maple. This ex-Mayfair horse came to Justin Snaith from Geoff Woodruff and has won three out of four. The 9-1 chance gets in with a feather weight and could prove the biggest threat.

That leaves only the four that the handicappers say should not beat the favourite. Rocket Countdown, The Slade and Platinum Prince are all having their first race of the season while Man About Town is the 50-1 outsider of the party.

In the Laisserfaire 5-2 favourite Magical Wonderland has been off since May and has been given a steeplechasing burden. Forget about the race’s grand-sounding name and its Listed status – this is a glorified handicap – and better value can be found further down the field. The Boston Rose may be 1.5kg under sufferance but she keeps winning. She has proved profitable for this column and she can do it again although it is hard to believe that the present 45-1 will still be available on Sunday.

Ryan Munger is riding out of his skin and he may take the Woolavington on Settlers runner-up Ballad Of The Sea. Stable companion Ollivander looks the main danger.

By Michael Clower