I once read somewhere that your first winner as a racehorse owner is up there with war and sex. I don’t think either was on the mind of Lady Colleen Glaeser as she dropped the lead rope like a hot potato after Amor Ardiente entered the winner’s circle at Scottsville – not necessary out of excitement. “I’m terrified of horses!”

Belinda Impey’s 25-1 shot was met by a few mutterings from punters as the son of Antonious Pius out-pointed favourite Drauglin in his maiden triumph but it was a win full of merit. Visiting rider Gunter Wrogemann was also impressed. “He’ll easily get eight to 10 furlongs,” he surmised.

Amor Ardiente (Candiese Marnewick)

Amor Ardiente has since won again and a third is on the cards when he starts in the sixth at Greyville this evening. This is a Graduation Handicap and he gives weight all around but he was touched off a hair‘s breadth over the Greyville mile last time out as Sherman Brown takes over from Sean Veale who has ‘relocated’ to Cape Town for the season to ride for his boss Dennis Drier.

The Cape summer season is still in its infancy but Dean Kannemeyer will have his eyes on some of the lucrative pickings on offer in his home town. However, his KZN-based string is starting to fire after a hiatus of a couple of months for compulsory AHS vaccinations. He saddles Stealth Admiral and Rumbleinthejungle in the opening leg of the Pick 6, both in with chances, but both may have to take a back seat. Gareth van Zyl has been a model student and learnt well from his father Gavin. Zigi Zagi Zugu was probably named after a night on the town but could have the measure of the Kannemeyer pair after two forward showings.

Kannemeyer has Miss Smarty Pants lined up in the fourth. She had excellent Cape Town form before arriving in KZN, the thinking probably that she would be out of her depth during the Cape summer but competitive in KZN.

Mention second box to Duncan Howells and you will get short thrift – he’s not a red-head for nothing! Little Audrey has been responsible for three of his 26 second placings this term but will be in short order for the Gold Circle Podcast Maiden where she has amble back-up in stable companion Holy Flame should she be found wanting once again.

Argenteus is a weak 3-1 favourite for the seventh, a tricky handicap over a mile, but Andre Nel’s mare is in mustard form and been close-up at her last two. Her last two wins were on the poly so she should have a bright chance again.

Dunzie has been another Howells headache, runner-up in her last three but in good form since being raced in blinkers. Craig Zackey went down narrowly over course and distance at their penultimate start and a repeat could see her home in another difficult handicap where a number of runners are in with winning chances.

By Andrew Harrison

The Tobie Spies-trained Grade 1-winning sprinter Van Halen is in Cape Town together with the speedy filly Miss Khalifa and an unraced maiden.

Van Halen’s first target is the Cape Merchants and his main aim is the US$500,000 CTS 1200. Considering the way he settled in his last race the yard are considering the Cape Guineas for him and if he does go for that race and runs well the L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate might also be an option.

Miss Khalifa also qualifies for the CTS 1200 and will be coming out the week after the Merchants in a sprint handicap. She will be kept to sprints having not appeared to stay the 1400m in the Golden Slipper on Vodacom Durban July day. She then ran a fair fifth in the Debutante on Gold Cup day.

The trio are being trained out of Milnerton at present and the yard are very happy with their well being.

They hope to expand the string to ten by the end of November and have ambitions to open a satellite yard in Cape Town.

By David Thiselton

Featured Image: Van Halen (Candiese Marnewick)

The unbeaten Rainbow Bridge is as short as 5-10 for the Cape Mile at Kenilworth on Sunday. “He is entitled to be that price,” said Eric Sands yesterday, reporting that Bernard Fayd’Herbe’s mount is in good order.

Cape Derby winner Eyes Wide Open, having his first race for over three months, is second favourite at 8-1 with World Sports Betting which goes 9-1 the Justin Snaith pair Fifty Cents and Silver Maple (cut from 12-1), 12-1 Rocket Countdown, 16-1 Copper Force, 20-1 and upwards others.

In the Laisserfaire Stakes Magical Wonderland has hardened from 3-1 to 28-10 with Too Phat To Fly next on 6-1, Casual Diamond and Elusive Heart on 15-2 with 9-1 about Call To Account and Freedom Charter.

By Michael Clower

Featured Image: Rainbow Bridge (Liesl King)

A succession of maidens and lowly handicaps all with big fields, will not make life easy for punters at the Vaal today. That said, if one manages to successful negotiate the maze, it should prove a profitable afternoon

All the races are down the straight barring the Sonal Jackpot Special, sixth race on the card, An MR 66 Handicap over 2200m.

After starting his career on a winning note, Mutrib looked to be something special and given his blue-blood pedigree there were no doubt thoughts of a stud career for the son of Street Cry.

But after a succession of disappointing performance, Mike de Kock resorted to the vet and Mutrib was gelded after his three-year-old career.

Mutrib (JC Photographics)

He has had two outings this term, where he showed good pace before fading late but should be cherry-ripe for this event although, like all the races on the card, the list of possible winners is a long one.

Wonderous Climber was an expensive yearly buy but a long way from recouping his sales price. However, Sean Tarry’s gelding has shown improved form since returning from a break and looks a likely threat along with Cardiff Castle who make marked improvement when tried in blinkers and who also boasts some useful form over ground.

In the opening leg of the Pick 6, Favourite Model has been struggling to shed her maiden but has never been far back. Piere Strydom stays with Paul Matchett’s filly after coming from the clouds to run second last time out and a win should not be long in coming.

Johan Janse van Vuuren has been cleaning up in KZN and What A Thrill, much improved at her second outing over course and distance, could prove the main threat.

Janse van Vuuren also saddles Torio Lake in the fifth. The gelding had patchy form last season but after a lengthy break appears to be finding his feet. This will be his third start this term and he improved nicely second up from the break. He is well suited to this trip and Gavin Lerena stays aboard.

Roman Flight lost his way after shedding his maiden but made sudden improvement at long odds last start. The Azzie team may now have got to the bottom of his problems and along with Sovereign Rein and Judd’s Rocket should be worth including in all exotic bets.

In the seventh, there were a number of runners that were in action last Thursday so it would be advisable to check the card changes before structuring your bets. Seventh Rule was one who was a beaten favourite last Thursday, finishing close-up to The Tin Man but he has been knocking at the door for some time now. Quattro was another narrowly beaten on Thursday and is never far back. He too should be right there again. After winning his penultimate start, Pius Oil disappointed with the blinkers removed when five lengths behind The Tin Man. The blinkers are back on here and he can make amends. The filly Promise has improved at recent outings and was a touch unlucky last run at Greyville. If she can repeat that effort, she too is in with a shout.

The numbers will have been stacking up before the eight but Elusive Butterfly and Hafla could help to cut costs in the eighth.

Lucky Houdalakis has been relatively quiet in recent months but Elusive Butterfly won her first two before returning from a break in an assessment plate where she caught the eye behind the smart Redberry Lane. She should make good improvement on that showing. Hafla is down in class and has been showing good form in stronger company while the lightly raced Western Dance, like Elusive Butterfly, warmed up in the same assessment plate and she too shows some promise.

In the final leg of the Pick 6 there should not be much between Fortuna Doro, Gold Scent and Durban Bourbon who all met last time out. Fortuna Doro showed good pace in that race and was only caught late. Gold Scent is improving all the while, while Durban Bourbon is lightly raced and was possibly in need of her last outing. Another to consider is Shezahotti who has been consistent and Strydom stays with the ride.

It’s a seriously difficult card but the rewards will be sweet.

By Andrew Harrison

There are to be further experimental no-whip races following last Saturday’s well-received trial at Turffontein and, while it may be quite some months down the road, there seems little doubt that whip use in South African racing is going to be restricted to a greater degree than it is at the moment.

Acting NHA chief executive Arnold Hyde said yesterday: “There is a likelihood of there being more of these races and there will be one in Central Province in the next couple of months. A date has to be decided and we also need to consider the restrictions relating to these cropless races, eg are we going to have an identical sort of race (to the one at Turffontein), are we going to allow jockeys to carry a crop but not use it, etc.”

Apparently the Charity Mile day no-whip race, the first of its kind in South Africa, was rather more than just an experiment to see whether racehorses would run, and keep straight, without the threat of a stick.

Hyde explained: “The race was a statement that needed to be made because our industry is under pressure – we need to attract a new audience – and there is a perception that this (whip use) is an area of racing that may be seen in a negative light by people outside the industry. Therefore we wanted to press home the need for the stakeholders to seriously consider the road that we have to adopt regarding the future of crop use.”

The race made an impact far beyond the relatively narrow confines of this country. Stipes in Australia, despite their recent days being dominated by events in Melbourne, took time out to contact Hyde and congratulate him. The Turffontein race, and the lessons to be learnt from it, will now be discussed at next month’s meeting of the NHA’s Harmonisation of the Racing Rules Committee.

Phumelela boss Clyde Basel also sees long term implications from Saturday and said: “It was very well received and proved a great idea. Who knows what could happen with it? There might be a series of races that could be considered. It is something we would like to take forward into the future although obviously it is all guided through the NHA.”

Training legend Mike de Kock, who trained the winner – first-timer Hawwaam, seemed much in favour when interviewed by Deez Dyanand and said: “They are better off without sticks. More of them get beaten with them than they would without them.

“A horse like this one never had a stick at home and there was no point in him having a stick here. When the horse shifted in Randall Simons (if carrying his whip in right hand) would have hit him. The horse would have then shifted out so Randall would have changed his stick and hit him again.”

By coincidence Hawwaam is owned by Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum who for many years sponsored a series of apprentice races in Ireland in which the riders were not allowed to carry whips.

In tabonline’s pre-race strawpoll of the jockeys taking part only Raymond Danielson of the five questioned came out in favour of riding without a whip – “I’m all for it. I don’t really use the stick that much in races anyway. I find I’m a better rider with the hands.”

Nobody asked the horses but you don’t have to be an equine psychologist to conclude that they would no more vote in favour of the whip than turkeys would vote for Christmas. Seemingly, though, the pressure of public opinion is going to come to their assistance.

By Michael Clower