The well-bred Sigismund finally managed to exit the maidens at Greyville yesterday in what looked to be an easy victory under jockey Craig Zackey. This dashing son of Dynasty has been costly to follow for punters as he was beaten favourite in his last two starts but the Alistair Gordon yard seems to be ticking over nicely as they had a winner last Sunday.

Sigismund (Candiese Marnewick)

There was a nail-biting finish to kick off the card when the race totally changed complexion in the last 200m. The Brett Crawford trained odds-on pop Mysterious Omen moved up extremely well coming into the straight but Bells Apostle wouldn’t give in and these two pulled away from the field and looked sure to fight out the finish. This until the Glen Kotzen-trained Final Attempt flew up on the outside to get up at odds of 20-1.

The opening leg of the Pick 6 got off to a good start for the followers of Anton Marcus when the Michael Miller trained Eeetee looked to just hold of the late challenge Misty Heath.

The fourth saw the stable companions Kazaar and Sir Bernadini in a good tussle when the lesser fancied of the two, Kazaar, pulled away from his stable mate. Run Rhino Run received solid betting support from 66-1 down to 25-1 but unfortunately was scratched at the start as he refused to load.

The winners continued to roll in for the Andre Nel yard as Dark Chocolate powered through the centre of the field to narrowly beat the ever game Pina Colada. Dark Chocolate travelled comfortably coming into the the straight and responded instantly for jockey Gareth Wright. Karatage was flying at them late for third under a strong driving ride from Marcus.

The seventh produced a bomb result all round with Rose of Peru and Red Herring fighting out the finish where the judge was needed to separate them. All the exotics shot up with outsiders filling in the top three positions with the biggest roughie, Palace Mystery running third at odds of 36-1.

A shoe replacement caused a slight delay to the closer of the meeting and a further delay occurred when Waiting For Change played up in the stalls and had to be examined by the vet. Trini’s Greenlight jumped inwards at the start of the race and apprentice Luke Ferraris came off however he managed to grab hold of his mount. The lesser fancied of the stable elect was victorious in the form of Waiting For Change with Serino Moodley aboard at 22-1. The hot favourite Genereight came under pressure early and could only manage third. The Pick 6 returned a decent R 59479.70.

By Devonne Govender

The Grade 3 Graham Beck Stakes has cut up to a field of just eleven for the Peermont Emperor’s Palace Charity Mile meeting at Turffonteinn on Saturday and Pick 6 players will not be complaining as this potentially lucrative bet now looks more catchable.

Chimichuri Run (Candiese Marnewick)

The Equus Champion two-year-old of last season, Soqrat, who was set to carry a welter 62kg, was scratched from the Graham Beck, which now looks a two horse race between Chimichuri Run and Alyaasaat, who have both proven their class against older horses. Alyaasaat has a draw and a weight advantage, jumping from draw 6 and receiving 3kg from Chimichuri Run, who carries topweight of 60kg and jumps from draw ten. The latter won the Spring Spree Stakes over 1200m by 4,25 lengths easing up and should relish the extra distance here being by Trippi out of the Grade 1 SA Fillies Classic winner Spiced Gold. His early pace can help him overcome the wide draw as it did when he won the Umkhomazi Stakes at Greyville with ease. Alyaasaat only just failed in the Joburg Spring Challenge over 1450m against a stronger field than Chimichuri faced in the Spring Spree Stakes. Among those he beat was Soqrat, although he was receiving 2kg and beat him by just 0,9 lengths. Both Chimchuri Run and Alyaasaat have good acceleration and there don’t look to be any other runners who can challenge them.

Celtic Sea, Ghaala, Nafaayes, Running Brave and Isle de France should be enough to get punters through the third leg of the Pick 6, the Princess Charlene Starling Stakes, and Noble Secret, Coral Fever, Matador Man, Romany Prince and Arctica should be enough for the next leg, the Peermont Emperor’s Palace Charity Mile.

The fifth leg over 1000m is tricky but Rebel’s Champ, Rocky Valley, Bold Eagle, William The Silent, Wrecking Ball and Prince Of Kahal can get punters through.

With the full amount already up to R300 with the above perm, punters will have a problem keeping the other two legs down.

The last leg, the Yellowwood over 1800m, is a potential stumbling block and punters will have to go as wide as possible, although Being Fabulous has come into her own and is the one to beat with Fort Ember and Sylvan On Fire looking to be the best of the rest.

The Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run Cup sees one of the weakest renewals of this sales race and Rail Trip is a shoe in at the weights, so is a banker consideration. It forms the second leg of the Pick 6 and the only concern for the filly is a wide draw of 12. The choice to give some cheek would have been the rank outsider Patrol Officer, but his very wide draw is off putting. The Sands caught the eye on debut, although he also has a wide draw, and The Sash and Checkpoint Charlie could also make a race of it. What A Blast and The Greatest Wish should improve from their debuts and can also be considered.

By David Thiselton

The dogs are barking about Duc D’Orange, the Duke Of Marmalade colt who makes his debut with Bernard Fayd’Herbe in the irons in the 1 200m Woodhill Racing Maiden at Kenilworth on Saturday.

But Glen Kotzen, who sponsors the race, is making it clear that – much as he likes the colt – he does not expect him to collect on this occasion.

He said: “Duc D’Orange is very smart and very talented but this will be too short for him. However he is one of the better ones and definitely one for the future.”

Bernard Fayd’Herbe (Liesl King)

World Sports Betting, though, were taking no chances yesterday, opening him second favourite at 2-1 and 1-4 for a place. Gimmetherain, second at Durbanville on his only two starts, heads the market at 11-10 with Anton Marcus’s mount Northern Spy (5-2) the only other quoted at less than 12-1.

Kotzen intends changing tactics when Western Cape Fillies Championship runner-up Temple Grafin goes for the WSB Cape Fillies Guineas on 15 December.

He said: “We will probably give her a bit more of a chance and let her run on at the end but she pulled up great and I was delighted.”

The Woodhill trainer, who won the Cape Fillies Guineas with Princess Victoria seven years ago, will also run Coral Bay and neither filly will race again before the classic.

He said: “Coral Bay ran a cracker last Saturday. She got left in the pens but she flew home to finish fifth.”

Clouds Unfold, raised 4.5kg by the handicappers to a new mark of 106 for winning the race, and third-placed stable companion Santa Clara (up 1.5kg to 97) will also go straight to the Fillies Guineas but the disappointing Nous Voila (ninth) will miss the race.

Candice Bass-Robinson said: “We are putting her back up the straight because she doesn’t handle the turn. There is a progress plate coming up and she will run in that.”

Justin Snaith, who will be bidding for his sixth Cape Fillies Guineas in 12 seasons, confirms that Juniper Spring (“She had to be chased up but she still finished fourth”) will be in next month’s Grade 1 line-up. But he says that 20-1 shot Made To Conquer now has only a ten per cent chance of making the Sansui Summer Cup four weeks on Saturday.

He explained: “Going to PE last weekend has put a bit of a dampener on my other travel plans. The travelling there was very hard and hot and it took a lot out of Magnificent Seven. He only scrambled over the line in the Algoa Cup. I will go every easy on him in the Cape summer season and then have him for something in Natal.”

By Michael Clower

There could be two Pick 6 bankers at the Vaal Inside track tomorrow in Noble Princess and Seventh Rule.

Noble Princess is a scopey daughter of Mambo In Seattle who was a touch unlucky over 1600m last time when losing a length and just failing to hold on. In the second leg of tomorrow’s Pick 6 over 1800m she has a plum draw over a step up in trip she should relish. The main danger looks to be Pachanga, who has a big heart but is one paced and has finished second five times in succession. Magic’s First made up some ground from midfield over 1600m last time and the risk averse could consider her for the Pick 6.

In the last leg of the Pick 6 over 1200m Seventh Rule looks to have been waiting for this trip as he has plenty of pace and stays up to 1400m so can lead from start to finish. He did fail over this trip in his first run out of the maidens but is now running off a merit rating a whopping 14 points lower. He lost on that occasion by three lengths to Cumberland and the latter has had strong formlines since, including winning one more race. Beyond Seventh Rule it is wide open. Camel Walk ran well the last time he tried this trip and could be the main danger along with Prince Jordan, who goes well for Lyle Hewitson and will be a big threat if bouncing back to his best after three disappointing runs. Pius Oil, Fly North and Singaswewin are others who warrant consideration.

Verdier (Candiese Marnewick)

The Pick 6 starts off with a Maiden over 2000m which looks to be a two horse race. Both Indy Ice and Winter Crusade are rangy types who should relish this trip and the only concern is their wide draws. Aeronautical is the danger on form but is even wider drawn. The two well drawn horses who could come to the party if the main protagonists suffer bad luck in running are Festive Linngari and Tongue Twister.

The third leg of the Pick 6 over 1800m is an Assessment Plate and it provides an easy opportunity on paper for Like A Panther, who is very well treated at the weights according to official merit ratings. However, he has not run for 180 days so his stablemate Hakeem and the up-and-coming Gift For The Gap can also be included. Hakeem ran a fair race over this trip on Saturday considering he set a strong pace and he can do better if ridden more conservatively from a good draw. Gift For The Gap is unbeaten in two starts over further than a mile and is by the exciting sire Master Of My Fate, whose destiny as a stallion will be influenced by how well his three-year-old crop do this season.

The next leg is a classy Assessment Plate over 1100m for fillies and mares. In The Dance was impressive on debut and this Gimmethegreenlight filly could prove to have as good a turn of foot as her half-brother Capetown Noir. She has only had that one start so only has to carry 56kg and looks the one to beat. Xplosive Kiss also made an impressive debut and looks the main threat. Dalai’s Promise has proved how good she is since arriving on the Highveld, winning both of her starts there, but she does have to give the first two choices 3kg. However, she does still warrant consideration and so do Witch Of The West and San Fermin. The former has class and should run well fresh over a trip too sharp and the latter is the best in at the weights on official merit ratings, although it has to be said she has been a disappointment overall considering how highly she was touted after her winning debut.

The eighth race is the trickiest race in the Pick 6, not surprisingly as it is a low grade handicap for fillies and mares. Trip To Ibiza had some fair Cape Town form and was dropped two points after a mediocre Highveld debut. However, she has gone close in both starts off her current mark, both over this trip on the Inside track, and she might prefer running down the straight as she can pack a strong finish. She does have a very high draw so any draw bias on the day will have to be noted. Kissmeinmydreams loves this course and distance so is a must include. Ensemble has placed in both of her post maiden starts and Raymond Danielson stays aboard and others to include are Goodness Me, Count Kournikova, Tricia and Announcing Rain.

The first leg of the PA over 1400m should be fought out by the promising pair Rosario and Sea Venture, who were only a quarter of a length apart over 1200m last time. Rosario has the draw in her favour again, but Sea Venture looks the more likely of the pair to enjoy the step up in trip.

By David Thiselton

Twist Of Fate has been raised 2kg to a new merit rating of 109 by the handicappers for his convincing win in last Saturday’s Cape Classic and Joey Ramsden yesterday said that the Master Of My Fate colt will bypass the Concord Cup (previously Selangor) to go straight for the Forus Cape Guineas on 15 December.

He added: “He came out of the race very well. I still have doubts (about the horse getting the trip). You have to have doubts about everything in this country – nothing is what it seems on paper.”

Twist Of Fate was giving 2kg to half the field and 4kg to the other half. Runner-up Cirillo has been left on an unchanged 102 and at this stage stands out in the R2.5 million CTS Ready To Run on 24 November – assuming he is not drawn next to the M5.

Pleasedtomeetyou, beaten three lengths into third after failing to get the trip, has been put up 1.5kg to a mark of 96. Fourth-placed Majestic Mozart, less than half a length further back, stays on 84.

By Michael Clower