The weather forecast is good for tomorrow’s meeting on the Turffontein Inside track and there are some interesting horses turning out.

The first of them is Varsity Bourbon, a De Kock-trained Var colt who is bred in the purple and runs in race one over 1200m. He is out of Off To Dance, a National Emblem half-sister to the top racehorse and champion sire Captain Al. Off To Dance is also a half-sister to the Grade 1 Cape Fillies Guineas and Grade 1 Majorca winner Shadow Dancing (Fort Wood), who is in turn the dam of the dual Grade 1 winner Thunder Dance. On the other hand Varsity Bourbon was not very expensively purchased at R400,000. The yard said, “He will have an each-way chance if he does not need the experience.” He has a tough draw of ten to overcome.

Shogun

The tip to win the race is Game Theory, a Byword colt who has had two decent starts to date. He is not the most imposing sort so it is open to question how much improvement he has in him and he also has a tough draw of 12 to overcome. However, trainer Alec Laird usually brings them on slowly but surely and he does not have a lot to beat. Enter The Dragon does have some scope but would likely prefer a touch further. However, he should be staying on well from draw three with the same 4kg claimer who rode him to a staying on second place finish over 1450m last time.

In the second race over 1200m there are two interesting first-timers. Summer Afternoon is by Trippi out of a Pivotal one-time winning daughter of the great Ipi Tombe. She is tipped to win as she should have speed and is drawn in pole and Sean Tarry has a good record with first-timers. The Johan Janse van Vuuren-trained Veritas is a R3 million filly by Captain Al out of an unraced Galileo mare who is a half-sister to dual Listed winner Ezima, the dam of European Champion filly Taghrooda. She has a tough draw of seven out of ten to overcome, but does have Gavin Lerena up so should be right there. This pair do not have a lot to beat and the best of the raced runners could be the battling maiden Tidal Tussle, who is having her 17^th start.

In the third race Mighty And Magic enjoyed his first attempt at 2600m and Lyle Hewitson will know a bit more about how to tackle the trip with him this time so from pole position he is made the best bet on the card.

In the first leg of the Pick 6, also over 2600m, Kiss And Angel should relish the step up in trip being by Await The Dawn out of a Galileo mare and she has a plum draw. Ration My Passion is by Cape Blanco, who won five Group 1s from a mile-and-a-quarter to a mile-and-a-half, and is out of a half-sister to an Australian Derby winner so he should relish the step up in trip on pedigree too. They should get punters through the PA and for the Pick 6 Building Bridges can be included as he stayed on well over 2400m in his penultimate start and Strydom rides from a good draw.

The next leg of the Pick 6 is tricky and any one of the eight runners could win. However, Gottalottaluv has always struck as one with some class and he should be fit and ready and jumps from pole position under Strydom. Noceur is coming into his own so is the other one to include and Chariot Of Gold is a decent filly who will relish the step up in trip having run unplaced over 1600m on Saturday.

In the sixth race over 1600m Helios has always struck as a decent sort and sneaks into the handicap with the minimum weight so could give Hewitson another winner. The Rising Legend has a fine turn of foot and will be staying on strongly from his usual last position. Orpheus can go close if repeating his fine last start over course and distance when a close second to Summer Cup favourite Noble Legend.

In the seventh race over 1450m Bockscar finished like a train the last time he tried this trip so has to be included, although Darkest Hour is tipped as he has been unlucky lately. King Of The Delta has improved and is interesting stepped up in trip as he has been staying on in his races over 1200m.

In the eighth over 1000m Wrecking Ball is the choice a she is talented but often just does not get home over the minimum trip. Her last three runs over further might have helped build her stamina and she could last home this time. Green Plains and Covered In Snow look to be the chief dangers.

In the last leg over 1200m the promising but temperamental filly Sally Called is taken to beat the Grade 1 winner Van Halen, who will likely need it. Green Haze, Xplosive Kiss and My Boy Caloi also warrant consideration.

By David Thiselton

Savea, a costly failure recently when sent out a short-priced favourite, can make amends when he runs in the second at Greyville today. Supported in to even money, Savea played up behind the gate and once loaded, showed pace before fading tamely behind outsider Big King.

Post-race he was reported to be hanging out and making a respiratory noise but even given the excuses, Savea can recoup some of his supporter’s losses.

Lightly raced, his form has been much improved since being gelded and from another good draw he should at least be concerned in the finish.

The danger could be Edge Of The Sun who was way out of his depth in a six-horse Progress Plate, where he finished a dozen lengths off winner Red Chestnut Road and stable companion Dawn Calling. Back in more suitable company he looks a likely threat to Savea.

Gunner

In the fifth, Gunner has come well since a reduction in his merit rating, winning his last two. He got a five-point raise for his most recent victory but Paul Gadsby has replaced non-claiming apprentice Eric Ngwane with 2.5kg claimer Khanya Sakayi so in theory Gunner races off the same mark as his recent victory. Gadsby has also dropped the gelding in class and although at the top of the handicap he looks decidedly well weighted and can go in again.

Apprentice Jabu Jacobs is battling for his first win and came within an ace of a maiden victory when Winter’s Coming was touched off by stable companion Q The Music over course and distance. That was a smart effort by Andre Nel’s runner and from a plum draw, Jacobs and Winter’s Coming can give Gunner a tough race.

Dean Kannemeyer’s stable is starting to turn the corner and The Sultan’s Bazaar is unbeaten in two starts on the poly. He does take a big jump in class here but with only 53kg to shoulder he is in line to keep his poly record intact.

Duncan Howells will have been way better than 10^th on the current National trainer’s log had he been able to convert all his second places – 21 so far for the current season – to go with his 12 wins. Queen’s Plain, who runs in the first leg of the Pick 6, was another statistic when she finished runner-up, beaten the width of a piece of paper in open company last time out, and Howells will be hoping she can break a frustrating run of form.

It won’t be easy in a competitive field where Sheik’s Storm and Mitra Music look pick of the balance. Sheik’s Storm has been knocking at the door for some time now and with a 2.5kg claimer aboard this time around, that relief from the saddle could be enough to see her home.

Mitra Music was a touch disappointing last outing but the stable has hit form and one can expect a better showing.

Frank Robinson has a knack of keeping older horses on the boil and his patience can pay off when nine-year-old Great Rumpus lines up in the first leg of the jackpot. He takes a five-point drop in the ratings and also a drop in class. Older horses also seem to find their best form on the poly track so Great Rumpus who steps out for the 64^th time in his career, looks to have a lot going for him.

Biggest threat could come from Mark Dixon’s runner Two Stroke who has not been too far back in some useful company of late. He has yet to run a bad race and should feature in a field of this calibre.

The sixth is a wide open fillies handicap where there are plenty of runners in with chances. However, when in doubt, go for the top weight and Karatage and Miziara could fit the bill. Anton Marcus stays with Karatage which is generally a good sign while 4kg claimer Xola Jacobs will be hunting his first win on the Howells-trained Miziara.

The final leg of the Pick 6 could rest between Sigismund and Paddingtons Luck. In his first run back after gelding, Sigismund found one too good for him in a sprint. Alistair Gordon’s runner should do better over this trip and is likely to start favourite again. Paddingtons Luck also found one too good for him last time out but obviously more was expected of him as he drops back to a mile and first-time blinkers. The pair are drawn alongside each other so it could be a case of cat and mouse from the jump.

By Andrew Harrison

Those that’ve made the annual pilgrimage will know that the Ready To Run gallops at Summerhill had evolved into a national institution over the first three decades of their existence. The dictates of a lower market have called for a more modest approach, now in the form of what one might term “private” gallops, where the object is to get them filmed for public consumption on television, websites and on social media. The popularity of the gallops among hard core racing people however, meant that there was still a nucleus of professional observers, leading trainers, champion jockeys and dyed-in-the-wool owners and racing fans at Summerhill on Thursday, notwithstanding the sudden change of date on account of a nasty weather alert.

And the horses. Especially the horses, more so as the word leaking from the assembly of various consignors was that this draft, if not the best ever, would at least rival the one that gave racing three Group One-winning sophomores just this past season, Takingthepeace, Hero’s Honour and Brave Mary, not to mention Chesneys van Zyl’s highly regarded Group One runner-up, Railtrip.

While it’s easy to forget just how good the 2016 vintage was, there was a solid body of opinion among the top horsemen in the camp that this was the draft of all drafts, and while predictions can sometimes stray in the world of the racehorse, knowing those gathered and the sheer weight of their experience, as a player you’d want to be paying attention.

Several of them were interviewed after the gallops, and were fairly unanimous in their praise. We won’t spoil the viewing on television for those of you whose curiosity has been aroused, other than to say that once the gallops are live in the public domain on Wednesday, it will be your turn to judge them.

The biggest penalty ever given to a Herbert Power winner all but guarantees Yucatan a run in the race that stops a nation after Racing Victoria’s chief handicapper Greg Carpenter administered a 2.5kg rise for Saturday’s dominant performance.

The new Lexus Melbourne Cup co-favourite, who now has a weight of 54.5kg, moves up to 24 on the order of entry from 55. And with 24 spots up for grabs it would take another runner leapfrogging him on the list, and then every single runner to stand their ground, for him to now miss out.

Carpenter said: “Generally if you’re in the low 30s you get into the field and he’s now number 24. He’s not absolutely guaranteed a start but I would be even more surprised than I was when he won the race on Saturday if he didn’t get into the Melbourne Cup.”

Yucatan had been scheduled to run Saturday’s Stella Artois Caulfield Cup, for which he escapes a penalty, but owner Lloyd Williams has decided to miss the race in order to give the four-year-old more time to recover from the Herbert Power.

Yucatan (racingpost.com)

Speaking before Yucatan’s absence in the Caulfield Cup was revealed, Carpenter said: “The prize for the Herbert Power winner is you get into the Caulfield Cup and you cannot be penalised, so if Yucatan runs he will carry 52kg. What I can do as the handicapper is deliver a penalty to him for the Lexus Melbourne Cup.

“Previous benchmarks at the high end for a penalty for a Herbert Power winner have been 2kg. The way James McDonald put the sword to the horses on Saturday and went well clear in the straight, the margin of a length and a quarter is not really for me. The telling factor was the extraordinarily dominant victory from Yucatan.

“So his penalty will be 2.5 kilos. It is a bigger penalty than has been given to the Herbert Power winner in the last 40 years but I haven’t seen a more impressive winner of the race. The official margin may have been a length and a quarter, but he was six lengths clear at the 100 metre mark until James throttled him down.

“I was surprised as it was a significant step up on his European form in 2018. You have to be realistic, he beat Brimham Rocks and Prince Of Arran, the horses he will have to take on in the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup are significantly better.”

Emotionless out

Charlie Appleby’s Emotionless has been ruled out of the entire Spring Carnival after a scintigraphy scan revealed he has sustained a pelvic stress fracture.

The five-year-old was found lame in his right hind leg after trackwork at Werribee last Saturday and has been on box rest until his Monday scan.

The news is another blow to Appleby, who tragically lost Hamada in a freak accident at Werribee on Saturday and had his other Melbourne Cup hope Cross Counter pick up a cut to his leg on Sunday.

Appleby took the decision to withdraw Emotionless from all races he was nominated for, including this Saturday’s Caulfield Cup and the Melbourne Cup after a scan at the University of Melbourne Equine Centre at Werribee.

He will remain in his stable at Werribee, where Godolphin stable staff and vets will assess his suitability to fly back to Britain over the coming weeks.

– racingpost.com

It is a tricky time of the year for the top trainers hoping to win Johannesburg’s most prestigious race, the GBets Summer Cup, and three-time SA Champion trainer Sean Tarry said his yard’s final team would depend on who was on track in terms of fitness and who would have had the smoothest preparations.

Trainers also have to be mindful of the horses’ merit ratings with the first aim being to have it high enough to get into the race but low enough to be able to win off.

Tarry’s ten entries are not prominent in the betting and he started off with last year’s winner Liege, who is quoted at 25/1 with the sponsor, “He didn’t go in firing last year so probably needs to be prepared in a certain way, and probably wants two easier runs before the Summer Cup, so we are looking at a similar route to last year. If I can get a run into him early he will then go for the Victory Moon or otherwise it will be the Charity Mile and the Victory Moon. He suffered lung issues between last year’s Summer Cup and the July but is now doing well.” Liege won the Summer Cup last year off a 99 merit rating and is now rated 108, which is competitive considering there was an across the board merit rating raise of six points for all horses in March this year.

Liege

The 103 merit-rated Tilbury Fort is a 20/1 shot and Tarry said, “We will probably go for the Charity Mile and then straight into the Summer Cup. He won a really good race in his first run after gelding so looks to go well fresh.”

The 106 merit-rated Social Order, a 35/1 shot, ran a 4,8 length fourth on Saturday in an Asessment Plate carrying 61kg. Tarry said, “He gave away a lot of weight over a distance too short and ran on well.” The Charity Mile and the Victory Moon are options for Social Order, who ran a disappointing 12^th last season but later ran a close third to Coral Fever in the Grade 2 Colorado King Stakes over the same course and distance. He enjoys the long straight and appears to enjoy some cut in the ground.

Tarry said about the 103 merit rated five-year-old mare Safe Harbour, whose last run was a decent 6,35 length fifth in the Champions Challenge over course and distance, “She had a wind operation and has come back very well so the operation seems to have worked. She is a filly who does very well in Cape Town but if we do go for the Summer Cup before going to Cape Town she will have one preparation run first.” She is quoted at 35/1.

Silver God stayed on well on to win the aforementioned Assessment Plate over 1450m on Saturday carrying 57.5kg. He is bred in the purple being by Silvano and a half-brother to Grade 1 winners William Longsword and Real Princess. Tarry said, “He needed the gelding which wasn’t an easy decision considering the pedigree. If you look at his three-year-old campaign he was always thereabouts regardless of the distance, so we don’t know quite what his distance range is. But he definitely needs at least a mile or 1800m.” On Saturday his run built up gradually and he gave the impression he would stay the 2000m. However, he still has a bit to do to get into the Summer Cup as he ran off a mere 93 merit rating on Saturday. He is 35/1 with GBets.

French Navy, who won both the Grade 1 SA Classic and Grade 1 Daily News 2000 as a three-year-old, is now a seven-year-old gelding and Tarry said, “He is an old soldier and hadn’t really had a break so we decided to give Durban a miss. He has come back well but we will need to be careful where to prep him off his 101 merit rating.” He is 55/1.

Bulleting Home is also a seven-year-old and is merit rated 107 and is quoted at 66/1. Tarry said, ”I had been so happy with him but unfortunately he then ran two ordinary races. In the Champions Cup he pulled so that can be ignored and then last time over 1400m on the poly he missed the break, was run off his feet and then stayed on tamely so that was maybe a bit quick for him. The Charity mile might be a nice race for him.”

Warrior’s Rest looks good value at 80/1, although is currently merit rated only 91 so has a lot to still do to get in. Tarry said this big horse had trimmed down a bit since gelding. He continued, “He has got the earlier form and needed gelding. He needed his first run back desperately so it was important to get that run into him. I will nominate him for the Charity Mile and the Assessment Plates will also be good for him as he is only a one-time winner. It was stop-start with him last season, he needed gelding and never got into a rhythm. He is a big boy so I would rather be sure and have an extra run or two but his next run is going to tell us a lot.”

He said about 100/1 shot Chariot Of Gold, “The mile was too sharp for her on Saturday, I will look to run her in the Yellowwood or an Assessment Plate, she’s a good filly but her rating (87) is some way off the mark.”

He said about the 100/1 shot Tambalang”, “I always rated her and she got away with a feature win but she lost her sparkle, maybe her program was too busy, and we rested her. She has come the right way and she will run in a Pinnacle or the Yellowwood.”

By David Thiselton