Ashley Fortune has had a somewhat fairy tale start to her training career, and has a fighting chance of a second feature race win when Rings And Things and Tsitsikamma Dance line up in the Grand Heritage at the Vaal on 13 October.

The 28 horse adventure was originally supposed to take place this past Saturday, but has been postponed due to complications with the Vaal track.

The wife of legendary jockey Andrew Fortune had paid her dues as assistant trainer to highly successful Noelene Peech in Zimbabwe, before performing the same function with Joey Ramsden for 18 months after moving to this country in 2008.

Famously Ashley’s first winner was at Grade 3 Level, when Let It Rain took the Gold Bowl under stepson Aldo Domeyer in May. The stable’s winning strike rate since opening for business has constantly remained above the 20% mark, which is quite remarkable.

“It’s gone very well so far – way better than I expected to be honest. But we’ve got some good stock, and I think we’ve placed them well in races they can win,” she said.

The stable has really done well with former Cape-based horses bought from Central Route Trading dispersal sales, with Rings And Things and Mount Keith being prime examples.

As Ashley says, “Cape Town form is the strongest, and we thought if we bought horses from there that were going close they could win a couple of races quickly up here. Thankfully we turned out to be right”.

With regard to the two stable hopes in the Grand Heritage, she had the following to say:

“Rings And Things is well and happy, and has done everything right so far. She is back to her best form, and bounces off her races. I was surprised the handicappers dropped her four points for finishing 0.5-lengths off Rose In Bloom last time, but I’m not complaining!”

Indeed the MR drop ruined the plan for Domeyer to ride, as he doesn’t get her amended weight of 54kg.

“Tsitsikamma Dance had an excellent prep run and we learnt a few things about him. He’s a big striding horse with a huge action, and the expected hot pace in this event will be right up his alley”.

As could be expected with the start she has had, she is enthusiastic about the training game.

“I love it. Every day I am learning something new, and while you have to take the ups with the downs, this is something I have always wanted, and long may it continue”.

Of course Andrew Fortune also has a large part to play, and Ashley is happy to give her husband credit with an excellent mixed metaphor.

“Andrew is the ringmaster, and conducts the orchestra. He’s been riding for as long as I’ve been alive, knows a lot about form and is excellent at placing the horses. We make a good team”.

With regard to the coming Gauteng Summer season, she has hopes for Cash Time after he was beaten under two lengths in the SA Derby in May.

“He will run in the Summer Cup, assuming everything goes to plan. We also have hopes for our two recent easy maiden winners Big Blue Marble and Dalai’s Promise. They are both eligible for the $500,000 races on Sun Met Day, and will be aimed in that direction”.

When pressed on her ambitions for the 2017/18 campaign she is cautious.

“We will take it as it comes, as we are still taking baby steps. But ideally I would like to reach the 50 winner mark for the season”.

With seven chalked up so far, this soft spoken but hugely determined lady is right on schedule.

– TAB news

Anton Marcus has been snapped up for two of Vaughan Marshall’s stable stars at Durbanville on Saturday – Cape Guineas winner Tap O’Noth in the Matchem and the unbeaten Langerman winner One World in the 1 400m Progress Plate.

The four-time champion will also renew his partnership with Goodtime Gal in the Diana Stakes. He won last year’s race on the Mike Robinson-trained mare and finished second on her in a 1 200m conditions plate at Kenilworth a month ago.

Joey Ramsden, who has won the Matchem with high class horses like Variety Club and Act Of War, has supplemented Premiers Champion third Twist Of Fate for the Grade 3 test. The three-time winner gets in with only 50kg.

Aldo ‘Usain’ Domeyer looks like running in the Jockeys Chase after all as the organisers are flying in two speedy opponents from Johannesburg. Kenilworth Racing’s promotions man Clinton Theys expects to know their identities tomorrow.

Domeyer, fresh from his Singapore triumph, said: “I was thinking of sponsoring myself (instead of running) so that the charity does not lose out but, if they are going to fly in two guys from Jo’burg, I will have to run.”

The Cape champion was a runaway winner of the jockeys chase for four years on the trot before last year’s fiasco when it was decided to turn the race into a relay, pairing Domeyer with Corne Orffer (by his own admission one of the slowest in the field). But Grant van Niekerk sabotaged the whole thing by deliberately placing his baton into the unsuspecting Domeyer’s hand. This time the event reverts to a straight race over 100m.

By Michael Clower

Magnificent Seven’s Betting World Algoa Cup bid on October 28 hangs in the balance after the four-year-old failed to score with his customary authority when making it five wins from his last six starts in the Settlers Trophy at Durbanville on Saturday.

Justin Snaith, winning this Listed handicap for the third time in four seasons and the fifth in all, said: “I’m a little worried – and I wonder if this might have taken too much out of him. But take nothing away from the horse – he has done well.”

Nick Jonsson’s gelding ran too freely for his own good early on, and this may been the key to what followed. Certainly those who backed him at 5-8 feared the worst when Richard Fourie, with only three behind him, began to look decidedly uneasy fully four furlongs from home.

Fourie reported: “He dropped the bit and I thought maybe I had burnt him. But it was the right time to get a breather and he is a good horse who wants to win. Going through the 200 I knew I had it won even though I still hadn’t hit the front at that stage.”

Brett Crawford is targeting the R2.5 million of the Lanzerac Ready To Run on 24 November for Vascostreettractor who made all at 5-10 under Corne Orffer in the first, saying: “He has a lot of scope for improvement – his coat is not right yet and he is a much better horse when ridden from off the pace.”

The Philippi trainer also has reason to look forward with Water Spirit who led almost throughout the mile fillies maiden and impressed Anton Marcus in the process – “I like this filly,” said the jockey. “She will go further and there is improvement to come although that will be a couple of months down the line – she is incredibly immature.”

Dan Katz had his first double for Hassen Adams with Skye Lane (Greg Cheyne) and China Wolfe (Louis Burke) with the former heading for the R5 million CTS mile on Met day – “I have high hopes for her but she is looking for ground and you will only see the best of her in three to six months’ time.”

Harold Crawford was also in double form with Ready Steady Go (Cheyne) and 22-1 shot Aldato. Morne Winnaar, who rode the latter, sprang a 66-1 shock when making every metre on the Paddy Kruyer- trained Brandenburg in the Betting World Maiden.

By Michael Clower

Matador Man, quietly fancied to win the World Sports Betting Champions Cup at the end of last season, reverted to one of his favourites courses and his favourite distance to put a smart field to bed over the Greyville turf mile yesterday.

Anton Marcus, who had another red-letter day, had the favourite well back in the early stages in this Pinnacle Stakes contest and came wide into the straight. With Matador Man galloping freely, Marcus had little more to do than a steering job on Sean Tarry’s runner as he cruised home over three lengths clear of Seattle Skyline.

American Landing, making his return to the track after a three-month break, was running on well come the final furlong and this race will have done him the world of good when Brett Crawford stretches him over his optimum trip of ten furlongs and further.

Gavin van Zyl was warm in his praised for Perfect Peter after the gelding’s recent maiden win at Scottville and his judgement was on the mark as Perfect Peter made most of the running to beat what looked to be a smart Graduation Plate field.

Warren Kennedy dictated the gallop and Perfect Peter stuck gamely to his guns as he was challenged by raiders Affranchi and the unbeaten filly Nafaayes. Affranchi appeared to head Perfect Peter 50m from home but Perfect Peter came back for more under Kennedy’s urgings to win a neck decision.

It was a tremendously game effort and on that showing a mile and further look well within Perfect Peter’s compass.

The connections of Red Chesnut Road turned down a lucrative offer after making waves early in his career but from there it all went pear-shaped and Robbie Hill’s gelding scored only his third win in three seasons as he held off the game mare Dawn Calling in a driving finish to the second. Dawn Calling looked to have his measure 100 m out but her condition gave out the last bit as Red Chesnut Road plugged on for victory under Marcus.

It was a tremendous effort from Dawn Calling who had been off the track and is prepping for a crack at some of the Highveld features come their season.

Cat’s Legacy, a facile winner of his first crack at 2400m, appears to have found his niche distance although he was forced to work a lot harder in the Track & Ball Gaming Handicap. Crime Victim, beaten six lengths by Cat’s Legacy when last they met, looked to chase down the odds-on favourite who pinched an early lead at the top of the straight as Marcus made a decisive move around the home turn. But the petrol gauge was in the red as Marcus kept Cat’s Legacy to his task to hold the veteran Crime Victim by a fast diminishing neck.

Highveld raiders did not go home empty handed as Copenhagen, in spite of giving apprentice Luke Ferraris a difficult ride, prevailed in the opening leg of the Pick 6 ahead of recent barrier trialist and outsider Cruz Giovanni.

By Andrew Harrison

Magnificent Seven is a confident choice to end the ten-year hoodoo on favourites in the Settlers Trophy at Durbanville tomorrow.

Since Justin Snaith scored the second of his four wins in this 2 400m handicap with Caseys Son in 2008 every favourite has been beaten (and four of them didn’t even make the frame) but Richard Fourie’s mount is an improving sort who looks well handicapped.

He has won four of his last five starts and, while the assessors have pushed him up six kilos, they have only raised him 2kg for last time’s length and a quarter victory – despite Fourie making most of the running and having enough in reserve to ease up close home.

This is an extra two furlongs and a slightly more competitive race but the Horse Chestnut gelding looks as if he will have no problems with the trip, he is already a course winner and four-year-olds have won three of the last four runnings. He eased from an opening 17-20 to 11-10 yesterday and his in-form trainer reports: “He is in very good shape.”

Red Peril’s opening 20-1 looked too good to last and, sure enough, you could only get 15-1 about last season’s winner yesterday morning. Billy Prestage’s gelding is the oldest horse in the field but Posh Boy was also eight when he won five years ago and Red Peril likes the course and relishes bowling along in front.

Durbanville suits front-runners and they can be hard to peg back up the straight. His trainer likes to change the jockeys and Corne Orffer is the seventh different pilot in eight races. It’s worth noting that here early last month he was a two-length second to Magnificent Seven and renews rivalry on 4.5kg better terms. He looks the biggest danger despite his big price.

However Benjan is the main threat according to the market and the 4-1 second favourite is 1.5kg better with Magnificent Seven for the length and a quarter he was beaten last time. Sister Soozie is weighted to confirm last time’s course and distance placings with fellow 9-1 shot The Silver Fox but history is against top weight Master’s Eye. No horse has won this with more than 59.5kg in at least the last 17 runnings.

Water Spirit stands out in race three. This R2 million filly really flew once she grasped what was required of her on debut and she will be suited by the mile. The 2-1 favourite also has a better drawn than her main market rivals.

By Michael Clower