Apprentice Luke Ferraris is hot property at present. The talented youngster has been quick to the 40^th win of his career as he guided Ella’s World to an easy victory at Scottsville yesterday and in future will step out as a 1.5kg claimer.

Ferraris, son of successful Hong Kong-based trainer David and grandson on legendary Ormond Ferraris, is as thin as a reed but as tall as a weed. Although driven in his chosen career the acid test will come after he has ridden out his claim and the fight with the scale begins.

That’s all in the future and in the meantime he gave Ella’s World a polished ride for Dennis Bosch as the filly took the step up in trip in her stride and put daylight between herself and the opposition.

“I’m just worried what the handicapper will give her now,” said Bosch.

Driving home his talent, Ferraris was successful on Val-La-Ree for Doug Campbell in the sixth. The Richmond-based trainer has a stable that is hitting form and in the lightly raced daughter of Var he has a filly that can be competitive in the sophomore sprints. She showed pace throughout and kept finding under a welter burden.

By his own admission, Dennis Drier has one of the better young strings that he has had the privilege of training in his lengthy career and he stepped out another as Francisco put his field to the sword in the card opener. Sean Veale had another armchair ride and was looking for shadows a long way out as Francisco geared down to a five-length victory.

Beaten favourite at his last two, Drier removed all the suggested paraphernalia and it was back to old-school basics that saw the gelding deliver of his best.

Merlin From Berlin made a promising debut when third to the progressive Marchingontogether and although it took a further four outings to break the ice, he beat a competitive maiden field in the second. Blinkers obviously did the trick for Ivan van Wyk’s runner as he out-lasted Cloud Of Witness who came from last at the top of the straight only to go down a nostril at the line. However, rider Bill Jacobson incurred the wrath of the stipes and was lumber with a fine for his excessive use of the stick.

Mela Stregata was hot in the ante-post market for the third but she drifted like a loose badge in the current as the money poured onto Gavin van Zyl’s filly Cape Bluebell. Warren Kennedy had no hesitation taking the new favourite to the front tracked by Mela Stregata. As the betting suggested, it turned into a boat race at the top of the straight but the money was on the mark as Cape Bluebell kept on the stronger.

Mela Stregata was still green and one-pace in the finish and gives the impression that at mile and further will be more to her liking.

Mela Stregata may have disappointed for Duncan Howells but High Altar has been something of a money spinner for the yard as she notched her fourth win on the bounce in under three months in the seventh. Howells has chosen her races carefully and she came home smoothly under Muzi Yeni.

After the earlier disappointments, Duke Of Spin rounded off the meeting for Howells as the progressive son of Duke Of Marmalade scored his second victory back-to-back on his maiden win. Yeni had little more to do than keep his mount to his task under hands as he wore down Highveld raider Bosphorus and going on to win comfortably.

Wynkelder has always been held in high regard by Tony Rivalland and he made amends for his recent defeat when favourite to get the better of course and distance specialist and super consistent London Call in the Pinnacle Stakes. Rivalland generously gave long-time assistant Terry Fripp the mic after the race as he moves to Cape Town to take up a position with Justin Snaith.

Barrier trials have been a bone of contention ever since their introduction and their popularity will be put to the vote at the KZN Trainer’s Association AGM this coming Wednesday. But what ever the outcome, there are here to stay for at least the next four months.

Star filly Hashtagyolo stepped out in the second trial yesterday after missing most of her three-year-old career. She contracted a virus when sent to the Highveld for their season in January.

“She got it very badly,” said co-owner Bruce le Roux of the virus. “She had inflamed lungs and it was touch and go. At one stage she looked like an SPCA case.”

“But she’s come back strong and looks well. We just hope that the virus has not taken anything out of her.”

She certainly trialled well, ‘winning’ with the minimum of fuss.

By Andrew Harrison

Image provided by Annke Kitching

Tomorrow’s meeting has been moved from the Vaal Classic track to Turffontein Inside as the latter track is not in good condition at present.

The highest rated race is a MR 92 handicap over 1800m. Jamra is a progressive filly and will be hard to beat from the front carrying a light weight for an in-form yard. She has won with authority from the front in her last two starts over a mile and should enjoy the step up in trip being by Trippi out of a Galileo mare. The wide draw is a bit of a concern but the tight track should play into her hands if she does get to the front without using up too much energy. Saragon looks to be the chief danger. She is 2,5kg better off with Being Fabulous for a 2,1 length beating over 1450m last time, but more importantly this Ideal World filly has always been looking for this trip. Her only attempt at it was in the Grade 1 SA Fillies Classic where she was well beaten.

However, the fact she was entered showed she is well regarded and that was just her fifth career start too. She has subsequently been unbeaten in two starts over a mile and was doing her best work late in both. She has a plum draw of two. Being Fabulous has always had a touch of class and has become more reliable lately. She proved she stays this trip when finishing third in the East Coast Handicap over 2000m at Greyville in May. Tammany Hall has been a touch disappointing but did run well last time over 1600m. However, she was well weighted in that Assessment Plate and back in a handicap it will be tougher. Littlewood is drawn in pole and stays this trip. This is a step up in class but she is in the handicap carrying only 52,5kg so is the dark horse. Bondiblu would prefer further and Beautiful Shay has an impossible task on paper being 9kg under sufferance.

In the first leg of the PA Coyote Girl looks to be a banker. She has plenty of pace and was not disgraced last time when a four length runner up over this 1000m trip to the promising prospect Dewali. The danger could be the first-timer Light On Her Feet as this Pathfork filly is a full-sister to the decent six-time winner Secret Star and has a nice draw. Secret Star has speed and a fine kick so if her sister is anything like as good she will go close.

In the first leg of the Pick 6 over 1450m the expensive R1,1 million Var mare La Roquette looks to be the one to side. She was beaten two lengths by Zulu Dawn last time but had a bad draw and it was her second run after a long layoff. She should now be cherry ripe and has a plum draw of two. Those two are taken to get punters through the exotics.

In race 5 over 2400m Sailor Girl, who is a daughter of the Gold Cup winner Colonial Girl, has relished the step up to staying trips and can make it a hattrick despite having been given five points for her last win. Cranberry Crush is 1kg under sufferance but carrying a light weight she can be a threat if repeating her fine run over 3200m last time. However, she is only 0,5kg better off with Sailor Girl for a four length beating in a previous race over this trip. Santa Vittoria has struck as one who will enjoy this trip, Knysna Rose must be included and so must Glamarous Scandal.

The next two races are unusual events, maiden handicaps. In the first of them Nuntius Oratorion should enjoy the step up to 2000m. He has scope and does not have much to beat plus he gets weight from three horses.

In the next race, also over 2000m, Stormbourne Thunder looks hard to beat as a hard knocker who will be getting 2kg from the other hard knocker in the field Pachanga. The latter is a touch one-paced but always tries hard and should be right there. Candela finished strongly over 1450m two runs ago and has been tried up to 2600m, so is interesting here carrying a nice galloping weight of 55kg.

In the last race over 1600m Sovereign Reign’s second place finish over this trip in his penultimate start, when beaten narrowly by Come The Day, has worked out well and he followed that up with a good performance over 1400m. He has always been well regarded but does have a tough draw to overcome. Endofmarch could come in well handicapped as horses coming from the strong centre of Cape Town often have suppressed merit ratings. He hasn’t run since his running on second in July over this trip and also has a tough draw. Seventh Of June carries topweight of 61,5kg but is in fine form and has a plum draw so should be thereabouts.

By David Thiselton

Backing first timers is not a sound punting strategy and that was borne out when Mela Stregata, 1-5 on debut, was ‘rolled’, albeit by the shortest of short heads after racing very green.

The daughter of boom sire Scat Daddy had trialled impressively and the word was out that she was something special. But a trial is no substitute for a race and she was caught out by the speedy Tuulikki who showed pace throughout and held on narrowly from a late-charging favourite.

Duncan Howells saddles the filly over a more suitable 1400m at Scottsville today and from a good draw, she is likely to start deep in the red once again; yesterday 7-10 in the ante-post market.

Howells was on the mark with a brace of winners last Sunday and the stable appears to have turned the corner. He saddles a further 10 runners today and outside of Mela Stregata he appears to have a smart card that could yield more than one winner.

The mare High Altar goes for a fourth win on the bounce and the manner of her recent wins suggests that she has a definite chance of pulling it off. She came from the clouds and a poor draw to get up late over the mile last time out and she only collected a three-pound penalty. She had been up with the pace at her previous wins and was most impressive over course and distance at her penultimate start.

Few horses win four-in-a-row so there needs to be some caution about the mare’s chances but she definitely looks capable.

Duke Of Spin, who runs in the last, made short work of the opposition when shedding his maiden at just his second outing and second-placed White Lightning paid compliment to that form by winning comfortably next time out. It’s a little early to be singing the colt’s praises but he won in the manner of a progressive galloper and this race should give some indication of where he is possibly headed.

With the Highveld spring season and the Cape summer season on the horizon, Howells saddles two of the stables established stars in the fifth. Neptune’s Rain and Fiorella line up in a Pinnacle Stakes sprint and although the two best weighted horses in the race, they are both back from a break and could be found short of a gallop or two.

They are up against course and distance specialist London Call and at the bottom of the weights with 48kg on his back is Archilles who was decidedly unlucky last time out when twice being interfered with, a certain winner with a clear passage.

Louis Goosen could hold the key in the sixth. He has a host of quick fillies in his yard including Mbali and Bonnie Dawn. Mbali finished ahead of stable companion Bonnie Dawn when last they met, however, Bonnie Dawn’s previous form is stronger and she can turn the tables.  Ashburton colleague Shane Humby saddled two winners last Sunday and after a close-up third last time out Geographe Bay should be right up there in spite of her hefty burden.

But the list of possible winners is a long one and includes Val-La-Ree, Rani, Tuulikki and Philadelphia Girl who has come in for a ton of ante-post money. Dennis Driers filly has been a tardy starter in the past but races in blinkers for the first time and has come in from an opening call of 30-1 to 12-1 so punters needs to sit up and take note.

Trainer Dean Kannemeyer’s unbeaten filly Hashtagyolo makes her seasonal debut when she steps out in a barrier trial.

Unbeaten in three starts last season with smart victories in the KZN Guineas Trial and the Gr3 Flamboyant Stakes, Hashtagyolo was sent to Gauteng for the Highveld season but was set back by a virus and never ran there.

Well rested, her last appearance was a cracking win in the Flamboyant Stakes last December.

“She is a beautiful filly and has filled out and matured into a lovely specimen. We have brought her back slowly and I will be discussing a possible Cape Summer campaign with her owners,” Kannemeyer told Sporting Post. “She is a high-class valuable filly as she stands and we need to plan her programme carefully,” he said.

By Andrew Harrison

Stuart Randolph described the moment he realised the terrible fall he was involved in at Scottsville on Sunday was happening.

Fortunately, both he and Lyle Hewitson escaped with soft tissue damage and both expect to be back in the saddle soon, as does S’Manga Khumalo, who was stood down injured in the Turffontein meeting on Saturday.

Randolph said, “Although it happens so quickly in real time, those moments seem to unfold in slow motion. You have to accept what is happening and relax yourself because if you try and fight it you tense up and that is when you get injured. I saw Lyle in front of me and knew I had to go sideways to avoid him but the horse carried on going straight. Falling was inevitable so I had to accept it and when I felt myself being flung sideways out of the saddle I didn’t try and prevent it. I then had to accept I was going to hit the ground and closed my eyes and relaxed. I feel surprisingly good this morning. It is usually the next morning that you feel as if a bus has hit you. But today I feel just a bit stiff. We were fortunate as it could have been a lot worse. But it was tremendously sad the two horses had to be euthanized. That is the part of racing I have always hated.”

The incident happened in a 1000m sprint handicap.

Hewitson was in the front on Gratuity and Randolph was tracking him aboard Pathway To Glory when the former suddenly broke down leaving the 400m mark.

Hewitson was thrown to the ground and somehow avoided being hit by Pathway To Glory who had attempted to leap over Gratuity but had made contact. Hewitson then also avoided being hit by Gratuity as he rolled underneath the horse as it rolled over in the air.

Meanwhile, Randolph was airborne above the melee and appeared to land heavily on both his hip and shoulder. He said the collar bone would likely have been damaged had he not relaxed himself and another thought that had gone through his mind was his hip, which had been capped with ceramic material in an operation a couple of years ago.

However, all was fine according to the doctor’s examination and there was just soft tissue damage to the muscle between the neck and the shoulder. The stiffness he had on Sunday night in this area had already improved by yesterday morning and he was able to move his neck freely again. However, he has been told to report back to the doctor at the first sign of any pins and needles or any other unusual symptoms.

He said he would be workriding again today (Tuesday) although cautiously.

Reigning national champion jockey Hewitson’s prognosis was a knee sprain and some soft tissue damage. He said yesterday to Turftalk’s Charl Pretorious, “I am feeling a bit better than yesterday. I’m just applying ice and doing as much compression as I can. I don’t expect to be out for long.” It was Hewitson’s second meeting back from an eight week layoff which damaged his other knee in a fall at Fairview in July. He is flying to Singapore later this week with Muzi Yeni and Aldo Domeyer to compete in the PGI Jockeys Challenge, presented by Phumelela Gaming & Leisure and Tabcorp, which will be hosted by the Singapore Turf Club at Kranji on 25 September.

Meanwhile, Khumalo was diagnosed with bruising after banging his knee on a starting stall gate on Saturday, which forced him to be stood down. He is applying ice and taking anti-inflammatories and hopes to be back in action at the Highveld’s Saturday meeting.

By David Thiselton

Dennis Drier had a disappointing season last term, despite being crowned KZN Champion trainer for the 8^th time this millennium, but is currently in the middle of a purple patch.

By the close of play on Sunday he had won thirteen races this season at a strike rate of 24,53%, which is the top strike rate in the top 20 trainers on the national log and second only to Ashley Fortune’s 25% in the top 30.

He said during the SA Champions Season earlier this year, “I have the strongest string of two-year-olds I have ever had” and this bold statement is now proving accurate as a number of these now three-year-old horses have not only won but won well.

He confirmed the concentration of his strength this season would be among the three-year-olds and has already earmarked some of them for his annual Cape Town campaign.

He believed his two best three-year-old fillies were Golden Chance by Dynasty and In The Stars by Master Of My Fate.

It is not surprising Drier had the Steven and Jessica Jell-owned Golden Chance sent to him as she is a three-parts sister to the great Drier-trained Dynasty filly Beach Beauty. Golden Chance showed a lot of speed when winning by seven lengths over 1200m at Scottsville on debut in a good time of 69,69 seconds, but her pedigree suggests she is a classic prospect. Her Goldkeeper dam Free Gold’s two wins were over 1400m and 1800m, while Beach Beauty had plenty of speed but was at her best over a mile and stayed 2000m. Beach Beauty was famous for her terrific turn of foot. Golden Chance was bred by James Armitage, the nephew of Beach Beauty’s late breeder Trevor Armitage.

Some had begun to ask questions of Master Of My Fate, whose first crop’s fortunes had tailed off a bit after the fine start they had made. However, Drier had not lost faith and his sentiments were vindicated when In The Stars won in fine style on debut at Scottsville. In her barrier trial at Greyville she lost about 50 metres and at Scottsville the official stipendiary report said she lost three lengths and “thereafter was slow into stride.” However, she was soon on the tail of the others. In the last 400m, with still about five lengths to make up, she showed a fine turn of foot and burst through to win easing up by three-quarters of a length.

Drier mentioned Star In The Sky as one of his best staying three-year-old fillies. She is by Silvano out of the Listed-winning Galileo mare Dance To The Stars. She won her maiden by six lengths full of running when stepped up to 1900m on the Greyville poly on Sunday and Drier described her as “above average.”

Golden Chance was bought for R400,000 at the National Yearling Sales, while In The Stars is a Varsfontein home-bred, so neither qualifies for either of the CTS half-a-million dollar races.

One of Drier’s promising males who does qualify for the lucrative CTS sales races is the R500,000 Pathfork gelding Priceless Ruler, who won his only start over 1200m last June. He is a half-brother to Grade 1 second-placed sprinter Snowdon and is duly a strongly built horse who showed fine finishing speed.

Drier mentioned Driven Force, a gelding by Sail From Seattle, as another to keep an eye on.

He described Hardcore, the speedily-bred Silvano gelding who provided him with his 2000^th career win, as a “nice little horse”.

However, there are plenty of others who will likely come to the party, including Blackburn Roc, who won easily last Wednesday, and the like of Goliath Heron and Fransisco.

By David Thiselton