Glen Kotzen expects Cape Derby winner Eyes Wide Open to prove his main hope for the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and the Sun Met.

The four-year-old was the early favourite for the Durban July but was quickly ruled out and he did not reappear until taking sixth in a Listed handicap on July day. He then finished third in the World Sports Betting Champions Cup.

Eyes Wide Open (Candiese Marnewick)

Kotzen explained: “Although he pulled up sound after winning the Derby (beating July winner Do It Again by a length and three-quarters) we saw signs of a chip when we x-rayed his fetlock.

“If we hadn’t done anything about it that chip would have come away on his first gallop in Durban and he would have been out for the season. So we removed it and gave him time off.

“He came back strong and we said then that if we could get him right for just one race that race would be the Champions Cup – and we were delighted with the way he ran. His targets now are the Queen’s Plate and the Met.

“He looks like being our main hope. Gold Standard (fourth in last year’s Met) has been retired and will stand at Drakenstein while Pack Leader (third in the Cape Derby) is going to have a break in the first part of the season and we will send him up to Johannesburg after the Met.”

Kotzen is also hoping for something special to emerge from his 30 still unraced three-year-olds, saying: “With a bit of luck something will pop up out of the woodwork because there are some really nice horses among them and I am excited about their prospects.”

By Michael Clower

Australian legend Winx made history at Randwick on Saturday when breaking Black Caviar’s record of 25 straight victories by winning the race named in her honour, the Group 1 weight for age A$500,000 Winx Stakes over 1400m.

The seven-year-old daughter of Street Cry proved in the process she is deserving of her status as best racehorse in the world as the race didn’t pan out well for her but she still romped home by two lengths under regular pilot Hugh Bowman.

Winx was having her first start since April and started at odds of 1/4. Her chief market rival was the highly regarded Godolphin-trained Group 1 Randwick Guineas winner Kementari. This four-year-old Lonhro colt started at 5/1 and was ridden by ex-pat South African Glyn Schofield.

Winx (Bronwen Healy)

Winx did not break exceptionally well and was in the back half of the field, two lengths behind Kementari. Bowman moved her alongside Kementari at the halfway mark and she was thus trapped wide. Kementari then moved around horses for a run meaning Winx was carried very wide into the 400m straight. The leaders had meanwhile stolen a march down the inside. A lesser horse would have had little chance of making up the five lengths or so she was still required to do and this proved to be the case with Kementari. However, her machine-like stride carried her forward and by the 200m mark she had hit top gear. She was still two lengths down and it was now clear she was going to make up the deficit. By the 100m mark she had hit the front and she won easing up.

An examination of the sectional times is further evidence Winx’s speed and power isn’t diminishing with age.

She ran the final 600m in a stunning 32.33s (wind-assisted), easily the fastest closing sectional of the day despite having to make her run wide out on a track where those on the inside were favoured.

Between the 400m and 200m, Winx was timed to run a blistering 10.48s sectional as she sprinted to the lead and even though Bowman eased up on the great mare 50m out, she still ran her final 200m in 10.79s.

“Her greatest attributes are her will-to-win and her ability to sustain high speed,’’ Bowman said.

Waller indicated Winx won’t race again until the Group 1 George Main Stakes (1600m) at Royal Randwick on September 15. Winx also became the 14th horse to cross the line first 30 or more times in a career. She broke the world record number of Group 1 wins in March and has now won a further two to make it 19 in all.

Winx’s record-breaking achievements will be celebrated with her image on a A$1 postage stamp available from next week. Coincidentally, this 19th Group 1 success came on the foal date of Black Caviar, who was born exactly 12 years earlier. Winx’s connections have avoided an overseas campaign in favour of going for a record-breaking fourth consecutive Cox Plate, which is Australia’s most prestigious weight for age event.

It is run over 2040m at Moonee Valley racecourse in Melbourne in late October and with a stake of A$5million is Australias’s second richest weight for age race. The great Phar Lap won it twice and all of Winx, Kingston Town (1980-1982), Rising Fast (1954-1956) and Chatham (1932-1934) have won it three times in succession.

Monee Valley is a highly unusual track as it is rectangular in shape but one of the short sides is used as the straight. It is only 1805m in circumference and the straight is a mere 173m long, the shortest in Australia. Yet the best horse invariably wins the Cox Plate. An explanation is that the pace is always hot and the best horses manage to get on to the back of the “trains” which are caused by horses going wide towards the end of the back straight in order to get a run.

Winx is trained by New Zealand-born Chris Waller, whose headquarters are at Rosehill in Sydney, but he also has bases in Flemington, Warwick Farm and on the new Gold Coast in Queensland.

She was sold as a yearling for $230,000 at the 2013 Magic Millions Gold Coast sale. She was part of a draft of horses from Coolmore Stud and was selected by Mulcaster Bloodstock to be purchased “to a budget” by a partnership of Magic Bloodstock Racing (owned by Peter Tighe and his wife Patty), Richard Treweeke and Debbie Kepitis. As her dam is named Vegas Showgirl, the partners named the filly for a Las Vegas burlesque show from the 1970s and 1980s. She races in Magic Bloodstock’s silks: dark blue with white epaulettes and a large white “M”.

Her earnings of A$19,290,420 is an Australian record.

By David Thiselton

The Vaal Inside track stages a nine race meeting tomorrow and any draw bias must be noted in the early races, although the low draws are usually favourable on this course.

The first race is interesting as it features the Sean Tarry-trained Perfect Pursuit, who is a full-brother to King’s Temptress, who won the SA Fillies Nursery on debut at odds of over 100-1 a few years ago. He jumps from a nice low draw with Keagan de Melo up. Tycoon is the choice to be the first home of the raced horses as he is a scopey sort who should come on from his fair debut when running out of steam late.

The next race is the first of the Assessment Plates to be run and the improved Strawberry Pavlova looks set to beat Nautic Spirit. The young horses Sally Called and La Lucia look to have promise but have it quite tough at the weights and Free and Easy also showed promise in her first two starts but now returns from a long layoff.

In the first leg of the PA Elusive Coral and Dream On have both shown promise and have scope for improvement, while Bullsade is an older horse with some hard-knocking form who is drawn number one. That trio should get punters through.

Peppermint Tea (JC Photographics)

The first leg of the Pick 6 over 1200m sees the promising Operetta going for a hattrick. She looked a picture before her last start and although not an imposing sort at all she romped to a 3,25 length victory. On the downside the form is questionable and she was given a seven point raise. Esploratore looks to be a progressive sort and she was staying on well over 1160m last time from a tricky low draw. Her highish draw here is not ideal but she should be in the mix. Gold Dawn is the type who can stay on well over this trip and she could have come on from her last start which followed a three-and-a-half month layoff. Colombina always catches the eye in the preliminaries and as one with speed who has stayed on over this trip before she will be a threat from a nice draw. Last Girl Standing made a fair comeback from a seven month layoff last time and if recapturing her best form has a chance.

In the next leg over 1200m Peppermint Tea showed last time she is at her best when held up over this sort of trip and producing a late rattle. She looks to be coming into her own too having turned four and can follow up despite being given a five point raise. La Bastide drops in class here and will be a lively contender over a trip she is effective over. These two stand out on form and a chance is taken that they can get punters through the exotics.

In the sixth race over 1000m Copper Jay is taken to win as a progressive distance suited horse who is drawn on the right side. He looked the winner last time so will appreciate the step back from 1200m to 1000m and is a banker consideration. However, Brigtnumberten is a useful sprinter who drops in class and this consistent sort has a nice low draw too. Isphan has speed and class on his day and can never be ignored. Pillaroftheearth has always been well regarded and his last run suggests he is coming into his own. Greasepaint is an evergreen sort who has now dropped back to a competitive mark so he could also be a candidate.

The seventh over 1400m should see In The Game staying on over an ideal distance off a mark just two points higher than his last win. Seventh Rule is interesting as he has a lot of speed and managed to hang on in his maiden over this trip. He will appreciate the step down in trip from the 1600m he tried last time and since his maiden win, in just two more starts, he has been dropped eight points by the handicapper so has a shout. Hideaway could be involved if ridden more conservatively. Sovereign Rein has fine recent form and this is his best trip, but his high draw could be a concern. River Ayre ran well the last time he tried this trip and has the number one draw which is plum by trends.

The eighth over 1400m could be fought out by a trio who stand out on form and distance suitability. They are Monty Python, Private Ruler and the mare Quebec Queen. The risk averse should look for more contenders as it is by no means cut and dried.

The last race over 1700m is a maiden but it is still tough. Wishing Stone is chosen as a PA banker as he was staying on well in a fair field last time over 1450m and will relish the step up in trip. However, Robusto looks to have scope for improvement and has a plum draw as opposed to last time over 1800m when having to be dropped out before running on. Skiminac has the best form and is drawn in pole but returns from a long layoff.

By David Thiselton

Justin Snaith has ruled out suggestions that he might send horses to Johannesburg for the Sansui Summer Cup and other valuable features in the first half of the season as he seeks to retain his trainers’ championship.

He said: “I have tried this before and it’s simply not worth it. I have to take 50kg off a horse in order to run it at altitude. Often the horses come back sore and it can do irreparable damage. They could pay the stakes as US dollars and it still wouldn’t be worth it!”

Ridgemont was the buyer of the R1.2 million Pathfork filly that topped last week’s National 2-Y-O sale and racing manager Craig Carey confirmed at the weekend that the Highlands-consigned filly will be trained by Brett Crawford who signed the docket.

The R90 246 average was 11.7% up on last year but well short of the 2016 figure of R120 808.

By Michael Clower

Featured Image: Brett Crawford (Liesl King)

Ridgemont intend producing more of the calibre of Front And Centre in the next few weeks and their runners could prove profitable for Anton Marcus followers.

“We are hoping that some of the fillies will prove good enough to compete in the big races in the Cape season,” said racing manager Craig Carey at Kenilworth on Saturday. “So it’s nice for Anton to get a feel of them and know if they are going to be good enough.”

Front And Centre in the TAB Telebet Maiden was the four-time champion’s first Ridgemont-retained winner and she drifted from 5-1 to what turned out a richly rewarding 11-1, making up three lengths inside 150m to win going away by a length and a half.

Ostinato (Liesl King)

Marcus said: “I didn’t want to get after her too soon as Brett asked me to ride her to finish. This cut into my normal riding instructions as I like to get the run of things. She is a very nice filly but incredibly immature and going down to the start I thought she was probably going to need it.”

Crawford, also on the mark with Hudoo Magic later, thinks a lot of the half-sister to Potala Palace and said: “Her two grass gallops were exceptional, she has heaps of improvement to come and she has the pedigree to go further.”

Sandile Mbhele was at the forefront of much of the rest of the action and landed his first treble (at 353-1) on his three rides for Vaughan Marshall who was understandably full of praise, saying: “He is a rider with a lot of talent and I think he is going places.”

In some ways the most interesting of the three Marshall winners was The Silva Fox in the Interbet.co.za Handicap because Etienne Braun’s gelding was still a maiden.

Running maidens in handicaps is quite common in some European countries but it is relatively rare in South Africa. However Marshall said: “More people should do it because you get the weight advantage. I myself have often done it, especially over ground.

Mbhele, now on the 26-winner mark, had to sweat on it for quarter of an hour while the stipes deliberated whether he should keep the Tabonline.co.za Maiden on Sandy Sport after his mount had carried Carlas Mambo halfway across the course.

Richard Fourie on the neck runner-up lodged an objection for intimidation and interference. The head-on in the boardroom showed two incidents. In the first the apprentice had his whip in his left (ie wrong) hand but by the time of the second one he had pulled it through to the correct hand.

Stipe and ex-jockey Nick Shearer explained that they decided to let the result stand because the winner had started his run behind the second horse, the verdict was a neck rather than a head and, above all, that under the rules they had to be satisfied that the second would have won had there been no interference – and they could not be certain of this.

Justin Snaith, trainer of Carlas Mambo, did not have his expected field day and had to be content with only the first in which Clouded Hill led a one-two- three despite losing a front shoe. Bountiful Strength ran so badly in this – he finished over six lengths last – that Joey Ramsden promptly scratched all his remaining five runners.

The course vet reported that the gelding had an elevated heart rate and Ramsden said: “My horses haven’t been right since I vaccinated them. They ran like drains at the previous two meetings and this one did the same.”

By Michael Clower