The little bit of rain that fell at Scottsville on Friday night was manna from heaven for Peter Muscutt as Monte Christo revelled in the going to run out a comfortable winner of the Racing.It’s A Rush Handicap.

“He’s had his problems,” said Muscutt, KZN assistant to Brett Crawford, “and the rain definitely helped.”

It was the first official run for Crawford who acquired the gelding after Charles Laird retired. “The (two) barrier trials were a big help. We would warm him up without any pressure and we didn’t have to smash him on the track.”

It was a comfortable win by the favourite who got home ahead of Tribal Fusion, giving Shane Humby his third runner-up finish in two meetings.

Monte Christo (Candiese Marnewick)

Monte Christo’s win was a tonic for backers of favourites as they were in short supply in the opening exchanges.

Francisco started a short-priced favourite in the first but the strapping son of Fort Wood still has a bit to learn. He was tardy out of the gate and never got his act together. Winner, Flying George, had finished a neck behind Francisco when last they met but Mark Dixon’s runner made the necessary step up. “He didn’t take to the poly track last time and is much better on the grass.”

La Valette was the next favourite to go “missing” only managing fourth behind the first timer Le Bella. The going down the inside of the Scottsville straight again appears to be something of an issue. Whether it’s just perceived or a reality is hard to tell with jockeys ducking for the inside and horses drawn towards the outside rail appearing to struggle.

Le Bella had an inside draw and Garth Puller’s filly ran on strongly to beat Second Request, both horses coming off barrier trials. La Valette was drawn 15 and seemed to battle to get going.

Bronnie took a squeeze shortly after the start dislodging apprentice Eric Ngwane. He escaped battered and bruised but otherwise unscathed.

Tactics played a vital role in the third as Muzi Yeni Duke Of Spin to the front and the opposition had a lengthy view of his backside as he went all the way and never looked like stopping.

“He’s a nice horse. He has a big stride and we didn’t want to have him stop starting in the pack,” said Duncan Howells.

“So, we decided to take him to the front and it paid off. He’s a horse that will go 2000m. I think you will hear a lot more about him.”

Mark Khan is becoming a regular at KZN tracks and paid for his flight from Gauteng, getting home on 11-1 chance French Legend for Mike Miller in the Track & Ball Gaming Handicap. This was the five-year-old mare’s second win.

Apprentice Khanya Sakayi is riding with supreme confidence at the moment. He scored a treble last Saturday and is proving full value for his 4kg claim as he notched a double for Garth Puller, giving the Summerveld trainer a treble.

Both wins came after titanic struggles. He stalked the pace on Los Barbados and came together with Crime Victim nearly two furlongs out. The pair drove head-to-head for the wire with Sakayi’s 4kg claim probably the difference between winning and losing.

Next up he took Rio De La Plata to the front and 400m out was in danger of being swamped. But Sakayi kept hard at his mount and took on favourite Verdier who was challenging strongly. Again it was a desperate finish with Rio De La Plata lasting home by a short head.

By Andrew Harrison

Monte Christo has been something of an under achiever after making a winning debut for Alistair Gordon some four season’s back and two stables later he could finally add a fourth victory to his CV when he lines up in the fifth at Scottsville on Sunday.

Monte Christo started his career with a debut win for Gordon before being moved to Charles Laird where he subsequently collected back-to-back victories but has since been winless for close on two years although continuing to threaten the judges.

Monte Christo (Candiese Marnewick)

Anton Marcus knows the gelding well, having partnered him to his last win and in many subsequent races and it could be significant that he will be aboard in the gelding’s first outing for Brett Crawford. Monte Christo has warmed up in two barrier trials and with a handy galloping weight could prove too strong for the two at the top of the handicap, Macduff and Tribal Fusion.

Shane Humby may well have been reading Damon Runyan, commenting yesterday on two narrow defeats on Wednesday; “That’s racing. Nothing I can do about it now”.

Tribal Fusion boasts some useful form, including a recent victory over subsequent winner and eThekweni Sprint runner-up Woljayrine. However, he does have the small matter of 62.5kg to shoulder.

Macduff is carded with a similar weight but gets 2.5kg relief in the form of apprentice Luke Ferraris. Macduff regained his best form over course and distance with the blinkers removed and will be a threat.

Punters are faced with mainly small fields as many stables locked down for compulsory African Horse Sickness vaccinations after the end of the season but that does not make finding winners any easier.

New Fort and Impact Zone will have their supporters in the White Horse Function Room Handicap but both may have to take a back seat to Louis Goosen’s charge Haddington. With apprentice Ferraris’s claim, the giant Ideal World gelding will feel that he’s running loose and the step up to the 2400m of this race should be right up his street.

White Lightning came within an ace of scoring a major upset on debut as he came from the clouds to go down a piece of paper. On that showing the mile should be well within his compass and with Marcus aboard he can get the Pick 6 off to a favourable start in the third.

In a similar vein, Dunzie came from off the pace when beaten a length at her last start and Duncan Howells has declared blinkers on his charge this time around. If they have the desired effect she could prove difficult to beat in the fourth.

The seventh is a tricky affair in spite of the small field but top weight Warfarer is over his favourite course and distance and Lezeanne Forbes’s gelding can follow up on his recent win. However, with no speed in the race this could turn into a sprint for home unless Forbes is prepared to sacrifice recent maiden winner Truly Wicked as a pacemaker.

Grecian Laurel can round of the meeting for Howells. She was allowed to start at any price on debut, consensus being that the 1200m would be on the sharp side, but she kept on resolutely to win as she liked.

It was not the greatest field in opposition but given the extra 200m and the ease of her victory, she could have the measure of Cause And Effect and Marsala.

By Andrew Harrison

The Justin Snaith-Richard Fourie combination has won ten races at the first four Cape Town meetings of the season and the pair can take three of the first four at Kenilworth tomorrow.

Clouded Hill made a big impression when romping home over three lengths clear on his second start. He led over a furlong out in a field of 15 and drew right away to win easily with Grant van Niekerk singing his praises. He opened favourite at 11-10 and looks the one they all have to beat.

Richard Fourie (Nkosi Hlope)

The two negatives are that the ground that day was soft – softer than it will be tomorrow despite last night’s rain – and that those behind have not advertised the form.

Snaith fields the second and third favourites Clipper Captain (3-1) and Seventh Sea (7-2) who have both finished in front of 11-2 chance Mr Crumford on their most recent starts. The Brett Crawford runner looked as if he might be something special when scoring impressively on his second start but he has not, so far at any rate, quite lived up to that promise.

Juniper Spring, a Captain Al full sister to Snowdance, also has a reputation to justify but she may do so in the TAB Telebet Maiden even though the form of her third to Durty Nelly took a knock when second-placed Vomandla could manage only fifth when favourite six days ago. The selection is 19-10 favourite but the interesting ones in the World Sports Betting market are the Crawford newcomers Almost Captured and Front And Centre who are quoted at 28-10 and 5-1.

Corne Orffer rides the former, a Captain Al filly, while Front And Centre is ridden by Anton Marcus as she carries the Ridgemont colours. Much like Water Spirit who went close last Saturday, this daughter of Dynasty came under the hammer from Highlands (as Hillary’s Wish) at the Cape Premier Sale not long after the stud was sold to Ridgemont, was knocked down to Crawford (for R300 000) and the new owners then changed her name. She is a half-sister to Potala Palace.

Angel’s Trumpet caused a surprise in last Saturday’s Pinnacle but the form reads well and the handicappers have been lenient with her, only raising her by a kilo. Snaith goes for a quick follow-up in the Betting World Handicap and Fourie’s mount should collect.

Run To Denmark was nominated as a Winning Ways horse to follow after running on strongly on debut at Durbanville and may prove best in the Tabonline Maiden. The Andre Nel runner is 19-10 favourite although he is no certainty – Durbanville maiden form is not on a par with that at Kenilworth. Note 33-10 shot Carlas Mambo and Marcus’s mount Northern Spy even though he is as big as 15-2.

By Michael Clower

Turffontein Standside stages a low key nine race card tomorrow which is headlined by a MR104 Handicap over 1400m.

King’s Archer loves this course and distance and should have come on from his last run in which he was running on for third behind Infamous Fox over this course and distance. He was drawn seven of seven that day and is now drawn three. The mare Emily Jay proved her class last season as well as her suitability to this distance. She has a tough draw but has the determined Muzi Yeni up and she will be fit considering she has had a run in each of the last seven months. Shukamisa was only half-a-length behind King’s Archer last time over course and distance and they face each other on the same terms. The good 2,5kg claimer Luke Ferraris remains aboard and he should be involved in the finish. Brazuca is a class act and after losing his form he now returns from a rest and a gelding. He is drawn in pole and if at his best will be right there.

Shukamisa (Candiese Marnewick)

However, he will likely need it and would prefer further. His stablemate Doosra is ideally distance suited but returns from a five month layoff and has a tough draw. Splendid Garden has done quite well since stepped up to this trip and faces King’s Archer on the same terms despite beating him by 0,6 lengths last time. He will be fit but he has a tough draw. Irish Pride is a decent miler who has not run for five months and he will likely need the outing. New Predator is top class on his day and ideally distance suited but he went off form and has to carry 65kg on his comeback from a six month layoff.  Unagi has some class but reserves his best for the Turffontein Inside track. Wrecking Ball runs out of steam over 1000m so there is a doubt she will stay this trip.

The R4 million Frankel filly Frankly is rated the best bet on the card in the first leg of the Pick 6 over 1400m. She has joined the Ormond Ferraris yard after disappointing in the Ruffian Stakes and Pretty Polly Stakes. However, on debut over 1000m she finished just half-a-length behind the useful Mazari so has ability to match her good looks. She has a tough draw to overcome but should relish this step up in trip and has her easiest task to date plus the advantage of the good 2,5kg claimer Luke Ferraris aboard. She is made a banker in an otherwise tough Pick 6.

In the third leg of the Pick 6 Querari Viking gets a good draw for a change and is the selection with Ferraris up but a few others will have to be included.

Nordic rebel flew under the radar last time when winning well but from a good draw this time in race seven over the same 1600m trip will be a much more popular proposition and is selected to follow up off a four point higher mark. However, it is another one to go wide in for the Pick 6.

Jamra is taken to be a PA banker in the eighth over 1600m as she has always truck as one with class and looks to be coming into her own. However, the same can be said about Noceur and Lady Negra and they should be included in the Pick 6.

Donny G has dropped to a competitive mark in the ninth over 1160m but this is another tough race for the exotics.

By David Thiselton

Lammerskraal Stud landed the Broodmare of the Year accolade at the Equus Awards on Tuesday night with the Jallad mare Strawberry Lane, dam of this year’s Grade 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes winner Redberry Lane.

Strawberry Lane is out of the Australian-bred Centaine mare Taineberry. She won one race over 1600m and was placed twice in just six starts. She is a full-sister to Jalberry, whose four wins included a Grade 3 and a Listed event and whose multiple Graded places included a third in the Grade 1 SA Fillies Sprint. Jalberry has also produced three stakes winners at stud including Grade 2 winner Purple Diamond.

Redberry Lane (Candiese Marnewick)

Redberry Lane is Strawberry Lane’s second Grade 1 winner and third stakes performer. She also produced the Grade 1 Cape Guineas winner Solo Traveller, who also won the Grade 2 KRA Guineas and the Grade 3 Cape Classic as well as the Listed Duchess Of York Cup in Mauritius.

The four-year-old Sean Tarry-trained Redberry Lane is by the late great Lammerskraal stallion Western Winter. She also won the Listed Syringa Handicap over 1600m in May this year and her five successive second place finishes which preceded that included finishing just half-a-length back in the Grade 3 Acacia Handicap. She was merit rated only 100 when lining up in the Garden Province, 19 points below the favourite Snowdance, so her short-head victory over the latter under a fine ride by newly crowned national champion jockey Lyle Hewitson was against all the odds.

Strawberry Lane’s other Graded performer was Strawberry Ice, who finished second in the Grade 2 KRA Fillies Guineas and at stud produced the Grade 2 Gold Bracelet winner Flying Ice.

It was the second time this decade Lammerskraal had won the Equus Broodmare award and the fourth time this century. The others to do it were Turf Blazer (Dancing Champ), dam of the Grade 2 winners Citius and Weston Blaze, Fashing (Dancing Champ), dam of the great Yard Arm, and Akinfeet (Fort Wood), dam of the like of three-time Grade 1-winner Capetown Noir.

Strawberry Lane also won the Cape Breeders broodmare of the year award.

She is currently in foal to Visionaire and will be sent to him again this season.

“It is a very good mating,” said Lammerskraal Stud manager Sally Bruss.

Meanwhile, Akinfeet’s daughter, In The Dance by Gimmethegreenlight, made a sensational debut over 1160m at Turffontein on Saturday. The Tarry-trained three-year-old was taken out at the start so lost a couple of lengths and was then green in the running. However, she then showed an exceptional turn of foot and won easing up by 3,5 lengths against a fairly decent field.

Bruss said, ”It was particularly exciting because she is from the first racing crop of Lammerskraal’s new owner Peter Graaff.”

Bruss selects the horses to be kept for racing and has an uncanny knack of choosing good performers.

Lammerskraal have seven lots on the National Two-Year-Old Sales, which start today (Thursday).

They have a colt and filly by their own stallion Go Deputy, a Wylie Hall filly who is out of Enchantress, a Duke Of Marmalade colt, a Gimmethegreenlight filly, a Soft Falling Rain filly and a Marchfield colt.

By David Thiselton