There is a nine race card to look forward to at the Vaal Inside track tomorrow and at this time of the year the exotics are the best way to approach most meetings.

In the first leg of the Bipot Huddle has some pace and looks to have improvement in her and can beat home Cari, who is a rangy sort with pace so she will enjoy the step back to this minimum trip.

In the first leg of the PA over 1400m Bella Ciao shows fair pace and a good turn of foot and is distance suited so is the one to beat. Civil Disobedience did well last time when left alone and allowed to run on over this course and distance so is another with a chance. The Barry Burn is a big horse who is a touch one paced but he does have some speed and should stay on resolutely. Aeronautical is a R500,000 colt by Captain Al and is a half-brother to the Graded winning speedster Exquisite Touch so it is a slight concern he is making his debut over further than a sprint. Felix Fandango is by Judpot out of a Black Minnaloushe twice winner from 1400-1600m so also warrants consideration.

Lord Silverio (JC Photographics)

The first leg of the Pick 6 is an uninspiring event and is tricky. A Little Luck doesn’t come from a strong formline but was still green when staying on over this trip last time and can improve. Get Your Grove On has probably shown the most of these when not far off in better fields but she has not run for over five months. She reappears for a new yard and the blinkers which blunted her capability of staying on last time are now off. Elangeni has run some fair races and was only 0,9 lengths behind A Little Luck over this trip last time. Brave Zndaya has been racing regularly since the first of the juvenile events this season and is never far off. She was staying on over 1200m last time which augurs well for her chances of staying this trip. Ticktacktoe is not far behind some of these on formlines and now tries a step up in trip. She Rocks is an interesting first-timer being by Gimmethegreenlight and a half-sister to the up and coming sort Soldier On. Miss Reliable is a New Zealand-bred by twice Group 1 winner Reliable Man out of a half-sister to a Listed winner and is another first-timer to take note of.

The next race is a staying event and the weights favour the females Arte and Parissiene Chic, but Inn A Million is a talented sort who can’t be ignored.

The sixth is a race to look forward to. Lord Silverio looks to be on the way to the top. This R1,1 million Silvano colt has a big action and is drawn in pole over a trip of 1800m which looks ideal at this stage. He is a banker consideration, although D’Arrivee is also an impressive specimen with plenty of scope and he should enjoy the step up in trip. The risk averse can also include him.

In the seventh race over 1800m Psychic looks to be a decent sort and he might enjoy this step down to 1800m as he moved up well over 2400m last time before being run out of it. He has a plum draw here and should run on from a handy position. Tiger Jet will be dangerous as a front-running type who is well drawn and sneaks into the handicap with the minimum weight. The blinkers didn’t work last time but if he repeats his penultimate run, without headgear on, when he was a bit cramped for room at a crucial stage, he has a shout. Desert Sunset won full of running last time when held up over this trip and a six point raise will not be enough to stop him from going close again.

In the eighth over 1800m Scotland is off an atrractive mark and should go close over an ideal trip having cracked a good draw after two tough draws. Kurt’s Approval, Evolver, Double Tap, Lute’s Society, Sucha Charmer, Porcupine and Highway Eightyfive must also be considered in an open race.

In the ninth race over 1800m Rubix has always looked promising and now that she appears to have found her feet with an unlucky second last time she is a banker consideration over a step up in trip she will enjoy. She might prefer this wider draw as one who likes to stride out and she should go handy or lead. Horace has a form chance, but did make a breathing noise over 1600m last time. Gaelable is an improving sort who should relish this step up in trip. He goes well for 1,5kg claimer Mjoka so from a plum draw he should be involved.

By David Thiselton

Miss Plumcake might not have the most flattering of names – apparently she gets hers from a shoe blog -but she sure as hell paid handsome tribute to the Brett Crawford Cape Fillies Guineas hopeful Shamrock Wind in the Hollard Maiden at Kenilworth on Saturday.

Just over a month ago the Candice Bass-Robinson trained filly finished a remote third to Shamrock Wind, beaten a staggering 11-plus lengths, yet on Saturday she finished strongly to beat older horses.

Brett Crawford

Needless to say, Shamrock Wind’s next run is eagerly awaited and Crawford reported: “She didn’t winter that well so we eased off with her for a bit but she is looking good again now and I will find something for her towards the end of August.”

Stable companion Grand Silvano made a third successive repayment on all the TLC lavished on him during his laminitis and tendon problem days but, so far as the future is concerned, Valbonne’s success in the Lyall Morgan Pinnacle was probably more significant. The Var colt, carrying the colours of Hong Kong owner Robert Chung, was the only three-year-old in the field yet he was able to surge clear under Greg Cheyne well inside the final furlong.

Could he become a good sprinter next season? “I see no reason why he shouldn’t,” said Crawford. “Certainly he has the potential and he is learning how to race.”

Tevez was only fifth but there were genuine excuses. ”I never thought the race would pan out like it did. They just went slower and slower,” Aldo Domeyer explained. “He didn’t enjoy that. He likes a strong pace to do his work late.”

He will race on as a nine-year-old next season. Bryn Ressell’s racing manager Mark van Deventer said: “We had been tempted to call it a day but we will keep him going.”

Power Grid, who looked like winning as he came up his beloved inside rail a furlong out, was apparently also a victim of the slow gallop. “Robert Khathi told me that they outsprinted him at the end as there was no pace early,” said Andries Steyn.

Greg Cheyne (Liesl King)

Ressell and racing partner Marsh Shirtliff were also on the mark with the Domeyer-ridden all-the-way scorer Elusive Trader in the Coachworks Motor Group Maiden and Greg Ennion has Lanzerac Ready To Run ambitions with the R300 000 purchase.

Sandile Mbhele’s 4kg claim, which has proved such a productive asset this season, came to an end after the talented apprentice registered his 20^th success on the Vaughan Marshall-trained Secretariat’s Girl in the Mortgage Max Handicap.

Morne Winnaar slipped the field on Foxy Princess last month and his rivals (surprisingly and fatally)  again under-estimated the ability of the Paddy Kruyer filly to keep going in the finale while Andile Ndzongo used his experience to good effect for Paul Reeves on 6-1 shot Skidoo in the Work Riders’ Maiden.

But it was Harold Crawford who delivered the shock of the day when 36-1 apparent no-hoper Aldato just held on under Grant Behr in the Guthrie. Colananni Attorneys Maiden.

The 180-member Western Province Nomads, a golf club with no course, filled the vast Peninsula Room – no mean achievement – and sponsored the day as part of its support for beneficiaries of the Project Playground and Reading Room charities.

w Michael Clower’s winners included Miss Plumcake at 11-1. This followed 27-4 scorer Spectra Force at Durbanville last Tuesday.

By Michael Clower

Brett Crawford, on 99 winners for the season and bidding for his fourth Champions’ Cup victory in six years, seems to agree with the bookmakers’ assessment that Gold Challenge winner Undercover Agent (Anton Marcus) is the pick of his three contenders for the World Sports Betting R1 million Grade 1 at Greyville on Saturday. But, possibly significantly, he has niggling reservations about the colt lasting home over the final 200m.

He explained: “Undercover Agent is the one with the scope for improvement, and so far he keeps improving, but there is a little question mark in my mind about the trip. He is a big strong horse and I think he will get it eventually but whether this 1 800m comes a little bit too early for him I’m not sure. That’s why a good draw (he will start from pen three) was imperative. Indeed we weren’t going to run him unless he drew well. If he does get the trip, he will be the horse to beat.”

Undercover Agent (Candiese Marnewick)

Crawford, successful with Jackson in 2013 and Futura the following year as well as with Sail South 12 months ago, also runs last year’s winner (Bernard Fayd’Herbe) and Captain America (Corne Orffer). His trio are all rated 120, 2.5kg and more ahead of the rest of the field.

He said: “All three are in great form and doing exceptionally well. Captain America has come on since the Gold Challenge (his first race since the Met). He had a little setback at the beginning of the Durban season – he had an issue behind, we couldn’t put any pressure on him and we had to give him time to get over it. That’s why he went into the Gold Challenge without a prep run but he has definitely come on since. He looks amazing and you can expect another bold show from him.

“As Sail South has got older he seems to have relished going a bit further and he won it well last year so you would have to think that he has no issues with the Greyville 1800m. After running well over the mile of the Gold Challenge he is definitely going to appreciate the extra furlong on Saturday. All three have run under lights before so that won’t be an issue for them either.”

The sponsors bet 15-4 Undercover Agent, 4-1 Surcharge, 6-1 Tap O’Noth, 7-1 Eyes Wide Open, 10-Captain America, Sail South, 12-1 and upwards others.

w Table Bay, winner of the 2016 Cape Classic for Joey Ramsden and third in that year’s Cape Guineas, won the Mauritius Derby at Champs de Mars on Saturday.

By Michael Clower

The Highveld Hawks retained the Rider Cup at Greyville yesterday as their team of Muzi Yeni, Raymond Danielson, Craig Zackey and Ryan Munger edged out the Cape Eagles – the last leg of the Cup proving crucial.

Cape Eagles rider Aldo Domeyer almost snatched it for the Western Cape team as he brought home Miss Ferris with a telling late run to win the final leg of the challenge, but Ryan Munger’s second place ensured a win for the Hawks who were also victorious last year.

But it was not all doom and gloom for the Cape Eagles as Domeyer, with two victories, finishing well clear of his two closest rivals, Warren Kennedy of the KZN Falcons and Muzi Yeni of the Highveld Hawks.

It was also an afternoon where the smaller Ashburton-based yards held sway in the Cup races with all of Lola Crawford, Paul Gadsby and Julie Dittmer supplying the ammunition.

Domeyer kicked off his Cup quest with a fine win aboard the Tony Rivalland-trained Show Me Your Rosie before stand-in rider Raymond Danielson scooted home on the Crawford-trained Silver Cent. Danielson was a late replacement for Lyle Hewiston who was injured in a fall at Fairview on Friday.

Keagan de Melo was on the board for the KZN Falcons in the third leg of the Cup, getting home aboard Paul Gadsby’s filly Expresso Martini to deny Greg Cheyne on Into The Groove.

The competition was still anyone’s call come the final leg of the Cup but Miss Ferris was not to be denied and she finished with a wet sail to seal the Victor Ludorum for Domeyer.

The lightly raced Love To Boogie may not be off to stud as yet but Andre Nel’s filly ran out a comfortable winner of the (Listed) Off To Stud Stakes that was the feature race of the afternoon. She kept on strongly under Domeyer to hold off the attentions of Final Judgement and Heaps Of Fun.

It was a profitable weekend for Domeyer who returned to Cape Town with a further three winners to his brace on Saturday and a season’s tally of 124 winners.

By Andrew Harrison

Turffontein Inside stages a low key nine race meeting tomorrow and the best way to go appears to be the exotics.

In the first leg of the PA over 1200m Rocky Night has a good draw over a step down in trip which should suit and this scopey gelding by Seventh Rock has a chance in his second start for the Ashley Fortune yard. He only beat his stable companion Winter Storm narrowly over this trip at the Vaal on May and the latter was making his debut that day and showed pace so is likely to have come on from the run.

Winter Storm has a nice big action, so was not surprisingly sent over 1400m last time and he once again showed good pace but didn’t find any extra, so is back to 1200m. There will not be much in it but Rocky Night is selected due to the better draw as Winter Storm has to jump from draw six. Gunston does not have as much scope as the former pair but does have a lot of pace and sticks to his task so he warrants consideration especially with Hewitson now up. However, his draw of eight is going to be against him.

The first leg of the Pick 6 delivered a surprise last weekend over a staying trip and this week the 2000m event could do the same so the suggestion is to include the numbers 1,2,3,4,5, and 6, all who of whom could have a case made for them.  Stormbourne Thunder went close over 2400m last time and now has blinkers on over 2000m with Hewitson keeping the ride so she can be included in the PA along with Lana Turner, a scopey sort who was closing late in that aforementioned 2400m race and was only beaten half-a-length by Stormbourne Thunder.

In the first leg of the Jackpot over 1800m Jet Start has 4kg claimer Luke Ferraris up from a plum draw over an ideal trip and looks to be the one to beat. Invincible Lady is an up and coming sort and has a good draw over a step up in trip she will relish being by Captain Al out of Jet Master SA Oaks runner up First Power who has produced the useful stayer Jay Power. New Zealand looks to have been given a lenient 73 merit rating after her hard-knocking maiden form culminated in a 7,75 length win over 2000m in a workrider’s maiden. She has regular pilot Hewitson up but does have another wide draw to overcome. Gottalottaluv has a touch of class and has Strydom up over an ideal trip although she also has a wide draw. Emerald Bay can’t be ignored over a suitable trip.

In the sixth race over 1200m the up the progressive Copper Jay can follow up on his last win being just three points higher, but he does have a tricky draw to overcome. Concealed Spirit is drawn well off a one point lower mark and will be staying on strongly. Vulcan is interesting running fresh with first time blinkers on from pole position as he has plenty of natural speed and stays further.

Dame Kelly looks the one to beat in the next with Ferraris up over an ideal course and distance. The talented Make Me Happy bounced back last time and has a plum draw.

The eight race over 1450m is a minefield but the principles should be O Lucky Man, Kings Cup, Lock Him Up, Front Rank and Starcraft Prince.

In the last race over 1450m Hungry Heart stands out but ran yesterday (Thursday) and Norland is the other eye catcher but has a tough draw. Hideaway is well dawn but has a stamina doubt. Therefore it could pan out well for the well drawn pair King And Empire and Nottingham Forest, who have dropped down to competitive marks.

By David Thiselton