Catching the elusive Pick 6 will be one of the punters’ aims at the big meeting on Saturday and one of the potential stumbling blocks is the Grade 1 Thekwini Stakes for two-year-old fillies.

This race is always tough to analyse and this year is no exception as it brings together Johannesburg form with SA Champions Season form.

The favourite is the Pomodoro filly Return Flight who is coming off a 0,6 length third over 1400m at Turffontein Standside where she gave 2kg to the pair in front of her Dagmar and Railtrip. She will relish the step up in trip as she was slightly hampered in the latter race but picked herself up and was staying on strongly. Her previous race was in fact over 1600m and she won by 8,2 lengths, albeit against an uninspiring field. She does not quicken instantaneously but builds up momentum, so some will argue that the tight Greyville track will be against her. However, the man who was supposed to ride her before being sidelined by injury, Lyle Hewitson”, had no concerns and was highly complementary about her ability before saying, “She will win.”

Dagmar is by Querari out of a Silvano mare who won seven times in PE from 1400-1800m so she should stay the trip. She showed fine gate speed in that last start and quickened well in the straight. She is not as big and rangy as Return Flight but the Silvano influence should see her improving.

Railtrip was half-a-length behind Dagmar and was staying on strongly from a wide draw. She is by Trippi and is a half-sister to SA Derby winner Hero’s Honour so will relish the step up in trip.

Return Flight jumps from draw three, and if the reserve runner comes out Railtrip has draw seven and Dagmar draw eight.

Johannesburg fillies Storm Destiny and Long Pond look held on form by this aforementioned trio.

Sand Princess by Crusade is a half-sister to Matador Man and on the evidence of her two starts, both over 1200m, will relish the step up in trip. Fifth place in her last start over 1200m on the Greyville poly does not augur well for her chances here, at least on paper, but she was doing her best work late and is a big, scopey sort who will improve over this trip.

Perfect Tigress finished strongly to win on debut over 1200m and on pedigree should enjoy this trip but the form doesn’t look strong enough.

The SA Champions Season results bring Mazari and Can You Feel It in to the race with good chances.

Mazari had a good draw in the Grade 2 Golden Slipper over 1400m on Vodacom Durban July day and just failed to hold on from Celtic Sea She moved up well from the back half of the field that day and is a relative of Premier’s Champions Stakes winner over course and distance, Kochka. However, she does now have a wide draw to overcome.

Can You Feel It had a wide draw in the Golden Slipper and stayed on in eye-catching fashion for third. She is a big, scopey sort who should improve further. She is out of a Windrush mare and there is quite a lot of speed in the female line, but she is by Jackson so should stay the trip. She now has a plum draw of four and in form Warren Kennedy rides.

Believe The Best is well regarded and is better than her Golden Slipper run, where she ended up near the back and was eased out of it after making little impression down the inside.

Runaway Gal was well beaten into fourth over this trip at Scottsville in a strong Juvenile fillies event and only finished fifth in the Devon Air Stakes over 1400m. She is held on formlines.

Beat It was beaten in a Juvenile Fillies Plate over this trip at Scottsville and this looks stronger.

Pearl Tiara looks held on Devon Air Stakes form. She will relish the step up in trip, but she does have the widest draw of all to overcome.

Gimme A Brake Nate won her maiden well over 1500m in April and can improve if settling better than she did that day. On strict collateral formlines she is held by Believe The Best.

In conclusion, Return Flight looks the one to beat. Railtrip has been one of the most eyecatching and could be the chief danger. Can You Feel It, Mazari and Dagmar are the others who look to be possible winners on form. However, it is well known that two-year-olds improve at different rates and an upset is always a possibility. In this light the dark horse could be Sand Princess who will relish the step up in trip and could well be staying on strongly.

By David Thiselton

Summerveld trainer Paul Lafferty is confident of the chances of Dark Moon Rising in the R1,25 million eLan Gold Cup over 3200m at Greyville on Saturday.

Jockeys Anthony Delpech and Anton Marcus once told Lafferty he would “not train a better stayer” than this Ideal World gelding.

Lafferty said, “We have Keagan de Melo who has done very well on him before. He has always reminded me of a very good stayer. I don’t think there will be a great pace. I have respect for the top two, Made To Conquer and It’s My Turn. But we are in with a big chance. I know I said that for the Vodacom Durban July but it was just the most amazing pace which disappeared after a furlong. The muddling tactics in the July certainly didn’t help. But he’s doing very well at home, his stamina is good and I am confident he will get every inch of the trip.”

Asked on his draw of six, Lafferty said, “I’m very happy. I don’t think it is the worst draw in the world. In a race like that, unless you have an out and out stayer, you can get a position as they have so far too run, so I think he will sit maybe in midfield around there. And if he gets a clear run towards the outside he really runs on strongly. The race will tell but I am confident.”

Dark Moon Rising carries 57,5kg and is only 2,5kg better off with Made To Conquer for a 7,60 length beating in the July.

He is priced up at 16/1 by WSB.

By David Thiselton

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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