The third Vaughan Marshall Cape Guineas winner in three years?

In his previous two starts the unbeaten One World looked talented but temperamental. However his awesome performance in the Langerman at Saturday’s Highlands Stud Kenilworth meeting was completely devoid of any sign of attitude. Seemingly he now knows what is required and, even more importantly, that he has the ability to deliver it.

MJ Byleveld

MJ Byleveld sent  the Captain Al colt into an immediate lead and once into the straight the 21-10 favourite strode further and further away to win by more than five lengths with his jockey looking back into the distance wishing he had brought his binoculars.

“The way he quickened at the top of the straight I didn’t think anything was going to get to him but there had been a lot of talk about Charles and I was waiting for him to come at me,” related Byleveld who is also now dreaming of a third straight Guineas.

“Last time One World tried to duck in at the junction but this time he raced like a professional. He is a good horse.”

Marshall, asked if he was surprised by how well the colt pulled away in the straight, replied: “Not at all. This is a very special horse and he will now be put away for the Guineas.”

The Klawervlei-bred was a welcome 54^th birthday present and tonic for Etienne Braun who had been in bed with ‘flu and owns him in partnership with Braam van Huyssteen and the Truters (Ken: “Vaughan was very bullish but I didn’t think the horse would win like that”).

The well-backed Charles was beaten six and a half lengths into third but Corne Orffer reckons his day will come, explaining: “It was a very good run – he is still inexperienced and it was his first time round a bend. He will come on a lot.”

Second, receiving 4kg from the winner, was the smart maiden Frank Lloyd Wright and Justin Snaith said: “He will be better on better ground and over further but this was a good effort.”

Doublemint’s decisive win under top weight in the Winter Derby, coming only seven days after Do It Again in the July, provided further testimony to the class of Twice Over’s first crop and surely – in terms of racecourse performance – the dual Champion Stakes winner is the best horse to come to South Africa straight off the racecourse for a very long time.

It was also the third consecutive Winter Derby for Snaith Racing and, typically, the new champion trainer is already mapping out big race targets. No, not the Met. “That is going to be a very tough race,” said the man who holds most of the aces. “This one is a July horse!”

The Winter Derby was the last big race win, and indeed the last South African meeting, for Grant van Niekerk who has two ten-day interference suspensions to sit out before he leaves to seek international  fame and fortune in Hong Kong.

Ancestry and Rock My Soul faded in the closing stages and Joey Ramsden found out why in the racecourse stables afterwards. Both horses were full of mucus.

Ramsden, now operating from a smaller 70-box yard between Eric Sands and Piet Steyn, had first and second in the Winter Oaks and he will talk to Drakenstein manager Kevin Sommerville about whether the Bernard Fayd’Herbe-ridden Fresnaye should attempt to follow up in Saturday week’s Final Fling. Second-placed Dynasty’s Blossom in Grant Knowles’ sale on Thursday week.

Adam Marcus is eyeing the Final Fling (and no doubt much bigger things too) for Brave Move who had no difficulty in making it five in a row in the Ladies Mile. Dan Katz is targeting the Algoa Cup after 2016 Durban July third Mac De Lago returned to winning form in the Silver Mountain Handicap and Glen Kotzen has the Cape Fillies Guineas as an obvious target for Coral Bay.

The Ideal World filly gave weight all round in the Irridescence and Richard Fourie reported: “She had the race won from the 900m point. She could be anything.”

By Michael Clower

Tomorrow’s Durbanville meeting will go ahead as planned despite all last week’s rain and the loss of its two most recent fixtures to waterlogging. The first was abandoned and the second switched to Kenilworth.

Racing manager Dean Diedericks said: “When we did all the work on the track we weren’t sure how it would drain and we have had some trouble at the 600m mark. We are going to put in more drainage there but obviously we can’t do that at the moment. However we won’t have a problem on Tuesday if the weather stays fine.”

Grant Knowles has switched his Central Route Trading Sale on Thursday week (July 26) from Kenilworth to Durbanville for AHS quarantine reasons.

He said: “Durbanville is outside the free zone whereas Kenilworth is the free zone. There are some well bred weanlings – by Captain Al, Twice Over and others – in the catalogue and I want them in the sale so I changed the venue.”

Sixteen of the 69 lots are submitted by Mayfair Speculators including the expected star of the show Lady Of The House. The Woolavington winner finished strongly to take third in last Saturday’s Ladies Mile, her first run for seven months.

By Michael Clower

Turffontein Standside stages a ten race card tomorrow and the exotics could yield good dividends for those who do their homework.

The Graduation Plate in the ninth is the highest class event of the day and could be fought out by Punta Cana and Full Mast, although Tammany Hall also has to be respected. Punta Cana has always had a touch of class and in his third run after a layoff and gelding is tried with blinkers again. Last time he moved up well from the back over 1600m but couldn’t find any extra so will likely appreciate the step down in trip and is well drawn. Full Mast was handy in the latter race and stayed on well to only just be cut down by the classy Royal Crusade.

Punta Cana (JC Photographics)

He is effective over this trip too and Lyle Hewitson aboard is a bonus. However, there is a reversal in draw fortunes and Punta Cana should be cherry ripe so he is taken to make up the 1,5 lengths despite being half-a-kilogram worse off. Tammany Hall has shown glimpses of class and looks distance suited. The blinkers are off after she disappointed last time over 1200m. Aurelia Cotta has been disappointing since a good start to her career so after a decent effort last time could be coming back into her own and can’t be ignored.

The two-year-old Louis The Seventh was staying on well last Saturday over 1400m to be second in a classy Juvenile Plate event, so has to be considered with 4kg claimer Luke Ferraris up, despite a wide draw. Winter Forge is interesting stepped up in trip as she has finished strongly in sprints before. Mutrib returns from a layoff since January. He made a good debut over this trip but disappointed second time out when producing a somewhat laboured finished over 1600m. The rest could have done him good and he can’t be ignored.

The exotics look the best way to play this tricky card. The PA Banker is chosen to be Smart Deal in the second leg over 2400m as he is an improving son of Ideal World and has finished second in his two staying race starts, both times to promising sorts. However, Imoto should also be included in the Pick 6 as a son of Traffic Guard who will enjoy the step down in trip from 2600m to 2400m.

The rest of the Pick 6 legs are all competitive, although Rebel Renegade, Singaswewin and Tripod could get punters through the fifth leg and Punta Cana, Full Mast and Tammany Hall could get them through the last leg.

The best bet on the card is taken to be Arctica in the second race over 2000m. He was produced too late last time when failing to reach Divine Oddyssey over 1600m. Before that he was staying on well over 1800m in the Jubilee Handicap, so he should enjoy this trip and Hewitson can get him home. Top Shot is proven over the trip and is knocking hard so is the main danger. Heavenly Blue is the class of the race but returns from a second successive layoff of greater than six months so has problems.

The value bet is chosen to be Time To Be Great who is an effective front runner and should relish the fast conditions over his ideal 1400m trip. He has a good draw which will help him get to the front and also has a 1,5kg claimer up.

By David Thiselton

Two weeks on and 7-2 second favourite Rock My Soul’s proven stamina and ability to handle the soft still mark him out as a good bet in the Highlands Stud Winter Derby.

Rain yesterday and the forecast of more today looks like turning the ground testing once again and Donovan Dillon’s mount is the only horse in the field to have won over the distance and in the conditions.

Joey Ramsden, bidding for his fourth Winter Derby, cautions that a number of horses in his Milnerton yard have had dirty trachea washes recently but all his runners tomorrow are being tested beforehand.

Rock My Soul

He is also keen on 6-1 chance Ancestry, a horse in whom most punters have lost faith as he has repeatedly failed to cut the mustard this term. “He has been doing very well at home,” advises his trainer who, significantly, is taking the blinkers off. “Rock My Soul stays and seems to go in the wet. As Paddington’s second to African Night Sky last year proved, you don’t have to be a Grade 1 winner to run well in this race.”

Doublemint bids to become the third consecutive Winter Derby winner for Snaith Racing and, at 18-10, the third successful favourite in four years. He has not been further than 1 800m and has not won in the ground. However his stable does not expect problems on either front. “He is by Twice Over who loved the wet,” says Jono Snaith. “In fact the more rain that falls the better for us with horses like Red Ginger (Ladies Mile) running.”

Spring Man (4-1) has won twice over 2 000m and is bred to appreciate the extra here. “We are not worried about the rain and I think he has a good chance,” says Brett Crawford. “We are going to ride him a bit differently this time, more patiently.”

The Snaith second string Love Happens (13-2) was only just behind Spring Man in the Winter Classic and is by Silvano although he has still to prove he can handle the ground.

Helen’s Ideal could be the best bet of the day at 5-1 in the Irridescence. She was impressive on debut and fourth-placed Dirty Nelly boosted the form here on Tuesday.

Charles also did well to win first time but the talented One World looks a tough nut to crack in the Langerman and the Vaughan Marshall colt can prove a worthy 5-2 favourite despite giving weight all round.

Brave Move can extend her winning run to five in the Ladies Mile (but don’t forget Red Ginger, a big price at 18-1) while Fresnaye should land the odds in the Winter Oaks.

By Michael Clower

Handicaps are always tricky races but one of the pointers that can often lead to a winner is taking note of which horses have recently come down in the merit ratings. Another is when a horse drops in class. Combine the two and you have a fair chance of finding a winner, often at a decent price because at face value, the current form doesn’t look all that impressive until one drills down a little.

Racing is at Scottsville on Sunday and two horses that fall into the above categories are Rock Of Africa in the fourth and Cat’s Legacy in the sixth. Rock Of Africa has taken a rating drop while Cat’s Legacy has a rating drop and also takes a significant drop in class.

Rock Of Africa

Rock Of Africa has been competing in top company since arriving in KZN for Champions Season and has paid his way with a couple of placed efforts in useful company. Most recently he was just under five lengths back to Sniper Shot in the Post Merchants.

That form has obviously not impressed the handicappers as he has been dropped four points in the handicap, the equivalent of 2kg. On Sunday he lines up in a handicap lacking in big names and he can round of his Champions Season with a win.

The diminutive Hashtag Strat is an obvious contender but has the steadier of 64kg on her back and she has shown her best form over 1000m, so stable companion Gratuity with apprentice Khanya Sakayi claiming 4kg could be the pick of the Louis Goosen runners.

Apprentice Luke Ferraris has a foot injury so is unlikely to be ready to partner La Ferrari so it will be interesting to see who Tony Rivalland puts in as a replacement.

Cat’s Legacy lines up in the sixth, with Ferraris also scheduled to ride, but Alyson Wright is sure to looked for a similar four-claiming apprentice. Cat’s Legacy has dropped from a career high of 87 in the merit ratings to Sunday’s 73. If Wright stays with a four-claimer, that will be another 8 pounds off his back. Cat’s Legacy has been a touch disappointing after showing some promise early in his career against stronger than what he meets on Sunday so he could prove to be a solid bet on the day.

Internet Kid will be a popular banker in the opening leg of the Pick 6. The fifth race looks to be a difficult affair where punters would do well to load up in the exotics but Je Suis Silver and Geographe Bay could prove the pick.

Duncan Howells hit form at Scottsville on Wednesday with a brace of winners and his pair of Barinois and Queen’s Plain could see you through in the seventh.

Copper Pot and Stand By Me should be right there in a competitive last race but beware of Don Pierro. The gelding has a hot temperament but is talented and he looks to be over his right course and distance.

By Andrew Harrison