The ‘Del Mar’ show, a phrase coined by former jockey and now television pundit Kevin Shea, looks set to continue in the first on the Greyville poly today with Anthony Delpech and Anton Marcus most likely to be going head-to-head on the two fancied runners in the race, Rose Hill and Esstoora.

Both fillies have proved expensive to follow but although Rose Hill has had more chances, her form looks slightly superior. Marcus has had two stabs at getting her home and Delpech is back for his second try so it could be a game of cat and mouse between the two.

Esstoora, a 1-4 favourite, tried gamely behind Sheik’s Storm last time out but was unable to peg back Paul Gadsby’s runner.

These two look the pick of the race where only the recent trialist Escape Club could pose a threat.

Verdier has come well since arriving in Mark Dixon’s yard from the Cape and two runner-up placings finally led to victory when beating Impact Zone over 1950m at Scottsville.

He appeared to enjoy the extra two furlongs of that race and he can go in again in the Itsarush.co.za Handicap that heads the card although it is not an easy race. He gives weight all round but looks capable of going in again.

Amor Ardiente can be a difficult customer at times but has been consistent. A beaten favourite last run, and in the money at his last four starts, Belinda Impey has resorted to cheek pieces and they may be what’s needed to bring out the best in the gelding.

Likely favourite is Pure Logic who has started at the top of bookmaker’s boards at his last four outings, obliging once when touching off Coys at Scottsville.

The stable has been a little quiet of late but Pure Logic is never far back.

Course and distance specialist is Pure Valor. Four of his six wins have come on the poly, three over course and distance so Lowan Denysschen’s runner cannot be ignored in open event.

Shane Humby’s stable is starting to turn after a difficult time with coughs and colds and Roman Courtisan rounded off Sunday’s meeting with Marcus aboard. Humby and Marcus team up again with Moon Bird in the fourth. The lightly raced four-year-old was touched off by Gadget Man in his first start on the poly when sporting blinkers and has a strong chance in some fairly modest company.

Of the balance, Nauticus has his first run back from a trip to the Cape and although he has shown flashes of ability, he may just be short of peak fitness after a two-month break. Captain Cobalt on the other hand, was a smart maiden winner over course and distance when fitted with a tongue-tie and could be good enough to feature again.

Brett Crawford’s KZN satellite yard keeps simmering and Border Control can snap a string of seconds when dropping back a furlong in the fifth. The gelding has been up with the pace only to be run out of it late in his last three starts over course and distance and he could well prove a better proposition over this shorter trip.

War-King strikes as a likely danger as he is lightly raced and steps up in trip while the ‘old man’ of the race, Tuscan has been touched off over course and distance at his last two but his four-kilo claimer, Julius Mphanya, has moved to Port Elizabeth and replacement Diego De Gouveia’s 1.5kg claim may not be enough to get him home.

By Andrew Harrison

Duncan Howells said he would be “taking it easy” this SA Champions Season with Saratoga Dancer and his Vodacom Durban July horse at this stage is the Listed Michael Roberts Handicap winner Wild Wicket.

He said about Saratoga Dancer, who finished fifth in last season’s July, “He was injured in the July. A horse ran into his side and he rapped a tendon. We rested him and he has come back very well and there have been no problems. His barrier trial the other day was pretty good and I would like to keep him fresh and go for a Listed or Grade 3 race.”

The rangy six-year-old Mambo In Seattle gelding won that barrier trial over 1000m on the Greyville poly by 9,5 lengths in a time of 58 seconds, despite not being asked to do a lot. The second and third-placed horses in the trial, Roy’s Stingray and Palmieto, both came out and won on Sunday on the Greyville turf.

Howells said about Wild Wicket, “I don’t know if he’s good enough for the July but I have been getting the impression that the good three-year-olds are going to avoid the race. We will see if he’s good enough in his preparation races.”

Howells had always felt Wild Wicket was hitting the front too soon and a plan to hold him up for as long as possible in the Michael Roberts Handicap worked as he produced a late burst to just get up. However, Howells said it would have to be seen whether he could do the same against stronger horses before labeling that tactic as “the key” to the horse.

He continued, ”There is no reason not to aim him at the July, I don’t think he will have a problem with the distance and the track suits him as he is a short-coupled horse.” Another thing in the four-year-old gelding’s favour is he is by Dynasty, who won the July and whose progeny love Greyville.

Howells current big race mission is with the Captain Al filly Fiorella, whom he has entered in the Grade 1 R1 million SA Fillies Classic, to be run at Turffontein over 1800m on April 7.

She has won three races form seven starts, but is yet to be tried beyond 1600m. However, she is out of Jallad mare Arcola, who won the Grade 3 Caradoc Gold Cup over 2850m, and she is a half-sister to a Var colt who has won over 1950m. She will need to improve on her last start in February when a 2,3 length fourth over 1600m at Scottsville in a fillies and mares handicap when running off a merit rating of 90.

Howells said, “She will stay all day. Our recent virus meant she has not had the ideal preparation as I would have liked her to have gone for the Gauteng Fillies Guineas first. I feel the Cape three-year-old fillies are much stronger, so I suggested going for the Grade 1 in Johannesburg to the owner. Due to her rating there is no other way really.”

Howells will be aiming two of his best fillies, Neptune’s Rain and Lunar Rush, at the Grade 1 SA Fillies Sprint.

He said of the former, a three-year-old by Antonius Pius who finished an unlucky third in the Grade 1 Allan Robertson last season, “She will go the normal route into the SA Fillies Sprint, including the Poinsettia. She has been doing very well and is a lot more mature. She is above average, although it will be tough as there are some good sprinting fillies around, but she has done nothing wrong in her career.” Neptune’s Rain showed her class last time out when giving the speedy Effortless Reward 4kg and running her to a 1,35 length third in the African Holly Handicap over 1000m. Her merit rating after the across-the-board six point raise is now 110.

Lunar Rush is merit rated 102 after her good win over 1200m at Greyville recently. Howells said, “She will follow the same route as Neptune’s Rain as there is nothing else for her. She is just below Grade 1 level and if she gets any black type I will be over the moon.”

He will be aiming the talented Querari gelding Procal Harum at the Grade 2 Daisy Guineas. He said, “He has been off due to the yard virus, but if I have him ready he will take his chances.”

A filly he had high hopes for last season, Dawn Calling, won her first race for close to two years two weekends ago when cruising in by 2,25 lengths in a Pinnacle Stakes event over 1400m at Greyville. However, that win has seen her raised to only a 95 merit rating, which is a long way off the top rated fillies in the country. Howells said, “It is debatable how good she is but if she proves good enough I might aim her at the Garden Province, although it will be tough against those good Cape Town horses. But I will also run her again in the KZN Breeders Mile (a R1 million race in which she finished second last year).”

Others to mention are Legend, who finished second in the Listed Christmas Handicap over 1600m, and Brighteyebushytail.

However, Howell said he did not know whether Legend was good enough and revealed Brighteyebushytail had copped the worst of the virus and he was not sure whether he would have him ready in time for the Champions Season.

He added he had some strong two-year-olds, whom he hoped could make an impact in Graded features.

He took his yard out of racing for about three weeks due to the severity of the virus, where the symptoms were temperatures and coughing, but he said they were now on top of it.

By David Thiselton

Featured Image: Brett Crawford (Liesl King)

The Vaal Classic track stages an eight race meeting tomorrow and a MR 96 Handicap over 1000m is the highlight.

Tandava is a versatile sort who has recently run in races from 1000m to 2000m. However, his 1000m form is very good and he has won half of his six career races over this minimum trip. He packs a strong finish and is sure to be running on strongly again. Gunther Wrogemann, the man who won on him over course and distance two runs ago, regains the ride which augurs well. Sporting Monarch has always had a lot of speed and was only 0,3 lengths behind Tandava in the aforementioned race. He is now half-a-kilogram better off so has a fine chance. Donny G is another who has shown a lot of pace on occasion and he is most interesting returning fresh and having his first run for Bradley Maroun.

All Night Flight has dropped to an attractive merit rating and finished close to a good form horse in January. Cathedral County has a touch of class and Gavin Lerena will be aboard him in his first outing since December. Queen Laurie is packed with speed, but carrying a big weight against the boys will be tough and she is an unlikely winner. Greasepaint is a seven-year-old but has been in fine form, although he hasn’t won a race for nearly a year. Whorly Whorly is 2,5kg better off with Tandava for a 1,4 length beating, so has a chance on paper, but he has to bounce back from a poor effort over 1160m where he was found to be coughing. Just As I Said is having his second run after a layoff and on recent form looks to need a bit of a drop in merit rating.

Golden Man would prefer a touch further as his customary late charge might come a bit too late over this trip. Clever Guy has his third run after a layoff and will need to improve considerably on his last two runs, although Piere Strydom will give him every chance of doing so. Le Tigre looks outgunned on recent form. Magic has speed and the ability to stay on but this is his first run since October. Laurent du Var runs fresh and on his best form he could be dangerous off a lowered merit rating, although overall he has been a touch disappointing since his good first two runs as a juvenile.

The best bet of the day vote goes to Gottalottaluv in the sixth race over 2000m. She has been chosen because she looks to have class and is going places, but this is her first try at the trip so he can’t be considered an overly confident best bet. She is by the speed influence Var but has plenty of stamina in her female line being out of a mare who by Model Man out of Olympic Duel. Both of the latter went close in the July. In fact, Gottalottaluv is a half-sister to the top class Gold Standard, who finished a close second in last season’s Grade 1 Cape Guineas before finishing an excellent fourth in the Sun Met. She looks the part too, being an imposing filly with plenty of scope.

She relaxed well in front over 1700m last time and found extra to stave off the challengers. She is now drawn two, which is ideal for her front-running style. Strydom rides her for the third time in succession, which is significant. The two horses who could pick up the pieces if she fluffs her lines are Our Shining Star and Littlewood, so have both been included in the Pick 6. The former was staying on behind the decent Waity Katy last time over 1500m and is interesting stepped up to this trip being by Silvano. The latter is by Fort Wood, so should also enjoy the trip and is from the yard of Lucky Houdalakis, who gets them to continually improve.

In the next race Red Ridge unsuccessfully objected against a decent sort in Awfaa last time and she will be coming into her own now being a four-year-old by Silvano. She is drawn in pole over a suitable trip of 1500m and is made a PA banker along with Gottalottaluv. However, for the Pick 6 two others have been included, Regal Graduation, who looks to be going places and should enjoy the step up in trip on pedigree, and Oh My Darling, who has always struck as having class. The latter was staying on well over 1400m last time and now has Delpech aboard.

By David Thiselton

The expected influx of Stellenbosch students at the St Patrick’s Day meeting at Durbanville on Saturday failed to materialise because the university put the mockers on the promotional project.

According to a Racing It’s A Rush press release it did so as a result of the “Students’ Representative Council being concerned that students will be influenced with the gambling aspect of our sport.”

Fortunately for racing such a puritanical attitude (if it existed at all in those days) failed to deter the likes of Mike Bass, Charles Faull, Andrew Harrison, Liesl King and – dare I say it – Markus Jooste who in his own way proved to be the biggest gambler of all.

Despite the snub Kenilworth Racing is determined to try again after getting the SRC on side. “The racing and betting industries are huge employers in this country and we want the students to hear about the broad spectrum of professionally qualified people that are needed,” said Donna Bernhardi who had arranged to take various groups on tour throughout the afternoon.

Significantly the SRC viewpoint was in marked contrast to that of the students when Luella Robinson visited the university earlier to distribute some 500 leaflets. Mrs Robinson, who came up with the original idea and did much of the groundwork, said that the general reaction was “Sounds like a great day-out. We’ll be there.”

By Michael Clower