Monks Hood, the brilliant winner of the Grade 2 Betting World Gauteng Guineas ten days ago and winner too of the Grade 2 Investec Dingaans, is in the process of being sold to a Hong Kong owner.

Monks Hood (Candiese Marnewick)

A lot of the necessary veterinary tests and red tape procedures have already been finalised for the Wilgerbosdrift Stud-owned Querari gelding, but the sale has not yet been finalised by the pending new owner.

Trainer Alistair Gordon said, “It is a hard one to lose a horse of this caliber, but every horse has its price.”

Monks Hood will be suited to Hong Kong’s tight tracks. He has good gatespeed, is easy to switch on and off and has an exceptional turn of foot.

Hong Kong is one of the few countries in the world where average stakes returns per horse is more than the average cost of ownership, so Monks Hood will have a good chance of recouping his cost price.

The process for the next overseas shipment from the Kenilworth quarantine station is expected to start in June, depending on the numbers. If it does go ahead, Monks Hood can only expect to reach Hong Kong by the end of November after the arduous journey via Mauritius and Europe. One of his obvious targets, the HK$20 million Hong Kong Mile, the world’s richest mile race, is usually run in the second weekend of December, which won’t leave him with much time. However, J J The Jet Plane arrived at Sha Tin racecourse just days before the big international meeting after travelling the same route in 2010 and still managed to win the Group 1 Hong Kong Sprint.

By David Thiselton

Twenty-three Mayfair Speculators horses including Silver Coin will be sold at a new Horses In Training Sale organised by Grant Knowles in the Kenilworth parade ring on Thursday week (March 22).

Silver Coin set a South African record when bought for R6 million at the 2016 Cape Premier Yearling Sale and was raced by Mayfair in partnership with Sue Magnier, Diane Nagle and D.M. Graham.

CTS boss Wehann Smith reckons there is money to be made at the Ready To Run Sale in November, pointing out that the top 20 pinhooks at last year’s sale made an average gross profit of R380 000.

He added: “The allure of pinhooking for seasoned buyers is the untapped earning potential and the excitement of the unknown. It can also act as a stepping-stone for those new to the industry… potentially profiting from the process.”

Prices seem sure to be lower this year after the savage knock taken by the market in the first few sales of the post-Markus Jooste era but the profits should still be there as most of those purchased for resale will have been bought after the Mayfair crisis erupted.

By Michael Clower

Featured Image: Silver Coin (Wayne Marks)

The bulk of Glen Kotzen’s SA Champions Season colts and gelding arrived at Summerveld over the weekend, but his two big guns Eyes Wide Open and Gold Standard will only travel from The Cape in a month’s time in accordance with the program he had planned for them.

Pack Leader, who finished third to Eyes Wide Open in the Grade 1 Investec Cape Derby, was among those who had arrived.

Kotzen’s Champions Season fillies will be arriving today (Tuesday).

Eyes Wide Open, now a dual Grade 1 winner having won the Premier’s Champions Stakes over 1600m on Gold Cup day last year, is likely to start his KZN campaign in the Grade 2 Daisy Guineas on May 4 and will then likely go for the Daily News 2000 and the Vodacom Durban July. Kotzen’s July winner Big City Life won the Guineas and Daily News on his way to July glory. Interestingly, Big City Life also won the Listed Racing Association Stakes over 1600m at Fairview, a race Pack Leader won last October.

Both Eyes Wide Open and Pack Leader will enjoy the July 2200m trip, In the early betting Eyes Wide Open is the 6,25/1 favourite and Pack Leader is 50/1.

Kotzen said Pack Leader and his other colts and geldings had all travelled well.

By David Thiselton

Featured Image: Pack Leader (Candiese Marnewick)

Marion Belle can recoup last month’s losses in the Twilight Meeting Handicap at Durbanville this afternoon.

Greg Cheyne’s mount was ultra-impressive when winning over this trip on her second and third starts but the step up to 1 200m at Kenilworth last time proved expensive. She started evens favourite but proved unable to quicken.

The Brett Crawford stable believes that the longer trip, coupled with her being ridden to get it, was the reason for her undoing. She is 15-10 favourite with World Sports Betting and, despite top weight, she should be able to resume her winning streak.

Greg Cheyne

The unraced Dreams Of Love has been the subject of much speculation in the opening maiden. The Querari filly is a half-sister to champion sprinter Cataloochee and was bought for R325 000 as a yearling. She opened favourite at 22-10.

“She has a lot of natural speed and she is very fast,” says Justin Snaith who adds much more cautiously: “I have only given her one gallop but I wouldn’t be surprised to see her run in the money.”

Those backing her will want more than that and this is not an easy course for a newcomer but she is taken to beat Capaill (3-1) who has gone well in her last two starts, both of them here.

Ashfords Legacy caught the eye when running on well to beat all except the highly regarded Red Rascal in an otherwise modest maiden at Kenilworth ten days ago. He can make the most of his fitness advantage to beat Photocopy and 9-2 chance Supreme Winter in the TAB Telebet Maiden.

Photocopy (2-1 compared with the selection’s 18-10) has not raced for three months. “He was gelded and it was complicated because he was a rig,” explains Paul Reeves. “But he has had a gallop and I think he is ready enough.”

There is also Teutonic Knight to consider at 33-10 (Mike Stewart: “This might be a bit short for him but the bend will help.”) but Richard Fourie, who rode him last time, has decided to stick with Photocopy.

Brett Crawford, who trains Ashfords Legacy as well as Marion Belle, can also win the next with 14-10 favourite Due Volte who has Silver League (5-2) and Hadarat (33-10) to beat. The last-named ran below form last time and Reeves explains: “He doesn’t quicken and he didn’t jump well so got a bit out of his ground.”

What A Summer, 15-4 joint favourite with Macduff for the Betting World Handicap, may be able to beat 9-2 chance Shall Be Free off bottom weight but watch out for 6-1 shot Pillar Of Hercules who would have finished closer last time but for losing ground at the start.

Candice Bass-Robinson can follow up What A Summer by taking the St Patrick’s Day Handicap with 33-10 chance Oh Behave.

By Michael Clower

Top Of The Class is Durban-bound after setting a new two-year-old course record when leading throughout the opener on Saturday.

Vaughan Marshall, whose juvenile string looks even better than usual, said: “I was a bit worried about taking on winners but this one is special and I will put him on the float on the 22^nd.”

Marshall and M.J. Byleveld doubled up with Sequined who just held on in the Betting World Handicap from the fast-finishing and unlucky course specialist Rustar Dhow. The runner-up knocked out one of her teeth when painfully banging her mouth against the stalls.

Top Of The Class (Liesl King)

But Marshall’s Crusade’s Promise could only manage third to the Joey Ramsden-trained Carioca, Donovan Dillon’s first success since breaking his hand, in the Juvenile Fillies. She was odds-on at one stage before easing to joint favouritism with the winner. “They went very fast and she wants a mile. It won’t take her long to win,” said the trainer.

Adam Marcus is going to aim Brave Move at the Ladies Mile (June 30) and the Final Fling Stakes (July 21) after the Horse Chestnut filly comfortably landed the odds under Aldo Domeyer in the mile handicap.

Marcus said: “She wins cantering and you don’t know how much more there is to come but I think she is very good.”

The in-form trainer promptly took his tally to 14 winners in 15 weeks when Richard Fourie snatched the Supabets Handicap with an extraordinarily confident ride on Bridal Party. He sat last until just over 300m out when he had 12 lengths to make up. He got there just two strides from the line in the sort of blanket finish that handicappers usually only see in their dreams – the first five were covered by half a length.

Fourie, asked when he felt he knew he was going to get up, replied: “After we had gone the first 400m!”

Marcus, sweat still pouring from his brow, said: “I wish I’d known.” He was rather more relaxed as he described staff changes at his stable. Father Basil has now retired from his role as assistant trainer (bar one Sunday afternoon a fortnight to give the trainer a break) but his mother Epsom-born Debbie made a rare visit to the races as if to compensate.

Braam van Huyssteen wasn’t there but his money was and Northern Corner made up three lengths in the last 70m to land the 1 000m handicap and enable Domeyer to celebrate his 31^st birthday a day early.

Greg Ennion said: “I told Braam that he should have a bet but not to go crazy because the horse has enough on his back as it is. Northern Corner is a tiny little animal but in the last three months he has really blossomed and he now has this amazing burst of speed.”

Despite all its changes and improvements the Durbanville course, in marked contrast to Kenilworth, still favours front-runners and the winner made most of the running in half the eight races. Grant van Nierkerk landed a double for Justin Snaith in this way on The Boston Rose and Amarosa with the former tipped by the trainer to do well in handicaps here.

Devin Ashby, in agony after being kicked as he was trying to mount Main Street in the last, had to forego the mount but is confident he will be fit for tomorrow. He said yesterday: “She got a fright and kicked me in the groin and abdomen. I’m a little bruised but it could have been worse.”

By Michael Clower