African Night Sky is being laid out for the Vodacom Durban July after the stable’s high hopes for last season’s Winter Series winner failed to materialise when he was only sixth in the Met.

Justin Snaith, bidding for his third July after Dancer’s Daughter in 2008 and Legislate four years ago, said: “He is one to note and I need to hide him because one hike in his rating would spoil his July chance.

“I am going to plan his campaign very carefully and the only way will be to race him sparingly, maybe running him in a big handicap where a win wouldn’t put him up much.”

Snaith Racing’s 30-strong armada sets out for Durban on March 24 and will include Do It Again who returned to his best to take second in the Cape Derby.

Snaith said: “He ran flat in the Cape Guineas as I’d over-trained him and I had to freshen him up for the Derby. His programme will be a prep then the Daisy Guineas followed by the Daily News. After that, we will see.

“But I have got one hell of a string for Durban and I just want a bit of luck with the draws. You need to be on the inside at both Scottsville and Greyville.”

The Cape Town stipes are waiting to hear from the National Horse Racing Authority in Johannesburg after taking DNA tests on All Aboard last week but their investigations are already focussed on the centre page of his passport which showed white socks and a white muzzle. The Mambo In Seattle colt had no such markings when he was compulsorily scratched from his debut at Kenilworth 13 days ago.

Senior stipe Ernie Rodrigues said: “We have to establish how this centre page (it was the horse’s third passport) got there and when. It is so different from the markings that it would have been noticed by the stalls team.”

The horse’s passport was checked by the stalls team on two occasions before his planned debut and seemingly it tallied with the horse both times.

By Michael Clower

The South African-bred Silvano colt Janoobi put up a fine display in the Group 1 Jebel Hatta over 1800m at Meydan on Saturday, but former Sun Met winner Whisky Baron enjoyed little luck in the same race and did not do his chances of making the Dubai World Cup night cut any good. Later, last year’s SA Derby winner, the Silvano gelding Al Sahem, ran on strongly for fifth in the Group 2 Dubai City Of Gold over 2410m and earlier Neil Bruss had two runners in the Group 3 Burj Nahaar, whom he had brought over from his current base in Saudi Arabia.

Janoobi’s only previous attempt at 1800m was in last year’s Grade 1 SA Classic and he was beaten 17,75 lengths after probably going too fast early on. He proved on Saturday he stays the trip and was possibly a touch unlucky. He got a flying start from a middle draw, but Just as he was settling in third place on the flank of the leader he was bumped off course by Folkswood, who had switched outward. Jockey Gerald Mosse on the pacemaker was deemed to be the cause of the incident and was reprimanded for careless riding. Janoobi had to be settled all over again, so it could have been costly because after he had hit the front at the 350m mark he was unable to repel two other horses in a three horse struggle to the line. He finished three-quarters of a length plus a head behind the winner Blair House with Benbatl second. De Kock had been attempting to win a record-equalling fifth Jebel Hatta. Janoobi looks likely to be targeted at the US$5 million Dubai Turf, formerly known as the Dubai Duty Free, on World Cup night over the same 1800m turf course and distance. De Kock has won the Dubai Turf twice with Ipi Tombe in 2003 and with the dead-heating Right Approach in 2004.

The Brett Crawford-trained Whisky Baron was trapped wide in the running from a wide draw and couldn’t go with the leaders in the straight after turning for home on Janoobi’s flank. The way the race panned out did him no favours, but he also looks like he would prefer further, considering his rangy stride. He would probably be better suited to the US$5 million Dubai Sheema Classic over 2410m on World Cup night.

The De Kock-trained Al Sahem put up a fine effort in the City Of Gold, where he came from near the back and was doing his best work late to finish 6,5 lengths behind the classy Charlie Appleby pair Hawkbill and Frontiersman. He might have a chance of making the Sheema Classic field now, although his three runs in Dubai are yet to yield a place.

Neil Bruss has been having a fine season in Saudi Arabia and Bernard Fayd’Herbe travelled over to ride God’s Speed in Burj Nahaar over 1600m on dirt. However, the seven-year-old Oratorio gelding was coming off a Grade 2 win over 2400m and a Grade 1 second-placed over 2000m, so was not surprisingly outpaced. He ran on but was beaten 18,75 lengths. Bruss’s other runner Fantastic Four won a Grade 3 in Saudi Arabia over 1600m in January and started his Dubai campaign with a third place finish in a Group 3 over 1600m on the dirt in February under Fayd’Herbe, albeit 16 lengths behind the winner Heavy Metal. The form was confirmed on Saturday for after showing some early toe he finished more than 20 lengths behind runner up Heavy Metal.

By David Thiselton

The Gavin van Zyl-trained colt Bold Eagle cruised to victory in the Listed Storm Bird Stakes over 1000m at Turffontein on Saturday under Anthony Delpech in what was the day’s most impressive performance.

There were also five other features on the card.

Bold Eagle provided Bold Silvano with a first stakes success in South Africa as a sire, although he is also sire of the Grade 3 Zimbabwe Guineas winner Flasher On The Run.

Bold Eagle, who is replica of his father, had impressed on debut as he found another gear late to win by 0,9 lengths over 1000 at the Vaal. On Saturday Delpech was able to secure the favourable outside spot in the running after a good break from draw ten in the 13 horse field. The handsome bay was not hard pressed to be in the leading line and when Delpech asked him the question at the halfway mark, a good kick saw him go clear. His big action carried him to the line for a comfortable 3,5 length win and he remains unbeaten. Royal Italian made it a one-two for sons of former Vodacom Durban July winners as he is by Pomodoro, who has made a good start to his stud career. Royal Italian had a tough draw of four so did well to stay on from midfield. The first-timer by Var, Heavenly Risk, was receiving 3kg from the winner but after taking a bump at the start did well to run on from behind for a 4,5 length third with another first-timer by Var, Dewali, a further 0,25 lengths back. The twice-winning filly Mazari was fifth. The favourite Van Halen showed good pace under a lovely action but faded out. He is not one to give up on though as he might have still needed it. The second favourite, William The Silent was never in it.

The Listed Ruffian Stakes saw the hot favourite Miss Khalifa being found to be not striding out and she was scratched at the start. Querari is having a fine season and his Mike de Kock-trained daughter Dagmar won on her debut. She was slowly way from a low draw of three and, after racing behind the pace, showed a good turn of foot when switched inward to win comfortably by 2,1 lengths, although the race was run in a 0,86 second slower time than the Storm Bird. Another Querari filly, Urban Oasis, was second followed a further three lengths back by the pacemaker River Rafting. Star Flyer was next best and the favourite, the Frankel filly Frankly, had no cover from the number one draw and ran a disappointing 7,25 length fifth.

The Listed Bauhinia Handicap over 1000m saw the Dianne Stenger-trained Crusade filly Covered In Snow recording her fourth victory in succession. She showed fine cruising speed, sitting behind the leaders in the middle, and she then kicked well and found another gear to repel the challengers, winning by a cosy 1,25 lengths from Myfunnyvalentine and Frederico’s Dream, in a time 0,3 seconds slower than the Storm Bird Stakes. Muzi Yeni thus secured a Listed double as he also rode Dagmar.

The Non-Black Type events were the Sun Chariot Handicap over 2400m for fillies and mares, the Egoli Mile and the Gold Rush Sprint over 1100m and they saw wins for the Erico Verdonese-trained Emerald Bay (Craig Zackey), the Stuart Pettigrew-trained Soldier On (Marco van Rensburg) and the Mike Azzie-trained Mrs O (Weichong Marwing) respectively.

By David Thiselton

Anton Marcus is not one to return for post-race interviews for minor races. “People have seen the race so I can’t add anything. Let the owners and trainers have their place in the sun,” is his view.

So it was telling when a clearly agitated Marcus made an appearance in public after hot favourite Antony Hotspur spread-eagled his field in the first leg of the Pick 6 at Greyville yesterday.

Runner-up in his first two when favourite, Marcus made amends on the 4-10 favourite Antony Hotspur but his biggest scare came at the start.

Sentido, drawn on the outside of the favourite, played up in his stall and broke open the front gate and an already jumpy Antony Hotspur also reacted and was backed out. Sentido was withdrawn and fortunately for favourite punters, Antony Hotspur took his place.

The start in KZN has become a major bone of contention with trainers and jockeys, and while many of the delays are attributed to unruly and badly schooled horses, the military precision of loading by numbers and starter’s assistants who appear clueless add to these perceptions.

The race proved to be a formality for the favourite but it was not a happy Marcus that appeared in front of the television cameras and let rip about the starting procedures.

“This horse barrier trialled a week ago and was up tight. But because of the new loading system he had to go in first. It’s not fair on the punters. It’s funny how 99% of people in racing are wrong and 1% are right.”

“Nobody is looking for preferential treatment but clearly it isn’t a consideration amongst the officials,” he concluded angrily.

Nicolene Roscoe, assistant to Alistair Gordon, confirmed, “He (Antony Hotspur) is up tight and probably a little above himself. He had an injury so we will see how he pulls up.”

Marcus had better fortune in the seventh where he finally got the best out of Dawn Calling.

There are few more competitive trainers around than Duncan Howells and a recurring virus eventually forced him to shut up shop for a fortnight towards the end of February.

When he did re-start, it was with a splutter, but Dawn Calling will have put some spark back into the operation with a smart win in a strong Pinnacles Stakes where she was badly out at the weights.

The weight disadvantage did not trouble her yesterday as Marcus had her handy throughout, pinching a lead that she never relinquished.

Favourite Statute, made a tardy start and from then on was never travelling and finished out of the money. She is a filly with class but at this stage of her career, a straight six furlongs may be her forte.

Any seasoned punter will tell you that taking odds-on about a runner, especially in maiden races, is a major financial risk and best left alone as there is seldom value.

However, the trick is working out which runner is fair value and those that had done their homework in the second would have been wary of taking the odds-on about Esstoora.

Beaten by the modest galloper Rosie Bubbles when an even money favourite last time out, she certainly did not look to be as short as odds-on in spite of Marcus staying with the ride.

So it proved! Esstoora tried hard and was in contention all the way to the line but Sheik’s Storm, seemingly out of it after finishing a distant fifth on debut, showed that she had ability when trialling well and her run behind the smart Statute, although beaten nine lengths, was not a bad debut.

“We had a bit of a wide draw,” confided Callan Murray. “But she jumped well and was up with the pace,” he said of Paul Gadsby’s runner.

By Andrew Harrison

There is not much of her, which probably explains her R700k price tag considering that her full brother, Legislate, won the Vodacom Durban July, but Statute has a good set of wheels. Just how good will be tested at Greyville tomorrow when Michael Roberts has pitted her against some really smart opposition.

After this race, Roberts should know just where he stands with his filly with Champions Season in mind and the Gr2 Daisy Fillies Guineas likely an immediate target.

Statute hacked up on debut at Scottsville and was then sent against some smart fillies in the Flamboyant Stakes at just her second outing.

“Unfortunately, the race didn’t pan out for us,” said Roberts. “I didn’t think she could win it but was hoping for a place.”

“But she’s got class, there’s no doubt about it.”

Will she get a trip? Part owner Dr Nic Labuschagne is confident. “She will go a lot further and even the trip like her brother.”

It is a little worrying that Statute fluffed her lines in her only start around the turn but she has only had three starts and the experience will have done her good.

Roberts has engaged Anthony Delpech and from a plum draw, the trainer appears to have all his ducks in a row.

Still it will not be easy. She takes on two proven older fillies in Premier Dance and Ngaga and possibly the best one-time winner in the country, Dawn Calling.

Ngaga has trialled well since her arrival in KZN but her earlier form has been over further and this 1400m trip may be a touch on the sharp side given the strength of the opposition. Premier Dance would probably prefer it a little further too but in her favour is her recent outing in the Gr1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes where she finished three lengths off the top class Snowdance.

She has sprinted well in the past so she may prove the biggest threat to Statute.

The luckless Dawn Calling is over arguably her best course and distance and was a close-up second to her smart stable companion Fiorella at Scottsville last time out. She is not well in at these weights but does look capable on her day.

Anton Marcus had a red-letter day at Greyville on Wednesday with four winners and can get the Pick 6 rolling with Antony Hotspur for Alistair Gordon. Going down a neck on debut behind Gat Henshaw, Antony Hotspur was not seen out again for nearly nine months before cruising up in a barrier trial. Marcus only rode the barrier trial that afternoon with no further mounts which probably tells a tale.

The fourth, another Pinnacle Stakes event, is a bit of a puzzle with some smart sprinters in the line-up. Vision To Kill is a top class filly and made a smart return after a break when getting the better of the lightly weighted Hashtag Strat over the Scottsville shortcut early last month.

Vision To Kill was a victim of the virus that has been plaguing Ashburton recently. “She was really hard hit,” revealed, Beth Gadsby. Ominously for Sunday’s opposition, husband Paul said of that race, “I think she was only 70 to 80% fit.”

Gadsby has his eye on the Gr1 SA Fillies Sprint in May but Vision To Kill has obviously taken her come-back run well although she steps up to 1200m.

Sunset Eyes has come well since arriving in KZN and will be looking for his fourth win on the bounce. Brett Crawford’s runner is taking on much stronger company but the form of his recent win has worked out well and even at this late stage in his career could still be under the handicapper’s radar.

If one looks past Vision To Kill, it’s not an easy race and exotic bet punters will do well to fill in a few more blocks on the betmark cards.

By Andrew Harrison