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

There is a race meeting for the purist to look forward to at Turffontein Standside tomorrow as the Pick 6 is made up of six features, three Listed races and two Non-Black Types.

The Listed Storm Bird Stakes over 1000m could rest between three one-time winning males and three well-bred first-timers, who will receive 3kg from the latter. Bold Eagle was backed on debut and after showing good pace was doing his best work late to win cosily. The Gavin Van Zyl yard said he had improved and expected him to be competitive. Anthony Delpech is an eye-catching booking and the Bold Silvano colt is drawn on the right side by trends. William The Silent dwelt on debut over 1000m in a Juvenile event but ended up winning fluently by 2,8 lengths, despite having been ignored in the betting market.

He is a well-bred sort being by Var out of the Cape Fillies Guineas second-placed Captain Al filly Tick Tock. Rule The Night is an imposing gelding by Var who was very green on debut, but still won comfortably by three lengths over this course and distance. The form has not worked out exceptionally well, but considering he ran all over the course he has plenty of scope for improvement. However, the number one draw might be against him. Heavenly Risk is a R300,000 Var colt and is a half-brother to the like of Grade 1 SA Classic winner Divine Jury.

Vardo is a R300,000 Var colt, who is out of a Listed-winning Captain Al filly, who is a full-sister to the brilliant Snowdance. Dewali is a R325,000 Var colt out of the Grade 2 KRA Fillies Guineas winner Festival Of Fire, who was also runner up in the Grade 1 SA Fillies Sprint. Heavenly Risk has a nice high draw, while Dewali has an unfavourable low draw and Vardo is drawn six. The two fillies in the race, Mazari and Miss Boomerang, both have plenty of speed, but have a tough task at the weights as the only two two-time winners in the field.

In the Listed Ruffian Stakes Anton Marcus rides the Spies-trained Sail From Seattle filly Miss Khalifa, who won by an easy three lengths on debut. The first-timer Princess Blitz makes appeal from a nice draw of seven in a nine horse field as she is by the promising sire What A Winter out of the Listed-winning Var sprinter La Volta. Frankly is by the legendary Frankel and would have been the suggestion if not drawn so low.

The Listed Bauhinia Handicap could be won by Covered In Snow, who won the Listed Swallow Stakes over 1160m from a similar draw to record a hattrick. Winter Watch has a good turn of foot and should run on strongly from a plum standside draw. Frederico’s Dream has a lot of pace and stays on well, so this quick 1000m will suit her, and she faces Covered In Snow on just half-a-kilogram worse terms, after being beaten just a head by her over 1160m in the Swallow Stakes.

The Non-Black Type Sun Chariot Stakes over 2400m could go to Seeking Gold, who is 1,5kg better off with Bondiblu for a head beating over course and distance and as a four-year-old will still be improving. Witchcraft, who is well drawn over an ideal trip, is coming off a good performance in the Aquanaut over course and distance. Bondiblu is drawn in pole over an ideal trip and there is not much between her and Witchcraft or Patchit Up Baby. The latter beat Witchcraft by 2,6 lengths the last time they met over course and distance but is now 2kg worse off so there is not much in it. Emerald Bay has a chance if repeating her last run over course and distance.

The Egoli Mile vote goes to the eyecatching The Dazzler in his first run for Mike de Kock. The Puma also has class too and Helios makes his first start after impressing on debut.

In the Gold Rush Sprint Best Kept Secret is well bred and from a good draw can follow on from a fine effort in the CTS 1200. Down To Zero is coming into his own, and the fast-finishing Vicomte can bounce back from a better draw after stumbling last time.

By David Thiselton

Joey Ramsden runs all his four two-year-old winners at Durbanville tomorrow and can be rewarded with success in the opener.

Three of the four contest this 1 000m race and the one that stands out is Twist Of Fate who had stable companion Temp The Tiger nearly three lengths back when fourth in the Met day Listed race. The colt opened 14-10 favourite and, with the eight-strong field including three newcomers, Grant van Niekerk should be able to make light of his outside draw.

The danger on form is the third Ramsden runner Lucky Dancer who returned not striding out – he had cuts on a hind pastern – when finishing fifth in the Kuda Sprint but the money so far suggests that the one to fear is the Vaughan Marshall newcomer Top Of The Class, a Var colt from a speedy family.

The World Sports Betting odds compilers thought they were taking no chances when they priced this one up at 5-2 on Wednesday but he was down to 18-10 yesterday morning. He receives a useful 3kg from the previous winners.

Ramsden’s Carioca has already been nibbled at 33-10 for the 1 250m fillies race. Donovan Dillon rides this one and she followed up her decent run in the Met Day Listed race with a convincing win three weeks ago.

However Marshall’s Crusade’s Promise, receiving 3kg, is favourite at 5-2 and gets marginal preference. She lost ground at the start when third at 50-1 on debut but still finished in front of Valderrama (4-1). And don’t overlook 9-2 chance Twin Falls. She won first time and was badly interfered with in the Met Day Listed race.

Miss Smarty Pants (3-1) should win the Tabonline.co.za Maiden on form and ratings and she looks better than Ladysmith who has so far been preferred in the market and was down to 28-10 yesterday.

The Boston Rose has been expensive and frustrating to follow – second or third in all her last five races and favourite in three of them – but Durbanville takes a lot less getting than Kenilworth and suits some horses better. She could be one of them (although she has been here before) and is a decent price at 9-2.

Above Eleven failed on Met day but she finished in front of Make It Raine and she may reverse with Sun At Midnight in the Betting World Handicap.

Bwana apparently can be difficult but he has won two out of three and has effectively only gone up two points for his last win. He can collect again in the St Patrick’s Day Handicap.

Adam Marcus may extend his recent good run by winning the next two with Brave Move (12-10) and Bridal Party (2-1).

By Michael Clower

After showing potential early in his career, Varallo was effectively an under achiever after his maiden win but gelding finally brought out the best of him at Greyville yesterday.

This was his second run after gelding and also his second for Dennis Bosch after the Charles Laird handed in his trainer’s brief and instead of turning it up under pressure, Varallo finally went on with his effort under Gunter Wrogemann to get the better of Flying Free and more fancied stable companion Founding Father.

In a small field, Anthony Delpech went forward on Founding Father and looked to have made the right decision in front turning for home as Flying Free, hot on his heels, battling to go with him.

However, Varallo finished with a wet sail on their outside and Flying Free, at one stage looking to disappear out of the back door, found another gear and came hard at the winner but too late to catch him.

With that run under his girth and gelding, Varallo may finally realise his potential while Flying Free is one for the notebook and should not be long in finding the winner’s enclosure.

Shane Humby, former assistant to Herman Brown Snr, and long-time resident of Cape Town, has not had the best of luck since returning to KZN and Ashburton in particular. His string has been dogged by a recurring virus but hopefully things have turned for the good as Socrates ran out an easy winner of his maiden, beating strongly fancied favourite Sand Path.

It proved no race, Socrates coming home by five with Sand Path also well clear of the chasing pack.

Humby’s horses are starting to find form and the stable could pay to follow.

Socrates was the first of an Anton Marcus four-timer, the third leg being a copybook ride on Champenois for Dennis Drier and the controversial Mayfair Speculators outfit of disgraced Steinhoff boss, Markus Jooste.

Most are in the dark on how Jooste’s vast racing empire is being disbanded, and the National Horseracing Authority is tight lipped, but the Mayfair colours are still in evidence much to pubic chagrin.

But thoroughbred racehorses cannot be left idle in their stables, no matter the shenanigans of their owners, and it is up to their trainers to keep them at their peak until the dust has settled.

Champenoise, a half-sister to the smart Pierre Jourdan, showed enough early in her career for Dennis Drier to include her in his Cape summer raiding string but in her first start she bumped the crack filly Snowdance and ran well below form. It was a better effort next time out but back home yesterday she showed her best form to grind down long-time leader Call Me Winter who had dropped from a rating high of 102 to 75 yesterday and looks competitive once again off her lower mark.

Toltec took the step up in class into his stride in the Track & Ball Shelley Beach Handicap bursting through late to snatch victory in a blanket finish.

One could have thrown a blanket over the first six home but Tristan Godden produced Lezeanne’s Forbes’s gelding with a perfectly timed finish to snatch victory from Border Control.

By Andrew Harrison

Whisky Baron put in a smart gallop at Meydan yesterday in preparation for the Gr1 Jebel Hatta Sponsored by Emirates Airlines on Dubai World Cup night this Saturday.

Kevin Shea, former jockey and now television presenter, is in Dubai with Mike de Kock and Brett Crawford for Saturday’s big meeting.

Shea spoke to Whisky Baron’s rider, Irishman Colm O’Donoghue, after the gallop and his big race jockey said, “He’s in great form. He has improved from his last run and is moving great and feels good. He did 23.9 secs hard-held for the last 400m. I think I had four more gears. I am looking forward to Saturday.”

The $300 000 race is over 1800m on turf and is off at 6.20pm South African time.

Shea flew to Dubai for this weekend’s Super Saturday race meeting as Dubai has a special place in his heart as he has had some wonderful success there including a close second aboard Lizard’s Desire in the 2010 World Cup. “It is lovely to see all my old mates again,” said Shea

Shea spent some time at the De Kock yard with assistant trainer Trevor Brown and one of the yards work riders Divan Neethling, formerly from the Duncan Howells stable here in South Africa.

Shea reports that all of Noa From Goa, Light The Lights and Janoobi look particularly well. Whisky Barron made a smart debut at Meydan and he looks set for a massive run come Saturday.

By Warren Lenferna