Apprentice Ashton Arries is fast making a name for himself as a rider to follow. In spite of never having sat on a horse before arriving at the South African Jockey Academy, the young Arries has an all-important affinity with his mounts and a great pair of hands.

A natural light-weight rider and a man of few words in company, there is a quiet steel about him, probably the result of a tough childhood in the impoverished Western Cape community of Atlantis. Importantly, he rides his own races and is not intimidated by his seniors. That, coupled with a racing brain should see him go far ­- if he can keep it all together!

Tough Girl (Candiese Marnewick)

Arries was quickly to his 60 winners and lost his claim at Scottsville last Sunday when partnering the Michael Roberts-trained Statute. For many apprentices, the loss of their claim often heralds a time of drought as trainers look elsewhere for some relief. Not so Arries, who has already put a further three in the bag, winning at the Vaal on Tuesday and adding a double at Greyville yesterday.

Lyle Hewitson, a certainty to break Gavin Lerena’s record of winners ridden as an apprentice, arrived at the academy with a wealth of experience in work riders races, a superb feat given that he is only serving a three-year apprenticeship given his early experience and his battle with the scale.

Arries still has nearly three years of his apprenticeship to run and given that he is unlikely to have any weight problems unless he tucks into hamburgers and pizza on a regular basis, Hewitson’s impending record could already be in danger.

Arries’s two winners yesterday came in contrasting style, underlining his talent.

Mark Dixon’s runner Tough Girl lived up to her name as Arries took her to the front and kept her going strongly to hold off the attentions of the two fancied runners, Roy’s Novice and Go Thuli Go, Brandan Lerena and Anton Marcus aboard respectively.

The win was not entirely unexpected however, in spite of a dismal showing on debut, Tough Girl came in for some inspired market support and proved up to the challenge.

There is an old racing adage that says, ‘if a horse is fit and well, don’t leave it in the box,’ a saying that Sean Tarry obviously subscribes to as Kahula backed up her third in the umThombothi Stakes at Scottsville on Sunday with a comfortable win under Arries and 62.5kg in the third.

The race was run at a funerial gallop but Arries was content to sit in the dickie seat. In the straight he knew exactly what he had under him, waited for a gap and punched his filly through for a comfortable victory in another polished performance.

There is a widely held school of thought that local horses at the bottom end of the handicap, or anywhere really, are cannon fodder for out-of-town raiders but Louis Goosen, recently moved to Ashburton from the Vaal is not convinced. “It’s hard to win races here. The KZN form is a lot stronger than what many people think.”

Brian Wiid, successful on more than one occasion with his raiders, found that out as the well-backed Jackman came up short in the fifth as Toltec, under an inspired ride from Tristan Godden, made all the running on the Lezeanne Forbes-trained gelding. The petrol light was flashing red on the dashboard for Godden entering the final furlong but he kept his mount going long enough to hold Jackman who was slowly eating into this lead.

By Andrew Harrison

The unbeaten Dean Kannemeyer-trained Dynasty filly Hashtagyolo will be scratched from the Grade 2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas due to a suspected virus she has contracted.

Meanwhile, Kannemeyer’s Sun Met runner up Last Winter entered quarantine last Thursday bound for overseas. Kannemeyer will remain the trainer when the Western Winter colt eventually arrives in England after going the usual arduous quarantine route via Mauritius.

Hashtagyolo

Hashtagyolo had been doing very well in Johannesburg, where she had been training for the last five to six weeks in order to acclimatise her for the Triple Tiara series.

Kannemeyer had been travelling to Johannesburg regularly to see her and had been very pleased.

Piere Strydom had been booked for the ride and was due to gallop her this week.

However, the gallop had to be cancelled due to her illness.

After consultation with the owners Kannemeyer has decided to scratch her.

Kannemeyer will bring her back to his Summerveld satellite yard and might give her a two or three week holiday on the farm.

He is not sure yet whether she will be ready in time to run in the SA Champions Season.

Meanwhile, a disappointed Strydom had been trying to secure another ride for the Gauteng Fillies Guineas but without success so far.

By David Thiselton

The highly regarded San Fermin hasn’t lived up to the hype surrounding her to date and her stablemate Frederico’s Dream is tipped to beat her in tomorrow’s headliner at the Vaal Standside track, a MR 84 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1200m.

Lucky Houdalakis

Frederico’s Dream has plenty of pace and has taken well to blinkers. In her penultimate start over 1160m in the Listed Swallow Stakes she only just failed with the blinkers on for the first time. Last time over 1000m she put the race beyond doubt some way out due to her exceptional pace and finished 0,8 lengths clear of the decent sort Winter Watch, although she was receiving 4kg. Stepping up to the 1200m should not be a concern on paper as she won twice over this trip early in her career.

However, she was not wearing the blinkers on those two occasions, so there is a slight concern about her running out of steam late. San Fermin, who has an exceptional turn of foot, proved in her penultimate start over 1160m she is suited to this trip. However, she was beaten a head by Frederico’s Dream on that occasion and is now 2,5kg worse off. On the other hand she was a touch unlucky and was finishing the stronger of the pair, so could be a threat over this slightly longer trip. Those two should fight it out. Movie Show has been in good form but is only 1,5kg better off with Frederico’s Dream for a 2,95 length beating over 1000m. Ninjara has always struck as a decent sort and the Houdalakis yard bring them on slowly but surely, so she could continue to progress despite being given a five point raise for her win over 1200m last time. Ice Art is capable of a strong finish from the back and can place, but she does have to bounce back from a 7,3 length thrashing by Frederico’s Dream and is only 1kg better off.

The first leg of the Pick 6 is a MR82 Handicap over 1600m and the three-year-olds could hold the upperhand. The selection is Gambado, who has raced in strong company lately. Last time out in the Listed Sea Cottage Stakes over 1800m he finished a 3,45 length fifth to the top class Majestic Mambo, despite receiving only 2kg. He did take quite a strong hold of the bit in that race and was right up there until the closing stages, so he might enjoy the step down in trip and has a plum draw. Furthermore, he races off just an 80 merit rating so should go close.

Darkest Hour ran a fine race in the Dingaans, finishing a 2,25 length sixth. However, he hasn’t raced since. On the other hand he will need a big race off an 88 merit rating if he is to make it into one of the classic races. Alssakhra is close to Gambado on their 1800m run behind Royal Crusade. He is an entry in the Betting World Gauteng Guineas, which shows how highly regarded he is, and will need to win this race off an 80 merit rating to have any chance of getting into the final field. Shogun is in hard-knocking form and is off a competitive merit rating at present so leads the older horse threat over a suitable trip. Tommy Waterdevil is an honest sort who can never be ignored, despite making respiratory noises every race.

Shogun

The second leg of the Pick 6 over 1600m looks like an upset race. Querari Viking has a touch of class so can defy topweight. Front Rank has always had ability and has plummeted to a 65 merit rating. He runs well in soft ground and there has been rain around so he could be good value. The form of No Mans Land’s last start over this trip has been franked and he should be considered,

The seventh over 1200m could see Punta Cana proving his class in his third run after a long layoff, as he is likely to appreciate the step up to 1200m. If he is not bankered Battle Creek and Premier Show can be included. Baahir and Harlan County can also be considered.

The last two races are low division sprints over 1200m and the suggestion is to go as wide as possible. The selections to win the respective races are Little Magician, who looks a nice sort and is way better than his last run, and Alex The Great, who is well regarded and has dropped to an attractive merit rating over an ideal trip.

By David Thiselton

Nightingale, who gave Candice Bass-Robinson her first Grade 1 success in last year’s Klawervlei Majorca, has been retired after running way below form in both the Paddock Stakes and the Sun Met.

Her trainer said: “She had been doing well at home before the Met but in the race she didn’t want to gallop. Her feet weren’t the greatest and maybe she was feeling the very firm ground.”

The stipes ordered a veterinary examination but nothing showed up and it was the same story after the Paddock Stakes in which she finished with only two behind her. But the Silvano mare won five of her 22 starts and was a close fourth in the Durban July. She should prove a valuable addition to the broodmare ranks for owners Mauritzfontein and Wilgerbosdrift.

By Michael Clower

The rejuvenated poly track gets put to the test at Greyville this afternoon. The entire poly track has undergone a major overhaul so hopefully there won’t be any complaints by jockeys or trainers who were given an opportunity to gallop horses on the track yesterday morning but there were no takers.

Turffontein-based Brian Wiid has in the past been a successful raider on the poly and he saddles a brace with Jackman lining up in the fifth and Soldat next up in the sixth.

Touch Of Magic

Jackman looks the more likely of the pair. He finished three lengths back in MR80 company last time out in his first start in blinkers and today drops to an MR64 handicap. He does have top weight but has drawn well and does not meet a particularly strong field.

Lezeanne Forbes sends out the consistent Toltec who looks the most obvious threat. Toltec has hardly been out of the money in a dozen starts and has finished close-up in both outings since shedding his maiden. He has improved in blinkers and is no stranger to the synthetic surface.

Soldat faces a more difficult task. He took 21 runs to shed his maiden and that in a work riders plate where he kept going to win over the Vaal 1500m. He also does not have the best of draws but one gets the impression that the switch of surfaces may bring out the best in him. But it is a wide-open affair and the luckless Viking Red, down in trip and back on his favourite surface, could finally nail down his second win for Frank Robinson. He over-raced and compounded over 1950m at Scottsville last time out and the shorter trip could work in his favour.

Track & Ball have Dale House up as a weak 11-2 favourite. The Michael Roberts-trained gelding found one too good for him in the front-running Master Sam last time out and can do better here.

For exotic bet punters it’s not a race to go ‘light’ in.

Timetoperfection and Touch Of Magic look the principal contenders in the seventh with the former at the top of the boards although easy to back at around 3-1. The daughter of Judpot has plenty of miles on the clock for her two wins but made a promising local debut for Brett Crawford when third behind Miss Millionaire who was responsible for a major boil-over that day.

Blinkers appear to have sharpened her up a little and the switch of surfaces could also prove a major plus.

Paul Lafferty thought enough of Touch Of Magic for her to take her place in the float for Cape Town for their summer. She only had one start before her return and she was not too far behind Nanna Anna.

Lafferty has booked poly specialist Anton Marcus for the leg up and from a good draw looks a lively contender.

Apprentice Ashton Arries piloted home the 60^th winner of his career when Statute scored at Scottsville on Sunday so Kahula will not get the benefit of his 1.5kg claim in the opening leg of the PA, that’s if she runs after she finished third behind Head Honcho on Sunday. That could leave the way open for Craig Eudey’s game mare Mark My Card. She won first time out for her new stable and has since finished close-up on two further occasions.

She is always game and honest and has the benefit of Marcus in the irons.

Via Con Dios has attracted some early market support in a tricky closing leg of the jackpot and is now a marginal favourite while rank outsider Parasailor, a half-sister to the smart Isingamoya, and with absolutely no form to recommend, has found some long-shot support.

By Andrew Harrison