One was expected, two was a bonus, as Alistair Gordon left Scottsville a contented trainer yesterday.

Gauteng Guineas candidate Monks Hood did everything expected of him and more as he carved up a strong handicap field and while he may have been ignored in the Dingaan’s market he showed yesterday at the win is unlikely to be a flash-in-the-pan.

Anthony Delpech rode a super confident race on the gelding, coming from the tail of the field to mow down a game Redcarpet Captain, the winning margin belying the ease of victory.

Monks Hood (Candiese Marnewick)

Delpech was matter of fact after the race. “If I couldn’t beat these horses then I shouldn’t be going to Jo’burg to run in the Guineas,” he said. “I know there are one or two hard knockers there but we think a lot of this horse. But he had to win the way he won to have a chance in the Guineas.”

Brandon Lerena rode a super race on Redcarpet Captain, reserving his best for late, but his best was just not good enough as Monks Hood proved his superior.

“We know how to ride him now,” said Delpech. “Don’t ride him forward, ride him cold. He has a good turn of foot.”

Nominations for the Guineas close tomorrow and Gordon was holding out for a “good draw and good ground.”

“I don’t think he was quite suited to the soft going in the Dingaans. I think he will be a much better horse on good ground because it will suit his action.

“He’s always looked like a nice horse, but I think he has matured now, and I think he’s getting better. Today’s he wasn’t 100% and he should come on from this run.”

Not expected was sales-bound River Ayre who put a spanner in the works of many an exotic, paying over R17 for a win on the tote.

River Ayre has not been the easiest of customers at the start. “She got left quite badly at her last start, but the starter did a good job today and had a handler up with her.” Jumping on terms yesterday, she added a few extra rands to her sales price. “She’s up for sale on Tuesday. These things often happen,” concluded Gordon.

Robbie Hill has been through a couple of lean months recently but will have been well satisfied with the showing by his filly Everlasting Love. Switched to the turf after two modest efforts on the poly, she showed her rivals a clean pair of heels without Sean Veale needing to give much encouragement. “I think she’s better on the grass,” said Hill. “Her last two on the poly she didn’t settle and gave the jocks a bit of a torrid time.”

Veale was able to settle her in the box seat for much of the race and she extended smartly in the straight to win comfortably.

A late declaration of blinkers did the trick for Vision Of Trust who finally got off the mark for Paul Gadsby in the card opener. “I thought if blinkers and Anton Marcus can’t win then he will never win a race,” said Gadsby after Marcus had unleashed a winning run to snaffle favourite Great Dictator for owner/breeder and former Gold Circle Chairman Robert Mauvis.

Andrew Harrison

The Alistair Gordon-trained Monk’s Hood put up an excellent preparation for the Grade 2 Betting World Gauteng Guineas yesterday at Scottsville when winning a MR 96 Handicap over 1400m in effortless style under big race jockey Anthony Delpech.

There were also some good classic preparations put in by Johannesburg horses at the Vaal on Saturday.

Redcarpet Captain

Monk’s Hood showed himself to be a top class horse when winning the Grade 2 Investec Dingaans, despite having no cover for the entire length of the long Turffontein straight. He had a similar lack of luck from a wide draw in the Grade 1 Premier’s Champion Stakes over 1600m at Greyville as a two-year-old, where he stayed on for a close up fourth. The form of the latter race has been franked lately by the winner Eyes Wide Open, who won both the Grade 2 Peninsula Handicap over 1800m and the Grade 1 Investec Cape Derby. Yesterday Monk’s Hood swept past the field in the straight and won by 0,75 lengths from the older horse Redcarpet Captain without being put under pressure by Delpech. He ran off a 101 merit rating, but looks capable of rising to a higher mark.

At Turffontein on Saturday the classy Mike de Kock-trained Noble Secret thrashed his stablemate Alshibaa by 2,75 lengths in a MR 88 Handicap for three-year-olds over 1600m. He carried joint top weight of 60kg in only his third career start off a merit rating of 88 and it was his first start around the turn, so this big, rangy horse will make his presence felt in the classics.

In a MR 87 Handicap for three-year-old fillies over 1600m, the Alec Laird-trained Pale Lilac is a rangy sort who did well to hold on from the front, so she might be granted a berth in the Triple Tiara events. Second-placed Dressed To Impress is another to take out of the race as it was only her second career start. She did not know what it was all about and hit a flat spot at a crucial stage in the straight. However, when the penny dropped she produced a strong run, but it was too late.

The Mike Azzie-trained Frederico’s Dream has taken well to blinkers and showed exceptional pace throughout to win a MR 92 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1000m. She ran off an 87 merit rating and this three-year-old Gimmethegreenlight filly can continue to progress.

Later, Captain Aldo proved specialists over the in-between trip of 1400m can never be ignored and in a Pinnacle Stakes event he improved his record over this distance to six wins, six seconds and one third in just 15 attempts.

By David Thiselton

Joey Ramsden, at home recuperating from an operation on his shoulder, had just the tonic he needed when Dynasty’s Blossom won in a common canter at Kenilworth on Saturday.

Victory in the Birthday Bonanza Handicap was important because the Dynasty filly carries the famous Magnier dark blue and cost a whopping R4.5 million. True, she only raced off 78 but Robert Khathi led a furlong and a half from home and thereafter his most vigorous efforts were devoted to looking round to see where the hell the opposition had got to.

Joey Ramsden

Assistant Ricardo Sobotker said: “We put blinkers on her two races back because she had been disappointing but she probably doesn’t need them. It was more that she hadn’t strengthened up and it is only in the last couple of months that she has started to do so. Today she showed how good she is and there is a lot more to come.”

Alec Foster, sick for much of the last week, also had a victory tonic when his heavily supported homebred Racine made a winning debut under a confident M.J. Byleveld in the Maiden Juvenile Fillies. “She is a very nice sort who would prefer 1 200m,” commented Vaughan Marshall.

Dean Kannemeyer had his first Cape Town two-year-old winner of the season 35 minutes later when 6-1 newcomer Savea (Grant Behr) got the better of the more experienced Sailor Sam inside the last half furlong.

“I hadn’t tried him here or at Durbanville but he had shown a lot of natural speed at home,” said the trainer.

Richard Fourie (“The racing Gods were in my favour and I am on the right horses which makes a big difference”) stole much of the show with two winners for Glen Kotzen plus a last-gasp success on Commander Bond for Eric Sands who was convinced his rider was coming from too far back!

Golden Wine, the first of the two Kotzen winners, made all the running to earn a reprieve from owner-breeder Peter de Beyer who said: “She was on her final notice. Some horses respond to love but some more to threats and I’d said that if she didn’t win today she was going to PE!”

Seemingly Bwana also needs handling of a special nature – he pretty much expects everybody to doff their caps and call him sir – and both Corner Orffer and Brett Crawford (“he is not an easy horse”) have to treat him with kid gloves. But he has the necessary talent and he made it two out of three in the Riverside Boutique Hotel Handicap.

Some of those who religiously supported Grant van Niekerk in race after race ran out of ammunition before he finally got one on the board on Red Mars in the Snowdance colours in the last. The Met day maestro rode four favourites, two of them odds-on shots, and commented philosophically: “It just shows you have to take the bad days with the good ones and in the end I was just glad to get a winner.”

By Michael Clower

Monks Hood, winner of the Gr2 Dingaans at Turffontein back in November last year, warms up at Scottsville on Sunday when he takes on a competitive field of older runners in the Track & Ball Gaming Handicap.

With bigger fish to fry over the next few months, Alistair Gordon’s smart gelding is unlikely to be fully wound up and given the strength of the opposition a strong showing rather than guaranteed victory would be more than satisfying. That said, 1400m at this stage of his preparation is an ideal trip.

Monks Hood (Candiese Marnewick)

Gordon confirmed that Sunday’s race is a warm-up for the Gr2 Gauteng Guineas on March 3 where Monks Hood will return to the scene of his Dingaans victory.

But win lose or draw Monks Hood is unlikely to go for the Gr1 Classic over 1800m but return to KZN for Champions Season and the Gr2 KZN Guineas. “I think the Classic will be too far for him. At this stage I think 1600m is about his chop,” said Gordon.

Come Sunday, Gordon should know exactly where he is with Monks Hood as he faces some hard knockers including Redcarpet Captain from the in-form Mark Dixon yard.

The gelding’s last win was over course and distance when getting the better of Gr1 performer Seventh Plain and that was followed with a creditable third in the Christmas Handicap over the Greyville 1600m where he found Roy Hard Enough and subsequent Michael Roberts Handicap winner Wild Wicket a touch too sharp.

Doing It For Dan and Amazon King are others to note but if Monks Hood is caught short then Redcarpet Captain strikes as the most likely culprit.

Punters face another tricky card, the Gold Circle Podcast Handicap a race in point. Diamante, School Run and Diamond Noir all met last time out with a length separating the trio. The handicappers have tried to even out with winner Diamond Noir picking up a three-pound penalty and School Run one pound extra. The theory is that the three should dead-heat but that is as likely as Donald Trump serving a second term as US president.

Duncan Howells as two smart fillies in Sorceress and Emma’s Oracle and Greg Cheyne makes the trip all the way from Cape Town for one ride to honour his contract with Highlands Farm. It took Emma’s Oracle four runs to get off the mark but when she did it was in facile fashion. Second placed The Matador is still battling in the maidens but Emma’s Oracle still looks smart.

Sorceress came from the clouds when touched off by Miss Milanna at Greyville recently and with the wily Anton Marcus aboard may be the right one in what should be a tight finish.

By Andrew Harrison

The Vaal Classic track stages a low key nine race meeting tomorrow although there are some good horses turning out before the feature season.

The Jackpot has good quality races in all of its legs.

Kangaroo Jack

In the first leg, a MR 92 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1000m, Frederico’s Dream is made the best bet on a tricky card. She showed pace throughout over 1160m last time with first-time blinkers on in the Listed Swallow Strakes. She was out at the weights with some of the best runners in that race but still finished a close second so looks to be potentially well weighted here off a merit rating raised three points to 87. The unlucky horse in the Swallow Stakes was Winter Watch, whose run was blocked at a crucial stage. She has a fine turn of foot and although she has a difficult task with Frederico’s Dream on paper the risk averse should consider her for the exotics, considering this is a fillies and mares handicap. Movie Show has been in fine form and seems to love The Vaal, so can also be included. Ice Art finished like a train in her last two starts after being dropped down in trip to 1000m and must also be considered. Arissa clearly has her problems but ran well after a long layoff on Summer Cup day when finishing second in the Grade 3 Magnolia Handicap over 1160m and she has only been raised one point.

The next race is a Pinnacle Stakes event over 1400m and the one to beat here could be Matador Man. He has a good turn of foot and as one who enjoys the tight Greyville track, the drop in trip might be what he is looking for. New Predator is top class and this is his best trip, so he will go close as the joint best-weighted male horse in the race. Kangaroo Jack is another one with a fine turn of foot. He has high cruising speed and is well drawn, so this should his good draw of three will suit his style ideally as he should be able to sit off the pace and then turn it on. Heaps Of Fun is the best weighted horse in the race, so should be considered being a Graded winning sprint-miler.  Captain Aldo can’t be ignored as one who loves this trip.

The third leg of the Jackpot is a MR 88 Handicap over 1600m for three-year-olds and the selection here is the classy Noble Secret. This son of Dynasty was ultra impressive on debut over 1200m when winning by nearly ten lengths. He disappointed next time out over that same trip, but has since been gelded and is now running over a distance which will suit him much better. He has a fine draw and Randall Simons, who partnered him in both of his first two starts, stays aboard. The interesting runner here is Wonderous Climber as he is also by Dynasty and is a half-brother to the like of Silver Mountain, Cloth Of Cloud and Helderberg Blue.

He has his second run after gelding and if recapturing the form of his maiden win, which was over this trip in the May of his two-year-old year, then he can be involved off a merit rating which has dropped from 85 down to 73. Silver God can also be in the shake up as he won going away last time over 1500m and has only been raised two points.  He was beaten by Alshibaa in the Secretariat Stakes over 1800m, but did beat the latter over this trip in the Dingaans. Alshibaa deserves his merit rating, but there are question marks about whether he is as good as some of the others here and he has to give all of them weight except for Noble Secret. The dark horse is Bright Blessed Day, who won impressively over 1200m last time and should enjoy the step up in trip.

The last leg of the Jackpot is a MR 87 Handicap for three-year-old fillies over 1600m and it should be fought out between Dressed To Impress and Maple Syrup. The former was clearly outpaced over 1160m on debut but still won easing up by 2,3 lengths so will relish the step up in trip and looks classy. Maple Syrup was not hard pressed to win over 1400m last time to remain unbeaten in two and off just a 81 merit rating she can progress further over a step up in trip she will appreciate.

The first leg of the Pick 6 has the value bet of the day running Circle Of Latitude, who should relish the step up in trip to 2000m and is well drawn.

The last leg of the Pick 6 should be fought out by Waity Katie and Our Shining Star. The former has come back to her best since joing David Nieuwenhuizen yard and could follow up on her recent win, while the latter is looks full of promise.

Collegiate and Gertjie should be enough to get punters through the first leg of the PA.

By David Thiselton