Durban July winner Marinaresco is second favourite for Saturday’s Sun Met as he was 12 months ago when it all went pear-shaped.

“He had a nice position on the fence but Grant said he wasn’t happy there and pulled him off it,” Candice Bass-Robinson recalls. The end result was that his mount got too far back and managed only fifth. Expectations are high after the gelding’s encouraging, and not totally trouble-free, run in the Queen’s Plate.

Marinaresco

His trainer said: “He is doing really well and we are confident of a big run assuming all goes well in the race. He is drawn 13 so he is not going to be up with the pace but in any case he likes to be ridden with a chance.”

Mrs Robinson won last year’s CTS 1200 with Live Life and Magical Wonderland is 14-10 favourite to collect after the way she toyed with the opposition in the Sceptre. “I thought she had a winning chance that day but I was surprised how easily she won – and she has taken the race well.”

Stable companion Dutch Philip has been backed from 6-1 to 9-2 second favourite and seemingly punters would be well advised not to take his Diadem flop at face value.

“I am not 100% sure but I think that the little saddle Aldo was using was uncomfortable for him and was pinching him,” his trainer explains. “Going down to the start he didn’t even want to take hold of the bit. With Grant riding him on Saturday he will have a proper saddle.”

Talk Of The Town is 2-1 favourite for the CTS 1600 but it is surprising to see stable companion Ancestry as big as 16-1. After all he is the one with Grade 1 form.

“They are two totally different horses but everything that could have gone wrong with Ancestry this season has gone wrong,” says Joey Ramsden. “What I can tell you is that I cut him straight after his last run and he has been doing exceptionally well since.”

If it wasn’t for Snowdance Ramsden would have the favourite for the Klawerveli Majorca in Just Sensual despite last season’s Fillies Guineas winner’s below par effort in the Sceptre.

Her trainer takes the blame for that and explains: “I did as bad a job with her for that race as I did a good job when she won the Southern Cross on her return in her previous race. I now think that I might have done too much with her.”

By Michael Clower

An MR 87 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1200m head the ten race card on the Vaal Inside track today and Movie Show is the one to beat.

The five-year-old Atso mare represents the flying Paul Peter yard and is in a fine vein of form. Last time she finished five lengths behind Alfolk over 1000m, receiving 3kg, and the weight for age Grade 1 Cape Flying Championships on Saturday could prove how good that form is because Alfolk could win it. Movie Show would also prefer this 1200m trip as she ran on strongly in her penultimate start to win a fillies and mares handicap over this distance. She is only two points higher in the merit ratings and goes well for Muzi Yeni. Furthermore, she has draw one which is usually the favourable side on this Inside track.

Paul Peter ( JC Photographics)

The main danger could be the consistent Shivering Sea, who has only been in the first three over this course and distance ten times in 14 attempts. She also has a nice low draw and Strydom is up. Takingthepeace has class but will have to bounce back to her best after a most disappointing run last time. Delpech has brought out the best of her and replaces JP van der Merwe. If she reproduces her best this big, rangy filly will go close. French Legend should beat Shivering Sea on the form of their last meeting when she bounced back to her best over 1160m, but her high draw might be against her. Let It Flow was Grade 2-placed as a two-year-old over 1400m and she returns to the course and distance of her only win, so can also be involved.

The best bet on the card could be Fragrant Miss in the fourth race over 1700m, provided she settles early. Last time over 1600m she was a bit keen early, but was still unlucky not to finish third as she was cramped in the closing stages. She is strengthening and improving and if she relaxes early she should turn it on the closimg stages and emerge winner. The back ups are the consistent Tigerlace and Gottalottaluv, who has been runner up in all three starts from 1400-1800m and Strydom stays aboard.

The value bet of the day is Coriander Queen over 1700m in the fifth and this is based on the hope that she settles better than she did last time. She might not have liked racing under the lights then, but still turned it on in the early stages of the straight in that 2000m contest. She now has a plum draw and on the evidence of that last run will relish the step down to 1700m, so off a merit rating lowered five points should go close. Rose Water is beat her last time by 2,75 lengths and is now 2kg worse off, but she does have another tough draw to overcome. However, she ran on well in that last 2000m race and is also effective over this trip.

In the next race the good-looking Loyal Lieutenant is interesting in his first outing as a gelding and stepped up to 2000m. He looks to be a classy sort in the making and was not disgraced when setting the pace in the Dingaans. However, it is an open race and Alssakhra will go close too. Arlington, American Indian and Forafewdollarsmore also have to be included.

In the next race over 1000m Pillaroftheearth is a well regarded sort who has his third run as a gelding, having not been disgraced against two fair sorts in his last two starts. He can fight it out with Manx Park and Like Astair.

In the eight race Fort Vodka caught the eye in her maiden win over 1200m and the form has been franked so she can go in off just a 72 merit rating, although Ninjara and Nightmare look capable of winning too.

By David Thiselton

Justin Snaith is 22-10 favourite to be the winning trainer in the Saturday’s Sun Met with Candice Bass-Robinson 33-10 and Sean Tarry 4-1. World Sports Betting’s other prices on this particular bet are 7-1 Mike de Kock, 15-2 Dean Kannemeyer, 10-1 Brett Crawford, 18-1 Glen Kotzen, 55-1 Robbie Sage and 110-1 Glen Puller.

“I liked to hear about that 22-10 but what worries me is that I think I was favourite last year too,” says Snaith whose runners came no closer than seventh 12 months ago and who has yet to win the great race. This time, though, he sends out a quarter of the field.

Oh Susanna (Liesl King)

Krambambuli and Elusive Silva are longshots but Oh Susanna, African Night Sky and Copper Force are all in single figures. The last-named finished so strongly in the Queen’s Plate that he was beaten less than half a length by Legal Eagle but form students are still scratching their heads because the performance was well above anything he had done before.

“He always had good form but before his previous run (the Green Point) he had a slight injury and I think the medication knocked him back a bit,” Snaith explains. “In fact he was a bit unlucky in the Queen’s Plate. The re-run doesn’t really show what happened but Lyle Hewitson said he found trouble twice in the straight. Wherever Legal Eagle finishes I reckon Copper Force will either be next to him or in front of him.”

African Night Sky (also on 9-1) is the one the stable has laid out for the race from the start of the season. “They took away the Jet Master Stakes so he was a run short, and having his second race after a rest, in the Queen’s Plate but being beaten less than three lengths in a hard run race was a good effort. He will be spot on for Saturday and he is much better over ten furlongs than a mile.”

Oh Susanna is the shortest priced of the Snaith quintet at 7-1 and bids to emulate Smart Call who completed the Paddock-Met double two years ago. She was beaten over three lengths by Snowdance in the Fillies Guineas but have a look at the re-run before judging her. She lost several lengths almost immediately by tacking across to the rails from her 13 draw and in the straight she came from miles back whereas Snowdance was perfectly placed throughout.

“Snowdance is very good but Oh Susanna is not too far behind her,” Snaith confirms. “As time goes on she will get better and better. She has a decent draw and an in-form jockey. With only 51.5kg you’ve got to give her some sort of a chance.”

Snowdance is well-nigh unbackable for the Klawervlei Majorca (at odds of anything between 2-9 and 1-6). “It’s a big concern,” says her trainer who is worried about the filly being got at. “We have heightened all the security around her but she is flying and she is now better than when she won the Fillies Guineas.”

By Michael Clower

Glen Kotzen goes into Saturday’s Sun Met bullish about Gold Standard’s chances and added, “I will win the Derby, but I don’t know with which one.”

Kotzen sends a string of 18 to the meeting and has reason to feel optimistic as his yard have gotten over the respiratory virus which now appears to be affecting some yards at Milnerton and also Andre Nel’s yard at Rondeberg.

One of his Grade 1 Investec Cape Derby contenders, Eyes Wide Open, had to miss the Cape Guineas due to the virus but bounced back with an impressive win last time out in the Grade 2 Peninsula Handicap over 1800m. Kotzen said, “Against his own age group he is going to be hard to beat.”

Glen Kotzen

The Dynasty colt has already won a Grade 1, the Premier’s Champion Stakes over 1600m at Greyville as a two-year-old, and was beautifully relaxed in the running last time before showing a fine turn of foot and resolute finish. Kotzen said, “Top horses can do that, you can chase them at the start and then switch them off.” Eyes Wide Open has a fine draw of five and Richard Fourie rides.

Kotzen believes stablemate Pack Leader is the biggest danger. He said, “He turned for home two lengths behind the second last horse in the Cape Guineas on a track which was running fast and White River, running green, first hung inward across him and then hung outward across him.”

The Philanthropist colt still ran on well in his third attempt to get a run, but not surprisingly had less left at the finish than White River. Fourie had already committed to Eyes Wide Open, but would otherwise have given Pack Leader some consideration. Anthony Delpech is a top replacement aboard the latter and Kotzen said, “Pack Leader is working the barns out.” On racing style and pedigree he should relish the step up in trip and has a plum draw of two.

Oratorio colt Opera Royal is the third Kotzen horse in the Derby and he said, “He ran a courageous race when chasing Milton in the Premier Trophy and  therefore Richard was not hard on him last time when he ran on in the Politician. He will now be fresh for the Derby. He doesn’t give much away at home but will be in the mix.” Luyolo Mxothwa rides from draw nine.

Some have questioned whether Gold Standard is the same horses since a fetlock chip was removed last year after he had run a fine second in the Cape Guineas and an equally classy fourth in the Met. But Kotzen said, “He doesn’t have to prove anything to me. He has been prepped for this race, will be cherry ripe and the extra 400m will be right down his alley.”

Kotzen pointed out the Queen’s Plate was a preparation run for Gold Standard and he was widely drawn, so the slow pace of the race had not suited him in the fast conditions, yet he still finished on top of them (the field was backed up behind Legal Eagle, who did not chase the front pair).

Kotzen revealed Fourie believes he has a huge chance of giving the short-priced favourite Snowdance a run for her money in the Grade 1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes over 1600m aboard Silvan Star. She missed two weeks of training with a foot injury before her excellent sixth place in The Grade 1 Cartier Paddock Stakes and has been “flying” at home. Unfortunately, she has a tough draw of 14.

Gold Standard (Liesl King)

He also runs Final Judgement in the Majorca from a good draw. She didn’t travel well to Port Elizabeth last time in the only race they could earmark as a preparation but he said, “When she’s good she’s very good and I hope she comes to the party.”

He runs Too Phat To Fly in the US$500,000 CTS 1600 and said, “Her best run was in the Cape Fillies Guineas over this trip when she ran on well, but this is a tough race.” Last time out they found out after the 1400m race she had cracked an incisor on the float and are not sure whether it would have affected her performance.

In the Kuda Sprint over 1200m Kotzen has two runners and said, “Let’s Be Frank had the quickest 400m to finish time on debut but looks to be drawn on the wrong side. It all depends on the conditions on the day which side they go, but they usually stick to the inside. We are running Quick Star because he is a smart colt, but he might be green on debut.”

The yard have three runners in the Listed Tattersalls Summer Juvenile Stakes over 1000m and Kotzen couldn’t separate them. He said, “Lanza was very green on debut and gets no penalty so should go close with Richard Fourie aboard. Twin Falls was green when winning on debut and we expect further improvement. Princess Elsa is very quick and in her debut here she gets a pull at the weights.”

By David Thiselton

In an historic move, the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) will be simulcasting South African racing for the first time.

Basil Marcus

Hong Kong will be taking Race 5 to 10 from Kenilworth on Saturday and includes the R5-million Sun Met.

“This is a major achievement for South African racing,” said International Executive Director John Stuart. “The Hong Kong Jockey Club look to simulcast only the major meetings from around the world so one can see how highly they rate South African racing and specifically an event such as the Sun Met.”

In addition the HKJC have sent two of their journalists to cover the build-up to the race meeting and Tellytrack are creating a special production for them where one the presenters will include former jockey Basil Marcus who is well known in Hong Kong. Marcus is a seven-time champion jockey who has settled back in Cape Town after the curtain came down on his riding career.