Paul Gadsby has had his hands full with the temperamental gelding Techno Captain but earmuffs and the attentions of a horse whisperer appear to have done the trick. “He spooks at everything he sees,” said Gadsby. “But hopefully he’s settled down a little,” he added. All that plus an excellent front-running ride from apprentice Ashton Arries saw Techno Captain into the winner’s both for the fourth time in his career at Scottsville yesterday.

It was an exceptional ride by Arries but in hindsight, those that followed the form were well rewarded.

Techno Captain (Candiese Marnewick)

Four runs back yesterday’s favourite, One Man Show, had beaten Techno Captain by just under a length at level weights over course and distance. Yesterday there was a 7kg swing in favour of Techno Captain and although the winning margin was not much wider than a piece of paper, Arries was full value for his claim.

With only five runners facing the starter there was always the danger of a slow-run race but as the field dawdled the first couple of furlongs, Arries set sail.

Techno Captain was still many lengths clear turning for home but a furlong out his legs were turning to jelly as One Man Show cut the deficit and looked set for victory.

However, Arries somehow managed to extract more from his seemingly beaten mount and he came back at his challenger to get up on the line. It was an exceptional effort from both horse and rider.

There was another tight finish to the third as City Of Stars, in the colours of Rob and Michelle Pickering of Middlefield Stud, got her nose in front when it counted for Belinda Impey with Lunar Tide denied on the line.

“Don’t thank the trainer, thanks the jockey,” where Alistair Gordon’s magnanimous words after Anton Marcus got home aboard Whiteleaf Hills. Had at work even before the field turned for home, Marcus kept pumping away and was rewarded with an extra effort from his mount who got up lose home to beat the Des Egdes-trained Le Cheik.

“I thought we were beaten a long way out,” said Gordon. “Most other jockeys would have given up.”

By Andrew Harrison

Peninsula Handicap winner Eyes Wide Open, 16-1 for Saturday week’s Sun Met, will miss the race and will run in the Investec Cape Derby instead.

Glen Kotzen said: “He came out of the Peninsula well but the decision was taken because he is a 26 November foal and the Met is going to come a bit soon for him. We have plenty of time – he can go for the Met next year.”

Eyes Wide Open (Candiese Marnewick)

Kotzen, who has yet to win the Met, will be represented by Gold Standard who has gone out to 15-1 after managing only eighth (admittedly beaten only just over three lengths) in the Queen’s Plate.

The Woodhill trainer said: “Gold Standard needs a bit further than a mile – he has a very stout female line- and the race wasn’t run that fast. I know it looked as if it was but it was really only the one in front (Captain America) who was travelling fast.”

Kotzen’s comment is borne out by the 1 min 38.14 time which was slower than all but two of the last eight runnings.

Impressive Cartier Paddock Stakes winner Oh Susanna is one of 30 horses that Justin Snaith has already declared for the meeting and seemingly she will now run in the Met regardless of whatever draw she is given on Wednesday.

Snaith said: “Oh Susanna came out of the race well, her work is good and she is doing well. If she is declared she must run.”

Last Winter, promoted to 15-4 clear favourite by Betting World in the wake of the Queen’s Plate result, is now only joint favourite at 4-1 with Marinaresco and Legal Eagle. World Sports Betting has Marinaresco favourite at 4-1 and goes 9-2 Legal Eagle, 5-1 Last Winter and 10-1 bar. Legal Eagle seemingly came out of his Queen’s Plate win in fine shape with Sean Tarry declaring on Saturday: “He is good to go.”

By Michael Clower

Bishop’s Bounty sprang the biggest Khaya Stables Diadem Stakes shock this century when coming from last to first at 45-1 at Kenilworth on Saturday. But Michael Leaf’s gelding had no impact on the Cape Flying Championship market because he is one of the seven runners not entered for the Grade 1.

Several of those on the podium said the Diadem should be brought forward a week, preferably two, and Justin Snaith added: “Sergeant Hardy (third) is one of the few that the present date is right for. He is tough, he weighs 580kg and you need to keep running him to keep his wind right.”

Sergeant Hardy was cut from 10-1 to 6-1 third favourite for the Betting World-sponsored race and Tevez (second at 30-1) from 25-1 to 14-1. Trip To Heaven (fifth) is favourite at 4-1 and, perhaps significantly, he finally got away on terms. “We have been working on him and Richard Fourie has been helping us,” explained Sean Tarry.

Bishop’s Bounty (Liesl King)

Dutch Philip started favourite but never got into it and finished halfway down the field. Aldo Domeyer said that he had committed himself to stable companion Magical Wonderland in the CTS 1200 even before this performance.

Snaith and Grant van Niekerk also took the Fairview Wines Sophomore Sprint with an unfancied runner when 15-1 shot Sir Frenchie benefitted from the drop in trip to get up in the last two strides in the now famous Braam van Huyssteen colours – but only after an early morning phone call from jockey to trainer to put blinkers on.

“He had been running over 1 400m and a mile and I didn’t want him to be outpaced,” explained Van Niekerk. “It’s a pity he is not in the Cape Flying because I think he would have gone well in that.”

Sand And Sea, beaten just over three lengths into fourth, was giving the winner 4kg and will be a leading contender for the $500 000 CTS race. “It wasn’t a bad effort and I think he will be spot on for Met day,” said Dennis Drier.

Two races after winning the two features Van Niekerk walked into the parade ring to partner In The Jungle for Piet Steyn who related tongue-in-cheek: “I said to him ‘Can you ride a winner for me?’ Grant replied: ‘I will try my best but I can only ride winners for the top trainers!’”

Needless to say he won this one too but he was lucky to be riding at all. When he was given a ten-day interference suspension on 5 January he elected to begin it last week. It was only when the stipes told him he couldn’t because he already had rides booked that he found he would have to start it yesterday.

It was last night that Brett Crawford was due to return from supervising Whisky Baron in Dubai and Barry Donnelly fired off a quick treble for him on Saturday.  Anthony Delpech is retained by both Mary Slack and Mauritzfontein and he won on Luna Child and Love Dove for them.

Joey Ramsden took his two-year-old race tally to three (there have only been seven races in Cape Town so far ) with the Anton Marcus-ridden Lucky Dancer while Harold Crawford shrewdly backed his 11-1 winner Ready Steady Go (Grant Behr).

By Michael Clower

The top eight in the Kaya Stables Diadem Stakes at Kenilworth tomorrow are limbering up for the Cape Flying Championship in a fortnight’s time but the well-backed Dutch Philip has a much more lucrative target that day in the CTS 1200.

At current exchange rates this restricted race carries a first prize of R3.1 million, five times what the Cape Flying winner receives and some R200 000 more than the Sun Met winner gets.

Trip to Heaven (JC Photographics)

The in-form Candice Bass-Robinson stable, which won it with Live Life 12 months ago, is awash with talent for the CTS race and the appropriately-named Magical Wonderland will start favourite unless Dutch Philip wins convincingly.

He could well do so because his Merchants second confirmed the promise of his fine juvenile record. True, he has it to do on adjusted ratings – officially he should not beat any of the top six – and he comes out 4.5kg inferior to Trip To Heaven.

“It’s not an easy race for him,” his trainer acknowledges. “But he is doing very well.” He is doing well in the market too, having been backed from 5-1 to 33-10 joint-favourite with World Sports Betting in the last three days. That said, no three-year-old has won this since 2006.

The obvious choice is Trip To Heaven who has drifted from 22-10 to 33-10 as the money has come for Dutch Philip. He won this by nearly four lengths last year despite – as is his trademark – giving the others several lengths start coming out of the pens.

Richard Fourie, who is in inspired form, rides him for the first time but he will doubtless have studied the unruffled manner in which S’Manga Khumalo (and Lyle Hewitson last time) allows the horse to make up the leeway.

He would be a confident selection but for this being his second run after a rest. This – and the money going on the next time – is not just some magical formula to use against the bookies but part of many trainers’ preparation. Sean Tarry explained it after winning the Green Point, saying: “In the second race back you have to leave the horse a little bit underdone.”

That just might make Fourie’s mount vulnerable and hand it to Dutch Philip who, in the circumstances, gets the vote.

Always In Charge (7-1) was only a length behind Dutch Philip in the Merchants and is a kilo better while Sergeant Hardy (8-1) is on a roll, although his breathing problems could start to take their toll in the final 100m. Both horses are in the right age group because four-year-olds have won half the last ten runnings.

Search Party (9-1) is five but he is much better than his Merchants run would suggest. He was third 12 months ago and second in the Mercury Sprint.

As regards the rest it is perhaps worth noting that only one winner has started at a longer price than 10-1 in the last ten seasons. However don’t forget Tevez. At eight he is the oldest in the field by two years but he was second last year and last time out he was fourth in the Merchants. He is worth a few rands, each way at 28-1 or 4-1 a place.

By Michael Clower