Seasoned horseman Peter Muscutt is the KZN assistant trainer to the powerful Brett Crawford yard and his son, Daniel Muscutt, will be riding for their stable and Ivan and Darryl Moore’s on Sunday at Scottsville. The twenty-two-year old has four rides on the eight-race programme, three for Crawford and one for the Moore’s. Daniel has ridden in South Africa as he started in Cape Town early in his career as an apprentice. Muscutt rides in the United Kingdom for trainers James Fanshawe and Marco Botti and is in South Africa for a three-week busman’s holiday. Last season the youngster rode 45 winners including two Listed races. His first ride in a Group One was in America in the Arlington Million where he failed narrowly, flying up to run second, beaten a neck on Fanciful Angel.

By Warren Lenferna

The Grade 2 Khaya Stables Diadem Stakes over 1200m at Kenilworth, a weight for age plus penalties event, is always a good pointer to the Grade 1 Betting World Cape Flying Championships and on Saturday all eyes will be on the Diadem defending champion Trip To Heaven.

Trip to Heaven (JC Photographics)

Trip To Heaven put up probably the performance of the season last year in the Cape Flying. He is a notoriously slow starter and was left tailed off after dwelling in the stalls. However, he has excellent cruising speed and a devastating turn of foot. He showed it that day, as he went within 0,3 lengths of catching the subsequently named Equus Champion Sprinter Carry On Alice, despite having experienced traffic problems. This 1200m trip is more down his alley as it gives him more time to make up the leeway as he does see out the distance. He disappointed in three runs subsequent to the Cape Flying last season, but made an excellent comeback recently over 1160m at Turffontein. He lost about three lengths in the latter race and was flying home for a 1,2 length third, despite carrying 61,5kg and giving the winner Kangaroo Jack 1,5kg. He looks to be back in form and the six-year-old Trippi gelding will be attempting to repeat his effort last year, when losing two lengths yet still cruising in by 3,75 lengths.

Sergeant Hardy has won six out of ten starts at Kenilworth and won the Listed Southeaster Sprint last time over 1100m with 61kg on his back by a comfortable 1,75 lengths. He has a lot of pace and is ominously drawn one. He was drawn one for the Southeaster and Bernard Fayd’Herbe took him straight to the rail which he used to his advantage throughout the race.

A most interesting runner will be the three-year-old Mujaafy. Officially he is way out at the weights, but is unexposed. This good looking, rangy colt will relish the step up to this trip and will be able to use his big stride, as he is drawn two so will be able to sit behind Sergeant Hardy.

Wonderwall and Dutch Phillip are two other three-year-olds with both speed and class and they are sure to be thereabouts.

Always In Charge is a Grade 1-winning sprinter who now dons blinkers. He is capable of winning and Anton Marcus is aboard.

The talented but enigmatic Attenborough can never be written off, for if things go his way he packs a strong finish.

Search Party is ideally course and distance suited and has his third run after a layoff.

Eight-year-old Tevez proved last time out he is still capable of producing his familiar flying finish and he finished second in this race last year.

By David Thiselton

Dean Kannemeyer is to take the unbeaten Hashtagyolo to Turffontein for the Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas and possibly for the SA Fillies Classic.

Hashtagyolo

He said: “Hashtagyolo is a November foal so we went the easy Durban route rather the Cape Town one. Her last win was impressive, she is a big rangey filly with scope and I know she will like Turffontein.

“So she will run in the Fillies Guineas there on 3 March. If she performs well and comes through it alright she will then go for the Fillies Classic (also sponsored by Wilgerbosdrift) five weeks later.”

The Dynasty filly is unbeaten in three starts, most notably in the Flamboyant Stakes at Greyville on New Year’s Eve.

By Michael Clower

A run under the belt is mostly invaluable and although Miss Trust still made something of a meal if it in winning her maiden, she learnt just enough at her Scottsville debut to get the better of a game Breaking Barriers in the Itsarush.co.za Maiden at Greyville yesterday.

Peter Muscutt, assistant to Brett Crawford, was still impressed with her win. “Clearly she didn’t learn much from her first start. She was still very green. She is only just learning her trade and I think there is significant improvement to come. I think she was just a little bit better than Sean’s (Veale) filly.”

Anthony Delpech (Liesl King)

Breaking Barriers came into the straight with what at first looked to be a ton in hand and shifted to the outside fence in front of Miss Trust who was the only other runner making any headway.

Anthony Delpech, who had won the card opener on Mark Tapley for Garth Puller, switch his mount in from behind Breaking Barriers and worked hard to get past when it counted.

Kazaar, an easy maiden winner at second time of asking for Dennis Bosch, made a smart handicap debut winning the Track & Ball Fixed Odds Handicap. Owner Brian Burnard’s gelding has clearly made significant improvement since finishing runner-up to Drageda at Scottsville and easily turned the tables, although the latter doesn’t look too genuine as Anton Marcus was at him a long way out and he never seemed to find his stride.

Jumping from a sprint to nine furlongs at only a third start is always a risk and the well-fancied Autumn Rain was run out of it by Barking Irons, a second for Puller, and Secret Service. The favourite was given every chance by Delpech but was one-paced late.

Geoff Perkins has a multitude of horses in training, in partnership and on his own, and although Secret Service came up short and Naked Truth fifth behind Barking Irons, he had a change of fortune in the tabGOLD Information App Handicap when Madame Excess got the better of her rivals in a titanic struggle to the line. She looked a lost cause 400m out but Keagan de Melo kept her hard to her task and she got up close home to deny favourite Queenie and Gorgeous Guest with two short-heads the finishing margins.

“I put blinkers on her and she showed exceptional work at home on the sand,” said Duncan Howells. “She’s not an easy ride and doesn’t quite give 100%,” commented De Melo. However, Howells revealed that Madame Excess had, had a couple of “niggly” back problems.

Anton Marcus is one jockey who is never afraid to commit early and has often come in for criticism from many a grandstand jockey when beaten. However, the ‘riders in the stand’ were happy when he made a bold move at the top of the straight on Hidden Thought and Glen Kotzen’s filly slowly pulled away from the opposition in the Track & Ball Gaming Handicap to register back-to-back wins. The daughter of Lateral has made steady improvement and on yesterday’s performance she could get further than a mile.

By Andrew Harrison

The Vaal stages a low key nine race meeting tomorrow on the Inside track but there could nevertheless be one or two opportunities for punters.

The highest rated race is a MR 76 Handicap over 2000m and the under rated Ali Bon Dubai can make it two wins on the trot and his fourth victory in his last six starts. Last time out over this trip he started on terms for the second time in succession, so was able to come from a midfield position. He showed his usual good turn of foot in the straight to make up the leeway. He then became involved in a three-way tussle, but he took care of it quickly, finding another gear and drawing away to win easily by 1,3 lengths. In his previous start he finished a narrow second over 3000m to Dromedaris, who has gone on to win his next two races over staying trips in comfortable fashion.

Bengal Boy

Ali Bon Dubai looks to have more in the tank and can rise above his current lowly merit rating of 70. He has the same draw of six as last time. Scotland is usually a reliable sort and is better than his September run when beaten 7,2 lengths by Ali Bon Dubai over this trip. He is now 4,5kg better off and could earn from a good draw of two. Three-year-old colt Walter Smoothie has always caught the eye as one who could develop into a fair middle distance type and he is 1kg better off with Ali Bon Dubai for a 2,3 length beating last time over this trip. If weight for age is taken into account, he is 2kg better off, but Ali Bon Dubai did win cosily and should confirm the placings.

The best bet on the card could be Ghost Rider in the third race over 1200m, although he will face stiff opposition from the beautifully bred Silver Spine. Last time out Ghost Rider showed zip but was a bit hampered. When seeing fresh air in the closing stages he ran on strongly for a 4,5 length fourth to State Trooper. That was the Captain Al gelding’s first run since his decent debut eight months earlier when an eight length third to the classy Flying Free in a maiden juvenile plate. He should have benefitted from the run and the in form 1,5kg claimer Dennis Schwarz remains aboard. Silver Spine is by Silvano out of the Grade 1 Cape Fillies Guineas winner Sparkling Gem. The latter had plenty of speed, so Silver Spine is interesting stepped down to this trip after showing pace over 1400m on debut. In the latter race he was not at all disgraced in finishing a 6,5 length fifth to Mike de Kock’s Australian-bred debutant by Mutrib, a classy looking son of Street Cry. Silver Spine covers a lot of ground and will make a good race of it under Gavin Lerena, although his high draw could be against him on this course.

It is never easy to win first time out of the maidens but two Paul Peter-trained horses have been tipped to do so.

In the sixth race Peter sends out the four-year-old Count Dubois gelding Party Beat with top weight of 60kg, and adding to the difficulty is he has a wide draw of 13. However, this big and rangy chestnut was up with the pace in his second start over 1400m and then stretched clear to win by 4,4 lengths over a trio which was palpably too sharp as he had to be kept to his task throughout. The third-placed horse that day was well behind the second, so it was not bad form for a moderate maiden. He starts off on a 69 merit rating and will relish this step up in trip, although Keagan de Melo will have his work out to find a nice position for him in the running.Volcanic Sunet is a fair sort who could be a threat and Stay With Me has always struck mas one who would improve with age when sent over this sort of trip so is interesting in his first run as a gelding.

In the eighth race over 1200m Peter sends out Ouro, who showed pace third time out over 1000m and extended to win by 4,8 lengths. The Toreador three-year-old filly should handle the step up to 1200m and has a plum draw of two on a course where low draws are usually favourable down the straight. Sean Tarry’s debutant winner Colour Of Light could be anything too, but does have a tough draw. Patchouli Queen makes most appeal of the older horses as a pacey sort who is slightly better drawn than she was last time off her current attractive merit rating.

Corne Spies is an expert in traing two-year-olds and has been tipped to win the first two races on the card with Miss Boomerang and Star Flyer.

By David Thiselton