Drageda has been expensive to follow, a beaten favourite in three of his first four starts, before landing the odds at Scottsville last time out.

He makes his handicap debut at Greyville today and now that he has broken the ice he does look capable of following up in the Track & Ball Fixed Odds Handicap.

Anton Marcus, who rode a superb race on Legal Eagle in the l’Ormarins Queen’s Plate on Saturday, has been making the long drive from Umhlanga to Ashburton to put a few of the Duncan Howells horses through their paces in the morning and he wasted no time on Drageda, bouncing the gelding out of the gate and keeping him going to hold Kazaar who he faces again this afternoon.

Kazaar paid tribute to that form, coming home and easy winner of his next outing for Dennis Bosch and under Marcus.

Marcus has kept faith with Drageda which may prove significant.

Howells, was of the opinion that Drageda would get further, an opinion shared by Marcus, and with a smart draw over the Greyville seven on the poly. He can go in again.

Kazaar and Master Sam will have their supporters but chief threat could come in the form of Air Chief Marshall. He takes a major drop in class and has also dropped significantly in the ratings which should make him a serious threat.

Frank Robinson has been in a rich vein of form of late and if the form comments in the Computaform are to be relied upon then Autumn Rain should be difficult to beat in the Racing. It’s a Rush Maiden. However, he does take a major jump in trip which may be a reason for caution. Anthony Delpech has stuck with the ride and no doubt gave Robinson advice after their close-up second in a 1200m sprint so one needs to show some faith.

Lord Of Glencoe on the other hand is a lightly raced four-year-old who is bred to go two miles and made good improvement when Belinda Impey sent him out in blinkers for the first time. Along with Barking Irons and Itdawnedonme, he could upset.

A more optimistic trainer you will never meet than Tony Nassif and when he makes his way into town from his Turffontein base you had better take note.

He saddles Queenie in the tabGOLD Information App Handicap and along with Madame Excess could make for a good boxed exacta. Queenie has put in two smart efforts since shedding her maiden and with apprentice Ashton Arries claiming his 1.5kg Queenie could prove difficult to peg back.

Howells has declared Madame Excess in blinkers for the first time and her best form is on the poly. Joint bottom weight and a good draw should make her a serious contender.

The Track & Ball Gaming Handicap has a wide open look about it but as the old saying goes, “when in doubt, back the top weight”.

Hidden Thought shed her maiden last time out but that was only her fifth visit to the track. She has improved with each outing and with Marcus in the saddle for good measure, she must warrant serious consideration. Lady Lisha comes from an in-form yard and although only a narrow winner in a qualified maiden she is showing signs of improvement. Eina, Salsa Queen and Summer In The City are others to consider in a tricky handicap.

Trainers are slowly cottoning on to the fact that barrier trials, far from leaking information, are a valuable opportunity to get in a solid gallop before a race. Ideal Winter won her barrier trial but considering that 1000m is far from her optimum trip, the blinkers she wore for the first time did seem to sharpen her up. She has a tricky draw over the mile in the Gold Circle Facebook Handicap but first-time blinkers may be the key.

She will however, have to be sharp as the Louis Goosen / Gunter Wrogemann combination is proving lethal at present and they team up with Shifting Gears who was narrowly beaten over course and distance last time out. With a better draw than her rival and possibly more at home over this trip, she will be a major threat.

By Andrew Harrison

Jonno Snaith said yesterday: “At this stage she [Oh Susanna] is an intended runner but ante-post punters should be cautious. We would suggest they do not back her until she has been confirmed a definite runner. Drakenstein has still to make a final decision and this will be based on an assessment of the weights.

“But she has come out of Saturday’s race amazingly well. She was on the beach this morning and she looked superb. We are very happy with her.”

Justin Snaith added that the filly’s draw, which will not be known until Thursday of next week, could also have a significant bearing on the decision.

Mike de Kock has supplemented the Irish-bred filly Cascapedia whose win in the London News Stakes at Turffontein on Sunday was her fifth in six starts. But Mike Azzie has scratched Hat Puntano and Abashiri. Edict Of Nantes has also been officially removed from the lists.

Betting World has installed Oh Susanna at 8-1 and Cascapedia at 9-1 but it’s Last Winter who is the market mover. Dean Kannemeyer’s hope is now clear favourite at 15-4 with Legal Eagle out to 4-1, the same price as Marinaresco.

Eyes Wide Open, slashed from 80-1 to 16-1, after bouncing back to form in the Glorious Goodwood Peninsula Handicap at Kenilworth on Saturday, could be even better than his performance suggested.

Glen Kotzen explained: “There is a respiratory bug going around and he wouldn’t stop coughing. We had to back off and it was touch and go whether we would get him to the race.”

Ante-post favourite Horizon, who finished fourth, came back lame on his near fore while Black Arthur (last) suffered an epistaxis and has been suspended for 60 days. The pace-setting Milton was found to be not striding out on his right front after dropping out in the closing stages.

Heineken Chairman’s Cup handicap winner Our Emperor will step up to a conditions event in the Western Cape Stayers on Met day even though a strong performance could prejudice his chances of a decent weight in the eLan Gold Cup at the end of the season.

Brett Crawford reasoned: “They have dropped the Gold Cup to a Grade 3 so the Met day race could be a better option.”

However Snaith is deliberately nursing the handicap mark of the improving Strathdon who has won his last four (including the Cape Summer Stayers) and he has put the four-year-old away until the Durban season.

Candice Bass-Robinson, who won last year’s $500 000 CTS 1200 with 8-1 chance Live Life, has the probable favourite this time in Magical Wonderland who won last Friday’s Cartier Sceptre Stakes with scarcely believable ease.

By Michael Clower

The four-year-old Marion Belle is a Ridgemont Australian-bred and they tend to be good. She was certainly backed as if she was when she made a belated debut at Kenilworth two months ago. Starting favourite at 15-10, she raced green and she shifted sharply away from the whip when asked to race in earnest but the performance was rather better than her six length-seventh would suggest.

Her trainer has given her plenty of time and she looks the one. World Sports Betting thought they were taking no chances when they opened her at 16-10 on Sunday but the money has come and she was 9-10 yesterday.

Second favourite at 22-10 and the obvious danger is Pumeza whose form is in the book even though she totally failed to fire when returning from a five-month absence last time. Another with a chance but at a much bigger price (10-1) is Jeovana who was totally unfancied when second to shock 100-1 winner Passion Peach.

Some of those who you might otherwise fancy are drawn wide in the Play Soccer Handicap and that is surely the kiss of death over 1 000m on this course, despite last year’s improvements.

Therefore the vote goes to Bernard Fayd’Herbe’s mount Over Again at 5-1. She ran well last time and her rider can be relied upon to make the most of her number two draw. The consistent Lily Theresa (reported blowing hard here on New Year’s Day) and outside-drawn Swift Dancer share favouritism at 33-10.

The 23 December form of Apollo Star and Para Handy was given a significant boost when Doublemint, who beat them, won again on Saturday. Apollo Star (5-1 here)  finished a length and a quarter in front of Para Handy (9-1) and he should confirm the placings in the Supabets Handicap as he is a kilo better.

Riding arrangements point to the Crawford newcomers Gimmie A Cohiba and Due Volte in the first but this is a difficult course for unraced horses and What A Summer is given the vote in preference to fellow 28-10 joint favourite L’Histoire.

The in-form Candice Bass Robinson-Aldo Domeyer combination’s newcomer Indian Song is 15-10 favourite for race two but preference is for 9-2 chance Negma whose inexperience cost her dear on debut nine days before Christmas. She lost a lot of ground at the start and then raced green.

The commendably-busy Lyle Hewitson is back again and he should more than cover the expenses by winning race three on Parisian Gold.

By Michael Clower

Paul Peter regards his unbeaten three-year-old colt Majestic Mambo as probably the best horse he has ever trained and is still “mind-boggled” that he secured him for a mere R40,000 at the CTS Ready to Run Sale presented by Lanzerac.

Mike de Kock also looks to have a top filly on his hands in the Irish-bred Cascapedia.

On Sunday Majestic Mambo made it three from three when winning the Listed Sea Cottage Stakes over 1800m on Turffontein Standside by a comfortable 2,35 lengths under Anthony Delpech.

He sat near the back before showing a fine turn of foot and putting the race to bed some way out beating two well regarded Mike de Kock-trained horses in Royal Crusade and Alshibaa at level weights

Peter said the beauty about this horse was his magnificent acceleration as he could be dropped out to the back and was always going to make up the ground.

He will now go straight into the Gauteng Triple Crown classics without have any more preparation outings.

The first of these races is the Grade 2 Betting World Gauteng Guineas on March 3.

His wins to date have all been over 1800m.

On debut he was ridden by French jockey Thierry Thulliez in one of the International Jockeys Challenge races on Turffontein Inside. After losing two lengths at the start he showed an effortless turn of foot in the straight to win by 5,5 lengths, despite having been ignored in the market and starting at odds of 11/1.

Second time out in a Novice Handicap in a night race on the Standside track, he was dropped out and came wide into the straight, although he did have cover. He then showed exceptional acceleration again to win by four lengths.

Peter, asked whether he would find the 1600m Guineas trip to sharp said, “We initially thought it would be but Anthony Delpech said it would not be a problem as he has such good acceleration.”

On Saturday Delpech apparently deliberately sent him for home too early to test his suitability to the mile and he responded instantly.

Peter added, “He is a very easy horse to train as he shows so much ability. He takes a lot of work, but has a good appetite and eats up well and he has been nice and sound.”

Regarding his temperament, Peter said, “He is massive and knows his strength, so he does bully us a little bit … but he is entitled to!”

The Moutonshoek-bred Mambo In Seattle colt went through the ring unsold at the Cape Premier Yearling Sale and a “buyer’s levy” was not paid against him, so he does not qualify for the lucrative US$500,000 CTS Mile on Sun Met day.

However, this could be a blessing in disguise for Peter, who did not want to mess the horse around at this stage by travelling him down to Cape Town.

Peter does all the selecting and buying for his chief client, the Hyperpaint Syndicate.

His method is to attempt to look at every single horse on a sale and make comments, and only then does he check the pedigrees.

Majestic Mambo made a big impression on him at the Ready To Run breeze ups.

He said, “I loved his action and the way he moved and he was such a nice looking, big and imposing individual.”

Peter will likely be able to keep Delpech aboard as Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein Stud, who retain him, look unlikely to have a horse running in the male Johannesburg classics this season.

Peter also goes into the Triple Tiara with a fine chance of success as he trains the crack Tiger Ridge filly Folk Dance.

He was impressed by her “athletic” looks at the National Yearling Sale and also has a high regard for her breeders, Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein Studs.

He secured her for R100,000.

Peter is loath to put her ahead of his classy five-year-old mare, Fort Ember, just yet. The latter ended last season by winning the Grade 2 Gold Bracelet over 2000m at Greyville and in her last run finished a fine second in Johannesburg’s biggest race, the Sansui Summer Cup over 2000m. She also won the Grade 3 Flamboyant Stakes over 1600m at Greyville last season. Fort Ember will be targeted at the Grade 1 Premier’s Champion Challenge.

Folk Dance, like Majestic Mambo, has a fine action and tremendous acceleration. She has won four out of six starts, including the Grade 3 Fillies Mile on Summer Cup day. Interestingly, she beat Aurelia Cotta at level weights by three lengths in the latter race which compares to Majestic Mambo’s 3,15 length defeat of this same horse on Saturday on weight for age terms.

Folk Dance will also go straight into the Triple Tiara without another preparation outing. She will be hard to beat in the first leg, the Grade 2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas. The furthest she has been to date is a mile, but as she is out of a half-sister to the dam of Summer Cup winner Dancewiththedevil and might stay further.

Peter has 100 horses in his yard at the moment and is enjoying his best season to date. He is lying in sixth place on the National Trainers log and has already had 47 wins at a strike rate of 16,91%.

Mike de Kock is the only trainer who has a higher strike rate than Peter out of the top ten trainers on the log.

De Kock has been turning out well-bred horses in conveyor belt-like fashion this season.

On Sunday his Irish-bred daughter of High Chaparral slammed the boys in the Grade 3 London News Stakes over 1800m on Turffontein Standside. She is six months younger than her four-year-old contemporaries, being Northern Hemisphere-bred, yet beat the Triple Crown hero by 1,4 lengths under Delpech on Sunday despite only receiving 3kg. She has won five from six starts to date and is improving all the time, so has a promising career ahead of her. Form Bloodstock secured her for  ‎£191,165 at the Goffs Orby Yearling Sale of 2015 on behalf of Mauritzfontein Stud. Her dam Janoubi is an unraced horse by Dansili and is a half-sister to Radevore (Generous), who won a Group 2 and a Group 3 in France.

By David Thiselton

Durbanville Tuesday Tips and Race Previews by Warren Lenferna

Race 1
Preview: WHAT A SUMMER (1) is seldom far off the action and can get it right today. THE SILVA FOX (2) is better than his last run and can get into the action. L’HISTOIRE (8) has run fourth in both starts and can get a lot closer now – big runner. (Warren Lenferna 1-2-8)

Race 2
Preview: POLLY AGAIN (4) bumps a weak field and if reproducing and improving on the run where she finished fourth behind Double Black – she could go close to winning this. ARCTIC SIREN (1) is improving and is the horse to beat. NEGMA (9) can improve on her debut to run a place. (Warren Lenferna 4-1-9)

Race 3
Preview: FLOATING ON WATER (3) went close at long odds last time and if confirming and improving on that run can win. He is drawn well. MIDDLEMARCH (2) has placed in his last two and should do so again – strong each way chance. PARISIAN GOLD (11) showed good improvement in his second run and should get into the action. (Warren Lenferna 3-2-11)

Race 4
Preview: REBEL’S BURST (7) is taking time to win but is consistent and should win soon. MARION BELLE (8) ran a fair race on debut and has tons of scope to improve – she should be very competitive here from a top draw. JEOVANA (4) placed last time at long odds – quartet chance. (Warren Lenferna 7-8-4)

Race 5
Preview: LILY THERESA (5) is running very well and brings consistent form into the race – she is drawn a bit wide but looks ready to win again. OVER AGAIN (2) jumps from a good draw and has the form to warrant serious respect. SWIFT DANCER (4) disappointed last time but can bounce right back to best. (Warren Lenferna 5-2-4)

Race 6
Preview: CAPTAIN COURTEOUS (4) is way better than his last run – his Durbanville form is good and he is the confident first choice here from a neat draw. PEROVSKIA (5) is running well and showing some ability – expect a big run. NEVER SETTLE (1) can go close at best. (Warren Lenferna 4-5-1)

Race 7
Preview: EVELINA (3) is holding form since winning her maiden and looks ready to win again. ROMANTIC CRUSADE (5) is another holding form since her maiden win and must be respected – she is drawn well. KNOW THE ROPES (1) is much better than her last run shows and it would be silly to ignore her winning chances here. (Warren Lenferna 3-5-1)

Race 8
Preview: PACHANGA (1) made a fair debut and should come on a lot from that and looks tough to beat. BENDY BULLET (2) is coming back to best earlier form and can go close again to winning. AMAROSA (7) from the best draw has a bright chance and must be included in most bets. (Warren Lenferna 1-2-7)