Yesterday’s Durbanville meeting might have come under fire – and in some quarters ignored altogether – but it proved to be manna from heaven for Louis Mxothwa who won on his first ride on the course when Essenceoflife came home at 7-2 for new boss Glen Kotzen in the TAB Telebet Handicap.

Mxothwa, 24, said: “Six weeks ago I moved from Port Elizabeth to ride as second jockey for Mr Kotzen. I’ve ridden over 200 winners so far but no big-race ones and that’s really why I am here. Cape Town has bigger yards, better horses and bigger prizes – and I want a chance of winning some of them.”

Glen Kotzen

It was also a Happy New Year for Andre Nel who has had to contend with a sickness in his yard for the past two months and, after a mortifying first race when his pair where beaten by not much more than the length of their teeth, Dalibhunga came good under Anthony Andrews in the Tabonline Handicap to show some light at the end of a nightmare tunnel.

A relieved Nel said: “I was desperate for a winner. Every morning something has a swollen leg or a snotty nose and it has been the worst spell of its kind since I’ve been on the farm.”

The controversial decision to pay R1 000 to trainers for each runner – there were only 49 of them – caused a furore, notably on the comments page of the Sporting Post with some contributors claiming that the payments were actually banned under Rule 11.2.7 which states that a trainer shall not accept payment of any charges in respect of his or her horses other than from the registered owner.

However an NHA representative said the operative word is charges, ie training fees, and that the rule is to prevent unregistered owners running horses in someone else’s name. The NHA man also said the R1 000 payment had a precedent. When the main section of the Kenilworth pens broke just over a year ago, horses had to be scratched to reduce field sizes and those who lost out were paid R3 500 a horse.

Maybe it would have been better to make the payments to the owners. After all they have to foot the bill for the jockeys’ fees (and just about everything else). Seemingly they may just get the money because Phumelela boss Clyde Basel said: “The payments come from Kenilworth Racing, not from the stakes fund, and we will leave it to the trainers as to what they want to do with them. We just want to support those who have supported us, and we have been rewarded with a good crowd.”

– Trip To Heaven looks set to attempt to join the illustrious group who have won the Diadem Stakes in successive years. Last season’s winner heads the 19 entries for Saturday week’s Khaya Stables-sponsored Grade 2 at Kenilworth.

The Sean Tarry-trained six-year-old has to give weight to all except Search Party but dual winners of the race include Flaming Rock and What A Winter while Flobayou and Nhlavini won it three times.

By Michael Clower

Quizzed earlier in the afternoon on the chances of Hashtagyolo in the Gr3 Flamboyant Stakes, Anthony Delpech hedged his bets. “She has a hard task and want’s further so if she wins today she is really something special.”

Those words of caution may have lead to Hashtagyolo being easy to back, going through the gates at 5-2 as the money arrived for facile maiden winner Statute, but it proved not race. Hashtagyolo roared down the Greyville straight sounding an ominous Champions Season warning, the Gr1 Woolavington 2000 an obvious target even this early in the season.

Hashtagyolo

Barbara Bardenhorst does a fine job at Dean Kannemeyer’s Summerveld satellite yard and was understandably happy with the result. “There were a lot of questions going into today, the step up in class, the distance, because she’s looking for further.

“Jeez, by the way she won today I think we have something special here.”

Delpech confirmed.

“She really gave me a feel today. She’s something special. She’s a star!” he concluded.

“The last time I rode her I felt she did too much even though she won. Today I found cover but they kept pulling slower and slower and I said if I stay here I’m going to get beat.”

Sail set a desperately slow early gallop tracked by top weight She’s A Giver and kept finding in the straight for a game second. She’s A Giver surrendered tamely as Roy’s Riviera finished well for third.

Dawn Calling tracked Hashtagyolo into the straight but the red light on the dashboard was flashing early.

The afternoon yielded a double for Dennis Drier as the well-supported Crown And Country made a winning debut in the opening Juvenile Maiden and followed up in the fourth where Rani, switched to the turf, got home under a hard ride from apprentice Diego de Gouveia.

Also rounding off the Old Year with a double was Duncan Howells as The North Face finally got his act together and Byline gave rookie stallion Byword a double after Crown And Country.

By Andrew Harrison

The ten race Turffontein Standside meeting tomorrow is headed by the Grade 3 Lebelo Sprint over 1000m and the progressive Alfolk could be the one to beat, although there are a number of horses in with chances.

Alfolk has improved as a three-year-old and has a lot of early speed coupled with the ability to stay on so it will take a good one to catch him on this easy track, despite him having to overcome a five point merit rated raise. The Thinker could be the one to do it as he has come into his own this season and has been especially effective since hold up tactics have been employed. He finished powerfully last time to win the Grade 2 Merchants over 1160m and was consequently given a seven point merit rated raise. Angel’s Power has good cruising speed and packs a strong finish so can be involved here from a nice high draw.

Rivarine

Whorly Whorly is officially 1kg under sufferance here but has always show plenty of talent. He proved it last time when flying up to win over this trip and is now having his third run after a layoff. If Ravarine returned to his best over this ideal course and distance he would probably win it, having dropped to a merit rating of only 98. He was not striding out last time in his third run after a layoff and gelding, so has to prove he is still the same horse he once was. Talktothestars is a former champion sprinter and is a real soldier. However, for a six-year-old he has had a busy program and was running at Scottsville less than a week ago. Movie Show has to defy being 2kg under sufferance, but she did win recently when under sufferance so can’t be ignored. Donny G went close over 1160m last Saturday proving he is off a competitive mark at present.

The last leg of the Pick 6 is a Pinnacle Stakes race over 2400m and could be fought out by two fillies, Witchcraft and Fortissima, who are well in at the weights and distance suited. Witchcraft should be cherry ripe and looks to have enjoyed a good build up into this race. She has a wide draw but will likely be taken to the front and can gallop on to the line. Go Direct could be the main danger two the two fillies as a five-year-old son of Go Deputy, which means he will be coming into his own and should love this trip.

The first leg of the Pick 6 looks open at first sight but on closer inspection the two horses which stand out are Ration My Passion and Get Your Grove On. The former had an unfavourable low draw on debut over 1160m and after a slow start was outpaced. He finished on the outside and was flying through at the line and would have got closer than a 3,05 length fifth if he had not encountered traffic problems. Get Your Grove On was in that same race and caught the eye with his lovely action. He stayed on for a 2,25 length third. Both of these two horses will relish the step up to 1400m.

In the first leg of the Jackpot two horses who are suited to 1400m are likely to fight it out, Redberry Lane and Zouaves. This distance is not a sprint and not a mile, so it is worth following horses who specialise over it and these two are taken to be enough to get punters through.

The next race sees the classy sprinter Spring Wonder and Alileo set to do battle again. They finished on top of each other last time but there is now a reversal of draw fortunes in Alileo’s favour. The dark horse is Dame Eleanor as she has class and returns from a ten month layoff over a trip short of her best.

In the penultimate leg of the Pick 6 Emerald Bay has shown a good turn of foot before and has a plum draw over a suitable course and distance, so is the one to beat, although a safer Pick 6 would have to include Il Mondo, Cold Cash, Hatfield Square and Faraway Island.

By David Thiselton

Dynasty’s Blossom has cost punters dear in her last three outings but the Joey Ramsden filly can start the New Year on a profitable note in the Supabets Maiden at Durbanville on Monday.

The R 4.5 million yearling purchase seems sure to start favourite for the fourth consecutive time and, although she has yet to win, her form is so superior to that of the opposition that the handicappers rate her 5.5kg (about six lengths over this trip) better than the next best.

Donovan Dillon

Donovan Dillon rides her for the first time and hopefully the decision to step her up in trip will pay the expected dividend.

Runners are thin on the ground with the first four races attracting only five apiece as some of the big players – notably Justin Snaith, Brett Crawford and Vaughan Marshall – have decided to keep their powder dry for the big two-day Queen’s Plate meeting next weekend.

Candice Bass-Robinson and Andre Nel, with ten runners each, have between them provided almost 40% of the card and have kept the show on the road. Kenilworth Racing has decided to pay R1 000 appearance money to the trainers of each runner that passes the post. “We are grateful to them for supporting the meeting and we want to show our appreciation,” said Phumelela boss Clyde Basel yesterday.

Ramsden, who runs five, may also win race two with Lily Theresa. This 1 250m handicap (the authorities appear to have acted on Anthony Delpech’s criticism that the turn starts too soon after the 1 200m start) is due off at the unusual time of 2.27pm. Indeed many of the races have been fixed for similarly unconventional times, presumably to fit into a tight Tellytrack schedule.

Lily Theresa is only third favourite in the TAB sheet betting forecast but the race is tightly handicapped and Grant van Niekerk’s mount has gone close in her last two.

Ramsden and Van Niekerk also have a good chance in the opener with November Storm even though he disappointed when starting joint favourite for the race won by Bernie here over two months ago. However, the vote goes to Bernard Fayd’Herbe’s mount Dynasty’s Boy who only lost out in a blanket finish by the minimum margin earlier this month.

Harold Crawford also runs five at the meeting and he can take the Tabonline Handicap (race three) with Ready Steady Go who won on debut here in October.

Queen Moira disappointed last time but her previous running here suggests that she can collect in the Betting World Handicap.

By Michael Clower

Saddling more than half of the runners in a seven-horse field does not necessary guarantee victory and that could be the case in the Racing. It’s A Rush Handicap that heads up the Greyville card this evening, all races on the poly track.

With the programme structured as it is, Duncan Howells finds himself in a quandary with a hat-full of fillies with high merit ratings and nowhere to run them without clashing – a similar scenario to Mark Dixon’s plight last week where he saddled most of the field in London Call’s victory.

Lunar Rush

Accidental Tourist and Lunar Rush would appear to be the most fancied of the Howells runners but they come up against another Ashburton-based rival in Neala from the Shane Humby yard.

Like many older horses, the five-year-old Neala has taken to the synthetic surface and finished runner-up in her last two, firstly to Accidental Tourist and more recently, a fast-finishing second from a tricky draw to the end-to-end winner Marshall That.

Accidental Tourist has since franked that form, winning again next time out and following up with a close second when stretched to 1400m for the first time.

However, she meets Neala on 3kg worse terms which in theory should see her turn the tables this time around.

But top weight Lunar Rush is no slouch and was far from disgraced when taking on males in a Pinnacle Stakes and beaten under two lengths by Cutting Edge. She does appear to be a length or two better on the turf but she will be re-united with Anthony Delpech who won on her when beating Isingamoya at Scottsville.

Of the balance, A Womens Way is much better than recent form and can surprise while Shwanky is in a tough one at these weights as she steps up in trip and class but comes from a very much in form stable.

Howells and Anton Marcus could have success with Accidental Tourist and add to their tally with Fire Song in a desperately moderate Qualified Maiden field in the fourth where Century Gold looks the biggest threat.

A better proposition could be Rainbowinthesky in the Itsarush.co.za Handicap. After a string of placed runs, Rainbowinthesky was switched to the poly and duly arrived beating Poster Girl. She was only given a two-pound penalty for the win and although shouldering top weight she can go to the well once again.

The lightly raced Parade’s End looks a likely threat given her two smart juvenile performances behind Marsala and Fiorella respectively before making her seasonal debut over course and distance that resulted in a comfortable maiden win. However, she takes on a useful field first up in handicap company but does have the best of the draw.

The performances of Rainbowinthesky and Shizam in the Rugby 5 Handicap, sixth race on the card, could have a major bearing on the evening’s final event where Vanity Fair, beaten less than a length by Rainbowinthesky last time out, and Sapphire Petunia, a similar distance behind Shizam, face off in what is a tricky finale.

The pair are drawn alongside each other in the first two stalls and with two other potential contenders for the winner’s box in Mbali and Flamboyant drawn at three and four respectively, this could be a tactical race to savour, especially if Mbali takes off from the jump.

By Andrew Harrison