Rockin Russian, most disappointing on her two previous Cape Town starts, can take advantage of a significant drop in class to bounce back in the Betting World Progress Plate at Kenilworth today.

The Sean Tarry filly was considered good enough to be ridden by Piere Strydom in the Fillies Guineas but she raced wide on the bend, suffered interference and finished stone last. Prior to that she was second last when the only filly in the Cape Classic.

Desert Rythym

Her previous Durban form is good and, although that now has more holes in it than a piece of Swiss cheese, she is well in at the weights and appeals at 28-10. World Sports Betting has Elusive Heart favourite on 22-10. The Glen Kotzen filly was seventh in the Fillies Guineas, is ridden by on-fire Richard Fourie (five winners here on Saturday) but has to concede 3kg to the selection.

Tarry’s other runner Desert Rhythm (9-2) has not raced since finishing fourth in the Thekwini, a length and a half behind Rockin Russian who is a whopping 6kg better. Freedom Charter (28-10) has been upped 2kg for winning a handicap over this trip last time, Salimah (5-1) finished last of seven when favourite for her last race and 16-1 shot Kenna looks out of it.

Vice Versa was my original choice for the TAB Telebet Handicap despite carrying a first-time-out-of-the-maidens red warning flag as she was so impressive when winning an admittedly modest maiden that she looked as if she could prove the exception to the golden rule. However she has gone lame on her near fore.

Via Sacra, put up 2kg for winning over the trip after leading nearly 400m out, is now favourite at 16-10 and gets the vote. Also fancied at 2-1 is Best Kept Secret who was only raised a kilo for last time’s win and for whom Mike de Kock has snapped up Fourie.

Pata Pata has losses to recover in the opening ItsARush Maiden after being beaten at 1-2 last time when she went to the front before halfway and was run out of it in the last 100m. Her previous run was good but it is a little disconcerting that Brett Crawford’s stable jockey Corne Orffer is now on newcomer Pacific Trader. The latter opened at 2-1 while Pata-Pata (ridden for the first time by Greg Cheyne) is again odds-on at 7-10.

In race three Pearl Jam (22-10 favourite) only has half a length in hand over 11-1 chance Eternal Night on last time’s running while 7-2 shot Spam Alert is badly drawn. The once-raced Prairie Sky is suggested each way at 14-1.

By Michael Clower

Roy Had Enough has always struck as a smart colt and he confirmed that opinion at Greyville yesterday. Coming from the tail end of the field, the Australian import matched strides briefly with favourite Legend but soon left his rival for dead and apprentice Lyle Hewitson wagging a finger at the large Boxing Day crowd as he skated home in the Listed Christmas Handicap.

Roy Had Enough (Candiese Marnewick)

Frank Robertson thought enough of his charge to try his luck in the Dingaans at Turffontein last month but his colt pulled a coffin draw and was only beaten just under four lengths by KZN counterpart Monks Hood. With a better gate he may have finished closer in what was a seriously competitive Dingaans and a race that often turns out to be one of the defining races of the season.

Legend, back to his best last time out, took off from the back of the field alongside Roy Had Enough but could not match his younger rival and finished runner-up with pacemaker Redcarpet Captain staying on gamely for third.

Pick 6 punters took a body-blow first up as rank outsider Celestial Gold, paying R45 a win on the tote, finished like an express train to land the Secona Freight Logistics Handicap. Although a surprise winner according to the betting, the race lacked depth and those punters who chose to go wide were rewarded.

A recent article in the Parade magazine documenting the trials and tribulations of small stables attracted scathing criticism from some quarters but for those trainers who are prepared to stick it out and enjoy what they do, a win is handsome reward no matter the starting price.

Lola Crawford and daughters, Tarryn and Hailey, put in the hard work at Ashburton and although Celestial Gold was not a popular result with most punters, nor would Swakopmund’s victory – R15 a win on the tote – in the following race have given much cheer and Dennis Drier boasts one of the biggest stings in KZN. But horses are horse, no matter how big or small the stable.

Ante-post favourite Captain’s Girl, a drifter before the start before late money for Rodney displaced her at the top of the boards, made a tardy start which may well have been the difference between winning and losing. Stable companion Effortless Reward stretched the field early but Swakopmund stuck to his guns and went on with it as the leader fell away. Captain’s Girl got going late from well off the pace but the hare had already bolted.

Louis Goosen may have been disappointed with Captain’s Girl but the gloom quickly lifted as Winter Blues made it onto the scoreboard, taking advantage of favourite Constantine missing the break and having to hunt for a clear passage when it counted.

Constantine only managed third but Winter Blues, having only his fourth outing, was produced with a telling late run by Gunther Wrogemann to snaffle Captain Ellio and win going away.

By Andrew Harrison

…this despite Absa’s High Court bid on Friday to put the company into liquidation and freeze the assets being postponed until 29 January.

Mayfair’s racing manager Derek Brugman said yesterday: “I couldn’t say anything before this because my hands were tied but we have now made an agreement with the financiers that we can continue racing and continue selling the horses.”

Edict Of Nantes

Brugman said that “long term” the plan is to sell all the horses and added: “We have been given time by the financiers to sell them in a structured manner over a period of time. We are not in a fire-sale situation.”

Brugman also said that dual Grade 1 winner Edict of Nantes had been sold to Hong Kong last month. The four-year-old is second favourite for the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate on Saturday week and for the Sun Met on 27 January but has drifted in the market for the latter as doubts grow about him running in the R5 million spectacular. He may have to go into quarantine before this date and Betting World, the country’s biggest bookmaker, has suspended betting on the race.

Asked whether Edict Of Nantes was likely to run, Brugman would only say: “That is something for the new owners to comment on.”

According to the Daily Dispatch the price paid for the four-year-old was just under R10 million while numerous press reports have stated that the price paid by Tekkie Town owner Braam van Huyssteen and his partners for Jooste’s best horse Legal Eagle was a much more reasonable R3.2 million.

Yearlings have sold for more and struggled to win. Legal Eagle is six but he still has the rest of this season and all the next one before his powers really start to decline. He is officially the best in the country and is 11-10 favourite  to collect R937 000 in the Queen’s Plate. He is also favourite for the Met whose first prize is nearly R3 million. Even if, as in the last two seasons, he comes up against a rival who stays the trip better than he does second place still pays R1 million.

It has been suggested that overseas-stipulated quarantine restrictions could be relaxed in time for him to compete for even more valuable prizes abroad but there are too many doubts about that happening for it to have influenced the price. However there is still the rich Highveld season to come, let alone next season as well.

By Michael Clower

Bernard Fayd’Herbe’s mount led throughout on his return in the 31 October Pinnacle but managed only eighth from a wide draw in the Merchants three weeks ago. The 100m shorter trip is much in his favour as it gives his breathing problems less time to have an effect.

“He needed that last race, it was his second run after a rest and I hadn’t galloped him,” says Justin Snaith. “He is not drawn on the outside this time and that is important for him as he hangs. He will run well.”

At last Tuesday’s meeting penetrometer readings suggested that the ground on the inside on the sprint course is still some four per cent faster than in the middle or the outside.

Lord Balmoral (Liesl King)

Lord Balmoral opened at 4-1 with World Sports Betting on Wednesday and by yesterday he was disputing favouritism at 33-10. Significantly he wears blinkers for the first time and Vaughan Marshall reports him in good shape.

Andries Steyn says the same about Power Grid (11-2) who sprang a 28-1 shock in a progress plate last time despite losing ground at the start. But the handicappers have raised him 3kg and it is hard to see him coming out on top in this company after that.

Horse Guards is also an 11-2 shot but you would expect a better price than that for a horse who has been off for nearly five months.

La Favourari (13-2) flopped in the 31 October Pinnacle after winning four off the bounce. He lost ground at the start and was eased in the final furlong because Donovan Dillon could sense that  there was something amiss.

“It’s a bit disconcerting that we still don’t really know what was wrong that day although he was coughing afterwards,” says Andre Nel. “I have brought him here for a gallop since and he worked well. Percival (9-1) ran a bit below par last time but at the weights I think he is probably the better horse.”

Kingston Passage has blistering speed and ran a blinder on his first race for nearly six months, losing the lead only 40m from home. He has the second-run-after-a-rest syndrome to overcome but he is probably better than his present handicap mark – almost certainly by more than the kilo he is under sufferance. Interestingly the sa horseracing computer has him beating all except Sergeant Hardy with Power Grid third.

“There is not a lot in the programme for him and we want to see if he is good enough to go anywhere else,” comments Brett Crawford.

Rock Of Africa (11-1) is on a hat-trick and Anthony Andrews has been bringing off bigger shocks than this in recent weeks, while Brutal Force (15-1) has yet to find his form this term but he is the best horse in the race.

By Michael Clower

Turffontein Standside track stages a ten race card on Saturday and Prince Of Kahal could enjoy the step down in trip in the headliner, a MR 89 Handicap over 1160m, which constitutes the last leg of the Pick 6.

Arabian Beat

Prince Of Kahal is well regarded by the Roy Magner yard and has produced some good performances against useful opposition from 1200m up to 1400m. He finished three lengths behind Al Mariachi in the KZN Breeders Million over 1300m in July at Greyville. He had to be switched at a crucial stage and was finishing strongly, so could have got closer. As Al Mariachi is merit rated 101, so Prince Of Kahal looks worth his 93 merit rating. He is drawn six out of eight on a straight course which tends to favour high draws and as a progressive three-year-old colt should go close. Torre Del Oro won last time over course and distance from a tough low draw and this progressive sort looks to have a fine chance of recording a hattrick. He has to overcome a five point merit rated raise but looks up to it. Delpech rides from a middle draw of four.

The New Zealand-bred three-year-old Alwahsh by Sepoy was unbeaten in two starts as a two-year-old and had a tough task in his comeback against good opposition over this course and distance, especially from the low draw he had. He is now drawn one, but the field is a lot smaller and he can perhaps be held up further back than he was last time when handy throughout and then fading after being bumped. He should have benefited from that run and has a touch of class. Machismo is 4,5kg better off with Arabian Beat for a 2,25 length beating which should just about put them together on paper. He also has an in form 1,5kg claimer aboard. He will appreciate the step down to this trip and should be finishing strongly. He looks to be the dark horse in the race.

Arabian Beat won the Grade 1 SA Nursery as a two-year-old and has recently returned to form after a big drop in the merit ratings. On paper he has a fine chance as he is 3,5kg better off with Torre Del Oro for a 0,6 length beating over 1200m. However, the latter defied the handicapper again next time out from a tough draw so is clearly on the up and the breathing noises Arabian Beat often makes are always a concern. Donny G has overall been a touch disappointing but he has plenty of speed and stays up to 1450m so it would be no surprise to see him pop up in a race like this. Pure Blonde has a good course and distance record in three starts here for a win and a second but his last three runs have been uninspiring and he has to lug topweight. Seven-year-old Barbel Run’s last three runs have been well below par and he has not been given any relief from the handicapper. They are selected in the order mentioned.

The seventh is a Pinnacle Stakes race for fillies and mares over 1800m and Witchcraft could be the one to side with. She carries topweight but is the best weighted horse on official merit ratings. She is also having her third run after a rest. Trainer Sean Tarry said after Liege’s Summer Cup win that after the latter’s below par run in the Victory Moon he wondered whether he would have preferred to have Witchcraft in the Summer Cup instead of Liege, so he clearly holds her in high regard. Sylvan On Fire is a progressive sort who finished within a length of top class Nother Russia last time when receiving only 2kg. Nother Russia did need that run, but Sylvan On Fire is on the up and has a shout here. Cascapedia will also be a big runner if settling better than she did last time. In that race with first time blinkers on over this trip, she over raced but still won. This well-bred daughter of High Chaparral is also six months younger than her contemporaries, being Irish-bred, so will be improving all the time.

Witchcraft

The first two races are 800m scurries for two-year-olds. Corné Spies has a fine record in these races and in the first one of them, for fillies, he sends out Miss Boomerang, who is by Bold Silvano out of the speedy six-time winning mare Fun To Fly, who has produced the four-time winning sprinter Zip Line. She looks the one to beat.

In the second, Royal Delight is the selection, being a full-brother to Daring Diva. The latter won over 800m in December last year, before winning her next two starts, including a Listed race.

The best bet on the card could be Ensemble in the fourth over 1160m. She was undone by a tough low draw over course and distance last time, but is now drawn on the right side and if reproducing her run behind Shufoog can beat an uninspiring field under Gavin Lerena.

By David Thiselton