It didn’t take a rocket scientist to work out that the heavy rain and persistent showers over the past three days would result in today’s scheduled Scottsville meeting moved to the Greyville poly track.

However, the move has led to a plethora of withdrawals due to the change of surface and punters are advised to get up to date before placing bets.

Louis Goosen, successful with a double on the weekend, will have taken the switch of surface in his stride as the chances of his filly Shifting Gears were given a boost with the scratching of two of her more prominent rivals, Fiorella and Sitia.

Shifting Gears has come into her own on the poly track and romped home in her maiden win two starts back. That form has been franked with second-placed Green Fairy a subsequent winner.

Lightly raced, she could prefer this shorter trip.

Pearl Glow was a recent maiden winner but does look progressive and could rate the biggest threat to Shifting Gears. Second-placed Holy Flame in that maiden was down the field at her next start but returned with a swollen eye which will account for that poor showing, so Pearl Glow does look capable of following up.

Emma’s Oracle and High Altar are two further casualties of the change in surface but Duncan Howells has a third strong to his bow in Miziara who can provide effective back-up.

Although never in the hunt behind Hastagyolo in the KZN Fillies Guineas Trial, she had shown promise before that and with poly track master Anton Marcus back in the irons she could prove too strong for Miss Carrera and recent maiden winner Everlasting Love.

Racing is on the Greyville poly on Friday evening where the Frank Robinson-trained Roy’s Riviera can add to the Christmas coffers. Robinson had a tilt at the lucrative Highveld races on offer on Summer Cup day and Roy’s Riviera, although beaten nearly five lengths by Folk Dance, was far from disgraced and should have a bright chance of adding a second victory to her CV.

The Australian-bred has yet to finish out of the money and although she takes on some more salted opposition the signs are that she is capable.

The Highveld is never an easy place to raid but Roy’s Riviera acquitted herself well and showed that the form behind the promising Hashtagyolo and Fiorella does hold some water.

She shed her maiden on the poly and over what looks to be her optimum trip at this stage and a handy weight, she looks a serious contender.

Dangers include Parabola, winner first time out on her KZN debut for Brett Crawford and bottom weight Bridal Veil who should much prefer this mile to the 1000m dash of her last start.

By Andrew Harrison

Alec had initially been concerned when Tap O’Noth drew widest of all in the 14-horse field.

However, trainer Vaughan Marshall, who has now won the Cape Guineas five times, put his mind at rest when pointing out he had twice won the big race from wide draws, with Captain Al in 2000 and with Captain Al’s son William Longsword last year.

MJ Byleveld produced one of the rides of the season on William Longsword last year and repeated the feat on Saturday.

He bided his time out wide before choosing the right moment and acting decisively, slotting the rangy Captain Al colt into a midfield position. Thereafter he had cover throughout behind Undercover Agent.

Tap O’Noth moved up well in the straight under hands and heels and when asked the question showed a fine turn of foot to win cosily by half-a-length, despite tending to hang inward.

Alec had been privy to Marshall and Byleveld’s pre-race strategy and said, “The plan worked out perfectly. It was a fantastic ride.”

The Fosters watched from Marshall’s box and Alec understated, “There was a lot of noise!”

Later, the Foster owned-and-bred four-year-old gelding Strathdon, a Justin Snaith-trained half-brother to Tap O’Noth, won the Grade 3 Mahala TV Cape Summer Stayers Handicap over 2500m.

Alec believes Tap O’Noth will stay the trip of the Grade 1 Investec Cape Derby, but cautioned, “It’s only when they actually go over 2000m that you know.”

He also pointed out Strathdon was by the stamina influence Silvano, who is from German blood he had always liked.

Saturday’s Cape Guineas was the third Grade 1 victory for the Fosters, whose participation in South African racing stretches back to 1985, and Alec considered it their most important win.

He said, “If you go back and look at the past winners of the Guineas it has been won by significant colts who have gone on to be stallions and the Fillies Guineas has been won by some wonderful fillies. I would rather win a Classic than the Met or the July. The big handicap races are fantastic days and I always support them, but from a pure breeding perspective the Classic races are literally the classic races.”

He spoke of the long road between planning a thoroughbred breeding and the resultant progeny winning a race.

He said, “It is a very up-and-down sport and not only do you get both geese and swans but mares can get colic, foals can be kicked and you can lose horses. So when you win a race with a horse you have bred it is incredibly rewarding.”

This would especially be the case for the Fosters as Alec describes themselves as “small breeders” and in some scenarios “very small breeders.”

Alec farms cattle in the UK, so has learnt a lot about breeding livestock and sums it up simply, “When you have a very good bull and good cows, you will produce top quality cattle. It is exactly the same in horseracing.”

Not only did Tap O’Noth’s champion sire Captain Al win the Cape Guineas, but his dam Wintersweet is by champion sire Western Winter, who has produced two Cape Guineas winners.

However, a lot is still about chance and Alec said, “Every horse you breed you have a champion in mind, but you can’t dictate whether he will be a champion or a plodder.”

Wintersweet is out of the Elliodor mare, Air Of Elegance, who was bought for the Fosters by John Freeman from Wilfred Koster in 1994.

Air Of Elegance only won one race but became a stalwart for the Fosters in the breeding shed as she also produced Wintersweet’s full-sister Grace Me Guide, a twice Grade 3-placed horse who has produced Graded winners Black Arthur and Robert The Bruce, Grade 1-placed M’Lord’s Throat, Grade 3 runner-up Glenton and five-time winner Ochoncar. All five of these horses ran in the Fosters’ familiar scarlet and gold colours.

Alec took a share in Western Winter early as he was involved in insuring the great stallion.

They had a share in Captain Al and have shares in Dynasty, Gimmethegreenlight and Twice Over, but also send mares to other stallions after doing their pedigree match ups.

They have a house in Cape Town and plan their breeding together with John Freeman shortly before returning to the U.K. in March.

Alec first visited South Africa in 1977 with the Eton Ramblers cricket team and toured with them again in 1981.

He liked South Africa and had always been interested in racing as his family were involved in the sport in the early part of last century.

On one of the cricket tours Alec stayed with Denham Rodwell, owner of the great Wolf Power. He later helped Rodwell find Hot Touch from the U.K and took a share in this horse. Hot Touch finished third in the Champions Stakes and won the Clairwood Gold Vase. When he went to stud Alec bought a mare to be covered by Hot Touch. The resultant filly Steamy Window won four races, including the Grade 1 Natal Oaks. Their breeding interest has grown from that good start. They also buy the odd filly at the sales.

They used to keep their mares at Summerhill, but the stallion strength later moved to the Cape and their mares moved down their. Their mares board at Varsfontein today.

Their horses are trained by Marshall and Snaith in Cape Town and they also have a long association with the late Stanley and Allan Greeff yard from Port Elizabeth.

The Fosters’ second Grade 1 victor was in the 2001 Gold Cup with the Greeff-trained Cereus.

The Foster’s colours are the same as those of Alec’s grandfather, who bred the 1923 Ascot Gold Vase winner.

By David Thiselton

Edict Of Nantes has gone for a walk in the Sun Met betting and since Saturday morning he has drifted from 3-1 joint favourite with Legal Eagle to 11-2 with World Sports Betting. Legal Eagle remains unchanged on 3-1. Betting World has suspended its prices on the race since Saturday.

The easing of the price just might relate to unconfirmed website reports that Edict Of Nantes may be sold to Hong Kong interests. Mayfair Speculators manager Derek Brugman was unavailable for comment yesterday.

In contrast the Brett Crawford-trained four-year-old is 28-10 with WSB for the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate with Legal Eagle (now owned by Braam van Huyssteen and his partners) 14-10 favourite to win the race for the third successive year.

Captain America is next in the betting at 10-1 along with Last Winter even though the latter is far from certain to run.

In the Paddock Stakes (now sponsored by Cartier) the Mike de Kock-trained Nother Russia has been installed 3-1 favourite with Gimme Six 6-1 and Nightingale 7-1. Last Saturday’s Victress winner Star Express is a 10-1 chance.

By Michael Clower

Anton Marcus could dominate today’s racing at Kenilworth where the four-time champion has six mounts and five of them are favourites.

He starts with Big Pleasure who in fact has drifted in the market for the TAB Telebet Graduation. World Sports Betting opened the Joey Ramsden three-year-old at 22-10 but he has gone out to 28-10 as the money has come for Loadshedder.

The Andre Nel runner has the form to win and is rated to do so but a few of the stable’s runners have performed a bit below par recently (Hoist The Mast in the Southern Cross was a notable exception) and the two due to run last Saturday were both scratched as they were coughing. In the circumstances the vote goes to Big Pleasure.

The once-raced Power Of Peace, on the other hand, has been backed for the mile maiden 35 minutes later and has shortened from 19-10 to 11-10. He also started favourite when only third in a five-runner maiden 19 days ago but is bound to have come on from that. Psychic (4-1) from the Sean Tarry stable, and Parisian Gold (10-1) are close on last time’s run and, together with 9-2 shot Earl Of Warwick, look the dangers.

Perfectproportions steps up to a mile in the Betting World Maiden (race four) and the 12-10 favourite could be another for the former champion. The filly probably has most to fear from Anina (9-2) who went close over a furlong less last time.

Kampala Campari looks the one in race five, the Play Soccer Handicap, and the Nel runner shares 5-2 favouritism with Marcus’s mount The Great One who is certainly good enough to expose any chinks in the armour of his principal opponent.

Big Mistake is hard to oppose in race seven after his fifth from a wide draw in the Lanzerac Ready To Run but watch out for Purple Mountains who has only gone up a kilo for coming back to form last time and is still rated 20 points below the mark he had a year ago.

“He got sore in his joints when he went to Durban, he went stale and we battled with him,” recalls Glen Puller. “We sent him to the farm for a break, did physio on him and he has turned around. He has a nice low rating and he has to have a chance.”

Marcus’s final ride is on 28-10 favourite Still I Rise in race eight. This filly has been a bit a disappointing since making a winning debut and she might be vulnerable under top weight.

Prince Oracy’s last run suggests he is the one to get punters off the mark at 5-2 in the opener but it is significant that Corne Orffer rides newcomer Bwana (7-2) in preference to his two more experienced stable companions . “He is a very nice horse who has been working well although, being a first-timer, he will probably need it a bit,” says Brett Crawford.

By Michael Clower

The four-year-old might have lost his unbeaten record – albeit only by the skin of his teeth – but he lost nothing else in a performance that confirmed his potential star quality.

For much of the race 22-1 shot Milton looked like bringing off another of his now-famous front-running shocks with Gavin Lerena conjuring a bit more each time he looked under threat.

Indeed, when Anthony Delpech started niggling early in the straight, those who made Last Winter 12-10 favourite were preparing to tear up their tickets.

Even 100m out – by which time he was really motoring – he was eight lengths adrift and he was still five lengths down 50m from home. But Milton was tiring as fast as the favourite was quickening and had the line been half a stride later the short head verdict would have gone the other way.

Delpech said: “This is a good horse but I got caught behind horses that weren’t going forward. I never hit him – I would only have unbalanced him in the wind – and he was giving me everything anyway.”

Dean Kannemeyer, yet to win the Met, has typically been weighing up every step of the way as assiduously as a mountaineer nearing the peak of Mount Everest.

He said: “I am still keeping things open but I don’t think he will run in the Queen’s Plate and there is now a great possibility that he will go straight into the Met. I would like him to have won but I was very pleased with the way he finished. He really took off in the last furlong and, bar the winner, he spit the rest of them out.”

For Milton’s owner-trainer though it was one of the biggest wins of a long career handling only horses belonging to himself and wife Christine. It was also a perfect end to a difficult week.

The 82-year-old explained: “I was in hospital on Monday to have stents put into my heart and I then had a reaction to the medication. I might now have another think about going for the Met with Milton but I doubt it even though I’ve got no other races for him. I had been thinking of a Pinnacle in PE !”

Justin Snaith will run Sunshine Sweepstake Victress winner Star Express in both the Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes and the Klawervlei Majorca while Mahal TV Cape Summer Stayers winner Strathdon (owner-bred by the Fosters) will attempt to make it five in a row in the Chairman’s Cup on 6 January.

By Michael Clower