The Eric Sands filly has shown superior form to this opposition and is rated the best of them. “She got injured and she then had an abscess,” says her trainer, explaining the lengthy absence. But will she needs the run? “I hope not and she has had a gallop here.”

Eric Sands (hamishNIVENPhotography)

She opened at 22-10 with World Sports Betting on Sunday and was 2-1 yesterday. The Dennis Drier newcomer Sunshine Mint is second favourite at 33-10 with Vice Versa on 7-2. This Brett Crawford runner did not get a clear run on debut and rates the danger ahead of the Snaith filly Spam Alert (5-1).

Aldo Domeyer’s mount Waterbaby is a 9-1 shot and has been off since August. “She cracked her pelvis in her last race so she will probably need it a bit,” says Paul Reeves.

His Photocopy reverts to 1 200m in the TAB Telebet Maiden 35 minutes later and is 22-10 favourite but the shorter trip may not be in the colt’s favour. “He is not a sprinter but he has been haemo-concentrating,” says the trainer, explaining the drop in trip (haemo-concentrating does not have as much impact in sprints).  “We are hoping to get a win out of him before he is gelded, and he is fit and well in himself.”

In the circumstances, though, the vote goes to Bernard Fayd’Herbe’s mount Count Rosberg (33-10) although there is not much in it between him and 5-1 shot Strabo on their last run.

Andre Nel has been having a quiet spell by his standards – even though Hoist The Mast so nearly did it in the Southern Cross – but Washington Square (28-10) may have come on enough to confirm last time’s placings with 19-10 favourite Inertia in the Tabonline.co.za Maiden.

Tyrandeus looks a big price at 15-2 on the form he showed the first time but he has been well beaten twice subsequently. “We gelded him and he is having his first run since,” says Candice Bass-Robinson. “He is a nice horse but he needs to strengthen up more.”

With the Snaith horses in such form Tease at 2-1 is given marginal preference over 17-10 favourite Dynasty’s Blossom in the Betting World Maiden (race four) while Make It Raine gets the vote in the Supabets Handicap despite the strong claims of Sassy Lady, Sun At Midnight and Swift Dancer.

By Michael Clower

It’s been a tough week for Markus Jooste but at least Just Sensual did him proud by getting up in the dying centimetres of the SW Security Solutions Southern Cross Stakes in the teeth of a gale at Kenilworth on Saturday.

From the stands it looked as if Donovan Dillon had just held on to spring a 66-1 shock on Hoist The Mast – Anton Marcus thought so too – but the camera showed that last year’s Cape Fillies Guineas winner had won for the sixth time.

Off for over five months and running over the shortest trip of her life, this was some training performance and Joey Ramsden disclosed: “She is not the biggest so her runs are limited and you have to plan them. I now think that the Garden Province at the end of last season was probably a race too many.

Just Sensual (Liesl King)

“She will go for the other fillies’ sprint (Sceptre on 5 January) but we might also do the Majorca with her too.”

Jooste, leading owner for every one of the past ten seasons, has put an enormous amount into racing and his investment has been a major contributor to employment. He may shy away from the spotlight in victory – a smiling “I’m not allowed to speak to the Press”  is normally all you ever get out of him – but he has given racing manager Derek Brugman free rein.

Plans for the horses, and observations about them, are happily given for onward distribution to the public, and no question is ever shirked or side-stepped. The horses are run openly and honestly while his trainers are positively encouraged to take each other on.

Sometimes the wrong horses win but never once have I heard a racecourse punter complain about the way they have been run. And in a sport where accusations are bandied about as freely as losing Tote tickets (and often as a direct result), that is a statement that speaks for itself.

If, as seems inevitable, he has to cut right back some people will find it easier to win races but many will be out of a job, some of the top stables will be decimated and the bloodstock industry (which he has heavily supported through Klawervlei and at the CTS sales) will take a serious knock.

But back to Kenilworth where Justin Snaith landed a four-timer to take his haul to 13 of the 27 races run in Cape Town so far this month.  Three of Saturday’s winners  were ridden by Grant van Niekerk who looks like being the major beneficiary should Bernard Fayd’Herbe decide against trying to starve himself within striking distance of 55kg to partner Snowdance in the Majorca on the richest day of the season.

Snaith said: “At this stage it’s Grant, otherwise it would be Anton Marcus. But Grant is putting in quite a bit of work in the yard and that is what is likely to get him the ride.”

Friendly Tibbs, described in the racecard as a reliable veteran and by Piet Steyn as “rough and tough like his trainer,” won for the eighth time in 71 starts in the 1 800m handicap despite seldom seeing his stable. He is kept in a paddock night and day to stop him box-walking. He cost a mere R20 000 yet his winnings now exceed R600 000.

 Sean Veale has been suspended for a week (17-23 December) for interference on fourth-placed Anime in the race won by Red Ginger.

By Michal Clower

Tap O’Noth is favourite to give Vaughan Marshall a fifth Cape Guineas win – despite a terrible draw – in the Forus-sponsored classic at Kenilworth on Saturday.

Vaughan Marshall

The Cape Classic winner is 5-1 with Betting World and 9-2 with World Sports Betting but for Marshall the 15 out of 15 pen is a case of déjà vu. “Captain Al was drawn 16 out of 16 when he won in 2000 and last year William Longsword came from 13 out of 16,” he recalls. “So, while this year’s draw is not ideal either, we will take our chances.”

The Milnerton trainer and stable jockey M.J. Byleveld (successful on Le Drakaar in 2008) have already worked out what they are going to do.

Confirming that the horse has the necessary gate speed, Marshall says: “He will have to get out fast and get across. It’s no good trying to tuck him in but you can sit him anywhere.”

The colt (a son of Captain Al) has deliberately not raced since the end of October but Marshall has no reservations about his fitness. “He has done very well since the Classic and he galloped a mile with two other horses on the course last Saturday week. M.J. rode him, he went well and I was very happy with him. He will definitely appreciate the longer straight on Saturday as he is a big, long-striding horse.”

Asked about dangers, Marshall shakes his head and says quietly: “We just need a bit of luck.”

Will he get a bit uptight beforehand or, after four such victories, does the 66-year-old take it all in his stride?  After all, he has been training for 36 years.

He grins. “For me, it’s no different to a maiden race. I still get excited with a maiden and I will be excited with this race too. But I might just get a bit more nervous and be harder to live with!”

White River is second favourite at 13-2 with Betting World which goes 7-1 Rocket Countdown, Do It Again, 8-1 Bold Respect, Undercover Agent, 9-1 Captain And Master, 10-1 and upwards others.

A notable absentee is Cape Merchants second Dutch Philip. Candice Bass-Robinson, who will be represented by Selangor winner Rocket Countdown, has decided to keep him for the $500 000 CTS 1200 on Met day.

By Michael Clower

Apprentice Ashton Arries is a rising star in the apprentice ranks. His seemingly emotionless demur belies a good head on his shoulders but probably more importantly, as the officially world’s best jockey Hugh Bowman acknowledged; “there are a lot of variables that go into being a jockey and being a good horseman is one of them I suppose.”

Horses run for Arries, as he showed when Hero Quest handed him the 50^th win of his career. Seemingly in trouble a furlong out, Brett Crawford’s runner rallied under Arries to hold off a late-charging I Am A Rock in the KZNBDS Trustees Handicap at Greyville yesterday.

Burra Boy (Candiese Marnewick)

Assistant Peter Muscutt, who learnt much of his trade under the legendary David Payne, was lavish in his praise of Arries – one trait not written in the tough Payne training manual.

“It’s always difficult to ride front-running horses with a tearaway leader but he had to access it,” reasoned Muscutt of the ride. “He rode a very good and intelligent race. He looks to have a bright future.”

Hero Quest is lightly race. Muscutt, a recent and valuable addition to the Crawford set-up, commented that the gelding had a big scar on a tendon which had probably resulted in him being so lightly raced, but was optimistic. “He’s a two-miler in the making. Over more ground he will be more effective.”

So one for the notebooks come the Champions Season marathons.

Also learning his trade under Payne was Duncan Howells who landed a double and demonstrated his prowess as he nursed former BSA Million winner Legend back from a potentially career-ending heart strain to win the EMS Red Sol Handicap. “That race (the million) possibly came to soon and he developed a heart problem but he has bounced back to his best,” said Howells.

“He was probably too far out of his ground,” reasoned Howells of his charges last race, “so I told Keagan (De Melo) to place this horse and see what he can do. He will end up going 2000m.”

Louis Goosen has made a bit of a splash since arriving in KZN and settling down at Ashburton and he landed another winner as bottom weight Captain’s Girl put a smart field of seasoned sprinters to the sword in the Jumpstart Montessori Handicap.

Eric Ngwane, KZN’s leading apprentice for the last two seasons, bounced the filly out smartly and then eased up to make his own pace. With a tail-wind to assist in the straight he kept her going strongly to easily hold top weight Muscat and the grey Isca.

“She can move,” said a gravel-voiced Goosen after a hard vocal ride and probably in need of some of his ‘wonder water’. “He (Ngwane) gave her a good ride. He listened and rode a very good race.”

By Andrew Harrison

Sean Veale’s mount produced a tremendous turn of foot to get up close home in the Laisserfaire over 100m further last time and has been a steady 33-10 favourite in the World Sports Betting book for the past week. She escapes a penalty – which could be a deciding factor – and she is reported in good shape.

“She is fine,” says Dennis Drier, adding: “She is a nice filly who will give a good account of herself.”

Dennis Drier

Jo’s Bond, who has to give her a kilo for winning this 12 months ago, is having her first run for more than six months but she is particularly effective over this trip and her stable is on fire with nine winners at the last two Kenilworth meetings. She looks the danger, particularly with Bernard Fayd’Herbe also on a roll.

“She has been ready for a long time but there have been no suitable prep races,” says Justin Snaith. “I have done what I can with her and she has been working well. She is tough and game.

“I am in form at the moment whereas some yards are not and I am trying to take advantage,” he adds – with Casual Diamond (12-1), Nordic Breeze (22-1) and Angel’s Trumpet (25-1) also in the stable line-up.

Jo’s Bond shares 15-2 third favouritism with Just Sensual – fast enough to take second in the South African Fillies Sprint but surely not the winner with a 2kg penalty and a five month absence- and the once-raced maiden winner Shufoog.  If she was with any other trainer you would dismiss this one as shooting at stars but Mike de Kock has not got where he is today by over-evaluating his horses.

According to the bookies the big danger to Sommerlied is Green Plains at 7-2, even though the handicappers reckon she should finish no closer than sixth. The Sean Tarry filly was second in the Allan Robertson and went close on her return in Power Grid’s Progress Plate.

Live Life (9-1) would probably prefer a furlong further but she is better than recent form would suggest. “She choked up a bit last time and she is doing well at home,” says Candice Bass-Robinson.

There is a lot of interest in the first Cape Town two-year-old races of the season. Vartanium (19-10) looks the part in race one where Snaith says that Captainofthesea (28-10) is “probably the most precocious” of his three.

By Michael Clower