Justin Snaith has revealed that he has been adopting a different approach to getting his horses ready for their races this season.

He explains: “We now go into each race a gallop short because we want the horses to last longer into the season. We will know at the end of it whether or not it has worked.”

He runs a quarter of the 16-strong field for the SW Security Solutions Southern Cross Stakes at Kenilworth on Saturday. Last year’s winner Jo’s Bond  (Bernard FaydHerbe) is the shortest price of the Snaith Racing four at 7-1, Corne Orffer has been booked for 12-1 chance Casual Diamond while Robert Khathi rides Nordic Breeze (20-1) and Grant van Niekerk is on 25-1 shot Angel’s Trumpet.

World Sports Betting makes the Dennis Drier-trained Laisserfaire winner Sommerlied (Sean Veale) 33-10 favourite to extend her remarkable record to six wins from seven starts. Sean Tarry’s Green Plains (MJ Byleveld) is second favourite at 4-1.

WSB stood for the first time at Kenilworth last Saturday and the firm says it will continue to do so for all Cape Town meetings.

It has opened its Cape Guineas book with Cape Classic winner Tap O’Noth sharing 8-1 favouritism with runner-up Undercover Agent, Selangor third Do It Again and Bold Respect. Surprise Selangor winner Rocket Countdown is next on 9-1. In the Premier Trophy the unbeaten Last Winter heads the market on 3-1.

The Mike de Kock-trained Mujaafy, only third when starting 11-10 favourite to maintain his unbeaten record in Saturday’s graduation plate, was reported by Brandon Lerena to be hanging throughout and the vets found that the colt was not striding out behind.

Kasimir, who won the race, goes for the $500 000 CTS 1200 on Sun Met day.

By Michael Clower

Prominent KZN trainer Gavin van Zyl and passionate owner Michael Leaf will be targeting both of the US$500 races on Sun Met day together, the CTS Mile and the CTS 1200, with Flying Free and So Var respectively.

Van Zyl has at least five feature race horses to look forward to for the rest of the season, while his son Gareth, also based at Summerveld, has quickly built up his string after parting company with big KZN owner Brian Burnard.

Flying Free could have a shout in the CTS Mile, having been a touch unlucky in the Grade 2 Investec Dingaans over 1600m on Turffontein Standside last time out, where he finished a 1,4 length fourth. He was dropped out to last in the Dingaans from a draw of 14 out of 15 and was moving up strongly when his path was blocked. He was forced to switch inward a couple of times and was finishing well on the inside rail. In his previous races he had shown plenty of speed, particularly when only just failing to hold on over 1450m from the highly regarded Broadway Trip, although he was receiving 3kg from the latter. The relatively easy 1600m of Kenilworth should suit Flying Free down to the ground.

So Var and Flying Free were both precocious enough to start their careers in January of their two-year-old seasons.

So Var later won three on the trot from 1000-1160m, and included among these was a two length victory over the classy Alfolk over 1000m despite having to give the latter 2kg. So Var ended his two-year-old season running a decent 2,75 length second to the classy Al Mariachi, to whom he gave 2kg, in the Grade 3 Umkhomazi Stakes over 1200m at Greyville. However, he will have to bounce back from a poor run last time out in his second run of the season, where he faded tamely and finished last over 1200m.

Van Zyl will find one more run for each of the pair before they head for Cape Town.

Van Zyl travelled Budapest down to Cape Town four days before he won the R2,5 million Lanzerac Ready To Run Stakes over 1400m in 2015, and he will use the same travelling strategy with Flying Free and So Var.

On Saturday the Van Zyl-trained Harlan County gave cheek to the classy Surcharge in the Listed Secretariat Stakes over 1400m before going down by 0,6 lengths. The Pathfork gelding was receiving 8kg from the winner, but it was his first run out of the maidens, He is out of Al Mufti mare Al Nibari, who produced Grade 1 winner Little Miss Magic and Grade 3 winner Without Malice. He will go for next year’s Gauteng Triple Crown races.

Van Zyl-trained Black Minnaloushe gelding Blackball carried 59kg in The Secretariat and finished a 6,45 length seventh. However, Van Zyl was upbeat about his future  as he is a half-brother to Rocketball, who ran a close second in the SA Derby for the yard two years ago.

Van Zyl also has a promising three-year-old in Await The Dawn filly Pilgrim’s Progress, who has won three on the trot from 1800-2000m.

“She is very decent,” he said. She showed a fine turn of foot last time when winning a three-year-old handicap over 1800m off an 83 merit rating. She will continue to improve and looks tailor-made for the Grade 1 SA Fillies Classic and the SA Oaks.

Meanwhile, the yard are hoping their classy four-year-old Bella Sonata will eventually land a good draw. She proved she is Grade 1 class over a mile last season, running second to Nother Russia in the weight for age Empress Club Stakes from draw 14 of 15 and third to Bela-Bela in the Garden Province Stakes from draw 8 of 14. This season she has won the Grade 3 Jo’Burg Spring Fillies and Mares Challenge over 1450m when drawn well and has been undone by wide draws in two Grade 2s over a mile, the Emperor’s Palace Charity Mile and the Ipi Tombe Challenge, although she was only 1,3 lengths behind Nother Russia in fifth place in the latter race when receiving only 1kg.

The journey to the CTS Million dollar day started when Leaf pointed out two Maine Chance Farms-bred sons of Var he liked on pedigree at the CTS Premier Yearling Sale of 2016 and asked Van Zyl to look at them.

Flying Free is out of Frequent Flyer, who won the Listed Stormsvlei Mile and was twice placed second in the Grade 1 Majorca Stakes over 1600m. Frequent Flyer is the daughter of Grade 1 November Handicap winner Fov’s Fancy.

Van Zyl said, “Frequent Flyer was a very good racehorse and Flying Free was a well put together yearling.”

So Var is out of the seven time-winning Wolfhound sprinter, Surabi, who won the Grade 2 Camellia Stakes and the Listed Gardenia Handicap. Furthermore, Surabi is a half-sister to the top class dual Grade 1-winner Gypsy’s Warning, who held her own in the USA.

Van Zyl said, “Surabi had been threatening to throw a nice horse. This one was by Var and was also a nicely put together horse”.

He added, “I managed to buy both of them within the budget.”

Flying Free was the first foal of Frequent Flyer and Van Zyl clinched her for R450,000 on behalf of Leaf. He had earlier secured So Var for R500,000.

Meanwhile, Gareth has been well supported by some top owners and already has a string of 34. Among them are three Silvano’s, two Var’s, a Captain Al, a Judpot from a top mare and an Oratorio.

By David Thiselton

Robyn-Jack-Twigg, who ran green when starting second favourite on debut, looks worth another chance in the opening  Itsarush Maiden at Kenilworth today.

The Dennis Drier gelding should know more about it this time and he has a fitness advantage over the form horse Royal Marine who has not raced since running below par in April when he was reported to be making a respiratory noise. “He is as fit as I can get him without stressing him but he is only three-quarters ready,” says Greg Ennion.

Royal Marine opened favourite with World Sports Betting on Sunday but has since eased to 28-10 while Robin-Jack-Twigg has also gone out (from 28-10 to 33-10) as the money has come for the Paul Lafferty newcomer Majestic Glory. The booking of Bernard Fayd’Herbe looks significant although it is not easy to win first time on this course

Sir Capers (15-4) has shown promise in some good maidens but it is a bit disturbing to see him dropping back from 1 400m. La Mer (17-2) has place prospects.

Justin Snaith sets a poser in race two by running the two who dominate the market – 13-10 favourite The Boston Rose and 15-10 chance Bid Before Sunset – and he is the first to admit that he doesn’t know the answer!

“Both are ready to win but I didn’t want to run just one of them because I want to win the race,” he explains. “I have no preference – maybe The Boston Rose but just maybe. It will come down to jockeyship.”

Both are dropping back from 1 400m and both were ridden by Fayd’Herbe last time. He partners The Boston Rose but he was not given the choice – Snaith decided who rides which. It looks a toss of the coin job with Fayd’Herbe’s mount coming up heads.

But don’t ignore the five-year-old Duchess Of Prussia (9-1) who showed much improved form over this trip last time. “She ran here six times and none of those who rode her said anything about tying her tongue down,” Mike Stewart relates. “But when I then rode her on the beach I saw that she was swallowing it. I fitted a tongue tie in her last race and that was the reason for the improvement.”

Snaith runs five of the 12 in the Tabonline.co.za Maiden. Riding arrangements, the form book and the betting all point to Miyabi Gold who is favourite at 16-10. But she gets only marginal preference over the Bass-Robinson runner Pearl Jam (18-10).

The Woolavington Handicap is traditionally a 2 400m Listed race here in the spring – it was won by Strathdon this year – but for the second time inside four weeks there is a race of this name run over 1 200m. Johnny Black won the last one and this time Doublemint may just be good enough to account for Para Handy.

Top weight Blow In The Box was returned not striding out when starting favourite last time and he is 13-10 favourite to recoup the losses in the Betting World Handicap. But Spring Gold (18-10) is weighted to confirm the placings.

By Michael Clower

Turffontein has an eight race meeting tomorrow night, which includes the first two Johannesburg 800m races of the season.

Punters could get off to a good start with Roma Aeterna, who runs in the first, a Workrider’s Maiden over 1400m. Last time over 1450m on the Inside track she over-raced when finding herself in front, but settled after a horse had come around her. She then stayed on well and was slightly unlucky in the closing stages as a fading horse shifted left, cramping her for room. She is up against the boys, which is never easy, but it is an uninspiring field and if she settles she should go close. Soldat is having his 20^th start, but is consistent enough to be the main threat. Mike de Kock has a first-timer filly by Marchfield, who could do well as she is a half-sister to a six-timer winner by Dupont.

The two-year-old races are next. Corné Spies often wins these early season 800m events so is taken to run one-two in the first of them, which is for fillies. He runs two Bold Silvano fillies. Miss Boomerang is out of the speedy six time-winner Fun To Fly and is a half-sister to the four time-winning sprinter Zip Line, so she is taken to beat her stablemate Mazari. The Paul Matchett-trained Brave Mzaya is speedily bred, being by Eightfold Path out of a Windrush mare and she could also make her presence felt.

The first 800m race on the Highveld last year was won by the Barend Botes-trained King Of Kings filly Daring Diva and he sends out her full-brother Royal Delight in the second of the 800m events tomorrow night. The Spies-trained Ashaawes colt Cyber Special will give a lot of cheek as he is a full-brother to Cyber Magic, who finished third in the Grade 3 Pretty Polly Stakes over 1100m last year in just her second career start before finishing fifth in the Grade 1 Allan Robertson over 1200m. The Mike Azzie-trained Heavenly Risk should also have a lot of speed being by Var out of Divine Nymph, who finished runner up in the Allan Robertson.

The fourth race over 1400m could go to the De Kock-trained Sweaty Betty, who was run out of it over 1200m last time by a well-bred first-timer Penny Royal, who is a Captain Al half-sister to Princess Victoria. Sweaty Betty has a nice stride and should love the step up in trip.

Down To Zero is the best weighted in the fifth over 1000m and has plenty of speed so can beat the progressive Mujallad, from whom he receives 3kg. Whorly Whorly is a lot better than his last run and beat Mujallad by two lengths at level weights over this trip in April and is now 1kg better off. However, Mujallad has improved past him since then and is by Redoute’s Choice, with whose progeny the De Kock yard have a fine record.

Spring Poetry looks likely to relish the step up in trip to 1800m in the sixth and Shenenigans will relish stepping back to his winning distance of 2000m in the seventh. They are the respective selections.

Emily Jay has always struck as one with a touch of class and she can be followed, having won her seasonal reappearance over the too sharp 1400m and now stepping up to 1600m off a four point higher mark.

in the last race over 1600m Shogun did well to finish fifth over 1400m on Summer Cup day considering he ran wide into the straight. He will relish the step up in trip and has Gavin Lerena up so is the one to beat.

By David Thiselton

Legal Eagle has been installed 3-1 favourite for the Sun Met by World Sports Betting with Edict Of Nantes next on 9-2. But on the evidence of Saturday’s Green Point it’s going to be a battle royal between the two in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate let alone in the Met.

They were divided by only half a length in the Kenilworth Grade 2 with the Mayfair pair challenging either side of the pace-setting Captain America.

Anton Marcus, repeating last year’s win, said: “I was loathe to get into a dogfight with Captain America too soon, especially as Sean had left a bit in the locker. But it’s going to be close again in the Queen’s Plate – one is an improver and the other is holding his form.”

Derek Brugman observed: “Edict Of Nantes has matured and strengthened up. Last season you had to push him over a mile but now you don’t.”

The Mayfair racing manager, quizzed about Legal Eagle’s apparent vulnerability over the Met trip, said: “He may be better over a mile but he gets ten furlongs alright. Don’t forget, he would have won last season’s Met had it been run on this season’s weight-for-age terms.”

Sean Tarry, who missed his wife’s birthday to be at the Green Point, left the course well satisfied with both his stable star’s performance and the way it fitted into his preparation for Cape Town’s big two races.

“This second race back is always the tricky one,” he explained. “Nobody expects anything in the first one and in the second one you have to leave the horse a little bit underdone. At the same time you can’t let him fluff his lines. After today we know exactly where we are with him and hopefully there is enough left in the tank to find another gear in the Queen’s Plate.”

Glen Puller is debating whether to run Silicone Valley in the January 6 showpiece after the 12-1 chance finished fast under Donovan Dillon to snatch the WSB Cape Merchants. The gelding was only beaten four and a half lengths when fifth in last season’s race.

Runner-up Dutch Philip reverts to a mile in Saturday week’s Cape Guineas before going for the big money in the CTS Sprint while the gallant Tevez (somewhat insultingly priced at 55-1) earned a reprieve by finishing fourth. July hero Marinaresco finished with only three behind him but satisfied his trainer who said: “He can’t be competitive in a sprint but this should have put him where I need him for the Queen’s Plate.”

By Michael Clower