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

Snowdance will bid to become the first to complete the Fillies Guineas- Klawervlei Majorca double since Sun Classique 11 years ago after the spectacular way the 11-10 favourite demolished the opposition in the World Sports Betting classic at Kenilworth on Saturday.

Justin Snaith, winning this race for the fifth time and successful in five of the nine races, said: “She definitely won’t run in the Paddock Stakes – we are being careful in the way we pick our races this season – so she probably won’t race again before the Majorca.”

Bernard Fayd’Herbe, winning his second Cape Fillies Guineas, took it up over two furlongs out and the Captain Al filly stretched further and further away. She was five lengths clear at one point but she was eased before the line to win ears pricked by three and a quarter lengths.

Fayd’Herbe said: “At the 500m mark I thought it was a bit early to go but she is such a good horse that I let her take it up and quicken away. The last filly I rode this good was Sun Classique.”

The winner’s 1 min 38.4 time, even though a second slower than the Green Point, was the fastest in the Fillies Guineas in the past 12 years.

The R2 million National Yearling sale purchase is yet another feather in the cap for breeder Vaughan Koster. She carries Jack Mitchell’s colours but is part-owned by Gaynor Rupert’s Drakenstein which underlined its considerable strength in depth by breeding and owning both the second and third.

Runner-up Oh Susanna will run in the Paddock Stakes while a short head behind was 75-1 shot Fresnaye who fully justified Joey Ramsden’s prediction that she could run into a place. Lady In Black (Dennis Drier: “She ran a cracker but she is looking for further”) was just over a length further back fourth with Magical Wonderland reproducing her previous form with the winner in fifth.

Candice Bass-Robinson said: “She got shuffled back early on but also I think a mile is a little bit far for her. I will give her a break and then she goes for the $500 00 CTS Sprint on Met day.”

Love Supreme’s saddle slipped and she was found to be lame after finishing with only two behind her while Too Phat To Fly (tenth) lost a hind shoe and was cut into.

By Michael Clower

Brave Mary, facile winner of the Gr1 Alan Robertson Championship was vote Horse of the Year at the annual KZN Breeders Awards that took place on Saturday at Fordoun Hotel and Spa in Nottingham Road.

CHAMPION 2YO FILLY – sponsored by Piemonte Stud: Brave Mary

CHAMPION 2YO COLT – sponsored by THE EQUINE GROUP: Zodiac Jack

CHAMPION 3YO FILLY – sponsored by CHOICE CARRIERS: Anna Pavlova

CHAMPION 3YO COLT – sponsored by Equifeeds: Matador Man 

CHAMPION SPRINTER FEMALE – sponsored by Odds On Colours: Anna Pavlova

CHAMPION SPRINTER MALE – sponsored by Flying The Flag : Talktothestars

CHAMPION MIDDLE DISTANCE FEMALE  – sponsored by TRM: Intergalactic 

CHAMPION MIDDLE DISTANCE MALE  – sponsored by Crusade: Matador Man

CHAMPION STAYER MALE AND FEMALE – sponsored by Hughcor: The Elmo Effect

CHAMPION OLDER FEMALE – sponsored by Gold Circle: Intergalactic 

CHAMPION OLDER MALE – sponsored by Epol Horse Feeds: Talktothestars

BROODMARE OF THE YEAR – sponsored by Gold Circle: Mary Lou

STALLION PROSPECT OF THE YEAR: Crusade

STALLION OF THE YEAR – sponsored by Thoroughbred Breeders Association: Kahal 

BREEDERS ACHIEVEMENT AWARD – sponsored by Summerhill Stud: Bruce Le Roux

LEADING BREEDER OF THE YEAR – sponsored by Almiray Vet Practice: Summerhill Stud

SPECIAL LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD – sponsored by Spurwing Horse Feeds: Anton and Judy Procter

ANITA AKAL INDUSTRY AWARD: Greig Muir

HORSE OF THE YEAR – sponsored by Gold Circle: Brave Mary

After a two-month break, Scottsville patrons were greeted by a strip of manicured lawn and competitive fields as trainers lined up for a crack on the almost virgin turf.

It was not all good new for punters as a few long shots made catching the exotics tricky but not so Redcarpet Captain. “He’s a good horse,” said a cuffed Mark Dixon after Brandon Lerena got the gelding home in a tight finish to the Reddy’s Cartage & Tanker Services Pinnacle Plate.

“He’s a lazy horse and thank goodness we had Brandon aboard. He had to get into him a little bit at the end.”

The Christmas Handicap in next on the agenda for Redcarpet Captain with Dixon confident that his charge will get a mile. Seventh Plain was game in defeat and The Poet, returning from a lengthy break, only surrendered late as his condition gave out.

There were no secrets in the first juvenile scurry of the season as the well-backed Vertical Decent landed the odds. The word was out early in the week that Mike Miller’s charge would be hard to beat and so it proved although the colt made Gavin Lerena work for his riding fee.

Vertical Decent was all over the course when under pressure but under Lerena’s skilled hands he landed the odds comfortably ahead of Special Force and Play The Tune, the first runner for freshman sire Noble Tune.

Replacement rider Warren Kennedy had a nightmare ride on Love Theme in the second as he dropped his near side rein when switching his crop. It all became a bit of a tangle before he got straightened out but the bird had flown as Anton Marcus on Prosecco took full advantage of Kennedy’s misfortune.

Buying full siblings to champions does not always guarantee in a repeat but Statute, a full sister to Vodacom Durban July winner Legislate, got her racing career off to a bright start as she spread-eagled her field in the opening leg of the Pick 6.

It was not the strongest of maiden fields but Michael Roberts’s charge sped clear with a furlong to run and the result was never in doubt.

The KZN Summer Challenge Series of races proved as competitive as ever with Wynkelder giving Mandla Ntuli a deserved win for Tony Rivalland, catching favourite Di Mazzio close home.

Saint Marco continued his consistent form when finishing too strongly to deny Viento a hat-trick of victories.

Possible disappointment of the afternoon was a below par showing by Zen Arcade, strongly fancied for the Series mile. He struggled to quicken as Seattle Skyline finished with a wet sail to out-run Admiral’s Guest and game front-runner Baltic Amber.

By Andrew Harrison