It’s rare for Mike de Kock to run horses in Kenilworth maidens and so punters seem sure to seize on Afdeek in the Bradbury Finance Maiden at the Cape Town course tomorrow.

The Australian-bred has twice gone close at the Vaal in races over 1 200m and the booking of Bernard Fayd’Herbe underlines the impression that the maestro means business. The only drawback is the price because World Sports Betting opened the gelding at 11-20 yesterday and the chances of him easing to a more backable even money are just about zero.

Second favourite at 22-10 is newcomer Power Of Peace. This Dynasty colt is a well bred sort and Joey Ramsden has shown a few times this year that he is not averse to having a horse ready to collect first time.

The Glen Kotzen-trained The Goon Show is interesting at 7-1 as he was an encouraging third to Red Eight in the middle of the month and looks an obvious danger.  However Milden Spell (10-1) has been off since January.

Another stand-out is Billy Silver in race nine, not least because Anthony Delpech is in town for just this one ride. Sadly Dennis Bosch’s Cape Classic fifth is already odds-on but he should beat 9-2 second favourite Bobby Dazzler who is on a hat-trick.

This is the meeting that France Galop asked to be switched from the previous day and extended to 11 races so that their punters have something to bet on each side of the French meeting. The National Racing Bureau has done well to come up with ten, albeit with gaps of between 30 and 55 minutes between races.

Four of the ten are maidens, a category that has proved difficult for punters at this course in recent weeks, but Flower Of Carmel should start the ball rolling in the opening Samson Foundation Maiden Plate. The Candice Bass-Robinson filly had U For Me three and a half lengths behind when both made their second starts over this trip at the beginning of the month and, although third-placed Vase has since let the form down, there was a valid excuse for that filly’s run.

The Ica Laboratories Maiden half an hour later is more tricky and presents punters with the perennial problem of whether to go for a lightly raced horse that has shown considerable promise or one who has a lot more experience but doesn’t appear to have as much potential. Surprisingly, and frequently costly, it is the latter which often comes out on top at Kenilworth.

That said Hello Summer gets the vote in preference to Love Dove and Bikini Model as the Andre Nel filly was beaten a lot less on debut than the ground she lost at the start. Star Burst, third in a big field last time, can also pose a threat.

By Michael Clower

Alistair Gordon is probably going to give his Investec Dingaans winner Monks Hood a short break before aiming him at the Grade 2 Betting World Gauteng Guineas on March 3 next year.

Monks Hood became the first KZN-trained horse since the Gavin van Zyl-trained The Apache in 2010 to win the Dingaans. However, The Apache was trained out of a Johannesburg satellite yard and historians would probably have to go back to the David Payne-trained Sealegs in 1987 to find the last horse before Monk’s Hood to successfully raid the Dingaans from KZN.

A study of thoroughbreds racing at altitude has never been done, because South Africa is the only country affected by it.

Trainers rely on anecdotal evidence to form their own theories and once those theories are established they tend to stick to them.

Monks Hood travelled up to Turffontein on Friday night and arrived on Saturday morning. This follows the popular theory, also used in sports like rugby, that it is best to arrive as close to the race as possible when raiding altitude from the coast. However, it should be pointed out Summerveld is already a third of the altitude of Johannesburg, so in theory it should be easier for a Summerveld-trained horse to raid than a Port Elizabeth or Cape Town horse. Highveld raiders can usually get away races over a mile and shorter too.

Gordon was not overly concerned when the meeting was postponed to Sunday for two reasons. Firstly, in his opinion, KZN raiders perform better on the Highveld in wet conditions than they do in hot, dry conditions. Secondly, he recalled a Germiston November Handicap meeting of many years ago, which was postponed for a whole week after the KZN raiders had arrived and the KZN horses had gone on to fill the first five places, thus throwing all of the altitude theories out of the window.

Gordon was unable to go into the Dingaans confident as the recent Selangor Cup had put the result of the Grade 1 Premier’s Champions Stake, run on Gold Cup day at Greyville, into question. Monk’s Hood had run a fine 0,65 length fourth in the latter race, especially considering he had jumped from the widest draw of all.

The Selangor result had Gordon worried. However, he was given renewed hope after talking to jockey Bernard Fayd’Herbe who told him Ancestry, runner up in the Premier’s Champion Stakes, was a much better horse than his five length eighth in the Selangor suggested.

Gordon was not too concerned by Monks Hood’s disappointing third in a 1200m polytrack preparation race two weeks before the Dingaans and pointed out it was the second time he had run below par on the poly. He probably just does not enjoy the surface. Gordon added, “A 1200m poly race at Greyville is a lot different to 1600m on turf at Turffontein.”

Monk’s Hood was taken for a walk from his Turfffontein stable on Saturday and again on Sunday morning.

Gordon was pleased with how the race panned out from the off and was full of praise for the reigning SA Champion Jockey Anthony Delpech.

“From a high draw at Turffontein it is better to give a horse a chance and to sit coming up the hill. Turning for home I could see Anthony still had plenty of horse underneath him. When he let him down he came through well. He had had enough by the line but Turffontein in the soft is one of the toughest miles in South Africa. It was a peach of a ride.”

The impressive part of Monks Hood’s win was that the cover he had coming up the hill disappeared when they passed the false rail and he had only daylight in front of him for the last 700m. With a better draw in the Gauteng Guineas, he could improve on this performance.

Gordon was grateful to owner Mary Slack of Wilgerbosdrift Stud for giving him an opportunity to train such a good quality thoroughbred.

Gordon has trained a lot of top horses in the past, including the great Scarlet Lady and others like Extra Cover and Brer Rabbit.

Another good horse he trained was ironically called Mauritzfontein, the name of the stud farm founded by Slack’s parents Harry and Bridget Oppenheimer. This horse was raced in the UK by the Oppenheimers and Gordon’s connections bought it from them and imported it to South Africa, where he won five races, including the 1985 Grade 1 Mainstay International over 1800m at Clairwood (today’s Champions Cup).

Gordon first trained horses for the Oppenheimer family after they had a split with Dennis Drier, but Monks Hood is the first black type winner he has had for them.

Expert bloodstock agent Jehan Malherbe found Monks Hood and Gordon was then asked for the go ahead.

“He was an outstanding yearling,” he recalled. “He was big and strong, very nice looking, and had a lot of scope and his sire Querari had been doing pretty well. The female line was not the strongest up front and he sold for that price (R375,000) because of what he looked like. The female line looks better now!”

Monks Hood is out of the Camden Park mare Amber Bouqet, who won three races from 1100m to 1400m and finished third in the Listed Lady’s Slipper Stakes over 1400m at Fairview.

Gordon was pleased for Monks Hood’s Eastern Cape-based breeders Arne and the late Ben Botha, especially as there is a full-brother to Monks Hood on the forthcoming National Yearling Sales in April next year.

Monks Hood has won two races with four places from six starts and stakes of R439 625. He also banked the BSA Added Value Stakes Bonus of R102 500.

The Dingaans has muddied the waters for analysts attempting to assess how good this three-year-old crop is and how good last year’s two-year-old Graded form was.

As Gordon said, “The proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

By David Thiselton

Magical Wonderland has only been beaten once in five starts but, by common consent, the 4-1 second favourite has it all to do in the World Sports Betting Cape Fillies Guineas at Kenilworth on Saturday – and her trainer is no exception to the general belief.

“Justin Snaith’s filly is going to be hard to beat and we have over four lengths to make up,” acknowledges Candice Bass-Robinson who played a key role in Silver Mountain’s success two years ago. There just might be stamina problems too if the pace is searching.

“I think a mile is her limit,” the Milnerton trainer continues. “But she is very well in herself and she is drawn well so we can hope.”

Stable companion Rings And Things is the 50-1 rank outsider. “She’s a long-shot but she is a hard-knocking sort and her form out of the maidens is pretty consistent. If she runs a place we will be happy.”

Dutch Philip, a star juvenile, has been considered more of a sprinter by his stable and he is 8-1 to prove the point in the WSB Cape Merchants – “He is doing very well, he will enjoy the trip and he must have a shout.”

Seemingly, though, it’s the last chance saloon for Tevez, twice a winner of this race, once second and fifth last year. “He is getting on and he didn’t run so well on his first run back. If he doesn’t shape up I am going to retire him.”

No horse has won this with 62kg in the past 16 years at least but then much the same was said about Marinaresco before the July. “This is a gallop before the Queen’s Plate and it will be a bit sharp for him but he will run well.”

You can get 15-1 about Our Mate Art in the WSB Green Point and the four-year-old’s trainer is being realistic – “If he beats two home he will be doing well.”

Brett Crawford, who runs the hat-trick seeking 12-1 chance Love Supreme in the Fillies Guineas, provides strong three- handed opposition to 11-10 favourite Legal Eagle in the WSB Green Point Stakes – most notably with Edict Of Nantes who is 28-10 second favourite.

Will he confirm the recent Pinnacle placings with Captain America (5-1) and Sail South (8-1)? “There is no reason why he can’t – I feel he has come on since that race,” is the in-form trainer’s answer.

And can he beat Legal Eagle? Crawford carefully considers the question before giving his answer: “Legal Eagle is a top horse, he has never been beaten over a mile and he is rated 123 whereas Edict is on 113 so on paper it’s going to be difficult – but they don’t race on paper!”

Search Party won last year’s WSB Cape Merchants with 52kg and now he has 59.5kg yet he is 5-1 second favourite. Can he do it? “He is a big horse, he can carry the weight and I think he is a huge runner.

“Al Mariachi (8-1) is in top form but he is a little bit under sufferance. Coming back to six furlongs is a little bit on the short side for Black Cat Black (15-1) but he comes into it off bottom weight and has a chance of running into the money.”

By Michael Clower

The Vaal stages a low key eight-race meeting tomorrow and Cathedral County could make more progress by beating a good field in the headliner.

The four-year-old Trippi gelding runs in race 6, a MR 85 Handicap over 1000m. Former champion jockey Gavin Lerena has ridden Cathedral County three times for three wins and is back aboard. Last time out after losing a length at the start, he was soon up with the pace and the horse then stretched clear in the closing stages to win by 1,4 lengths without being under any pressure. He has only been given a four point merit rated raise and this well regarded sort should be coming into his own. Vicomte ran on well in his penultimate start over this trip on the Turffontein Inside course to be beaten only 1,25 lengths by the classy Alfolk when receiving only 3kg. This three-year-old Var gelding will appreciate the step down in trip after being well beaten over 1400m in the Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run Cup.

He has a long-striding action and should be finishing strongly again off a merit rating of 86 and should go close considering Alfolk is now merit rated 100. Marmook will also be a strong contender and on paper can beat Cathedral County on a strict line through Bono. Cathedral County beat the latter by 1,4 lengths when giving him 4kg and Marmook beat Bono by 4,75 lengths when receiving 1,5kg. Marmook now receives 6kg from Cathedral County and having won that last race comfortably in his first outing as a gelding he can continue to progress. Rebel’s Champ also has his second run after gelding and if recapturing the form which saw him running 1,5 lengths behind So Var at level weights over 1160m, he has a chance off an 85 merit rating, considering So Var is now merit rated 94.

The meetings starts off with an interesting first-timer in the Candice Dawson-trained Silvano colt Shadow Man. This horse was bought for R1,9 million and is a half-brother to dual Grade 1-winner Thunder Dance. He faces an uninspiring maiden field over 1500m and is drawn in pole. Flexible Fugitive looks the horse to beat among those who have raced. He finished just 3,55 length behind the decent sort Ideal Secret over 1400m in June. Last time he was tried over 1800m and didn’t go on with his effort, so is interesting dropped back to this trip with blinkers on.

In the first leg of the PA, a maiden for fillies and mares over 1500m, Silvano is also represented by a well-bred sort. The three-year-old Zargun is a daughter of Grade 2 Gauteng Fillies Guineas and Grade 1 Woolavington 2000-winner Zirconeum, who went on to finish second in the Vodacom Durban July. Zargun made a fair debut over 1400m in June and has not run since. She does not have a lot to beat in her comeback run here. Adrenalina ran an improved race last time when stepped up to this trip and can also be included in the PA, although her wide draw makes it tricky and the better-drawn Our Biscuit thus also warrants consideration.

In the first leg of the Pick 6, a maiden over 2000m, Before Noon would likely no longer be a maiden if the race he was entered in last time over further than this had not been cancelled due to lightning. This big son of Await The Dawn ran out of racetrack when chasing the winner over this trip before that. He does not have a lot to beat here and the Sean Tarry yard will hopefully turn the corner from their spell of bad form now that they have the first Grade 1 of the season, the Sansui Summer Cup, under their belt. One Wall Street and Matchmaker don’t look any great shakes but could be the main dangers.

The first leg of the Jackpot, a Maiden over 2000m, could be won by Whiteout. She was stepped up to 1700m last time out and was most unlucky. When finally seeing daylight, having been shuffled back and then having to switch, she flew home and just failed. She looks likely to enjoy this trip, despite being by a champion sprinter in What A Winter. The main dangers, Until Dawn and Kings Creek, were in that same race last time and she should confirm the form considering how unlucky she was.

In the next race over 1800m Big Parade, a colt by Dynasty out of the Summer Cup winner Flirtation, can progress further having won his maiden comfortably when stepped up to 2000m. Just Cruised In and Lee’s Pick can be the dangers as they both look well handicapped on their best form.

The seventh race, a Middle Stakes event over 2400m, Just A Jet is the selection, despite not being well weighted on official merit ratings. She has won her last two over this trip easily and could develop into a useful stayer now that the yard appear to have got on top of her behavioural problems at the start. End Game could be the main danger as she has caught the eye before and looks to be crying out for this trip.

In the last race, a MR 71 Handicap over 2400m, Sess showed herself to be an out and out stayer last time over 3000m and is the one to beat despite being given a six point raise. Scotland and Stunner both did well the last time they went over this trip and will be threats.

By David Thiselton

Justin Snaith believes that Snowdance ranks with his previous Cape Fillies Guineas winners Captain’s Lover, Sparkling Gem, Ebony Flyer and In The Fast Lane and the only chink in the favourite’s armour could be lack of stamina.

He said: “Everything about her has been impressive but some of the family have been quite quick so there is a little worry about the extra 200m on Saturday.”

That apart he rates stable companion Oh Susanna the biggest danger even though she is as big as 25-1 with the sponsors for the World Sports Betting Cape Fillies Guineas.

He said: “Just watch the re-run of the Western Cape Fillies Championship and you will see what I mean. She was five wide at the back of the field going into the turn yet she came through to finish fifth. If there is anything that is going to improve a lot it is her and if she had a better draw she would be the one I am most afraid of.”

Snaith has won two of the last seven runnings of the WSB Cape Merchants and this time he runs four headed by Sergeant Hardy who is 9-2 favourite despite his breathing problems.

“I wasn’t even going to nominate him because I thought he would be weighted out of it. I was over the moon when he got only 57kg and off this weight he is going to be competitive, but I don’t like his outside draw which could be a big problem. Also in a race like this you have got to look for a horse that is well-handicapped and he is not the best handicapped of my four.

“Bishop’s Bounty (25-1) was very disappointing in his last race – he ran away with Richard Fourie – and this time we need to tuck him in. But I think he is still one run short.”

Heartland (33-1) could be better over a bit further according to the form book.  “Not at all,” insists his trainer. “I wouldn’t say he found a lot of trouble in his last race but he did come late and off 52.5kg he could be the dark horse of the race.”

Seemingly the one for the punters, though, could be Grant van Niekerk’s mount Cuban Emerald at 25-1. “I kept him away so that he would come into this with a light weight. I didn’t want to run him again because I knew that his rating would go up if I did. He could be the roughie.”

In the third of the Kenilworth big races, the WSB Green Point Stakes, the former champion trainer runs Copper Force, a 14-1 chance and on merit ratings the worst horse in the race. “On handicapping he will run last but I have a feeling that he won’t. He is doing well at home.”

By Michael Clower