David Thiselton

TURFFONTEIN STANDSIDE hosts the second leg of the WSB SA Triple Crown and Wilgerbosdrift SA Triple Tiara tomorrow and all eyes will be on Malmoos and War Of Athena, the two horses who are still eligible for those two prizes respectively.

Second Base, an impressive, long-striding gelding by Gimmethegrenlight, stayed on for fourth in the WSB Gauteng Guineas and from a good draw is selected to win the Grade 1 WSB SA Classic over an ideal course and distance. 

Malmoos is a worthy favourite but the question is whether the tricky draw of seven will work against this handy type. If he does get cover he is the one to beat as he has a resolute finish and a lot of heart.

Copper Mountain gave a lot of cheek to Malmoos for a long time in the straight of the WSB Gauteng Guineas and will enjoy this trip -on pedigree.

Catch Twentytwo ran on strongly in the WSB Gauteng Guineas but does take quite a keen hold early and is drawn nine so those two factors combined are a concern. 

Bingwa was swamped in the WSB Gauteng Guineas but then stayed on as well as the four in front of him which makes him interesting from a plum draw of two over this step up in trip. 

Flying Carpet, if ridden more conservatively than last time, should stay on well and is a dark horse. 

Al Muthana will relish this course and distance as he takes an age to get going in the straight, so he is another possible surprise package.

Bold Jazz stays on steadily over shorter and on pedigree should relish this trip. 

Dr Doolittle can’t be ignored either as a typically progressive son of Ideal World who has easily won two open handicaps carrying topweight.

Kingsley’s Heart will enjoy this trip on pedigree but has not struck as being up to this class.

Shah Akbar has become disappointing and can’t be fancied.

They are selected in the order mentioned.

War Of Athena will be the most popular banker on the day as she is proven top class and will enjoy the step up in trip on pedigree. She has overcome tricky draws like this one before.  

Sparkling Water is unexposed and might turn out to be capable of giving War Of Athena a race. She is a big and classy daughter of Silvano out of the classy British-bred Dansili mare Espumanti and she should relish this course and distance.  

Miss Elegance stayed on strongly for third in the WSB Gauteng Fillies Guineas and this improving sort will also relish this trip on pedigree. 

In the Grade 2 Hawaii Stakes ExpressfromtheUS was not tuned up for his last start and can use his fine turn foot to good effect from a tricky draw. MK’S Pride is improving all the time and will be staying on strongly over his optimum trip. Lady Of Steel is full of class and bounced back last time so will be a threat over her optimum trip from draw three. Whorly Whorly has developed into a useful sort and he is also distance suited. Marygold has a lot of class and could pose a threat too. Cirillo won this race easily last year and drops in class, so must be included too.  

Andrew Harrison

THERE is something most satisfying when you watch a race with old campaigners giving it their all. They may not be top of the pile but they have earned their battle honours and those passionate about the sport and not desperate about the pay-outs appreciated their efforts.

Not the bing-bam-bang never to be seen again, Wayward (7yrs), Di Mazzio (7yrs) and Coldhardcash (5yrs), punctuated only by the lightly weighted Herecomestherain (3yrs), fought out a desperate finish to the second at Hollywoodbets Greyville yesterday with Wayward getting home two short-heads ahead of his rivals.

Ashburton-based trainer Shane Humby is not a ‘bing-bam-bang’ trainer but he gets the best out of what’s he’s got, even when it takes a little time.

Coldhardcash set a blistering early pace and in any lower rated handicap would have broken the hearts of his rivals, but Donovan Dillon and apprentice Kyle Strydom were always stalking the pace. Along with Herecomestherain, who came from near last, the pair took up arms inside the last furlong and in a desperate three-way tussle, with Dillon resorting to hands rather than the stick, Wayward edged them all out of it.

It was a Humby double in the fourth. With much of the expected opposition defecting for one or other reason, Command Control and Decorated looked the most likely pair to fight it out.

In short, it was no race. Command Control lived up to his name and strolled home to give Humby his second winner of the afternoon. Although it was an easy victory, eight lengths and gearing down, Humby was a little disappointed in that he would have liked a sterner test to see where his charge was placed in the handicap. This was only his sixth start and as a mature four-year-old there is scope for more.

The last developed into a two-way contest between Preferential and Diamonds And Pearls with the latter 2 kg better off at the weights and set to give the Humby stable a rare winning treble. But Diamonds And Pearls had the worst of the draw to contend with and that could well have been the difference between winning and losing in a tight race of this nature where a wide draw is almost equal to two points in the handicap.

Multiple Champion KZN trainer Dennis Drier always tries his luck in Cape Town during their season, whether he has the ammunition or not. This year was not one of his best but he his back in the saddle at Summerveld after the Cape sales. Local assistant Stuart Ferrie was on hand to saddle their ‘giant’ Spirit Of My Fate and, after trying to get the gelding to stay a little further, the “boss”, according to stable rider Sean Veale, said the shorter trip was the way to go. There is no substitute for experience in this sport!

David Thiselton

THE Grade 1 WSB SA Classic over 1800m has attracted a strong field of eleven and will serve as the latest round in the intriguing battle for supremacy among the three-year-old males.

Malmoos is the leading candidate on the Highveld in the race for Equus Champion three-year-old male as he is undefeated at home and in two out of province runs won the Grade 2 Concorde Stakes over 1600m and was unlucky when unplaced in the Grade 1 Cape Guineas.

On pedigree he should stay every inch of Saturday’s race over the tough Turffontein Standside track as he is a full-brother to Captain Splendid, whose two Grade 3 wins were in the East Cape Derby and the  Lonsdale Stirrup Cup, both over 2400m.

On running style he should also see it out as he ran handy in the WSB Gauteng Guineas and then emerged the victor of an eye to eye tussle in the straight with Copper Mountain and still had enough left to ensure the closing Catch Twentytwo could not catch him.

He excellent gatespeed helped him from pole position in the WSB Gauteng Guineas but possibly worked against him in the Cape Guineas from a wide draw as he ended up being caught outside of the frontrunning type Seeking The Stars. He will thus need some luck from a tricky draw of seven here and will hope the two known pacemakers Shah Akbar and Bingwa run alongside each other or a gap opens for him to slot in.     

Catch Twentytwo was staying on strongly for second in the WSB Gauteng Guineas and did not have as good a passage as Malmoos despite being drawn two so did well to finish just a quarter-of-a-length back. He is out of Argonaut one-time-winning sprinter Ignition Lady and is a half-brother to Fly Away who holds the course record for 1000m at The Vaal. However, he is by stamina influence Elusive Fort which gives him hope of staying the trip. He took a while to get going in the straight in the WSB Gauteng Guineas which suggested he was looking for 1800m but on the other hand he takes quite a keen hold early on and is drawn out in barrier position nine.

His stablemate Dr Doolittle is drawn widest of all. He should be up to this class as a typically progressive son of Ideal World’s who has twice carried topweight to victory in open handicaps over this trip, which is no mean feat for a three-year-old. He is one of three horses in this field who look suited to 1800m but were not suited by the muddling pace of the Grade 3 Sea Cottage over this trip. The other pair are the long-striding Al Muthana, who takes an age to get going in the straight, and Bold Jazz, who stays on steadily over shorter. Both of the latter have enough stamina on pedigree and could be outside contenders if they get a better pace.  

Copper Mountain stayed beside Malmoos doggedly for a long time in the straight in the WSB Gauteng Guineas and was being eased at the line so could have got closer than his 1,40 length third. On pedigree, being by Noble Tune out of a Fort Wood mare whose only win was over 2000m he should enjoy this trip and he has a fair draw of five although Raymond Danielson does not retain the ride. Callan Murray replaces him and Danielson is aboard Flying Carpet.

Copper Mountain’s stablemate Second Base, fourth in the WSB Gauteng Guines, has been at his impressive best over this trip and this progressive, big-actioned horse will have a fine chance from a good draw of four.

Flying Carpet is unfortunately drawn wide as he could have represented good value. He is way better than his last start, his first attempt at this trip, when caught wide and then being rushed around the field. He not surprisingly faded and this progressive horse could still be a surprise package if Danielson, who is no stranger to Grade 1 success, is able to get him covered up quickly. On pedigree he should relish this trip being by stamina influence Judpot out of a Kabool mare whose two wins were from 1950m to 2000m.     

Bingwa has some class but was exactly 2,50 lengths back in both the WSB Dingaans and WSB Gauteng Guineas which suggests he is held. One case that can be made for him is that having set the pace in the WSB Gauteng Guineas and being swamped he then proceeded to stay on as well as any of the four in front of him so he might be looking for this trip. He is by Pathfork and his dam by Century Stand won from 1200m to 1600m but there is some stamina further down the pedigree.

Shah Akbar has become disappointing after an easy win over the useful Nartje over this trip and will have to bounce back from two below par runs.

Kingsley’s Heart should enjoy the step up in trip on pedigree but he has not convinced he is this class.

MALMOOS and War Of Athena will be looking to keep their respective challenges for the WSB SA Triple Crown and the Wigerbosdrift Triple Tiara alive at Turffontein on Saturday.

Mike de Kock-trained Malmoos won the Grade 2 WSB Gauteng Guineas last month and will line-up in the Grade 1 World Sports Betting SA Classic over 1800m, the second leg of the Triple Crown, on Saturday. 

By the same token, Paul Matchett-trained War Of Athena will be looking to stamp her authority on the Triple Tiara with a victory in the Grade 1 Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic, also over 1800m.  

Malmoos, however, will be lining up against Catch Twentytwo, the runner he beat by a neck in the Gauteng Guineas. 

The same is not true for War Of Athena who will not have to contend with arch-rival Anything Goes, as Stuart Pettigrew’s charge did not stand her ground at final acceptance stage.  

Luke Ferraris is back aboard Malmoos and Muzi Yeni renews his relationship with War Of Athena. 

WORLD SPORTS BETTING SA CLASSIC (Grade 1) R750,000 1800m
1 – 7 MALMOOS (M F De Kock) L J Ferraris 60.0 – 117
2 – 9 CATCH TWENTYTWO (P A Peter) G Lerena 60.0 – 116
3 – 5 COPPER MOUNTAIN (J J van Vuuren) C Murray 60.0 – 113
4 – 4 SECOND BASE (J J van Vuuren) C Maujean 60.0 – 112
5 – 2 BINGWA (D Sham) P Strydom 60.0 – 109
6 – 11 DR DOOLITTLE (P A Peter) W Kennedy 60.0 – 105
7 – 10 FLYING CARPET (S G Tarry) R Danielson 60.0 – 101
8 – 3 KINGSLEY’S HEART (W H Marwing) W Marwing 60.0 – 101
9 – 8 SHAH AKBAR (S G Tarry) L Hewitson 60.0 – 97
10 – 1 AL MUTHANA (M F De Kock) C Zackey 60.0 – 96
11 – 6 BOLD JAZZ (P F Matchett) M Yeni 60.0 – 91
Same Trainer: (1,10) (2,6) (3,4) (7,9) 

WILGERBOSDRIFT SA FILLIES CLASSIC (Grade 1) R700,000 over 1800m
1 – 6 WAR OF ATHENA (P F Matchett) M Yeni 60.0 – 122
2 – 5 GEE FOR GO (P F Matchett) S Khumalo 60.0 – 106
3 – 4 MISS ELEGANCE (M N Houdalakis) P Strydom 60.0 – 106
4 – 7 CARALLUMA (S G Tarry) L Hewitson 60.0 – 101
5 – 3 MAGICAL FLIGHT (S G Tarry) L J Ferraris 60.0 – 92
6 – 2 SPARKLING WATER (M F De Kock) C Zackey 60.0 – 92
7 – 1 ONLY THE BRAVE (P F Matchett) K Matsunyane 60.0 – 88
8 – 8 NETTA (P A Peter) W Kennedy 60.0 – 87
Same Trainer: (1,2,7) (4,5)