There is probably more scepticism rather than out-right condemnation of the recently introduce barrier trials in KZN and although one sardine doesn’t make a shoal, there will be a lot of interest in just how Sequel performs in the first at Greyville tonight.

Dean Kannemeyer seldom misses out when he sees an opportunity and Sequel was one of the first five runners in the initial trial. Ridden by apprentice Craig Bantam, Sequel showed good pace throughout the 1000m dash and was staying on strongly at the line.

Sequel (Candiese Marnewick)

Tonight’s race is over 1600m, but given Sequel’s pedigree and the manner in which he trialled this should be right up his alley. He also has the benefit of a good draw and Anthony Delpech.

In short, he may not win it, he may not even finish in the money but having watched the trial I do think he has shown enough to be competitive.

And he will be up against it with Biometric and Fly By Skye both more experienced and showing good form.

Duncan Howells and Anthony Delpech did not have a happy time of things last Sunday where the combination looked to hold a strong hand, but only came away with one on the board. They team up again in the sixth where Procal Harem takes on a useful field of older horses. However, he was a comfortable winner over course and distance last time out and was deemed good enough to take his chances in the top juvenile features where he was not far off the leading contingent.

This will be his second outing after gelding and one can expect some further improvement.

Paul Gadsby has always held Techno Captain in high regard but the gelding has a tendency to boil over which has gone a long way to hampering his career.

However, Gadsby appears to have been able to screw the lid on the gelding’s temperament and he looks the part in a competitive handicap, seventh race over 2000m.

He is now 4.5kg better off than when beaten less than a length by One Man Show and should be good enough to turn the tables on that form when they meet again tonight. Liquid Rainbow goes well on the poly and has improved in blinkers and he is 2kg better off with One Man Show. One Man Show has steadily climbed the ratings and goes for his fourth straight win but the 61kg on his back could prove his downfall although it would be unwise to write him off lightly.

By Andrew Harrison

The Pick 6 is expected to reach a pool of R5 million at the Sansui Summer Cup meeting on Saturday and looks gettable.

Bull Valley

The first leg is the Grade 3 Fillies Miles. San Fermin showed an electric turn of foot from the back half of the field on debut over 1400m and won by seven lengths without raising a sweat. She looks top class and can afford to be dropped out from a tricky draw. Folk Dance went for home early last time over 1400m in her reappearance and made a bold bid to hang on. She has had enough time to recover from that hard race and Gavin Lerena can be in a handy position for free from a good draw and use her telling kick to good effect. Witch Of The West ran on well to finish 1,35 lengths behind Folk Dance last time. She is 2kg worse off, but is well drawn and should relish the step up in trip. Coming from the Lucky Houdalakis yard she will be improving all the time too. Cashel Palace is up with Folk Dance on paper and is progressive. However, a wide draw might warrant her being excluded. KZN raider Roy’s Riviera ran on well in the KZN Fillies Guineas Trial and the form has worked out well.

In the Grade 2 Merchants over 1160m Bull Valley is worthy of topweight, Talktothestars will have to bounce back; Kangaroo Jack is brilliant on his day and could run well fresh; Rivarine should go close having run a cracker last time despite being forced to switch to the unfavourable inside going; Graduation Day has problems but has won six out of ten and his late rattle to win the Golden Loom was impressive; Naafer, who is officially 1kg under sufferance, is on the up, but his number one draw might, or might not, be a problem. The Thinker is under sufferance but is coming into his own.

In the Investec Dingaans Big Bear and Pietro Mascagni stand out. The only concern for the former is the current below par form of the yard, while the latter is having only his second career start. Alwahsh and Alshibaa can pick up the pieces. Others who warrant consideration are the progressive Vacquero and Like A Panther. The lattter would prefer further, but will be running on strongly.

Nother Russia (JC Photographics)

In the Summer Cup Geoff Woodruff’s charges, Pagoda, Banner Hill and Master Switch, have all had good preparations. Woodruff had made this race his own, so those three might be enough. Abashiri ran an eye-catching preparation and Liege, Hermoso Mundo, Wind Chill and Orchid Island make most appeal of the rest.

In the Grade 2 Ipi Tombe Stakes over 1600m the brilliant Nother Russia will be the meeting banker for many. However, Bella Sonata was not herself last time and was headstrong. She could be a threat if back to herself, although she has a difficult draw. Bi Pot is suited to the standside track and she and her stablemate Guns And Roses have the Woodruff factor. Secret Star, who has a fine turn of foot, and Sylvan On Fire, who goes for five-in-a-row, are upset material.

The last leg is tough as it is over 3200m. Weiho Marwing has a fine record in staying races, so Cool Chardonnay has to be included. Gone Baby Gone should be cherry ripe. Run Rhino Run won an incredible race at Greyville over 3000m last time. Fortissima, last year’s winner, loves this trip but has a big weight. Royal Honour has had a good preparation. Lion’s Emblem, Ilitshe and Supertube will be fitter than their last starts and could bounce back.

By David Thiselton

Bernard Fayd’Herbe has decided to ride Winter Series winner African Night Sky in preference to Marinaresco in the big Cape Town races this season.

His decision comes as a surprise, not least because Marinaresco won the Vodacom Durban July carrying more weight than any horse has ever done when Fayd’Herbe scored a famous victory on the gelding.

Bernard Fayd’Herbe (Liesl King)

But Fayd’Herbe explained yesterday that his choice is the result of his close ties to the Justin Snaith stable and added: “It was a hard decision – Marinaresco is the horse to beat in these races and I am good friends with his owners – but I can’t upset the relationship [with Snaith Racing] for one horse.”

Aldo Domeyer is to take over on the Candice Bass-Robinson stable star and he rode the horse in a 1 200m Kenilworth gallop with Our Mate Art (Belinda Haytread) yesterday.

Mrs Robinson, in blistering form with a four-timer, said: “Both horses worked well but Our Mate Art went particularly well. He runs in the WSB Green Point on Saturday week.”

Marinaresco is a 33-1 chance with the sponsors for his reappearance in Saturday week’s WSB Cape Merchants – the 1 200m is widely expected to be much too short for him – and the Mike de Kock pair Mujaafy and Naafer share 10-1 favouritism. WSB has temporarily stopped quoting prices on the Green Point.

Snaith Racing has given up the idea of running last Saturday’s Lanzerac Ready To Run winner Miss Katalin in the WSB Fillies Guineas. “The race comes too soon for her and we are now going to wait a bit,” said Justin.

The stable’s Snowdance (Fayd’Herbe) has hardened a fraction to 14-10 as has second favourite Magical Wonderland (11-2 to 5-1) but De Kock’s Silver Thursday has drifted from 10-1 to 14-1.

Seattle Gold earned a tilt at the Victress Stakes on 16 December after serving up a 36-1 all-the-way shock in the Interbet.co.za Conditions Plate with Greg Cheyne (“You can’t give away weight and start”) enterprisingly making the most of his mount’s light burden.

Brett Crawford, who had tipped off this column that the Ashley Parker homebred needed the run last time, said: “She had it all to do at the weights but she is a free-striding filly, the course is running fast and Greg knows her well.”

By Michael Clower

The highest rated race is a MR 72 Handicap over 1700m and the horse who makes plenty of appeal here is the Visionaire gelding Crazy Vision. He looks to be coming into his own as a four-year-old and showed a fine turn of foot to win going away over 1600m in his penultimate start on the Turffontein Inside track where he jumped from a tricky draw of six out of eight. He didn’t appear to stay the 2000m trip last time, so will appreciate the step back to this trip. He was given four points for the aforementioned win, but now jumps from a plum draw of two. A low draw can be problematic at this course but tomorrow there will be a 3,5m false rail and also a 3,5m spur at the 500m mark so his regular pilot Randall Simons can afford to be patient before using this horse’s acceleration to maximum effect. Lee’s Pick moved up well over 2000m last time but then became a bit cramped for room and then ran on again. This trip might be sharper than ideal, but this horse finished runner up to Pagoda in the Listed Derby Trial over 2000m and the latter is fancied for the Summer Cup, so his merit rating of 61 is an attractive mark. Furthermore, he won his maiden over 1600m in March and has never run over shorter than 2000m since. So, the four-year-old Philanthropist gelding has to be an interesting runner here from a plum draw under Gavin Lerena. Those two have been taken to get punters through the exotics.

Gavin Lerena

The first leg of the PA is an uninspiring maiden over 1500m. However, Flight School was still green last time over course and distance and was also a bit cramped for room and had to be eased. He was staying on at the end nicely, although a concern is he was reported to have made a breathing noise. Therefore, Double Tap, who stayed on resolutely over 1600m last time before tiring in the last 100m, can also be included from pole position.

In the first leg of the Pick 6, a Maiden over 1200m, the flying Mike de Kock yard introduce a first-timer colt by the late Await The Dawn, who has been making headlines lately with the like of Big Bear. Decision Time is out of a five-time winning Russian Revival mare and jumps from pole position in an uninspiring field. The back-up is Hyper Jet from the in-form Paul Peter yard. He has done well from the front in two starts with blinkers on and the form of his last start over 11160m has worked out well. He should go close if able to overcome the draw of six in a ten horse field. National Host was one-paced on debut when held up, but last time out over this course and distance he showed a lot of pace and was not disgraced in a 5,4 length third to an expensive Mike de Kock first-timer called Dhabyaan. Alec Laird’s horses usually need their first two runs so National Host could improve further and make his presence felt, although his draw of eight will be tricky in his likely bid to go to the front again.

The second leg of the Pick 6 is a MR 66 Handicap over 1000m and Exclusively Trendy is the stand out on form. The only thing that can stop him is a draw bias on the day, but usually there is no bias at this track and his number ten barrier position should not be a concern. The others who could be considered as back-ups for the Jackpot and Pick 6 are Roman Evening and Alpine Glacier. The former has always struck as better than his form suggests and has found consistency this season off his mid-sixties merit rating. Alpine Glacier was not disgraced in his last two starts over this trip in races won by useful sorts, and he now drops in class off a merit rating which has plummeted to an attractive mark.

In the next race, a MR 66 Handicap over 1500m, Lake Kinnaret ran a cracker against some classy sorts over 1450m and is the selection. He was due to run on Tuesday over 1200m. If he doesn’t take his place then Ekuseni is the choice as all three of his maiden runs from 1400-1450m were worthy of his 81 merit rating. Devil’s Peak and Royal Crusade are well related sorts who have to be considered and Arpad is a sort who is capable of popping up when in the mood.

In the seventh race Fish River Canyon has formed a good partnership with Lyle Hewitson and is well drawn over a suitable trip. He is the choice for PA banker and best bet, but can’t be considered a confident pick for either accolade as he was raised two points for his runner up spot last time out.  Beautiful Shay and Golddust Woman make most appeal as the back-ups.

In the lucky last Holy Joe ran well against a Summer Cup contender last time over this 2000m trip, but has a wide draw. Champions Cup produced a storming run to win going away last time and if in the same nick can follow up. Walter Smoothie should relish the step up in trip. Speed Monitor has come down to an attractive merit rating. Cash Time has been far from disgraced against some good sorts recently.

By David Thiselton

They opened at 7-1 in the betting when the field was announced on Tuesday, but both drifted after the ballot, with the Mike and Adam Azzie-trained Abashiri now on offer at 15-2 with Betting World and Weiho Marwing’s charge Hermoso Mundo now second favourite at 8-1. The wide draw will probably not be as crucial to Weichong Marwing and Hermoso Mundo, who likes to come from nearer the back than the front.

Abashiri

Said Weichong Marwing after the draw: “No 18 draw is not a disaster for Hermoso Mundo because he’s going to come from behind anyway. The long straight will suit him.”

Marwing has two other horses in the race, Mac de Lago, the outsider at 66-1 and drawn at No 7 (also saddle-cloth number 7), and Let It Rain (40-1), who pulled No 15 stall. Mac de Lago will be ridden by Marco van Rensburg, who said: “Seven is my lucky number – I’m very happy with the draw.”

Two other horses are at 8-1, Pagoda and Mike de Kock-trained Orchid Island, who drew at No 10, so jockey Anthony Delpech should not have too many problems positioning her in her preferred mid-field slot.

Geoff Woodruff’s best-fancied runner Pagoda will jump from No 11 stall, with Master Switch (14-1) out wide at No 16 and the trainer’s other runner Banner Hill (14-1) pulling No 13 stall – the same as his saddlecloth number.

Trainer Johan Janse van Vuuren will be happy with how his horses fared at the draw function. Crowd Pleaser (17-2) drew at No 6, in-form Girl On The Run (16-1) drew at No 5 and New Predator (25-1) drew at No 9. However Brazuca (10-1), the mount of Gavin Lerena and arguably the stable elect, drew at No 14. If he goes to the front, as he did when beating Abashiri last time, the wide draw might have little impact on his performance, though.

The trainer said: “My only problem with Crowd Pleaser is the long Turffontein straight. They have the chance to run him down. Brazuca is very well. He loves the course and will have no problem with the distance. Girl On The Run won a good race last time and will be even better over this distance.”

Hermoso Mundo

Sean Tarry-trained duo French Navy and Social Order are 12-1 chances with Betting World following the draw function. Both drew double-digit stalls, No 17 and 12 respectively, while his less-fancied runners Liege (13-1) and Tilbury Fort (22-1) drew stalls No 2 and 4.

Wind Chill, who will bounce from pole position, has come in for some support in the betting, shortening from 18-1 to 16-1, while Joe Soma’s other runner, Master Sabina – the horse  bidding for his third win in Johannesburg’s premier race – is on offer at 20-1 and will start from No 8 draw.

Gabby Soma said of Master Sabina: “We had a problem with him shortly after he arrived so we have not been able to give him a prep run. It’s not ideal but we did have a full gallop with five other horses and he did very well.”

Coral Fever, from the Robbie Sage yard, is also a 16-1 chance in the early betting. He will start from the widest stall of all.

The remaining horse is a horse who hails from the in-form stable of Paul Peter, Fort Ember. She drew at No 3 and has the form to be competitive in this type of field, so her 40-1 odds might be generous.

    –    Tabnews.co.za