The Vaal Outside track stages a nine race meeting tomorrow. The draw bias used to favour high drawn horses here but this seems to have evened out and the jockeys were tending to stick to the middle and inside last week.

The highlight of the meeting will be the return to action of the unbeaten Mawshoof, who hails from the flying Mike de Kock yard and runs in the sixth race, a MR 83 Handicap over 1200m. This three-year-old Trippi colt beat a moderate workrider’s maiden field by 4,75 lengths on debut over 1000m and was accorded only a 76 merit rating by the handicappers. However, second time out he showed much improvement and stormed to victory full of running to win by 2,75 lengths. The handicappers could only raise him a maximum of eight points to an 84, but he gave the impression he could rise well above that mark. He carries a nice galloping weight of 55,5kg, although on the evidence of last Thursday’s racing the connections might have preferred him to be drawn lower than seven out of nine.

The main danger could be Arabian Beat, who was a classy sort as a two-year-old for this yard and won the Grade 1 SA Nursery. He does have breathing issues these days but having won by 2,25 lengths over this trip last time he can do well again with Keagan de Melo retaining the ride. Another classy sort in the field is the three-year-old Laurent Du Var, who beat the like of the useful So Var comfortably over 1000m at level weights as a two-year-old in March. He could run well fresh after a 107 day layoff, having been found to not be striding out in his last start in August. Mujallad is another speedy and classy three-year-old and he was only caught late by the useful sprinters Exquisite Touch and The Thinker over 1000m last time, although off a 92 merit rating he has to give Mawshoof 4kg and Laurent Du Var 3kg. Torre Del Oro has the ability to be in the shake up too.

Lauren Of Rochelle (JC Photographics)

The best bet on the card could be Star Of Joburg, who looks hard to beat in a drop in trip to 1000m in the second race. He showed exceptional pace over 1160m last time and was only overtaken by two classy sorts with the rest of the field beaten by 5,75 lengths.

Fans will be hoping to see the Sean Tarry yard bouncing back to form before the Sansui Summer Cup meeting and he could win the first race over 1600m with Piaget Prince. He showed pace over 1400m in his penultimate start and was then not striding out over 1600m last time. This Philanthropist colt should enjoy the 1600m trip on pedigree and does not have a lot to beat. The main danger could be the well-bred first-timer Circle The Sun, who is by Await The Dawn out of Fisani, a Kahal mare who won the Grade 2 Gauteng Fillies Guineas. She later won another Grade 2 over 2000m and a Grade 3 over 1800m.

Tarry could also win the last race on the card over 1600m with Pachuco. This horse was flying at the finish last Thursday over 1400m when a close sixth and should relish the step up in trip.

The third race is the first leg of the PA and in this uninspiring affair Mizshowbiz and Ultimate Shamrock should fight it out.

In the next race there is a very interesting debutant, the R1,2 million Captain Al filly Penny Royal, who is a half-sister to the brilliant champion sprint-miler Princess Victoria and she does not have a lot to beat in this 1200m maiden. Kitty Coo makes the most appeal of those to have raced.

In the fifth race Lake Kinneret is interesting dropped in trip to 1200m with blinkers on as he fared well in a string Progress Plate last time over 1450m.

The seventh also produces an interesting runner in Lauren Of Rochelle as he was not far off them last time after a tardy start. Weichong Marwing has stayed aboard and this horse has now dropped three points since his handicap debut.

In the eighth over 1000m Ilha Da Var improved to win his maiden comfortably and could follow up. He could beat home the consistent Osculation and the honest little mare Celtic Lady.

By David Thiselton

Durban July winner Marinaresco will gallop at Kenilworth on Wednesday and he begins his campaign over 1 200m in Saturday week’s WSB Cape Merchants instead of the expected Green Point Stakes over a mile.

Candice Bass-Robinson said: “We are changing his programme this season. Rather than have two runs over a mile he will run six furlongs, a mile in the Queen’s Plate and then 2 000m in the Sun Met.  He needs to be fresh for a mile and he possibly had a race too many over that trip last season.”

Marinaresco

Marinaresco has top weight of 62kg in the Merchants while Legal Eagle, who beat Marinaresco less than half a length in last year’s Green Point, heads the 13 nominations for the Grade 2 and is expected to run. The big names likely to take him on include Captain America, Edict Of Nantes and Gold Standard.

MJ Byleveld had the first five-timer of his career at Fairview on Friday. Three of the five were for boss Vaughan Marshall but Piet Botha has been given a week’s suspension for causing “bunching and interference” when five of the 11 runners in the concluding mile handicap at Kenilworth nine days ago were hindered.

A number of horses are understood to have tested positive for caffeine in Kwazulu Natal, including some normally based In Cape Town. Caffeine is a stimulant and therefore prohibited. However its use this time is believed to be wholly innocent. Contaminated feedstuffs are the most likely cause.

NHA Racing Control boss Arnold Hyde said at the weekend: “We are carrying out investigations but it is quite sensitive. We will put out a press release when we have all our ducks in a row.”

By Michael Clower

…following the 19-1 shot’s fast-finishing short head win in the R2.5 million Lanzerac Ready To Run on Saturday.

But Snaith deflected all the credit to the Trippi filly’s racing manager Kevin Sommerville, saying: “Miss Katalin is very mouthy and throws her head around. Kevin rang me about this during the week and as a result we changed the equipment to make her more comfortable.”

But the filly had a rough passage early on and Grant van Niekerk found himself even more effectively hemmed in than Robert Mugabe. His mount was then bounced from one warring faction into another. But her rider quickly found his way into an on-the-rails comfort zone and he made up almost three lengths in the final furlong.

Broadway Trip (Candiese Marnewick)

Van Niekerk is riding out of his skin at the moment – he rode an equally fine race on 28-1 shot Power Grid in the Progress Plate – but he is now focussed on getting the interference demons off his back – “I will get this right,” he insisted. “I need to – it’s costing me.”

Indeed it is. He is in demand countrywide yet this season he has ended up with more holidays than a schoolteacher and he was given another 14 days on Friday for an incident at Turffontein on the day he won the Charity Mile.

But spare a thought for Corne Orffer. On Bold Respect he rode one of the best races in defeat that he, or any other jockey for that matter, has ever ridden. He overcame his coffin-box draw by getting his mount to leave the gates faster than Usain Bolt and he was on the rails going the shortest way round in less time than it takes to read this.

When free-running stable companion Phelan Lucky came at him, Orffer wisely let him go past until taking it up again over a furlong out. Had he not had the misfortune to come up against a jockey riding like a man inspired the short head verdict – and the big prize – would have been his.

Rocket Countdown, at 36-1 the longest-priced Selangor Cup winner this century, also earned a Guineas ticket as well as some surprise from his trainer.

Candice Bass-Robinson said: “We always rated him and his work at home has been outstanding but I didn’t think he was that class over a mile.”

Second-placed White River wore ear muffs but perhaps he should also have been fitted with a muzzle. He tried to bite the winner’s backside 50m out and Greg Cheyne had to straighten him to stop the teeth sinking in. But he was still only beaten half a length and will renew rivalry in the Guineas.

More fancied stable companion Undercover Agent was beaten a length and half into fifth. “He was hanging and I’ve got to find out what that was about,” said Brett Crawford.

Broadway Trip started 33-10 favourite but weakened into fourth after looking the winner over a furlong out and Randall Simons said: “He got the trip but he pulled a bit – lack of cover.”

Alec Laird added: “I’m disappointed he didn’t win but he is good enough to take his chance in the Guineas. It was his first time over a mile and he needed to relax more.”

Top weight Eyes Wide Open managed only ninth and Glen Kotzen commented: “He was never travelling well. It was a flat run but it wasn’t the end of the world. I will freshen him up for the Guineas.”

Kinaan, a second successive Kenilworth Cup win for Mike de Kock and Callan Murray, will stay in Cape Town for the Cape Summer Stayers on 16 December.

By Michael Clower

The International team were comfortable winners of the tenth renewal of the Air Mauritius International Jockey’s Challenge at Turffontein yesterday and it was only the third time they had emerged victorious.

Ireland’s PJ McDonald produced a late rattle out of the second favourite, Secret Potion (22/10), in the first of the Challenge races over 1600m to snare the favourite Tigerlace (2/1), ridden by Craig Zackey, on the line. Lyle Hewitson was third on Diva Faustina (7/1) and Australia’s Cory Brown and France’s Thierry Thulliez were next best on Truth Of Beauty (9/1) and Pokemon Shuffle (100/1) respectively.

Lyle Hewitson

The next race over 1800m was dominated by the international team. The Paul Peter-trained first-timer Majestic Mambo (11/1) looked as if he had been dropped into the race at the 200m mark and coasted to a 5,5 length victory under Thulliez. Brown on Royal Resolution (7/2) and Ireland’s Seamie Heffernan on Harrington Port (28/1) were next best. Gavin Lerena in fourth place on the fancied Flexible Fugitive (9/2) was the first South African home and PJ McDonald was in fifth place on Soldat (12/1). The favourite Finding Troy with South African captain Anthony Delpech up faded from a handy position and finished well beaten.

The internationals were even more dominant in the next race over 3000m where they read the pace well. In a thrilling three-way finish Ireland’s Pat Smullen got up on Dromedaris (9/1) ahead of Martin Dwyer on the 4/1 favourite Ali Bon Dubai and Brown on Sess (11/2). Heffernan was fourth on King’s Drive (19/1) and Lyle Hewitson was the first South African home on fifth-placed Stunned (11/2).

The internationals had built a huge lead and were on 200 points to 107.

The South Africans fought back in the next race over 1600m as Gavin Lerena burst through on Snowdonia (13/1) to give Paul Peter a double and S’Manga Khumalo was second on Costa Da Sol (9/1). Brown, Greg Cheyne and Thulliez were the next three in on Sea Bean (12/1), Pennington Sands (22/1) and Seattle Tango (28/1).

PJ McDonald scored a double in the next over 1600m as Monarch Air (8/1) kept going well to hold off Hewitson on Rose Water (9/2) and Cheyne on Sammi Moosa (12/1). In fourth and fifth were Delpech on Flowing Gown (7/1) and Thulliez on Subtle Force (22/1) respectively.

Going into the last of the Challenge’s races The International team were going to be hard to peg back being on 281 points to South Africa’s 226.

Lyle Hewitson won the 1450m race from start to finish on Bubbly Reply (19/1), but The Internationals ensured victory as Dwyer finished second on the 41/10 favourite Captain Chips and McDonald came from last to finish third on the slowly away Shortstop (12/1). Cheyne and Smullen were next best on Highway Eightyfive (19/1) and Mambo Symphony (15/2) respectively.

The Internationals won by 331 points to 290 and McDonald was a comfortable winner of the victor ludorum prize on 86 points.

By David Thiselton

Sir David Baird ran out a commanding winner of the Listed Guineas Trial at Greyville on Saturday and in doing so booked his place in the Gr1 Cape Guineas to be run at Kenilworth next month.

“He’s found his trip,” said a well satisfied Mike de Kock who has a plethora of smart sophomores in his care this season. “1400m is a nothing race,” he said, commenting on Sir David Baird’s two recent defeats over the distance. “It’s not a sprint and it’s not a mile but this horse shows a lot of speed and if he had got beat today I would have put him back over a sprint. I also liked the way he saddled up. Usually he kicks and plays up but today he stood like a professional.”

But Sir David Baird will not be going back to a sprint as Gavin Lerena swept to the front from the start, winning unchallenged.

Sir David Baird (Candiese Marnewick)

“We didn’t go very fast but I knew that Puller’s horse (Ryker) pulled very hard so I was not going to play into his hands. This was his right trip,” said Lerena.

“He’s so fast at home but I liked the way he quickened today,” added De Kock as Sir David Baird, a half-brother to Gr1 winning sire Argonaut, put four lengths between him and second-placed Ryker. “It’s just a pity that Mr Rattray was not here to watch, he’s only back Tuesday,” De Kock concluded. “He’s put so much into the game, he deserves this.”

Summerveld-based, Mark Dixon had an afternoon to remember as he sent out three winners. His run started in the third when Asian Star finally got his act together in a competitive maiden and veteran Celtic Captain upsetting a strong field in the fourth where the filly Dawn Calling went off favourite. A disappointed Duncan Howells commented later after Neptune’s Rain had broken the stable duck, that Dawn Calling had pulled up distressed after the race and may have been affected by the heat.

Dixon’s well fancied Fantasy Lady found one too good for her in the fifth as Parabola gave Brett Crawford his first winner from his recently established stallelite yard overseen by salted veteran and top trainer in his own right, Peter Muscutt.

Dixon was not done and rounded off his afternoon as apprentice Ashton Aries scored his second win of the day aboard Admiral’s Guest who had a more than useful field over three lengths behind at the line.

De Kock bolted from the winning interview just in time to see Kinaan score comfortably in the Lanzerac Le General Kenilworth Cup but it was a day of upsets down south.

Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion winner Sand And Sea fluffed his lines on his seasonal debut behind 20-1 shot Power Grid while the filly Miss Katalin upstaged a few Cape Guineas hopefuls in the R2.5 million Lanzerac Ready To Run Stakes, getting up close home to edge out a tremendously game Bold Respect who jumped from the worst of the draw.

The upsets didn’t stop there as Rocket Countdown blasted into the Cape Guineas picture in the Gr2 Selangor Cup, beating home another outsider White River with Do It Again and favourite Broadway Trip both losing their unbeaten records finishing third and fourth respectively.

By Andrew Harrison