The R2,5 million Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run Cup is the first of the big sales races this season and it is fitting that Summerhill Stud, who brought this popular concept to South Africa, have a strong hand in Saturday’s race over 1400m on the Turffontein Standside track.

Await The Dawn’s untimely passing after siring just two crops was a big loss and this is illustrated by the Summerhill-bred R240,000 purchase Big Bear as well as the Summerhill-bred filly Tammany Hall, who are both in Saturday’s race. Big Bear has won two of three starts and had the field spread out like the washing over 1450m on the Inside track last time out in a Novice Handicap, although he was carrying bottom weight. Await The Dawn won a Group 1 over a mile-and-a-half and Big Bear is big and strong and a resolute galloper, so will not only be constantly improving, but will relish the Standside track with its long straight.

Big Bear (Candiese Marnewick)

Tammany Hall has also won two out of three and kept on gamely last time to beat older horses in a handicap over 1450m off a merit rating of 85. She has a plum draw and has a chance over a likely ideal course and distance.

First reserve runner Ekuseni is also by Await The Dawn and is also a galloping type.

The former Summerhill-based sire Visionaire has a chance with the promising filly Takingthepeace, a R280,000 Summerhill-bred purchase. Takingthepeace showed a fine turn of foot last time out to win a MR68 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1000m by a comfortable 2,4 lengths off an 83 merit rating. Her dam finished third in the Grade 1 Empress Club Stakes over 1600m, so Takingthepeace should comfortably get this 1400m trip. Anthony Delpech might drop her out from a draw of eleven.

Brave Tin Soldier produced a runner up in this race two years ago in Rabada and has Riding Shotgun in Saturday’s event. This horse is the favourite to be pacemaker as he has fine form from 1000-1400m when allowed to lead. However, from a wide draw of 14 it is going to be tough for this R80,000 purchase.

Grade 1 winner Brave Mary, a daughter of Brave Tin Soldier, was born at Summerhill. She is an unknown factor over this trip, although her draw of four will allow her to use her plentiful speed to her advantage.

The Summerhill-breds will likely be looking at Wonderwall, Purple Diamond and Surcharge as the horses to beat.

By David Thiselton

The world of social media and the multitude of Apps available on smart phones is making it easier and easier to keep track of what is current and TABgold.co.za have introduced a new feature to their on-line racecard called ‘Follow Me’.

Blatant advertising aside, it is a feature that dispenses with the old ‘Black Book’ that one often forgets to consult, resulting in many a missed opportunity.

So if you had clicked on Dunzie and She’s A Dream as horses to follow, you would have been in the pound seats at Greyville yesterday as both obliged in a fashion that suggests that you click on ‘Follow Me’ for at least their next few outings.

Dunzie was all over her rivals when making her debut at Scottsville but being something of a tricky customer at home, the stable was wary of what to expect first up.

“She gets herself into a bit of a state,” admitted Duncan Howells post-race. “That’s why she goes down with a lead pony.”

Bred and owned by long-time supporter of the sport, Knut Haug, Dunzie is obviously a quick learner as very little went her way in the race. Drawn wide, stable rider Keagan de Melo, hunted for the inside rail without success and eventually cornered three wide. “I didn’t want to be there but I had to accept my fate.”

But even from the draw, Dunzie quickened and pulled away to win as she liked from Alistair Gordon’s filly Prosecco, definitely a candidate for ‘Follow Me’.

Mark Dixon is never one to rush his charges, letting them find their feet before putting them to the ultimate test, but those that took note of She’s A Dream’s maiden win could not have been other than impressed and hopefully a few rand richer after yesterday’s performance. All went wrong on debut, slow out and banged about like a mini in a Durban taxi jam, she still prevailed, so the modest field she took on in the fifth yesterday was easy meat. Sat mid-field by blossoming apprentice Ashton Arries, She’s a Dream scythed through the opposition to win as she liked.

On the down side, it was a performance that will not go un-noticed by the handicappers.

“She’s progressive and will get further,” said Dixon. “But for the time being I’ll keep her to what we know.”

Plans? “No plans. We will decide tomorrow.”

Louis Goosen’s colt Zen Arcade is a runner in the Gr2 Graham Beck at Turffontein on Saturday where the Emperor’s Palace Charity Mile is feature, and his form got a timely boost when Ryker ran out a smart winner of the sixth. Ryker ran Zen Arcade to within a length over 1400m when last they met but showed a smart turn of foot over the Greyville short-cut to put a useful handicap field to bed in a matter of strides.

Given his turn of speed and pedigree, Garth Puller looks to have a useful colt on his hands. Possibly another for ‘Follow Me’.

By Andrew Harrison

Anton Marcus will not be able to take part in the Air Mauritius International Jockeys’ Challenge at Turffontein on Sunday 19 November and talented apprentice Lyle Hewitson has been chosen as a replacement.

Hewitson, who only started his apprenticeship in March last year after 23 wins in work riders’ races, has made an outstanding success to the start of his career as a jockey. His total tally of wins to date is 236. He is currently leading the South African jockeys’ premiership with 39 wins, the biggest coming in the Grade 2 Joburg Spring Challenge on Wonderwall.

Anton Marcus (Liesl King)

According to a press release from the Racing Association, the panel who selected Hewitson to replace Marcus “feel, although he’s still an apprentice, he is able to make a great contribution to the team this year”.

The South African team now comprises Anthony Delpech, Greg Cheyne, Gavin Lerena, S’manga Khumalo, Craig Zackey and Hewitson. The internationals are Ireland’s Pat Smullen, PJ McDonald and Seamie Heffernan, Australia’s Corey Brown, England’s Martin Dwyer and France’s Thierry Thulliez.

The International Jockeys’ Challenge will comprise just one meeting this year but the jockeys will compete in six races rather than four, as has been the case previously.

The runners will be seeded beforehand and a ballot will be held for mounts in each of the races to try and ensure both teams have roughly the same calibre of rides overall.

Points are awarded as follows: first – 30; second – 15; third – 12; fourth – 10; fifth – 8; sixth – 7; seventh – 6; eighth – 5; ninth – 4; 10th – 3; 11th – 0; 12th – 0. If a jockey does not ride in a race, he gets seven points. The team that scores the most points wins the Challenge and there are awards for the top rider in each leg and the top rider overall.

The International Jockeys’ Challenge has been held for the last nine years and South Africa has won it seven times.

Riaan van Reenen will run Tuesday’s Kenilworth winner Midnight Moonlight in the WSB Cape Fillies Guineas on 2 December if she makes the cut but the Philippi trainer is worried she might not.

Mambo Mime

The daughter of Jay Peg has finished in the first two in all four starts but she went into the Interbet Handicap with a rating of only 85 and, as she only won by a length and a quarter, she is unlikely to be rated much higher than 90.

Van Reenen said: “I don’t want to run her again before the Fillies Guineas because that would mean her having three runs inside five weeks. What messed up my plans was the switching of two Kenilworth meetings to Durbanville and I didn’t want to run her there.”

Dean Kannemeyer, on the other hand, is looking for the easiest race possible for Mambo Mime’s next start. The five-year-old twice came close to death earlier in the year, first with a thrombosis and then with an attack of colic so bad that he had to have an operation to survive.

Kannemeyer said: “He has been to hell and back but he is a tough bastard and he has pulled up sound in his two races since. He ran well in Last Winter’s race at Durbanville and I now want to go the softer route. I need to find an easy race that he can win to get his confidence back, maybe a Pinnacle although everybody seems to have the same idea about those races at the moment.”

Mambo Mime has some good form to his credit including third in the Daily News and the Canon Guineas. He was considered good enough to run in last year’s Durban July and this year’s Sun Met.

By Michael Clower

The nine race meeting on the Vaal Classic track tomorrow will highlight the question of how difficult it is for horses to win first time out the maidens as the last three legs of the Pick 6 will have respectively fancied horses in this boat.

In the seventh race the Mike de Kock-trained Mawsoof got better the longer the race lasted in an uninspiring maiden over 1000m and won by 4,75 lengths from Ragnarok, who has fair form but likely needed the run as he was returning from a long layoff. Mawsoof made a respiratory noise, which is always a concern. He was accorded a reasonable 76 merit rating but still has to carry topweight of 60kg and faces a field of toughened sprint handicaps. He has been tipped to win only because he is likely to improve, but cannot be selected with confidence especially as he would likely prefer a touch further in time, being by Trippi out of Western Winter mare Besma whose two wins were both over 1200m. Furthermore, the main danger Exclusively Trendy hails from the flying Paul Peter yard and showed fine pace last time out before being cut down late by Brigtnumberten. The latter then franked the form by running way above his rating in a Graduation Plate over 1000m, so Exclusively Trendy looks to be a big runner here, especially considering Anthony Delpech will now be in the irons. Singaswewin won his maiden in his 33^rd career start but off a merit rating of 58 should not be under-estimated as he went close off a merit rating of 59 in a 1000m handicap on the Vaal Inside track in August.

Mike De Kock

In the eight race Rock Pigeon also won well on debut over 1000m and runs over the same trip. She was more eye catching than Mawsoof as she showed a fine turn of foot and won cosily by 1,6 lengths without being hard pressed. Yet she was only accorded a merit rating of 75, so has a chance here carrying 58,5kg. On the other hand the form of her win has not stood up well. However, although she will likely have to improve further to win, she had been selected to cross the line first as she does not face an inspiring field. Varsity Princess has showed good pace in her last two races with blinkers on. Last time out the only horse to overtake her was the promising three-year-old Takingthepeace, who looks to be going places. Prosperity is an improved sort who has won three out of her last five races and last time she can be forgiven as she lost two lengths at the start. Celtic Lady is a small filly with a big heart and she is 2kg better off with Prosperity for a recent 0,7 length defeat, so she should also be in the shake up, although she is battling to get her nose in front. Claremorris could also have a say if recapturing her best form.

In the last race Combat Muster came from some way back in a fast paced race on Grand Heritage day to win over 1200m. The form has been franked as the runner up Captain My Captain has won since. Therefore, Combat Muster has a chance off a mere 73 merit rating in this 1200m handicap. However, the tip to win is Dawnbreaker, who has plummeted down to a 58 merit rating and for the first time this year drops to the trip of her only win, which she achieved on her debut.

The meeting starts off with a maiden over 1500m and Eight Cities is the choice. He was slow away and wide last time out over course and distance but was only caught late by the promising Middle Path and there was daylight back to the rest. He now has pole position and faces an uninspiring field.

In the second, a maiden for fillies and mares over 1500m, Circle Of Latitude looks to be going places and is choice for best bet.

Her Australian-bred stablemate Yes We Do is the selection for the first leg of the PA as she did not have much luck on debut over 1400m but was staying on and looks likely to relish the step up to this 1700m trip.

In the first leg of the Pick 6, a Maiden over 2400m, The Await The Dawn gelding Before Noon is bred for this trip and is interesting as he was carded to run on Tuesday night over 2000m.

In the first leg of the Jackpot, a MR 68 handicap for fillies and mares over 2400m, the topweight Dalley is the choice as this trip looks ideal and being a five-year-old mare by Ideal World she is likely to be coming into her own.

By David Thiselton