The Mike de Kock-trained Captain Al colt Like A Panther struck a blow for three-year-old form at the Vaal on Tuesday and was one of a number of sophomores who have caught the eye over the last few days.

At Greyville on Sunday another Captain Al colt, Captain And Master, proved his class and the exciting Dynasty filly Hashtagyolo remained unbeaten, while at Durbanville on Saturday Trippi colt White River won a handicap comfortably despite being green, and two fillies, Dynamic Diana and Midnight Moonlight, also defied 80+ merit ratings and wide draws in an open handicap.

Captain And Master

The imposing Like A Panther has a stout female line being out of a Galileo mare who is a half-sister to the Gr.2 Reserve Stayers winner Blake. He has SA Derby winner stamped all over him. On Tuesday he travelled like a winner throughout in a MR 84 handicap over 2000m and beat toughened older handicappers going away by two lengths. This was no mean feat for a horse having his first run out of the maidens off an 89 merit rating. He has been raised to 94 and is just one of many exciting De Kock-trained three-year-old prospects, including two winners he had on Saturday, Alshibaa and Alfolk.

Captain And Master has a huge action and, having fought for his head in his last two starts as a two-year-old, was allowed to use his action from the front on Sunday in a 1400m Progress Plate. He set a blistering gallop and stretched again up the straight to win by a comfortable 1,75 lengths from the talented but problematic older horse Red Chesnut Road. The handicappers have raised Captain And Master three points to 99 and time will tell whether he enjoys a mile.

Hashtagyolo made it two from two when winning the KZN Fillies Guineas Trial from start to finish by 1,75 lengths. She was raised six points to 89 and part-owner Bruce Le Roux hinted she would avoid the Cape season and instead might be campaigned in the classics in Jo’burg next year before running in the SA Champions Season.

Last Saturday at Durbanville the rangy White River cosily beat older horses in a 1400m handicap and has been raised three points to 87. He has plenty of scope and should enjoy a further step up in trip.

Dynasty filly Dynamic Diana enjoyed the step up to 1600m on Saturday and showed a good turn of foot to win by 1,5 lengths. Runner-up Midnight Moonlight, by Jay Peg, gave her 1,5kg and was staying on strongly. Both fillies look promising and can be followed.

The first three-year-old colt of the season to showcase the crop was the Querari colt Wonderwall, who comfortably beat a number of classy older horses in the Gr.2 Joburg Spring Challenge over 1450m, albeit in yielding going. Wonderwall represents the form of last year’s champion two-year-old male Mustaaqeem and also some of last season’s best two-year-old form in Cape Town. He is now merit rated 107 and on pedigree should stay a mile and more.

By David Thiselton

Defending Breeders’ Cup Classic champion Arrogate was cut to 5-2 (from 3) to retain his title at Del Mar on Saturday week after he, and market leader Gun Runner, impressed in their final serious workouts on Monday morning.

Arrogate (Liesl King)

Trained by Bob Baffert, who is seeking a fourth successive win in the $6 million event, Arrogate defeated California Chrome in a pulsating Classic 12 months ago before adding the Pegasus World Cup and Dubai World Cup to his haul, but has failed to win in two starts since Dubai.

However, after Arrogate stylishly breezed past a stablemate in a mile workout at Santa Anita on Monday, Baffert told bloodhorse.com: “We were looking for a stiff work out of him today. He handled it really well. Every work he’s moving forward. He looks great to me.

“Gun Runner – I got to see him work today, and he’s pretty impressive too. This is the toughest Classic I think I’ve seen in years. You cannot make a mistake. You have to be ready. It’s going to be a nail-biter.”

Baffert had not been the only person to have noted the workout from the Steve Asmussen-trained Gun Runner, the 7-4 favourite for the Classic.

He took to the track at Santa Anita around an hour before Arrogate to work with a stablemate over 7f, readily leaving his companion behind.

– bloodhorse.com

Trainer John Gosden has been debating on whether to commit the Royal Lodge Stakes winner to Town Moor or next month’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in California, but it appears a trip to Yorkshire has been preferred, with the ground on Tuesday officially described as good to soft, good in places.

David Redvers, racing and breeding advisor to the colt’s owners Qatar Racing, has high hopes that Roaring Lion will prove capable of extending his winning sequence prior to making a further splash in 2018.

Roaring Lion (Alan Crowhurst)

“He’s a horse who seems to have improved throughout the season,” Redvers said. “We have the option of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, but Mr Gosden felt very strongly that if the ground at Doncaster was reasonable then he would like to go there.

“He feels that Roaring Lion is a next-year horse and we’re very excited by his prospects. It looks a very competitive race, but we’ll go with high hopes.

“We won the race with Elm Park three years ago and had a great day up there. Roaring Lion is very different to Elm Park, but goes to Doncaster with a stronger chance, if anything. I’m very optimistic about him.”

Roaring Lion took the step up to Group 2 level in his stride when defeating the 5-6 favourite Nelson at Newmarket last month and will do battle again with representatives from Aidan O’Brien, who will attempt to set a new world record for Group 1 victories.

Saxon Warrior, who could be Ballydoyle’s standard bearer at Doncaster, hardened as favourite on Tuesday, with bet365 trimming his odds to 2-1 (from 9-4).

Godolphin, who supplemented Loxley for the final Group 1 of the year on Monday, also have dual scorer Masar entered, but he could be set for the Breeders’ Cup instead.

Charlie Appleby, who trains the pair, said: “Masar has the Breeders’ Cup option. We think he has the right profile for that race.

“He’ll do a bit of work on Wednesday morning and then we’ll make a decision about Doncaster. He won’t run in both.

“Slow ground at Doncaster wouldn’t be ideal for him. Although he has finished third in a Group 1 on soft ground, he is a better horse on a sound surface.”

He added: “We supplemented Loxley at the start of the week, and he is going to be turning up. He is an exciting horse. He learnt plenty from dead-heating at Goodwood on his debut and gained a lot of experience from it.

“He has a bright future − that’s why we’ve supplemented him for the Racing Post Trophy.”

– racingpost.com

The Vaal Outside track stages a nine race meeting tomorrow and there are some interesting runners turning out, especially a few first timers in the earlier races.

The meeting kicks off with a Maiden over 1000m and here the Johan Janse van Vuuren-trained Eighfold Path Jet Path makes appeal after an eyecacthing debut, in which he was surging late after being cramped for room. This nice type should improve for the run and on strict formlines he has the measure of Captain My Captain on a line through Premier Show. Jet Path beat Premier Show by 4,8 lengths, while Captain My Captain only beat Premier Show by a shorthead over 1200m, although the latter did come on from his debut and preferred the 1200m trip. Captain My Captain has been a touch disappointing in two runs on the Highveld after some useful two-year-old form in Cape Town, but this will be his third run after a layoff and gelding and he should start improving now. Sweet Trial has a lot of pace and as this is his second run of this season he might not fold as tamely as he did last time, especially considering this is probably a weaker field.

Tellina (JC Photographics)

In the second race, a fillies and mares maiden over 1000m, there are two well-bred first-timers facing each other in an otherwise moderate field. Triple It is by the former champion sire Trippi out of the twelve-time winning Kahal mare Mannequin, who won the Listed Banyana Handicap over 1000m on the Vaal sand by 2,25 lengths carrying 58,5kg. She could also perform on turf and finished a 0,5 length second in the Grade 3 Lebelo Sprint over 1000m at Turffontein, despite giving the winner, the gelding Gold Site, 6,5kg. Triple It should be full of speed and this Mike and Adam Azzie-trained Drakenstein homebred has the champion apprentice Lyle Hewitson up. Tia by Silvano is a full-sister to Tellina, who needs little introduction having won the Grade 2 Gauteng Guineas and being Grade 1 placed on numerous occasions including in South Africa’s three premier races, the Vodacom Durban July, the Sun Met and the Sansui Summer Cup. Tellina finished third on debut over 1200m and that was the only sprint he took part in, so Tia is likely to need further but she should have enough class to run into the places. Ilha Da Var has moderate form to date, but is starting to improve and he looks the biggest threat to the two first-timers.

The third race, also a Maiden for fillies and mares over 1000m, sees two Australian-bred first-timers clashing with a promising filly who did well on debut. Mike de Kock has been turning out classy three-year-old first-timers in conveyor belt-like fashion this season and has another one here in Jazalaah. She is by the top sire More Than Ready out of the Grade 1 Allan Robertson winner Trust Antonia. Among the latter’s foals is a full-brother to Jazalaah who finished third in the Grade 1 Caulfield Guineas. However, the Azzie yard also has a first-timer worth noting in this field in Leopard Creek. He is by Kentucky Derby and Dubai World Cup winner Animal Kingdom out of the former Charles Laird-trained Merlene De Lago. The latter was full of class but was temperamental and had an aversion to the starting stalls. However, she did still manage to win the Grade 2 SA Fillies Nursery by two lengths from subsequent Allan Robertson dead-heater On Her Toes. These two first-timers will have their work cut out to peg back Western Shamrock, who was backed on debut over 1000m and was running on nicely for third. Ancient Spirit has ability too and moved up well on debut in May over 1000m, but then found little extra. However, she was reported to have made a breathing noise and hasn’t run since. Gavin Lerena is aboard Ancient Spirit, while Donavan Mansour rides the yard’s Australian-bred first-timer Dreamsaremadeof, who is by European champion sprinter Dream Ahead and is a half-sister to the useful Gauteng Fillies Guineas fourth-placed Tamaanee.

Mike De Kock

De  Kock could also win the eighth race over 1400m with Mohallela, who was not disgraced on her handicap debut considering the 1160m was too sharp for her. She will relish the step up in trip and can handle an 85 merit rating, although the distance suited pair Rouge Allure and Costa Da Sol are probably advisable for the PA.

The highest rated race is the sixth, a MR 88 Handicap for three-year-olds over 1400m, and Alec Laird’s Flying Winger could make it a hattrick having finished strongly last time to deny the well regarded Prince Of Kahal. Silver Maple was backed to odds-on on debut and got up so is also a contender and Kurt’s Approval should not be ignored as he caught the eye on debut despite beating a moderate field.

The seventh also has some class in it, being a MR 82 Handicap for three-year-old fillies over 1400m. Laird could make it a quick double as his Fort Wood filly Cashel Palace won by over eight lengths second time out over 1600m. Laird’s horses continue to progress as youngsters, so she could still be ahead of the handicapper off an 82 merit rating. La Bastide is 2kg better off for a 0,9 length beating and might prefer this shorter trip, considering she made a breathing noise. She could be the chief threat. Ninjara looks full of ability, but the concern is she over raced the first time she tried this 1400m trip. If she does settles she will be a big runner.

By David Thiselton

Silver Coin can restore his reputation by bouncing back to form in the Interbet.co.za Handicap at Durbanville today.

True, he has a bad draw to contend with but there are grounds for believing he is thrown in at the weights. The formerly record-priced yearling, good enough to win first time, started hot favourite for the Langerman but finished last.

The official explanation was that he was not striding out behind but Joey Ramsden told this column early last month that there was a lot more to it than that – the colt was a run short and the race came at a time when many of the stable’s horses weren’t running well. But now “he is doing fine.”

Joey Ramsden

Silver Coin has been rated at 83 on his narrow debut win whereas stable companion Speedpoint, third in the Langerman, is on a mark of 96. Give that Silver Coin was a 14-10 chance that day, it is reasonable to suppose that he would have run at least as well as Speedpoint and, taking the assumption a stage further, it means he could have more than 6kg in hand here.

World Sports Betting take a different view as they opened him at 15-2. Course and distance winner Bobby Dazzler is the one that has been backed – from 5-1 to 7-2 – with Big Mistake second favourite at 9-2. Strikeitlikeamatch has been on the drift (from 9-2 to 6-1) but Piet Botha’s mount looks the main threat after leaving a run of 15 defeats behind him to show much improved form and win his last two. “I put blinkers on him and that is the main reason for the improvement,” says Glen Puller.

Ramsden, who has 13 runners, could have a good day and his Talk Of The Town looks the one to beat in the TAB Telebet Maiden. “He is a nice horse and he ran very well the first time,” says his trainer.

The Var colt went into punters’ notebooks after finishing strongly from a bad draw on debut to take third but the snag is that he is very short. He was 7-10 yesterday and seems unlikely to ease much. However he should have come on enough to account for 7-1 shot L’Histoire and Rikers Island who is second favourite at 6-1.

Ramsden’s November Storm has run well on both starts and many will want to look no further in the opener, particularly as he was backed yesterday when he shortened to favouritism at 22-10. But Bernie wears blinkers for the first time and that may be enough to end his frustrating run of seconds. He opened favourite but is now 28-10. Refined Bachelor also has strong claims but his 12 draw is a significant negative and probably accounts for him drifting from 7-2 to 6-1.

By Michael Clower