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.”

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

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

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.”

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 yesterday with Strikeitlikeamatch joint favourite (with Big Mistake) at 9-2. 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 opened odds-on at 17-20 and seems unlikely to ease all that much. However he should have come on enough to account for 6-1 shot L’Histoire and Rikers Island who is third favourite at 13-2.

Ramsden’s November Storm has run well on both starts and many will want to look no further than the 5-2 chance in the opener but Bernie wears blinkers for the first time and that may be enough to end his frustrating run of seconds. He opened favourite at 22-10. Refined Bachelor (7-2) also has strong claims but his 12 draw is a significant negative.

By Michael Clower

The difficult – some would say nightmare – scenario of Cape Town trainers having no grass gallops worth the name is over.

This week everything reverts to normal with raceday gallops resuming at Kenilworth on Saturday and the weekly club gallops at Durbanville starting again on Thursday for horses based at Philippi and the following Thursday for those stabled at Milnerton.

Trainers wanting to gallop at Kenilworth are limited by a quota system – they can do so each season up to a limit of only 6.5% of the average number of their runners in the previous one or two seasons – but there is no such restriction on gallops at Durbanville.

The latter were suspended for 12 months while the surface was being improved and relaid while for the last month there were also no Kenilworth gallops permitted in order to give the turf its customary spring scarifying treatment.

For the most part trainers have accepted the situation, reasoning it is for the long-term good, but Joey Ramsden has been critical of the no-gallops period, saying: “It has all been hugely disappointing and what they have done at Durbanville is make the course ride even faster than it did before.”

However others have expressed satisfaction at the elimination of the Durbanville ridge-and-furrow surface, which because of the risk of sore shins and leg damage, meant they were unwilling to risk their good horses.

Justin Snaith said: “No-one has run more horses than me at Durbanville since the course was reopened and not one of them has finished lame. Indeed they have all pulled up incredibly well.”

The jockeys, who put their lives as well as their livelihoods at risk on every raceday, have also enthused about the surface.

In other news Vaughan Marshall confirms that there is no appeal against The Secret Is Out’s six-month ban for bursting a blood vessel earlier this month. It seems harsh that the relevant rule does not permit the owners an opportunity to at least submit a case for leniency.

Snaith is to expand his Port Elizabeth operation, saying: “We are only half full with 20 horses and we are going to try and fill it up. We are doing well there after changing our approach. We now send  horses there earlier than we used to, show them the poly and get them more prepared.”

By Michael Clower

Run Rhino Run’s startling display in the sixth race at Greyville on Sunday has had tongues wagging the world over after he opened up a steeple chase margin on the opposition in the 3000m handicap and kept rolling to win by an official 21-length margin.

“Sometimes you get lucky,” said trainer Kom Naidoo. “99 percent of the time by the time a runaway like that hits the straight it’s already dead.”

That doesn’t quite tell the whole story. Formally with Lezeanne Forbes, Run Rhino Run showed talent from the start of his career but was always a difficult customer.

“I got the horse from Lezeanne a couple of weeks ago. He’s always been difficult. He’s got rocks in his head and he’s been tried with pacifiers and all sort of other things to try and get him to settle. But he fights everything that you put on him and the harder you fight the harder he fights.”

“Eventually I thought, ‘you know what, take everything off him and use just a normal ring-bit and let him do what he wants’”.

Well he took apprentice Serino Moodley via the scenic route, heading for the outside fence after taking the first turn and from there on, it was Run Rhino Run in control.

“He’s such a difficult horse,” said Moodley post-race. “I knew he was going to be a difficult ride so I just let him do what he wanted to do.”

At one stage commentator Sheldon Peters called Run Rhino Run 300 m ahead and he still had 200m on his rivals turning for home.

The race was run 9 seconds slower than track record, equivalent to around 40 lengths or more, and with the balance of the field still 21 lengths adrift at the line their pace must be called into question.

Indeed, the stipendiary stewards have opened an inquiry. “We took evidence from all the riders, excepting Serino Moodley … what were their instructions and tactics,” said senior stipe Derek Anderson.

“We still have to sit down and analyse their responses. It’s an enquiry in progress,” he said.

In other news, Dennis Bosch is in Cape Town this week fine-tuning Billy Silver for the CTS Lanzerac Read-To-Run Stakes.

“He’s doing exceptionally well down here in Cape Town. I can’t be happier with him,” said Bosch. “He’s been with Geoff Woodruff and I have been up and down checking on him. I will be down again in the last week of his prep.”

The R2.5 million race over 1400m will be run on Saturday, November 18. “(Anthony) Delpech says 1400m is his game and he can’t speak highly enough of the horse,” concluded Bosch.

Billy Silver, unbeaten in two starts, does not feature in the current log as he does not have an official merit rating after just two starts.

By Andrew Harrison

Dennis Drier returned from Cape Town last season empty handed in feature races, but looks likely to put that disappointment behind him as his string of 23 this season is full of young talent.

Heading the list are his two unbeaten Grade 1 two-year-old winners from last season Sand And Sea and Lady In Black.

Twice Over colt Sand And Sea ran on strongly from off the pace to win the Grade 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion. The form of that race cannot be faulted to date and this big bay’s target will now be the Grade 1 Cape Guineas on December 16. His dam by Spectrum, Sea Point, won on debut over 1000m at Kenilworth, but is a half-sister to brilliant Cape Guineas winner Pointing North (Joshua Dancer). Twice Over’s influence will also help Sand And Sea stay, being a five-times middle distance Group 1 winner. Sand And Sea is avoiding Saturday’s Grade 3 Cape Classic over 1400m in favour of a Progress Plate over 1200m on November 18. The reason is the connections do not want to bring him down to the 1200m before going up in trip again to 1600m.

Lady In Black is entered in the Grade 2 Western Cape Fillies Championships over 1400m on Saturday. This Dynasty filly had no right to win the Grade 1 Thekwini Stakes in her third start, having been caught wide the whole way and then taking a big bump at the top of the straight. Unfortunately, she has landed another wide draw for Saturday, 14 out of 16.

Joining Lady In Black as entries in the Western Cape Fillies Championships are Tssessebe and Champenois. Philanthropist filly Tsessebe finished third in the Grade 2 Golden Slipper over 1400m on Vodacom Durban July day. Visionaire filly Champenois bumped three good ‘uns in Luna Child, Flichity By Farr and Dinner Date, whom she finished second to, before getting off the mark in a Scottsville 1200m fillies and mares maiden in September, which she won by 3,5 lengths. She is a half-sister to the Grade 1 SA Classic winner Pierre Jourdan, so should enjoy Saturday’s step up in trip. Furthermore, she has drawn pole position. Tsessebe is drawn 16 out of 16.

Drier does have two entries in the Cape Classic, Silvano colt Tower Of Wisdom and Philanthropist colt Tom Collins. Tower Of Wisdom was taken handy from a wide draw second time out over 1400m at Scottsville and ran on well to win by 1,25 lengths. The horse who was beaten 2,5 lengths into third, African Pharoah, came out and won on Sunday. Tom Collins took four runs to win his maiden, a 1600m event, and was then beaten 1,3 lengths into fourth in a handicap over 1750m off a merit rating of 82, so has his work cut out on Saturday from the widest draw of 13 acceptors. Tower Of Wisdom, merit rated 83, is drawn seven.

Another three-year-old filly entered for Saturday’s racing is impressive 1200m debut winner, Via Sacra. This Pathfork filly lost two lengths at the start in her only career start, but was soon tracking the leaders and showed a fine turn of foot to win by a head without being hard pressed. She is entered in a MR 68 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1000m on Saturday and will race off a merit rating of 82, which she is surely destined to be better than, but it does mean she has to carry 61,5kg.

A top filly sprinter in the string is the four-year-old by Var, Sommerlied, who has won four out of five and smashed the Scottsville 1000m course record last time out. She has the good fillies feature sprint program to look forward to and will then no doubt attempt to follow in the footsteps of another Drier-trained Var filly, Val De Ra, who won the Grade 1 Betting World Cape Flying Championships over 1000m.

The four-year-old Count Dubois filly Anime is also good enough to contest the fillies sprint features, while four-year-old Horse Chestnut gelding Horse Guards will likely be aimed at sprint feature handicaps.

The yard also have high hopes for the three-year-old daughter of Val De Ra, Miss Frankel, who is by the legendary Frankel. After a disappointing debut she proved she wasn’t just an over-hyped sort by winning a Scottsville 1000m fillies and mares maiden by 4,5 lengths.

A promising three-year-old filly in the string is Salimah by Trippi. She won her 1000m debut by 3,75 lengths. She is a half-sister to UAE 2000 Guineas second-placed Zanzamar, who also finished third in the Dubai Gold Cup, so she will appreciate further and looks to be a Grade 1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas hopeful.

Respective three-year-old Western Winter and Oratorio fillies, Dame Commander and Sacred Flame, both won comfortably in their third starts over 1200m at Scottsville.

Another Western Winter filly Forehand ran a good third over 1000m on debut.

Three-year-old Curved Ball gelding Bad Attitude won well second time out over 1200m at Scottsville. He is a half-brother to the out-and-out sprinter Mr Whatever.

Premier Dance might be aimed at feature handicaps.

Heir Line and Colour Your Dreams will likely start off in lesser handicaps.

The High Life loved Cape Town last season, so can bounce back to form.

Four-year-old Nauticus is a hard knocking maiden and Dynasty filly Perfect Air and Trippi gelding Robyn-Jack-Twigg are yet to race.

By David Thiselton