Aidan O’Brien collected his sixth British trainers’ title on Saturday, the Ballydoyle-based trainer having enjoyed a fabulous season which saw him today equal Bobby Frankel’s world record of Group 1 races won in a season at 25.

He won four of the five domestic Classics this year, and 12 races on the QIPCO British Champion Series, and today was victorious in the QIPCO British Champion Fillies and Mares with Hydrangea.

“It’s a big team effort, and everyone works so hard, there are many links to the chain,” he said. “And we’re very grateful to the lads at the top who put the team together and send us the horses.”

Aidan O’Brien (racingpost.com)

Asked if he thinks he will break the record for Group 1 winners in a season, O’Brien said:

“We hopefully will have runners in the Racing Post Trophy and in two races in France.”

And, of course, there is the Breeders’ Cup meeting ahead, and after Highland Reel’s third in the QIPCO Champion Stakes today, O’Brien confirmed that the son of Galileo will be heading stateside.

O’Brien was presented the award today following the QICPO Champion Stakes by former champion trainer John Gosden, who finished runner-up in the title chase this year. It is the second year in succession that O’Brien and Gosden have filled the first two placings.

Godolphin received the Champion Owner Award, with chief executive Joe Osborne accepting the award.

Despite being out of luck on QIPCO British Champions Day, Osborne reflected on an excellent season for the operation, which included six Royal Ascot winners.

He said: “It’s been a great season for us and it’s a credit to our trainers and horses for us to be Champion Owner; it means a lot to us.

“Today is a huge day – it’s freshest in people’s minds towards the end of the season and we’re delighted to be a part of it.”

Silvestre De Sousa received a rousing reception into the parade ring after being crowned with his second Stobart Flat Jockeys’ Championship.

De Sousa, who racked up 155 wins this season – 44 ahead of his nearest rival and 2016 champion jockey Jim Crowley – received the traditional guard of honour from his weighing room colleagues before being presented with the trophy from Olympic athletes Adam Gemili and Katarina Johnson-Thompson.

“It’s been a really great season and I appreciate everyone who has put me up this year – it’s been very successful,” said Brazilian-born De Sousa, 36.

– racenews@racenewsonline.com

The Vaal stages an eight race meeting and some promising sorts will be turned out, so there is a lot to look forward to.

Piere Strydom

The highest rated race is a MR 84 Handicap over 2000m and the choice is the Summer Cup entry Hidden Agenda. Last time he finished strongly from behind over 1800m, but in the process hung in badly and took out most of the field. He was beaten in the end anyway by The Elmo Effect. This time he has a draw of three in a seven horse field and is off the same merit rating, so Gunther Wrogemann will be trying to ensure he is on the rail in the straight. Amsterdam, also a Summer Cup entry, looked beaten when Hidden Agenda swept past him last time, but he was plugging on at the time and was then sandwiched out of the race. The losing margin was thus flattering to Hidden Agenda. Furthermore, a lot of use had been made of Amsterdam in that race to overcome a wide draw, so it would be no great surprise if he reverses the form over an even more suitable trip from pole position under Piere Strydom. The Mike de Kock-trained three-year-old Like A Panther will enjoy the step up in trip based on his easy win over 1600m and he would not be a surprising winner either. However, it is never easy first time out of the maidens for a young horse, especially one who has been merit rated 89. Those three should get punters through the exotics.

There are two other De Kock-trained three-year-olds running first time out of the maidens, who have been tipped to win. In the fourth race over 1700m, the Australian-bred Teofilo colt Yakeen won comfortably on debut over 1400m and will clearly relish the step up to this trip. He has a plum draw of three and does not face an inspiring field. It is open beyond Yakeen. Pachuco found extra last time over 1600m and this improved sort will enjoy this trip, so he should be running on after likely being dropped out from a wide draw. King’s King ran a fine race over this trip back in June, although he also has a wide draw to overcome. Defy Gravity finished strongly over 1800m last time from way back and he now has a good draw. Swing Vote has been accorded a fair merit rating of 65 after his front-running maiden win over 1600 and could make a bold bid from a wide draw under Piere Strydom. Grasshopper could sit behind Swing Vote and has an outside chance.

In the seventh race over 1000m, the De Kock-trained Australian-bred colt by Star Witness, Mujaafy, was most impressive on debut over 1160m, when cruising in by 4,2 lengths. Off an 84 merit rating and from a reasonable draw of seven he could follow up. A horse who could give him a run is the talented Cathederal County, who carries topweight and lost his race at the start last time when losing a length.

Callan Murray

In the first race, an uninspiring event over 1500m, Go Green looks the right one on form having comfortably beaten another contender, Middle Path, when they met over 1200m. However, is should be borne in mind Lucky Houdalakis-trained horses are brought on continuously, so it would be no great surprise if Middle Path reversed the form, especially as he stayed on well in a subsequent start over 1400m. Bosphorus did well to finish second to the well regarded Galactic Warrior on debut, so he is a contender, but he had a good draw that day and now has a wide draw to overcome.

The second is a typically difficult fillies and mares MR 74 Handicap over 1700m. Parisienne Chic has dropped to an attractive merit rating and is drawn well so is the choice. The distance suited and in form Angelic Appeal and the ultra consistent September Bloom make most appeal of the rest.

The third is an uninspiring maiden and Maneater has only been chosen due to the lack of good form in this race. She will certainly relish the step up in trip, having been hard ridden in a workrider’s sprint race where she finished third. However, she was by no means eyecatching. Angelic and Wings Of Charne have shown ability and look to be the main dangers.

The sixth race over 2000m looks to be a boat race between the progressive Inn A Million, who has won three of his last five, and Arabian World. Inn A Million won cosily last time and can overcome a six point raise from a good draw. However, it is interesting to note Gavin Lerena rode him in that race, but has stuck with Arabian World. The latter has always struck as a horse with ability. He at last produced his potential last time when scooting in by 2,5 lengths over this trip at Turffontein Inside. That was Arabian World’s first run for the flying Paul Peter yard and he is now drawn in pole, so should have a strong chance. Sheet Weaver, like Arabian World, is by Ideal World and the last time he tried this trip he ran a fine race. However, the formlines put him marginally behind the first two choices.

In the last race over 1200m Alex The Great has been chosen as one who has caught the eye before and is now having his first run as a gelding. Wottahottie and Cedrus Libani both caught the eye last time in the same 1400m race and will enjoy this trip. However, the promising Torio Lake has been chosen as the main danger, despite having to carry topweight from a wide draw, and the pole position draw Cannes can also be considered having dropped to a competitive merit rating.

By David Thiselton

Premiers Champion winner Eyes Wide Open misses the Cape Classic to go for the mile Pinnacle when racing returns to Kenilworth on Saturday.

Glen Kotzen said: “It’s partly because of his wide draw but also he would have had to give 5kg to much of the field in the Classic – and it’s only a prep race so why kill him? Also he would prefer a mile – seven furlongs is too short for him.”

Eyes Wide Open (Candiese Marnewick)

Ancestry, beaten half a length in the Greyville Grade 1, was also not declared for the Classic but entered for the Pinnacle. However Joey Ramsden said on Saturday that the colt will not run, citing a lack of grass gallops.

Richard Fourie rides the supplemented Sir Frenchie but Justin Snaith reckons stable companion Cot Campbell could be the one, saying: “He will be a big runner at the weights. He has a good draw and a good jockey (Grant van Niekerk). We’ve got Tap O’Noth to beat.”

Top weight Dutch Philip faces a massive task, giving away a minimum of 5kg and nearly twice that to the Sean Tarry filly Rockin Russian who was only beaten half a length in the Thekwini.

In the Western Cape Fillies Championship the champion trainer’s Thekwini fourth Desert Rhythm renews rivalry with the winner of that race Lady In Black. Both have wide draws and penalties to overcome whereas the unbeaten Magical Wonderland races off the standard 58kg and is reasonably drawn at seven.

By Michael Clower

Justin Snaith issued a heartfelt plea for more leniency in the handicapping of Cape Town stayers after Strathdon gave him his third consecutive Woolavington at Durbanville on Saturday.

He said: “I have Krambambuli and Ovidio sitting at home because I can’t run them until Met day as they are handicapped out of it in the staying races. Strathdon will hopefully go through the weights but, if he does, he will get nailed and go into the Gold Cup with top weight while some Jo’burg horse will come along with 52kg.”

Justin Snaith

Interfering with handicapping can end up causing more difficulties than it solves but turning at least one of the Cape Town long-distance triumvirate (Kenilworth Cup, Summer Stayers and Chairman’s Cup) into a conditions race could be the solution to the no-opportunities problem.

Punters got it right with Strathdon who went off 17-10 favourite whereas Red Peril was allowed to start at 4-1 despite his runaway Settlers win. Wes Marwing again tried to build up an unassailable lead and, while he turned for home almost three lengths clear, he was soon sending out distress signals like a drowning man. His mount managed only fifth in a time, a little puzzlingly, more than three seconds slower than his course record.

Richard Fourie also scored a convincing win for Snaith on Fifty Cents in the 1 400m handicap but the former champion trainer is still miffed that he was unable to run the gelding on July day.

He said: “At Scottsville a fortnight beforehand he reared up in the gates and the saddle slipped. After he was resaddled he went straight in yet they took his ticket away.”

Ronnie Sheehan celebrated his 81^st birthday four weeks late when 8-1 shot Over Again survived an objection from Corne Orffer on 18-10 favourite Honey Suite after the Tabonline Handicap. The runner-up was pushed wide and was only beaten a fifth of a length.

But Grant van Neikerk pulled his whip through in the closing stages and kept the race. The way he emerged from the boardroom, bounding down the steps three at a time, told the result well before the official announcement!

Val Niekerk is on fire at the moment and made it six winners from two meetings when rounding off a Snaith treble on Dynamic Diana in the last.

Strathdon (Liesl King)

Orffer had better luck for boss Brett Crawford when leading throughout on White River in the Betting World Handicap but the day’s riding honours surely belonged to Louis Burke who doubled his score with his first double.

Burke, 22 but in only his first year of race-riding, showed the coolness of real talent on the Mike Stewart-trained Al Wahed and 40 minutes later followed up on Ostinato for Glen Kotzen and a Green Street partnership.

Harold Crawford shrewdly had a few rand on 16-1 newcomer Ready Steady Go in the first and Grant Behr’s mount just held on to give his trainer some compensation for the problems he causes at home.

Crawford explained: “The horse has shown ability but he is a monster to look after. He is fine in his box but outside it he wants to kill everything and he doesn’t want to work.”

It was a hot day, at least by recent standards, and a number of jockeys came back sweating profusely. Aldo Domeyer lost more than the permitted half kilo on fifth-placed Sassy Lady in race six and the filly was disqualified.

By Michael Clower

There was some top-class racing at Greyville yesterday with at least three winners giving notice that they are top drawer, but they were all over-shadowed in a lowly MR Handicap over 3000m as Run Rhino Run turned in a stunning performance.

Seemingly out of control as the small field hit the first turn, Kom Naidoo’s runner cornered wide and if not for the outside fence would probably have been racing up Florida Road.

The balance of the riders seemed unconcerned as they kept in a tight bunch on the inside rail while Run Rhino Run continued to increase his lead no matter that he was running twice the distance.

Nearly a furlong-and-a-half clear turning for home, there was very little chance of Run Rhino Run being caught and he went to the line with an official 19 lengths to spare.

Run Rhino Run (Candiese Marnewick)

It was hardly the stuff of Secretariat in his famed Belmont Stakes romp, the official time being way outside the course record, but it was still something of a bizarre race.

Given Run Rhino Run’s antics, the other riders can possibly be forgiven for thinking that he would compound. On the other hand their pace was little more than a steady canter so there should be some questions asked.

The Sean Tarry machine is starting to kick into gear and the champion trainer will have been well satisfied with the performance of Captain And Master in the Progress Plate. Unlucky behind stable companion Purple Diamond in the Gr.2 Golden Horseshoe on July day and a beaten favourite in the Gr.1 Premier’s Champion Stakes, he put his marker down in his seasonal debut scooting home comfortably ahead of the highly rated Red Chestnut Road and the luckless filly Dawn Calling.

Dean Kannemeyer has had a quiet couple of seasons by his standards but the wheel appears to be turning. Last Winter gave notice that he could be a force to be reckoned with this Cape season when keeping his clean sheet at Durbanville on Saturday and Hastagyolo also sent out a strong message in the KZN Fillies Guineas Trial. Anthony Delpech had no hesitation in taking his mount to the front and there she stayed, holding on comfortably from Fiorella who tired her heart out in second ahead of Roy’s Riviera.

Paul Gadsby has a smart filly in Vision To Kill as the home-bred daughter of Kildonan was given a smart ride by apprentice Ashton Arries, scything though the middle of the pack to win well. Neptune’s Rain found the 1000m trip a touch on the short side but was doing her best work late and is one for the notebook when she goes a furlong further.

It’s not often that a trainer puts a horse on diet, “but he gets fatter after every race,” said Louis Goosen of Doing It For Dan. “Just now he won’t be able to fit into the starting stalls,” he said. The gelding did it for Goosen yesterday, winning his tenth race from 44 starts from Redcarpet Captain and top weight London Call in the Pinnacle Stake sprint.

By Andrew Harrison