Last Winter lit up Durbanville yesterday with a hugely impressive performance to extend his unbeaten run to four when defying a three-month absence and giving weight all round in the Interbet.co.za Handicap.

The sky now looks the limit but Dean Kannemeyer is determined to keep his feet on the ground and the horse to the easiest possible passage.

He said: “Last Winter is only now turning into a racehorse and, while the route takes care of itself if they are good enough, we have to plot where he goes next. This was a very good performance and the handicapper is going to hike him. We are looking towards the summer features.”

When the Green Point on 2 December was mentioned as a possible Kannemeyer nodded, adding: “At this point, and as it stands, yes but we will have to discuss it.”

The 18-10 favourite, who took many an onlooker’s breath away with his physical appearance in the parade ring, looked the winner from a long way out and surged to the front just over a furlong out, coming away to win far more comfortably than the length and a quarter margin over 13-1 shot Ollivander would suggest.

Anthony Delpech said: “I thought he would win but he blew me away with this. When I asked him he was there within five strides. I eased him down at the end. He would have won by four or five lengths otherwise.”

Delpech enjoyed his first visit to Durbanville and the three-time champion gave the course a qualified vote of approval after getting up in the closing stages of the Betting World Handicap on the Kannemeyer 5-2 favourite Gadget Man.

He said: “It’s a beautiful track and I really enjoyed riding here. It reminds me a bit of Happy Valley in Hong Kong, always on the turn. I will definitely be back.

“But the 1 200m is quite tight and the turn starts too soon. I don’t know why they don’t do away with 1 200m races and start them from the 1 300m. That would be fairer on everybody.”

Dennis Bosch has booked Delpech for Billy Silver in the 1 400m Cape Classic at Kenilworth on Saturday week, and he has already declared the colt who readily justified odds of 4-10 in a four-runner novice plate over 1 200m at Scottsville early last month.

Justin Snaith has declared Grant van Niekerk (in fine form with a four-timer yesterday) for Cot Campbell and has supplemented Sir Frenchie while Joey Ramsden – successful with Table Bay in last season’s race – supplemented November Storm.

Snaith is also making a determined assault on the Betting World Algoa Cup at Fairview on Sunday week and has declared Master’s Eye (Van Niekerk), Platinum Prince (Richard Fourie) and True Master (Raymond Danielson) for this 2 000m R350 000 Listed event. Fourie won last year’s race on the Brett Crawford-trained Nebula.

Andre Nel, who yesterday confirmed that Plattner Racing now has a retainer on Donovan Dillon, has booked Keagan de Melo for Loadshedder in the Algoa. The four-year-old was third in the Winter Guineas and Winter Classic last season and was fourth in a Durbanville handicap on his reappearance last month.

By Michael Clower

Ireland’s all-conquering champion trainer Aidan O’Brien looks likely to hit the magical 30 Gr.1 winner mark before the end of this season and he could take another step closer at the QIPCO Champions Day fixture at Ascot on Saturday.

US Navy Flag led home an historic top four finish for O’Brien in Saturday’s Dewhurst Stakes in Newmarket – taking his trainer to 24 Gr.1 wins this season.

US Navy Flag could have his 11th start of the season in next month’s Breeders’ Cup in Del Mar after becoming the first horse in 35 years to complete the Middle Park-Dewhurst Stakes double on Saturday after leading home his stable companions, Mendelssohn, Seahenge and Threeandfourpence at Newmarket.

The Ballydoyle squad for this weekend includes the dual-Guineas winners Churchill and Winter who both hold entries in the Champion Stakes and the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. Caravaggio could have another crack at Harry Angel in the Champions Sprint while Seventh Heaven is among the possibles for the Fillies and Mares Stakes.

Before the four Gr.1 races at Ascot, Ireland’s champion trainer could also be in top-class action in Australia in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Johannes Vermeer only just failed to overhaul Gailo Chop in the Ladbrokes Stakes on Saturday and on the back of his impressive first start in Asutralia he has been cut to 8-1 to make a successful reappearance in the Caulfield Cup.

The mile and a half handicap was pinpointed as a likely target for the colt by Ryan Moore as early as July and Katelyn Mallyon, who rode Johannes Vermeer on Saturday, was upbeat about the Irish horse’s chance in that $3 million (€2.5 million) race too.

Along with the Melbourne Cup, the Caulfield Cup is the first of Australian racing’s three most coveted prizes. O’Brien won the third of them, the Cox Plate, with Adelaide in 2014.

The Ballydoyle trainer is unlikely to have a runner in Sunday’s Prix Royal Oak, the French St Leger, run at Saint-Cloud but one firm is already betting on the basis that the Irishman’s pursuit of Bobby Frankel’s 25 top-flight wins in 2003 is old news.

O’Brien will also have his eye on the Breeders’ Cup weekend at Del Mar, the spring carnival in Australia and the possibility of runners at the Hong Kong International meeting, as well as the Japan Cup.

– sportinglife

The first leg of this season’s Workrider series takes place tomorrow at the Vaal Inside track and the first-timers will play a part as all eight races are uninspiring maidens.

There are two interesting first-timers in the first race over 1000m. The Mike and Adam Azzie-trained Glacus is by Querari out of a Western Winter mare who won five times over 1000m so this R300,000 purchase should have plenty of speed. He looks to be the stable choice as he will be ridden by Francis Semela, who had the joint most number of workrider race winners last season on eleven. The Mike de Kock-trained Mawshoof is by Trippi out of a twice-winning Western Winter half-sister to two Grade 2 winners, including Alderry, who is the dam of SA Derby winner Al Sahem. The low draws are usually favourable by trends down the straight on this course and this will give Mawshoof, who is drawn five, an advantage over the barrier ten drawn Glacus. However, Glacus’s speed breeding gives him the nod. The best of those to have run looks to be Ragnarok, who was not disgraced on debut behind the two-year-old champion Mustaaqeem. He hasn’t run since April, but ability-wise looks superior to the rest of the raced horses. However, Tumbling Stream, an improving sort who went close over this trip last time out, should finish in the quartet, although he does have a high draw. Toby Coates has the form to earn. Sage Rock is well bred and has shown a lot of pace in both of his starts before fading. He now drops to the minimum trip and should strip fitter so is a dark horse.

In race two over 1000m, Schippers is speedily bred being by Var out of the Count Dubois sprinter Fair Rosalind. The latter had precocious speed, winning her first two starts as a two-year-old and she later won the Grade 3 Magnolia Handicap over 1160m in the December of her three-year-old year. Schippers will be ridden by Goodman Dadamasi, who had the joint most number of workrider winners last season. Glencassley could be a big threat as one with tremendous cruising speed. She will undoubtedly appreciate the step down to 1000m and her pace should enable her to choose whichever side the jockey wants to go to from a high draw. Her rider is inexperienced, but has ridden a place in his two rides this season. Ilha Da Var has also shown enough to be able to place.

In the third race over 1400m the reigning champion workrider Sam Mosia rides the selection Diva Faustina. This horse should do well over 1400m down the straight as she went a bit fast three runs ago over this trip around the turn, but still held on for third. If ridden a bit more conservatively from the front she should go close and a draw of six, which is favourable by trends, should allow Mosia to do so. The Australian-bred Yes We Do makes her debut and is most interesting, being by the brilliant ten times Grade 1 winner So You Think out of a winning half-sister to a Grade 1 placed horse. Siyabonga Mthembu, who rode three winners last season, is aboard. Queen Anne is always fancied in the betting due to her hard knocking form, but she is hard to win with as she is a handy to front-running sort who doesn’t find the necessary extra in the closing stages. Queensberry Square and Princess Tin Tin can earn on form and the first-timer Lady Adela is interesting being by Crusade out of a full sister to Grade 3 Three Troikas winner Sharp Mistress.

In the fourth race over 1400m the vote goes to Cyrus, but he’s not a confident choice. He was left out of his ground on debut over 1160m and ran on quite well, but not in the eye-catching style which inspires confidence. He is only chosen due to the weakness of the field. Soldat looks to be a better place accumulator banker as he is distance suited and consistently thereabouts. The first-timer Sucha Charmer will win easily if anything like as good as his full-brother Africa Rising, but Lucky Houdalakis does tend to bring his good horses on slowly but surely.

In the fifth over 1200m the Mike de Kock first-timer Yaamen is by Silvano out of a Grade 2 Betting World Oaks placed horse. However, despite the stoutness of the pedigree he is the choise as the pedigree also has class and that could pull him through. Chamu Mabaya is a top workrider and has six rides for De Kock on the day. The hard knocking Flying Russian should finish in the top three and No Man’s Land can be involved if starting better than he did on debut.

The sixth is over 2400m and jockeyship should be at a premium here so Mosia is chosen to bring home the proven stayer Pocahontas Girl. Just A Jet with Semela up could be a threat and Until Dawn could improve over this trip.

The seventh over 1800m is a tough race and going wide would be wise, although the Gardner Girl with Mosia up is the selection.

In the eight over 1800m Collegiate could be the best bet on the card, although a concern is rider Paulus Jevu’s low winning strike rate. This five-year-old gelding by Ideal World ran on strongly for second over 2000m on Saturday after a slow start and if the penny has dropped he will be hard to beat.

By David Thiselton

The Sansui Summer Cup picture took on a different complexion after Saturday’s meeting at Turffontein. Three horses, in particular, must have pleased their respective trainers – Brazuca, Abashiri and Banner Hill.

They finished first, second and third respectively in a Pinnacle Stakes over 1600m on the Turffontein Inside track and you could virtually hear the respective trainers say “and now for the Summer Cup”.

The bookmakers were also impressed by Abashiri’s performance and have priced him up 5-1 favourite for the Cup.

That spectacle takes place over 2000m on the Turffontein Standside track on Saturday 25 November and all three will be better suited to the course and distance. Donavan Mansour rode Brazuca this time and wasted no time in taking his mount to the head of affairs.

“I thought he might want to go if there was no pace and I said before the race that it was stupid to fight him and the best thing to do was let him run his own race,” said Mansour.

“He needed the run so if he faded late it was not going to be too much of a concern.”

He did exactly the opposite and kicked nicely in the straight to easily hold off the opposition and win by 1.70 lengths.

Janse van Vuuren said he would look at the Peermont Emperors Palace Charity Mile as Brazuca’s next run but a lot will depend on where he is drawn.

It is worth noting that Mansour has ridden Brazuca four times for three wins and a second. The runner-up race was on debut and was over 1000m where he finished second to Isca. There is no doubt Mansour has a great rapport with the Australian-bred son of Teofilo.

Last week Adam Azzie said Abashiri was in desperate need of a run and they just wanted him to see a racecourse again. There were no expectations at all, a comment which the younger Azzie reiterated again on Saturday. “If he finishes within five lengths of the winner we will be over the moon,” he said.

But champions don’t like to lose and we saw that desire in Abashiri on Saturday. Left to race near the rear of the field by Karl Zechner, Abashiri got just one smack and that got him going. He started to charge up on outside but lack of fitness probably caught him out.

“It was a fantastic comeback,” said Mike Azzie. “I didn’t want him under pressure and we had no expectations but he just blew us out of the water. This run was way better than what we expected.

“He ate up well, his legs were ice cold – everything just worked out perfectly.”

Azzie senior added that the Inside track was not right for Abashiri, but they wanted him to have a run and had few other options. “It left us between a rock and a hard place so we thought, let’s put him in and let him have fun.

“He used to get all worked up on the racecourse but on Saturday he was dead calm. His ears were pricked, he was so relaxed and just looking at everything around him. When he got his saddle on he stomped around and walked around the parade ring like he dominated it.

“He knew he was on the racetrack again,” said Azzie.

His next run will be in the Victory Moon Handicap next month.

Banner Hill had his first run for Geoff Woodruff and the trainer must have been delighted with the fact his charge was just beaten 1.80 lengths over a course and distance that would not suit him.

Woodruff has won the last four Summer Cups and will feel comfortable a runner like Banner Hill is capable of making it five in a row.

– TABonline

Anthony Delpech breaks new ground at Durbanville tomorrow when he rides at the Cape Town course for the first time.

“I have never ridden there in my life before,” says the three-time champion who adds. “I am looking forward to it, particularly now that they have done up the track. I’m told it’s very good.”

He has five mounts for Dean Kannemeyer and also partners Tally-Ho for Mike Robinson in the last but the main purpose of his visit is to renew his association with the highly-regarded Last Winter in the Interbet Handicap.

This well bred Western Winter four-year-old has won all his three starts, all with Delpech in the irons, and would have been a Guineas contender last season but for suffering a hairline fracture in a freak accident. He has been off for almost three months but would almost certainly have a higher rating than his present 99 had he not been sidelined.

The question is whether he will need the run. “He is doing exceptionally well although he is not a horse who over-exerts himself at home,” answers Dean Kannemeyer.

“I would love to have got a grass gallop into him but unfortunately we can’t do that at the moment and I think he just might need one more run to bring him to peak racing fitness.”

That said, it is hard to go against him particularly with Delpech flying in to take the mount, and his class may just pull him through.

Kannemeyer also runs Cape Speed (who needs further) and Mambo Mime who returned here earlier in the month after being off since the Met. “He had a lot of setbacks but he has come on since his run and I think he will be right there,” says his trainer.

Last Winter opened 15-10 favourite with World Sports Betting who make Mambo Mime a 12-1 chance. Third favourite at 4-1 is Star Chestnut who has been raised three points for his hard-fought win over this course and distance last month.

Union Jack (9-2) is returning after a break and so perhaps the biggest danger to the selection is 7-2 shot Captain Courteous who was second over a furlong less here last month when the bit went through his mouth, making him difficult to steer round the turn. He now wears blinkers, which could further enhance his chance.

Kannemeyer also mentions Kapen Pride who moves into handicap company in race six after a three-and-a-half Greyville polytrack maiden success and has been installed favourite at 33-10. The Milnerton trainer is always wary of horses running out of the maidens for the first time and says: “It was a very weak maiden although he won it exceptionally well and I think he is improving.”

Zanzibarian, a little unlucky last time, can take advantage of a good draw in race two. The Brett Crawford runner is 5-2 favourite and Kannemeyer’s World Mission is next in the market at 4-1.

By Michael Clower