Whisky Baron is injured and the Sun Met winner misses his planned Hong Kong preliminary in the Godolphin Stud And Stable Staff Awards Challenge Stakes at Newmarket tomorrow.

The setback is a bitter blow to owners Craig and Ross Kieswetter as well as to Brett Crawford and Greg Cheyne who had both flown to England for the seven furlong Group 2.

Barry Donnelly, Crawford’s assistant, said yesterday: “Whisky Baron cantered on Monday and was to gallop the following day but he hurt his hind fetlock and Brett had to pull him out of the race.

Whisky Baron (Liesl King)

“The vets were at the stables to see him this morning. I’m not sure how serious an injury it is, or what is the long-term prognosis, but obviously it is a bit of a downer.”

Anton Marcus has been suspended for a week (October 9-15) for failing to do enough to prevent interference to Gold Standard on his inner when finishing second on Table Bay in last Saturday’s Matchem.

Our Mate Art, who won the race and goes for the Green Point, has been raised 5kg to a new rating of 103, 12 points below Gold Standard who was conceding 2kg. The handicappers have upped Diana winner Goodtime Gal by a kilo to 101.

South African Fillies Sprint third The Secret Is Out suffered an epistaxis (burst blood vessel) when justifying 13-10 favouritism on her reappearance in the Supabets Conditions Plate at Durbanville yesterday. She did the same thing on her second start last season when she was suspended for 60 days. But this time she has been barred from racing for a whopping 180 days as the relevant rule triples the penalty if the second bleed takes place within a year of the first one.

Vaughan Marshall said: “I don’t know what causes her to do this. She didn’t do it at home or when she had a gallop.”

He added: “Giving them a compulsory suspension is stupid” and pointed out that this does not happen in North America. Indeed it doesn’t in Europe either.

The Milnerton trainer confirmed that fellow Grade 1 winner Always In Charge is fine after his Matchem run despite finishing eighth of nine. The four-year-old was giving weight all round and missed the break.

Glen Kotzen reported that Final Judgement is similarly OK after finishing last in the Diana when the stipes ordered a veterinary examination, which revealed nothing amiss.

Kotzen said: “She needed the run, stumbled coming out of the pens and was then caught wide.”

Stable companion Eyes Wide Open, who managed only seventh on his reappearance in the WSB Progress Plate, still pleased the Woodhill trainer who said: “He hadn’t seen grass this season and he had a nice gallop as a prep for the Cape Classic.”

Finally Mike Stewart is not much the worse for being bitten on the hand by Icon King when he was tightening the surcingle after saddling the gelding for the Matchem.  He still bears a nasty tooth mark and, as you might imagine, it’s painful.

By Michael Clower

We love racing. The combination of power and beauty of a thorougbred is what keeps us going. The global language of horses and racing people. It doesn’t matter if it’s bread-and-butter racing in the north of Sweden in freezing mud or a prestige-event in the Middle East.

In spite of the torrential downpour experienced over Durban on Tuesday, the Greyville poly track was un-affected by the 122mm of rain as coastal residents mopped up and serveyed the damage under cloudless skies yesterday.

“We could have raced today,” said track manager Kurt Grunewald. “The track has drained perfectly and areas where we sometimes experienced problems (with drainage) were dry. No, everything is fine for Sunday.” No rain is forecast for the interim.

The turf track was also flooded but the next turf meeting is only scheduled for Sunday, October 22. “Provided that we don’t get any more rain like yesterday, the track should be in great shape,” added Grunewald.

By Andrew Harrison

The Vaal stages a nine-race meeting on the outside track tomorrow and the exotics will be popular bets considering the Pick 6 is made up of six competitive handicaps and dividends are likely to be healthy.

The highest rated race on the card is the seventh, a MR 80 Handicap over 1600m.

Pilou is the one to beat. He only just failed over this trip at Turffontein last time out despite spreading a shoe. He is only 0,5kg better off with Tommy Waterdevil for a narrow beating. However, by trends he is drawn on the right side in barrier seven in a nine-horse field. He won his maiden over course and distance by six lengths and is reunited with S’Manga Khumalo, who has ridden him in both of his wins. Pilou might have needed that last run slightly, it being his season’s reappearance, and the national champion yard of Sean Tarry yard should start kicking into top gear now with August being the traditional month for trainers to administer AHS vaccines.

Shogun

Well Connected started slowly over 1450m last time and showed a good turn of foot in the straight. However, he was unable to go through with his initially strong finish. His dam is by National Assembly and won once over 1200m. However, he is by Silvano and his second dam is an Oaks winner, so he could well be looking for this step up in trip. He was dropped two points to an 82 merit rating after that last run. That is still a tough merit rating for an early season three-year-old facing older horses, but being by Silvano he should be improving all the time. His draw of two might be a concern, although the draw bias has been unpredictable at the Vaal lately and the earlier races must be monitored to see if there is any bias on the day.

Tommy Waterdevil warrants consideration too as he has taken well to a mile in his last two starts, having been kept to sprints and 1400m events before that. He was running on well in that last race, but he did have the run of the race from a good draw and has to overcome a three-point merit rated raise, so this will be tougher and his draw of three might also be a concern. Shogun had to overcome a draw of nine in the aforementioned race and was only 0,85 lengths back at the line. He has remained on the same merit rating and now has Anthony Delpech up. However, he is drawn in barrier one so in his case the earlier races will also have to be monitored. If there is no draw bias he has a huge shout.

National Key is eight-years-old but is a capable sort and over a suitable course and distance is the dark horse jumping from the standside draw of nine and having been dropped to an attractive merit rating. Street Flyer is also hard to ignore with Strydom up as he went close the last time he ran in this class and he was off the identical 79 merit rating on that occasion.

Man’s Inn is an effective handy to front-running sort, who has also dropped to a competitive merit rating, so he also could pop up. The selection is Pilou to beat Well Connected with Shogun next best ahead of National Key and Tommy Waterdevil.

In the first leg of the PA over 1400m the touted Huyssteen should enjoy the step up in trip after a good debut over 1200m, where he was cut into. La Scala was unlucky last time and looks promising too. Both have low draws and the widely drawn Hyper Jet warrants consideration as he will relish the step up in trip.  The first-timer Think Of Magic is a R300,000 Philanthropist and is a half-brother to the dam of Triple Crown winner Louis The King, so the betting must be monitored. The other first-timer Savannah King is by Tiger Ridge out of an Elliodor dam who has produced three winners.

The first leg of the Pick 6 is a competitive maiden over 1400m but Witch Of The West makes most appeal as a rangy sort who will come on from her running on second over 1200m on debut. She does have a low draw but Anthony Delpech is up.

In the next leg the hard-knocking Celtic Lady has a good chance over an ideal 1000m trip and Varsity Princess is interesting with fist-time blinkers on from a standside draw as she has shown ability and is well bred.

The David Niewenhuizen pair Monarch Air and Flowing Gown make most appeal in the next over 1600m from high draws. Charter Jet is none too reliable but has the ability to win too.

In the penultimate leg of the Pick 6 Captain Chips runs over his ideal 1400m trip and could beat hat-trick-seeking Darkest Hour and Sail For Joy. However, it’s a competitive race and going wide could be the way to go.

The last leg is also competitive but Cedrus Lebani makes most appeal. He is a long-striding progressive sort who might enjoy the step up in trip and he is drawn on the right side under Gavin Lerena. Neuf De Pape should also go close, while Genesis could improve further from his gutsy debut win over this trip.

By David Thiselton

The good news for Western Cape trainers is that grass racecourse training gallops should be available to them again by October 20.

The trainers have been without any racecourse gallops whatsoever since about September 20 and the situation will also have an effect on breeders, who will be wanting to prepare their horses for the CTS Ready To Run Sale “breeze ups”, which are to take place on November 16 at Durbanville.

Durbanville race track

In a normal season racecourse gallops are catered for by Durbanville and on a quota basis at Kenilworth.

However, not only has Cape Town been locked in the worst drought for over a century, but the Durbanville racecourse has only recently been reopened after being relaid.

The Durbanville surface has been described as “beautiful” by trainers and although it is presently firm it is also nice and level so the horses have been pulling up well.

However, the powers that be do not want to risk putting too much pressure on the course before the grass has fully knitted.

The Kenilworth New Course was closed for scarification in September, so there have consequently been no racecourse grass training gallops available for Western Cape trainers since September 20.

However, the situation is under review by Phumelela in unison with Kenilworth Racing’s racecourse manager Dean Diedericks.

Phumelela’s Racing Executive Clyde Basel was optimistic that the quota gallop system would be re-opened at Kenilworth on October 20.

The quota system at Kenilworth allows each trainer a certain number of gallops with a view to being able to prepare graded class horses.

Basel was also confident gallops at Durbanville could start happening again on October 22, following the last race meeting there on October 18.

Basel believed Diedericks would be able to scarify Durbanville in stages, which would allow the gallops at Durbanville to be reopened on the aforementioned date.

Grass gallops are viewed as vital by some trainers in order to bring a horse to its peak for a race.

Meanwhile, Cape Thoroughbred Sales’ new CEO Wéhann Smith is in discussions with Diedericks and Kenilworth Racing regarding preparation opportunities for breeders before the CTS Ready To Run Sale, which is presented by Lanzerac Hotel and Spa.

Smith said that, as it stands, breeders or pre-trainers would not be allowed to prepare their horses at Durbanville as they have done in past years.

However, all 146 of the lots will be allowed to do their breeze up on the Durbanville course on November 16.

By David Thiselton