Parade’s End, runner-up in two competitive maidens, can come to punter’s aid on a tricky 10-race card at Greyville on Sunday.

The mini cyclone that hit Durban last Tuesday has had little effect on the Greyville poly track and while the surrounds, notably Royal Durban Golf Course still resembled a lake come Wednesday morning, Greyville course manager Kurt Grunewald was unfazed.

“We could have raced today,” he said Wednesday morning. “The track has drained perfectly and areas where we sometimes experienced problems (with drainage) were dry.”

Monte Christo

Parade’s End makes her poly debut in the SA Racing App Maiden Plate but Andre Nel’s runner has given notice that she has a future after two smart efforts behind filly’s that have franked that form. Parade’s end has not been out since July but unless there is a ‘springer’ among the first timers, she does look good enough to break her duck.

Three others that could make up the quartet are Kateecador, Diamonds Forever and Flo Joyner.

Kateecador also returns from a break but Gavin van Zyl’s runner has not been out of the money in three starts, two in the soft, and should be well suited to the poly.

Diamonds Forever has a tricky outside draw to contend with but is in good form and Flo Joyner has run into two strongly fancied runners at recent outings and must come into the picture.

Corrine Bestel operates a small string out of Summerveld and she looks to have a decent prospect in Luneburg in the opening leg of the PA. The well-bred daughter of Var caught the eye on debut in spite of reportedly found coughing post-race. She takes on males but is sure to have come on from that effort and have the better of the year older Delectable Desire and the gelding Vision Of Trust.

The card is headed by a difficult handicap where a number are in with chances. Monte Christo is struggling for another win but came within a piece of paper of beating Mr Roy when the two clashed last Sunday.

Monte Christo is better off at the weights here but they both may have to play second fiddle to Mumsy’s Jet. Alyson Wright’s veteran has been in cracking form on the poly and although he takes on slightly stronger here the takes a corresponding drop in the weights that should see him competitive again. Last Tiger, narrowly beaten by stable companion Mr O’Neill in a fast-run race last time out, is back over what looks to be his optimum trip and is another to consider.

Online is back over best course and distance and could add a second win to her CV in the Track & Ball Gaming handicap. It has been over a year since her maiden win but she has been taking on stronger at recent outings and can go all the way from a good draw.

Fair Antonia, a winner at second time of asking, could be a threat although she does have it all to do under joint top weight.

A modest field of maidens line up in the Durban View Restaurant Handicap but recent maiden winner Pomona had good form leading up to that win and can follow up. She comes from a stable that is finding form. However, an upset is a distinct possibility and the likes of Lavender Bank and Lobelia will start at lengthy odds while Royal has been consistent of late and goes well on the poly.

The first leg of the Pick 6 is another wide-open affair but Sharp Seattle was up against stronger last run and didn’t finish far off. He has stronger help from the saddle this time around and can get the better of Roy’s Donkey while Dale House has a chance of giving apprentice Dylan Lerena his second win as the gelding improved in blinkers last run and has a chance with a 4 kg claimer up.

By Andrew Harrison

Turffontein Inside track stages a ten event meeting tomorrow and some decent horses are being stepped out with some big Highveld Spring features fast approaching.

The celebrated triple crown winner Abashiri makes his long awaited reappearance in a Pinnacle Plate over 1600m. His tough three-year-old season took its toll and his three runs as a four-year-old were all below par. However, he returns from a nine month layoff, which he should have benefited from, and if running close to his ability has a chance. However, he is likely to need the run and others are preferred.

Liege

Shukamisa has already had two runs this season so will be fit and faces a field who are mostly returning from layoffs. He was staying on over this trip in his penultimate start and is drawn in three with the added bonus of Anthony Delpech aboard. Being a four-year-old by Silvano he should now be coming into his own. He is not badly off at the weights, being only 3,5kg under sufferance with the officially best weighted Abashiri. Master Switch won his reappearance last year over 1800m following a similar layoff to this one. His only bad races have been at Greyville and from draw two running fresh over a trip a touch too sharp he should go close. He is only 1,5kg under sufferance with Abashiri on official merit ratings.

Brazuca won his reappearance over 1400m in November last year and won over this course and distance in February, so has a fine chance here being the second best in at the weights on official merit ratings. Romi’s Boy has fine form over sprints where he has shown a lot of pace in the past before staying on. He was staying on well over 1200m last time at this course when held up and as a long-striding sort by Querari out of a Montjeu mare who won over a mile he is very interesting here from pole position. Furthermore, he is a half-brother to a Jay Peg horse who has won over 1800m. The Sean Tarry pair Liege and Samurai Blade both have the ability to win but are returning from layoffs.

Liege has his second run after gelding and is preferred. Banner Hill does well over staying trips but won well over 1800m at Greyville in a preparation run earlier this year so could surprise here.  Irish Pride has plenty of ability and is distance suited and should have come on from his last run, so can’t be ignored. Bezanova’s second run after a year long layoff comes a week after his poor comeback, so he can’t be fancied despite the suitable distance. The selection is Shukamisa to beat Master Switch, with Brazuca, Romi’s Boy and Liege next best.

Samurai Blade

Earlier, in an MR 90 handicap over 2000m, the horse who beat Shukamisa last time, Kilrain, could follow up for, despite being raised four points, he is likely looking for this trip now. Topweight Bankable Teddy won well over course and distance last time, but now has a wide draw and a four point higher merit rating to contend with. Therefore the main danger could be Top Shot, who stayed on in his penultimate start over this course and distance. However, it is a tricky race and going wide might be the best way to tackle it.

In the next race, a Progress Plate over 1450m for three-year-olds, Warrior’s Rest could be the one to beat. This big horse likes to lead and he then stays on strongly, so the course and distance should suit, especially running fresh as he would ideally prefer a mile. His wide draw is a concern as he will have to be made some use of. Flying Free impressed in the Grade 2 Golden Horseshoe over 1400m when being hampered at a crucial stage at the top of the straight but recovering to run on for a close fourth. He ran a fine race carrying 62,5kg in his reappearance over 1200m and should go close.

The seventh is also a Progress Plate over 1450m, but is for three-year-old fillies. Silver Thursday has had the benefit of a run this season, where she stayed on well over this course and distance and she has a good draw with Delpech up. Let It Flow ran a fine race in the Grade 2 Golden Slipper over 1400m and has the ability to be involved in her seasonal reappearance here.  Aurelia Cotta, Only To Win and Dame Kelly are all capable of winning, although the latter is the preference of the trio, being drawn well and having romped home in her seasonal reappearance over 1600m.

The last leg of the Pick 6, a fillies and mares handicap over 1200m is the trickiest race on the card. However, the well-bred Best Kept Secret should have come on from her last run and from a good draw could keep going this time.

By David Thiselton

Mike Robinson with a string of just 27 at Phillippi training centre in Cape Town has started the season well and has high hopes for his Royal Air Force mare Goodtime Gal, who won the Grade 3 WSB weight for age Diana Stakes over 1400m at Durbanville on Saturday by a comfortable 2,25 lengths under Anton Marcus.

One characteristic of the mare, which gives Robinson confidence of further progression this season, is that she takes more after her damsire Silvano than her sire Royal Air Force.

Goodtime Gal (Liesl King)

He said, “The Royal Air Force’s tend to be tall and lanky. She is not typical of them, she is not big, but, like the Silvano’s, there is a lot of her.”

It has become well established that Silvano’s progeny get better and better with age, so his influence could see Goodtime Gal doing even better as a five-year-old than she did last season.

In fact, last season she finished second in the Diana Stakes to Captain’s Flame and reversed that form on Saturday by over four lengths.

Her two victories last term included the Grade 3 Victress Stakes over 1800m in December, where she beat Nightingale by 0,75 lengths at level weights. She showed in that race she has another trait passed on by Silvano, courage.

In her next start in the Grade 1 Maine Chance Paddock Stakes over the same Kenilworth 1800m course and distance she faded late to finish a 3,65 length eighth.

However, she bounced back in the Grade 1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes and looked the winner until scythed down late by the fast finishing pair, Nightingale and Star Express.

Significantly, Goodtime Gal was drawn in pole in both the Victress and the Diana and in barrier position three in the Majorca, whilst she had a wide draw of eleven out of 12 in the Paddock. She is a handy type who has an excellent turn of foot and found cover in all of the Victress, Majorca and Diana, but was caught one wide in the Paddock. This suggests she might take too strong a hold without cover.

She will be worth following this season.

Robinson had 20 winners last season at a strike rate of 11,63% and is on track to bettering that this season with six winners already at a strike rate of 13,95%.

He is glad to be at Phillippi due to what he described as “good facilities”, including “very good tracks and nice, big, wide open spaces where horses can roll, it’s a great environment to train in and it also nice being close to Kenilworth.”

Robinson was full of praise for the newly re-laid Durbanville surface and said that whilst the going was firm due to the current record-breaking drought it was, importantly, level.

“It is when you have firm ground coupled with divots where problems happen,” he said.

At Phillippi the tracks are watered through the natural underground water reserves and up to now there has been a normal supply of municipal water for the horses’ drinking requirements.

Goodtime Gal has been raised from a 99 to a 101 merit rating by the handicappers, which Robinson will be relieved about. The runner up was the 106 merit rated Gimme Six, so the handicappers could have taken a harsher view, but off a 101 Robinson will have more options open to him.

By David Thiselton

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.