The highest rated race on Turffontein Inside track’s nine race meeting tomorrow is a Pinnacle Stakes event over 1450m in which the imported Hat Putano makes his long awaited South African debut.

This Argentinian-bred is weighted to win the race and is unbeaten in three starts on turf, including a 16 length maiden win over 1400m and two Grade 1 wins over a mile. However, he has not run for over a year. Amazing Strike is thus chosen to win the race as the third best weighted horse who has had a recent run and is fairly well drawn here over a suitable trip. The second best in at the weights is Irish Pride. He is classy and might well appreciate the step down to 1400m, although his two below par runs over 1600m at Greyville are a concern.

Count Tassilo is ideally distance suited and has proved in his last couple of runs he can come from off the pace, so his wide draw is not a major concern. Shukamisa has been in good form and is another who could be staying on strongly, although he likes to be handy so his number ten draw is tricky. Tandava won a good race over 1400m on the Standside during the week and has to carry 1,5kg more than carded here, but he has twice upset the applecart since arriving from Zimbabwe. Romany Prince and Cashin from the Ormond Ferraris yard are both capable of going close here, but this looks likely to be a pipe opener for the season.

Donny G has a lot of pace, so the wide draw is not ideal, but he has won over this trip before and the current fast ground will suit him. Toro Rosso has his third run after a year long layoff and is drawn in pole over a suitable trip, but he has made breathing noises in both of his moderate comeback efforts. The selection is Amazing Strike to beat Count Tassilo with Hat Puntano, Shukamisa and Tandava next best.

The first race sees the reappearance of a potential classic contender in Captain My Captain, who caught the eye on Sun Met day running with long strides from an impossible draw over 1200m. The form of that race has turned out to be very strong and he should enjoy this trip as his second dam is a half-sister to a Kentucky Oaks winner.

The hard knocking Serendipity should get it right in the second race with not a lot to beat and Piere Strydom significantly keeping the ride.

The next two races are staying events which are often tricky affairs. Graf Spree and Save The Rhino are the obvious picks but it might pay to go as wide as possible.

In the fifth Tundra Taita is well regarded and Lucky Houdalakis horses often come on slowly but surely, so she can follow up on her maiden win. Anthony Delpech has significantly kept the ride.

In the sixth race Silver Thursday is likely to be all the rage, but it has been seen time and time again that young three-year-olds, no matter how good they are destined to become, battle to win handicaps in the early season off high merit ratings and hers is up at 89. The preferences for the bipot are My Friend Lee and Pool Party who are both distance suited and decent types.

The eighth is one of the trickiest races on the card, but presents a good opportunity for King And Empire, who has won twice over the 1450m course and distance and is well drawn off a competitive merit rating.

Ali Bon Dubai has his first run out of the maidens in the last race, but although he took nine races to win his maiden he has struck as a fair sort and can follow up off a mere 63 merit rating.

By David Thiselton

Ivan van Wyk saddled his first winner as a fully-fledged trainer when Putchini won at Scottsville last Sunday. Van Wyk, who was handed the reins by Chris Erasmus and trains out of Yellow Star Stud in the KZN Midlands, can follow up at the same venue this Sunday when another yard stalwart, Panza, lines up in the fifth.

If Van Wyk has learnt one thing from Erasmus, it is that horses that stay in their boxes don’t earn and Panza is just two shy of a half-century of racecourse appearances with four wins to his credit.

Panza has had three outings since returning from a lay-off and should strip at his peak on Sunday over what looks to be his optimum trip.

Last time out he was possibly a little disappointing when fading late behind the useful Wynkelder but prior to that ran the speedy grey Isca to within a length over course and distance. He is down in class from that effort and with a handy galloping weight should be a strong contender in what is a competitive handicap.

The two most likely to head the betting are Lloyd’s Legacy and Amazon King but Panza gets a fair amount of pudding from both and he could hold on to the line.

A set of blinkers appear to have settled the talented but often difficult Techno Captain and Paul Gadsby’s runner has a strong chance of recording a double in the seventh.

The gelding showed up well first run in blinkers when little more than two lengths back to Saint Marco over a mile. He was then stepped up to 2400m and put in a sustained finish to get the better of the visiting Icy Avalanche.

The six-horse opposition is headed by Paul Lafferty’s Double Clutch who has a lot going for him, being down in class, up in trip and down in the ratings to where could again be competitive.

Icy Avalanche has been a soldier for Tony Nassif, the Port Elizabeth ‘chuck-out’ winning twice and running a number of places for Nassif, including a close-up second to Techno Captain last time out.

Nassif has taken the seemingly easier route on Sunday, avoiding the MR 86 in favour of the MR 68, however he does take a corresponding rise in the weights.

He was only caught in the last couple of strides by Techno Captain and with Anthony Delpech engaged for the ride the inference is obvious.

The giant Haddington has come into his own since being sent over ground, finishing runner-up to the smart Brighteyebushytail before winning in commanding fashion next time out. Louis Goosen expressed a couple of reservations, not entirely sure that the gelding would see out the trip or whether apprentice Eric Ngwane could keep him together long enough over the extended trip as he is not an easy horse to settle. However, he only has a postage stamp on his back which will be a big plus.

Silent Obsession and Ideal Winter were involved in a ding-dong tussle over course and distance a fortnight back with Ideal Winter having to survive an objection, the luckless Silent Obsession losing out in the boardroom for the second time. The gelding only has one eye but he stays well and Keagan de Melo should be able to keep him out of trouble.

Silent Obsession has an each-way chance for Duncan Howells but two better propositions from the yard could come in the form of Chicago Beat in the sixth and Chica Musica in the last.

Chicago Beat has the more difficult task as he is not particularly well weighted in this Pinnacle Stakes event, but he seldom gives less than his best and the drop to 1400m could prove beneficial.

The Dazzler made a stunning start for James Goodman, beating a field of winners on debut in dazzling fashion – pun intended. He was unplaced on the poly in feature company next time out but back on turf was a close-up second over course and distance. He takes on stronger here but has a light weight and jumps from the inside gate which adds to his appeal.

Also in the mix is Redcarpet Captain who makes his debut for Mark Dixon after owner Brian Burnard recently decided to spread his horses among various trainers. Ironically Redcarpet Captain finished runner-up behind the Dixon-trained London Call last time out but after showing a glimpse of his best form he could go one better.

The Howells-trained Chica Musica made good improvement at her second outing and although she has a tricky draw she looks set to make good improvement in the ninth. Stable rider De Melo will in all likelihood have had the choice with Victory Cross in the same colours also in the race.

By Andrew Harrison

The National Horseracing Authority has noted that there have been a number of specimens taken from horses which have tested in excess of the screening limit for caffeine.  Accordingly, the NHA is obligated to notify the relevant trainers of this occurrence and afford them options as envisaged in terms of the rules.

The NHA has undertaken an investigation in order to identify whether any commonality exists between the specimens of the affected horses being above the screening limit for caffeine.  In this regard, the NHA has requested that the affected trainers provide the NHA with information, which would allow for a more complete view of the circumstances surrounding these results, prior to any potential inquiry proceedings.

This year’s Emperors Ready To Run Sale will take place at the School Of Excellence, Summerhill Stud, on Wednesday, 25 October, 10 days before the 12th renewal of the R2.5million Emperors Palace Ready To Run Cup.

Some thirty years ago, the southern hemisphere’s first concept of a Ready To Run sale was born of a collaboration between Summerhill Stud and a relic of the auction trade, Chris Smith Bloodstock.

Selling racehorses at the gallop directly off the farm was pioneered by horsemen in Florida, USA, and the Ready To Run sale as we know it today was a collective embellishment by South Africans on the same theme.  The inaugural sale was held at Summerhill in 1987, where its attendees, all twenty of them, included an august audience of Gary Player, famous cricketing all-rounders Mike Proctor and Johnny Watkins and former Miss World, Penny Coelen and her husband Johnny Rey.

While the idea soon took root in various parts of the world, South Africa remained at the forefront of its innovation, and by the late 1990s the local version was already attracting an international audience, with a buying bench especially well populated by Hong Kong, Singapore and the Middle East.  Through the first decade of the new century, it was one of the fastest growing sales in the world, its stature as a producer of champions and millionaires matching the best, pound-for-pound.

The withdrawal recently of Cape Thoroughbred Sales from the Gauteng auction scene left the Ready To Run without a Jo’burg champion, though followers of the Stellenbosch-based sales company’s website will recall a statement earlier in the year to the effect that the Ready To Run would be reverting to its spiritual home, Summerhill.

British three-year-old sprint sensation Harry Angel will head to Ascot next month to attempt an historic sprint treble and this will be vindication for the European Pattern Committee (EPC).

This Irish-bred colt’s success provides a current example of how important national race programming can be in the making of a horse.

The South African program lacks sprint opportunities for three-year-olds, although the Var Syndicate addressed this issue in the 2010/2011 season and the big sales races are also playing a role in filling this gap.

However, the SA programming committee could take heed of the Harry Angel success story.

The Godolphin-owned Harry Angel showed he is something special last Saturday when free-wheeling in front in the Group 1 Sprint Cup Stakes over six furlongs before kicking clear to win full of running by four lengths despite the ground officially being “heavy”.

Last month the Clive Cox-trained Dark Angel colt won the Group 1 Darley July Cup Stakes over six furlongs at Newmarket on good to firm ground.

Next month he will go for the Group 1 British Champions Sprint at Ascot and attempt to become the first horse to land this particular treble.

Three years ago in August 2014, the EPC sat down to address the lack of opportunities for high-class three-year-old sprinters and to improve the overall standard of Group sprint races in Europe.

They noted, “For horses performing at every distance other than sprinting, the European Pattern provides a three-year-old only programme until mid-summer, when the Classic generation is considered ready to take on the older horses. The Committee believes it is no coincidence that when it comes to milers and middle distance horses, Europe can genuinely lay claim to having the best in the world, however, there is a definite lack of top class European three-year-old sprinters.”

The EPC firstly introduced a limited number of Pattern races restricted to three-year-olds in the first half of the European season, culminating in a new Group 1 race at Royal Ascot, and secondly, they sought to deliver a more balanced overall sprint programme, providing better opportunities and greater incentives to run high class sprinters in Europe. This included the upgrade of a number of races, including the British Champions Sprint on QIPCO British Champions Day to Group 1, and the Flying Five on Irish Champions Weekend to Group 2.

Harry Angel has thus been able to build his confidence and could well be the best three-year-old sprinter seen in the U.K. and Ireland for some time.

The brilliant colt is able to go in any ground and this season has won on both firm and heavy ground.

As a two-year-old Harry Angel showed his class by winning the Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes over six furlongs at Newbury in just his second start.

He was then rested until making his reappearance on May 3 at Ascot in the Pavilion Stakes over six furlongs, where he finished second, and on May 27 he won the Sandy Lane Stakes over six furlongs at Haydock. Both of those races are limited to three-year-olds and both were identified in the European Pattern Committee meeting in 2014 as races which needed upgrading. Hence the former race acquired Group 3 status in 2015 and the latter was upgraded from Listed to Group 2 status in 2015.

Harry Angel then took part in the new three-year-old Group 1 Royal Ascot event, the Commonwealth Cup over six furlongs. The EPC introduced this in 2015 at the expense of the Buckingham Palace Stakes, a seven furlong handicap. The Commonwealth Cup is the only Group 1 limited to three-year-olds in Great Britain in which geldings are allowed to compete and is the first age restricted Group 1 open to geldings in Europe.

Harry Angel was beaten 0,75 lengths by the Aiden O’Brien-trained Caravaggio in the Commonwealth Cup, but exacted revenge next time out in the July Cup.

In South Africa the forward thinking Pippa Mickelburgh of Avontuur Stud attempted to address the lack of opportunity for three-year-old sprinters by introducing the Need For Speed Sprint Series in the 2010/2011 season, sponsored by the Var syndicate. The series included one race in each of the Western Cape, Gauteng and KZN. Mickelburgh said at the time,  “For nearly 20 years, South Africa was without a significant speed sire which slowly eroded the number of races catering for that category. We now sit with an opportunity in the racing calendar for sprint races for three-year-olds. This series hopes to fill that gap.”

Avontuur’s brilliant stallion Var is just one of a number of top class speed stallions currently standing in South Africa.

Currently the chief target for a three-year-old sprinter in South Africa is the Non-Black Type $500,000 CTS 1200 run on Sun Met day. It thus clashes with the Grade 1 Betting World Cape Flying Championships and is also limited to horses sold at CTS Sales. There is only one Graded sprint limited to three-year-olds in the country, the R250,000 Grade 3 Man O’ War Sprint over 1100m, run at Turffontein in the first week of April. The three three-year-old sprints introduced by the Var Syndicate remain NBT events for R150,000 each. Besides those there is the Listed R150,000 Sophomore Sprint at Kenilworth in the second week of January, the R135,000 NBT WSB Sophomore 1000 at the Vaal in September, the R150,000 Listed Swallow Stakes for three-year-old fillies at Turffontein in January and the R120,000 NBT Ethekwini Sprint on Vodacom Durban July day.

It is plain to see there are not many confidence building opportunities for three-year-old sprinters in South Africa the like of which Harry Angel has benefitted from.

By David Thiselton