Three months ago Still I Rise had a hole in her head as if she had been shot with a bolt from a humane killer, and it was a bolt that went perilously close to killing her.

“She rolled in her box, somehow spiked her head on the ring and the metal stuck in her skull,” said Joey Ramsden as Steph Grentell produced the evidence on her phone to prove it. Yet, despite repeatedly swishing her tail in protest at Morne Winnaar’s whip, this AUS$ 80 000 (R825 000) Melbourne purchase showed a decisive turn of foot – a good omen if ever there was one – to make a winning debut in the Test Kitchen Maiden at Kenilworth on Saturday.

Joey Ramsden (Kenilworth Racing)

Siberian Husky in the Shirtliff colours, 4-1 winner of the Perpetua House Maiden with Greg Cheyne in the irons, also has a difficult medical history. “He has an urticaria – we thinks it’s an allergy from something in his box,” related Eric Sands, “So all this week I put him in a paddock day and night with a companion.”

The treatment worked but there were side-effects in the form of bite marks on the gelding’s neck – the so-called companion decided to show the patient who was boss and further doubts set in when the horse worked badly last Thursday.

A treble has brought Justin Snaith’s total in 16 seasons to just two short of 2 300 winners but he was most unhappy about last term’s 175 – 40 less than Sean Tarry – and he has vowed to do much better this time.

“Last summer was the worst I have ever had and this season we are on a mission,” he declared. “We always seem to do well early and now I want us to push on throughout the season.”

Richard Fourie started the ball rolling with an enterprising no-nonsense ride on One Direction, Bernard Fayd’Herbe celebrated both his return and Chris Snaith’s 67^th birthday on Greenflashsunset and Grant van Niekerk completed the stable’s treble by making all on Weston in the last.

Van Niekerk, who was also in treble form, is quietly building up a useful and potentially rewarding association with Snaith Racing and he also took full advantage to snatch the Carl Greaves Brokers Pinnacle on the Ramsden-trained Catkin when Icon King decided to treat the shadow from the stands as if it was the first fence in the Grand National.

Richard Fourie (Nkosi Hlope)

But the Pinnacle proved most disappointing for heavily- backed favourite Silicone Valley. He was odds-on only a few minutes before the off but he threw away a priceless advantage coming out of the pens and Piet Botha never looked happy on him after that.

“I needed to commit and go but I was caught three wide,” he said, reliving the frustration. “When I wanted to go the others quickened and when I wanted to ease back they slowed.”

Victorious Captain has been frustrating for Vaughan Marshall as well as punters but he made virtually all under Corne Orffer to score at the eighth attempt. ”He should have won two races by this stage,” said the trainer. “But he has had terrible problems with his shins – they are like those on American horses.”

Marshall’s day was made when the consistent, and clearly talented, Sequined broke her maiden in the St Dalfour Platewith Van Niekerk asking her to do the bare minimum out in front.

– Elevated’s win in the mile handicap at Turffontein on his first start for Mike de Kock was greeted with delight by Riaan van Reenen for whom the gelding finished fourth in the Cape Guineas.

The Philippi trainer said: “Elevated left me after the Winter Classic but I am still involved in the planning and I am recommending that he goes to Dubai. He is very good in the sand.”

By Michael Clower

Glen Kotzen is aiming for the top with his Premiers Champion winner Eyes Wide Open.

He said: “The horse has had a good break and has now started working again. His targets are the Cape Guineas and the Cape Derby and he could go for the Selangor (Nov 18) first. He is going to be a proper horse.”

Kotzen won last season’s Selangor with Gold Standard who went on to finish second to William Longsword in the Guineas and fourth to Whisky Baron in the Sun Met.

By Michael Clower

It was first time for the trio and “about time’, said a relived Nathan Kotzen after his colt Cumulus made a winning debut for Rob Haswell who was absent to lead in his first winner as an owner at Scottsville yesterday.

Kotzen, a long-time lieutenant of Mike de Kock in KwaZulu-Natal, decided to go on his own after De Kock shut up his Summerveld shop. That was some months back and as Kotzen said, it was about time that he had his first winner.

Cumulus (Candiese Marnewick)

Haswell, former municipal manager of Msunduzi (Pietermaritzburg) hence the Alderman title before his name, is visiting family in the United States so missed out on his first winner although good friend Des McDonald was on hand to help out along with breeder Anton Proctor.

Dennis Bosch is never one to hold back when stirred and was vocal about the current racing programme – mostly unprintable.

But with stable companion Chantyman out with a virus, Billy Silver made short work of his three rivals in the Govender’s Garage Novice Plate and is on track for his immediate target, the Lanzerac Ready To Run to be run at Kenilworth early next month.

Gary Rich has more than served his apprenticeship in the racing game. Father Dessie was a legend in his time, winning the July Handicap with Lightening Shot in 1977. Rich has been assistant, trainer, Jockey Academy riding master, private trainer and is now back on his own at Ashburton.

Connect Me is not the easiest customer in the mornings, the filly making her debut in pacifiers, and there was always a risk of her boiling over on the course. “Her temperament is a worry,” said Rich after winning the card opener.

However, Billy Jacobson lists adrenalin sports as one of his hobbies and is often a ‘go-to’ jockey on difficult horses that scare the pants off many of his weighing room colleagues.

However, Connect Me was perfectly behaved yesterday and put it all together.

Duncan Howells was officially crown KZN Champion Trainer at an awards ceremony last Tuesday evening and behind much of his success is prolific owner Dave Maclean who has invested heavily in some top bloodstock.

MacLean’s dayglo orange and black silks are now a familiar sight in the winner’s enclosure and Edge Of The Sun added another victory in a hard-fought win in the Derby Meats Maiden Plate. Not one to exert himself in the mornings, the gelding races in blinkers and Keagan de Melo earned his riding fee as he was hard at work from the jump to get home narrowly from a fast-finishing Amritsar.

If that was close, De Melo was asked to work even harder on the MacLean-owned Howells-trained Wild Wicket. In receipt of 10kg, apprentice Ashton Arries was on his bike from the top of the straight on Saint Marco. De Melo, on the hot-pot favourite, was wise to the tactic but it was an agonising few seconds for Wild Wicket supporters as he slowly reeled in the runaway leader to snaffled him in the last jump.

Louis Goosen, settled in to Ashburton this month, had his first winner from his new yard with the giant Haddington. Given a smart ride by champion apprentice Eric Ngwane, Haddington took command early and kept up a relentless gallop all the way to the wire.

By Andrew Harrison

The racing programme more often than not dictates as to where a trainer runs a horse and there are times when two horses from the same yard are forced to take each other on or stay in their boxes because another suitable race could be weeks or even months away.

The Govender’s Garage Novice Plate at Scottsville on Sunday is a case in point where Dennis Bosch has to smart colts entered who look likely to dispute favouritism, and possibly the finish.

Billy Silver (Nkosi Hlophe)

Billy Silver and Chantyman were both facile maiden winners with pedigrees out of the top drawer but choosing between the two could be tricky.

Chantyman fluffed his lines on debut, when sent out favourite but made amends in no uncertain terms second up when bolting home by seven lengths over Sunday’s course and distance. “He’s a lovely horse and was a bit unlucky,” said Bosch of the colt’s debut effort. “He got left but it was not Alec’s (Forbes) fault.”

Anthony Delpech concurred with Bosch’s assessment after winning on the colt but when asked on which was the better after Billy Silver’s win, Chantyman or Billy Silver, after the latter had hacked up on debut, he refused to be drawn. Opting out he said “They are both smart horses. I don’t want to upset any owners.”

The fact that Delpech has stuck with Billy Silver may be an indication as to which is the better over Sunday’s trip but with Anton Marcus on Chantyman, this could develop into a stable dog-fight.

Bosch took a chance on entering Chantyman for the Gr1 Premier’s Champion Challenge after his maiden win, a jump from 1200m to a mile. The colt was far from disgraced, finishing five lengths back to the winner, Eyes Wide Open, but also telling is that Tom Collins was among Chantyman’s victims in his maiden win and Dennis Drier’s charge subsequently shed his maiden over a mile and lines up in the eighth race on Sunday, a MR 66 Handicap over 7500m.

Anthony Delpech (Liesl King)

“A very, very smart horse,” was Delpech’s assessment of Billy Silver after his maiden romp and that may prove to be the salient point. Billy Silver was down to race at Scottsville last Sunday but because this Novice event was an add-on to the programme, Bosch was given permission by the stipendiary stewards to scratch in order to contest this Sunday’s event.

This pair appear to have scared off any serious opposition with only five other runners carded including the filly Lady Val, an Australian-bred daughter of High Chaparral. James Goodman describes her as a filly that “shows class”. She has a postage stamp on her back but will need to be really smart to beat winners of the ilk of Billy Silver and Chantyman on debut.

Duncan Howells was officially crown KZN Champion Trainer at an awards ceremony last Tuesday evening and behind much of his success is prolific owner Dave Maclean who has invested heavily in some top bloodstock. One of these is the Dynasty gelding Wild Wicket who steps up to bat in the PAFTA Service Centre Handicap and looking to snap a run of seconds. After a narrow win over the Greyville 1600m, he has subsequently been undone by stable companions Chicago Beat and latterly Nicklaus, neither of which are slouches.

There is nothing else from the Howells stable in this line-up that could pose a threat and Wild Wicket this time around and he does look a cut above most of the field.

Likely dangers are the Garth Puller-trained pair of Main Player and Saint Marco. Both have been consistent in lower divisions but as this is a handicap and with both in receipt of around 9.5kg, Wild Wicket could be felled by a bouncer if stable rider Keagan de Melo is not wide awake.

With a run of seconds, Louis Goosen has been banging on the door for his first winner since moving to Ashburton and his first win could come courtesy of the giant gelding Haddington. The son of Ideal World had been confined to extended sprints on the Highveld but the decision to send him over 1950m last Sunday almost paid dividends. Apprentice Eric Ngwane dictated from the start and was in front everywhere except the line where the heavily supported favourite Brigheyebushytail got up in the last few jumps.

With another light weight to shoulder he could notch the second win of his career although he faces two progressive three-year-olds in Tom Collins and Cool At Heart while Fangia has the word ‘passop’ written all over him.

By Andrew Harrison

The Alec Laird-trained speedster Romi’s Boy returns from a lay-off tomorrow, but that should not stop him from going close in the Grade 3 Spring Spree Stakes over 1200m on the Turffontain Inside track.

The Querari gelding has only run once over this course and distance and dominated the race, beating the fair sort Doosra by over five lengths. From a good draw of five, he will be a tough nut to crack as he will only be getting stronger. As a sprinter the layoff since June 10, where he was cut into when running a 1,6 length fourth to the classy sprinter Sommerlied over 1100m at Greyville, should not detract too much from his winning chances. Angel’s Power is course and distance suited and is better drawn than a lot of the other chief contenders. His last run over 1000m at this track can be ignored as he was hopelessly trapped in a pocket. He is 4kg better off with Romi’s Boy for a 1,9 length beating over 1200m at the Vaal, which puts them just about together.

Will Pays (Nkosi Hlophe)

Will Pays was surging late over 1160m last time when losing to Pure Blonde by 0,7 lengths and to Captain Aldo by a head. He is now 1kg better off with Pure Blonde, faces Captain Aldo on the same terms and is drawn in pole position. Spring Steel beat Pure Blonde by 1,4 lengths over 1160m in June and is now 0,5kg better off, so has a chance from a good draw. Maximizer comes off an easy win in the Listed Darley Arabian over 1600m on the Greyville Poly. He has never run in a sprint before, but is a strong horse with some pace and Keagan de Melo stays aboard from a fair draw. Sporting Monarch has pace and a fair draw, but the handicapper might have his measure. Amazing Strike is weighted to comfortably beat stablemate Romi’s Boy on their last meeting, but he has a tricky draw, particularly considering he likes to be within striking distance.

Captain Aldo is consistent  from sprints up to 1400m and S’Manga Khumalo has been doing well for trainer St. John Gray lately. However, the wide draw will make it tough for this handy sort. Pure Blonde outpaced the field over course and distance in his penultimate start, but must now do it from the widest draw of all. The classy Champagne Haze jumps has a fine turn of foot, so will likely be dropped out from a wide draw before running on. However, making up the ground carrying 63kg won’t be easy. Classify is an in form raider from Port Elizabeth, but this is a lot stronger and he might find 1200m a touch sharp. Finchatton makes little appeal on current form and the trip will likely be too sharp.

Earlier, Secret Star could defy topweight in the Non-Black Type For The Ladies Stakes over 1200m. She has speed and a telling kick and the rider who brings the best out of her, Piere Strydom, is back aboard. She has a fair draw too. Myfunnyvalentine proved her Cape Town form was all wrong last time out when returning from a long layoff.  She has won over course and distance before and has the pole position draw. Spring Wonder is 5kg better off with Myfunnyvalentine, despite beating her by 0,3 lengths. However, she will have to bounce back from her last start where she was not persevered with. She was found to be not striding out on one front leg and had abrasions from the starting stalls on one of her hind legs.

By David Thiselton