Glen Kotzen’s top class colt Gold Standard is in full work and will be a leading contender for the two Principal Grade 1 events of the Cape Summer Of Champions Season, the L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate and the Sun Met.

Kotzen will also have a strong team for the three-year-old classics led by his Grade 1 Premier’s Champion Stakes winner Eyes Wide Open.

Gold Standard (Liesl King)

Gold Standard “went wrong” after his excellent fourth place finish in an ultra strong Sun Met at the end of January and a decision was made to avoid the SA Champions Season in KZN.

Kotzen said the couple of months holiday had done the strapping Trippi colt a “world of good”.

He will now take the traditional Cape Summer route for a top older horse of the WSB Green Point Stakes, the Queen’s Plate and the Met.

However, he might have a preparation outing before the Green Point.

Kotzen said, “He is in a good place, he’s cruising, and is twice the horse he was as a three-year-old.”

It was a surprise to many when last season’s Grand Parade Cape Guineas winner William Longsword was not named the Equus Champion Three-year-old Male and he and Gold Standard looked to be a class apart in the latter race both in looks and performance. Gold Standard had earlier beaten William Longsword when winning the Grade 2 Selangor Cup and his record against the Equus Three-Year-Old Male Champion, Edict Of Nantes, was two-nil. He then proved his class in the Met, finishing 1,25 lengths ahead of Marinaresco on 2kg better terms than weight for age, whereas Marinaresco beat Edict Of Nantes in the Vodacom Durban July, despite the latter being 4kg better off than weight for age with him. The Equus Awards now appear to be based chiefly on Grade 1 victories, presumably to avoid controversy, but this measure has arguably made it more controversial as Gold Standard was not even among the nominees in the Three-year-old Male category.

Eyes Wide Open, a Dynasty colt, runs in the same colours as Gold Standard, being owned outright by Hugo and Suzanne Hattingh’s Chrigor Stud, who part-own Gold Standard together with Drakenstein Stud.

Eyes Wide Open won the Grade 1 Premier’s Champion Stakes in impressive style on Gold Cup day. He was subsequently given a three week break and given his African Horse Sickness vaccinations.

Kotzen said, “He is out of the top drawer and is a serious contender for the three-year-old classics.” His chief targets are the Cape Guineas and the Investec Cape Derby. He will also likely defend the yard’s crown in the Selangor Cup before those two races.

Eyes Wide Open (Candiese Marnewick)

Kotzen also views two of his other colts as classic contenders, Opera Royal and Pack Leader.

Opera Royal by Oratorio won his maiden in his third start by 3,5 lengths over 1400m on the Greyville poly. He followed up by finishing a narrow second to the promising Roy Had Enough in a Juvenile Plate over 1900m on the Greyville turf. The form of the latter race has not worked out too well to date, but Opera Royal looks to have plenty of scope for improvement. Kotzen said, “He is a really smart colt and I think once he matures we will hear a lot about him.” The connections believe he might have got going too late in that 1900m event because with the blinkers on he had not seen the other horse on the inside rail. The blinkers were put on for the previous 1400m race, as it was considered too sharp for him, and they were kept on after he had won that race easily. However, they might now be removed. Kotzen views Opera Royal as a Cape Derby horse.

Pack Leader, a Philanthropist colt, was unlucky in the Premier’s Champion Stakes, where he finished a 1,45 length seventh. Kotzen said, “Craig Zackey had to check him and he reckoned he would otherwise have won the race. The Philanthropists get better as they get older and I believe he will mature into a beautiful three-year-old. He is a Guineas and Derby contender.”

Kotzen’s leading three-year-old filly is the Grade 3 The Debutante winner Princess Peach, by Captain Al. He said on paper she should stay a mile, but she had enjoyed reverting to 1200m in the Debutante, so the Grade 1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas might not be part of her program.

However, he has another filly, Too Phat Too Fly by Bezrin, whom he rates as a Guineas contender. She finished second in two Listed events in Cape Town, over 1200m and 1500m respectively, before travelling to Durban to run in the Grade 1 Thekwini Stakes over 1600m at Greyville on Gold Cup day. She finished a 3,85 length sixth, but Kotzen said, “I thought it was an incredible run. It was her first time going clockwise, and she came from stone last and made up a lot of ground. Richard (Fourie) was impressed and said she would be his preferred Fillies Guineas horse.”

By David Thiselton

Turffontein Standside is one of fairest tracks in the country and punters will be looking forward to the eight race meeting tomorrow.

The Pick 6, Jackpot and PA look attainable.

In the first leg of the PA, a MR 89 handicap over 1600m, Shukamisa looks to be a banker. He stayed on well over 1400m last time and being by Silvano should be coming into his own and should relish the step up in trip. If Elevated lines up he could be a threat. It would have taken a good horse to finish fourth in this year’s Grade 1 Grand Parade Cape Guineas, as he did, as the form of that race has proved strong. He proved his class on Saturday in his first run for the Mike de Kock yard when winning hands and heels over this trip on the Inside track. Some will say the second run after a layoff theory means little unless it comes too soon after a hard comeback effort. On the one hand this run does come just three days after the comeback, but on the other he was not hard ridden to win.

Hunting Owl

In the first leg of the Pick 6 over 1600m, two up and coming sorts, Walter Smoothie and Stay With Me should relish the course and distance. The former has a nice big stride and this rangy sort caught the eye running on over 1400m on debut. Stay With Me is also a scopey sort and he ran out of straight over 1400m last time, despite having been caught wide in the running.  He will be a big runner here, especially if getting better luck in the running from another tricky draw. The more experienced Dancing Rebel can be included for the risk averse. He over raced a touch last time over this trip on the Inside track but still stayed on well for third. If he settles better from a similar draw he will be right there, although this is his 38^th run in the maidens.

The next race is an uninspiring maiden for fillies over 1600m and looks to be a two horse race between Serendipity and Candy Kisses, although Sussex is a lurker who could upset. The form of both Serendipity and Candy Kisses speaks for itself. Sussex would likely prefer further, but his improved run over 1800m last time makes him a danger over just 200m shorter on the same galloping track.

Race five, a fillies and mares handicap over 1160m, is a potential stumbling block. Melinda’s Garden might be all the rage, but history will show that young three-year-olds merit rated above 80 are often outgunned in their first meeting with older horses, even if they later prove to be better than that rating. Her 82 merit rating is thus a concern, especially as her easy maiden win over 1000m was not run in a great time. Therefore a bold decision to leave her out has been made and Open Road (dropped to an attractive merit rating), Madam Secretary (under achiever who should be coming into her own), Burundi Bush, Secret Vision and Last Girl Standing (all in good form) are selected to get punters through.

The next is an equally tough 1000m handicap, although Unchained Melody still looks reasonably merit rated on 70 considering his easy start to finish maiden win over this trip. He cast a shoe in his only subsequent start and if reproducing his maiden win could defy topweight. Rebel Renegade, Hunting Owl, Western Warrior and Chief Sioux are the ones who make most appeal of the rest and this is on the grounds of them being reasonably handicapped on their best form over what should be a suitable trip.

In the fifth leg of the Pick 6 over 1400m, the progressive Starret City is the choice from a good draw over a suitable trip, although one slight concern is this is his first run since the end of June and it might be being seen as a run to get him going for the season. Dan The Lad’s only win was over course and distance. His resolute finish makes him suited to this long-straighted course and a wide draw should not be of too much bother. Yankee Captain keeps on improving and is ideally course and distance suited. He is also capable of running on too, so a wide draw is not insurmountable. Holy Joe is interesting dropped in trip from a good draw on this galloping track as he is capable of turning it on. Rambo can never be ignored despite being a nine-year-old.

There should be a lot of pace in the last leg with both Time To Be Great and Just A Gigolo involved and this should set it up for the closers Rand Club, Pachucho and Tommy Waterdevil. Crazy Vision can also be included for the risk averse.

By David Thiselton

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