Summerhill Stud owner Mick Goss, so often a pace-setter in the South African bloodstock industry, has taken the drastic step of slashing the fees of several of his stallions by between 33 and 40%.

Brave Mary’s sire Brave Tin Soldier comes down from R15 000 to R10 000 while Capetown Noir, Linngari and Willow Magic are reduced from R20 000 to R 12 000. Seemingly substantial discounts are available on others.

Mick Goss

Goss said: “Too many horses are not making their production costs in the sales ring and we invite you to talk to us about your needs so that we can see what we can do to accommodate them. We’d like to think we have the capacity to surprise.”

But Goss has also reiterated his belief that export protocols will soon open up and in May he said: “I will be pretty bullish that we’ll have something concrete in place by December.” He was buoyed by a prominent French breeder saying that the European Union will look again at South Africa’s equine export position before the end of the year.

Indeed there is growing optimism among many in South Africa that the Export Task Team will be able to make a breakthrough in the near future and the ETT has been boosted by the recent addition of Cape Thoroughbred Sales boss Adrian Todd.

It is not just in Europe that the breakthrough could come. Two months ago thoroughbrednews.com.au boss Rob Burnett wrote on this page how Hong Kong is eyeing South Africa for the purchase of 1 500 horses needed to expand the Chinese racing industry.

The Sydney-based Burnett, a regular visitor to the July and the Met, believes that there is a realistic possibility of Hong Kong admitting South African horses without first having to undergo quarantine elsewhere.

By Michael Clower

Cuban Emerald displayed the sort of acceleration Usain Bolt wishes he still had when powering home in the Buco Handicap at Kenilworth on Saturday but, for the moment at least, Justin Snaith has no intention of upping him in class.

He said: “The next level is a big jump and I am happy to keep the horse in this company. He is still a big immature type and he hated every minute of the hard training tracks in P.E. Indeed he disliked the whole environment there.

Justin Snaith (Nkosi Hlophe)

“Then Kevin Sommerville (Drakenstein racing manager) identified that he was looking a bit awkward behind. We brought in a physio and that has made all the difference.

“We also found that he was losing his races at the start as he is such a big horse so we now trot him round behind the pens to warm him up.”

Second-placed Power Grid put last time’s flop behind him and indeed looked all over the winner until Richard Fourie pressed the detonator to such explosive effect. “He had a speedy cut and an over-reach last time. Here he was back to his best,” said Andries Steyn’s wife Jennifer but the horse continues to confound veterinary opinion, not least with the way he walks round the parade ring as if he is lame.

New Caledonia, though, has had more than his share of injury and he twice did a lower suspensory ligament last year. The five-year-old bounced back to make Lucy Woodruff’s 23^rd birthday in the Isotherm Handicap with Grant van Niekerk throwing accepted tactics to the wind by going on just under two furlongs out.

“My stomach went to my mouth and I nearly had a heart attack,” said Geoff Woodruff’s daughter, mixing her medical metaphors. “New Caledonia likes to run at horses but I couldn’t have asked for a better birthday present.”

It was also a memorable day for Dan Katz who had his first winner since his appointment as Hassen Adams’ private trainer when Jason Smitsdorff sprang a 25-1 shock on Lalena in the Medal Paints Maiden.

Ken and Jane Truter are doubtless wishing they had chosen a more peaceful place than Barcelona for their European holiday but their Vaughan Marshall-trained Flash Twice had no problem landing the odds in the last to complete a double for Aldo Domeyer who was also on the mark on Queen Moira in the Matus Maiden.

Glen Puller was another to double up with Piet Botha on Steel Rose wearing down the luckless Varside in the first and Akshay Balloo on 15-1 shot Miss D’Aray again showing his talent for slipping the field two races later.

In-form Piet Steyn had his fourth winner in three meetings when  Sihle Cele on Call Me Darling got up in the last three strides of the Steinbuild Handicap.

By Michael Clower

The Duncan Howells-trained, seven-year-old gelding, Nicklaus proved yesterday he is a horse to be ignored at one’s peril as he downed his stablemate Wild Wicket in a Pinnacle Stakes event over 1600m on the Greyville polytrack.

It was a good day for Ashburton trainers as both Howells and Paul Gadsby landed doubles and Des Egdes also had a winner.

The rangy Brazilian-bred Nicklaus, by Point Given was officially 0,5kg under sufferance with Wild Wicket but ended favourite at 3/1 as Wild Wicket drifted out to 32/10.

Nicklaus (Candiese Marnewick)

Wild Wicket tracked Nicklaus around the final bend but Howells’ chief stable jockey Keagan de Melo switched him inward and made his run down the middle. Anthony Delpech hooked Nicklaus on to the outside rail. It would be  no surprise to see Wild Wicket fitted with blinkers next time out as he is a classy sort who tends to become reluctant when hitting the front. On this occasion Nicklaus was hidden behind the horses on Wild Wicket’s outside. Consequently, when Nicklaus suddenly swept past Wild Wicket, the latter had no time to respond and was beaten by 0,75 lengths. The admirable Mumsy’s Jet was going for a poly hattrick and finished third, albeit well beaten by 3,25 lengths. He was followed home by Secret Warning and Breakfast Club. The best weighted horse, the mare Lala, ran disappointingly for the third time in succession and finished last.

The meeting opened with a head bobbing thriller in a Maiden over 1600m. The outsider Mighty Mississippi, returning from a long layoff, only just failed to hold off the Howells-trained 9/2 shot Zenzero ridden by De Melo. Zenzero is by Byword, as was the disappointing favourite Bypass, who finished downfield.

The second, a Maiden over 2000m, saw the favourite Lucky At Last just failing to catch the Paul Gadsby-trained Ideal World three-year-old gelding Ataturk, who was given a well-timed ride by Sean Veale.

However, favourite backers had consolation in the next when the seemingly beaten Joey Ramsden-trained Australian-bred Yess produced a sudden late surge under Anthony Delpech to win the Maiden for fillies and mares over 2000m by the narrowest of margins from the 8/1 chance The Matador.

The first leg of the Pick 6, a MR 70 Handicap for fillies and mares over 2000m, produced yet another thriller and it was the Dennis Drier-trained Dynasty filly Russet Roses who just got the better of Ideal Winter, despite starting at odds of 21/2. The winner was ridden by, 1,5kg claiming apprentice, Diego de Gouveia.

The first leg of the Jackpot, a MR 60 handicap for fillies and mares over 2000m, saw a duel down the straight between Peggy’s Dream and Eina. The former, a four-year-old Jay Peg mare, gave Gadsby and De Melo a double each.

In the seventh, a MR 70 Handicap over 1400m, the Egdes-trained Just As Well mare Just Rap flew up late under Ian Sturgeon to just deny Noodle.

In the eighth, also a MR 70 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1400m, the Alyson Wright-trained Roy Is Second kept going well under Delpech to win by a comfortable two lengths.

In the last, a MR 66 Handicap over 1400m, Candice Bass-Robinson and Gareth Wright combined to win with the six-year-old Jet Master gelding Rocket Master, who just held on from the fast finishing Fantasy Art.

By David Thiselton

Power Grid could be worth another chance in the Buco Handicap at Kenilworth tomorrow despite his disappointing run ten days ago.

Mike Stewart (Nkosi Hlophe)

Hopes were high after his scintillating Pinnacle performance but he never got into the race. The stipes reported that he was hanging in the closing stages but Andries Steyn was left scratching his head.

“The ground wasn’t that soft and maybe he was feeling something on that leg of his although I don’t think he was,” says the trainer. “Maybe I had him a bit short of work and possibly the 1 000m was too short for him. But he worked very well on Tuesday and I think he will be a different horse this time.”

The number two draw should help, as the ground has been slightly faster towards the inside on the sprint course. Forecast favourite Cuban Emerald, on the other hand, is likely to have to tack across.

Different tactics are going to be adopted on Icon King when he steps up to a mile in the Isotherm Handicap. The bargain buy’s good last run suggested that the handicappers have taken his measure but Mike Stewart does not agree, saying: “I think there are a couple more races in him.

“They went too fast for him last time and, if he doesn’t get to the front, he doesn’t try because he doesn’t want to go past horses. This time he goes to the front from the start and I think he will stay the trip.”

Perhaps the most important negative is that the horse has never won in the soft whereas Captain Courteous, New Caledonia and Solar Night have all won twice in it. Solar Night has been off since March and it could a be a bit far for New Caledonia so Captain Courteous rates the danger and he is closely handicapped with old rival Perovskia.

The opening Swartland Maiden Plate looks particularly difficult but Herodus has some solid form – ignore last time because it was in a work riders race. He holds Varside and Seventh Rule and may account for the badly drawn Steel Rose. Don’t ignore Varside, though, because he wears blinkers for the first time.

Sean Veale flies down for five rides for Eric Sands. He could get into the shake-up on Seventh Rule but his best prospects are on Bendy Bullet in the Medal Paints Maiden 35 minutes later. The filly is not well drawn but she may be good enough to beat Snow Crystal and Platinum Class.

By Michael Clower

The highest rated race at the Greyville polytracks’s nine race meeting on Sunday is a Pinnacle Stakes event over 1600m and the Duncan Howells-trained Wild Wicket looks the horse to beat.

Wild Wicket (Nkosi Hlophe)

Howells said about the Dynasty gelding before the SA Champions Season, “He is decent and progressive and the Guineas and Daily News will be on his agenda if he shows us he’s that quality as he has been difficult to place with his high merit rating.”

He is now even higher in the merit ratings on 90 after another win over 1600m, but that makes him the best weighted of the male runners in this contest. He is drawn well and being by Dynasty looks cherry ripe to start showing the class the yard believe him to have. In his last start on the poly he finished third behind two decent sorts in What A Poet and Unbelievable Chad, a good effort considering it was his first run out of the maidens. The best weighted horse is Lala, but she is a female taking on the boys. She does enjoy the course and distance though and has a plum draw of two with a 2,5kg claimer up.

Seventh Plain has been a disappointing sort after winning two Grade 1s over 1200m and 1400m respectively in fine style as a two-year-old. It is interesting to see Dennis Drier now trying him over a mile as he did fight on in that Grade 1 1400m win on the Greyville turf. Mumsy’s Jet goes for a polytrack hattrick and has a good record over this course and distance, so this honest sort has a chance from pole position with in form 2,5kg claimer Ashton Arries up. Nicklaus finished second in the Listed Darley Arabian over course and distance last time and Anthony Delpech is up, albeit from a tricky draw. Breakfast Club can’t be ignored either, as he loves the poly and is distance suited.

The meeting opens with a Maiden Plate over 1600m, where Might Mississippi is the form horse but returns from a layoff. He is still the one to beat and Turf Conqueror and Zenzero are the dangers.

Seventh Plain (Nkosi Hlophe)

In the second over 2000m Lucky At Last ran a good race last time from a wide draw over 1800m and is the one to beat here from a good draw under champion jockey Delpech. Francesco could be a threat under the same 2,5kg claimer who went close on her last time over 1600m.

Roy’s Kaitrina and Miss Ferris could fight out the next race over the same course and distance, although the former is preferred.

Ideal Winter could be the one in the first leg of the Pick 6, but it is competitive and Star Of Caesour, Iced Up, Crystal Ball and Osprey have to be included too.

Eina is interesting in the next with Delpech riding for the Wright yard and could be dangerous despite a wide draw. Peggy’s Dream makes the most appeal of the rest.

Princess Analia makes appeal over a likely suitable step up in trip in the seventh, Colour Your Dreams could follow up on her maiden win in the eighth and the topweight The King Of Random makes appeal from pole position in the ninth.

By David Thiselton