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

Turffontein has a typically competitive early season nine race meeting on the Inside track, but there look to be some fair chances for punters.

In the first leg of the Bipot over 1600m, Rolled Silver showed a good turn of foot over 1450m last time and after hitting the front was only caught late. She is a daughter of Go Deputy so will be coming into her own having just turned four and she should stay the extra 150m from a good draw. However, it will be worth including the consistent and hard knocking King’s Creek, who will definitely stay the trip and is drawn in pole.

Mike Azzie (Nkosi Hlophe)

In the first leg of the PA over 1450m, the Mike and Adam Azzie-trained Artax makes appeal as an improving sort who was a touch unlucky last time over the course and distance and he now jumps from the identical draw. Weichong Marwing takes over from Lyle Hewitson, who is aboard the Spike Lerena-trained first-timer by Oracy, Two Guns. A first-timer who does make appeal here is Artax’s stablemate Greek Fire, a three-year-old Dynasty colt who is a half-brother to Gold Cup winner Wavin’Flag and to the useful Greek Legend. Piere Strydom is aboard from a good draw of two and betting support must be respected. The four-year-old gelding Over Easy, a Tiger Ridge half-brother to the like of St. Tropez and Tan Can, made a promising debut in a stronger field than this on May 28 over 1160m. He should have the class to be a big runner, although this is his first start around the turn, he has a wide draw, and he hasn’t run since making that belated debut.

Darkest Hour should be good enough to win the first leg of the Pick 6 over 1200m. He admittedly had the run of the race when drawn in pole last time over course and distance, but this looks to be a weaker field and he was relaxed in the running last time, so should be able to overcome a draw of seven. S’Manga Khumalo, who is likely to be chasing a third National Jockeys title, is aboard which is a big plus.

The first leg of The Jackpot is a competitive MR 93 Handicap over 1000m and Piere Strydom has retained the ride on Angel’s Power, despite his disappointing run at Greyville last time out. Strydom has a fine record on this horse and they should be staying on strongly from a draw of seven. Aramouse is a reliable sort who sneaks into the handicap with the minimum weight and is well drawn, so he makes appeal as the main danger together with Tandava. The latter has a touch of class and beat the like of Champagne Haze the last time he tried this distance, so he should be running on strongly after being dropped out from a wide draw. Isphan has bounced back to his best recently, and is hard to ignore despite a tough draw. Alpine Glacier could be dangerous from a good draw as another one who has snuck into the handicap with the minimum weight.

Piere Strydom (Nkosi Hlophe)

The sixth race over 1000m sees Secret Harbour being asked to carry topweight as a young three-year-old off a merit of 90 and the toughened older handicappers like Gun Fighter and Mission Control are preferred. Bono and Cumberland can’t be ignored either.

The classy Runalong looks to have it well set up for her in the seventh from pole position over 1600m, despite it being her second run after a long layoff. Shatoosh also has class and could pick up the pieces if Runalong fluffs her lines.

In the eighth, Collabro by Var is a half-brother to Legal Eagle and won his maiden easily over 1600m last time, albeit in his seventh career start and his third for Geoff Woodruff. He could follow up over a likely suitable 1800m off a merit rating of only 71. Beyond him it is a wide open race and Trip To Rio, Trip To Troy, King’s King, Full Mast and Artemisia make most appeal of the rest.

The last race over 1800m is competitive but September Bloom has come into her own and can follow up on her recent win over 2000m. Blue Berry Pie, Subtle Force, A P’s Lily, Rose Water and Monarch Air make most appeal of the rest.

By David Thiselton

Riding sensation Callan Murray, having ridden three Grade 1 winners on Turffontein’s Champions Day alone, now has his sights set on going close in the championship.

“I want to ride as many winners as I can this season and finish very close to the top,” he says. “The latter is a goal at the back of my mind but I am not going to let it drag me back. For the moment I just want to keep consistent.”

Callan Murray (Nkosi Hlophe)

Two of those three Champions Day Grade 1s were for Mike de Kock as was Heavenly Blue’s SA Classic win and the association will be every bit as strong this term: “There is nothing on paper but every day I’m not racing I ride work there. They give me a lot of rides and, while I don’t ride some of the horses, they are very loyal to me.

“I am also riding for Tara Laing in Port Elizabeth. In addition Mr and Mrs Jooste, and Derek Brugman, are giving me a lot of support, and not just in P.E.”

Riding for Justin Snaith at the mid-week Cape Town meetings is something new. “Obviously there are going to be some meetings that clash but I want to race at Kenilworth as much as possible because it will be good experience for the big races there later on in the season.”

Murray’s workaholic schedule allows little time for hobbies. Fortunately he doesn’t have any! “I don’t do anything other than racing so I don’t need time on my hands.”

Murray, who celebrates his 21^st birthday tomorrow week, is tall for a jockey but wafer slim with light bones. “I ride comfortably at 54kg but I can do 52kg if I am given a good bit of notice.”

Champion apprentice two seasons ago, he broadened his education with a successful stint in Hong Kong Kong last season and was suitably impressed by the jockeyship he came up against. “Magic Moreira is obviously very good – he gets a lot of good rides but obviously you’ve got to perform on them and he does that very well.

“There are heaps of other good jockeys there too, though. It’s just that they are not under the same spotlight and riding against them was great experience. What I learned was amazing.”

But this season the concentration will remain firmly on South Africa. “Hong Kong might ask me to go there for a meeting or so but now is the time for me to learn more here, and I am going to stay put for a season or two. Only after that am I hoping to go back.”

By Michael Clower

The Sean Tarry-trained Greys Inn gelding Legal Eagle was crowned Equus Horse Of The Year for the second year in succession at the Emperor’s Palace on Tuesday night.

The awards panellists had to make the usual number of decisions, which were going to be contentious no matter which horse they chose. However, there were also the usual number of recipients who received rousing applause for being thoroughly deserving.

Carry On Alice (Nkosi Hlophe)

The panellists stuck rigidly to the criteria, which stated, “The awards are based on graded races and in particular Grade 1 races”. There was an exception made to this rule for the Stayer’s Award which stated, “As regards the stayer category, the winning horse will be at the discretion of the voting panel. This decision was taken as the only Grade 1 race in SA is the SA Derby, which would mean that this should be the obvious winner based on a single run. This would also have excluded fillies and mares.”

The Champion Three-Year-Old Male award, won by the Brett Crawford-trained Edict Of Nantes, was likely decided on number of Grade 1 victories alone as many had expected William Longsword to win it. Edict Of Nantes was the only dual Grade 1 victor in this category, winning the Investec Cape Derby and the Daily News 2000, and was good enough to justify champion status. However, the question remains whether he was as good as William Longsword and Gold Standard, whose dominance out in front in the Grade 1 Grand Parade Cape Guineas was one of the outstanding memories of the season. Gold Standard defeated Edict Of Nantes in both of their meetings and went on to finish an outstanding fourth in an ultra strong Grade 1 Sun Met. However, he was not even a nomination for the category due to his lack of a Grade 1 win. William Longsword opted for the big money route on Met and Cape Derby day and won the US$500,000 CTS Mile. He was then retired to stud, while Gold Standard was laid off for the rest of the season. The three-year-old male award possibly highlights the need for the big sales races and the Grade 1 classics to have separate calendar slots.

The Tarry-trained Carry On Alice finally broke her Equus duck in her fourth season and nobody would have begrudged this thoroughly deserving individual from walking away with both the Champion Sprinter and Champion Older Female awards. The panellists had tough tasks in both categories as they included the respective nominations Bull Valley and Bela-Bela, who, like Carry On Alice, had both won two Grade 1s each. The panellists might have viewed the Grade 1 Betting World Cape Flying Championship over 1000m, won by Carry On Alice, as the strongest of the relevant Grade 1s and on paper it certainly was. Some would have pointed to Rafeef having beaten Carry On Alice in their only meeting in the Grade 1 Computaform Sprint, but that was his only Grade 1 victory of the season. He was then retired to stud.

The unluckiest non-winners were Bela-Bela and Bull Valley. However, Bela-Bela at least received consolation in that her dam Mystic Spring finally won the Broodmare Of The Year award, in which she had been so unlucky in the past. Mystic Spring’s other top offspring include the champion Rabiya as well as stakes winners, Rafiya, Spring Lilac, Touch The Sky and Secret Of Victoria, and the latter has become a matriarch herself.

Legal Eagle (Liesl King)

Legal Eagle once again proved himself invincible over a mile. He remained unbeaten over this trip and defended his crowns in both the weight for age (wfa) Grade 1 L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate and the wfa Grade 1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes. He was giving Whisky Baron 2,5kg when defeated by 1,5 lengths in the Grade 1 Sun Met and was giving Deo Juvente 1kg when defeated a neck in the Grade 1 Premier’s Champions Challenge, both over 2000m. He also won the Grade 2 WSB Green Point Stakes. As well as the Horse Of The Year award, he also won the Champion Miler award and the Champion Older Male award.

The Brett Crawford-trained Met winner Whisky Baron was undefeated in five starts in the season, including a Grade 2, and deservedly won the Champion Middle Distance Award.

The Weiho Marwing-trained Hermoso Mundo became the first horse to do the “Gold” stayers treble, winning the Gold Bowl over 3200m, the Gold Vase over 3000m and the Gold Cup over 3200m, and he deservedly won the Stayer’s Award, ousting Grade 1 SA Derby winner Al Sahem.

The Champion three-year-old Filly and Champion two-year-old Male awards were expectedly won by the Joey Ramsden-trained Just Sensual and the brilliant Mike de Kock-trained Mustaaqeem respectively.

The Dennis Drier-trained Lady In Black won the two-year-old filly award. Lady In Black’s Grade 1 victory was narrow, while Brave Mary was a runaway winner in the Grade 1 Allan Robertson, but, on the other hand, Lady In Black was undefeated in three starts, while Brave Mary was defeated three times.

The other awards were: Silvano, Stallion Of The Year; Dynasty received an Outstanding Stallion Award; Klawervlei Stud were Breeders Of The Year; Varsfontein Stud won an Outstanding Breeder Award; Anthony Delpech was Champion Jockey; Lyle Hewitson was Champion Apprentice; Mayfair Speculators were Champion Owners; Mike de Kock received an Inustry Merit Award.

By David Thiselton

There were two top division Sprint Handicaps on the Greyville poly yesterday for punters to enjoy and both were won by 2,5kg apprentice claimers.

In a MR 94 Handicap over 1200m, the Mark Dixon-trained Scent Of The Tiger started 9/2 favourite and turned for home in front under Ashton Arries. The field could only chase in vain and the four-year-old Tiger Ridge gelding ran out a 0,75 length winner from Great Value and Mr Roy.

Later, the speedy Hashtag Strat was caught close to home by a flying Paul Gadsby-trained Vision To Kill in a MR 91 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1000m. The four-year-old Kildonan filly’s topweight of 62kg was relieved by the claim of Serino Moodley and she converted odds of 21/2 for her fourth win in just ten starts.

Priceless Gem (Denzil Govender)

In the first, a Maiden over 1200m, the Michael Roberts-trained four-year-old Dan De Lago gelding Lupo is an impressive specimen and won at odds of 21/2 under 2,5kg claimer Ashton Arries. He jumped from a draw of 12 out of 12 and did well to kick on and win by a comfortable 1,5 lengths, especially considering Arries had brought him around the field from near the back before they had reached the straight. Lupo looks capable of winning more races.

In the second, a Maiden for fillies and mares over 1200m, Torrey Pines started 12/10 favourite and the first-timer Rapid Roxy was backed in from 20/1 to second favourite before drifting out to 5/1. There was also money for the Paddy Lunn-trained Antonius Pius filly Fair Antonia, who had made a moderate debut over 1000m. She shortened from 20/1 to 10/1 and, jumping from a wide draw, tugged Stuart Randolph to the front. She stayed on well in the straight and Torrey Pines, coming from near the back, failed by a neck to catch her.

In the third, a Maiden Plate for fillies and mares over 1200m, the Charles Laird-trained four-year-old Great Britain filly Sapphire Petunia impressed in the parade ring and led from start to finish under Tristan Gooden to convert 26/10 favouritism.

Randolph made it a double in the fifth, a MR 77 Handicap over 1200m, when coming from near the back on the Wendy Whitehead-trained 5/1 shot Hard To Play. The three-year-old Curved Ball colt is now unbeaten in two starts.

There was an upset in the seventh, a MR 70 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1000m, when the Greg and Karen Anthony-trained five-year-old Lion Tamer mare Class Act stayed on strongly from a handy position under Alec Forbes, having overcome a draw of ten. The favourite Tweed Valley failed by 1,25 lengths to reach the 17-1 chance.

In the last race, a MR 61 Handicap over 2000m, punters watched in disbelief as the jockeys who were in a position to do anything about it just allowed the James Goodman-trained eight-year-old Silvano gelding Priceless Gem to escape in front after jockey Doctor Lembethe had decided the pace was far too slow. Not surprisingly, Lembethe kept going on the 55/1 shot and the fancied Viking Red, who was caught on the rail behind the slow pace, could only chase in vain.

By David Thiselton