Two big carryover-boosted Pick 6 pools and an exciting big-race double across two days are the highlights of tabGOLD’s betting line-up for the Gold Cup Festival of Racing at Greyville this weekend.

The two-day festival is headlined on Saturday by the R1-million World Sports Betting Champions Cup and on Sunday by the R1.25-million eLAN Gold Cup, South Africa’s premier equine marathon.

To celebrate the occasion the Tote is running a special Festival Double and adding R100 000 to the pool.

To win horseplayers must pick the winner of the Champions Cup on Saturday and the Gold Cup on Sunday. There will be consolation payouts for first and second, and second and first, with 15% of the pool set aside for each consolation.

Due to software issues probable payouts displayed will be to 100% of the pool, when in fact only 70% of the pool is for winning the double outright. So deduct 30% from any probable payout displayed to get the true likely dividend.

The Festival Double pool is already open. To play at any Tote use the normal betting form and mark venue oval 10 or SPQ in KZN.

There are big Pick 6 carryovers to both meetings – Saturday’s pool should hit R4 million and a R1.75-million carryover to Sunday is expected to generate a pool of R6 million! The Tote has guaranteed a R3.5-million Pick 6 pool for Saturday and R5 million on Sunday.

Here are the highlights of the Tote’s betting line-up for Greyville this weekend:
SATURDAY 29 July

Race 4: Pick 6 MEGAPOOL – R1 million carryover, GUARANTEED pool R3,5 million – likely pool R4 million plus!

Race 7: Champions Cup Quartet MAXIPOOL – R100,000 carryover, likely pool R1,5 million!

SUNDAY 30 July

Race 2: BiPot Leg 1 – R45,000 carryover, likely pool R600,000!

Race 3: PA Leg 1 – likely pool R1,5 million!

Race 4: Pick 6 MEGAPOOL Leg 1 – R1,75 million carryover, GUARANTEED pool R5 million – likely pool R6 million plus!

Race 5: Jackpot Leg 1 – R50,000 carryover, likely pool R1,5 million!

Race 7: Gold Cup Quartet MAXIPOOL – R300,000 carryover, likely pool R3 million!

NOTE: Tote Place payouts on first 5 runners to finish in Gold Cup!

* Likely Tote Win pool Gold Cup: R1,2million!

* Likely Tote Place pool Gold Cup: R900,000!

The eLan Gold Cup over 3200m to be run on Sunday is the big one in the Gold Cup Festival Of Racing Weekend and this year’s compressed handicap event is full of staying class.

Hermoso Mundo will be attempting to be the first horse to the “Gold” hattrick in the same season, having won the Gold Bowl over 3200m and the Gold Vase over 3000m. His winning run in the latter race was hindered by interference from Captain Splendid and he would have otherwise won going away. He is a big, long-striding sort who makes more appeal than the Gold Cup favourite Kinaan on pure looks and racing style, especially as he is by Ideal World whose progeny appear to continually improve with age.

However, he is 2kg worse off with Kinaan for a 1,55 length beating. Kinaan has looked to be an easier ride with the cheek pieces fitted for his last 3 starts. He has been given a perfect Mike de Kock-like big race preparation and De Kock is going for his third Gold Cup win in a row and a fifth overall.

Krambambuli carried 61,5kg in the Highland Night Cup over 2400m at Greyville in April and quickened from a handy position behind a steady pace to hit the front and win easing up by two lengths. On Sun Met day in the Grade 2 Cape Stayers over 2800m he produced a resolute finish to win full of running. He beat last year’s Gold Cup runner up Helderberg Blue by 1,25 lengths in the latter race. Helderberg Blue beat Kinaan in last year’s Gold Cup by 0,25 lengths when facing him on only 3kg worse terms than weight for age. However, Krambambuli must now face Kinaan on 7kg worse than weight for age. History is also against him as the last topweight winner was 26 years ago.

Captain Splendid will be a big runner, having lost the Gold Vase on objection and now being 2kg better off. He led early before sitting on the rail behind the lonely leader Banner Hill and after appearing to initially be treading water in the closing stages he managed to rally when Hermoso Mundo came alongside him. Therefore, he might be able to stay the extra 200m, especially if finding a nice position earlier from a plum draw, as he did when winning the Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m.

Banner Hill wasn’t suited by front running tactics in the Gold Vase, but was only beaten 2,8 lengths and is now 2kg better off with Hermoso Mundo. He came from last when winning the slow run Chairman’s Cup over this trip. He used the same hold up tactics in the Lonsdale Stirrup, but off a slow pace over that shorter trip was making inroads too late.

My World by Ideal World stayed on for third in the Chairman’s Cup and second in the Lonsdale. He is now 3,5kg better off with Banner Hill for a 1,15 length beating, but is 1kg worse off with Captain Splendid, despite being beaten 0,5 lengths. He should enjoy this trip.

Royal Badge has an impressive stride and is 2,5kg better off with Krambambuli for a 1,95 length beating in the Cape Stayers over 2800m. However, he has to prove he stays 3200m having been a touch disappointing in the Chairman’s and he might prefer a more galloping track than Greyville.

Mr Winsome, who had no luck in the July, has won both of the 2400m races he has run in, including the Gr 3 Track And Ball Derby. On pedigree this typically progressive Silvano gelding should stay the trip, although he has quite a wide draw.

Trophy Wife is a class act being a leading member of a celebrated female crop and she appeared to relish the step up to 2400m last time out, when winning the Queen Palm carrying 61,5kg. She could bow out in style, despite quite a wide draw.

Cool Chardonnay has finished second in both of his 3200m starts and the formlines of both look very strong as he beat Enaad, last year’s Gold Cup winner, and Smart Mart, last year’s Gold Vase runner up, in the respective races. He has pole position draw and like Hermoso Mundo is trained by Weiho Marwing, who is a renowned trainer of stayers. However, this is his first run at Greyville.

Zante won the Queen Palm by six lengths last year and comes off a win in the Track and Ball Oaks. In both those 2400m events she took up the running at halfway and didn’t stop galloping, so has to have a chance under Gavin Lerena.

Francia is 1,5kg better off with Zante for a 2,75 length beating and beat both Captain Splendid and My World over 2400m at Durbanville in last September, but is now worse off at the weights with both of them.

Fortissima won the Grade 3 RA Handicap over this trip last November and is 6kg worse off with Kinaan after beating him by 8,8 lengths in that race. She bounced back to form last time with a win over 2450m. She does take a while to get going in the straight and it remains to be seen whether she will be suited by the short Greyville straight.

Let It Rain stayed on well for fourth in the Gold Bowl and is 3,5kg better off with Hermoso Mundo for a 5,75 length beating. He is 3,5kg better off with Mr Winsome for a 4,5 length beating in the Track and Ball Derby and is another who might prefer a galloping track like Turffontein.

The Elmo Effect was beaten 0,3 lengths by Fortissima over 2450m last time and is now 4kg better off, but he failed in his only attempt at this trip in the RA Handicap after setting the pace.

Royal Honour has a tough task on her South African staying form.

By David Thiselton

Corne Orffer is optimistic that Captain America can follow up his Rising Sun Gold Challenge win in Saturday’s World Sports Betting Champions Cup and he sees no problem with the extra furlong despite the evidence of the Sun Met.

In that 2 000m Kenilworth race Captain America made the running but started to hang to the right from over 400m out as if his stamina was coming to the end of its tether.

But Orffer, the one man really in a position to know, disagrees and explains: “I wish I could have ridden the Met over again because I feel he would have been closer had I let him go to the outside rail in the straight rather than trying to keep him in.

“Every now and again he has a tendency to hang to the right. He did it with me in the Queen’s Plate too.”

But was it lack of stamina? “No,” Orffer is adamant. “He was loving it out in front. He wasn’t using himself up, he was just cruising along and when Anton Marcus on Legal Eagle moved up my horse came right back at him. Indeed I felt he was looking for something to run with.

“He doesn’t have to be in front either. He is a free-striding horse, a galloper, and the important thing is not to get him stuck in behind horses. You need to sit second or somewhere where he is capable of using his action.

“In the Gold Challenge he took off in the straight and shot up like an arrow. The 1 800m will be no problem to him.”

But what about the draw, ten out of 12? Isn’t that going to pose problems?  Orffer shakes his head and grins. “In fact I’m ecstatic about that. I was very happy about his ten draw in the Met too because with what would be regarded as a semi-bad draw you have got time to play around.

“In the Drill Hall I was drawn four, I missed the break by a fraction and I was swamped. I was then stuck in a pocket and I couldn’t get out. Last time he was also drawn ten, he jumped nicely and I could choose my own time to get across.”

Does he see any dangers beyond Marinaresco? “I would say Bela-Bela. She is top of the game among the fillies and you’ve got to respect her on the way she won last time. I make the top three Captain America, Marinaresco and her.”

By Michael Clower

Cot Campbell looks the biggest certainty on today’s Kenilworth card but the bookmakers are already acknowledging the fact and have priced him accordingly.

The R3.3 million purchase – by Trippi out of triple Grade 1 winner Ebony Flyer – opened at 9-10 with World Sports Betting on Sunday but he was as short as 9-20 by lunchtime yesterday.

On the form book he is home and hosed after two really good runs. His reputation preceded him first time out in April and he started odds-on only to lose six lengths at the off. Snaith Racing were more cautious about him when he reappeared four weeks ago – he was short of a gallop – and were only predicting a place.

He duly achieved that despite there being a big field and him being drawn on the wrong side of the course. But Bernard Fayd’Herbe was repeatedly baulked for a clear run, despite switching one way and then another, and might well have won with a clear passage. The stipes even had him in to explain his tactics!

This time he is drawn four, the going is slightly faster on this side and there are no fitness fears. “The horse is fine and he is ready,” reports Chris Snaith. “If he is good enough he will win.”

Good enough he certainly is and his form is far superior to those that have run. If there is a danger it is much more likely to come from one of the newcomers and the prime candidate is Crome Yellow, another by Trippi.

Andre Nel was complaining on Saturday that the bookies are pricing his two-year-olds too short. Possibly significantly, Aldo Domeyer’s mount has drifted from 33-10 to 5-1. “He is a nice big horse that needs ground,” says Nel who explains that, with his horses’ long-term future in mind, he is not revving them up to go in on debut – “I am trying to get them to place first time rather than win. I would like to give them a couple of runs in maidens before going on with them.”

Everything else in the race is in double figures, with the Snaith second string Magnificent Seven drifting from 8-1 to 11-1 and Greg Cheyne’s mount The Sun Also Rises similarly going out from 8-1 to 12-1.

Ma Forte looks another for the Snaiths in the first after putting up a cracking debut earlier in the month and Brandon May keeps the ride. It’s bit disturbing to see money coming for unraced stable companion Dynamic Diana (backed from 5-1 to 7-2) with Fayd’Herbe in the irons but experience may swing the balance Ma Forte’s way.

There has also been support for the stable’s newcomer Do It Again (16-10 to 12-10) in race two whereas Nel’s newcomer Hemingway has eased from 18-10 to 5-2. At this stage it’s a coin-toss but any further tightening would suggest that Do It Again is the one to be on.

By Michael Clower

Silvan Star looks set to stay in training to go for bigger and better things next season after the way she won the Final Fling Stakes at Kenilworth on Saturday.

This was even more impressive than the Ladies Mile with Richard Fourie striking for home two furlongs out and afterwards confirming that he never had a moment’s doubt.

He added: “She’s got stronger and stronger, and she has a very good kick. She might not be much to look at but when you get on her you know she’s got substance.”

This was Fourie’s first Final Fling but the fourth in 16 years for Glen Kotzen and the way the Ascot-bred Silvano filly did it filled part-owner Peter de Beyer with big time optimism.

“You could say that she has now done enough to go to stud but I think it would be worth keeping her in training for another year,” he reasoned. “It certainly would be if she could win a Group 1 or a Group 2, and she is improving all the time.

“I reckon she has come on another 5lb here. In the Ladies Mile some of the others had excuses but she definitely put them all to bed this time. I will speak to Georgina Jaffee when she returns from overseas.”

Connections of those put to bed had varying reports. Chris Snaith (A Time To Dream, beaten two and a half lengths into second) said: “It was just too far for our filly. She doesn’t get the 1 800m.”

Grant van Niekerk, half a length further back on 13-10 favourite Ngaga, added: “Mine doesn’t turn it on instantly and she would enjoy the longer straight.”

Mike Robinson, trainer of 8-1 chance Goodtime Gal who came from last to finish fourth, said: “She ran on nicely but she got too far back and had too much to do.”

It was shortly after he returned from the Dubai Carnival that Bernard Fayd’Herbe and Snaith Racing agreed that he should become the stable’s first jockey once more. There is no retainer involved, just an agreement, in Chris Snaith’s words, that: “Bernard has first call on us and we have first call on him.”

The latest renewal of the old firm partnership had its most prolific day yet with four of the first six winners, and surely the most intriguing of the quartet was Turbulent Air – not because he gave weight all round in the mile handicap but because of what might have been.

“We had him planned for the July with a light weight and in the Winter Series I thought he would beat African Night Sky,” Snaith snr revealed. “However we then found that he had a kissing spine where the saddle goes. When the weight is on, and at a gallop, two of the bones touch and that hurts.”

One solution would have been to operate but, as is so often the case with human back surgery, such operations have a tendency to be only partially successful – and a racehorse has to be able to function at 100% capacity to be any good – “So what we are doing is playing around with different saddles to take the weight off that part of his back.”

Greg Ennion is also under the weather – fortunately in his case the problem is nothing more serious than ‘flu – and the back-in-form Anthony Andrews provided a better tonic than anything the doctors could prescribe by leading from halfway on Samsara in the Racing Association Maiden.

By Michael Clower