Andrew Harrison

SOME horses love it, some horses hate it, most are not fazed by it. That question will be foremost in many punter’s minds when trying to sort the form for the fifth at Hollywoodbets Greyville today.

Caliente, Guru’s Pride and Duc D’Orange have scored all their success on the synthetic surface. Trip To Africa’s last two wins have been on the poly while Mount Anderson boast a three from four wins on the surface.

Dean Kannemeyer has never been one to shy away from running his horses on the poly and leading up to his recent Christmas Handicap victory, all three of Mount Anderson’s wins were on the poly.

He has only once finished out of the money in seven outings on the inner track and although he takes on a few seemingly confirmed poly specialists he can more than hold his own jumping from his inside gate on a surface that clearly does not faze him.

Early in his career Mount Anderson looked to have a three-year-old feature somewhere in his locker but it took the Christmas Handicap win for him to earn some long-expected black type. He was at the bottom of the weights for that race but put in a sustained finish to get the better of another light-weight Mr Fitz who has since gone on to frank that form.

Mount Anderson currently stacks up as a solid handicapper and he will be fully tested this afternoon.

Regular pilot Keagan de Melo is back from his month-long stint in Cape lockdown and is back riding on home ‘poly’.

Caliente claimed the scalp of Mount Anderson when last they met, up with the pace throughout and holding Mount Anderson’s challenge. Mount Anderson is marginally better off at the weights this time around but there should not be much between the two.

Caliente has since twice been undone by Trip To Africa who he meets again today. Duncan Howells has always had a high opinion of Trip To Africa but it has not all been smooth sailing with the gelding. However, he now appears to be fulfilling his promise and front-running tactics and the poly seems to be his preference.

He only faded late in the recent Michael Roberts Handicap over 1750m, but his previous two successes were over today’s course and distance.

Apprentice Thabiso Gumede appears to get on well with the gelding and the pair are again expected to call the tune.

All four of Guru’s Pride’s win have been on the poly and recent showings suggest that he if finding his better form. The blinkers come off and he is 3.5kg better off with Trip To Africa on their last meeting.

The blinkers go on Kapen Pride, another poly specialist, but riding arrangements point to Mount Anderson as the stable elect although Stuart Randolph is riding with a lot of confidence of late.

 Al’s My Daddy lost the fight to stave off the attentions of the vet and has his first run as a gelding for a new stable. He had shown some potential when in the care of Adam Marcus at Milnerton and came off a long break after winning first up out of the maidens. In his final start for Marcus he was sent to the front over 1950m and faded late.

He has not been out since November but jumps straight into a ten-furlong contest on a quick surface so the indications are that Gareth van Zyl has his charge firing.

However, he is not one to bank on and the consistent Run To Denmark, Jack Of Hearts, Teichman and Arrow’s Mark are all worth closer scrutiny.

Pick 6 bankers on today’s card are like hen’s teeth but a quick double with Alwaysonmymind and Irish Belle in the first two races could help boost the wallet.

Alwaysonmymind was narrowly beaten in two starts since being fitted with blinkers and Donovan Dillion seems to have chosen her ahead of what looks to be her most likely danger, Good Girl.

Irish Belle ran up a string of seconds before shedding her maiden against males last time out. She is quick and if she holds form in her poly debut, she could prove difficult to catch.

Soccer13 Net C/Over: R 5 402 758 on Wednesday, 3rd February 2021. Pool Closes at 19h15. Sport 11 and Pool 1. Estimated Pool: R 11 Million.

David Thiselton

The Eric Sands-trained Rainbow Bridge confirmed the form of last year’s Sun Met at Kenilworth yesterday when easily winning this year’s big 2000m Grade 1 weight for age event, which is now called the Cape Town Met, under Luke Ferraris.

Ferraris had thus won one of South Africa’s big three races in the same month he completed his apprenticeship, a rare feat indeed.  

Without last year’s winner One World in the contest Rainbow Bridge could afford to be eased and switched in the straight and still win by 1,50 lengths.

The Vodacom Durban July winner Belgarion proved no match for him at level weights.

Turning for home second last a dream gap opened for Belgarion in the straight and after hitting the front 150m from home Richard Fourie must have believed he was about to break his Met duck.

However, his heart must have sunk when he glanced across at the 80m mark and seen the low-flying Rainbow Bridge.

In fact, the six-year-old Ideal World gelding was treating the rest of the field like B division handicappers. He came into the straight in last place and then got stuck behind Golden Ducat and African Night Sky, who were not making any inroads. Ferraris faced a crisis because Do It Again was outside of this pair and still behind them. However, the youngster, as cool as a cucumber, eased Rainbow Bridge slightly before switching him outward. Do It Again helped his cause by moving forward to pass Golden Ducat.

However, by the time Rainbow Bridge had reached the outside he was already at the 300m mark and Belgarion was at this stage well clear of him and accelerating.

Had the bird already flown, because, after all, this was a weight for age Grade 1 and not a Wednesday afternoon B division handicap?  

Well, it was difficuIt to tell because the TV producer had decided to zoom in on Belgarion and the inside horses.

The countrywide supporters of Rainbow Bridge would not have known how he was faring from the 350m mark until appearing again in the picture at the 50m mark moving like an express train. He appeared to be doing it effortlessly too.

It is always easy to find the key to the win after the race.

In Rainbow Bridge’s previous two attempts at the course and distance he had won the 2019 Met and finished a narrow second in last year’s Met, beaten only by the top class One World and finishing 3,50 lengths clear of the rest of a field which had been  jam-packed with Grade 1 winners and champions.

Then in the Vodacom Durban July over 2200m he had completed the first 2000m in a time that was slightly faster than the legendary London News’ course record for 2000m set way back in 1996.

The only question mark really had been the trend of him coming out second in dogfights for the line. However, this is likely just a true form statistic as it would be hyper-critical to ever question this consistent horse’s courage or attitude.

Ferraris said afterwards he had dropped Rainbow Bridge out because of his tendency to over-race. He was anxious for a few moments after he had broken well but said once he had reined him in he had settled “like a lamb”. He spoke of the tremendous acceleration the powerfully built bay had displayed after being given his head.

Sands had once again delivered a top horse in peak condition for a big race and his reputation as a master conditioner was confirmed.

Owner Mike Rattray will have real hope of an elusive Vodacom Durban July victory now as it is likely that it was just the too handy tactics in a blisteringly fast run race that had cost Rainbow Bridge last year.    

The dam of the Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein Stud-bred gelding, Halfway To Heaven, is on track for an unprecedented third successive Equus champion broodmare award.  

Sovereign Spirit, who started 100-1, had shown before his capability of running on strongly when held up near the back. However, the pace of lesser races was usually against him. Running against top horses in a small field suited him down to the ground and he ran on into a meritorious four length third despite 100/1 odds. He finished amidst three horses rated 130 or more so his merit rating of 106 is going to take a knock.

Do It Again stayed on for a five length fourth, as opposed to his seven length ninth last year. He is clearly not the same horse he was in his 2018/2019 Equus Horse Of The Year season.

The only three-year-old in the race Princess Calla stayed on for a 5,40 length fifth.

Golden Ducat was a disappointing 5,80 length sixth. In retrospect he would have been better going forward from his draw of two instead of being held up because in a race run in a time 1.03 seconds slower than last year he began over-racing a touch early and he was unable to accelerate effectively in the straight.

The other disappointment was Queen Supreme, who had traveled all the way back to Johannesburg after her impressive Cartier Paddock Stakes victory. She had to be used to a certain extent to overcome her wide draw and get into a handy position. However, she was never traveling well and finished second last, beaten 11,30 lengths.

Andrew Harrison

TOMORROW’S meeting at Hollywoodbets Scottsville is not for the faint-hearted punter with some seriously competitive racing on the nine-race card. To further complicate matters, there is a prediction of some rain. Let’s hope that the Norwegian weather gurus have it wrong.

A Pinnacle Stakes for fillies and mares heads up the card where the two most obvious protagonists are Mary O and Silent Crusade. Lezeanne Forbes saddles WSB Fillies Guineas runner-up Mary O who took on a strong field of males from the worst of the draw at her last outing in the Michael Roberts Handicap. Prior to that she was close-up in the Flamboyant Stakes and the winner of that race, Indi Anna was deemed good enough by Peter Muscutt to send her to Cape Town where she lines up in the Gr1 Majorca Stakes.

There should be little between Mary O and Mark Dixon’s mare Silent Crusade. The latter ran a cracker in her comeback sprint when second to Hawker Typhoon giving the winner 10.5kg. She will much prefer this trip and with a good draw she should make a bold bid.

The Alyson Wright-trained Preferential is in a rich vein of form in weaker company since being tried in blinkers and although she takes on a useful field, she can finish in the money again. Petra had a tough draw in the Flamboyant but won well at her previous start. She should maybe be judged on that effort.

Another to consider is Drama Queen who has her third start for her new stable and although badly in at the weights she could come along enough to finish in the money.

Two smart sophomores Sav’s Star and Stella Act look the principal contenders in the seventh but again the list of likely winners does not stop with them.

Sav’s Star needed her last run. Although lightly raced Nathan Kotzen’s filly shows plenty of potential and should come on nicely from her first run back from a lay-off. It was a useful field and Vivid Jet is no slouch. John Buckler will saddle Stella Act for Glen Kotzen and the filly returns from a fairly lengthy break, not having been out since November last year. However, she takes a three-point drop in the ratings and at best will go close.

Tienie Prinsloo’s winners have generally been ignored in the betting in spite of having obvious chances. He saddles the Silvano mare Hareer who put up a good piece of work at Ashburton on Tuesday.

Andrew Harrison

THE CAPE TOWN MET has panned out into a re-run of last season’s Grade 1 Vodacom Durban July with four of the first six past the post in the VDJ in the line-up. In fact, all of the country’s main actors will face the starter, the only one missing being VDJ runner-up Got The Greenlight.

With a projected R15 million Pick 6 pool in the offing, there will be no shortage of interest in today’s 12-race meeting.

Last year’s VDJ winner Belgarion is currently at the top of bookmaker’s boards for the race, where he faces the usual suspects Rainbow Bridge, Do It Again and Golden Ducat. Added to this year’s main cast is recent Grade 1 Paddock Stakes winner Queen Supreme, Grade 1 Summer Cup runner-up Running Brave, African Night Sky on the comeback trail, and the only three-year-old in the race, Princess Calla.

Queen Supreme posted back-to-back victories in the Grade 1 Paddock Stakes, cruising to a most impressive win. Mike de Kock then shipped her back to his base at Randjesfontein and most surmised that the Met was off her agenda so it came as a surprise that De Kock opted for the filly to make the arduous 1600km road trip back to Cape Town in just over three weeks, surely an indication of what the multiple times champion trainer thinks of her chances.

She is reported to have travelled well so the boys will need to pick up their feet.

Belgarion was weighted to win the VDJ but has since met Rainbow Bridge on level terms in his last two. Justin Snaith’s charge was a facile winner of the Green Point Stakes but didn’t quite get to a fitter Rainbow Bridge in the Queen’s Plate, the latter fighting on when seemingly beaten. That may be the case again tomorrow.

Do It Again, a dual winner of the VDJ, finished a creditable third last year in his bid for his third success VDJ victory, just ahead of Golden Ducat with Rainbow Bridge putting in a below par performance, finishing in sixth place.

Rainbow Bridge showed his true worth when going on to be involved in possibly the race of the season, edged out on the line by stable companion Golden Ducat in the Grade 1 Champion Stakes at Hollywoodbets Greyville.

The Grade 1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate is one of the country’s big three Grade 1 WFA 1600m races, the other two being the Gold Challenge, run at Hollywoodbets Greyville and the HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes run at Turffontein, and is most often used as a stepping stone into the Met.

This year was no different although the big three of Belgarion, Rainbow Bridge and Do It Again were upstaged by Jet Dark.

However, the three filled the minor placings led by Rainbow Bridge and their respective trainers will have left a little meat on the bone for the Met, all three horses more at home over the extra 400m.

Golden Ducat, a winner of the Champions Cup and fourth in the VDJ last season, ducked the Queen’s Plate, the 1600m way too sharp for the former Grade 1 Cape Derby winner, the race run over the same course and distance of the Met. He turned in an exceptional effort to win the Grade 3 Peninsula Handicap over 1800m run on the same day as the Queens Plate. In a race run at a pedestrian gallop, not suited to Golden Ducat, Eric Sands’s charge fought on gamely to win a race in which he looked dead-and-buried 400m out.

African Night Sky, highly touted early in his career, returns from serious injury and was a tad unlucky behind Golden Ducat in the Peninsula after almost being stopped in his tracks when making his run. A 20-1 shot, he may be worth an each-way nibble.

Fanie Bronkhorst has had his trainer’s brief for less than a month but he saddles Summer Cup runner-up Running Brave who sports his colours. For the Summer Cup, Paul Matchett was at the helm but Bronkhorst steered her to her recent win in the Grade 2 London News Stakes.

The ‘big four’ are all fancied in the betting market but the ‘Queen’ can reign supreme head of Rainbow Bridge and Golden Ducat with Belgarion and African Night Sky in the mix.