The brilliant four-year-old Tiger Ridge filly Nother Russia, that was beaten about a head in the thrilling finish to the Grade 1 Premier’s Champion Challenge at Turffontein on Saturday, has been withdrawn from the Grade 1 Vodacom Durban July.

The Mike de Kock stable inmate ran a fantastic race fighting out the finish with favourite Legal Eagle before outsider Deo Juvente from the Geoff Woodruff stable forced his way between them to snatch the victory by a whisker.

The filly was among the 12 horses withdrawn from Africa’s Greatest Horse Race at the first declaration stage with the withdrawals including Samurai Blade and Mac De Lago that contested the event last year.

Betting on the race was suspended for bookmakers to reassess the field but after his brilliant win in the Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes at Greyville on Sunday the top Cape contender Marinaresco is likely to have his previous odds of 9-1 shortened considerably when it re-opens.

The first supplementary entries close at 11am on Tuesday with the second declaration stage being Monday, May 29.

By Richard McMillan

While pedigree is not the be-all and end-all when it comes to a thoroughbred’s ability, it is not by accident that some pedigrees prove stronger than others and as a result become commercially successful.

In the greater scheme of things there is no such thing as a badly bred thoroughbred as all can trace their ancestors back to similar roots. But pedigrees backed by correct conformation and racing ability generally prove more popular than those without a proven racetrack record but as Mike de Kock pointed out last Saturday, putting the best to the best is not always a guarantee.

However, in the case of champion Australian sire Redoute’s Choice and champion South African-bred racemare National Colour, it is a nick that has worked. It is rare that full siblings win Gr1 races on the same day on the same card but that’s what happened at Turffontein on Saturday with Mustaaqeem winning the Gr1 SA Nursery and a couple of hours later older brother Rafeef obliging in the Gr1 Computaform Sprint.

One of thoroughbred breeding’s most famous stud masters, the “Wizard of Dormello” Federico Tesio who was responsible for champions sires Nearco and Ribot, said that a champion racemare may fail at stud but her daughters seldom do.”

After the Nursery, De Kock expressed a view that he hoped that Mustaaqeem would eventually stand at stud in this country. “We need blood like this,” he said. “Redoute’s Choice is a champion and National Colour was too. Some forget that she finished second in the Nunthorpe (a top Gr1 sprint in the UK). It’s not always that putting the best to the best works out but it has in this instance.”

De Kock also said he would not be surprised if he was instructed by Mustaaqeem’s owner, Sheikh Hamdan of Dubai, to ship the Nursery winner abroad but Rafeef’s victory may see him as a fitting substitute as he too boasts an exceptional racing record.

Also in the headlines over the weekend was Silvano. The Main Chance Farms stallion was responsible for the winners of both the Gr2 Wilgerboschdrift SA Oaks and the Gr1 SA Derby, Wind Chill and Al Sahem respectively and on Sunday produced the winners of the Gr2 Daisy Guineas and the Gr2 Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes, Janoobi and Marinaresco respectively.

New kid on the block, Gimmethegreenlight was responsible fo two winners in Gimme Six, winner of the Gr2 Daisy Guineas and Gr2 SA Fillies Nursery winner Green Plains.

By Andrew Harrison

Andre Nel has his first two-year-old runner of the season in the Fillies Maiden Juvenile at Kenilworth today and, given all his first-timer success with three-year-olds, there is going to be a lot of interest in Lanark.

The grey is a daughter of Sail From Seattle and her trainer admits that, to some extent at least, he is in the dark. “We generally don’t run two-year-olds but she is precocious and needs to run,” he says. “She has only had one grass gallop and we have left a fair bit to work with. She is running without much pressure and she will give us a guide as to where we stand with our other juveniles.”

She has already been backed from 7-2 to 28-10 with World Sports Betting while Sassy Lady has drifted from 5-2 to 5-1. This is the form horse and gets a tentative vote although Lanark seems sure to get into the shake-up and there has been significant support for fellow newcomers Ballroom Dance and Freedom Charter.

Time To Think has gone close in her last two starts and is having her third run after a rest in the Tabonline.co.za Maiden.  Bernard Fayd’Herbe’s mount is even money favourite and she is preferred to both the consistent Miss D’Aray (2-1) and her own stable companion Tiffindell who is a 3-1 chance.

The early money in race three – a 1 200m maiden – has been for the Vaughan Marshall newcomer Captain Falcon. Backed from 4-1 to 5-2 favourite the Captain Al colt cost R500 000 and is a full or half-brother to a string of useful winners. Given the market support, he looks the one.

He is taking on three of his own age and seven older horses but this is the time of year when the two-year-olds start to prove the better in maidens like this one. The Barry Burn (4-1) is also a juvenile and raced green when sixth to the smart Silver Coin on debut.

Of the others the one that makes most appeal is Lauren Of Rochelle who ran on strongly, but too late, when a quarter-length third to Power Shift three weeks ago. At 6-1 you can take out insurance by backing him each way if you don’t like the idea of an unraced favourite.

Shall Be Free is 5-2 to resume winning ways in the 1 400m handicap (race six) but this is an open race and Line Break could be worth a few rand at 5-1 with Candice Bass-Robinson and Aldo Domeyer in such form.

Strictly on the book he might not confirm last time’s Pinnacle placings with Purple Mountains who was hampered and is a huge price at 10-1. However Glen Puller is taking the blinkers off after three races with them on.

By Michael Clower

The Vaal Standside course has a low key eight race meeting today where the highest rated race is a MR 88 Handicap over 1400m.

Forest Fox has become a consistent sort and is off a competitive merit rating at present. His number one draw might be against him, although at last week’s meeting on this track they were all going to the far side rail in many of the races, meaning the low draws were not at all disadvantageous. He has some class, is ideally distance suited and Gavin Lerena stays aboard. Refuge is a promising sort who is having his third run after a rest over the trip of his last win. He also has a low draw but Strydom rides him for the sixth time and knows how to get the best out of him.

Count Tassilo was beaten fair and square by Forest Fox last time they met and being 0,5kg better off is unlikely to see him reverse the form. On the plus side he is drawn on the standside and if this proves advantageous on the day he should go close. He tended to over race over 1600m, so this looks like the right trip. Bizjet had some good KZN form and is ideally distance suited. On his Highveld debut he found no extra from a handy position, but should have benefitted from the run. Hidden Agenda is a versatile type and will have benefitted from his last outing over 1200m. He has won three times over 1200m and also over 2000m, so this trip should be suitable.

Punters could get off to a good start in race one over 1000m with the speedy So Var, who hasn’t been out of the first three in three starts and has been running in strong fields. However, there are some interesting first-timers here and none more so than the Australian-bred Ancient Spirit. He is by top sire Fastnet Rock out of an Irish-bred Encosta De Lago mare who is a half-sister to the Gr 1 winner Holy Roman Emperor.

In the second race over 1000m Brave Mary also has plenty of speed and has not been disgraced against fair opposition to date, so she is the one to side with, although a lot could depend on whether her low draw is unfavourable or not.

Race three is over 1600m and the best strategy for the Pick 6 could be to include all of the previous raced horses with the exception of the no hoper Bidvee, The race could well be dominated by first-timers and the most appealing of them on pedigree is Jika who is by Jay Peg and is a half-sister to four-time winning sprinter Varumba and to the promising Rumbavar.

In the first leg of the Jackpot, Queen Anne, Momo and Charter Jet make the most appeal in a weak race and they should be enough to get punters through.

In the fifth race over 1200m, Last Girl Standing has a fair chance. She did not have much luck last time out over 1450m, but made up ground in eyecatching style in the straight. However, she ran out of steam late suggesting she would prefer 1200m. Indeed in her previous start she burst through and went close. However, she did become one paced late, so is not easy to win with and probably needs tp be held up for as long as possible. Therefore a couple of others, Burundi Bush and Pied Piperess need to be included in the Pick 6. They are both capable sorts.

The next race is a competitive 1000m handicap and a number of horses have to be included in the exotics. However, Just Africa is made the value bet of the day. He has a lot of speed and is particularly effective in fast going. He should get the fast going he likes and is off a competitive merit rating.

The last leg of the Pick 6 over 1400m is also a competitive affair, but the one who makes most appeal is Nephrite. This horse clearly did not like the blinkers last time and they are duly off. As a two-year-old he finished three lengths behind Rabada in a Grade 1 over 1600m, so has not surprisingly been knocking on the door off his current merit rating of 70. His draw is close to the standside, which would be advantageous by trends. Marco van Rensburg has ridden him in his last two starts and is back aboard, so should get the best out of him.

By David Thiselton

New Turf Carriers have come on board as sponsors of the 2017 Rider Cup Interprovincial jockeys’ challenge which is due to take place at Scottsville Racecourse on Saturday, 9 July 2017.

Based on the National Jockeys and Apprentice logs as at the end of May, invitations will be sent to riders from each of the provinces with the leading jockey in each of the jurisdictions being appointed the Captain of his team. “The top three riders in each province at the end of May (based on National statistics) will qualify for automatic invitations but the fourth member of each team will be a “Captain’s pick”, which represents a change from previous years’ team selection,” said Gold Circle’s Marketing Executive Graeme Hawkins. “There are sometimes unforeseen circumstances which could lead to a deserving rider not having ridden enough winners to qualify automatically and the onus will now be on the Captain to extend a personal invitation to the fourth member of each team,” he added.

The Highveld Hawks are the defending champions while the KZN Falcons won the inaugural Rider Cup in 2015. The Cape Eagles have finished second in both previous events and will be looking to set the record straight this year.