The three-year-old Joey Ramsden-trained Western Winter gelding Attenborough scored a victory at Scottsville on Sunday in the Listed In Full Flight Handicap over 1100m which could prove to be of importance to more than just the connections and there were some other notable performances on the day too.

Attenborough is owned by Mayfair Speculators who provided some important news yesterday about two other SA Champions Season three-year-olds campaigners, Table Bay and Just Sensual, who were surprise scratchings from the Gr 2 Daisy Guineas and Gr 2 Daisy Fillies Guineas fields respectively.

Derek Brugman, racing manager of Mayfair Speculators, said of Table Bay and Just Sensual, “We just didn’t want to start their campaigns over a mile and have looked for shorter races to bring them back.”

Attenborough was held up off the pace by Anton Marcus on Sunday before running on strongly to beat a competitive field by one length going away.

Importantly, he did it from the very outside draw of 16 in the 16 horse field, a draw which in the past has often been seen to be impossible to win from.

Last year a measure was taken at the Festival Of Speed meeting, which features four Gr 1 races, to bring the inside rail inward in order to alleviate the draw bias. However, this meant the field sizes had to be reduced to 14 runners. Attenborough’s win went some way to proving that this year these measures will not be necessary.

From the connections point of view Attenborough’s win was a tremendous preparation for the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint over 1200m, specially as it was his first run after gelding. Marcus confirmed riding the horse “cold” looked to be the secret to him. He won off a 101 merit rating and faces a maximum raise of eight points, but should get away with less as there was a blanket finish for second led by the Brett Crawford-trained three-year-old Purple Tractor who carried 52kg as opposed to Attenborough’s 56kg. Of the Tsogo Sun potential winners, the four-year-old Crawford-trained Search Party showed good cruising speed from a wide draw of 14 off his 106 merit rating and stayed on well for a 1,5 length fourth. He looks likely to come on from the run too.

Keagan De Melo (Nkosi Hlophe)

The next race was the Gr 3 Strelitzia Stakes over 1100m for two-year-old fillies and was marred by a false start. However, encouragingly the outside drawn horses stuck to their stations and the winner and runner up both came from that side of the track. The Duncan Howells-trained Antonius Pius filly Neptune’s Rain won in fluent style under Keagan de Melo to beat the Ramsden-trained Made In Hollywood by 1,25 lengths. Both of these horses put their hands up for the Gr 1 Allan Robertson Championship.

Cape trainer Vaughan Marshall and his stable jockey MJ Byleveld then scored a feature double, winning the Gr 3 Godolphin Barb Stakes for two-year-olds over 1100m by a length with the Jay Peg colt Woljayrine and then the Gr 3 Poinsettia Stakes over 1100m with last year’s Allan Robertson winner The Secret Is Out. These two races proved horses could win from any draw as Woljayrine was drawn on the extreme inside in one and Captain Al filly The Secret Is Out was drawn on the extreme outside in 14. Woljayrine showed good cruising speed and quickened well but as a maiden he was receiving 4kg from both the runner up Sir Frenchie, who ran on well, and third-placed Varallo, who jumped sideways into the starting gate and lost his unbeaten record.  The Secret Is Out showed pace throughout and kicked well in the finish. The Paul Gadsby-trained Visionaire filly Vision To Kill showed she can mix it with best by running on strongly for a 0,5 length second, although she was receiving 3kg from the winner. The US$500,000 CTS Sprint winner Live Life made a good KZN debut to run third.

Veteran KZN track manager Ralph Smout has not been in his current specialised role as the dedicated Scottsville track manager for long and his nous already appears to be making a difference. Hopefully, the notorious  Scottsville draw bias will soon be confined to the memory banks.

By David Thiselton

Are you passionate about Horticulture?

Are you enthusiastic and eager to learn?

Are you capable of performing physical and practical work?

Do you possess excellent communication skills?

Have you just completed your 3 year diploma in Horticulture?

If you have answered ‘yes’ to all the questions above, then we have the perfect opportunity for you.

Gold Circle (Pty) Ltd is recruiting Interns in the Horticultural field.

The duration of the programme is 12 months.

Gold Circle has a wide range of horticultural opportunities available as the company has some of the best turfgrass facilities in the country. With six top class grass tracks spread among the four fantastic centres there is no shortage of learning and training.

Students get to learn irrigation and drainage first hand from experienced individuals, they use horticultural mechanization machinery first hand including boom sprayers, vertidrains and all types of the latest mowers used in turf industry. They practice spring treatment and learn about fertilizer programmes, mowing heights and programmes and race track preparations. Hedge-trimming, pruning, planting and designing racecourse gardens, tree felling, sod cutting, light construction work and handyman assisting are among the many techniques and practices experienced.

Interested students to email their CV and academic record to Nirvana Doodhram – Nirvanad@goldcircle.co.za by Wednesday May 17.

There exotic races at the Turffontein Inside track on Saturday are generally competitive although there are possible bankers for the brave.

In the first leg of the PA two-year-old Twice A Dancer is an impressive specimen who can build on his eye catching debut as he is a robust sort who should have come on from the run, so he looks to be a banker. Another two-year-old Pillaroftheearth made a good debut and with Gavin Lerena up from a good draw should also go close. Pretty Wendy is by Dynasty and is a half-sister to Gr 1 SA Oaks winner Pine Princess, who won her first two starts over 1200m and 1000m respectively, so she is an interesting runner. Island View found support last time over 1450m and moved up well before finding little extra, so he might have needed it and might also appreciate the step down to 1200m. Artax made a fair debut in a strong field and is well draw.

The second leg of the PA is likely to be a straight fight between Only To Win and Boudica. A-Rod has been consistent but has been racing in weak Greyville polytrack maidens.

In the third leg Front Club is three months younger than her contemporaries being Irish-bred so should be improving and on pedigree will relish the trip, being a half-sister to Gr 2 Gold Circle Oaks winner Front House. Generoso ran on well to beat Front Club last time over 1600m and is another to include alongside the consistent middle distance horse Eversilver. However, King’s Creek, Advance To Go and Musette must be considered for the Pick 6 and Jackpot.

In the next leg the well-bred Consequentially has risen through the ranks since blinkers were fitted, while Snowdonia has been acquitting herself well against stronger. For the Pick 6 and Jackpot the promising Cold Cash and the improving Russian Star can’t be ignored.

In the fifth leg of the PA Zouaves is selected to win as he produced a powerful finish from off the pace to win his maiden over course and distance and hasn’t been punished by the handicapper. However, Silver Sails is an exciting prospect and is also well drawn in his first run for the Joe Soma yard. Raasmaal, Bonnie Prince and Crazy Vision, and maybe even Tendre, have to be considered for Pick 6 and Jackpot bets too.

In the next leg the powerfully built and well bred Alileo is a banker consideration, but this is only her second start and beyond her Lumya, Easy Game, Lady Of The World, Heavy Metal and Favour’s Pride all look to have winning chances.

The last leg is tricky, but topweight Beckoning has dropped to a competitive mark and can be effective from a good draw. Ponchielli was a touch unlucky last time and so was Allora, who has dropped to an attractive merit rating. High Seas Beauty has ability but has to overcome a wide draw and Always A Lady and Queen’s Jet can also be involved.

By David Thiselton

Our Mate Art can finally start realising his potential by winning the Highlands Stud Winter Guineas at Kenilworth tomorrow.

The highly regarded Australian-bred missed the rest of the Cape season after chipping a splint bone in the Selangor but returned after a 19 week lay-off to take second in a Pinnacle at the beginning of the month only to be seemingly stymied by a bad draw here.

But that all changed on Wednesday afternoon when Bernard Fayd’Herbe, as so often in the past, was first to spot that the ground on the stands side had become faster and he came home alone on the winner. In the next race they all swung wide at the turn.

African Night Sky (Liesl King)

If – as seems probable – conditions are much the same tomorrow Aldo Domeyer, successful on Marinaresco 12 months ago, won’t need a Marcus-type flying start to get into a decent position.

He could have most to fear from Elevated who is going to be a good price. He comes from one of the smaller yards and his recent form is positively discouraging. But he was a sick horse after the Derby and patently not ready last time. Nothing else here can match his fourth in the Cape Guineas.

“He is the best horse in the race,” says Riaan van Reenen, “and, while he is not 100%, he is very close to it – maybe 95 or 96% – and that could be enough.”

Newlands is best on ratings and Joey Ramsden is bidding for his third Winter Guineas in six seasons. The gelding has some useful form but not useful enough to jump out at you as the likely winner and the owner’s retained rider Anton Marcus is on Turbulent Air instead.

Marcus has won three of the last five Winter Guineas and his strike rate at Kenilworth this season is a barely credible 37%. In other words he has almost two winners from every five rides. Dare I say it, though, Turbulent Air looks more like one of the statistical three losers.

True, he was running for the first time for four months when only just behind Our Mate Art (who was giving 1.5kg) in the April 1 Pinnacle but he had been well beaten in races like the Langerman and the Cape Classic.

Stable companion African Night Sky has always looked a good horse in the making and, if that Pinnacle form is correct, he could get into the shake-up.

Piere Strydom is a high-profile booking for I Travel Light who finished a length in front of African Night Sky in the CTS Mile but was well beaten in the Cape Guineas. Victory for any of the other eight – Loadshedder included – would be a shock of seismic proportions.

Who will head the market is as difficult to predict as the winner but it’s important because the favourite has won five of the last six runnings. As regards the rest of the card, Fresnaye and Silver Mountain are stand-outs.

By Michael Clower

South Africa’s Champions Season in KwaZulu-Natal will kick off in fine style at Greyville on Sunday, May 7, when some of the top horses in the country meet in the R500 000, Grade 2 Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes over 1 400m.

The final field for the race and those for the R600 000, Grade 2 Daisy Guineas and the R500 000, Grade 2 Daisy Fillies Guineas have been announced and all three events include exciting runners from around the country.

The super stars Marinaresco, Captain America and Sail South, head the 14-horse field under weight-for-age conditions in the Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes that traditionally opens the season and while they could well need the outing, they have the class to play major roles in the outcome.

The three followed the champion Legal Eagle home in the Grade 1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate at the beginning of the year and being from the top Cape stables, they are sure to be in very competitive form for this race.

Among the opposition are the likes of Champagne Haze, New Predator and Bulleting Home from Gauteng and the Cape four-year-old Black Arthur that was one of the country’s leading three-year-olds last season.

The Gauteng Guineas winner Janoobi heads the 12-horse field in the Daisy Guineas and meets the Investec Cape Derby runner-up Zodiac Ruler for the first time along with the exciting East Cape Guineas winner Gimme The Stars and the first two past the post in the Byerley Turk, Africa Rising and Copper Force.

Gimme Six, Final Judgement, Sail and Dawn Calling filled the first four places in the Umzimkhulu over 1 400m at Greyville a month ago and will renew their battle in the Daisy Fillies Guineas with the extra 200m adding a new dimension to their clash.

The three races promise very competitive and exciting battles to set the standard for a thrilling winter season.