A strong field of runners from all over the country will line up for the R1-million HSH Princess Charlene Empress Club Stakes over 1600m at Turffontein on Saturday.

Cape Town-based trainer Justin Snaith has opted to bring Star Express, second behind Nightingale in the Grade 1 Majorca Stakes at Kenilworth in January, to Joburg for this Grade 1 race on the Standside track.  Bella Sonata, although based on the Highveld with Chesney van Zyl, represents the KwaZulu-Natal-based Gavin van Zyl yard.

The running of this year’s race will be a royal affair as HSH Princess Charlene of Monaco will be at the Joburg track on Saturday. Her support of the raceday means a number of charities are set to benefit among those the Red Cross, Highveld Horse Care Unit and Gugu Lesizwe Primary School.

“I look forward to once again attending a racemeeting at the historic Turffontein Racecourse and of course continuing the support of a number of worthy causes,” Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene said of her involvement on the day.

“To have the horseracing community rally behind this will be amazing and being able to play a part in restoring some of the glamour back into the sport is also special.”

Princess Charlene was a special guest at the same venue back in 2012 when featuring at the Charity Mile meeting which is held annually every November.

In keeping with her passion to fight for the underdog, Princess Charlene will also sponsor two Maiden Plates over 1400m. They will each carry prize money of R250,000.

Three horses stand out in Empress Club Stakes – top-rated Safe Harbour, Fort Ember and Cape raider Star Express. Safe Harbour is one of five runners who hail from the Sean Tarry stable and her trainer admits she must be the stable elect.

The three-year-old was beaten only a neck by Orchid Island in the SA Fillies Classic over 1800m. She is drawn at No 7 in the 16-horse field and will carry 2.5kg less than her two main rivals.

Fort Ember is a five-time winner who finished fifth behind Legal Eagle in the recent Horse Chestnut Stakes (Grade 1) over 1600m. Trainer Paul Peter believes the horse to beat in the race is Safe Harbour, but added: “Fort Ember is exceptionally well, has a great draw (No 1) and a top jockey (Anton Marcus). She’ll run an excellent race. I’m quietly confident.”

Snaith, who has a string of horses based at Summerveld in KwaZulu-Natal, intends to bring Star Express to the Highveld on Friday but is concerned about her wide draw.

BY: Phumelela Gaming and Leisure Ltd

Final field for the R1-million HSH Princess Charlene Empress Club Stakes (Grade 1) over 1600m

The Blinkers Bar Handicap could provide one of the keys to unlocking some of the form behind the big staying races come Champions Season. The race has attracted a competitive field of mostly young horses on a seven-race card at Scottsville this afternoon.

Banner Hill was among the 57 first entries for the Vodacom Durban July and he did his chances of making the final field no harm when winning an excellent race at Greyville a fortnight back.

It was a race run at a solid gallop, a rare phenomenon these days, and the three-year-old Warfarer kept fighting doggedly to stay on for third after being handy throughout.

Warfarer gave the impression that today’s 2400m would be right up his alley and a corresponding drop in class for Lezeanne Forbes’s runner should see him right there in spite of having to lump top weight.

Warfarer (Nkosi Hlophe)

Certain to see out the trip is Vaughan Marshall’s gelding Omaha Tribe. He has some steady Cape form over the trip and comes off some good recent form over ground which makes him a must inclusion in all exotic bets.

Paul Gadsby has high hopes for Techno Captain but the gelding’s temperament often gets the better of him and consequently he’s not the easiest horse to train. However, Sean Veale is back aboard and the pair are unbeaten in two starts together and he too should enjoy the step up in trip.

The Irish-bred Cape Fling was a late starter and lightly raced which suggests that Dean Kannemeyer has had to sort out a few ‘issues’. But he has won three of his four starts in the space of eight months and the form of his last start, when holding on narrowly from the progressive Chicago Beat, has been franked and he can go in again in the Itsarush.co.za Middle Stakes.

But it will not be easy as he faces a tough handicap field.

Heir Line is also lightly raced but Dennis Drier’s runner followed up on his maiden win and second-placed Mr O’Neill has also paid tribute to that form. Heir Line looks to have plenty of scope and won well on his handicap debut, making all the running.

Of the balance, Roman Emperor still races very green and has cost himself on more than one occasion but the drop in class could see him put in a better effort while Lonelyarethebrave has shown up well in two recent starts over course and distance.

In the Racing It’s A Rush Divided Handicap, Dress For Success took on much stronger last start and was running on late. Her last three wins have been over course and distance. Adorada has some useful Cape form who looks more comfortable over this trip after trying further at her last start. Another possible is Hot Toddy who drifted in the market on debut but was a runaway winner. It was soft ground that day but on that showing she looks capable of following up.

In the opening leg of the jackpot Seattle Spell has shown some promise and was in need of his last run, his first since gelding. He meets a weak field in the All To Come Maiden Plate and could prove difficult to beat. Turf Conqueror has improved since joining his new stable having come on with each run. He looks ready now.

By Andrew Harrison

Leading South African owner Markus Jooste is slowly spreading his wings internationally with horses racing in Australia, Europe, England and Ireland.

Last Friday, 54 horses were entered for the Gr1 Investec Oaks, the premier English fillies’ Classic and highlight of Ladies’ Day at Epsom Downs on Friday, June 2, day one of the Investec Derby Festival, with Jooste having connections with four of the Oaks hopefuls.

Rhododendron (Sportinglife)

He has three in conjunction with the world’s leading ownership partnership according to the TGR rankings, Magnier, Tabor and Smith and one in his own right.

Key To My Heart, Longing and Pocketfullofdreams are owned in partnership with Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith and trained in Ireland by Aiden O’Brien.

The Sky Is Blazing races in the familiar Jooste silks and is trained in England by William Haggas.

Ireland’s champion trainer O’Brien has won the latest two renewals of the Oaks, with Minding (2016) and Qualify (2015), and been successful six times in all. He has the most entries (12) of any handler in 2017.

Heading the Ballydoyle contingent is Rhododendron, who ended 2016 by taking the G1 Dubai Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket in October. The three-year-old daughter of Galileo is the current Oaks favourite in the ante-post betting market.

Another leading contender from Ballydoyle is Hydrangea. She too is a daughter of Galileo and finished second to Rhododendron in the Dubai Fillies’ Mile. Hydrangea was triumphant on her reappearance at Leopardstown in the G3 Ballylinch Stud 1,000 Guineas Trial.

Longing has also been out in 2017, making a promising debut when third in a 10-furlong Leopardstown maiden on April 5.

The Investec Derby, the greatest Flat race in the world, has the highest prize money of any British contest, being worth £1,500,000, and the premier Classic is staged on Saturday, June 3, Derby Day.

– Racenews@racenewsonline.com

Picture: Investec Oaks ante-post favourite Rhodondren [Sportinglife]

Last year’s second Marinaresco looks like ending up with top weight if, as seems possible, Captain America sidesteps the Vodacom Durban July.

Marinaresco (Nkosi Hlophe)

Brett Crawford said: “Captain America works on grass this week and starts off in the (Independent On Saturday) Drill Hall and then goes for the Rising Sun Gold Challenge which will be one of his main missions. We will then make a call as to whether he runs in the July or waits for the Champions Cup.”

Since El Picha in 2000 only one horse has won South Africa’s most celebrated race with top weight – Pocket Power when he dead-heated with Dancer’s Daughter in 2008 – and that horse’s owner Marsh Shirtliff confirmed that Marinaresco will take his chance in the July 1 spectacular even if the gelding has to shoulder 60kg. So too did trainer Candice Bass-Robinson, saying: “It wouldn’t be ideal but we will run assuming things go right in the meantime.”

In last year’s July Marinaresco was beaten a quarter of a length by The Conglomerate. Both carried 55.5kg but now Marinaresco is rated 4kg better. Much of the difference is due to the weight-for-age scale but it underlines Joey Ramsden’s view that The Conglomerate is “still off a reasonable mark.”

By Michael Clower

Bernard Fayd’Herbe has been appointed first jockey to Snaith Racing’s Cape Town operation and he celebrated by riding a double for the stable at Kenilworth on Saturday plus a winner for Harold Crawford.

Chris Snaith said: “We have given Bernard carte blanche and he is well worth it. He will ride all ours in Cape Town that he can do the weight on. We can’t operate with jockeys wanting to get off horses any longer.”

Bernard Fayd’Herbe (Nkosi Hlophe)

Fayd’Herbe has had a long, but sometimes on-off, association with the stable and there was a similar arrangement in the first half of last season until the yard decided to shop around for lighter jockeys.

Fayd’Herbe said: “My weight is good. I managed to get down to 55kg for one of my rides in Dubai and I will probably ride at 57kg here.”

Snaith snr was particularly impressed with the advice Fayd’Herbe gave him about 1 400m maiden winner The Right Road, explaining: “Bernard suggested trying him over further after he rode him over 1 200m – and it’s nice to have someone who can get off a horse and point you in the right direction like that.”

Dutch Philip booked his ticket for the Somerset 1200 on May 6 by taking the Juvenile Plate under Aldo Domeyer and apparently he is better than his Met day Listed third to Call To Account would suggest.

Candice Bass-Robinson said: “Things didn’t go right for him that day but we have always rated him. This was a little bit short and the Somerset will be a better distance.”

BLOB The 2014 Gold Cup winner Wavin’ Flag was one of two horses stolen from a racehorse rehoming yard in Philippi last week. He was found unhurt but the other, maiden winner Maximum Flo, had shattered sesamoids and had to be put down.

NHA boss Lyndon Barends, spurred into action by the Sporting Post’s Robyn Louw, has opened an inquiry. Under recent rule changes owners have a responsibility for their horses’ welfare after they are retired and Wavin’ Flag’s owners included some of the best known names in racing.

By Michael Clower