Summerveld trainer Paul Lafferty is enjoying a fine run at present, especially with his juveniles, and despite having a string which totals just 45 horses he said there were more promising youngsters waiting in the wings.

Lafferty has one of the most exciting two-year-old fillies in the country, Touch Of Magic, who was landed for a bargain price at a Magic Millions Sale in Australia last year.

On debut over 1000m at Scottsville on March 1, this strongly built bay sat in behind the leaders, showing good cruising speed, and after being switched out by Diego De Gouveia quickened effortlessly to win by 3,75 lengths. The runner up Rose Hill finished a close second next time out to frank the form.

Lafferty described Touch Of Magic as a “real machine” and was thrilled for owners Brian Riley, Michael Leaf and Sherwin Jerrier, whom he described as “absolute gentleman to train for.”

He added, “The Allan Robertson is her aim. She is a bomb and we are just keeping her ticking over. If we find the right race she could come out before then, but I wouldn’t worry at all about sending her straight into the Allan Robertson.”

Touch Of Magic already has considerable paddock value.

Earlier this year her dam Moccasin Bend, who is by the USA-bred Majestic Light stallion Eternity Range, made headlines.

Her Not A Single Doubt colt fetched Aus$725,000 at the Magic Millions sale on the Gold Coast knocked down to the Shadwell Stud of Sheik Hamdan’s.

Three years earlier new breeder Gary Castledine had bought Moccasin Bend, a Gr 2 W A Guineas winner, for Aus$135,000 in foal to four-time Gr 1-winner Sepoy. The latter was both the champion two-year-old and three-year-old colt in Australia.

Lafferty liked the look of the resultant foal, Touch Of Magic, and with Brian Riley accompanying him secured her for what now looks a bargain Aus$75,000.

Lafferty has five young Judpots in his string as he regards him as an excellent value stallion.

On Sunday his Judpot colt Sniper Shot won a Juvenile Plate over 1200m at Greyville from pillar to post under 4kg claimer Ashton Arries, beating among others the smart Cape colt Sir Frenchie into third by 1,5 lengths.

That was his second win in succession and Lafferty said, “He is useful and speedy. Our Captain Al colt Freddie Flint, who finished fourth in the Sentinel Stakes, is also promising. But we have some unraced two-year-old colts who are better than them, including a couple of Australian-breds and one by Count Dubois.

He hoped some of his two-year-old males would prove to be Gr 1 class, although he recognised the strength and depth of the Cape and Gauteng campaigners among the crop.

The yard’s Elusive Fort filly Crymeariver “could be anything” after winning a Juvenile Plate over 1200m at Scottsville on debut, beating the well regarded winner Neptune’s Rain. On paper her form compares favourably with her Maiden Juvenile Plate-winning stablemate, the Rebel King filly Simply Scrumptious. However, Lafferty believes these fillies are not up to the class of Touch Of Magic.

Lafferty has sent out eleven winners since March 1 at a strike rate of 27,5%.

His puts his recent success down to team effort and also made particular mention of the benefit of a Faradic Machine. This impulse therapy machine treats horses every day at the yard. It has double benefit to owners, who are not charged for its use, as it keeps the veterinarians at bay. An example of its positive affect can be seen in the filly Pearl Emblem. She was transformed from a battling one-time winner into a horse who won a further six races in the space of six months.

Lafferty’s horses have been turned out in magnificent condition lately and he attributed this partly to the two very good “clippers” (who could be termed equine hairdressers) he has working for him.

By David Thiselton

Cape Town handicapper Ken Nicol, handed the retrenchment red card by the National Horseracing Authority, aims to stay in racing either as a handicapper overseas or as a journalist.

He said yesterday: “I’ve been in racing for quite a while, firstly in computers and as a jockey’s agent. I also owned a couple of horses and spent five years with the Sporting Post before becoming a handicapper in 2010. Now I want to continue my involvement with the game.”

Nicol, 55, will be a serious loss to the local handicapping scene. He made a point of going into the parade ring before each race to study the horses, see which were fit and which weren’t, and which were playing up, showing signs of nerves or anything else that might stop them running up to their best. Those taking over his job from TV screens in their offices in Johannesburg and Durban won’t find this so easy.

By Michael Clower

The Vaal has an eight race meeting tomorrow and punters look to have some fair chances.

The first over 1000m is full of intrigue as it sees a number of two-year-olds taking on older horses in a maiden. The first-timer two-year-old from the Johan Janse van Vuuren yard, Radiant Cut, is the only filly in the field but being by Var and a half-sister to the useful Gr 3-winning sprint-miler Brilliant Cut she should have a fine chance from a plum low draw. She only has to carry 54,5kg.

Imperial Past has the advantage of being a three-year-old who only has to give his male two-year-old rivals here 3kg as opposed to the 8,5kg he would have to give them if it were a weight for age race. He showed good pace over 1200m on debut and should have come on from the run. He was over racing early and was reported to have made a breathing noise, so should relish the step down in trip too.

Captain Kangaroo is an interesting two-year-old male here. He was well beaten on debut over 1160m, but he showed excellent early pace in a decent field and should come on from the run. Significantly, Gavin Lerena has stuck with him.

Bravo Zulu wouldn’t be described as a scopey sort, but has some pace and was quite close to Laurent du Var last time and the latter went on to finish second in a Gr 3. The three-year-old Jet Sailor can earn on his best form, while the first-timer Brigtnumberten is speedily bred being by Eightfold Path out of a mare who won by 5,5 lengths on debut over 800m.

The Great Duchess has been chosen as the value bet of the day and she runs in race two, a maiden for fillies and mares over 1000m. She is a big, improved horse who will be staying on strongly from her unfavourable high draw. She is against her own gender here after running well in a mixed maiden field last time.

The best bet of the day, Guns And Roses, runs in race three over 1475m. She was slow away on debut over 1160m, but ran on strongly and the form has worked out well. She will enjoy the step up in trip on pedigree and is drawn on the right side in a moderate field. However, Sean Tarry has two first-timers, Miss Evolution and Gypsy Jazz, and considering the exceptional strike rate this yard has with first-timers, any money for them must be respected.

The rest of the races are handicaps, so will be more competitive.

In race five the topweight Whosethebossnow looks to possess class and should start coming into his own now. He is well drawn and should appreciate the step down to 1700m after disappointing over 2000m last time in the Listed Derby Trial. Blue Diamond Road will be a threat as he has a fair draw over a suitable trip and looks to be off an attractive merit rating at present. Those two have been chosen to be enough to get through the Pick 6.

The last race has been chosen as the other leg to go thin in the Pick 6 as three horses, Movie Show, Hashtag Strat and Lay Of The World look to have the speed, class and scope to be potential victors over a suitable 1000m trip.

By David Thiselton

Africa Rising and Copper Force gave early notice for South Africa’s Champion Season after finishing first and second respectively in the Gr 3 Byerley Turk at Greyville yesterday. The race – once called the Rupert Ellis Brown and run at Clairwood and a happy hunting ground for former champion trainer Terrance Millard – is the natural stepping stone into the Gr2 Daisy Guineas.

Sean Tarry is so far ahead on the current national trainers’ log that he could turn in his licence today and still be crowned champion but he is far from done and added another feature to his already impressive record this term as Africa Rising cruised home under hands and heels from apprentice Lyle Hewitson from Copper Force and Buffalo Soldier with Kenny Trix staying on resolutely for fourth.

From his inside draw, Hewitson tracked the early pace on the heels of Copper Force who was the first to tackle the leaders in the home stretch. However, Anthony Delpech left an inviting opening up the inside fence and Hewitson took full advantage, punching Africa Rising through the gap to win going away.

Justin Snaith was on record as saying Copper Force was not fully primed for this event and Delpech geared him down once his chances had gone. Both Africa Rising and Copper Force look likely to come on from this showing and the Daisy Guineas should provide for a tighter contest between these two.

If Snaith was cautious about the chances of Copper Force he was bullish about Gimme Six in the Gr2 Umzimkhulu Stakes. “This is Gimme Six’s main target and she is properly ready,” he said earlier last week and it was bull’s eye. Delpech had her in the box seat throughout and brought the daughter of Gimmethegreenlight through smoothly to justify Snaith’s confidence.

Final Judgement was game in second but Richard Fourie had his hands full keeping her on a straight course while Sail had every chance. Dawn Calling had a tricky outside draw to overcome but was doing her best work late.

Apprentice Ashton Arries is four shy of losing his 4kg claim and is doing it in a hurry as he booted home a brace of winner for Paul Lafferty to take his total to 16. Sniper Shot benefitted from Arries’s claim to get the better of the first timer Procal Harem with favourite Sit Frenchie in third and Arries followed up on the Lafferty first timer Dark Moon Rising to relegate the luckless Indian Tractor to another runner-up berth.

Tiger Hill gave notice that he is a lively candidate for the big staying races over the next three months and even a crack at the Vodacom Durban July with an impressive performance in the KVN Shipping Handicap. In a race run at a cracking pace, Glen Kotzen’s runner kept plugging home under top weight with lightly weighted favourite Mr O’Neill caught way out of his ground and under the pump coming up the hill into the final bend.

By Andrew Harrison

Joey Ramsden is to give Brutal Force his final race before the Computaform Sprint in the 1 000m Pinnacle at Turffontein on Saturday.

He said: “Brutal Force is doing very well. I saw him when I was up there last weekend and he looked fantastic. Both he and Pillar Of Hercules are likely to run.”

Brutal Force, beaten a head by Gulf Storm in last year’s Cape Flying Championship, would have gone on to the Computaform but for suffering an attack of colic so serious that he had to have an emergency operation. He returned to winning form in the Vasco Food Trucks Pinnacle at Kenilworth in February.

Vaughan Marshall confirms last year’s Gold Medallion winner Always In Charge on course and in good shape for the 1 100m Pinnacle at Scottsville on Sunday. This is a prep for the Tsogo Sun Sprint at Scottsville on May 27, but stable companions Exelero and Elusive Path will miss next Sunday’s race.

Search Party will represent Brett Crawford in the Scottsville Pinnacle. The Philippi trainer recently returned from the big Inglis Easter Yearling Sale in Sydney where he bought fillies by So You Think and Foxwedge for the Ridgemont Stud operation.

Jonathan Snaith reports that the now world-famous two-year-old Fake News will not make his debut until June or July.

By Michael Clower