The Robbie Hill pair Red Chesnut Road and Kilmokea were travelling down from Johannesburg to their home base at Summerveld yesterday (Wednesday) ahead of their Graded race engagements on Sunday.

Red Chestnut Road (Nkosi Hlophe)

Shannon Hill said both horses were laid back types, so he expected them to travel well. He was looking forward to good respective runs in the Gr 3 Byerley Turk and Gr 3 Umzimkhulu Stakes, both over 1400m on the Greyville turf. Red Chesnut Road ran a decent fourth with topweight in the Gr 3 Man O’ War Sprint over 1100m at Turffontein last Saturday.

The best fillies had a big weight advantage in that race and duly finished first and second. Shannon said Red Chesnut Road had only been doing “good, solid work” for about five weeks before the Man O’ War. He admitted the preparation had not been ideal, but was not concerned about the second run after a rest syndrome and believed last Saturday’s race would have been the equivalent of a good gallop.

He said on pedigree Red Chesnut Road would comfortably stay Sunday’s 1400m trip and further. He revealed Gavin Lerena, who rode him on Saturday, had got off and told him he wanted to stick with this horse right through the season. His wide draw is a concern, but Shannon concluded, “He’s top class.”

Shannon rates Kilmokea a “smart filly” and expected a “very big run” from her over a trip she would like. He said her penultimate start could be ignored as she had dropped almost to her knees just before the jump and had returned “full of pharyngitis”. She had needed her last run too, when a close second in a 1200m handicap.

By David Thiselton

Alistair Gordon believes there is not much between the classy 96 merit rated Captain Al gelding My Pal Al and the recently gelded son of Fort Wood, Marshall That, both of whom are running in the Gr 3 Byerley Turk over 1400m at Greyville on Sunday.

My Pal Al (Nkosi Hlophe)

He also has another runner in the race, the consistent Tiger Ridge gelding Scarrabeast.

Gordon said, “My Pal Al has got a bad draw but you have to take your chances and he is fit and well and I hope he will be competitive. There are horses which bring good Johannesburg and Cape Town form while he has just been running on the Greyville poly, so this is a big step up, it’s a different kettle of fish. Marshall That (also drawn wide) has come on a lot since gelding and there is not a lot between him and My Pal Al.  It will be tough for Scarrabeast and I expect the other two to beat him, but there aren’t many 1400m features and he has the draw in his favour. I think a mile would be the maximum for both My Pal Al and Marshall That, so we will see how they go on Sunday and take it from there.”

The tall and rangy My Pal Al is certainly an eye catching horse with plenty of speed, class and scope and on paper Marshall That will have a tough task getting close to him.

Gordon said a line could be drawn through My Pal Al’s unplaced run in the Gr 2 Investec Dingaans over 1600m last November as he was still too immature and the ground had been very soft that day. He benefitted from the break he was given after that race and has won both of his starts since.

By David Thiselton

Justin Snaith believes the Gr 3 Byerley Turk looks a little less competitive than the Gr 3 Umzimkhulu Stakes at Greyville on Sunday, but on the other hand he said the filly Gimme Six would be more forward than the colt Copper Force.

Justin Snaith (Nkosi Hlophe)

Snaith said, “I had Jo’s Bond ready last Sunday, as it was her target (she won the Listed Kwazulu Natal Stakes). This is Gimme Six’s main target and she is properly ready. She has taken very well to KZN and has really been doing well at home. She has been at Summerveld for two weeks and put up a very impressive gallop here.

I am happy with Copper Force, but I have left a little in the tank, so he may need it a little, he is at about 90%, but he is ready enough to run a nice race. There is a long season to go with him, but I expect a good run from a good draw. Gimme Six will need a bit of luck from the draw. If my horses don’t run into the money here they are in trouble for the season. None of my horses have seen Greyville, which is going to make it harder. I don’t know whether they will take to the track or not.”

He also runs Sir Frenchie in a Juvenile Plate over 1200m and Captain Splendid in a MR 93 Handicap over 1800m.

He said, “Sir Frenchie is very well at home, we will see how he handles Greyville. Captain Splendid has taken well to Durban and is very well and looks amazing, but I think he might just be one run short.”

Gavin Lerena rides Captain Splendid and Anthony Delpech, who formed a lethal classic race combination with Snaith last SA Champions Season, rides the other three.

By David Thiselton

The Dennis Drier yard are expecting a big run from Sail in the Gr 3 Umzimkhulu Stakes over 1400m at Greyville on Sunday.

However, the noises from the Paul Gadsby yard are not as bullish for their Gr 1 winner Gunner, who runs in the Gr 3 Byerley Turk Stakes over the same course and distance.

Sail (Nkosi Hlophe)

Stuart Ferrie, assistant to Drier reckoned the 1400m trip was just about Sail’s optimum and said, “There are just limited opportunities over this trip. She is fit and well and will be ready.”

Drier also runs the classy The High Life.

However, Ferrie said, “It is a bit sharp for her, but we have to get her going somewhere.”

Ferrie concluded, “Sail is the right one.”

The last time Sail went this trip she beat the Gr 1 winner The Secret Is Out by two lengths at Kenilworth, although she was receiving 3kg. The classy Philanthropist filly subsequently finished a fine fourth from a wide draw in the Gr 1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas and she was far from disgraced in both the Gr 1 Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes and Gr 1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes over 1800m and 1600m respectively. On Sunday she jumps from a plum draw of two and should go close.

The High Life has won her last two starts over 1800m and 2000m respectively at Kenilworth.and shouldn’t be ignored on Sunday running fresh as she has a fine turn of foot.

Paul Gadsby said the Gimmethegrenlight gelding Gunner had had a “few little problems” which the yard were now on top of. However, he added he would not be “100% wound up”. He said the going had been a bit hard for Gunner down in Cape Town. He also pointed out his form had not stood up too well. Furthermore, from his wide draw he would have to be ridden “from off them” on Sunday.

However, Gadsby concluded, “He is not the biggest, but he is a genuine horse with a big heart and we have always thought a lot of him. Sunday’s run will show us where we are at with him.”

Gunner showed a terrific turn of foot when winning the Gr 1 Premiers Champion Stakes over 1600m last season.

Gadsby expected a big run from On Your Life in the third race on Sunday and said his last run had been “all wrong”.

By David Thiselton

Nickel Coin won the Grand National. Silver Coin will never be asked to do that but he could well run in some of the top races in South Africa and Joey Ramsden is already thinking in terms of the Langerman.

R6 million is a hell of a lot to pay for a horse but you could see why when this one strode impressively round the Kenilworth parade ring shortly after noon yesterday with his powerful bay, almost black, frame marked only by a broad white blaze stretching down his face to his nostrils.

Punters had seized on him during the morning, backing him from 33-10 to evens before he eased to 5-4. “There was money for him alright but not a fortune,” said on-course bookmaker Bertie Dobbie. “But there wasn’t much for anything else bar the second favourite, Victorius Captain.”

Silver Coin (Wayne Marks)

The Silvano colt certainly moved like a dream going to post but he wasn’t as quick out of the gates as Victorious Captain on whom MJ Byleveld set out to gallop the opposition into the ground – and he was soon six lengths clear.

“MJ certainly got a good lead and for a minute I didn’t think any of us were going to get to him,” said Silver Coin’s by now anxious rider Donovan Dillon. “I had to ask my horse a bit sooner than I wanted and he just lengthened.”

He certainly turned it on in the closing stages, making up three lengths in the final 300m to get up almost on the line to score by just under half a length from What A Winner who pipped the tiring Victorious Captain on the post.

“He was a beautiful horse at the sales but price tags never bother me,” said Joey Ramsden wearing a rather more relaxed expression than he had done ten minutes earlier.

“I wasn’t expecting fireworks but this is a smashing horse and it was a good effort. It would have been easy for him to throw in the towel first time but he didn’t and I loved the way he pegged them back. I thought this was a run full of merit.”

But when asked about plans the often-outspoken Milnerton trainer wanted to know why the authorities scratched the two winners’ races this coming Saturday and replaced them with maidens – and he was in no mood to be appeased by any not-enough-runners explanation.

“It’s pathetic,” he declared. “We put the effort in and there is nowhere for our horses to go. We can’t get manipulated like this. They should run the races and teach them (those that scratched or didn’t enter) a lesson. They would put them in next time.”

But, brought back to Silver Coin, Ramsden mentioned his love of dominating the Langerman – and the June 24 feature looks like being on the shopping list.

by Michael Clower