Just nine horses will line up for the R2-million SA Classic at Turffontein on Saturday and quite a few experts will be keeping in mind the racing adage, the smaller the field, the bigger the upset when making their selections.

Assistant trainer Mathew de Kock, in charge of Mike’s powerful string until his dad returns from Dubai, says, “Small fields equal exciting finishes” – and he’s hoping for just that, only in his favour, on Saturday. Upset results in small fields are often due to a muddling or slow pace, but De Kock junior is taking no chances and has put Alaadel in to set “a true-run, honest pace”.

“That will help my other two horses, Heavenly Blue and Janoobi. In this small field Randall Simons will have more control pace-wise,” he said. Alaadel should have no problems carrying out his task. He’s certainly fit enough, having raced last weekend at Turffontein in the Derby Trial where he finished fourth behind Pagoda.

Janoobi and Heavenly Blue finished first and third respectively in the Betting World Gauteng Guineas a month ago. They were separated by Sean Tarry-trained Al Sahem, Betting World’s even-money favourite for the SA Classic. Heavenly Blue is second favourite at 18-10, with Janoobi next on offer at 5-1.

Said De Kock: “Heavenly Blue’s preparation has gone 100% flawlessly. He’s now very close to his best and the 1800m is probably the minimum of his best distance.”

In the Gauteng Guineas Heavenly Blue was returning from a rest following a quick trip to Cape Town in December and De Kock admitted beforehand that he was slightly shy of peak fitness.

Janoobi, he said, “Was at a peak that day and is still doing just as well”. However, Janoobi would need to learn to settle before he’d put much faith in his chances over further than 1600m. “I’m not saying he won’t stay, I just think Heavenly Blue will be more effective over the 1800m,” he confirmed.

Al Hawraa, Orchid Island and Belle Rose run for the stable in the R1-million Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic (Grade 1) over 1800m. Al Hawraa and Orchid Island finished second and third behind Smiling Blue Eyes in the Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas with Belle Rose fifth.

“Al Hawraa was a bit in-and-out earlier in her career but she’s doing well now she’s older and stronger. She’s showing us more at home, giving us confidence.

“It’s all positive for her. She’s at a peak and has a good draw. I expect her to be right there at the finish.”

Orchid Island, the 11-2 second favourite behind Smiling Blue Eyes, has enjoyed a smooth preparation and is much fitter than in the Fillies Guineas, but De Kock said she’d have a “hard task from draw No 13. “Don’t get me wrong, she’s classy but it’s hard to give other classy fillies start.”

Belle Rose won the Oaks Trial last weekend, with De Kock confirming he’d had utmost faith in her that day. He said afterwards he would see how she took the race before making a decision on her participation in the SA Fillies Classic. At this point she is a definite runner. “She’s come out of the race sound and happy and she should have a top-five chance in the SA Fillies Classic,” he said.

The R1-million HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes over 1600m is the third Grade 1 race on the programme and De Kock fields two horses – Fareeq, “who is in there as a pacemaker, to keep them honest”, and Rafeef, a classy individual whose biggest win to date came in the Grade 2 Hawaii Stakes over 1400m this month.

“His preparation has gone very well and I feel he’s made more improvement. Of course, it’ll be hard to beat Legal Eagle, but he’ll give it his best,” said De Kock.

Of his other runners at the meeting, he said: “I’ve got a nice card.” He rates Like A Panther in Race 1 over 1400m, while another of the stable’s two-year-olds, Alfolk, “should be right there, getting 2kg from Barrack Street” in the R200,000 Grade 3 Protea Stakes over 1100m.

De Kock is also looking for good runs from Raasmaal and Ektifaa in the Man O’ War Sprint but says Smart Mart, who runs in the R250,000 Grade 3 Caradoc Gold Cup, “has reached his mark in the handicap”.

The other horse he will saddle is Jubilee Line, who he expects to also do well in Race 12. His return to action after a slight fracture of his pelvis in September will be watched with interest, particularly given his supplementation into the Premier’s Champions Challenge in a month’s time.
– TABNews

The highly rated and still unexposed Red Chesnut Road will run in the Gr 3 Man O’ War Sprint over 1100m at Turffontein on Saturday.

However, his Summerveld-based trainer Robbie Hill said he would not be at “a hundred percent” and the race appears to be a stepping stone towards targets in the SA Champions Season.

Hill said, “He has been doing well in work, but hasn’t run for a while so will be slightly underdone, but he will give a good account of himself.”

Red Chesnut Road (Nkosi Hlophe)

Red Chesnut Road has been at Randjesfontein since mid-January, so has had plenty of time to acclimatise to the high altitude of the Highveld.

The Pathfork gelding might not have won any awards last season as a two-year-old, but his formline stood out. He destroyed the opposition in his first two starts over 1200m and 1100m respectively, both at Scottsville,  and a few winners emerged from those races, including Gr 1 winner Gunner, whom he beat by 11,75 lengths.

However, unfortunately, Red Chesnut Road had to be put away for the season after a hiccup in training.

He made his long awaited come back from an eight month layoff on January 9 on the Greyville polytrack over 1400m, but was defeated half-a-length by the resolute Winter Is Coming, to whom he was giving 4kg. He had the Listed winner Palladium 2,25 lengths behind and was also giving that one 4kg if the claim of Palladium’s apprentice jockey is included. Red Chesnut Road was green around the turn in the race and the conclusion was also that he had needed the run. Furthermore, Winter Is Coming is highly rated by his trainer Frank Robinson and was subsequently entered in the Gr 1 Investec Cape Derby (although he ended up having to be scratched).

Red Chesnut Road will likely attract a lot of market support on Saturday, despite needing it and having to carry topweight under the merit-rated band conditions of the race. His class could pull him through, although it won’t be easy against some top class sorts, including the two fillies Green Pepper and Ektifaa who are both better in at the weights than he is.

The currently 104 merit-rated Red Chesnut Road will be back at Summerveld next week.

Hill will see how he comes out of Saturday’s race before confirming his SA Champions Season targets.

He has always believed Red Chesnut Road would stay a bit of ground and mentioned the Gr 2 Daisy Guineas on May 7 as one of his possible targets. Hill concluded, “I believe he is versatile, but it will be baby steps at a time and a lot will depend on him.”

By David Thiselton

Anthony Delpech has six rides at Turffontein’s big racemeeting on Saturday and the best of them looks to be Al Sahem in the Gr 1 SA Classic over 1800m.

Anthony Delpech (Nkosi Hlophe)

The Sean Tarry-trained Silvano colt lost his unbeaten record in his third career start in the Gr 2 Betting World Gauteng Guineas when touched off 0,2 lengths by Janoobi.

Delpech said, “He had missed an intended run in the build up to the Guineas due to the rain, but still ran a great race and he will be better suited to this further distance.”

Delpech believes Saturday’s event is a two horse race between his mount and the Mike de Kock-trained Heavenly Blue, who was staying on strongly for third in the Gauteng Guineas and will relish the step up in trip.

Delpech has not been riding Al Sahem work, but the latter has likely come on from his Gauteng Guineas run and is well drawn in four.

He has been priced up as the 12/10 favourite with Heavenly Blue at 2/1.

Delpech also rides a Silvano in the Gr 1 Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic, the De Kock-trained Orchid Island. She started favourite for the Gr 2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas, but was beaten 3,6 lengths into third by Smiling Blue Eyes.

Delpech said, “She will also enjoy the step up in trip, but I think it will be virtually impossible to reverse form because we are widely drawn  this time and Smiling Blue Eyes is now well drawn. I will have to drop her out and we can’t afford to give Smiling Blue Eyes start.”

Delpech does not know much about Desert Rhythm, whom he rides in the Gr 3 Pretty Polly Stakes over 1100m, but she must have as good a chance as any here unless Kissable bounces back after her dismal showing last time.

Al Sahem (JC Photographics)

He is aboard Raasmaal in the Gr 3 Man O’ War Sprint over 1100m.

He said, “She has good form, but is obviously not the De Kock stable choice as Callan Murray is aboard Ektifaa.”

Raasmaal is not fully exposed, but nevertheless faces a tough task at the weights against the like of Green Pepper, Ektifaa, Exquisite Touch and out-of-town horses Pillar Of Hercules and Red Chesnut Road.

Delpech said he could only hope for a place on Romany Prince in the Gr 1 weight for age HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes over 1600m with the like of Legal Eagle, New Predator, Rafeef, Kangaroo Jack, Mac De Lago and French Navy in the field.

However, he believes he has a good chance on Save The Rhino in the Gr 3 Caradoc Gold Cup over 2850m. This Mogok gelding has proved in his last two starts he stays well and on formlines he is the one to beat.

By David Thiselton

Stipendiary steward Tarquin Norval, a former handicapper and racing journalist, bows out tomorrow after spending his entire working life involved in racing.

Norval, 61, said yesterday: “I am going a year or two earlier than I would have wanted but I opted for this. There are retrenchments at the NHA and they gave me a package.

“I am now going to have to get used to the idea of not working and I know this is something that will be completely foreign to me.”

His first job, starting in September 1977, was with the Natal Mercury and he was assistant racing editor with the Daily News before being transferred to the Cape Argus.

In 1984 he switched direction to become an assistant handicapper with the two Western Province Racing Clubs before being appointed a stipe some 20 years ago.

He said: “I am proud of being part of South African racing in its golden years. In those days racing was huge and racecourses were packed whereas today, sadly, the interest seems to be lacking.”

Norval intends keeping up his endurance activities with mountain running. He is a veteran of 15 Two Oceans half-marathons and 18 Cape Argus cycle races.

Also retiring tomorrow is fellow official Steve Naude, 62, who has been an investigating officer for the past 30 years.

By Michael Clower

Jockey Raymond Danielson believes he is on the horse to beat in the Gr 1 SA Fillies Classic over 1800m on Saturday, Smiling Blue Eyes, but he is concerned about the filly’s Sean Tarry-trained stable companion Safe Harbour.

He said about his own mount, “She is doing well and is herself. We are looking forward to it, but she is the right horse in the race, so there is a bit of pressure.”

Smiling Blue Eyes has won the Gr 3 Fillies Mile and Gr 2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas in her last two starts, despite them being three months apart. She is by Dynasty out of a Badger Land mare, so will stay the 1800m trip on pedigree. In fact she has already proved she stays it by winning her maiden over 2000m by 5,75 lengths from an older filly Cidada, who went on to win two of her next three starts. In the Gauteng Fillies Guineas Smiling Blue Eyes had to jump from draw 16 of 16 and ran in the three lane, but she did have cover the whole way. She showed a fine turn of foot before staying on resolutely. This time she is drawn in six.

Raymond Danielson

Danielson named the Gauteng Fillies Guineas runner up, Al Hawraa, as a danger along with Safe Harbour.

He said, “Al Hawraa found trouble in the Guineas.” This Australian-bred by New Approach was making a telling forward move when her stablemate Ektifaa drifted across her just before the 300m mark, forcing her to switch. She then had to bide her time before a gap opened and by the time it had the bird had flown. However, she was 2,6 lengths back at the line and would likely not have caught Smiling Blue Eyes anyway as the latter won comfortably and was being eased down at the line. Al Hawraa is by the Epsom Derby winner New Approach out of a Redoute’s Choice mare and gave the impression in that last start she would enjoy this trip.

Danielson revealed Smiling Blue Eyes and Safe Harbour had worked together last week. Based on that work together with Safe Harbour’s best form, he rated her a danger. He said Safe Harbour appeared to be back to herself.

Safe Harbour, a long-striding daughter of Elusive Fort, had a tough campaign in Cape Town. She won the R2,5 million Lanzerac Ready To Run Stakes over 1400m, was a narrow runner up in both the Gr 1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas and the Gr 1 Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes over 1800m, before finishing fifth to the boys in the US$500,000 CTS Mile and was the first filly home. In the Gauteng Fillies Guineas she jumped from a wide draw and her 8,55 length tenth was clearly below par. Safe Harbour is by Elusive Fort out of an unplaced Rakeen mare, who is a half-sister to a five times-winning Listed victor, whose wins were from 1800-2000m. Furthermore, her full-brother won over 2400m, albeit in a maiden race in Port Elizabeth. So on pedigree she should enjoy the tough Turffontein 1800m. Indeed, in the Paddock Stakes over the easier Kenilworth 1800m she burst through well and was only caught on the line.

Safe Harbour has a tough draw of eleven to overcome in the 13 horse field on Saturday and champion jockey S’Manga Khumalo replaces her regular pilot Weichong Marwing.

Danielson rides the Tarry-trained Tilbury Fort in the Gr 1 SA Classic over 1800m. He believes this Horse Chestnut colt is looking for this ground and will ride him with confidence. He rode him in his last two starts, to a 2,8 length fourth in the Gr 2 Betting World Gauteng Guineas and a 0,5 length second in a MR 84 Handicap over 1600m last time out. However, he was only running off an 84 merit rating in that last start. Therefore, there must be a question whether he is up to Gr 1 class, although on the other hand it was likely a preparation outing. Danielson pointed out that in his belief the three that beat him in the Gauteng Guineas, Janoobi, Al Sahem and Heavenly Blue, would all enjoy the step up in trip to 1800m, so he will have a tough task to reverse the form.

Danielson has always been a good big race rider, being cool, calm and collected as well as an astute tactician. He does particularly well on those he has ridden before as one with both a good affinity for horses who quickly learns their ins and outs.

by David Thiselton