After taking a hammering country-wide over the weekend most punters will be hoping for a change of fortune at Greyville today although they again face another tricky card.

With the South African Champions Season on the horizon, trainers will be warming up their feature race contenders but as the Drum Star Handicap showed at Turffontein last Saturday, most of the big guns will be short of peak fitness going into their warm-up races so caution needs to be in the back of the mind when looking at these contests.

In Other Words and A Womens Way are two that fit that category when they line up in the Racing.Its A Rush Pinnacle Stakes on the poly this afternoon but in spite of the cautionary, look likely to fight this one out.

In Other Words is well weighted and although she is returning from a break she has an excellent record over course and distance. Couple that with Sean Tarry’s blistering form and you have a likely winner.

A Womens Way was eligible for the CTS $500 000 1200 last time out and Duncan Howells had little option but to send her on the long trip to Cape Town to take her chances. It proved a trip in vain and A Womens Way was never going well, finished down-field. Her form before that was promising and she should appreciate the step up in trip. Just how she features here will be watched with interest.

The handicapper appears to have caught up with Pearl Emblem but she loves this course and distance and as this is a set weights race she cannot be written off. Littleblacknumber is never far off and was out-paced throughout behind stable companion Elusivenchantment at Scottsville last Wednesday and will prefer this trip. Stable companion Wind Singer loves this course and distance and with a light weight gives Howells a trio of options.

Howells could get the meeting off to a winning start where he saddles Victory Cross, a beaten favourite last run. She makes her poly debut but has shown promise on the turf and can make amends if she handles the surface.

The Durban View Restaurant Handicap could rest between Variscite and Winder Darling in an open affair. Gavin van Zyl’s filly Variscite has improved in a tongue-tie and although only shedding her maiden last run she does not take on much of note and after only four outings still has room for improvement. Veteran Winter Darling on the other hand came in for some market support last run and has been thereabouts at recent starts. Anthony Delpech will be aboard for Dennis Bosch who hit form at Greyville on Sunday and the stable, that has been quiet for some time, could be turning the corner.

In the sixth, Noodle can make amends for her no-show on the turf at Scottsville last time out compounded by the soft ground and goes much better on the poly. She has a bright chance of coming good in this field with Anton Marcus booked for the ride. Danger could be See The Sea who surprised recently but only got a two-point raise in the handicap and can go in again.

In the last, Liquid Rainbow has run two fair races since taking to the track and with the experience looks to have a bright chance in this field comprising mostly of professional maidens. The obvious dangers are Gold Chalice who was disappointing last run after showing improvement but he now sports blinkers and may be worth another chance while Mojo King disappointed when sent out favourite on debut but possibly didn’t handle the soft ground and may also be worth another visit.

By Andrew Harrison

Veteran jockey Andrew Fortune will be having knee surgery this week, but on the bright side he is only expecting to be out for three weeks.

Fortune had made recent inroads into Gavin Lerena’s lead in the National Jockeys Championships, but he now admits a top five finish would be a good result.

Meanwhile, Greg Cheyne, who is in second place on the Jockey’s log, did not lose much ground to Gavin Lerena during his three week injury layoff as the latter has been through a rare dry spell.

Fortune booked off his rides on Saturday due to swelling in the knee and cancelled his rides for Monday’s meeting at Flamingo Park. However, he did ride yesterday (Tuesday) and notched up his 100th winner of the season. The years of attrition from jockeyship has led to arthritis in the knee. He has no cartilage left in the joint. The operation will be in order to clean the knee out, i.e. to get ride of the bone chips etc. Fortune recently copped a ten day suspension for a riding misdemeanour and will take it while recuperating.

The jockeys title looks likely to be a two horse race between Lerena and Cheyne, although stalwarts Anton Marcus, Anthony Delpech and Richard Fourie would all be within striking range if any of them decided to chase the title.

Lerena ended the weekend still locked on 110 winners, the number he has been on since February 28. It is amazing by his standards to not have had a winner for the whole of March to date.

Cheyne was two winners off the lead at the time of his nasty fall on Nebula on February 25 at Kenilworth, an incident which saw him laid off for three weeks.

He made his comeback on Friday at Fairview. A winner there plus another winner at Kenilworth on Saturday put him on 106 for the season, just four off the pace. Fortune rode eleven winners during Cheyne’s absence and has surged into third place on the standings.

He was philosophical about the pending layoff and said, “After years of riding there is wear and tear on the body, it is going to happen, and you just have to take it on the chin. But a top five finish will still be an accomplishment, I will be turning 50 in about two months’ time.”

Fortune started the season like a greyhound out of a trap. He was generally riding at four centres, Gauteng, Kimberley, Cape Town and Kimberley, and was 24 winners clear midway through October. However, a filly he was riding on October 13 at Turffontein reared over backwards and the consequent injury put him out for seven weeks.

By the time he had returned on December 2, Cheyne had gone top of the table, although the latter’s 58 winners had him only one winner ahead of Fortune. Lerena at that stage was six off the pace.

However, Fortune then curtailed his schedule and by the end of last month had dropped 21 winners off the pace, which was now being set by Lerena.

Both Lerena and Cheyne ride in Port Elizabeth on top of their home bases of Gauteng and Cape Town respectively.

They both commandeer excellent support wherever they go. However, Cheyne definitely has the upperhand in PE as the first call rider to Alan Greef, who is well clear in the Eastern Cape Trainers Championship.

Marcus and Delpech both ended last weekend on 95 winners and Fourie, who had a treble at Kenilworth on Saturday, was on 92. However, none of this trio appear to be chasing the title.

Ceaig Zackey had a treble at Turffontein yesterday to move ahead of Fourie on to 93 winners and sixth place on the log. The jockeys who has had most rides this season, Muzi Yeni, is in eighth position on 91 winners. Apprentice Lyle Hewitson is 9th on the log on 85 winners.

Reigning champion S’Manga khumalo served a 60 day suspension at the beginning of the season and is in 10th place on 80 winners, so is probably too far back to mount a challenge.

Table topper Lerena proved two seasons back that he is lethal when the pressure is on. In June 2015 he set a South African record for the number of winners in a month, 42. Of those 42, 12 were at Turffontein, nine were at Fairview, eight were at The Vaal, six were at Scottsville, four were at Flamingo Park and three were at Greyville, which is an indication of how taxing it is to chase the title. However, those winners saw him forging clear of S’Manga Khumalo, who had been level with him at the beginning of that month.

By David Thiselton

Bob Baffert said he is delighted with Arrogate’s condition at Meydan Racecourse on Monday after the favourite for the Dubai World Cup worked for the first time under the watchful eye of his trainer.

Arrogate completed a breeze of around 800 metres under work rider Dana Barnes with his dual World Cup-winning handler looking on, having flown in to the UAE on Sunday.

A few hours later Baffert also oversaw a similar workout by Hoppertunity, who placed third in last year’s World Cup.

When asked whether Arrogate had taken the long journey from California in his long, raking stride, Baffert said: “He’s handling everything really well. He looks good to me.”

Baffert added of Hoppertunity: “He has been training better than he ever has, he really loves it here.”

Arrogate was declared on Monday under regular partner Mike Smith, while Hoppertunity will once again have Flavien Prat as his guide. The pair spearhead a large American contingent that includes Gun Runner, Neolithic and Keen Ice.

Overall, 14 horses will compete for a cut of the US$10 million (Dh36.7m) in prize money on World Cup night on Saturday, and the UAE will be represented by Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 winner Long River, Move Up, Special Fighter and Furia Cruzada.

Mubtaahij, last year’s runner-up, will represent South African-trainer Mike de Kock in the line-up, as will four Japanese runners: Lani, Gold Dream, Apollo Kentucky and Awardee.
– TheNational.ae

Betting for the Dubai World Cup to be run over 2000m on Saturday [Mar 25] at Meydan:

1/3 Arrogate; 8/1 Mubtaahij; 10/1 Gun Runner, 14/1 Hoppertunity, 25/1 Neolithic, Special Fighter, Keen Ice, 33/1 upwards the others

 

Turffontein Inside track stages an eight race meeting on Tuesday and punters will need to tread wearily.

Saturday’s racing proved that this particular course can throw some upset results, although the form of the maiden events stood up well and should do so again.

Made To Conquer has been scratched from the third, a maiden over 1600m, where he looked the proverbial certainty, and this has played into the hands of the Johan Janse van Vuuren-trained Student Grant. The latter caught the eye running on over 1450m last time and has a good draw over a step up In trip he will enjoy.

It’s A True Story ran well over 1600m last time, but visually he did not make as much of an impression as Student Grant did. Furthermore, Student Grant has It’s A True Story held on paper on a formline through a horse called King Of Mani. On formlines Huhi could be a threat, but he has a wide draw to overcome. Student Grant is thus selected as the best bet on the card and as a Pick 6 banker as no other horses in the field make any appeal.

There should be some value to be had about Cat’s Whiskers in the second race, a MR 68 Handicap over 1200m for fillies and mares. She jumped from the worst draw of all, the number one draw, over 1400 on the Vaal Ouside track last time so did well to finish a 4,3 length fourth to the progressive My Friend Lee. She was thereabouts at the 400m mark before plugging on gamely, so is interesting from a good draw over a step down in trip. Little Swift has pace and the ability to stay on, so will be a big runner here too if able to overcome a tricky draw of seven. Gavin Lerena is up which is an obvious bonus.

The fifth race has a possible Pick 6 banker in Simply Royal, but as it is her first run out the maidens only the brave would go that route. She is beautifully bred being by Silvano out of the Dingaans winner Royal Fantasy (Al Mufti). She looks the part too and on debut, despite breaking through the stalls, she swept through the field from last to win going away by 3,5 lengths over the 1200m at this course.

The concerns are her inexperience and she also over raced on that debut when being reined back, which creates a question mark about the trip. However, once she had cover she relaxed very nicely and on pedigree she should relish the step up in trip.

The topweight Silver Class is interesting in this race as she has been far from disgraced running exclusively in features and plate races this season and she now runs in a handicap off a lowered merit rating. She is also well drawn over an ideal trip. Comme-Ci-Comme-Ca has caught the eye recently in a stronger class and is another one who is interesting back in a handicap over a suitable trip, although her wide draw makes it tough. Samarra’s recent form over this trip is good and the blinkers are off after she disappointed over 1000m last time, so she can’t be ignored from a good draw of two.

Eternal Spring impressed on debut and is worth another chance after her disappointing second start, although that was after a layoff. She does have a tough merit rating though compared to Simply Royal.

David Thiselton

There seemed more reason to think that the remarkable winning sequence of multiple Gr1 winner Winks (Street Cry) might come to an end at a saturated Rosehill Gardens on Saturday offering the heaviest racing conditions witnessed in Sydney for a very long day.

But if anything, the $1m, Gr1 ATC China Horse Club George Ryder (1500m) will be remembered for one of the champion racemare’s greatest ever performances.

Shooting for her 16th straight victory and second consecutive success in one of the outstanding events on the domestic racing calendar, the amazing Winx treated the Australian racing public to a galloping exhibition, careering away from her opposition to score by no less than seven and a quarter lengths.

In truth, not one of her rivals ever seemed to be traveling well enough at any stage of the race to provide the remarkable racemare with some resistance, and the event as a contest was as good as over by the top of the home straight.

Seemingly in complete control with her biggest rivals making heavy weather of the conditions, Winx travelled sweetly throughout and went on to score without her opponents landing a single blow.

Even trainer Chris Waller appeared surprised at the authority of her victory, admitting immediately afterwards.

“I didn’t expect her to win like that. She is just an amazing horse. It is amazing to have a horse that you’re associated with who is so well received,” he said.

Regular pilot Hugh Bowman was equally in awe of Winx after the win.

“It is just so special. I am really lost for words as she receives a round of applause here,” he said.

Winx, by Street Cry out of the Al Akar mare Vegas Showgirl, took her career earnings past the $10 million barrier after 26 mostly unforgettable starts for her owners Peter Tighe, Richard Treweeke and Debbie Kepitis. – Thoroughbrednews.com.au