Featuring Paul Lafferty and Budgie Byrne

Andrew Bon chats to Pat Cummings

Andrew Bon chats to Laura King, Malan du Toit and Pat Cosgrave

Andrew Bon chats to trainer Mike de Kock in the lead up to the 2017 Dubai World Cup

Andrew Bon chats to trainer Bob Baffert in the lead up to the 2017 Dubai World Cup

The Gr 1 R1 million weight for age Empress Club Stakes has been moved from 15 April to 22 April for the reason Phumelela are hoping to be graced by the on course presence of HSH Princess Charlene of Monaco.

Princess Charlene of Monaco

The prestigious Turffontein Standside 1600m event for fillies and mares will also be named the HSH Princess Charlene Empress Club Stakes. Furthermore, the two maiden plate races of R250,000 which Princess Charlene sponsors and which were previously run on Peermont Emperor’s Palace Charity Mile day have been moved to this meeting.

The later date of the race will be welcomed by Highveld trainers of top three-year-old fillies as this will give them three weeks recovery time after the Gr 1 SA Fillies Classic, which is to be run on April 1. On the other hand, the race will now be only two weeks before the Gr 2 Daisy Fillies Guineas at Greyville in KZN, which is to be run on May 7.

One top three-year-old filly who will be in the Empress Club Stakes is the Roy Magner-trained Anna Pavlova and she will arrive relatively fresh as she is skipping the SA Fillies Classic.

Anna Pavlova, by St Petersburg, was purchased in-training by Barry Irwin’s Team Valor International before her last start in the Gr 2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas, although a share in her was retained by original owners Courtney and Megan Soal.

She has a magnificent turn of foot, which was evident when she won the Gr 3 Three Troikas Stakes over 1450m on the Turffontein Inside track.

However, from a wide draw in the Fillies Guineas, she was simply too far out of her ground turning for home. She did run on well in the very soft conditions for a six length seventh, so connections will be hoping for a better draw this time.

Anna Pavlova is only merit rated 93, so is going to face a tough task at the weights. However, it will be fitting to have her in a race on the same day of the visit of Princess Charlene as she was named after one of the most graceful ballerina’s of all time.

By David Thiselton

Jo’s Bond, who beat Carry On Alice in the CTS Southern Cross before finishing just over a length fourth to the star mare in the Betting World Cape Flying Championship, will be one of the first of Justin Snaith’s big KZN team out of the blocks.

Jo’s Bond (Liesl King)

Snaith said: “She runs in the KwaZulu-Natal Stakes at Scottsville on Sunday week. However there is not a lot for her in Durban as she is limited to five furlongs and I would be surprised if she goes back to Scottsville for the City Of Pietermaritzburg Fillies Sprint.”

Copper Force, who had subsequent Gauteng Guineas winner Janoobi behind when coming from a long way back to beat all except William Longsword in the CTS Mile, will also be making an early start.

“Copper Force had a shocking draw that day,” Snaith recalled. “But he will run in the Byerley Turk (at Greyville on  April 7) before going for the Canon Guineas.”

The former champion trainer has long had a particularly high opinion of Star Express who went close in the Klawervlei Majorca despite missing most of last year.

“She rapped a tendon. It was nothing that serious but it was a warning sign and so we had to back off with her,” Snaith explained. “We will see how she goes in a couple of races and then make a call. Her best distance is 2 000m.”

On the local front the stable has found an explanation for Kasimir’s shock Kenilworth defeat at 2-10 earlier in the month. The colt was found to be shin-sore afterwards.

Greg Cheyne has been suspended for ten days (March 25-April 3) for interference when winning on La Favourari last Saturday.

By Michael Clower

Trainer Bob Baffert keeps steering back to the present those who want to talk about Dubai World Cup favourite Arrogate in forward-thinking terms, reminding all that ‘gimmes’ simply do not exist in competitive sports.

“Right now we are just trying to stay focused that he is doing well, because you have to make sure that they show up,” Baffert said. “Right now, we know he is an exceptional horse. He is the heavy favorite. But he still has to have racing luck.”

Arrogate (Liesl King)

The luck of draw was the latest obstacle to be cleared in Arrogate’s favor with the 4-year-old gray colt landing post No. 9 in a field of 14 for the March 25 Dubai World Cup.

The draw for the 2,000m test was largely kind to its main contenders as fellow Gr 1 winner Gun Runner drew post No. 5, Mubtaahij drew the outside gate 14 with Keen Ice, Neolithic and Hoppertunity set to break from posts 10, 11, and 12, respectively.

“He’s settled in pretty well and everything has gone pretty smooth,” said Baffert, who will also saddle Hoppertunity. “We’re just playing the waiting game now. The draw is over so that’s the last of the suspense. We just have to keep him happy the next couple of days.

“As long as he shows up, that’s the key. But he’s done everything well here. If he runs his race, we know what he can do.”

What Arrogate can do is set a track ablaze and break his opponents’ hearts all while looking like a big, goofy kid out for a stroll. What the connections of Gun Runner hope their colt can counter with is a high cruising speed that, when left to its own devices, has its own track record of running foes into the ground.

With Arrogate not always the fastest out of the gate, Gun Runner will likely have every chance to set the pace in the Dubai World Cup and make his champion rival have to go through him at the finish.

“I was happy with it,” co-owner Ron Winchell of Winchell Thoroughbreds said of the draw. “Just let him use his natural speed and hopefully they’ll let him go on the lead. The track seems to play speed-favoring.”

-Bloodhorse.com