Racing has been a little tricky for punters on the Highveld since soft going has prevailed and the Vaal card tomorrow might yield some healthy dividends again.

The highest rated race on the card is a MR 96 Handicap over 1200m. Forest Fox was for a long time a frustrating horse as he has plenty of ability but would shirk the issue at the first opportunity. However, he has turned the corner since the headgear has been removed and has earned a cheque in every one of his last six starts, including one winner’s cheque. Last time out he had to overcome a wide draw over 1400m, but was up there early and stayed on well to finish just 2,2 lengths behind the top class New Predator at level weights. He would prefer that 1400m trip, but back in this handicap over 1200m is an interesting contender.

However, it looks to be an open race and he can’t be bankered. Dennis The Menace always has to be considered when well drawn in a race with pace in it. He is drawn close to the outside, which is usually the side the jockeys track over to on this straight course. There should be enough pace with Isphan and Just As I Said in the race. Miracle Bureau is a talented sort who is ideally distance suited. If he is able to find good cover early as well as a good passage between horses, his excellent turn of foot can carry him close.

Just As I Said has been in fine form and just failed to make it four-on-the-trot last time. He remains on the same merit rating and should be involved again. Amazing Stike has been in consistent form off this merit rating and should be thereabouts again with Delpech up from a high draw. Anjaal, who was a close third in a Gr 1 over 1600m as a two-year-old, did well in his first run for a new yard last time over 1160m. He now has the blinkers off. However, his draw of two could be tricky.

The prevous race is an interesting MR 84 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1600m. Comme-ci-comme-ca is obviously well regarded as she has been tried in two Gr 3s. She was not disgraced in either. She should enjoy this trip on pedigree. If she tucks in early from a low draw she will have a good chance. It is not easy to find a best bet on the card, so she gets the nod being an up-and-coming sort who should start coming into her own now.

However, the risk averse will probably be seeing this as a typically open fillies and mares handicap. Sim-Alley-Bank disappointed over 1450m last time out after taking a bump at the start. However, she is now reunited with Lyle Hewitson, who rode her to a five length victory in her penultimate start over 1400m at this course in soft going. She was given a seven point raise for the win, but is by Bankable whose progeny appear to improve steadily in their four-year-old year. Sisters Of Mercy has run two good races since being raised to this 73 merit rating. That followed a win over this trip and she can do well over a course and distance she has won over before.

Work Ethic has faced some tough opposition lately and has dropped to a competitive merit rating. In this weaker field she will have a chance. Our Miracle might be stretched by this trip, but from a good draw she could be dangerous from the front. Beaute Noir has shown promise over this trip, but does return from a three month layoff following a disappointing effort on the poly. Teenage Dream only just failed when stepped up this trip last time. However, she has another possibly tough draw here.

Zortziko is an interesting runner in the eighth, a MR 72 Handicap over 1000m. He has a good draw and is four points lower in the merit ratings than the last time he ran over this trip, which was back in December when finishing just 1,75 lengths behind the fair sort Dolphin. If reproducing that effort he should go close.

Punters could accumulate some exotic money through Real Flight in the second race. On her debut over 1000m on the Turffontein Inside track, she was left a bit flat-footed as they went for home, but she then ran on well. She is by Jay Peg out of the speedy and classy Mana Mou and will relish the extra 200m here. She has a nice high draw.

In the first leg of the PA, the topweight Cape Marigold is well drawn over a suitable trip of 1600m, which is important as she is capable of a devastating finish.

In the last race of the day, My Friend Lee is another topweight who has been chosen to win. She has a high draw over an ideal 1400m trip. She won last time out over this course and distance and both the second and third horses have won since, so she can overcome a five-point raise.

By David Thiselton

Fawree’s participation in the Gr2 UAE Derby on Dubai World Cup night hangs in the balance after he burst from the pens in Saturday’s Listed Al Bastakiya at Meydan, dislodged his jockey Bernard Fayd’herbe, continued riderless and was declared a runner by stewards of the ERA (Emirates Racing Authority).

Fawree has been noted as a horse with problems at the start, but they had been addressed in as far as possible by Mike de Kock, his team and the team of ERA starters  – so much so that he had managed to start and complete two previous races for a second and a runaway win.

This time, in his third start and an important race ahead of the UAE Derby, he jumped from the gates a moment before the starter had pushed his button.  He stumbled at that, dislodging Fayd’Herbe and then continued to complete the race, riderless.

De Kock said: “This was nobody’s fault. Fawree walked into the pens twice before with a hood fitted. It has come down to perfect timing. The moment the hood is removed he jumps, and that has worked twice.  This time the hood was removed a split second before the starter pushed his button. Fawree lunged forward just that split second too soon.”

De Kock said that Fawree’s attitude will have to addressed again and that South Africa’s leading equine therapist Malan du Toit will be flown to Dubai to help. “We have to call on the horse whisperer now, we have a lot to do and only two weeks to do it. We will have to prove to the stewards that Fawree is tractable so that he can be considered for the Derby. He’s a very talented horse, it’s a pity he’s such a complicated talent but we’ll do our best.”

Du Toit commented: “This will be a challenge, but I believe I can help with Fawree.  There are a few administrative matters to attend to, including permission to work in Dubai as a licensed official of the NHA. I’d like to meet with the starter and his team, everyone involved to get the full picture. But the sooner the better.  I want to get to work with him so we can cool him down a bit. He looks quite full of himself!” – mikedekockracing.com

The pace, or possibly a lack of it, could prove a major headache for punters searching for the winner of the Open Handicap (F&M) that heads the card at Scottsville this afternoon.

Only seven runners are due to face the starter over 1 950m and tactics are likely to play a major role in the outcome.

Anthony Delpech, most often aboard a runner from the Dean Kannemeyer yard, will in all likelihood have had the choice of either Little Chapel or Playboy Buddy for Kannemeyer but has instead opted for the Mike de Kock-trained Persian Rug.

The strapping daughter of Ideal World was possibly unlucky not to have won the Gr1 Thekwini Stakes as a two-year-old after pecking badly 50m out, just when a likely win was on the cards.

That juvenile crop has subsequently proven little more than average and Persian Rug’s form since then has borne that out with a victory in the Listed Syringa Handicap her only subsequent victory in a string of unplaced runs on the Highveld.

She has recently moved back to De Kock’s Summerveld yard and her form has improved markedly.

Her fourth career win came in a modest handicap on the Greyville poly but last time out she was a close-up second to Celtic Captain in a useful field of males in the UmThombothi Handicap on the Greyville turf over 2 000m.

Persian Rug looks ideally suited to today’s event although a slow pace could prove detrimental to her chances.

That said, Dress For Success comes into the race with only 49.5kg to shoulder and apprentice Ashton Arries could make use of his weight advantage on Paul Lafferty’s runner and set the pace.

The filly took a steep rise in class over a trip short of her optimum when taking on males over the Scottsville mile at her last start, coming off two wins on the bounce.

She meets some useful fillies here but the extra two furlongs and a light weight puts her in with a strong chance.

Persian Rug looks to have the wood on both Little Chapel and Killer Woman given their last meeting but they won’t be far behind while Playboy Buddy is also back over a more suitable trip and will also be dangerous.

Top weight Princess Varunya gets 1.5kg relief courtesy of apprentice Eric Ngwane but she has not quite fulfilled her early promise and has been off the boil at recent outings. In all, a false pace is a distinct possibility making a competitive handicap even more tricky but Delpech is a master of his trade and Persian Rug gets the nod ahead of Dress For Success.

Duncan Howells can round off the meeting with a double with Wild Wicket in the sixth and Roy’s Hollyhock in the last.

Wild Wicket is a lightly raced three-year-old that has shown some potential. He ran an excellent third on the Greyville poly first up out of the maidens behind What A Poet and that form was franked last Friday when Breakfast Club, four lengths back to Wild Wicket in that race, followed up with a win.

The switch to turf should also be in Wild Wicket’s favour.

Howells has a second string to his bow in bottom weight Mambo. The gelding is much improved since being fitted with a tongue-tie and was touched off a piece-of-paper over the course and distance last time out. He is in receipt of 8kg from his stable companion and must come into the picture. Roy’s Hollyhock was a beaten odds-on chance at her last start after two close-up seconds.

However, after the race she was found to have ‘tweaked’ a back muscle so it is best to draw a line through that run.

The stable is in good form and Roy’s Hollyhock is likely to bloom this afternoon. Her biggest threat could come in the form of Space Needle.

Andre Nel’s filly has shown up nicely in two sprints and should much prefer this trip. The stable is in red-hot form in Cape Town and that could feed through to their Summerveld satellite yard under Byron Forster.

By Andrew Harrison

The equine President Trump, was gelded at Snaith Racing’s stables at Philippi, Cape Town yesterday after proving difficult to train. “He was unruly and unmanageable,’’ said Justin Snaith. “All he wanted to do was jump all the fillies.’’

The son of Philanthropist was bought by Etienne Braun for R200 000 at the Emperors Palace Select Yearling Sale in April  last year. Continued Snaith: “President Trump was also very vocal and would just not focus on his work. I considered blinkers and a tongue-tie but he was so unmanageable that we had little option but to geld him.’’ Snaith, a Champion South Africa trainer and World Record holder of 8 winners on a day, mentioned that the colt had tons of ability but had a bad attitude and was a nightmare to work with.

Picture: Courtesy of Snaith Horseracing.

By Michael Clower

Thabo Mhlongo, who has risen from a gardener into a prominent businessman, had a dream start to racehorse ownership last Wednesday at Scottsville when his part-owned Al Miqdaam colt Ishnana won on debut for the Garth Puller yard.

To add to the fairytale the horse acquired its name by combining the first names of Thabo’s children Ishmael and Nana.

Ishnana is an eye-catchingly robust two-year-old and has a lovely, resolute action, which creates the impression he is enjoying himself. After a bit of a tardy start and being forced sideways for a stride or two, he quickly made up the ground and was in the leading line. The handsome bay’s big white blaze and white socks makes him easy to pick out in the running. It soon became evident his ability matches his good looks.

He has a big stride and good cruising speed and he produced a good turn of foot when asked the question by Mandla Ntuli. He then wore the favourite Blackball down and won by half-a-length with the rest of the field spread out like the washing, which always suggests good form. He was not stopping at the line and Puller believes he is looking for further. On pedigree, he should do so as his dam Bird Strike, who is by Northern Guest, won over 1600m.

The story begins with the acquisition of the Australian-bred Al Miqdaam by KZN Midlands breeder Robert Smith in 2008.

Al Miqdaam, born in 2002, is bred in the purple being by the immortal Danehill out of St. Clemens Belle, who won a Gr 1 in Australia over a mile. St. Clemens Belle is by Don’t Say Halo, a son of the twice champion North American sire Halo.

Al Miqdaam was purchased at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale for Aus$716,430 by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum in 2004. He ran in a number of barrier trials before leaving to be trained by Mike de Kock in South Africa.

Nathan Kotzen, De Kock’s Summerveld assistant, remembers Al Miqdaam as a very strong horse who was very quick too. He used to produce good work at home. On his South Africa debut as a five-year-old in September 2007 over 1000m at Scottsville, he finished a 2,25 length second at odds of 7/1.

However, he didn’t improve much on that effort in four further starts over trips from 1000-1600m. He needed gelding, but the yard were reluctant to do so as he was so well bred. A deal was then struck by KZN trainer Lennie Taylor, who purchased him as a stallion on behalf of Robert Smith.

Al Miqdaam is still owned by Smith, but currently stands on Roy Moodley’s farm in the Midlands. Moodley has sent many of his own mares to Al Miqdaam. Smith owned and trained Bird Strike, who ran 27 times for a win over 1600m and nine places. Garth Puller actually rode Bird Strike to second place in a maiden back in 2005.

In recent times Smith sold his main breeding farm to well-known KZN racing couple Avison and Mary Carlisle. However, the Carlisles allowed Smith’s mares to stay on. Bird Strike’s first foal Shikra, a filly by Al Miqdaam, won one race for Lola Crawford over 1600m on the poly and her second foal by Atso only managed one place in many starts.

However, both Smith and the Carlisles said Ishnana, who was originally named Blue Swallow, had been a striking colt from day one. Smith had always liked him and had as big hopes for him as the other one he bred that season, Queensberry Rules, who is a full-brother to the useful Al Miqdaam gelding Al Ciberano.

However, to Smith’s chagrin, Ishnana was rejected by the selectors for the Sibaya KZN Yearling Sale. Smith subsequently invited Thabo Mhlongo to come and have a look at a few horses on the farm. There were about four in the paddock when the latter arrived.

However, the colt with the big white blaze jumped out at Mhlongo immediately. He had made his mind up in seconds and nothing would budge him from that decision. Mhlongo has apparently had shares in a sheep farm before and Smith believed perhaps this experience had taught him a good eye for bloodstock.

Whatever the reason, Ishnana has proved to be an intuitive purchase by Mhlongo. Unfortunately, Ishnana will be Bird Strike’s final runner as she was found to have cancer on her neck. However, her legacy looks likely to live on for a while, considering the manner in which Ishnana won after shortening from 20/1 to 15/1.

Mhlongo was clearly elated by the victory last week and the bug is likely to have bitten. KZN racing have welcomed another passionate owner into their midst.

By David Thiselton