The Markus Jooste-owned pair Legal Eagle and The Conglomerate will no longer be going overseas at the end of this month “barring a miracle” and the latter will therefore likely be on his way to Durban to defend his Vodacom Durban July crown.

Jooste’s Mayfair Speculators racing manager Derek Brugman added Legal Eagle would likely defend his Gr 1 President’s Champions Challenge crown at Turffontein on May 6 and a decision on the rest of his program for the season would be taken thereafter.

The pair’s intended flight to the USA at the end of this month looks likely to have fallen through due to a lack of equine passengers to share the cost.

The Conglomerate (Nkosi Hlophe)

Legal Eagle found one better in the Sun Met for the second year in succession, while The Conglomerate’s unplaced run proved he was more suited to Gr 1s run under handicap-like conditions, such as the July.

Meanwhile, another star horse in the Mayfair Speculators fold, Table Bay, has the connections “flummoxed”. He finished a lacklustre sixth in the Gr 1 Investec Cape Derby over 2000m on Met day.

Brugman said it would be “ludicrous” to cite a lack of stamina as the simple explanation for his last three disappointing performances, particularly as the Derby was run at a crawl, although he did admittedly over race a bit. Soundness is also not an issue. There has not been a lack of effort to get to the bottom of his below par sequence and if a potential solution is agreed upon he will head for the SA Champions Season.

The Gr 1 WSB Grand Parade Cape Guineas-winner Just Sensual finished a disappointing 6,85 length eleventh in the US$5 million CTS Mile on Met day, but Brugman confirmed the plan had definitely not been to take her to the front, as she had been by Frankie Dettori. She will be going to Durban and the Gr 2 Daisy Fillies Guineas and the Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes over 1600m will likely be her chief targets.

Lady Of The House will be joining her in Durban. She was a touch disappointing in the Gr 1 Majorca, but the connections had always believed she would be a better filly later on. The Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 will likely be her chief aim.

Dettori did ride a brilliant race on Edict Of Nantes to win the Cape Derby. A decision on where this horse goes will be decided after running him in the Winter Guineas at Kenilworth on April 23.

The future of William Longsword, winner of both the Grand Parade Cape Guineas and CTS 1600m, has not yet been finalised. Being retired to stud as a natural successor to his champion father Captain Al is a strong possibility.

Meanwhile, Gr 1 Mercury Sprint winner Red Ray, who finished an excellent third in the Gr 1 Betting World Cape Flying Championship, has been granted deserved retirement from racing. He will take up stud duties at the beginning of next season, although it has not yet been finalised where he will stand.

By David Thiselton

“We have two nice runners in a strong race,” Mike de Kock said about South African breds, Light The Lights (Bernard Fayd’Herbe) and Noah From Goa (Christophe Soumillon), leading contenders in Thursday’s Gr2 Zabeel Mile over 1600m on turf in Dubai.

“Both ours have enjoyed good preparations, they both have chances but there is a case to be made for every runner in this small field.  I think Championship is the horse to beat.”

“Noah From Goa has done everything right, it’s his second run back and he’s got 4.25-lengths to find with Championship on their encounter in the District One Trophy. I said after that race that Noa would improve by the distance he was beaten and I’ll stick to that. There is no weight swing in Noah From Goa’s favour but he has made the desired progress to get significantly closer this time.

“Light The Lights is going for the Jebel Hatta in a fortnight, this is slightly short for him, he drops in distance but he is very fresh and this race will be to his benefit.”

Alareef and Sanshaawes are two other Blue Stable runners to face the starter at the meeting.

Alareef goes back up in trip to 1400m on the dirt in Race 1, where Jim Crowley faces a stiff task from a wide draw. “Alareef received a penalty for his win last time out, but his draw is worse than the penalty. He will need a miracle to win from there,” De Kock said.

The consistent Sanshaawes (Pat Cosgrave) takes on a talented field in Race 7, the Gr3 Dubai Millennium Stakes over 2000m on turf. “There are two top horses here against us in Zarak and Promising Run.  We’d be delighted with a third or a fourth place,” De Kock concluded.

Mikedekockracing.com

The move to the Greyville polytrack, from Scottsville, will affect assessments of many runners today and a number of scratchings can be expected due to the change of venue. Amazon King was withdrawn from the eighth race shortly after the change in venue was announced and this opens the door for Humidor who has proven form on the poly.

Tony Rivalland’s runner does have his fair share if niggles and has only had 10 runs in a career spanning three seasons but he has won five of those outings. His connections have recently been tempted by some lucrative prize money and Humidor has been pushed beyond what looks to be his optimum trip.

Humidor (Nkosi Hlophe)

There were signs of a form return last time out where, in spite of starting a short priced favourite, he was just over a length back to Panza over today’s distance.

Panza, also in today’s race, has been fairly consistent since, but disappointed last time out on the Greyville polytrack. Humidor won making all on the Greyville poly three starts back and with the blinkers back on he can turn the tables with Panza.

Anton Marcus was aboard Humidor for the gelding’s last outing but contractual obligations see him aboard Dance On Air for Charles Laird and Mayfair Speculators. The gelding has not been out since winning on the Greyville poly in early December and the form of that race has worked out well. He seems equally effective over this shorter trip and must be in with a chance.

The change in distance to 2000m, from 2400m, will add to the complexity surrounding today’s sixth race but a number of early scratchings does help the chances of the Gavin Van Zyl-trained Calabash who was just over a length adrift of Sabre Charge and Forbidden Duel at his last start. With the latter two withdrawn, the lightly raced Calabash appears a solid option especially considering his proven form on the poly.

Silver Rose and Olympic Power have consistently good form on the poly and one can expect decent efforts from both runners today. The lurker could be Rio De La Plata who has been steadily dropping in the ratings (89 > 75) but showed a return to form last time out. Anthony Delpech gets back on board Rio De La Plata today and it’s worth noting that he has partnered the four-year-old gelding to all three of his career wins.

By Andrew Harrison

The two three-year-old features, run in officially “very soft” going, at Turffontein’s Inside Track on Saturday served as interesting pointers to the Highveld Autumn classics.

In the Gr 3 Tony Ruffel Stakes over 1450m, the Mike de Kock-trained Australian-bred More Than Ready filly Ektifaa beat the boys to remain unbeaten in four starts this season. The Sean Tarry-trained favourite Matador Man was slotted in behind the other six runners after his usual slow start but, was within 2,5 lengths of the filly as the field fanned off the elbow. However, Ektifaa’s superior turn of foot saw her stealing another length and she then staved off Matador Man’s strong finish to win by 0,6 lengths.

Sean Tarry (Nkosi Hlophe)

There has always been a question mark about Ektifaa’s stamina, but her time was almost two seconds faster than the Three Troikas winner’s time and this fact has given the De Kock yard the confidence to run her in the Gr 2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas.

Matador Man will relish the step up in trip in the Gr 2 Betting World Gauteng Guineas and will also enjoy the long straight of the Standside track. He was receiving 3kg from the 98 merit rated Doosra on Saturday and gave him a 2,9 length beating, so probably ran to a merit rating of around 100.

This puts Ektifaa’s performance into perspective as she was giving Matador Man 1,5kg.

All Fahad, beaten ten lengths into fifth, was disappointing again and will now be gelded and prepared for the Gr 1 SA Classic over 1800m.

Well beaten fourth-placed Chili Con Carne was also a touch disappointing, finding little from the front.

The Three Troikas for fillies over 1450m saw the Roy Magner-trained Anna Pavlova bursting into the Gauteng Fillies Guineas picture as she gave the Gr 1-placed Visuality 2kg and just got up to beat her.

The St. Petersburg filly has impressive hindquarters and an effortless turn of foot. The slower time does not detract from her chances of beating Ektifaa in the Gauteng Fillies Guineas as she was over racing a bit behind a slow pace. She also actually had to be eased at one stage in the straight.

The unplaced Babbling Brooke had little luck in the running and will appreciate a step up in trip as well as the long straight of the Standside track.

By David Thiselton

Rings And Things can make her experience tell against smart newcomer Snowdance in the opening maiden juvenile at Kenilworth today.

Snowdance made a big impact at the National Yearling Sale when knocked down for R2 million after some spirited bidding – and little wonder. The daughter of Captain Al is out of the Fillies Nursery winner Spring Lilac, a half-sister to All Is Secret, Secret Of Victoria and Rabiya.

“She will run well and she is going to be in the firing line,” says Justin Snaith before adding the proviso. “But there have been no racecourse gallops although, that said, we are all in the same boat.”

Justin Snaith (Nkosi Hlophe)

But not the two that have already run, and Rings And Things showed plenty of promise on Christmas Eve.  She played up in the pens but ran on well to take fourth and finish less than half a length behind fellow newcomer Call To Account who went on to win the Listed race on Met day.

Ostinato, the other who has the benefit of a run, ran well first time but beat only three home in that Met day Listed race. However she opened quite short at 9-2 with World Sports Betting which recorded significant support for Snowdance yesterday morning when she was cut from 28-10 to 13-10.

Rings And Things was eased to 28-10 while the Joey Ramsden R450 000 newcomer Made In Hollywood is on 11-2 with Remember This, by far the shortest-priced of Vaughan Marshall’s three, on 6-1.

Prince Alfred is even money for race two after his promising debut second five weeks ago but the form took a serious knock on Saturday when Tweak The Wind (third) and Pop The Question (fourth) managed only seventh and fifth behind Perovskia.

Andre Nel’s newcomer Dalibhunga makes more appeal at 5-2, given the stable’s good record with first-timers and the pedigree of this one. He is by Var out of the top class Joie De Grise who twice won the SA Fillies Sprint.

Of The Moon can prove rewarding in the Racing Association Maiden if yesterday’s 8-1 stays on offer. She disappointed when starting favourite last time but there were valid reasons. She lost a fair bit of ground at the start and was returned not striding out. On her previous run, only her second, she is good enough to win this.

The well bred Dance At Dawn is favourite at 7-2 and has finished second on her last two but this is her 14^th attempt. On adjusted merit ratings she comes out equal top with stable companion Moonsaballoon (5-1) and Of The Moon.

Seemingly only her bad draw can stop Sister Soozie in the Summer Of Champions Maiden. The 19-10 favourite ran a cracker on debut and holds Lady Vogue and Gypsy Beauty. Elegancia (4-1) looks the one for the forecast.

By Michael Clower