Scottsville February 01 Tips and Race Previews by Andrew Harrison

Race 1
Preview: TRINI’S VAR HYT found betting support on debut and proved too strong for odds-on favourite ARGO MAGIC who she meets again. The latter franked that form next time out. ROYAL EXPLORER finished behind both of them on debut and won next time out. That form looks fairly cut-and-dried but each will have progressed and the betting may be a better guide. (Andrew Harrison: 3-1-2-4).

Race 2
Preview: TCHNO CAPTAIN can be a difficult customer but has shown ability. He was running on well last start and could be finding his feet. SHINE UP has been struggling to win but has gone close on many occasions. Marcus his back aboard. JUST POSITIVE has been close-up at recent outings and the step up in trip could bring the best out in him. FIRE BOLT has been very green in all his starts and has a chance if the penny drops. (Andrew Harrison: 1-5-6-4).

Race 3
Preview: Weak field. AIR SALUTE has his second outing after a break and has shown some ability. He can feature strongly in this field.  COURAGEOUS KING improved last run over ground. He is struggling to win but that form has been franked and he can feature here. GESTE has been disappointing and can do better than his last run. The blinkers are back on. OLLIE POTS is still green but is up in trip and now tries blinkers. (Andrew Harrison: 5-1-2-4).

Race 4
Preview: FASHION QUEST has her third run after a break. She stays the trip and is well draw. HOUR GLASS showed some improvement last run when returning from a break. She will much prefer this trip and can improve further. Stable companion ROY’S KAITRINA was a beaten favourite last run but goes well for this apprentice although he best form has been on the poly. BOTTLENOSE made good improvement at her second start and looks to have scope for further improvement. ATTIC VIEW has come good at recent outings. Delpech rides and she can go one better. LAST SUMMER improved in blinkers and can feature. (Andrew Harrison: 1-4-2-8).

Race 5
Preview: ISINGAMOYA is a smart filly and goes well over course and distance. She met a strong field of males last start and although she does face a useful field she looks good enough. FREE STATE has yet to finish out of the money. She has a good record on this course and looks the biggest threat to the selection. JUST VOGUE has been racing over shorter of late but has done well over course and distance. She has a handy weight and should finish thereabouts. MISS VARLICIOUS is slowly dropping in the handicap and could be competitive by next Christmas. (Andrew Harrison: 1-3-7-2).

Race 6
Preview: Wide open. REAGARDSTOBROADWAY is quick and has been up against strong of late. She is down in class but takes a corresponding rise in weight. SARABI shed her maiden at second time of asking. She looks to have some scope and can follow up. ROY’S FOLLY put in a good effort against stronger on the poly last time out. She back on the turf but can feature. HALLOWED SPRING tries blinkers and can improve on recent showings. JUST RAP will be ridden by Sky Gilbert who makes her local debut for her step-father Des Edges. She has been riding in the UK. (Andrew Harrison: 1-7-2-3)

Race 7
Preview: MASTER SAM goes well this course and distance and looks to have a strong chance in an open race. CADDY MASTER surprised on debut and has been up against stronger since. This is his second run after a break and can go close in this company. ALDRIC is seldom far back but is a couple of lengths better in soft ground. BLUNDERBUSS has improved in blinkers and can feature over this shorter trip. (Andrew Harrison: 4-1-2-5).

Race 8
Preview: TROPICAL’S SON has a tricky draw to contend with but has been running well to stronger of late and should feature in this company. LEDIMASPRINCESS has taking on some useful fillies and although she has a big weight, tricky draw and takes on males she has enough class to run a big race. FULLY CHARGED has come on nicely since being tried in blinkers and put ack on the turf. ROYAL ZULU GUARD is a veteran but has dropped right down in the ratings and back on the turf he could be the surprise package. (Andrew Harrison: 7-1-8-12).

Race 9
Preview: CABINDA has had many chances but tends to find one or two too good. He will never get a better chance than this and may be worth one more chance. ADMIRAL’S GUEST was much improved last run and appears to have come to hand. The extra should suit. MANOUCHE was in need of his last run. He has shown some ability and should go well from a pole position draw. STREET BOY was a distant second last start but has done better from a good draw. (Andrew Harrison: 2-1-3-8).

Mark Dixon hit form with a double at Scottsville on Sunday and his smart filly Isingamoya can get back to winning ways at the same venue today where she is joint top weight in a FM 92 Divided Handicap over 1200m. Three of her four wins have been over course and distance and she makes a return to female company again after taking on some smart males in a set weights event last time out.

Although she has won around the turn on the Greyville poly track she does appear better on the turf down the Scottsville straight where she recorded her last win beating the useful Deep Down Rebel giving the runner-up 8.5kg.

On the strength of that showing she was sent to the Highveld for a crack at the Gr2 Magnolia Handicap but after showing good pace she folded over the last 100m to finish fourth behind the highly-rated Green Pepper.

Similar tactics were tried last time out in a Pinnacle Stakes event at Greyville but she found the promising Amazon King too smart.

She faces a fair field this afternoon and if looking past Isingamoya, one can make out a case for a number of runners.

Just Vogue and Miss Varlicious finished on top of each other when last they met and both have held form. Miss Varlicious has been a victim of her own consistency and although down a further pound in the handicap she may still need more relief to make it back to the winner’s enclosure.

Free State is another course and distance specialist but has not been out since October last year and may be found in need of an outing. Having said that, she has yet to miss the frame. Shezaleader was promoted ahead of Free State when last they met but the former has turned in five modest efforts since although her last showing was an improvement.

In the card opener, Trini’s Var Hyt was the subject of an inspired gamble on debut in one of the first 800m scurries in December, taking on the odds-on favourite Argo Magic. Blinkers and Anton Marcus aboard were the obvious pointers and Kom Naidoo’s filly skated in by over three lengths. Argo Magic franked that form winning comfortably at Greyville next time out and seventh placed Royal Explorer also winning his next outing.

The trio meet again this afternoon and with fillies generally quicker to mature the result could be the same.

Techno Captain is often a difficult customer on the home gallops but Paul Gadsby does rate him and the gelding showed a glimpse of his ability when second behind the well fancied Roman Emperor at Greyville earlier this month. The penny appears to have dropped and if Sean Veale can keep the lid on his mount he can go one better in the second.

Courageous King went off the boil in the early part of this season and was then given a break by Mark Dixon. Two runs back saw a much improved effort and he should be able to carry that improvement through to win in a somewhat desperate field that makes up the first leg of the PA.

Fashion Quest, having her third run after a break and back over what appears to be her optimum trip, strikes as a likely winner of the fourth but the Duncan Howells pair of Roy’s Kaitrina and Hour Glass strike as dangers.

By Andrew Harrison

Ashburton trainer Des Egdes’ step daughter Skye Gilbert is anticipating her fist ever race ride at Scottsville tomorrow aboard the Just As Well filly Just Rap with plenty of excitement.

Skye is based in Newmarket in the UK with the 25 time Gr 1-winning trainer Ed Dunlop and her apprenticeship license was granted at the end of November.

She said about tomorrow’s race, “I worked Just Rap on Saturday and she worked very well, she will be fit and well but it’s a competitive field.”

Skye is limited to riding down the straight for at least her first five rides so feels lucky to be given this opportunity.

Just Rap has run twice over the course and distance and on the second of those occasions finished 5,5 lengths back in a handicap off a 72 merit rating, so she should get closer on paper tomorrow off a 67 merit rating together with Skye’s 4kg claim.

Skye grew up with horses being the daughter of farrier Ford Wallace, who now practices in Cape Town, and showjumper Kim Egdes.

Showjumping and eventing were high on her list of priorities while growing up.

However, racing was where her ultimate ambitions lay.

She worked for her step father Des as a stable employee before departing for the UK four years ago.

She was taught all aspects of racing and horse care by Des and the same thread was picked up in her first eight months in the UK as a stable employee to Newmarket trainer Marco Botti.

She found it exhilarating to be living in racing’s Headquarters and spiritual home, Newmarket, where residents eat and sleep The Sport of Kings.

She later worked for a stud farm before joining Ed Dunlop.

Ed is the son of the 1995 British champion trainer John Dunlop, who won ten British classic races in an illustrious career. John played a pivotal role in the establishment of Middle Eastern influences in British horseracing, training Hatta, Sheikh Mohammed’s first winner as an owner at Brighton in 1977. He was also associated with Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum over a period of three decades.

Ed is immediately associated in world racing circles with the gallant warrior Red Cadeaux, who ran five times in the Melbourne Cup, finishing second three times.

He also trains Trip To Paris, who in 2015 won the Ascot Gold Cup, Britain’s most prestigious event for stayers. He went on to finish fourth in the Melbourne Cup.

Skye works Trip To Paris, among other horses, every day out on the Newmarket heath, which has a vast choice of grass gallops, as well as a polytrack or two.

The jockey qualifying system works differently in the UK to South Africa.

It is up to the trainer to whom the rider is attached to teach them the basics of race riding.

Skye, for example, was able to receive advice not only from Dunlop, but also from the jockeys attached to his yard. She also sought advice from Richard Perham, a former jockey who is now a “Jockey Coach” at the British School of Racing.

She has been able to hone her skills on a equicizer in a gymnasium which is just down the road from Ed’s yard.

It is up to the trainer to recommend youngsters for apprenticeship licenses.

“The trainer must decide whether it is worth taking a chance on a rider making it as a jockey,” explained Skye.

Before applying for the licence the rider should have completed a Level 2 Diploma in Racehorse Care. He or she would also be expected to be confident and competent in galloping a racehorse at speed, riding work on a racehorse and jumping a racehorse out of the starting stalls.

The Apprentice Jockeys licence allows riders aged between 16 and 26 years old, who are in full time paid employment with a UK based Licensed Racehorse Trainer, to ride in flat races against professional jockeys, but with a weight allowance to compensate for their inexperience.

As part of the application, the prospective jockey is required to attend, and satisfactorily complete, a five-day course at either the British Racing School or Northern Racing College. They must also undergo a medical examination.

Apprentice and Conditional jockeys who hold their licence in the UK are entitled to be allocated a qualified Jockey Coach. They receive coaching in all aspects of their careers from technical support to motivation, confidence, fitness and communication skills. The jockeys can continue to receive coaching until they have completed the season in which they ride out their claim. The funding is done through an annual grant from the Horserace Betting Levy Board as well as a contribution of between 3,75% and 7,5% of the jockey’s riding fee.

However, the trainer remains the rider’s guv’nor and Skye had to receive permission from Ed Dunlop to ride out here.

Skye still appreciates her South African roots and her idol is Anton Marcus.

“Anton Marcus is brilliant strategically and knows about his own and every other horse in every race he rides in,” she said. “I aspire to be like him.”

Des and Kim will be cheering for Skye from the course tomorrow and her father Ford will be glued to Tellytrack at 14h45 for the milestone moment.

Skye will be returning to the U.K in about two weeks time in preparation for the British Flat season.

By David Thiselton

Miss Frankel, so disappointing when starting at 5-10 on debut at Kenilworth ten days ago, will not race again before returning to Durban.

Dennis Drier said: “Miss Frankel was 100% afterwards but she just didn’t bring her homework to the track. That has happened before [with other horses] and it will happen again.”

The second foal of champion sprinter Val De Ra, Miss Frankel is the only offspring of the undefeated superstar to race in South Africa so far. Frankel commands a stud fee of £125 000 (R2.1 million). The reports of his daughter’s homework had been good but she was niggled at from the off and managed only seventh of 12 to fellow newcomer Magical Wonderland.

By Michael Clower

The Sun Met racemeeting, celebrated with G.H.Mumm at Kenilworth on Saturday, was of such a high standard in every way it prompted an English owner to call South African racing the best in the world.

Ironically, in Sun International’s first year of sponsorship following the 39 year stint of whisky-producing J&B, the big race winner was named Whisky Baron. The Brett Crawford-trained four-year-old Australian-bred gelding is owned under the banner of Ridgemont Stud, which was formed by the Kieswetter family, Wayne and Belinda and their sons Ross and Craig. It was decided Ross and Craig would race all of this partnership’s male horses in their colours, which are reminiscent of Scotland’s national flag, while the fillies run in the Ridgemont colours.

Craig represented England in one day cricket 71 times, but his career was ended by an eye injury. Mother Belinda was born in Scotland and among entrepreneurial father Wayne’s business ventures is a partnership in a Scottish whisky distillery.

The win gave Crawford a third Met and jockey Greg Cheyne a first. Two years ago Crawford completed the L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate and Met double with Futura, only to see the horse depart his yard a few weeks later due to a dispute between the owners. However, fortune compensated him at the end of the same year when he inherited Whisky Baron after a split between the Kieswetters and their original trainer.

Whisky Baron extended his unbeaten run as a gelding to five starts. He and the favourite Legal Eagle were the stand outs in the preliminaries. In the back straight Whisky Baron became trapped wide and his chances hung in the balance. However, this horse has a laid back demeanour and jockey Greg Cheyne had little difficulty in easing him back and slotting him in.

Anton Marcus had to get to work earlier in the straight on Legal Eagle than he had last year as  Captain America and Gold Standard were showing no signs of stopping in front. Whisky Baron was meanwhile making inroads after turning for home about eight lengths off the lead. His white near-fore sock made it easy to see how well he was throwing that leading leg out.

The leading trio’s strides were laboured by the time he had caught them just before the 100m mark and he swept past in machine-like fashion to win by 1,5 lengths. Runner up Legal Eagle was carrying a 2kg Gr 1 penalty, but Whisky Baron was being eased down at the line.

The winner’s stablemate Captain America repeated his third placing from last year. An objection against him by three-year-old Gold Standard was overruled. Second favourite Marinaresco turned for home on Whisky Baron’s heels, but couldn’t match his initial turn of foot. He was finishing fast for fifth. French Navy pipped the filly Bela-Bela for the all important sixth place.

The Vodacom Durban July looks likely to be on Whisky Baron’s radar, so the handicappers’ view of the race will be important.

Earlier, Englishman Dr John Warner had waxed lyrical about South African racing. He had every reason to feel elated as the mare he part-owns, Carry On Alice, had just won the Gr 1 Betting World Cape Flying Championships over 1000m under S’Manga Khumalo. The five-year-old daughter of Captain Al has now won a Gr 1 in all four of her racing seasons.

She is yet to win an Equus award and might be hard pressed to do so in this season’s Sprinter category, because the performance of the day undoubtedly belonged to the Cape Flying runner up, Trip To Heaven. This five-year-old Trippi gelding lost at least five lengths at the start, yet failed by just 0,3 lengths to catch his stablemate. The result gave Sean Tarry a Gr 1 one-two. Gr 1 Mercury Sprint winner Red Ray was third and the filly Jo’s Bond proved her recent defeat of Carry On Alice was no fluke by finishing fourth. The veteran Tevez was a gallant fifth.

Earlier Carry On Alice’s formline had been enhanced when the Candice Bass-Robinson-trained filly Live Life won the US$500,000 CTS Sprint over 1200m under Grant van Niekerk. The Gr 2 Sceptre Stakes victor produced another powerful finish to beat Gr 1 winner Always In Charge. Trippi had one over Captain Al on this occasion. Attenborough was third.

Later, Bass-Robinson’s heart must have sunk when she saw Silver Mountain’s promising run petering out in the Gr 1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes. However, it didn’t matter in the end as the stablemate, the Silvano filly Nightingale, produced a strong finish to get up, beating Star Express and Goodtime Gal. This was Bass-Robinson’s official first Gr 1 winner, having taken the reins from her legendary father Mike at the beginning of this season. It was also a first Gr 1 win for the familiar duo of jockey Anthony Delpech and owner-breeder Mary Slack since their official retained-status partnership begun.

Earlier, Gold Standard’s Met chances had been enhanced when his Grand Parade Cape Guineas conqueror, the Captain Al colt William Longsword, stormed to victory in the US$500,000 CTS Mile under Anton Marcus, defeating 35/1 shot Copper Force by 1,75 lengths. Dingaans winner Singapore Sling was next best.

The result also enhanced the form chances of the Crawford-trained Count Dubois colt Edict Of Nantes in the Investec Cape Derby. Edict Of Nantes duly won it to give an elated Frankie Dettori a first Gr 1 victory in South Africa, twenty years after missing out on the Queen’s Plate ride on London News due to illness. The Derby race time was nearly five seconds slower than the Met’s. However, the result proved form and distance suitability to be the two ultimate guides.

Crawford’s day had begun with a hair’s breadth victory for Bold Silvano colt Bold Respect in the R1 million Kuda Sprint under Corne Orffer.

Crawford clinched a memorable four-timer when Orffer won the eleventh on Winter Prince.

By David Thiselton