A five-time winner, Pure Valor lines up for Lowan Denneyschen in the Itsarush.co.za Handicap over 2000m that heads a seven-race card on the Greyville poly this evening where he looks to have an excellent chance of confirming the form with recent Michael Roberts Handicap winner Mr Winsome.

Mr Winsome (Nkosi Hlophe)

Mr Winsome was narrowly denied when last the two met but the handicappers may have caught up with him as Dean Kannemeyer’s runner meets Pure Valor on 1.5kg worse terms for a short-head over this evening’s course and distance.

Although Mr Winsome rattled home from a long way back to win the Michael Roberts Handicap at Scottsville, he has 62kg to shoulder this evening giving Pure Valor 9kg, and given luck in running Pure Valor should have his measure.

But they are not the only two in the mix. Persian Rug, unlucky last season when pecking at a crucial stage of the Gr1 Thekwini Stakes, has found it tough going since. The form of last year’s sophomore fillies crop has proven suspect but the strapping daughter of Ideal World may well take a new lease on life on the polytrack. Mike de Kock’s runner made her debut on the surface in a strong field over a distance palpably short of her best, but stepped up in trip for her next outing, she romped home ahead of New Zealand-bred Killer Woman.

She does take a steep rise in class here with a big weight to shoulder but she has the frame to cope with both and although taking on males must be in with a chance. Top weight Kitty’s Destiny ran below form last time out but in spite of a big weight he seems best on the poly and cannot be written off lightly.

Kannemeyer looks to have a lively contender in the Soccer 6 Handicap where he saddles the promising Night Circus. Much improved when tried in blinkers last time out, easily beating stable companion Tanjiro, he meets little of note here and should be good enough to follow up.

Tony Nassif makes a habit of raiding from the Highveld with horses with seemingly modest form only to put the locals to the sword. The veteran trainer did not come down with the last shower of rain – whenever that was – and Icy Avalanche could prove a threat to the likely favourite. His last win was over course and distance starting at odds of 55-1 which is more than enough evidence.

Pure Valor (Nkosi Hlophe)

Kali’s King was given a break after shedding his maiden and has improved in blinkers while For Ever is better than his last two and goes well this course and distance.

If the weather gurus are to be believed Scottsville should have some relief from the blistering recent weather over the weekend with the meeting on Sunday. With possible thunder storms predicted for tomorrow night and Sunday evening the lightning fast going could revert to normal and bathing costumes can dry out ready for next week’s predicted heatwave.

An interesting Pinnacle Stakes event heads the card with some veterans looking to pay their way and a pair of sophomores, notably Legend and Roy’s Magic, looking to make their mark.

Night Trip has shown up well in two recent sprints but goes well this trip and can defy top weight with the wily Anton Marcus aboard. Alistair Gordon has had the world of trouble with Royal Life but the gelding is useful on his day and although the form of his last run has been a little suspect he will go close on his best effort.

Legend is a smart horse and just how he fares could give some indication of whether he is Champions Season material. However, he has been rested and gelded since his last win and is likely to need this outing while stable companion Roy’s Magic is far better than his last two. He has a light weight and a plum draw and if ‘putting it in’ will also be a strong contender.

By Andrew Harrison

Four runners from Blue Stables will go to post at Thursday night’s Meydan Carnival meeting, andwww.mikedekockracing.com reports that four-year-old colt Lindo Amor (ARG) could be best of them if he can secure a good early position in Round 2 of the Al Maktoum Challenge (Gr2) over 1900m on dirt.

Mike de Kock

Lindo Amor made an eye-catching debut on dirt when he came from midfield to take third behind Le Bernardin in the first leg of the Challenge over 1600m – only a neck kept him out of second.

Lindo Amor was doing his best work late that day and, knowing that he is Gr1 placed over 2000m in his native Argentine, Mike de Kock is confident that tonight’s trip will suit him. Christophe Soumillon retains the ride.

He said, however: “Lindo Amor is very well. He has improved after his January run, but tonight’s result depends on whether he can get into a handy position early.  Lindo Amor will face a stiff task if he’s out of his ground, runners not up with the pace on this track have a mountain to climb, as we’ve seen.”

About the others:

Race 2: Muwaary (Turf Handicap, 1600m, Jim Crowley)

“He ran a bad race last week, but has only been here for a  month and we have to race him to form. He will improve tonight, but we’re not expecting much yet.

Race 6: Sanshaawes (Soumillon) and Saltarin Dubai (Bernard Fayd’Herbe) in a Handicap on turf over 2000m:

“Sanshaawes is very well, this is his third start after a rest and he should be competitive, he has a chance. Saltarin Dubai drops in rating and comes to turf, the change of surface and a change in tactics will help.”

Selections Meydan Thursday February 2

Race 1 [4.30pm]: (4) WINSLOW (7) Ormindo (1) Grand Argentier (9) Vivernus

Race 2 [5.05pm]: (4) AMERICAN HOPE (2) Elite Excalibur (1) Dark Emerald (3) Fanciful Angel

Race 3 [5.40pm]: (4) MUARRAB (5) Cool Cowboy (2) Wild Dude (1) Movesta

Race 4 [6.15pm]: (2) RED GALILEO (4) Blue Rambler (5) Rio Tigre (6) Warrior Of Light

Race 5 [6.50pm]: (7) LINDO AMOR (3) Second Summer (9) Le Bernardin (5) Long River

Race 6 [7.25pm]: (3) SANSHAAWES (9) Belgian Bill (4) Master The World (1) Dylan Mouth

Race 7 [8.00pm]: (11) HARRY HURRICANE (6) Sir Maximilian (1) Medicean Man (5) Magnus Maximus

Prolific owner Roy Moodley has many winners from the “Roy” brigade and two more were added to the tally at a scorching hot Scottsville yesterday.

Roy’s Donkey (Nkosi Hlophe)

Yogas Govender provided the first when Roy’s Folly converted a string of recent places into victory under Tristan Godden ahead of outsider River Ayre with Alistair Gordon’s runner much improved since being fitted with blinkers while Roy’s Donkey made a nonsense of his nonsensical name winning the Blinkers Bar Handicap for Kom Naidoo.

Apprentice Sandile Mbhele has had his share of trials and tribulations this past week. He picked up a seven-day suspension when winning on Hot Chilli at Greyville last week and he had a bit of a ‘mare’ yesterday.

Riding Kingsview for Therese Mitchley, his mount took a right turn when under pressure and Mbhele – and indeed the rest of the field – were fortunate that he was clear as the mare was allowed to shift alarmingly across the entire field before cannoning into the inside fence allowing Roy’s Folly in for the win.

Earlier Mbhele arguably cost himself victory aboard the Gareth van Zyl-trained Poster Girl when dropping his near-side rein, letting Just Vogue hang on for the win for Gavin van Zyl.

No doubt he will learn but it is coming at a cost.

Blistering heat and a dearth of rain has not made things easy for the course managers and Scottsville was running quick which did not suit many of the runners including favourite Isingamoya who was in contention for much of the trip but did not go on with it under pressure.

Keagan de Melo, recently signed up for the Duncan Howells yard, paid his way when scoring on favourite Mambo in the eighth. De Melo blasted his way through a narrow inside gap to take up the cudgels with Fully Charged, going through to win comfortably.

By Andrew Harrison

It is touch and go whether the pending shipment of Legal Eagle and a few others to the USA will get off the ground due to a lack of numbers.

The flight, which is due to leave at roundabout the end of February, was the initiative of Mayfair Speculators racing manager Derek Brugman. However, the cost of the flight is US$600,000 and the export task team, under the stewardship of Chris van Niekerk, had therefore hoped to have a plane filled with 15 horses.

Legal Eagle (Liesl King)

Before Saturday’s Sun Met there were only eight horses on the flight list. They were Legal Eagle, Marinaresco, The Conglomerate, Silver Mountain, Flying Ice, a couple of broodmares and a sport horse.

Brugman is not yet aware of any new bookings or cancellations which might have taken place after the Met. He said the flight was only ever going to take place if it was economically viable. This was with a view to the future as it could then become a regular exporting option.

The horses will be subjected to a 60 day lockdown upon landing in the USA. This makes it a quicker export route than the Mauritius one, which South African thoroughbreds have been using.

However, horses who wish to move on to other countries are then required, by most countries, to spend additional residency time in the USA.

Another of the biggest stumbling blocks to the USA route had been the lack of exercise opportunity for horses during the lockdown. However, thanks to the efforts of Brugman and CTS MD Adrian Todd, the US Department Of Agriculture had agreed to the installation of a treadmill.

By David Thiselton

Triple Crown hero Abashiri has a new owner and is to be given a lengthy break before making an assault on the Sansui Summer Cup.

Mike Azzie said: “I scratched him from The Sun Met straight after his run in the Queen’s Plate. He will now have a good rest and then I will start him off from scratch once more and aim him at the Summer Cup.  He is a good horse and, while he might have lost his form, he won’t lose his ability.”

Abashiri (Nkosi Hlophe)

The four-year-old finished last in the Queen’s Plate and was returned not striding out. He was a well beaten fifth in the Green Point on his previous start, after a tough journey from Johannesburg which put him off his food for two days. However Azzie traces the horse’s loss of form to his running in the Vodacom Durban July.

He said: “Abashiri had a hard time winning the Triple Crown and I begged the owner (Adriaan van Vuuren) to put him away but he wanted to go for the July. The horse should never have run. He has recently changed hands and will race in the name of Corner Stone Trust for an owner I used to train for some years ago.”

Trainer-of-the-moment Brett Crawford is to be sent the Trippi colt out of a half-sister to Jeppe’s Reef and Disco Al who equalled the South African yearling record when knocked down to Coolmore’s M.V. Magnier for R6 million at the Cape Premier Yearling Sale. Markus Jooste is a part-owner in the Drakenstein-consigned colt who is named Mark The Doorman.

Candice Bass-Robinson will train the sales’ second highest-priced lot, Sovereign Sway, a Dynasty colt out of the Woolavington winner Viva Maria and bought by Kuda Holdings for R5.75 million.

Captain Of Tortuga, the R4.5 million Captain Al colt bought by Bernard Marais, is to go to Justin Snaith who won the Cape Fillies Guineas and the Majorca with the colt’s dam Ebony Flyer. Sean Tarry will train the Captain Al colt out of Orator’s Daughter purchased by David Redvers on behalf of Sheikh Fahad Al Thani, also for R4.5 million.

By Michael Clower