Greyville this evening is the aperitif for the three-day KZN racing festival that encompasses The Sun Met at Kenilworth tomorrow and Scottsville on Sunday.

The Kenilworth card has been boosted by a host of carry-over pools and punters can get a head start with Danish Cross in the Greyville opener tonight.

Duncan Howells is in Cape Town over seeing his two runners for tomorrow and assistant James Rich will be doing the honours in his absence. Danish Cross was a hot favourite for her last intended start at Scottsville but was kicked in the starting stalls and was scratched at the instance of her trainer.

Helderberg Blue (Liesl King)

She appears to have come out of that incident unscathed and from and inside draw she rates the one to beat in spite of making her poly debut.

Mungo Cherry, with four-claiming apprentice Sandile Mbhele aboard, has run her two best races on the poly and may be a threat while Momo has improved in blinkers and after being touched off a piece of paper at her last outing looks a more likely danger to Danish Cross.

The balance of the card is made up of maiden races and lowly handicaps which could make things tricky for punters.

Johan Janse van Vuuren will also be in Cape Town for the Met and his assistant will saddle Crowd Pleaser this evening. The colt was good enough to run the well thought off Legend to two lengths as a maiden and followed up with an easy Maiden victory over tonight’s course and distance. He has some fair Highveld form to commend him and this being his third run after a break he is in with a strong chance.

Pure Logic will have his supporters after showing much improved form since being fitted with blinkers. He was a beaten favourite when taking on weaker on his handicap debut but he stays the trip and has a plum draw which adds to his appeal.

Howells has a strong chance of a double on the night with Accidental Tourist in the seventh. The daughter of Gimmethegreenlight has shown up well in two outings since shedding her maiden and took on much stronger last time out when third behind stable companion Lunar Rush. She tries this trip for the first time but her pedigree suggest that she will see out ever yard.

Vogue Idea and Tanami fought out the finish when last they met with the former getting home with a neck to spare. Vogue Idea is still in the black as far as the weights are concerned courtesy of four-claiming apprentice Serino Moodley and she also has the better draw which could see the pair finish in the same order.

Greyville’s six-race meeting tomorrow coincides with The Sun Met that forms part of the exotics along with the Blue Label Telecoms Cape Stayers where the Snaith-trained Ovidio is a strong favourite. But Helderberg Blue can finally take his rightful place in the limelight and is taken to put one over the favourite.

Racing moves to Scottsville on Sunday where Howells again looks to have a strong contender for an exotic bet banker in the form of New Golden Age in the fifth. The gelding caught the eye when finishing strongly from a wide draw at only his second start when third on the Greyville turf last Friday. Mark Dixon’s runner Prime Suspect with Anthony Delpech aboard looks the obvious danger. He finished a good third behind the highly-regarded Howells-trained Wild Wicket on debut and is expected to improve.

By Andrew Harrison

It all points to Legal Eagle. The form book, the handicappers and the bookmakers say the 2-1 favourite is the best horse in the race, he won the Queen’s Plate convincingly and his stable is on fire.

Legal Eagle (Liesl King)

Yet the recent history of tomorrow’s Sun Met says he will probably get beaten. Since Pocket Power won for the third time eight years ago every favourite bar one has met with defeat, only one Queen’s Plate winner has completed the double and he himself was beaten 12 months ago.

The two biggest  dangers  are 28-10 shot Marinaresco and 9-2 chance Whisky Baron. Both are four-year-olds -an age group that has won four of the last six Mets – and Marinaresco was less than half a length off Legal Eagle in the Green Point here in December even though the trip was too short for him. It could be his turn this time.

Whisky Baron, narrowly but comfortably beaten by Marinaresco in last season’s Winter Guineas and Classic, is a different proposition since being gelded and has been busy working his way through the ranks. He looks a major threat.

Gold Standard has been heavily backed in the last week – from 12-1 to half that price – and will race in new colours (Drakenstein has bought an interest) but you have to go right back to Badger’s Coast at the turn of the century to find a three-year-old Met winner.

Captain America, only a length behind Legal Eagle 12 months ago, was second to him in the Queen’s Plate and is a huge price at 18-1. Almost certainly the best of the outsiders.

Two of the last five winners were fillies and Bela-Bela could well make the frame at 11-1. She wasn’t quite ready when she only just got home in her last two starts. But good enough to win? Questionnable.

Table Bay (Liesl King)

The Conglomerate’s name would resonate round the world if Frankie Dettori  was in a position to do his famous flying dismount but this is another that is more of a place prospect. The same with fellow 18-1 shot French Navy and It’s My Turn (15-1).

Table Bay at 9-2 makes a lot more appeal than Horizon at 12-10 in the Investec Cape Derby. If the former’s stamina – or lack of it – proves to be his Achilles heel then this could be Dettori’s chance. Edict Of Nantes races as if this trip is what he wants.

Trip To Heaven was super-impressive when winning the Diadem by almost four lengths. Disturbingly – particularly as the Betting World Cape Flying Championship is over a furlong shorter – he again gave away ground at the start. S’Manga Khumalo has preferred Carry On Alice but the 28-10 favourite looks the one they all have to beat – including Red Ray (11-2)  and last year’s winner Gulf Storm who is much better than his 25-1 price would suggest.

Sean Tarry may also win the CTS Sprint with Cloth Of Cloud while William Longsword stands out in the Mile. Silver Mountain’s coffin-box draw has surely killed her Klawervlei Majorca chance. Maybe Star Express  or Lady Of The House.

By Michael Clower

The first Pick 6 at Saturday’s big Sun Met meeting is expected to have a pool of R8 million and there are some potential bankers.

William Longsword (Liesl King)

Sergeant Hardy is an imposing, long-striding Captain Al gelding, who has the ability to dominate his races, and is a banker possibility in the first leg. However, the brilliant Cloth Of Cloud is unbeaten and her form has worked out well, so she must be considered despite returning from a layoff.  Wider Pick 6s could include Always In Charge and Live Life, and beyond them Elusive Path, Exquisite Touch and Red Light Girl can be considered.

William Longsword is a possible banker in the second leg in what could be his last race before going to stud. The main dangers are Just Sensual and Safe Harbour, while the dark horses are African Night Sky, Epona and Tilbury Fort.

Trip To Heaven could mow them down late in the third leg, but Carry On Alice also has a big shout in suitably fast conditions. Rivarine is unexposed and could be a threat. Wider perms could consider Red Ray, Talktothestars, Gulf Storm, Search Party, Brutal Force, Seventh Plain, Tar Heel and Tevez.

In the next leg the progressive Lady Of The House must be included alongside Silver Mountain and Nightingale. Others to consider are Sail, Star Express, Final Judgement, Real Princess and Olma.

In the next leg Horizon looks to have plenty to come and is a banker consideration. Beyond him Elevated, Newlands, Table Bay, Edict Of Nantes and even Winter Is Coming have to be considered.

Legal Eagle will be bankered by many in the Met, but the unexposed Gold Standard is worth including. Marinaresco, It’s My Turn and Whisky Baron are next in line and beyond them Captain America, Bela-Bela and French Navy are worth considering.

By David Thiselton

Millennials, those aged between 18 and 34, surprisingly proved to be the all-consuming topic at yesterday’s first international Tote conference to be held in South Africa.

“This age group is by far the largest on the planet, it comprises your future customers, punters and racegoers – and they are spoilt for choice,” said Mark Steinhobel, chairman of leading market group VWV, speaking to his Kenilworth audience.

“So what can you do?” he added before answering his own question. “For a start you can stop taking yourselves so seriously. I know the traditions of racing go back a long way and, while you may alienate some of the older racegoers, the alternative is a long slow slide into obscurity.”

Steinhobel referred to a recent survey asking millennials what would persuade them to go racing at the Cape Town course. The top answers were a party, free booze and the Met. “What I can also tell you is that if they do go, and find it a compelling experience, thousands and thousands will hear about it.”

He also proposed the use of jockey cams for live pictures of the racing, this to be relayed on people’s phones as well as on TV. His other suggestion of using Kenilworth for drone-racing didn’t seem to go down quite so well!

Tellytrack chief Rob Scott called for the industry to employ more people of the millennial age group and for those in the industry to embrace what these people want.

Phumelela boss Riaan du Plessis also called for change to attract, and cater for, the younger racegoers, saying: “We have got to reach them but, if we can only offer them the same, that is no good – and if we keep doing what we did in the past we will fail.”

However Paul Cross of Australian wagering company Tabcorp made the point that racing is still hugely popular, just that the way of watching it has changed.

He explained: “Many people argue that racing is in the doldrums with less and less people going but in fact there are more eyeballs watching racing today than there have ever been.”

He also emphasised the importance of the millennials and said that Australian harness racing has recently banned the use of the whip – partly in response to complaints from the younger audience.

Ten minutes later a worried-looking Neil Andrews, who was master of ceremonies, got to his feet and said: “I am very perturbed. My girlfriend has just phoned to say she has heard that they are  banning whips and how do I feel about this?”

By Michael Clower