Andrew Bon interviews Sean Tarry and Mathew de Kock on the yards runners runners at Turffontien today – Saturday December 31.

Courtesy of Bonski Clan and Tellytrack.com

Anton Marcus flies in to Cape Town for six rides at Kenilworth tomorrow and he could well pay for Christmas – his own as well as that of the legion of punters who follow him almost blindly – because he has good chances on most of them.

The four-time champion is riding at the top of his game. By mid-week he had won on 59 of this season’s 221 mounts, a strike rate of virtually 27%, and at Kenilworth he has done even better winning on almost one in three.

The Southeaster is a wide open sprint handicap and you could argue that Marcus’s mount Tevez is getting a bit long in the tooth for such a speedy race but he has everything else going for him. He was only just behind Gulf Storm in a Pinnacle and is 1.5kg better, plus he has been dropped a point for his fifth in the Merchants.

Captain Swarovski, only a short head behind in the Merchants, is an obvious danger and now wears blinkers. “This is a bit on the short side and I want to speed him up a bit,” explains Justin Snaith. La Favourari also comes into it if Richard Fourie can get anywhere near 52.5kg (and he did 53 last month).

Marcus can also win the Need For Speed Sprint on Attenborough who is favoured by the conditions over the ultra-fast Sergeant Hardy who is 4.5kg worse off with the selection than he would be in a handicap.

Horse Guards comes out almost level with the Ramsden runner and it’s his third run of the season so he looks a big danger while Myfunnyvalentine is best of all on adjusted ratings.

Marcus kicks off with newcomer Rings And Things but this one may not be forward enough to go in first time. “She will probably prove a better filly than my other runner Hopeful in the long term but I haven’t really pushed her and Hopeful has had a run,” says Candice Bass-Robinson.

Princess Peach should also go well but the Mike de Kock-trained Var filly Rumbavar could be hard to beat. Saint Janine, though, looks one for Marcus in the Racing Association Maiden and his mount Epona may just be good enough to go in again in the Graduation Plate. This half-sister to Jay Peg so impressed last time that the handicappers put her up 5kg.

Free Agent faces a tough task in the next but, if his rider has got one or two on the board by this stage, punters will want to be on.

Michael Clower

Turffontein Standside stages a low key eight race meeting tomorrow. The competitive nature of the races means dividends could be handsome despite there being two Pinnacle Stakes events and a Conditions Plate.

The sixth is a Pinnacle Stakes event over 1600m where Bulleting Home and Romany Prince are the joint best-weighted males according to official merit ratings. However, Prospect Strike is chosen to upset them, despite riding arrangements suggesting Bulleting Home is the Sean Tarry stable elect.

Prospect Strike will appreciate the step up to 1600m, having been outpaced for most of the straight in his last start over 1400m, where he was beaten 2,5 lengths by Bulleting Home. However, he was staying on late and he now at last has a nice draw, while Bulleting Home is drawn wider in the small eight horse field. Lyle Hewitson retains the ride on Prospect Strike.

Bulleting Home has class and should be right there, while Romany Prince will likely enjoy the drop in trip to 1600m and will be a big threat from the pole position draw. Unagi is a classy three-year-old, but faces a tough task at the weights, and so does the talented Front Rank. The best weighted horse is actually the filly Duffi’s Call, but she earned her rating in Zimbabwe and it might be inflated.

Tarry is taken to win the fifth race too, a Pinnacle Stakes race for fillies and mares over 1000m, with the speedy and classy Rebel To The Fore. She is well in on official merit ratings and this will also be her third run after a long layoff, so she should bounce back from her disappointing last run. She could be a Pick 6 banker, but beyond her it is quite open.

The best bet comes in the last race, a MR 72 Handicap over 1400m. Alaadel has still been green, despite winning his last two, and the penny should start dropping now for this promising sort. He is drawn in two over an ideal trip.

David Thiselton

Back on the Greyville poly tonight, Soldier’s Code can make amends for his disappointing showing on the Scottsville turf last time out when he runs in the MR 78 Handicap, sixth on the card. Dean Kannemeyer’s runner disappeared out of the back door in some testing going at Scottsville, in a run way below his recent poly form.

In a race run at a cracking gallop, Soldier’s Code was up with the early pace for most of the race but once in the straight went backwards steadily, eventually trailing home a distance back.

Eric Ngwane

All this was in stark contrast to his poly form where he had won three of his last four starts, all over tonight’s course and distance. With a plum draw and apprentice Eric Ngwane giving some relief in the saddle, Soldier’s Code could find himself back in the winner’s enclosure.

But while Soldier’s Code was trailing home Magical Bet was at the other end of the contest fighting it out with Run Rhino Run and it will be interesting to see how the race stacks up this evening. Glen Kotzen’s runner got home under a driving ride from Muzi Yeni, running on hard off a strong pace.

That form has been franked with fourth-placed Baltic Amber running out an easy winner at Scottsville last Sunday.

The poly, however, is a different proposition and given Soldier’s Code’s earlier form on the synthetic surface there is not likely to be much between the two this evening.

Yogas Govender is slowly starting to find his feet as he gets a better class horse in his yard and he pins his hopes on top weight Sovereign Reign. The gelding has shown up well in his two outings on the poly and the rise in trip will be in his favour.

Belinda Impey, who has a small string at Ashburton, turns out her fair share of winners and Music World can add to her tally in the MR 80 Handicap although the daughter of Ideal World faces a daunting task. Only once out of the money in her last five starts Music World has been most consistent and was a close-up fourth over the Scottsville mile last time out beaten by Little Chapel. She is up in trip tonight and can turn the tables on Little Chapel who is also in the line-up and, judging by the betting, was something of a surprise winner.

A tougher opponent could be Jet Intombi who was up against much stronger at her last outing and finished a creditable third to the progressive Playboy Buddy.

Andrew Harrison

Greyville (Poly/Night) Friday December 23 Race Previews by Warren Lenferna

Race 1
Preview: With no disrespect to anyone in this race, it has to be one of the weakest maidens to go to post. BRAVE KNIGHT gets Marcus and an okay draw. He shows speed and to put it rather bluntly, if he cannot win tonight – he will battle! ROYAL BODYGUARD was not far off last time and can go very close once again as he is not taking on much but he is very well tried. The rest – get out that crystal ball! (Warren Lenferna 1-3-7-9)

Race 2
Preview: The second race on the card is just as weak as the first and Anton Marcus seems to have selected the right rides in these two races. APHRODEITY’S RAIN despite the wide draw looks very hard to beat here. DAMALI ran well last time and should do so again. BLUE JASMINE and BEAU VAR can finish in the first four. (Warren Lenferna 8-1-3-2)

Race 3
Preview: CAPTAIN ELLIO has done well in KZN and ran second last time to Lucky Barb – that form should be good enough in this field to see him go one better tonight. He is the confident first choice. SUPPER GUPPY is way better than her last run suggests and if reproducing and improving on her penultimate effort should be right there at the finish again – ignore her last run. ROY’S POWER comes from an inform trainer / owner combination and he is seldom far off the action. KEPT SECRET could pop up. (Warren Lenferna 2-9-10-3)

Race 4
Preview: LA DI VAR will get help again with an apprentice claim – Serino Moodley has done well on her and she looks ready to win again. ALL TRUE MAN (Marcus) is better than his last run and has a chance. ROMAN SOCIETY and RED APACHE have quartet chances in a field where pretty much anything could happen. (Warren Lenferna 3-6-9-5)

Race 5
Preview: ICY SPIRIT has to overcome the draw – if doing so, she should be hard to beat as her form is good and she won her penultimate start impressively. BRAVE AND BOLD is very consistent and her chances of going close look very bright. WELL DRESSED ran a cracker last time behind Roy’s Rakara and has a chance tonight. CAROLINE’S CALL has been catching the eye recently and she has a strong chance4 here with in form Alec Forbes in the saddle. (Warren Lenferna 4-3-5-11)

Race 6
Preview: SOVEREIGN REIGN ran an excellent race last time and looks cherry ripe to go one better and score his fourth career win. MAGICAL BET won a good race last time beating a tough field – if he had to follow up it would be no shock at all. TROPICAL’S SON and BIZJET can fight out the minor money and must be included in the quartet. (Warren Lenferna 1-5-8-2)

Race 7
Preview: Trainer Belinda Impey is doing exceptionally well with MUSIC WORLD. She ran a great race last time in a tough field and has proven she has ability. She goes 2000m tonight and I am sure this will be no problem. She has shown she goes on both turf and poly and has been selected with some confidence to win this race and record her fourth career win. LITTLE CHAPEL won the race where Music World ran fourth in and again there should not be too much between the two. Little Chapel is a big runner and danger. JET INTOMBI and PEACE AGAIN are worth having a close look at for the minor money positions. (Warren Lenferna 4-2-3-6)

Race 8
Preview: The way CRYSTAL BALL was closing in hand over fist last time to finish fourth behind stable companion Madame Excess (whom runs / ran on Wednesday) – she should be a very hard horse to beat over tonight’s 2000m trip that she tries for the first time. If she stays she should win! ROY’S PONY ran well last time and her chances look bright here. SPANISH LADY is coming to hand steadily and from the good draw should be able to go very close tonight and help add some value to the quartet. UNDER THE ROSE showed last time that her penultimate run was all wrong and she deserves her place in the quartet tonight but they will all have to run some to beat Crystal Ball if she sees the distance and takes to the surface! (Warren Lenferna 2-6-3-4)