[16] SILVER RAIN has had 14 career outings with 1 win and 0 places to her name. However, there’s more to her than meets the eye and she could be the value in Race 5, a competitive MR60 Handicap for fillies and mares, at Fairview today.

She does not seem to enjoy blinkers and in her last start showed massive improvement over the 1900 trip with the blinkers off.

The daughter of Greys Inn was also forced to check for a few strides in her last start and couldn’t find a way through.

Today, she jumps from draw 6 and, if she gets an easy trip, she should be slicing through the field up the straight.

Considering her overall record, we should get some good eachway (win and place) value about Silver Rain. [1] Wonder Worker and [4] One Love should also be involved in the finish.

Devonne Govender

There’s a proud record for the South African team to defend when the Air Mauritius International Jockeys’ Challenge takes place on the 18th and 20th of November.

This year’s event will once again be a double-header with the first leg taking place at Fairview before wrapping up at Turffontein on the Sunday.

But the South African team, captained this year by reigning champion jockey S’manga Khumalo, may have their work cut out for them given the crop of international riders assembled for the 2016 edition. Khumalo led the team to victory in the International Jockeys’ Challenge in 2013.

The visitors will be captained by one of horseracing’s most charismatic characters in Frankie Dettori, who is no stranger to our shores having ridden in the first two editions.

The remainder of the squad sees Robert Havlin, Pat Cosgrave, Aurelian Lemaitre and Hayley Turner, all four featured in last year’s event, while Irish jockey Fergus Sweeney will be making his debut.

“From our point of view it is an absolute privilege to have the likes of Frankie and Hayley, who has kept her riding licence specifically for this event, coming back to South Africa. If you look at the calibre of stables that these jockeys ride for you can tell it’s a really strong side that’s been assembled,” said Larry Wainstein, CEO of the Racing Association.

As far as the South African team goes, Andrew Fortune and Anthony Delpech earned automatic inclusion as a result of their position on the National Jockey’s Log at the end of last season while MuziYeni was included after Anton Marcus was unable to confirm his participation.

In-form Gavin Lerena and Grant van Niekerk have been thrown into the mix as wild cards.

“I’ve raced against these guys before and it’s always nice to be part of this again. It’s always exciting and we learn a thing or two from the visitors while also teaching them something. It’s going to be an exciting challenge and I just hope our guys are ready for it. We’d like to come out on top again,” said Khumalo as he prepares to lead the team again.

Since the inception of the competition in 2008 the South Africans have dominated, winning the competition eight times. The Internationals managed to reel off two successive victories in 2011 and 2012.

“Our team is made up of some promising youngsters and we’re giving them a chance to test themselves against some of the world’s best while also including the likes of Andrew Fortune and Anthony Delpech as the stalwarts,” Wainstein said of the make-up of the South African team.

Teams for the Air Mauritius International Jockeys’ Challenge:

South Africa

S’mangaKhumalo (c)

Andrew Fortune

Anthony Delpech

MuziYeni

Gavin Lerena

Grant van Niekerk

Internationals

Frankie Dettori (Italy)

Robert Hablin (Scotland)

Pat Cosgrave (Ireland)

Fergus Sweeney (Ireland)

Aurelian Lemaitre (France)

Hayley Turner (England)

–Racing.Its a rush

Edict Of Nantes will take his chance in the Choice Carriers Cape Classic after completing a hat-trick in fast time in the Graduation Plate at Durbanville on Saturday.

The 5-2 chance led just under a furlong out and, although the margin over stable companion Nebula was only half a length, the Mayfair Speculators winner really put his stamp on the race in the last 50 metres with Corne Orffer reporting “he was just playing with them.”  The 1 min 23.75 sec time was only just over half a second outside Act Of War’s 1 400m course record.

Brett Crawford said: “This was a nice test and he came through it with flying colours. After the Cape Classic he will hopefully go on to the Selangor and then the Guineas while Nebula runs in the Betting World Algoa Cup at Fairview on Sunday week.”

However 11-10 favourite Lord Balmoral finished last after going out as if hit by load-shedding at the 400m mark. “I’m totally baffled,” admitted Vaughan Marshall following Glennie’s all-the-way win under Lucien Africa 40 minutes later.

Varsity Cup, who made all under Greg Cheyne in the first, is one of five that Crawford trains for patrons of Tony Millard in the hope that they will prove good enough to go out to Hong Kong. One who made the grade – in this country at least – was the 2013 Cape Guineas winner Elusive Gold and his full sister Seattle Gold delighted owner- breeder Ashley Parker when making most of the running in the last to complete a double for Orffer and a treble for Crawford.

Braam van Huysteen’s Felicity Flyer booked her Choice Carriers Championship ticket when running on resolutely for Aldo Domeyer to get up 50m out in the Place Your Bets Novice Plate.

Candice Bass-Robinson said: “Unfortunately she is drawn 28 but we will have to take our chance on Saturday week. She is a little thing but she has the heart of a lion and is as tough as nails. She also has a really good turn of foot.”

However Justin Snaith virtually ruled out the Choice Carriers for runner-up Gimme Six, saying: “She is drawn badly (30) and she is only rated 89. I have The Merry Widow (drawn one) rated 94 for that race.”

Domeyer, who hasn’t ruled out testing his athletic ability on the running track, is getting more of the Bass Racing mounts while stable jockey Grant van Niekerk is sitting out a ten-day Grand Heritage interference suspension and he also scored on Ollivander. He initiated a treble on the Snaith-trained odds-on shot Midtown Manhattan, deputising for the sidelined Richard Fourie who resumes at Kenilworth on Saturday.

Glen Puller reckons that Solar Night, part-owned by the lucky CTS Million Dollar winners Francis Carruthers and Ian Robinson, may yet justify at least some of the faith he had in the horse after the 7-2 chance gave weight all round under Craig Bantam in the 1 800m handicap.

“I have always liked him and I thought he would have been a bit further ahead by now,” said Puller. “But he could carry on from here.”

Michael Clower

Vaughan Marshall’s plans for his unbeaten Allan Robertson winner The Secret Is Out have been thrown into doubt by a wide draw in the Choice Carriers Championship at Kenilworth on Saturday week.

The Milnerton trainer said: “She is drawn 24 – you might get away with that on the summer course but this is the winter course. I am undecided at the moment and I will make a decision during the week.”

Thursday morning is the declaration deadline. Marshall, who had mapped out the R400 000 Grade 2 many weeks ago, last won the race in 2012 with All Is Secret (a full sister to The Secret Is Out) who had also won the Allan Robertson and went on to finish fourth to Rumya when starting favourite for the Cape Fillies Guineas.

Golden Slipper winner Final Judgement, joint top-rated with the Marshall filly in the 34 Choice Carriers entries, is a confirmed runner after pleasing Glen Kotzen when put through her paces last Thursday.

The Woodhill trainer said: “It was a nice gallop and the first one she has had since her break. She is very athletic and doesn’t take much work.”

Cape Speed, winner of five out of eight last season, has been ruled out of the Sansui Summer Cup after his trainer switched plans.

“I have changed my mind about going for the Summer Cup,” explained Dean Kannemeyer. “ I brought him back to Cape Town last week for the summer season. He is in the Woolavington at Kenilworth this Saturday but he won’t run because he is not ready for that yet.”

Michael Clower

It’s still early days for any sort of pecking order to have emerged amongst the three-year-old males but given the muddling results from last season there is still a lot of water to flow under the bridge before a pattern surfaces.

That said, Gr1 Premier’s Champion Stakes winner Gunner makes his seasonal debut at Scottsville tomorrow in the second of the KZN 3YO Series races, this over 1400m. Paul Gadsby is aiming him at the $500 000 CTS Mile to be run at Kenilworth in January but said, “He’s got to start somewhere and I don’t want to send him down to Cape Town a fat little butterball. I’m just hoping for a good race on Sunday.”

The race has attracted a smart field that contains a number of unknowns outside of Gunner and Palladium who are both relatively exposed. Scent Of The Tiger, Roy’s Magic, Marshall That, Great Value and Sarah’s Secret are recent maiden winners but all on the up and get a hefty 6kg from Gunner and 2kg from Palladium which should make for an interesting contest.

One hardly expects Gunner to be anywhere near his peak at this stage of the season and given that he gives plenty of pudding to rivals that have recently shown their wellbeing he could find it tough going.

The luckless Cabinda has been a victim of both Roy’s Magic and Scent Of The Tiger and Duncan Howells could hold the key to this puzzle. Scent Of The Tiger finished four lengths adrift of the Howells-trained Restless Rogue before going on to beat Cabinda.

You could write your own ticket about Scent Of The Tiger that day but Restless Rogue is a member of the Howells Highveld raiding party and caught the eye when fourth at Turffontein this Thursday passed.

Roy’s Magic shed his maiden at second time of asking and Howells says he’s a nice horse. “He does everything I ask of him at work but he only does just enough. That’s usually the sign of a decent horse but I don’t want to get ahead of myself,” he cautioned.

Marshall That showed a glimpse of what he was capable off when a close-up third at his second start. Alistair Gordon then put him away for three months and he came out firing after the break, putting five lengths over the luckless but consistent Newyorkstateofmind. Sean Tarry’s runner paid tribute to that form, winning at his next start. Marshal That has the benefit of having twice been around the Scottsville turn and proven over the trip.

Great Value shed his maiden over course and distance at second time of asking while Palladium, although twice beaten by Gunner, was a good third behind the smart colt Legend in the BSA Million Mile from a difficult draw and jumps from gate three tomorrow.

Gunner would be the obvious choice given his Gr1 win but with bigger fish to fry and having to give 6kg to his rivals, Roy’s Magic is preferred with Scent Of The Tiger and Marshall That all in the scrum.

The Garth Puller Racing Pinnacle Stakes over 1400m will have punters scratching their heads. Veteran Punta Arenas is well in at the weights but is more at home over ten furlongs rather than tomorrow’s seven and this looks to be a warm-up for a possible trip to Jo’Burg. Similarly, No Worries has shown his best recent form over further but is versatile. Fitted with blinkers he slapped up odds-on favourite Rabada in the KZN Breeders Million Mile and followed with a close-up third to budding champion Marinaresco in the Gr1 Champions Cup.

On that form and the fact that he is best in at the weights he cannot be written off even over this trip.

Sylvester The Cat missed the float to Jo’burg as Howells thought his temperament may get the better of him and he is back over his favourite course and distance. Sylvester The Cat possesses a tremendous turn of foot and even though he is not well in at these weights, if the “right” Sylvester pitches on the day he could prove difficult to peg back.

Mark Dixon has done a sterling job with London Call who is not the easiest of horses to train as his tens starts in four season’s bares testimony. But perseverance has paid off and the gelding has been successful on five of those starts. He doddled a Pinnacle Stakes sprint last time out and although he has not won further than 1200m he is at the peak of his form.

Sylvester The Cat is taken to bring his best to the track and get home ahead of London Call with No Worries a serious threat.

Andrew Harrison