On paper it didn’t look easy, on the race track Elusivenchantment made it look easy. Any doubts about her ability were put to bed emphatically in the Soccer 6 Open Handicap at Scottsville yesterday.

Writing on his website Duncan Howells expressed concern over the turnover in weight with many of yesterday’s opposition and whether she would be as effective over 1000m as she was over 1200m.

His fears proved unfound. Anton Marcus had her in the vanguard from the jump and when asked to quicken Elusivenchantment changed gear and went away from her field.

“Some say that weight doesn’t count in these races but you still have to carry the pudding,” said Marcus. “Duncan asked me to ride her but I said he should rather put a four-claimer up. I’m glad I listened. She’s a very smart filly.”

“I always said she would be better as a four-year-old. I think we are only now getting to the bottom of her,” Howells said. “But it’s hard to place a filly with a high merit rating and she is pretty restricted as far as handicaps go. I think we will have to take our chances and have a crack at one or two races in Jo’burg.”

Mike Miller has been quiet for some time now but the Summerveld trainer opened up with a double including an inspired gamble on the debutant Karatage in the All To Come Maiden Plate.

Miller said beforehand, “she is a very nice filly but if the going comes up soft, then I am really not too sure how she will act. In saying that, she is showing me very encouraging work.”

With the threatened rain holding off Karatage was heavily supported from 12-1 to 22-10 second favourite and Alec Forbes made no mistakes as she came clear of favourite Savanah Cat.

The stable landed a quick double as Sonar Active (9-1), responding to blinkers and a drop in trip, got the better of Venice In May and Prince Ponti.

Marcus has been in blistering form since his return from a three week break and scored a treble that could so easily have been a four-timer. He had to work hard for his riding fee to get Monte Christo home in a tight finish to the Track & Ball Gaming Handicap and Buffalo Soldier confirmed that he’s on the up when out-gunning stable companion Top Form in the Graduation Plate to give Charles Laird a double.

Marcus looked to have time his run to perfection on favourite Shine Up but his fears that the 2400m trip of the last may just be beyond his mounts capabilities proved correct as the heavily backed Sabre Charge came back at Shine Up to snatch what looked to be an unlikely victory 50m out.

Andrew Harrison

Churchill hardened as favourite for the 2000 Guineas after a typically hard-fought victory in the Dubai Dewhurst Stakes for trainer Aidan O’Brien and jockey Ryan Moore.

Moore said: “He was always going to win. He’s a very, very good colt. It wasn’t as evenly-run as it should have been, but this lad has got an awful lot in his favour.

“There’s not a lot he can’t do. When I ask him, he always finds. He’s definitely a Guineas horse. I think he’ll get better.”

O’Brien, bagging his 20th worldwide Group One Flat race of the year, was winning the Dewhurst for the fifth time.

He said: “They went a sensible pace. He settled in there and quickened down into the dip.

“It got a little bit messy after the two [furlong marker] but Ryan guided him through and produced him lovely, so we’re over the moon.

“Physically he’s a very imposing horse. He’s probably a more imposing two-year-old than we’ve ever trained. He has a great mind and relaxes and sleeps. He just does the minimum, which is brilliant. He’s a great traveller and the qualities are there in abundance.

“Anyone that has had anything to do with him gets that special feeling from him – that’s very special when that happens.

“We’ve always viewed him as a miler, but that’s not to say he won’t get further. He’s so relaxed and laid-back and when he came in (to the winner’s enclosure) he wasn’t even blowing. He’s very economical as a galloper – he saves everything.”

Sportinglife.com

“It’s a dream to ride a horse like this. He’s a machine!” enthused veteran jockey Andrew Fortune after steering Kangaroo Jack to victory in Saturday’s Grade 2 Joburg Spring Challenge at Turffontein.

Starting as even-money favourite, Gary Alexander’s four-year-old charge made light work of the 1450m contest, winning by two lengths going away to register his fifth win on the bounce and his sixth in 10 starts.

Afterwards, both Fortune and Alexander suggested the son of Querari might soon be tried over 1600m to put him in line for some of the bigger prizes on offer later in the Highveld season.

“We’ve got to look at the mile,” said Alexander. “He’s very versatile; something special.”

Fortune said afterwards: “He’s an easy horse to ride. He tells me where he wants to be. And he just keeps getting better.”

TABNews

Captain America is the class act in the Matchem Stakes at Durbanville on Sunday. He is the only Grade 1 winner in the field and he is hot favourite – as short as 14-10 with World Sports Betting.

But be prepared for a surprise. Corne Orffer’s mount has been off since April and this is a poor race for favourites. True,  Act Of War 12 months ago and Capetown Noir in 2013 both won but they were exceptional animals who started odds-on and, those two apart, there hasn’t been a winning favourite in the Matchem since Play Catch 12 years ago.

No reservations from in-form Brett Crawford, though – “Both Captain America and Sail South have had a good preparation, they have been to Durbanville for a gallop and they have been working well.”

When you adjust the official ratings for the weights 5-1 shot Sail South comes out marginally the better but, significantly, their trainer doesn’t buy this at all. “Sail South’s 110 rating was gained on his last two wins in Durban and one of these was on the poly. He has yet to run off it and I’m not convinced whereas Captain America has proved his rating.”

All but two of the 11 runners are having their first races of the season and are therefore vulnerable and the vote, albeit a pretty tentative one, goes to 8-1 chance Heartland as the stable is on song and he was second 12 months ago. “He has only had one gallop but he will run a good race and (6-1) Baritone’s work has not been as good as Heartland’s,” says Justin Snaith whose third string Ultimate Dollar is as big as 11-1 despite having Andrew Fortune on his back.

It’s worth bearing in mind, though, that Baritone’s rider Greg Cheyne has been in blistering form since his return and he rode another treble here on Wednesday.

Rodney (backed from 8-1 to 6-1 yesterday morning) hasn’t a prayer on ratings – he comes out nearly seven lengths behind Captain America – but he has had a run and that can mean a huge amount. But the most appealing of all the bigger-priced horses is Blarney Bay at 12-1. This is his trip and the course is ideally-suited to his front-running style. Win or lose, one thing is certain – he will have put the fear of God into the opposition, and their connections, as he thunders towards the 200m marker three lengths clear.

Crawford may have yet to win the Matchem or the Diana but he has the favourite in the fillies race too. Alexis heads the market at 33-10 and, says her trainer, ”She is fit and well, and she loves to run fresh.”

Favourites have won five of the last seven but she might not head the market come race time if, as seems quite possible, the money comes for the impressive Stormsvlei Mile winner Captain’s Flame (4-1) who missed the Garden Province because she went down with a cough in Durban.

“We are not in this just to give her a run,” says Andre Nel making light of the filly’s lengthy absence. “Ours is the best horse in the race and I give her a big chance.”

It’s hard to go against that sort of confidence particularly as A Time To Dream, my original idea of the winner, is badly drawn. “She has done well and, even with draw, she will run a good race,” advises her trainer.

Finally Aldo Domeyer, who rides Captain’s Flame, is odds-on for the last. The Jockeys Chase has been extended to 400m in a bid to end his total domination of the event but this is the Frankel of jockey athletics and he looks a good thing.

Michael Clower

Kangaroo Jack was an unknown quantity going into the Gr2 POST Merchants at Greyville back in June. But he emerged circled in most form books after trouncing a strong line-up, that included Gr-1 winner Fly By Night (four-lengths back in second), despite being under sufferance at the weights. And he looks set to continue his upward curve in the Gr2 Joburg Spring Challenge over 1450m at the Turffontein inside track tomorrow.

The handicappers were somewhat impressed after the POST Merchants win and bumped him up six points to a 106 rating. But they more than doubled the hike (to 113) when Kangaroo Jack hacked up in the Gr3 Spring Spree Stakes on his seasonal debut last month.

Some pundits are questioning the hike as possibly a bit harsh but of more significance was the manner of the comeback victory. The Spring Spree was run over 1200m on the Turffontein inside track and after jumping alertly from a middle draw, Kangaroo Jack travelled smoothly throughout before producing the same telling turn of foot that impressed us all at Greyville. Kangaroo Jack is obviously a horse on the upgrade, has produced his best runs to date on tight tracks and can continue his climb up the ratings at Turffontein tomorrow.

The opposition includes July-winner The Conglomerate, Daily News-winner Rabada and Gold Cup-winner Enaad. But like Kangaroo Jack’s stable companion, Champagne Haze, these top class performers are all being prepared for upcoming feature races over further ground. Whereas Kangaroo Jack’s plans hinge squarely on this performance.

Trainer Gary Alexander confirmed this earlier in the week speaking to TABnews: “We’ll decide where to go [with Kangaroo Jack] after the Spring Challenge. If Andrew Fortune hops off and says he’ll get a mile (1600m), we might target the HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes next year. If he says no, we’ll restrict him to sprints, like the Computaform Sprint (April).” Without any immediate targets in mind, Kangaroo Jack looks aimed at tomorrow’s race and well worth chancing as a banker in the carryover Pick 6 (estimated R3million pool).

The weights suggest that it will be difficult to stop Lazer Star from repeating in the Fillies and Mares Spring Challenge but there was a lot to like about Intergalactic’s last win and it could pay to follow the Sean Tarry-trained four-year-old.

Intergalactic was gutsy in fending off She’s A Dragon and Lazer Star over the same track and trip last time out. Tomorrow’s race conditions firmly favour Lazer Star but there could be more to come from Intergalactic who has shown ability in the past, most notably in finishing just 1,5 lengths behind Inara in the Gr 1 Garden Province Stakes at Greyville on July Day.

Like Lazer Star, Intergalactic has a strong record at the Turffontein inside track and these two could suffice in smaller Pick 6 perms.

Brendan Pather