Captain America served notice that he will again be a force to reckon with in the top Cape races when bouncing back from a five-month plus absence to decisively give weight all round in the Matchem Stakes at Durbanville yesterday.

Corne Orffer had no problem tracking the pace-setting Blarney Bay or, for that matter, in sweeping past over 200m out and the authority with which the 22-10 favourite won was considerably understated by the 0.4 length winning margin.

Orffer said: “He was sort of stopping towards the end – he still needed it – but with his big heart he kept going and I was never in any doubt.”

Brett Crawford, winning his first Matchem, added: “He still has to tighten up but he was the class horse in the race. He’s been a champion for the yard and as a six-year-old he is just awesome. He now goes for the Green Point on December 3 followed by the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and the Sun Met.”

Stable companion Sail South finished an honourable fifth but he was top-rated at the weights, something that his trainer again cast doubts about – “This was his first time running off 110 and, while he ran a good race, I’m not convinced about his mark.”

Baritone finished best of all to take second and stablemate Heartland finished just behind the Crawford-trained 22-1 outsider Midnight Zone in fourth.

Justin Snaith, although undecided on plans, said: “Baritone had to come from a long way back and, while I thought I had done enough with Heartland, he still needed it.”

Captains Flame – Diana Stakes 2016 (Liesl King)

Captain’s Flame is booked for the Maine Chance Paddock Stakes and the Klawervlei Majorca after fully justifying Andre Nel’s confidence in the Diana Stakes. The Plattner four-year-old has only been beaten twice in seven outings and, while she started what proved a generous 5-1, Aldo Domeyer was able to lead over a furlong out to beat Goodtime Gal by three-quarters of a length.

Nel said: “I have always thought she was way above average. She needed this a bit and we will see how she is before deciding on where she goes before the Paddock Stakes.”

Alexis, the 5-2 favourite, was never at the races and managed only ninth of 13 leaving Crawford scratching his head in disbelief while Domeyer galloped his rivals into the ground in the Jockeys Chase for the fourth successive year. Richard Fourie and Donovan Dillon filled the minor placings. The race raised R34 000 for the Western Cape Equine Trust, according to new chairman Ken Truter.

Just Sensual, starting at 13-20 despite not having raced since her debut in February, won the opener in a manner suggesting she has a real future, coming away under Donovan Dillon with ears pricked and over three lengths clear.

Joey Ramsden said: “She hasn’t quite got her summer coat and she had a sticky draw yet she managed to do it nicely. There are a number of options for her.”

But Derek Brugman virtually ruled out including the Choice Carriers among them, saying: “It might not be the right race for her – and she may be more of a six furlong filly.”

Magic Trick, a Trippi daughter of the 2007 Empress Club winner Little Miss Magic, took a step nearer the Lanzerac Ready To Run after coming from way back to win the mile maiden for Candice Bass-Robinson, Drakenstein and Grant van Niekerk.

The handicappers, so often criticised, are entitled to take a bow after less than three-quarters of a length separated the first five in the Itsarush.co.za Handicap won by MJ Byleveld on the Vaughan Marshall-trained Mr Jay.

Michael Clower

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