Anton Marcus, out of action for over a month, has shown no signs of his lay-off with a winner on Friday night at Greyville and a further three at Scottsville yesterday, including Sweet Lady Jade in the KZN 3YO Series Fillies.

Always a reluctant star of any show, Marcus lets his riding do the talking, and Sean Tarry will have had no quibbles with his handling of Sweet Lady Jade. Up with the pace throughout, Marcus kept his mount hard to her task up the home straight and she responded gamely to hold off the attentions of Beaute Noire and Eden Garden Blitz with Diamond In The Sky filling the minor placing.

Sweet Lady Jade is a daughter of German-bred stallion Querari who is fast making a name for himself with only two crops racing and along with fellow ‘German’ Silvano is another jewel in the crown of Maine Chance Farms.

English racing writer Sean Travass, who has twice been out to South Africa with a contingent of foreign racing press for the Vodacom Durban July, writes a column on South African racing for his audience in the Thoroughbred Daily News. On Saturday he commented, “I have to admit that it (South African racing) is a whole lot more competitive than I ever thought, and that the field sizes are simply astounding … on to the racing at Scottsville on Sunday and the field sizes scared the living daylights out of me.”

He also learned that money for first timers in South Africa, unlike in England, is not necessarily an indication of what is to follow. Travass took a flyer on Mike de Kock’s first timer Malhama in the second, who had at that early stage been supported in from 72- to 5-2, but word from the stable was that the Aussie-bred would be looking for much further in spite of the presence of Marcus in the saddle.

Most money however, was for the favourite Simona, and although Malhama did feature enough to suggest she would pay to follow, Michael Roberts had his filly in top condition and she duly obliged. The daughter of Gimmethegreenight was a picture in the paddock and she streaked home well clear of debutant Kilmokea with the balance in another race.

Simona races in the silks of Newbury Racing with Dennis Evans on course to lead her in.

To drive another point home for Travass there were two major upsets in Newtons Spark winning the 2400m handicap in a race where it looked as if Mike Pappas’s runner had jumped in at the two-furlong marker, followed by Sovereign Reign for Yogas Govender in the seventh. Both incidentally ridden by four-claiming apprentice Dennis Schwarz.

There are pitifully few 2400m races in KZN but when the opportunity arises it would appear as if the jockeys’ judge of pace goes out of the window. The early exchanges resembled a funeral procession with none of the riders willing to commit resulting in a sprint for the line. Schwarz took full advantage of his postage stamp weight and Newtons Spark (25-1) sped clear of pacemaker Born To Rule to win with a week of daylight to spare.

Sovereign Reign, returning from a 113-day break and seemingly more at home over 10 furlongs, raced fresh to score a 20-1 upset to add to Pick 6 punters misery.

Jarred Samuel, recently back after an enforced 9-month break to recover from serious concussion after a fall at Greyville, got his first winner back for Weiho Marwing, winning the last aboard La Vida Blanco for the Ashburton-based trainer. A furlong out is was anyone’s race with the field line-across the track but Samuel kept plugging away and La Vido Blanco found more as the opposition fell away in the closing stages.

Andrew Harrison

Justin Snaith smashed his own South African fastest-fifty record by 22 days when Greg Cheyne brought Evoke Emotion with a devastating late run to snatch the Soccer 6 Handicap at Durbanville yesterday. This completed a stable double and was Snaith’s tenth winner in the last five days.

He said: “It’s been an incredible start to the season. I now want to carry this on and take back the seasonal record (209) from Sean Tarry plus win the big races, especially the Queen’s Plate and the Sun Met. If I can get one of those two I will be happy. The Met seems to elude my family and I’ve got to get that sorted. I can’t live in Cape Town and not win my home town’s big race.”

Red Light Girl, Snaith’s other winner, booked her ticket for the Choice Carriers Championship by making all under Richard Fourie in the All To Come Graduation Plate with her trainer saying: “She is a nice uncomplicated filly and the 1 400m of the Choice Carriers will be no problem.”

However the stable’s hopes for Le Harve in the Jockeys Chase Handicap were destroyed when he lost a good eight lengths by rearing as the gates opened and a further six by swinging wide. He finished last by a distance but at least punters got their money back because the stipes, after holding a race review, ruled that the horse should be treated as a non-runner.

Richard Fourie said: “That was the right thing to do. I was in the air when the pens opened. I called out but I was drawn wide and it wasn’t easy for the starter to hear me.”

Table Bay, having his first race since the Langerman in June, could only manage third to the Brett Crawford all-the-way winner Winter Prince and Corne Orffer but Ricardo Sobotker, Joey Ramsden’s assistant, was far from disheartened.’

He said: “Table Bay is a big horse and he needed this. He is going to have to have another run, or a gallop at least.”

Those who had backed William The Brave in the Play The Pick Six Maiden realised they were in as much trouble as Sam Allardyce when they heard Tellytrack presenter Stan Elley stating that the favourite moved so badly going to post that he would have changed his selection had he been allowed. Sure enough the colt was beaten and, to add insult to injury, the race was won by his own stable companion Cardiff Castle under a determined Aldo Domeyer.

Sobotker said: “William The Brave never throws his legs out but nobody can find anything wrong with him while Cardiff Castle was unlucky not to win last time. He is immature but I think he will keep improving.”

The Carl Burger/Riaan van Reenen partnership struck for the fourth time in their nine-week association when Shadlee Fortune made all on State Ballet in the Racing.It’s A Rush Handicap even though Van Reenen played down their success saying, somewhat ambiguously: “A blind chicken has got to get a mielie. It just needs to keep pecking!”

Blinkers improved Elusive Path several kilos last time but, a little surprisingly, Vaughan Marshall took them off for the Food Village Handicap. He was proved right when the gelding made every metre.

Rider MJ Byleveld said: “Sometimes, as in cases like this, it happens that blinkers sharpen them up and then they don’t need them anymore.”

Donovan Dillon came in for the mount on odds-on Miss Malbec in the first when Cheyne was claimed for first reserve War Of Roses and he kept the Glen Kotzen-trained filly up to her work to score by a fast-dwindling three parts of a length.

>  Volatile Energy (5^th) was incorrectly stated by the judges to have finished fourth in race seven here last Wednesday. Solar Night was in fact the fourth horse home. The quartet was the only TAB bet affected by the mistake and any TAB outlet customers who discarded winning quartet tickets must submit a lost-ticket claim.

Michael Clower

The inaugural Grand Heritage race meeting is one jockey Gavin Lerena and trainer Johan Janse van Vuuren will remember for a long time. Lerena came away with five winners while Van Vuuren had four owners leading in winners.

Most important was that the pair teamed up with Irish Pride to win the main race on the day, the R750,000 World Sports Betting Grand Heritage (Non-Black Type) over 1475m.

With 27 runners, the race, as most pundits expected, turned into a cavalry charge, and Lerena timed his run to perfection as he brought the four-year-old son of Ideal World, who was well supported late to go off 8-1 joint favourite with Humidor, to the front close home to beat Front Rank (28-1) by 1.10 lengths. Just a long head back in third was Lunar Approach (9-1) with Raise The Red (50-1) another 0.10 lengths back in fourth. Fifth place went to Analyse This (22-1) with Kings Archer (22-1) running sixth.

“He is the type of horse we have to ride for cover,” explained Janse van Vuuren. “I decided to put Gavin on this horse two runs ago already because I think he is the type of rider who will suit this type of horse. He gets him to sleep early on.”

For Lerena the race went well, except for one minor wobble. “I followed the right horses through. Firstly, I used Joe Soma’s runner, Miracle Bureau, and after that I used Lunar Approach. I go a bit of a fright when he dropped the bit at the 600m but he picked it up again. After that it went very well.”

There will be some hard-luck stories but the unluckiest horse had to be sixth placed Kings Archer. In the early races horses went inside and outside but it soon became apparent the outside draws were better and riders opted to move their mounts towards the outer rail.

Kings Archer was drawn No 3 and jockey Marco van Rensburg had to take a gamble. “The raw killed me. I knew we couldn’t stay there so I had to take drastic action.”

He pulled the horse right across to the outside fence but after 400m he was at the back of the field. He began to move up and with 400m Kings Archer moved up strongly into contention. But just when it looked as if he would challenge for the lead, Pivotal Pursuit ducked in and Van Rensburg had to take evasive action.

“It not for that I definitely finish in the top four – at least,” he said.

Kings Archer was beaten just 2.10 lengths and was just one length behind the second-placed runner.

Anyone who caught the Quartet would be whooping around in delight as it paid a remarkable R480,018.90.

Lerena and Janse van Vuuren struck in the third race with Doosra, who looked one of the best bets on the card. This horse won with authority and is definitely worth following.

Lerena then won Race 4 with African Ruler for Paul Peter, Race 5 aboard Drifting Dusk for Luck Houdalakis.

Janse van Vuuren had his second winner in Race 6 when Seattle Lady caused an upset in race 6, winning easily under JP van der Merwe at 15-1.

However, Lerena left his best of the day for Race 8, the final leg of the Jackpot, when he drove Prince Of Orange to victory in WSB Heritage Consolation, also over 1475m. The race looked to be between Counterstroke and Forest Fox but Lerena had the Candice Dawson-trained runner in full flight down the centre and in a three-way tussle he got the nose down at the line to win by a head from Counterstroke, who would have caused a major upset.

Van Vuuren then teamed with Randall Simons to win Race 9 with Green Pepper.

“It’s beautiful when a day like this comes together,” said Lerena.

TABnews

The inaugural running of the R750,000 WSB Grand Heritage over 1475m is sure to be exciting, but as the 28 horse field was chosen on current form and it is essentially a handicap it is not an easy race to assess.

Lunar Approach is the choice to win as he was up with the best three-year-olds last season before going off the boil and he showed last time when running on strongly over 1200m in the Gr 3 Spring Spree Stakes that he had benefited from a layoff. He has come down to a competitive merit rating too. The only concern is his middle draw and whether he will be able to find cover because it seems likely the field will split into two groups hugging the respective rails.

The choice for second is Arctica because he is distance suited and likely well handicapped considering he could have two more wins to his name if he had been luckier in his last two. He is 3kg better off with Bulleting Home for a mere 0,3 length beating in their last meeting over 1450m, although the latter was said to have needed it badly that day.

The surprising choice to fill third is Netflix, as he has always struck as a nice type and in his last few attempts at between 1400m and 1600m at the Vaal he has been undone by unfavourable draws. He will relish a fast pace, as one who stays further, and can use his good turn of foot to run into the money.

Awsome Adam is an interesting runner as one who has a sustained finish and is distance suited.

Donny G has a ton of speed and has stayed on from the front here over 1400m in very soft going to win before, so he could get the trip and will be dangerous if he does.

Chepardo is quite well weighted considering he touched off Pivotal Pursuit in a 1600m race in April, when finishing strongly for second, and is now 7kg better off with the latter. He likes to be handy and has shown a good turn of foot when winning over anything from 1400m to 1700m.

The small filly Alexa has a fine turn of foot and was unlucky last time, so if she can get a run she could earn a place.

Bulleting Home has good cruising speed and a superb turn of foot so could be a big runner despite carrying 63,5kg. He is a robust sort who should love running in a big field and he is drawn close to the inside.

Thrust is an interesting runner as one who has a good finishing burst over shorter, but whom also looked as if he was crying out for this trip when staying on in the Gr 3 Spring Spree Stakes over 1200m.

Celtic Captain quickened well in the Gr 2 Canon Guineas when finishing 6^th, despite coming from a handy position in a race run at a furious pace. That augurs well for his chances in this big field handicap. He is 1kg better off with Humidor for a 0,75 length beating over 1400m on the Greyville poly last time out.

Humidor is a progressive sort with speed and class so he could still be on the up and might be well handicapped. He likes to run from the front and it won’t be easy to stave off the closers here.

Front Rank is distance suited and, although not the most reliable sort, his trainer Tyrone Zackey is known for his ability to have them primed for big races. It would be no surprise to him winning.

Moofeed proved in a 1450m event last time he is more than just a sprinter as he stayed on well from midfield. However, he has to carry a Gr 3 penalty and faces Bulleting Home on the same terms despite having been beaten 1,1 lengths by him in that last 1450m event.

Irish Pride has always had a touch of class and caught the eye when winning here last time over 1400m, so he must be considered.

They are selected in the order mentioned.

There are some fair bets in the meeting. Doosra, a half-brother to the like of Captain’s Knock, looks classy and the form of his debut appears strong, so he will be hard to beat in the third race over 1200m, although there are some well-bred first timers in the field.

Paree has come into her own in the typical fashion of a progeny of Silvano and she looks to possess some class, so she could be fair value to upset Seattle Singer in the fifth over 1200m.

The Stone Trower moved up superbly in his Highveld debut before running out of puff, so he likely needed it and can make amends in tomorrow’s sixth over 1200m.

Prince Of Orange has some class and is doing well for his new yard. He is coming into his own now and can win the eighth over 1475m.

Rivarine is packed with speed and class and can make it two wins in succession over 1000m at the Vaal in the 9^th race.

David Thiselton

National Champion Trainer Sean Tarry has three runners in the inaugural running of the R750,000 World Sports Betting Grand Heritage over 1475m at the Vaal on Saturday and was favouring the four-year-old Right Approach colt Lunar Approach as the yard elect.

However, he said the other pair, Bulleting Home and Donny G, had both been doing well too.

Lunar Approach made an eye catching comeback from a five month layoff when running on strongly in the Gr 3 Spring Spree Stakes over 1200m to finish a 3,15 length sixth behind the top class Kangaroo Jack.

Tarry is not too phased by the second run after a rest syndrome.

He said, “Lunar Approach has had a very good prep and is getting quite a bit of weight from the other two. I could have brought him in fresh, but under the conditions of the race he had to have a run. He was right up with the best three-year-olds and I then sent him to Cape Town for the Million Dollar. It didn’t really work out. He was then a bit flat in his two subsequent runs back in Jo’burg, so we sent him for a rest. He did nicely in his break. He strengthened up and got over whatever it was that was bothering him. His prep run proved that.”

Lunar Approach is down from a highest merit rating of 95 to 92, so looks well handicapped. His three wins have been from 1200-1600m so the trip should be ideal.

However, Tarry did say he believed the extreme inside and outside draws would be favourable, so Lunar Approach’s draw could be a bit of a concern. He will come into draw 14 if the two reserves are scratched so will be slap bang in the middle. Lunar Approach carries 58kg and Western Cape Champion Jockey Grant van Niekerk rides.

Bulleting Home returned from a three month break to win a 1450m Pinnacle Stakes event on the Turffontein Inside track on September 17, beating two other Grand Heritage contenders Arctica and Moofeed. He will be 3kg worse off with Arctica for a 0,3 length beating, which brings the latter right into the race on paper, and will face Moofeed, whom he beat by 1,1 lengths, on the same terms.

However, Tarry said, “He needed that last run quite badly. A three week gap, instead of two, would have been ideal between that run and the Grand Heritage. But having said that, he has had a good prep. He is doing well and moving even better than he was going into that last race. He unfortunately has a big weight, but we will take our chances. He has a nice draw, there is a lot of speed down that inside rail, and he has a nice turn of foot. Brandon Lerena will suit him and is significantly a heavy jockey, so he won’t have to carry too much dead weight.”

Bulleting Home, a robust five-year-old gelding by the late three-time national champion sire Western Winter, has to carry joint second top weight of 63,5kg and is drawn five.

Donny G, a four-year-old gelding by Seventh Rock, has plenty of speed, but also has a tricky draw as he will come in from 18 to 16 if the two reserve runners are scratched.

Despite his speed he has won a 1400m event from the front. Before. That was actually in very soft going and he fought off a challenger that day too, so he has a chance of staying the 1475m trip.

Tarry said, “It is touch and go, the extra 75 metres might stretch him. But he is well and has had a fantastic prep. He did far better over 1000m last time than I had expected him to do.”

That handicap race on September 13, in which he gave the winner Rafa 10kg and was beaten just 1,35 lengths, was his seasonal reappearance. However, it came less than two months after his 3,1 length demolition of a 1200m handicap field on July 28 down the Vaal straight. Tarry concluded, “He has quite a bit of weight which is a concern.” Donny G carries 62kg and Keagan de Melo rides.

Meanwhile, three of Tarry’s stalwarts. Legal Eagle, Carry On Alice and Cloth Of Cloud, have been progressing nicely since returning from rests on the farm.

Legal Eagle was in full training until mid-July, because the Vodacom Durban July and Champions Cup were two races which he could possibly have participated in. He ultimately did not run in either. However, he was able to enjoy only about a month’s holiday on the farm.

Carry On Alice had a farm holiday of nearly three months following her Gr 1 City Of Pietermaritzburg Sprint run, where nothing went right for her.

Cloth Of Cloud missed Scottsville and had a long break on the farm. All three have been back in training for about a month.

David Thiselton