Point Of View: Duncan Howells (on R4#1 Portman Square) and Weiho Marwing (on R3#1 Sun Dynasty)

Candice Bass-Robinson’s KZN satellite yard under the care of long-time assistant Robert Fayd’Herbe got off the mark with Harry Da Wheels last week and they can add to their tally at Greyville tomorrow night where Fayd’Herbe saddles Ashton Park in the IV Tech Pinnacle Stakes over the all-weather mile.

The veteran galloper has always been useful and although just below top class he has been a loyal servant for the yard with eight victories to his credit. He makes his 40^th start this evening and has been in good form in his home province where he has placed in two Pinnacle Stakes events on the Kenilworth old course, both in soft ground.

It has been a feature of the Greyville poly track that older horses with mileage on the clock often take a new lease on their racing lives, possibly due to the more forgiving surface. The fact that Ashton Park goes well in the soft should augur well for his chances here.

His prospects will be further enhanced by the presence of Anton Marcus in the saddle. Marcus has been side-lined for the past month but has assured that he is back fit and in the pink of condition.

Some trainers are still reluctant to race on the poly for various reasons but Dean Kannemeyer is not one of them. He sends out Canigao and Last Tiger, both of whom on their best form will be a threat. Canigao has won five of his eight starts, mostly on the poly, but the colt has been off since finishing tailed off in a handicap back in May reportedly ‘fatigued’.

The mile is short of his best that suggests that he is short of peak fitness. The same cannot be said for Last Tiger. The only recent blot on his copy book came after a return to the turf. More recently he shouldered 62kg to victory over course and distance and although not particularly well in at the weights he is deadly on the poly.

Another poly specialist is Cat In Command. Pat Lunn’s charge has an excellent record over course and distance but he does take a rise in class.

Punters looking for a banker could find it in Breakfast Club, another poly specialist. Dennis Drier’s charge is unbeaten in two stabs on the surface and lines up in the fifth under Sean Veale.

Last time out he was set a difficult task in an MR80 handicap at Scottsville but was still send out favourite, backed in from an opening call of 2-1 to start 11-10. He ran well below form in a rough race finishing with just two behind him. The return to poly could see him back to his best and from a good draw he should at least be competitive.

After a short spell in the doldrums, Weiho Marwing saddled a double last Wednesday and Sun Dynasty has a bright chance in the opening leg of the Pick 6. The gelding had patchy Cape Town form before arriving in Marwing’s Ashburton yard but had shown ability. First time out for Marwing and making his debut on the poly, Sun Dynasty was fitted with a tongue-tie and the improvement was immediate as he finished a close-up second to Dale House.

However, he is up against two younger rivals that have given notice of their ability but are returning from three-month breaks. Tony Rivalland rested Marron after a disappointing effort in the KZN Breeders Juvenile back in June but prior to that he had run subsequent Gr2 winner Zodiac Ruler to within a length.

That form has since proven to be a little suspect but considering that this is a modest Maiden Plate Marron must come strongly into the picture especially if properly racing fit.

Royal Yevahn has finished behind Marron both times that they have met but Paul Gadsby has high hopes for his colt and the break may well have done him good.

Andrew Harrison

KZN’s record-breaking Champion Jockey Anthony Delpech has flown over to the UK where he will ride the Alec Laird-trained J&B Met winner Smart Call in Saturday’s Group 1 Kingdom Of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes over a mile at Newmarket.

Delpech will also ride the crack Ideal World mare in the forthcoming Breeder’s Cup meeting.

Delpech has recently been retained by Mary Slack of Wilgerbosdrift Stud and riding the Mauritzfontein Stud-owned horses was also part of the agreement.

Smart Call was bred and is owned by Mauritzfontein Stud, which is run by Mary Slack’s daughter Jessica.

Saturday’s race is mainly being seen as a preparation run for Smart Call’s Breeder’s Cup mission, where she will run in the Breeder’s Cup Filly and Mare Turf. It will provide an ideal opportunity for Delpech to get a feel of Smart Call.

This will be the first time Delpech has ridden in the UK. The race, which will be run on The Rowley Mile racecourse, is due to start at 5pm South African time.

Summerveld trainer Dennis Drier and his wife Gill will be among the spectators at the race.

They were invited by Jessica Slack to attend and hopefully buy some horses at Ireland’s Premier Yearling Sale this week, the Goffs Orby Sale, and they will also attend the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale with her at Newmarket next week.

David Thiselton

While the runners and jockeys have their work cut out for them in The Grand Heritage, sponsored by World Sports Betting at the Vaal Racecourse on Saturday there will be someone in the grandstand who has the toughest job of all on the day.

But for Alistair Cohen, the thought of having to commentate on a race involving 28 horses isn’t as scary a prospect as some might imagine as Racing. It’s A Rush found out when catching up with him earlier this week

“I’m really looking forward to 28-horses down the Vaal straight. It’s something unique and obviously hasn’t been done before. I think the biggest allure of the race is the fact that, as in any particular race, you can’t be sure what is going to happen. You’re never sure what to expect.,” said Cohen.

“I’ve known for a long time and I’ve been excited ever since. I’ll be the first guy to call 28-horses in a race in SA so that’s a really nice accomplishment.”

As far as his planning for the meeting goes he’s not going to try and pre-empt things by formulating some sort of script. This is racing after all.

“I tend not to over-prepare things. I obviously get accustomed to the form and things like that but I like to call things off the cuff and let the race develop. Because this is such an unknown and a new concept it’s going to be a thrill to be able to call the race.”

What could make his task that bit more challenging is the fact that there is a perception of a draw bias

“I’m not the biggest believer that there is a track bias. I guess when it comes to Saturday we might get a better idea in the first few races if the jockeys favour one side of the track or not. I’ve never believed there is a bias. In my view it’s flat, it’s grass and it’s long. If a horse is good enough it will win from anywhere on the track.

“What I am most worried about is if they split into two groups. For races down the straight I call off the TV, races around the turn I use the binoculars. There might be horses that are out of view so I’m going to have to use binoculars and having perception of which horse is in front is a completely different ball game. That’s probably my biggest fear but overall I can’t wait for it. It’s going to be something so cool.”

Cohen has been an official racecaller since August 2010, his love affair with the art started as a schoolboy when winning a commentator’s competition at the age of 12, and he’s revelled in the role ever since.

It means that he’s well-versed when it comes to picking out runners even if there are a number of runners in The Grand Heritage sporting the same colours, their caps will differentiate them and can’t see that being an issue in a big field.

“The nice thing is that these are all established horses. They’ve been around the block and I’ve seen them all before. If it was a whole lot of first timers that would be a different challenge. “

– Racing. It’s A Rush

The KZN pair running in the R750,000 World Sports Betting Grand Heritage over 1475m at the Vaal on Saturday, the Tony Rivalland-trained Humidor and the Gavin van Zyl-trained Celtic Captain, have both been doing well since running first and second in a MR 100 Handicap over 1400m on the Greyville polytrack.

The pair are drawn in 19 and 26 respectively in the 28 runner event, although they will each come in two positions if both reserve runners are scratched.

Rivalland said Humidor had done well in his last serious workout at Summerveld on Tuesday and was in good shape. He added, “If the right Humidor turns up on Saturday, I think he is the horse to beat.”

Rivalland’s chief concern is the mere 13 day gap the horse will have had between his last run, which followed a two-and-a-half month break, and this one. “It is not ideal from a training perspective. If he had had his intended run at Scottsville on September 7, instead of rearing up and having to be scratched, that would have been ideal. But we can’t control these sort of things and they happen.”

Rivalland had said earlier in the week. ”A 1475m big field event down the straight is a tough race, but I think he will handle it.” He referred to Humidor’s fourth place finish in the KZN Breeders Million Mile as evidence he would stay the trip, before concluding, “He has natural cruising speed, but a lot will be down to jockeyship in a race like this. If you go too early it will kill your chances. Those coming from off the pace will be favoured in a race like this and that’s the only thing against him, because he likes to do his own thing out in front.”

The Backworth Stud-bred four-year-old Miesque’s Approval gelding, who is owned by KZN stalwart racing personality Mary Liley among others, holds the Scottsville 1200m course record, lowering the time, previously held by Kildonan, to 66,98 seconds. He led from start to finish in that last 1400m start and was not stopping at the line. Top jockey Muzi Yeni rode him for the first time in that race and remains aboard.

Humidor has been backed in to 12/1. As a lightly raced five-year-old he is still relatively unexposed. He also seems a progressive sort, so he could be well handicapped off his current 86 merit rating.

Celtic Captain is a classy son of Captain Al, bred by Patricia Devine investments and owned by Brian “Buffalo Bill” Burnard. He chased Humidor throughout the aforementioned 1400m race on the poly, but was still 0,75 lengths shy at the line. However, he will now be 1kg better off at the weights which will bring them together on paper. Celtic Captain also likes to race handy, but possesses a noteworthy kick and is deserving of his 99 merit rating.

Gareth van Zyl actually trains the Burnard-owned horses in the yard and said, “I am happy with his preparation, he has done well since his last run and will run well.”

Humidor and Celtic Captain will travel up to Johannesburg on Friday morning together with the James Goodman-trained Aldric, who runs in the WSB Heritage 1200.

David Thiselton