Turffontein (inside) Tuesday Sep 27 race previews by David Thiselton

Race 1:

Preview: FEARLESS FRED has run two decent races over 1200m. She is by Sail From Seattle out of a Western Winter mare who won one race over 1000m but did quite well in two races from 1400-1600m. He is drawn well and was not stopping at the line last time so should stay the trip and is tipped to win. DUKE OF EDINURGH ran a fair race over course and distance last time and should be involved again. ZOHAR is by Kahal and is a full brother to the fair sort Schachar who reached an 86 merit rating in Cape Town. He should enjoy this trip. UPOSEUPAY has had 29 runs in the maidens but has been running some fair races lately, mainly over 1600m, and should be affective over this trip too so can earn in this field. MEXICAN SUN has run a fair race over this sort of trip before and could still improve. (David Thiselton 6-2-10)

Race 2:

Preview: NEGROAMARA is a classy sort who would prefer further but her ability could pull her through here, especially considering she is 6,5kg better off at the weights on official merit ratings than any other horse. QUERARI FALCON won the Gr 1 Thekwini over 1600m last time out and has some speed too so should be effective over this trip, although she is 6,5kg out at the weights with Negroamara and the Thekwini form is not working out well to date.   KAHULA is officially 13kg under sufferance with Negroamara but ran a fair race last time in the BSA Million Mile and could earn.  (David Thiselton 1-3-6)

Race 3:

Preview: TAMBALANG ran a fine race last time over 1600m and will be improving all the time being by Go Deputy and she will appreciate the further step up in trip too. CIDADA, who is by Galileo, should improve on her debut run coming from the Alec Laird yard and should enjoy the step up in trip on pedigree but a concern is she made a breathing noise. The RED LIST could also earn but is another who has breathing problems. (David Thiselton 5-4-6)

Race 4:

Preview: HIGH DRAMA is an ultra consistent sort and being only four points higher than his last win should go close for an in form yard over a suitable trip. There does not look to be much between SEVEN SINGLE and High Drama. The former is drawn in pole over the course and distance of his best run. BUBBLY REPLY is 2kg under sufferance on official merit ratings. However, his maiden win over course and distance has worked out well and he could surprise here. (David Thiselton 1-2-8)

Race 5:

Preview: AL FAHAD looks set to be a classic horse after a fine performance over 1200m on debut in which he showed good pace and a telling kick in the latter stages when challenged. This is his first run around the turn and he has the tough task of running off an 89 merit rating in his first handicap outing, so he can by no means be regarded as a banker, but from draw three with Delpech up does look the one to beat. PROFIT RATIO has won over course and distance before and is back to the mark of his last win, which was over 1400m o the standside track. He did alright with first time blinkers on last time and they remain on off a two point lower mark.  SHOTGUN RIDER is 0,5kg under sufferance but has performed well in maiden races over this trip so should enjoy the slight step down in distance and has the advantage of pole position. APPLE CRUMBLE will also likely appreciate the step down in trip from last time but a concern is the respiratory noises he makes. MR MULLINER is course and distance suited but has a wide draw to overcome which will be tough carrying 60kg. (David Thiselton 3-2-7)

Race 6:

Preview: PAREE is showing the improvement typical of the older progeny of Silvano and considering the ease of her last two wins over 1160m and 1450m respectively she can continue on her winning ways despite a seven point raise in the merit ratings and a wide draw. PERFUMED LADY is well drawn and has dropped to an attractive merit rating over a suitable trip. PENNNY SERENADE was used up to overcome a wide draw over 1200m on the Turffontein Inside track last time in a strong field but this time is well drawn and is three points lower in the merit ratings. EMBRASIATIC also has a fair draw and looks to be off a competitive mark over a suitable trip. NITROGEN touched off Embrasiatic last time and is only three points higher. She could continue to improve but has a tough draw to overcome. (David Thiselton 7-1-4)

Race 7:

Preview:  ENDEARING has dropped to a competitive merit rating and should be finishing strongly from a fair draw. SPRINGHILLS is a well-bred sort who got up late on debut over 1000m and should appreciate the step up in trip so can go close from a plum draw off a reasonable merit rating. SIDE SHOW has ability and over a suitable trip could be involved from a plum draw, but it is never easy for a young three-year-old to carry topweight against older horses off an 84 merit rating. (David Thiselton 4-6-1)

Race 8:

Preview: WANTED MAN went close on debut and with a repeat he will be a big runner from a plum draw, although he returns from a three month layoff. JIM CABLES ran a good debut and Lerena remains aboard, albeit from a tough draw. TIMEOFTHEVIKINGS has pole position draw and as an improving sort should be involved in this uninspiring field. MIESQUE’S RUMBA ran a good race in second time blinkers over this trip and also has a plum draw. SURF’S UP has a tough draw but might appreciate the step down in trip and could earn. ARLINGTON is by Pathfork out of a King Of Kings mare whose only win was in her eleventh start over 1450m. (David Thiselton 11-7-4)

The amazing Songbird (Jerry Hollendorfer/Mike Smith) took her unbeaten sequence to 11 with yet another resounding victory as she overwhelmed a field of top-class rivals in the Cotillion Stakes (Grade 1 – 1700m, dirt, 3yo fillies) , coasting home by nearly six lengths in a totally dominant performance.

On paper, the $1 million event looked set to provide the sternest test of Songbird’s flawless career to date. On the racetrack, it was to prove anything but as the brilliant daughter of Medaglia d’Oro scored in imperious fashion, tracking front-runner Carina Mia before easily taking command at the head of the stretch.

“A picture of perfection,” suggested the racecaller as the 3-10 favourite sauntered clear, and it was hard to argue as she won going away from front-runner Carina Mia. Kentucky Oaks winner Cathryn Sophia, kept off the pace at her home venue, was a poor third nearly seven lengths behind the second.

“She was so happy, so calm and cool,” said Mike Smith, the only rider last year’s Eclipse Award-winning filly has known. “She was having fun today. That was the old her and I was so glad to see that.

“There have been times when I had to ask her for a jump or two, maybe in the Coaching Club American Oaks for about a good 100 yards, but she does things so easily and I’m so blessed to be a part of her. She seems to have blossomed. I don’t know if that’s possible or not.”

Songbird – who is named after a Fleetwood Mac song, specifically the Eva Cassidy version – stopped the clock at 1m44.02s. She has now won her 11 starts – seven at Grade 1 level – by a cumulative 60½ lengths.

“She just continues to amaze me,” said Rick Porter of owners Fox Hill Farms. “It doesn’t get any better than to watch her today, she was just gorgeous. I’m proud to watch her race; she gives me chills every time.”

Porter confirmed that Songbird’s next target is the Breeders’ Cup Distaff; she will also stay in training at four. “We got a big one coming now,” he said. “I think Jerry and I agree the Distaff is the race to run her in. There’s some big cheese in that race.”

RacingPost.com

Silvan Star could be in line for a crack at the Diana Stakes after bouncing back to form under Greg Cheyne in the All To Come Novice Plate at Durbanville on Saturday.

Glen Kotzen, who has already won the Diana four times this century, said: “The race comes up quite soon but I have nominated her and we will see how she pulls up.

“I thought she was going to be my Daisy Fillies Guineas runner but she had a dreadful Durban season with only one run in four months. She was suffering from travel sickness when she arrived and then she had foot abscess after foot abscess.”

Francia, on whom Cheyne led over a furlong out to become the first filly to take the Settlers Trophy since Let’s Be Cool in 2003, might find herself in the Gold Cup at the end of the season.

Justin Snaith said: “We were lucky to find a race like the Settlers – it was basically a 90 merit-rated Listed race – and I only stuck her in at the last minute when I saw the ratings of the entries but she is the sort of filly you could run in the Gold Cup.”

For the second Durbanville Saturday in a row Snaith won half the races but in the Itsarush.co.za Handicap it was Cheyne on 10-1 chance Union Jack who came off worst. In the closing stages Fifty Cents came off a straight line, possibly edging away from Richard Fourie’s whip, and Union Jack was squeezed like a lemon.

At least that was how it looked from the stands and on TV. The films in the boardroom showed rather more clearly how Union Jack, intimidated but not touched by the winner, bounced off the quarters of the strong finishing second-placed Icy Trail and lost his momentum.

The stipes decided there were no grounds for changing the result and Cheyne took the same view although he reported: “I was unfortunate. I was interfered with but I couldn’t win an objection because I was only third.”

The next Snaith winner, Sabine Plattner’s 22-10 favourite Twinkle Toes, also caused a stir but before the race. She dived into the parade ring gazebo and nearly decapitated rider Shadley Fortune. Her trainer then came up with the understatement of the month: “I’ve got to calm her down – she’s a bit hot.”

Fourie rode the stable’s other two winners and seemingly even he has joined the army of onlookers who openly wondered why he was so hesitant about taking his old job back earlier in the year. “It’s a thrill, and exciting how things are going at the moment,” he said.

It was also quite a day for Geoff Woodruff. At Turffontein newcomer Singapore Sling, backed from 8-1 to a still generous 3-1, lived up to the months of talk about him catching pigeons by romping home nearly six lengths clear in the manner of something special and at Durbanville the diminutive California Girl belied her lack of inches by following up her first time win, coming from last to first under Donovan Dillon.

Daughter Lucy said: “She is only 14.3 hands and she showed nothing until just before she first ran. Since then she has come on by leaps and bounds. She is a CTS Million Dollar candidate and hopefully she will be good enough to get in.”

Boyfriend Adam Marcus has taken his string from just ten when he started in 2012 to over 60 and he struck with the Grant van Niekerk-ridden Diva Fever in the opener while in the last Riaan van Reenen and Carl Burger made it three for their new partnership when Craig du Plooy sprang the shock of the season (so far at least) by making most of the running on 66-1 shot Royal Fleece.

Michael Clower

Rabada, winner of the Premiers Champion and Daily News for Mike Azzie, has changed stables and is now trained by Brett Crawford. The four-year-old is temporarily with Mike de Kock in Gauteng and is being prepared for the first part of the Johannesburg season.

Rabada (Nkosi Hlophe)

Crawford said: “Rabada came to me in the middle of July and he runs first in the Joburg Spring Challenge at Turffontein on October 8. He is in the Sansui Summer Cup but his mission is the Peermont Emperors Palace Charity Mile on November 5.”

The Philippi trainer will run last year’s Horse Chestnut winner Captain America in the Kuda Matchem Stakes at Durbanville on October 9. The six-year-old is the highest rated horse in the 1 400m Grade 3 and was third in last season’s J & B Met after finishing fourth in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and beating Futura in the Green Point.

Crawford said: “The programme is again the Green Point, Queen’s Plate and Met if all goes well.”

Crawford has never won the Matchem or the fillies equivalent on the same card, the Diana Stakes, but this time he also has the top-rated in that –Alexis, winner of last season’s Tibouchina. The five-year-old will start her campaign in this and then head towards the Klawervlei Majorca on Met day.

Joey Ramsden won last year’s Matchem with Act Of War and the 2011 running with Variety Club. He is responsible for all five three-year-olds among the 22 entries and his quintet includes Langerman winner Table Bay as well as the third and fourth, Newlands and Attenborough. The last-named reappears at Durbanville on Wednesday.

Ramsden also has four of the five three-year-olds entered in the Diana including Irridescence scorer Captain Gambler.

Michael Clower

After a string of close calls, Dennis Bosch’s consistent mare Shezaleader finally got another victory under her girth at Scottsville yesterday, but even then she did not cross the line first in the White Heart Décor Handicap. It took the stipendiary stewards what seemed an inordinately long time to decide on what looked to be fairly obvious interference by the winner Free State given that the margin of victory was a couple of pixels.

Inside the final furlong Free State shifted sharply inwards cannoning into favourite A Womans Way who in turn rolled onto Shezaleader, both of whom had been up with the pace throughout.

A Womans Way was checked out of the sandwich and switched from behind Free State but her race was already compromised. Alec Forbes did manage to straighten up Free State in the rush for the line but the damage had been done.

Shezaleader (left) and Free State (Nkosi Hlophe)

Forbes knew it as he unsaddled outside of the winner’s circle, so did Muzi Yeni aboard Shezaleader who made a beeline for the boardroom. The stewards quickly called for a race review but it was left to Yeni to lodge the successful protest.

Apprentice Calvin Habib is unbeaten aboard the Michael Roberts-trained Muscatt over the Scottsville short-cut and he made it three from three in the Niresh Gayadin Financial Plate in spite of the gelding returning from a five-month break. The seven-year-old son of Victory Moon is lengths better with some cut in the ground and he made it count yesterday.

Making all the early running he looked to have done his dash approaching the final furlong as favourite Swakopmund hit the front ahead of a chasing pack. However, the race changed complexion in a matter of strides as Swakopmund started treading water along with the chasers. Muscatt kept plugging away up the inside rail as the opposition fell away and he won rather comfortably in the end.

Earlier Habib had caused an upset on the James Goodman-trained Salsa Queen to get the Pick 6 off to a dodgy start for most punters.

Scent Of The Tiger overcame a horrific injury to win the Steel Doctor Maiden for Mark Dixon. Out resting in his paddock, he somehow took off half of one of his hooves. Nursed back to full soundness he showed no ill effects yesterday as he dug in stubbornly refusing to give in to favourite Cabinda.

Duncan Howells, fresh from a win with Gingerbread Man at Greyville on Friday night, saddled a treble with Accidental Tourist landing the odds in the card opener. Two races later Amazon King, also starting favourite, kept Rand Hedge at bay and Enlightenment rounded off a satisfying afternoon for the yard under Grant van Niekerk.

Anthony Delpech always had his race in hand aboard Accidental Tourist who had raced against winners at her previous start but he was second best aboard Rand Hedge who was unable to peg back the short-priced favourite Amazon King with Niekerk aboard. These two had the race to themselves with the balance of the field some seven lengths in arears.

Andrew Harrison