Golden Horseshoe winner Zodiac Ruler is being aimed at the Grand Parade Cape Guineas on December 17 and could be better than his 100 rating would suggest.

He started odds-on for the Premiers Champion and, although beaten half a length by 25-1 shot Gunner, Piere Strydom came back reporting that his mount did not act in the soft.

Justin Snaith, who won the 2010 Cape Guineas with Solo Traveller, believes there is more to it than just the ground and said: “What counted against him that day was that he was standing in the pens for so long (several minutes while they settled Misty Birnam) that Piere actually had to wake him up. He is a very smart horse and he will be much better suited by the longer straight at Kenilworth.”

Snaith confirmed that Jet Explorer will continue to campaign in Port Elizabeth where the eight-year-old continues to defy the horrific injuries he suffered in the 2014 Rising Sun Gold Challenge. His win in last Friday’s Founders Trophy was his fourth in six starts.

“There is nothing for him in Cape Town but there is a race for him every few weeks at Fairview,” reasoned the trainer.

Snaith Racing’s Port Elizabeth satellite is enjoying a particularly good run at Fairview – Monday’s four-timer followed a treble on Friday – and is being run by Des McLachlan who trained Ethno Centric to win the 2001 Cape Guineas but is perhaps best known for his handling of Hear The Drums.

McLachlan, together with almost everybody else in racing, believed that this prolific scorer had broken the South African record when winning for the 33^rd time at Arlington in July 2010.

It was only when Aiden Lithgow recalled reading a paragraph in Jean Jaffee’s great book They Raced To Win that it was realised that the record was set almost 90 years ago by Darius who won 42 races.

Michael Clower

Punters face a tricky card at Scottsville tomorrow and many will be banking on 1200m course record holder Humidor to get back to winning ways in the Bartab No 56 @ Overport Handicap.

The gelding was tried over1600m last time out, the stake of the KZN Breeders Million Mile an obvious carrot for Tony Rivalland and the connections, and although the “mile” proved a touch beyond his compass he was far from disgraced in fourth behind top performers No Worries and Rabada.

The blinkers are back on as is Anton Marcus who has been aboard in all four of the gelding’s victories so the omen’s are all good.

Sean Tarry saddles the top weight Kapitan that is having his third start after a break. He had an inexperienced apprentice aboard last time out and has been replaced by his more experienced weighing room colleague Lyle Hewitson. The gelding has some fair Highveld form to his credit and he should strip at his peak this afternoon.

The Chris Erasmus has hit form of late and Panza has been flying the stable flag, his last two wins coming over course and distance but he does take on a better class field.

Duncan Howells saddled 22 runners at this venue on Sunday and will be busy again today with another 10 to saddle. He can get the meeting off to a winning start in the All To Come Maiden Plate with the filly Inyati. She was the more fancied of a Howells trio last time out but after hitting the front a furlong out was swamped by Maple Story and stable companions Online and Accidental Tourist.

The winner is highly regarded and both Online and Accidental Tourist have franked that form. The shorter trip should also suit and given Inyati’s last showing she rates the filly to beat.

She does face a field that is not short of form and best of the challengers could come in the form of Captains Moll.  James Goodman’s filly was tossed in at the deep end – a maiden against winners in a Gr2 – at her last outing after two smart sprints. She finished second on debut to the smart Howells-trained Blaze Of Mystery at long odds and a repeat of that showing will make her dangerous.

Monte Christo has his second start for Charles Laird in the Racing. It’s A Rush Graduation Plate and looks primed for the event.

A winner on debut for Alistair Gordon, Monte Christo was hammered by the handicappers and came out of it with a seemingly lofty merit rating of 85. The handicappers were taking no chances when Monte Christo followed with a close-up third in his handicap debut and was shunted up another four pounds.

Rested, gelded and changed stables Monte Christo started a luke-warm favourite over the Scottsville 1000m for his new yard finishing a creditable third, beaten under a length by Swakopmund. With that run under his girth and over a more suitable trip, he is likely to be on offer at cramped odds.

Howells saddles Restless Rogue who could give Monte Christo and Anton Marcus something to think about. The three-year-old has only had three outings, winning second time out and then four lengths back in his handicap debut. He will enjoy the step up in trip and gets 3,5 kg from Monte Christo. He also has the services of Anthony Delpech which is worth an extra couple of lengths.

Unbelievable Chad, part-owned by Olympic gold medallist Chad le Clos, started favourite on debut but found Monte Christo just a little more forward and he had to settle for silver, as did Le Clos in the recent Rio Olympics.

Unbelievable Chad proved to be a handful and his post maiden form, although useful, was obviously below what was expected and Paul Lafferty eventually called in the vet.

After a four-month break, Unbelievable Chad came out in a strong Pinnacle Stakes sprint and was palpably in need of the outing, finishing seven lengths adrift of the smart London Call.

He is sure to have come on from that run and if he has his mind on the job he could have the measure of both Monte Christo and Restless Rogue. In any event all three should be included in the exotics.

Andrew Harrison

Glen Kotzen is aiming his Golden Slipper winner Final Judgement at the Choice Carriers Championship at Kenilworth on October 29 and the World Sports Betting Fillies Guineas on December 3.

Kotzen, who won both races with Princess Victoria five years ago, said: “Final Judgement is in a paddock with her mates enjoying life at the moment but we will go the usual route, the 1 400m Grade 2 and then the Fillies Guineas.”

Final Judgement (Nkosi Hlope)

Final Judgement made all the running at 20-1 in the Golden Slipper but weakened into seventh after racing prominently and taking it up over two furlongs out in the Thekwini four weeks later.

Kotzen believes that performance is best forgotten and explained: “It was very hard for her from her 12 draw and we had to use her to get there. It wasn’t her running at all.”

Yorker pulled up sound after his Strensall Stakes second at York on his British debut last month, his first race for more than two years, but there are doubts about whether he will meet his engagement in the Champion Stakes at Ascot on October 15.

Derek Brugman, racing manager for part-owner Markus Jooste, points out that a Group 1 would be a big ask for the horse’s second run after such a long lay-off and that the seven-year-old would probably need to perform well in another race in the meantime in order to have a crack at the big one.

The Jet Master gelding won the Sansui Summer Cup, HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut and President’s Champions Challenge for Geoff Woodruff and is now with William Haggas at Newmarket.

Brugman has clarified the decision to race many of the Jooste-owned horses in the name of Mayfair Speculators, the company long used for purchasing them. The reason is “streamlining” and, for the moment at least, only those horses owned solely by the Joostes will race under the Mayfair Speculators banner. Those in partnership with other people will appear in the racecard as part-owned by Mr & Mrs Jooste as before.

They also have a growing number of horses in Europe and those carrying the famous emerald green, yellow stars black sleeves and cap colours include the Aidan O’Brien-trained Douglas Macarthur who is joint favourite for next year’s Epsom Derby.

Michael Clower

The Vaal has an eight race card on the Standside and as usual the draw will be a factor as the Standside going is usually favourable, or at least the jockeys tend to go to this side which often makes it tough for low drawn horses.

The most interesting horse on the card is Kostya Zu, who runs over 1200m in the sixth, a MR 72 Handicap. On Saturday he ran over 1200m on the Turffontein Inside track in the Gr v3 Spring Spree Stakes and finished 6,5 lengths behind the exciting Kangaroo Jack. He was 9kg under sufferance so on paper ran below his handicap mark in comparison to Kangaroo Jack taken that over 1200m 1kg equals half-a-length. However, the latter was running off a capped merit rating, having been awarded a maximum six points after his facile Gr 2 Post Merchants win, and proved it by winning ever so cosily. Kostya Zu also had to jump from a high draw and was reined back in the early stages. He was not persevered with in the closing stages so could have got closer. Furthermore, his form includes a 7,5 length fifth to Carry On Alice over 1100m when receiving 7,5kg. Tomorrow is his third run after a rest, he jumps from a fair draw and is in the handicap for a change. He comes from the Coenie de Beer yard of Equus Champion Sprinter Talktothestars and like the latter will run shoeless. De Beer has a small string but keeps a high strike rate, which this season is around 18% (two winners from eleven runners). The danger to Kostya Zu could be the topweight Ronin Warrior. He started awkwardly over 1000m on the Turffontein Inside track when disappointing last time. He might prefer returning to a straight course. He had shown in his previous two starts over 1200m and 1000m at the Vaal that he has good pace coupled with the ability to kick on in the final stages. He will need to use both assets in order to overcome his unfavourable number one draw. Three-year-old Master Boulder produced a fine run first time out the maidens over this course and distance when a 1,5 length third in a Novice Plate. He proved there to be up to, if not better than his 80 merit rating, considering he ran at level weights with the winner, who was merit rated eight points higher than him, and all of the second, fourth and fifth placed horses were merit rated higher than him. He is a big runner on paper, but on the downside he has a low draw and this race has more older horses involved than he faced last time.

The best bet suggestion is Jackman in the fourth race, a Maiden over 1200m. This is a nice looking horse with a long stride and he ran on strongly over 1160m at Turffontein last time to only just fail. He now has a favourable high draw and does not have much to beat, unless the Australian-bred Baudelaire, who makes his debut from a plum draw, proves above average.

The value each way bet suggestion of the day comes in probably the most open race of the day, the last, which is a MR 67 Handicap over 1400m. Intandokazi is reunited with Raymond Danielson, who remains an underrated jockey, who has an astute tactical awareness. He also has an affinity with horses and learns quickly how best to ride them. Danielson rode this big horse in his penultimate start from a similarly tricky draw over this distance on the Vaal Inside course and after holding him up he flew through for a 1,75 length third to Awesome Adam, who franked the form by winning next time out. Danielson will likely attempt to hold the horse up until he has found a favourable spot behind horses on the standside and with a similarly strong finish will have a chance.

In the second race, a maiden over 1600m, Rubybay has those to have run beaten on form and has a favourable draw. However, there is a well-bred first-timer involved, the Irish-bred Cidada, who is by none other than world leading sire Galileo and is a half-sister to the Gr 2 Premier Trophy runner up from 2009, Vision Of Grandeur. However, the record of Galileo’s Southern Hemisphere runners falls way short of his Northern Hemisphere runners and it is also concerning to see a 1,5kg claimer aboard first up, although she does have a plum draw.

In the first race over 1200m Lily Love is a form choice, but the question is whether she can overcome a low draw, but she does have champion workrider Sam Mosia aboard so is still tipped to win at the expense of the moderate Chinese Whisper, who has a plum draw and proved last time when placed second over this trip that she could win a race of this uninspiring quality.

David Thiselton

The National Horseracing Authority’s Racing Control Executive Arnold Hyde has reportedly confirmed there will be an enquiry into the objection in race 1 at Turffontein on Saturday, one of the most controversial upheld decisions in recent times.

Jockey Karl Zechner aboard Nordic Storm, who had been backed from 8/1 into 7/2,  objected against the favourite Querari Viking on the grounds of being bumped at the start and on interference in the straight. However, in a live explanation given by a stipendiary steward to Tellytrack viewers, it was divulged that the chief incident looked at by the stipes was the one in the straight.

Nordic Storm is being aimed at a narrow gap between Querari Viking and the rail at about the 300m mark but has the door closed on him. He thus switches outward and after being hard ridden is beaten 1,1 lengths. Meanwhile, Querari Viking had galloped strongly to the line. In the view of the stipendiary stewards the interference at the 300m mark had affected  Nordic Storm’s momentum and in their opinion it had cost the horse a length-and-half. Considering he had then closed the gap to about a length, which was the distance separating the horses at the time of the interference, they decided to award the race to Nordic Storm, albeit on a split decision.

However, in the view of many irate punters the switching movement had not cost Nordic Storm much, if any, momentum. In their opinion Querari Viking had simply been travelling the stronger at the time and had pulled clear before duly holding on to win comfortably.

Due to rule 69.3.1 upheld objections usually pertain to horses which are beaten narrowly, while at the same time having been cost obviously more ground than the winning margin.

Rule 69.3.1 states: a placed HORSE was interfered with by another placed HORSE and/or its RIDER during a RACE and the HORSE which was interfered with would, but for the interference, have finished ahead of the HORSE which caused the interference, in which event, the OBJECTION BOARD shall place the HORSE which caused the interference behind the HORSE which was interfered with or it may disqualify the HORSE which caused the interference.

Yesterday’s Scottsville meeting was also tinged with controversy.

In the fifth race jockey Keagan de Melo was not ready when the starter pressed the button as some equipment on his mount was still being adjusted. His mount thus left the stalls riderless. The starter, upon realising what had happened, called a false start. However, not all of the jockeys heard the call. Once a false start is called the event immediately becomes a “no race”. Therefore chief stipendiary steward Sean Parker was left with only two options, to re-run the race later or declare it null and void. He opted for the latter, it being the fairer choice on the horses. He said an enquiry would be held into the jockeys not responding to the false start call and added the current “recall” procedures would be looked into to see whether they could be improved upon.

David Thiselton