Mike Azzie’s Gr 2 Betting World 1900 contender Greek Legend will officially be 2kg under sufferance in Friday night’s race at Greyville, but Azzie regards this son of Black Minnaloushe as “way better” than his current 91 merit rating.

He elaborated, “We always rated Greek Legend better than Deputy Jud before he was hurt, and Deputy Jud finished third in the Gr 1 SA Classic and second in the Gr 1 SA Derby (before winning the Gr 2 Supreme Cup over 1450m on the Vaal sand).”

Greek Legend arrived at Summerveld the week after his win at Turffontein on April 30. That day, in a MR 102 handicap over 1600m, the blinkered gelding was making steady progress down the straight, but was a bit tight for room. However, when seeing daylight he found another rocket-like gear, which propelled him to the front from a seemingly beaten position.

He suffered a suspensory injury midway through his three-year-old season and his last outing was only his third run since February 2015.

He appears to be thriving at Summerveld and Azzie said, “He has improved a lot in soundness and fitness. He is eating well and has shed the winter coat he had, his coat now has a lovely sheen to it.”

Jockey JP van der Merwe mentioned only two horses he rides which could be followed for the rest of the season when being interviewed shortly after his J&B Met victory on Smart Call. One of them was Greek Legend.

From a draw of three and carrying only 54kg, Greek Legend looks to be a big runner tomorrow night, provided he takes to the new course and the lights, and as one who relaxes superbly in the running and has a fine turn of foot there is no reason why he shouldn’t.

David Thiselton

The 2016 Rider Cup Inter Provincial Jockeys’ Challenge is set to take place at Scottsville Racecourse on Sunday, 10 July 2016. The inaugural event was held last year and won by the KZN Falcons with the Highveld Hawks and Cape Eagles finishing second and third respectively.

“We have decided this year to stage this event as a standalone Scottsville Sunday racemeeting to avoid a clash of engagements amongst the leading jockeys,” says Gold Circle Marketing Executive Graeme Hawkins. “We hope to attract the best riders to represent their provinces this year and once again R100 000 will be up for grabs as prize money. In response to a suggestion from many quarters last year, we have agreed to include the leading PE domiciled rider in the Cape Eagles team, along with the top three Cape Town-based riders,” added Hawkins.

The leading riders from each province as at the 31^st May 2016 will be invited to represent their respective teams and the competition will again comprise four races over varying distances.

As of today’s date, 17 May 2016, the leading jockeys are as follows:-

KZN FALCONS:

Anthony Delpech

Anton Marcus

Muzi Yeni

Keagan De Melo

HIGHVELD HAWKS:

S’Manga Khumalo

Andrew Fortune

Karl Zechner

JP van der Merwe

CAPE EAGLES:

Grant van Niekerk

Aldo Domeyer

Bernard Fayd’Herbe

Teaque Gould (PE)

Neil Bruss sends out two classy fillies in the Listed East Coast Cup over 2000m on Friday night at Greyville, Deputy Ryder and Zante, and he favours the former but also gives the latter a chance because “she stays well.”

They look the pair to beat, although there are many horses with winning chances.

Bruss’s pair of horses are respectively by two of the current most talked about sires in the country, Go Deputy and Ideal World.

Go Deputy is the sire of SA Triple Crown hero Abashiri and his progeny not only stay well but show notable improvement in their four-year-old seasons.

Deputy Ryder showed her class last season in Durban by winning the Listed Queen Palm Stakes over 2400m at Greyville in eyecatching style.

However, her Cape Summer season did not pan out well for her after a bad start. An attempt to steal the slow run Listed Woolavington Handicap over 2400m, her opening race in the summer, by circling the field and sending her clear left her exhausted.

Neil Bruss

However, her three unplaced efforts and a fourth place finish overall in the summer did at least see her merit rating dropping one point to 94. Her penultimate run in the summer, when only 4,6 lengths behind Inara in the Gr 1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes over the too sharp 1600m showed also she has not lost her zest.

In her SA Champions Season pipe opener she finished a 0,25 length second to the classy Joey Ramsden-trained Gallica Rose in the Listed Scarlet Lady over 1750m at Scottsville and now faces her on identical terms. Both horses will be having their second runs after respective two month layoffs and both will relish the step up in trip. However a significant point is a reversal in draw fortunes in Deputy Ryder’s favour despite her having to still jump from a tricky draw of 8.

Grant can Niekerk rides Deputy Ryder, while Anthony Delpech retains the ride on the race’s defending champion Gallica Rose.

Zante had too much to do in the straight of the Scarlet Lady but was flying at the finish to be just 2,35 lengths back in fifth. She faces Gallica Rose on the same terms again and has a similar draw to the one she had in that race (9 compared to 8). An interesting point in her form is her fourth place finish in last year’s Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 amidst some of the best of an extraordinarily good crop. She will relish the step back up to that trip and could provide the best value in the race. Donovan Dillon replaces S’Manga Khumalo.

Gathering Fame (Nkosi Hlophe)

Ramsden also has two runners. The disappointing Grey Light attempts the trip for the first time. Her site Tapit, being a Gr 1 winner over 1800m gives her a chance of seeing it out, but on the other hand her second dam Harry’s Charm was a champion sprinter. She is officially 3,5kg under sufferance with Gallica Rose.

The Dennis Drier-trained Gathering Fame is said by the yard to be in good shape at Summerveld but she would have probably preferred this race to be at Scottsville. She finished a 1,5 length fourth to Gallica Rose last year but is now 4,5kg worse off and drawn wide.

Intergalactic (Nkosi Hlophe)

Ma Choix plugged in from last after being dropped out from a wide draw in the Scarlet Lady and was 4,7 lengths back at the line. She faces Gallica Rose on the same weight terms, so has a bit to do but is now drawn in pole and should have come on from the run.

Tonya is the dark horse. She is officially 3kg under sufferance with Gallica Rose but is a progressive three-year-old and caught the eye in her victorious pipe opener over 1950m at Scottsville considering she was quite strong in the running.

Intergalactic is also a progressive three-year-old and is officially only 1kg under sufferance with Gallica Rose. She was a staying on fifth in the Gr 2 Daisy Guineas, has proved she stays the trip and Anton Marcus is up from a fair draw of six.

Cassie O’Malley has a chance of beating Intergalactic on a line through Inaninstant. Her dour galloping style is not usually suited to the tight Greyville track, but can sometimes be effective if the jockey can time it right from the front. She is 1kg under sufferance with Gallica Rose.

The yard said they would be thrilled with a place for Kileigh, who is officially 1kg under sufferance, but achieved her current mark on the polytrack.

Speedy Chestnut is 4kg under sufferance with Gallica Rose and needs to improve on her first two KZN runs.

It is an intriguing race and Zante is chosen to cause the upset with Gallica Rose, Deputy Ryder, Intergalactic and Tonya next best.

By David Thiselton

In a concerted effort to eliminate any possible “crowding” on the inside rail, and to ensure a fair winning opportunity for all,  Gold Circle has taken the decision to limit the fields of the four Grade 1 Sprints at the Tsogo Sun Sprint Carnival Raceday to 14 runners and to bring in the far side rail by 4 metres. The famous Jackpot of Grade 1 sprints is set to take place at Scottsville Racecourse on Saturday, 4 June and entries are due this coming Friday, 20 May 2016.

Born To Rule (Nkosi Hlophe)

“There is no doubt that moving the inside rail has resulted in much fairer racing,” said Gold Circle Racing Executive Raf Sheik. “We want to do everything we can on this day to ensure the integrity of our Grade 1 races and eliminating the perceived better going on the inside goes a long way to achieving this,” he added.

While the decision to limit the fields to fourteen runners may be met with dissatisfaction in some quarters, there is no doubt that the move will be welcomed by the majority of riders. Anthony Delpech was quoted recently as saying, “with the rail moved in by four or five metres, racing down the straight is a pleasure much fairer for all concerned. Draws are no longer a major factor and interference has been minimised.”

Justin Snaith made the four-year-old Jet Master gelding Master’s Eye the elect of his two runners in the Gr 2 Betting World 1900, to be run at Greyville this Friday night, but that sentiment was based entirely on the draw.

Justin Snaith (Nkosi Hlophe)

Master’s Eye is drawn five with Richard Fourie up, while Grant Van Niekerk has a tough task overcoming draw 15 on Dynamic.

Master’s Eye could not find cover last time from a tricky draw over 1750m at Scottsville in the Listed Sledgehammer Stakes in his SA Champions Season pipe opener. His head was then twisted sideways throughout the straight. Snaith confirmed the horse had been looking at the stands. He didn’t expect a repeat of that antic on Friday night. Master’s Eye looks to be a big runner as he is officially joint best in at the weights and from a good draw should find cover over a step up in trip he will appreciate.

Snaith said Dynamic had come on well from his Champions Season pipe opener when caught late over 1600m at Scottsville. He added, “He would be a big runner if it weren’t for the draw.”

Dynamic will officially be 0,5kg under sufferance with the best in.

By David Thiselton