Anticipation will reach fever pitch at Turffontein tomorrow when Abashiri lines up for the Gr 1 A Derby in his bid to land the Triple Crown.

There are four Gr 1s in total to look forward to, including the R4 million Premier’s Champion Challenge over 2000m, as well as five Gr 2s, so it is going to be another Champions Day of high drama.

Abashiri looks every inch a champion and should have no problem staying the 2450m trip on both pedigree and running style. A wide draw is a concern but he doesn’t over race and can afford to be dropped out due to his blistering turn of foot. He should pick them off one by one in the straight.

The Mike de Kock-trained Jubilee Line strikes as a Derby type who should be staying on strongly.

Samurai Blade showed his class when staying on for third in the SA Classic and gave the impression he would handle this trip.

Kinaan is a progressive sort who has proved he stays the trip, although he has a lot to do at the weights.

Rocketball has some class but will have to improve on his SA Classic run. He has a chance of staying the trip considering he is from the family of facile Derby winner Irish Flame.

Milla’s World will be improving, being by Ideal World, and will likely relish the trip.

Bankable Teddy impressed last time when romping home in the Listed Derby Trial over 2000m and he could be the dark horse.

The selection is Abashiri to beat Jubilee Line with Samurai Blade, Milla’s World and Bankable Teddy next best.

In the Premier’s Champions Challenge Inara versus Legal Eagle is “a clash of the century” epic and one for the purists to savour. Inara is taking on the boys for the first-time and if the travel and altitude don’t affect her she will be up to it. On a strict form line through Smart Call, Inara has the beating of Legal Eagle. French Navy loves the course and distance and at best his finishing effort will take him close, but his two below par build up runs create a question mark. Captain America has become more settled since gelding and should give another honest account of himself, although he is one who would prefer soft ground. Both Brazuca and Judicial’s sustained finishing runs make them ideally suited to the course and distance. Stonehenge should ensure a good pace, having proved last time riders can’t afford to ignore him out in front.

The WSB Computaform Sprint will be an exciting contest. Carry On Alice can go one better than last year and land her third Gr 1. However Trip Tease will make it tough for her, especially if there is a draw bias like last year in which high numbers were favourable. Barbosa can be relied on to produce a classy performance every time he steps on to the racecourse. Tar Heel is the dark horse as he is packed with speed and hopefully for his connections horses can win from anywhere as he has a low draw. The same applies to recent Scottsville 1000m record breaker Muscatt, whose high cruising speed and ability to find another gear will make him dangerous. Talktothestars can never be underestimated and Moofeed is capable of a strong finishing run so could be a surprise place getter if putting his poor last run behind him.

Sean Tarry probably has a record number of winning two-year-old fillies this season and has a good chance of landing both the Gr 1 SA Nursery and the Gr 2 SA Fillies Nursery.

Cloth Of Cloud is probably the best of his young fillies and will try and repeat Carry On Alice’s feat of beating the boys in the SA Nursery. She is temperamental, which is the only downside. Janoobi would prefer further in time, but his class could carry him close. Approval Mode had to give 2kg to Janoobi last time and could get closer.

In The Fillies Nursery unbeaten Exquisite Touch won unextended over 1000m last time and looks hard to beat. Fursa is improving and could get closer to Exquisite Touch this time. Myfunnyvalentine won easily on debut despite ducking in the closing stages and has a chance.

The Gr 2 SA Oaks could see a win for Peggy Jay, who has beaten older horses in her last three starts and is proven over the course and distance. There is not much between her and Witchcraft on form and Tarry has always said the latter is his Oaks horse. Zafira should finish on top of Peggy Jay on course and distance form. Persian Rug should relish the course and distance being a giant daughter of Ideal World. Princess Varunya will relish the trip. Juxtapose SA Fillies Classic win from off the pace suggested she would enjoy this trip. Estimation enjoyed a change to hold up tactics last time and is out of a daughter of Sadler’s Wells so should not be underestimated.

The big galloping type Fortune Fella proved himself a decent stayer last time and could beat Cool Chardonnay and Storm Warning in the Gold Bowl.

Pennington Sands is seen at her best in fast ground and is course and distance in the Gerald Rosenberg Stakes over 2000m where she could be a surprise winner ahead of the ideally course and distance suited The Centenary and the classy and consistent Trophy Wife.

The Gr 2 Camellia Stakes could see Lazer Star in the winner’s box again from Kwinta, although the dark horse is Joan Ranger who should enjoy being brought back to a sprint trip again.

By David Thiselton

The exciting Robbie Hill-trained two-year-old colt Red Chesnut Road faces his first big test in the Gr 3 Godolphin Barb Stakes over 1100m at Scottsville on Sunday.

The Pathfork colt faced a number of talked about first-timers on debut over 1200m at Scottsville but after showing good early pace he kicked clear effortlessly and destroyed them by 7,75 lengths under Brandon Lerena.

The only detracting point was the winning time of the following race contested by two-year-old fillies which was only 0,5 seconds slower and the winner, Princess Analia, then finished only fifth in a polytrack handicap against older horses next time out off a merit rating of 82.

However, on visual impressions the blinkered Red Chesnut Road looked something special.

Shannon Hill said the impressively built chestnut has improved a lot since then and looks likely to get better and better. He wears blinkers simply due to his naughtiness.

The horse which makes most appeal as the danger is the shrewd Corne Spies-trained entry Timedtoperfection. As a maiden filly this daughter of Judpot will receive 4,5kg from Red Chesnut Road. Furthermore, she is a full-sister to the useful sprinter Aurum Pot and caught the eye on debut over 1000m at the Vaal when running on strongly from some way off the pace and only just failing to get there.

The inside rail will remain 5 metres out on Sunday, which is good news as this appears to have given horses a fair chance no matter where they have been drawn.

David Thiselton
Picture: Nkosi Hlophe

 

 

Former Vodacom Durban July winner Legislate is likely to be the main attraction for racing enthusiasts at The Independent On Saturday night racemeeting at Greyville Racecourse next Friday evening, 6 May 2016, when he opens his South African Champions Season campaign in the R400 000 Grade 2 Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes over 1 400m.

The Dynasty entire, destined for stud duties later in the year, will use this race as a season “pipe opener” on his way for a shot at securing one more Grade 1 sash in either the Rising Sun Gold Challenge or the Mike and Carol Bass Champions Cup. He has not been nominated for Africa’s Greatest Horseracing Event, the Vodacom Durban July which he won two years ago.

The night racemeeting at the central Durban venue is also Guineas night and will feature the R600 000, Grade 2 Canon Guineas and the R400 000, Grade 2 Daisy Fillies Guineas which have both drawn talented fields guaranteed to produce close and exciting finishes.

Legislate, trained by Justin Snaith, has only run twice since finishing third to stable companion Futura in the Champions Cup at Greyville last season, taking second place to Legal Eagle in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and sixth behind Smart Call in the J&B Met.

Among his opponents next week is the gallant seven-year-old from the Charles Laird stable Ice Machine that flew up for second behind Futura in the Champions Cup and more recently finished third to Captain Aldo in the Hawaii Stakes at Turffontein.

The Conglomerate, a Vodacom Durban July entry from the Joey Ramsden stable that was at one time rated highly after winning the KRA Guineas and finishing third in the Daily News 2000 last season, has poor recent form but could show improvement at the Greyville track.

Also in the field is last year’s Vodacom Durban July runner-up Punta Arenas from the Dennis Drier stable who has been entered for another crack at the big race later in the season.

In the Canon Guineas, the smart Brave Tin Soldier colt Rabada from the Mike Azzie stable heads the card but could be hard-pressed by the Sean Tarry-trained Toreador gelding Prospect Strike that finished just over a length behind him at level weight in their last meeting at Turffontein. Others that could challenge for the lion’s share of the stake include the Dean Kannemeyer-trained Mambo Mine and Baritone from the Snaith stable that finished first and second in the Byerley Turk over 1 400m at Greyville three weeks ago.

Snaith also runs the winner of the Politician Stakes and Investec Cape Derby fourth Black Arthur while Malak El Moolook, third in the Gauteng Guineas, is another string to the Tarry bow in the race.

Some very smart fillies will contest the Daisy Fillies Guineas including the first three past the post in the Cape Fillies Guineas – Silver Mountain, Our Destiny and Taffety Tart – and the runner up in both the Gauteng Fillies Guineas and SA Fillies Classic, Negroamaro.

Add Bela-Bela, third to Smart Call in the Grade 1 Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes, to the mix along with Fromafar and Flying Ice, and you have the recipe for a brilliant clash.

South Africa’s Champion Season blasts off at Scottsville Racecourse in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday, 1 May 2016, where four feature races top the programme which includes the first Grade 3 juvenile events in the three-month bonanza of high class thoroughbred racing.

In all, 58 feature events will be staged with close to R46-million in stakes on offer during the season which is headed by the R4.25-million Vodacom Durban July.

Sunday’s meeting will see the two-year-olds competing over 1 100m in the Strelitzia Stakes and the Godolphin Barb Stakes while the fillies and mares will compete in the Grade 3 Poinsettia Stakes over 1 200m. The Listed In Full Flight Handicap over 1 100m will get the feature programme for the day underway.

The In Full Flight Handicap has drawn an exciting field headed by the Brett Crawford-trained winner of the Grade 1 World Sports Betting Cape Flying Championship at Kenilworth at the end of January, Gulf Storm, that will have to shoulder the big weight of 65kg. Among his opponents is fellow Capetonian Ernie, winner of the Sophomore Sprint where he beat subsequent surprise winner of the CTS Million Dollar event, Illuminator.

Also taking him on are Dean Kannemeyer’s Captain Alfredo and two other sons of Captain Al, Captain Swarovski from the Justin Snaith yard and the Sean Tarry-trained Captain’s Causeway.

Some exciting two-year-olds will be in action in both juvenile races with seven of the runners in the Strelitzia Stakes unbeaten. The Mike de Kock-trained Al Hawraa and Wake Up Maggie from the Mike Bass yard have won both the races they have contested.

In the Godolphin Barb Stakes the small field of nine runners includes the Judpot filly Timedtoperfection from the Corne Spies stable that ran a close second to Pinot Var in her only race to date. She takes on three unbeaten colts and the Argonaut colt Rob’s Jewel from the Mike Miller stable that has won two of his three races including the Sentinel Stakes.

Rob’s Jewel will meet the Lezeanne Forbes-trained gelding Skid The Red that he beat by 1.75 lengths last time out on 2kg worse weight terms which should bring them closer together.

The Poinsettia Stakes could produce an exciting finish with some well-performed fillies and mares in the line-up.  Runners like stable companions Lanner Falcon and Fly By Night, winner and second in the Diadem Stakes, Princess Royal and Cosmic Light that were winner and runner-up in the Sceptre Stakes are in the field and the pace should be hot from the start.

This is a top class meeting to set the stage for the season which promises a host of awesome racing over the next three months.

The riders of both WSB Computaform Sprint participant Muscatt and Premier’s Champions Challenge runner Inara gave the thumbs up for their mounts at Summerveld yesterday.

Trainer Michael Roberts has remained loyal to Muscatt’s rider Calvin Habib, despite him still being a 2,5 kg claimer. Habib has hit form at just the right time and was superb when scoring a double at Greyville on Friday night and adding another winner at Scottsville on Sunday. He has ridden Muscatt in both of the six-year-old Victory Moon gelding’s last two outings, which have yielded two wins over 1000m at Scottsville, including a course record-breaking effort.

Habib was pleased with Muscatt’s pace work yesterday and said, “He doesn’t ever feel like he’s going fast and it’s only when you watch the race later that you see he is.” Roberts backed this up and it points to the gelding’s high cruising speed, an essential asset for a big field Gr 1 WFA Sprint like the Computaform. He has a decent kick too. His low draw might be a concern if last year’s race is anything to go by, although it was wet that day and the opposite is forecast to be the case on Saturday.

“The filly (Carry On Alice) will be hard to beat,” said Roberts. Muscatt will likely travel on Thursday, in the day if it’s not too hot, otherwise at night.

Grant Van Niekerk had no concerns at all about Inara staying the 2000m trip of the Premier’s Champions Challenge and was hopeful she could win. He feared Legal Eagle the most.

The Trippi filly has never faced the boys before but has the beating of Legal Eagle on a strict line through Smart Call. Furthermore, she jumps from a plum draw of two. She travelled well both there and back when winning the Gr Laurie Jaffee Empress Club Stakes on April 16 and should do so again. Van Niekerk concluded by saying Inara was “definitely” a Vodacom Durban July contender too.

By David Thiselton