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.

Legislate (Liesl King)

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.

Fly BY Night (Liesl King)

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.

Muscatt (Nkosi Hlophe)

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

The Gavin Van Zyl-trained No Worries has come out of his win in the Highland Night Cup over 2400m at Scottsville on Sunday well.

Stable jockey Warren Kennedy said he had always been a good horse who was just a few lengths off the best, so a staying campaign would suit him because firstly the competition was not as strong and secondly he had proven his liking for the trip on Sunday by winning going away despite carrying joint topweight of 61,5kg.

“It is just nice to have him back to himself and the win might bring renewed confidence,” added Kennedy.

It was only the second time the six-year-old Summerhill-bred Kahal gelding had attempted the trip. The eLan Property Group Gold Cup looks to be on the cards.

By David Thiselton

Barry Donnelly, assistant to stalwart Cape trainer Brett Crawford, makes Black Tractor a big runner at Scottsville on Wednesday, where he faces a decent field in a MR 80 handicap over 1200m.

A couple of Crawford’s SA Champions Season charges might also be appearing at Scottsville on Sunday and among them is Gr 1 Betting World Cape Flying Championship winner Gulf Storm. Donnelly said about three-year-old Captain Al gelding Black Tractor, “He ran fourth at Scottsville in his pipe opener but was very green. He has been putting in exceptional work and has Anton Marcus up.”

Wavin’ Flag (Nkosi Hlophe)

Gulf Storm will be defending his Listed In Full Flight Handicap crown, which he won in his KZN pipe opener last season. However, if he does take his place he will have to lug 65kg off his 113 merit rating, as opposed to the 57kg he carried off a 100 merit rating last year. Donnelly said the five-year-old Sail From Seattle gelding, who has consistently defied the handicapper, had been doing very well. His chief mission is the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint, in which he was runner up last year.

The yard’s Gr 3 Prix du Cap winner and Gr 2 Southern Cross Stakes runner up Cuvee Brut will be facing a strong field in the Gr 3 Poinsettia Stakes on Sunday with Marcus up. She enjoys Summerveld and is doing “very well.”

Wavin’ Flag is back from a tendon injury, which saw him box rested for a long time, and will bid to repeat his win of the 2014 Gold Cup.

Alexis “blossoms” in Durban and this KRA Fillies Guineas winner should give a good account of herself again this Champions Season.

The expensively purchased Nebula has been gelded after his disappointing run in the Investec Cape Derby, but disappointed in his KZN debut over 1600m at Greyville last week where he had been expected to win, so now might not make it into the Gr 2 Canon Guineas field.

Sail South, Big Cat, Winter Prince, Red Moon At Night and Speedy Chestnut are the others in the Summerveld string at present.

By David Thiselton