Le Harve could have a battle on his hands up against the equally impressive Miranda Frost in the Ian Balfour Juvenile Plate at Kenilworth tomorrow.

This has turned into a cracking race with three other previous winners also in the line-up, so different from Monday morning when it looked like another sorry episode in the Cape Town small fields saga.

There were two 1 000m two-year-old races but only six were declared for the colts’ event and four for the fillies’. The National Racing Bureau staff hastily rang the trainers and asked them to reinstate some of those not declared. But nobody would reconsider.

Then it was decided to amalgamate the two races but the trainers concerned had to be consulted again. “Fortunately they played ball,” said NRB kingpin Raf Sheik, recently promoted to Racing Executive of Gold Circle. “It would have been very different if one or two of them had said no.”

Le Harve looked so good four weeks ago that he is sure to start favourite even though Justin Snaith has been treating him with kid gloves – “I have done no grass work with him since his win because I think he has huge potential and he is such a big horse that I can’t do a lot of work with him. His brother (Scottsville Grade 1 winner Normanz) injured himself as a two-year-old and I don’t want to do that with this one.”

Miranda Frost really looked the part when making every metre of the 1 200 in February after being backed from 20-1 to 11-2. Joey Ramsden says he fully expected her to win that day. “She is a very nice filly and her form is standing up well. The only thing is that I didn’t want to run her over 1 000m but there are no races.”

The drop in distance is almost certainly against her – she is out of a Fort Wood mare – and that could swing it in favour of Le Harve but she will be a tough nut to crack.

Mike Bass has won seven Cape Town two-year-old races this term (only one less than Snaith) and he runs both first time scorer Bombs Away and Felicity Flyer who was fourth in the Met day Listed race and looks the better of the pair. “I think she is probably going to need her first run back against the colts,” cautions Candice Robinson.

Darryl Hodgson had intended to use this to give Chill Baby Chill more experience in advance of next month’s fillies features. “She is maturing and getting better but it has turned into a hot race against colts,” he says.

Half the field are newcomers but they are surely up against it. Sharp Peg narrowly holds Kwando 35 minutes later but the latter, a little disappointing when turned out again a week later, is likely to start at a better price and could be worth backing to reverse the placings.

Everything would appear to be against Persian Silk in race five – off for two months, first run out of the maidens and sometimes disappointing previously – but she really got it together last time and the handicappers have not been hard on her. At a forecast 8-1 she is suggested each way.

By Michael Clower

Justin Snaith could get his KZN campaign off to a flying start tonight at Greyville’s Byerley Turk meeting, a traditional curtain raiser to the South African Champions Season.

Snaith could win both the Byerley Turk and Umzimkhulu Stakes with a pair of classy sorts in Baritone and Bela-Bela respectively.

Baritone was a comfortable winner of a 1600m race on J&B Met day and strikes as one who will get better as he gets older. The Greyville 1400m should be suitable running fresh, although the wide draw on this tight track is a concern. If he doesn’t win he is still likely to make an impact during the Champions Season.

Victorious Jay weaved his way through traffic in the CTS Million Dollar over this distance to finish a narrow third, having earlier finished close up in both the Gr 1 Grand Parade Cape Guineas and Selangor Cup. He is officially the best treated at the weights so will be a tough nut to crack from a good draw.

Beat The Retreat was a convincing 5,5 length winner of a Progress Plate over 1300m here last time out and is officially second best in at the weights. From a tricky draw of seven he will be hoping for the same fast pace he got last time.

Budapest runs well fresh and is ideally distance suited so also has a chance.

His stablemate Redcarpet Captain has class and is distance suited but apparently a haemo-concentration problem has surfaced and he is under a cloud after being beaten 12,75 lengths by Beat The Retreat last time out, having finished 2,8 lengths behind Victorious Jay in the Million Dollar before that.

Mambo Mime has always possessed class and is interesting with blinkers on over a step down in trip from pole position.

The jockey reported something amiss with Bunker Bill last time and at his best he could play a part, while Spanish Captain is still unexposed but strikes as a classy sort.

Baritone is predicted to mow them down late and win from Victorious Jay, Beat The Retreat, Budapest and Mambo Mime.

In the Umzimkhulu the always highly regarded Bela-Bela proved how good she was when running a three length third behind two world class fillies in Smart Call and Inara in the Gr 1 Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes over 1800m. She has a wide draw of ten, but should enjoy running fresh over this trip and is 3kg better off with any other horse in the field.

Flying Ice could pose a threat as one who will be race fit, ideally course and distance suited and drawn in pole. She had to continually switch outward in the Gr 3 Prix du Cap last time out before finally seeing daylight 200m out and she then flew up for an unlucky second to Cuvee Brut. Furthermore, her trainer Neil Bruss has started off his KZN campaign well.

Star Express was not far behind stablemate Bela-Bela in the Paddock Stakes and her class might pull her into a place, despite topweight and the trip being on the sharp side.

Taffety tart also has a wide draw but will likely be running on strongly. Killer Woman showed class in her last two wins on the Greyville turf over 1600m and 1800m respectively and Bella Sonata won well over 1300m here last time, but both have wide draws. Joan Ranger has to be respected from a good draw with Marcus up, although her last start pointed to her possibly being a sprinter.

Bela-Bela is the selection from Flying Ice with Star Express, Taffety Tart and Killer Woman next best.

Earlier, the progressive three-year-old filly Nightingale runs in a MR 76 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1600m and is likely to have too much class for the local contestants running fresh over a trip shorter than ideal. However, the other two Cape horses Secret Seven and All Mine are likely to relish the course and distance and could pose threats.

In race one over 1400m on turf Roy’s Rolls Royce caught the eye last time staying on well at Scottsville over 1600m and should beat this field with Marcus up despite a wide draw and the trip probably being a touch sharp. However, first-timer Winter Is Coming is by Dynasty out of a mare who won the first two legs of the Zimbabwe Triple Crown against the boys and was Gr 3 placed in South Africa, so betting moves must be monitored.

In race two Jayrista will likely attempt to steal it from the front due to his wide draw. Cause Celebre and Willowgrange will be closing in and it could be a tight finish.

In race six Let’s Go West ran well last time out over this polytrack 1600m course and distance and has the same top 4kg claiming rider up albeit from a wider draw. He wasted a lot of energy trying to find a position last time and this time will likely be taken to the front. He is having only his second start for the Craig Eudey yard and they expect him to win as he is “very well and moving beautifully” but they also believe he is looking for further.

In race seven over 1900m on the poly the Australian-bred Gypsy Pirate caught the eye staying on strongly on debut over 1400m, having been outpaced early, and will relish this step up in trip so looks hard to oppose.

By David Thiselton

Trainer Gareth van Zyl will be holding thumbs for Redcarpet Captain tomorrow night at Greyville where he participates in the Gr 3 Byerley Turk alongside sales race millionaire stablemate Budapest. Both horses are owned by Brian “Buffalo Bill” Burnard.

Redcarpet Captain ran way below par last time out over 1300m on the Greyville turf and might have gone a bit too fast early. However, the yard believe the problem of haemoconcentration, a blood thickening condition which usually affects entires, could well have been the explanation. However, they will allow the three-year-old colt until the end of the season before considering gelding. Therefore, tomorrow night’s race is all important as this horse has the ability to win South African Champions Season features. He has a wide draw of 14 to overcome and Brandon Lerena remains aboard.

Meanwhile Budapest has been doing very well at Summerveld. He proved the 1400m trip to be ideal when winning the R2,5 million Lanzerac Ready To Run Stakes at Kenilworth last November. However, the draw of eight makes it tricky for one with a handy racing style up against classy opposition. He is difficult to judge at home, because his two best career runs have followed poor final gallops. However, his facile maiden win over 1200m on the poly did follow a five month layoff so he will likely enjoy running fresh tomorrow night.

In other news of Van Zyl-trained and Burnard-owned horses, the promising three-year-old Celtic Captain, who finished a decent fifth last time out in the Gr 2 Betting World Gauteng Guineas, has been gelded and is being aimed at the Gr 2 Canon Guineas to be run at Greyville on the Friday night of May 6.

The yard’s exciting Australian-bred filly Mygirldownunder, who thrashed a well regarded sort by nearly five lengths on debut over 1000m at Scottsville, is being prepared for the Gr 3 Strelitzia Stakes over 1100m on May 1 at Scottsville. She can’t be raced too often as she gives her all in work.

The ever improving Silvano gelding Night Shadow, who has won four of his last five starts, is being targeted at the Listed Sledgehammer over 1800m at Scottsville on April 24. This race is based on merit rated bands and Night Shadow, having turned the corner in no uncertain terms, looks to have the class to rise above his current 82 merit rating and will be distance suited.

By David Thiselton

South Africa’s Champion Season is still a month off but hands are being raised at every meeting with Cape Speed the latest to show Classic potential at Greyville yesterday.

“He’s a smart horse,” said Dean Kannemeyer. “But I don’t think the penny has quite dropped,” he added after the son of Ideal World had disposed of his four opponents. This was his fourth win from eight starts, his second on the bounce after being gelded. “He was a rig so we had no choice. We took him to Cape Town where he won one but I think it was bothering him,” Kannemeyer continued. “He may still need blinkers to sharpen him up …. I think he will stay 2400m.”

Anthony Delpech concurred. “He’s a lazy bugger. You saw how I had to wake him up in the ring and I trotted him around at the start.”

Cape Speed races in the same Khaya Stable silks of Lady Christine Laidlaw that Power King carried to victory in last year’s Vodacom Durban July and while Cape Speed has a way to go, the signs are good.

The same combination was back in business half-an-hour later as Never Settle made light of a six-month break to deny the strongly fancied Bagger Vance. “We thought he was our best two-year-old last season,” Delpech revealed in his earlier interview. Never Settle obviously has as he was well supported in the market and came from near last to land the honours.

Racing lore dictates that one race is the equal of four home gallops in bringing a horse on and that was pretty much the case as Zelig hit the front from the jump and galloped the opposition into the ground in the first. The unraced Desert Winter opened favourite but Zelig supports took the bookies to the cleaners as Gavin van Zyl’s runner was backed in to 16-10 from an opening call of 7-1.

“He was very unlucky in his first start. He got squeezed out and dug in his toes,” said Warren Kennedy, but the run obviously brought him on. “We jumped him through the starting stalls with some quite decent horses and he put up a good gallop,” Van Zyl summed up. “He will go a ‘mile’ and has got a bright future ahead of him.” Good news for his legion of owners, many on course to lead in the son of Lateral.

The bookies were wise to Spice Girl in the second and Anton Marcus, taking a leaf out of the Kenney book, had the 4-10 favourite out and running from the start. “She did it the hard way and I think she’s a very decent filly. Thank God we have a share,” commented Charles Laird making music for the ears of Alesh Naidoo in whose silks the filly races. “I want to go for the big races,” said the prolific owner. “I’m tired of the little ones.”

Even the stable cat is in danger of being saddled up while the Tarry yard is in such mustard form as Ostentation gave log-leading Sean Tarry another winner. Owner Chris van Niekerk is probably the best ‘horse’ in the yard but he is very well rewarded as Tarry places his horses expertly and has them right on the day. Long-time assistant Deshone Steyn saddled up for apprentice Lyle Hewitson yesterday where his 4kg claim was the difference between victory and defeat. Registering the sixth win of his professional career, Hewitson edged out former champion Marcus aboard the front-running Victory Takeover.

A drop in distance and merit rating was enough to get Shap Shap home for Brian Burnard with Gareth van Zyl and Warren Kennedy working out how to race the tearaway gelding. “He ran away with me last time,” admitted Kennedy of the strapping son of Noordhoek Flyer. “He fights you all the time and he fought me behind the pens so I just let him stride. He had had enough in the end but it was a win full of merit.”

By Andrew Harrison

Mike Bass’ South African Champions Season string will be worth following this winter as they have all been doing well at Summerveld.

The string at present consists of Inara, Silver Mountain, Nightingale, Tafferty Tart, Helderberg Blue, Mountain Master, Three Balloons, Lanner Falcon, Ernie, Fly By Night and Night Trip. Paterfamilias is still in Cape Town but will be entered in the Vodacom Durban July and it hasn’t been decided yet when he will join the string. There are others who might also still make the journey and these include the exciting Var filly Wake Up Maggie, who was bred by rival Milnerton trainer Joey Ramsden and is unbeaten in two starts.

Inara is being prepared for the Gr 1 Empress Club Stakes over 1600m at Turffontein on April 16. This Trippi filly is a leading light of possibly the best female crop in South Africa racing history.

In her last two starts she finished runner up in the Gr 1 Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes over 1800m to Smart Call, who is currently rated the joint sixth best racehorse in the world, and she then successfully defended her crown in the Gr 1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes, her third career Gr 1.

She was not herself in KZN last year and was reportedly found to have had a lung infection, but all seems well so far this year and she put up a pleasing gallop yesterday (Tuesday).

Lanner Falcon is another older female who must be followed. Assistant trainer Robert Fayd’Herbe said this Trippi five-year-old is just getting better and better. He reckoned she has the ability to win the Gr 1 City Of Pietermaritzburg Sprint in what might be a below par season in the female sprinting division and other races like the Gr 2 Tibouchina over 1400m and Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes over 1600m will likely be on her agenda too. In her last two starts she won the Gr 2 Khaya Stables Diadem Stakes over 1200m comfortably, beating Gr 1-winning stablemate Fly By Night, and then finished third in the Majorca.

Fly By Night, who won the Mercury Sprint two seasons ago at Clairwood, has become difficult to predict, but appears to be in a good space at present and the City Of Pietermaritzburg Sprint is her obvious target.

Silver Mountain stamped herself as the best three-year-old filly in the country when demolishing the Gr 1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas field by five lengths. She was subsequently narrowly beaten into fourth in the Gr 1 Grand Parade Cape Guineas and was then a 0,75 lengths runner up in the CTS Million Dollar. The latter two performances were disappointing to those who are willing her to greatness, but in the context of her SA Champions Season tasks, they were peerless. She is a diminutive filly with an electric turn of foot and will be ideally suited to the tight Greyville track. The yard are considering finding a race for her before her first big target, the Gr 2 Canon Fillies Guineas on the Friday night of May 6.

Tafferty Tart is just below the best three-year-old fillies, while Nightingale is a progressive sort who could develop into a Woolavinton 2000 or Oaks type.

Helderberg Blue will likely have a similar program to last year where he raced in the Drill Hall,  the Betting World 1900, Cup Trial, July and Champions Cup, finishing fourth in both the Cup Trial and Champions Cup.

Ernie always goes to the races with the words “Believe in Ernie” ringing in his ears due to the fun characters of his owners and such will be the case on Friday night when he runs in the Gr 3 Byerley Turk over 1400m at Greyville. This is his maximum trip and he will subsequently be kept to sprints with the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint over 1200m at Scottsville on June 4 a possibility.  This Elusive Fort gelding has a fine turn of foot and as Cape Town merit ratings tend to be suppressed due to the superior class of horse it would be no surprise to see him win on Friday night as he is officially the third highest rated horse in the race off 101.

Mountain Master’s aim is to win races, without taking in big features, and he is one to follow in handicaps off an attractive merit rating of 82.

Three Balloons is a stayer who was raised 13 points to 89 after his Gr 3 CTS Chairmans Cup runner up finish over 3200m and the big staying features culminating in the Gold Cup are his obvious targets.

The enigmatic Night Trip has been accompanied to KZN by his retired lead pony Epic Tale and his chief ambition will be to win the Listed Darley Arabian over 1600m on the poly on Super Saturday for the third year in succession.

By David Thiselton