Turffontein’s big Guineas meeting tomorrow heralds an opportunity to reassess the three-year-old crop and history will say the picture could be dramatically altered.

Abashiri and Negroamaro are the two stars going into the meeting, but it would be no surprise if other stars are shining brighter by Monday.

Abashiri will find the trip sharper than ideal in the Gr 2 Betting World Gauteng Guineas. Furthermore, the outside often appears to be sort after down the straight on big days at Turffontein, so another concern could be him being caught on the inside of horses from his low draw. He won the Listed Sea Cottage Stakes over 1800m by 2,5 lengths, but did have a weight advantage and had to be hard ridden. Things will need to go his way tomorrow over this too sharp trip, but is still the first choice due to his class and progressive profile.

Suyoof’s stride will be dwarfed by Abashiri’s, but he does also possess a nice turn of foot. Anthony Delpech should help him overcome his wide draw and will surely judge his run to perfection in the straight.

The classy Brazuca will also be running on and the Anton Marcus booking speaks volumes.

New Predator is on a par with Brazuca on a line through Noah From Goa and likely didn’t enjoy the Turffontein Inside track last time out.

Muwaary bled in the Cape Guineas when widely expected to romp home at odds of 12/10. This is his comeback from the obligatory three month suspension and he is the dark horse.

Champagne Haze took off from quite some way out when winning the R2,5 million Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run over 1400m on this track and stayed all the way to the line, so he should stay this trip and is horse whose name could potentially be up in lights on Monday.

Rocketball will finish on top of Abashiri on paper, although the latter did lose some ground at the start when they met in the Sea Cottage. Rocketball will probably appreciate the step up in trip and has a winning chance.

His stable companion Celtic Captain over raced in the Tony Ruffell, so did well to finish fifth. This is the trip of his three career wins. The blinkers remain on and if he settles he could be a contender.

Romany Prince finished second in the Sea Cottage, but is 2kg worse off with Rocketball for a 0,75 length beating and he then disappointed in the Tony Ruffell .

Ole Gunnar is unexposed but progressive and should be running on. He makes most appeal of the rest.

The selection is Abashiri to win from Suyoof,  with New Predator, Brazuca and Champagne Haze next best.

The Gr 2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas is also ultra competitive beyond the obvious favourite Negroamaro. Her facile Gr 3 Fillies Mile victory and her flying close up second in the Three Troikas over 1450m make it difficult to look beyond her.

However, this does not appear to be a strong crop, so the unexposed runners must be considered in the search for a special horse. KZN raider Princess Varunya is a candidate as her four wins on the trot were achieved with impressive fluency. She will relish this galloping course, although she would prefer further.

Christmas Carol is lowly merit rated but has won her last three and brings the Geoff Woodruff factor to the party. The five-times champion trainer’s ability to extract improvement for big Turffontein racedays is well known.

Frosty Friday impressed last time out over 1450m and is on the up.

She’s A Dragon was doing her best work late in the Three Troikas where she carried 1kg more than Negroamaro and only lost to her by two lengths.

Juxtapose finished just as quickly as Negroamaro in the Three Troikas and was beaten 0,6 lengths, although she is now 1kg worse off. She was hanging in the Fillies Mile when beaten over seven lengths and has improved since then but the memory of that antic does create a question mark.

Jungle Mist has to be considered on her last run, Persian Rug is enjoying the more forgiving recent ground and will relish the course and distance and Bella Sonata is better than her Three Troikas effort in which she pulled up with pharyngitis.

The selection is Negroamaro to beat Princess Varunya and Christmas Carol with Frosty Friday and She’s A Dragon next best.

The brilliant KZN miler Ice Machine will be a thrill to watch in the Gr 2 Hawaii Stakes over 1400m if producing his best.

The Gr 3 Acacia Handicap is an open affair, but Off The Mark is progressing in the right direction and sneaks in with the minimum weight.

Arch Rival looks well weighted in the Listed Aquanaut Handicap over 2450m.

The treble for the day could be Ektifaa in the first, French Navy in the fourth and Down Under in the tenth.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Abashiri (Nkosi Hlophe)

The fairytale continues for CTS Million Dollar winning rider Heavelon van der Hoven, who has suddenly found himself in demand.

The phlegmatic youngster is grabbing the opportunity with both hands and was even afforded the opportunity to travel to Greyville for last Friday’s 20/20 meeting, where he rode one winner in three rides.

His record this season up until Illuminator’s big win had been 8 wins at a strike rate of 6,4% and since then it has been 7 wins at a strike rate of 12,5%.

The future had looked bleak for Van der Hoven.

He was nearing the end of his five year stint at the South African Jockey’s Academy and had only ridden 22 winners from his debut on April 3, 2012, until the morning of the day he will never forget, Saturday January 23.

The Academy have now allowed Van der Hoven a sixth year to ride out his claim.

He looks likely to pass the all important 50 winner mark within the year allotted as he only has 20 to go.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Heavalon Van Der Hoven (Liesl King)

Harry’s Son put up an excellent gallop last Thursday in preparation for tonight’s (Thursday) Gr 2 US$250,000 Zabeel Mile, where he will face Goldolphin horse Safety Check on 1,5kg better terms for a 1,75 length beating in the Gr 2 Al Fahidi Fort over 1400m.

The UAE’s reigning champion jockey Richard Mullen rides tonight and was also aboard for the turf gallop last Thursday.

In the gallop, Harry’s Son started from the 1200m mark, was picked up by Royal Navy Ship at the 800m.

In the straight he passed his companion as if he was standing still, despite the latter’s rider saying he had gone really well.

Harry’s Son will jump from a plum draw of two tonight.

The Australian-bred colt by Haradasun is rated 113, so in tonight’s race is behind only 116-rated Safety Check, who won the Al Fahidi Fort in course record time.

Owners Phil Georgiou and Doug Steyn are two of the partners in Harry’s Son and are also partners in Second Empire colt Ole Gunnar, who will on Saturday at Turffontein attempt a repeat of Harry’s Son’s Gr 2 Betting World Gauteng Guineas victory of last year.

Ole Gunnar has a lowly merit rating of 87, but is unexposed and progressive.  Lafferty said he would be favoured by a strong pace, as one who possesses a good finishing kick. Keagan de Melo keeps the ride and they jump from draw 12.

Harry’s Son’s progress in Dubai, under the care of experienced assistant trainer Roy Waugh, can be followed on www.laffertyracing.co.za

By David Thiselton

The Gavin van Zyl yard have two contenders in each of the Guineas races at the big Turffontein meeting on Saturday and all of Rocketball, Celtic Captain, Frosty Friday and Bella Sonata have outside chances.

The yard also have some other chances on the day.

Van Zyl said, “Rocketball has a bit of a wide draw but has been working well and on the weight turnaround with Abashiri from the Sea Cottage Stakes has a chance. He is improving all the time and we expect him to run into the money.

“Celtic Captain has a good draw and has also been working well so has an outside chance. He was maybe a bit fresh in his first start at Turffontein and can only get better so we expect him to be competitive. Rocketball is the stable elect on form.”

Rocketball, a gelding by Judpot who will be ridden by Muzi Yeni, is an early August foal and is 4kg better off with Abashiri for a 3,25 length beating in the Listed Sea Cottage Stakes over 1800m. His draw should not be much of a disadvantage, because the jockeys invariably perceive the going to be better towards the outside of the straight on big race days at Turffontein.

Celtic Captain, a colt by Captain Al, over raced in the Gr 3 Tony Ruffell Stakes over 1450m last time out, but still managed a 3,8 length fifth, so is interesting from draw two here over the distance of all three of his career victories. Brandon Lerena keeps the ride.

Van Zyl continued, “Frosty Fiday is the right one in the Fillies Guineas, Chesney (Van Zyl) said she has been working very well. She has a bad draw but with a bit of luck in running she has a fighting chance. Bella Sonata pulled up with Pharyngitis after the Three Troikas so she can do better and has a shout, she covers a lot of ground.”

Frosty Friday by Western Winter is drawn 14 with Yeni aboard. Bella Sonata by Silvano is drawn 12 with Craig Zackey up.

Van Zyl’s best chances on the day might be in race three and race ten. In race three, a fillies and mares handicap over 2000m, both of his two three-year-olds Estimation and Superwoman have strong chances.

He said, “Estimation is progressive and might still beat the handicapper, although Superwoman is the better off of the two at the weights, on paper, considering their last meeting. We expect both horses to be in the money.”

Estimation has a fine turn of foot and is drawn eight with the eyecatching booking of Anthony Delpech. Superwoman has Bernard Fayd’Herbe aboard from draw ten.

In race ten, a handicap over 1400m, the yard run Down Under. This progressive four-year-old gelding by Fort Wood switched off beautifully in last place in a 1600m Graduation Plate over the Turffontein Inside track over 1600m last time before running on strongly and seemed to have it won, but a horse with some good formlines, Rainy Day Blues, then surged and pipped him on the post. Two three-year-olds rated in the 90s were comfortably beaten, so Down Under likely ran above his 83 merit rating and the tough 1400m of the Standside course should be ideal from a plum draw of six with Yeni up.

In the Gr 3 Acacia Handicap over 1600m, the yard run Cassie O’Malley and Van Zyl said, “She is consistent and is a nice big Jet Master filly who is still improving. But it’s a tough race and we will be happy if she runs into the places.”

Cassie O’Malley is a galloping type, who doesn’t have a noted turn of foot, so is always taken to the head of affairs.  The three merit rating points raise she was given for her runner up finish last time will make it hard for her to keep challengers at bay. Yeni rides from draw 10.

The yard run the classy Silvano stayer Vino Veritas in the ultra-competitive Listed Aquanaut Handicap over 2450m.

Van Zyl said, “She was unlucky last time as she raced wide around the turn going up the hill. With a more patient ride this time she has a chance. She is small but has a big heart and although she has a tough task at the weights she seems to be able to carry big weights.”

Vino Veritas jumps from draw seven with Fayd’Herbe up.

Van Zyl’s first-timer in the second race over 1000m, Hallo Mr, is interesting being by Muhtafal and a half-brother to the speedy Just Africa, who won her maiden over 1000m by four lengths second time out.

By David Thiselton

Tellytrack reports a positive response to its new dual programme subscription service designed for phones, tablets, computers etc.

Chief executive Rob Scott said: “You can get it on any smart-enabled device and we started the service on December 16. We purposely kept it low key so that we could iron out any problems and the reaction so far has been good.”

One channel is for the TT2 service (normal Tellytrack) and the other is given over to the GBI international service with its focus on British racing and the cost is R69.95 per month.

Scott commented: “We have two channels so that if you want to watch Ascot, for example, without the local racing interrupting you can.”

The Racing Association website, which has been showing live South African racing and also replays, is to be amended so that it does not clash with the new service.

Larry Wainstein explained: “To log in to the new Tellytrack service you need a code and we will provide each of our members with one so that they can log in for free as part of their membership benefits.

“The public will still be able to use our website but the live racing will be subject to a five minute delay as we don’t want bookmakers pirating it. The replays will go off our site as they will be part of the Tellytrack package which will be far more reliable and of a better quality.”

By Michael Clower