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

Johan Janse van Vuuren, a young trainer who has held a licence for just over three years and has saddled 104 winners, is in the hot seat on Gauteng Guineas Day at Turffontein this Saturday.

He has the favourites for both big races – the R1-million Betting World Gauteng Guineas and the R500,000 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas – with Brazuca at 28-10 for the former and stablemate Negroamaro at 15-20 for the fillies’ equivalent. And he has another fancied contender in the Gauteng Guineas in 11-2 fourth favourite New Predator.

Sadly, the 34-year-old won’t be in the country to see his stable stars run because he jets off to Australia on Wednesday night for the Inglis Yearling Sale in Melbourne. Both Brazuca (bought at that sale) and New Predator are Australian imports.

He believes Negroamaro has the easier task on Saturday because “the fillies’ race looks slightly weaker than the colts’ race.”

Although only a two-time winner, she has always had a big reputation and Madame Dubois, who has beaten her twice in the past, is not in this field.

Negroamaro is much better drawn than in her last race, when flying late and beaten only a head by Madame Dubois in the Three Troikas Stakes. And jockey Anton Marcus, who rode her in that race, will know more about the filly this time.

Neither Brazuca nor New Predator fared overly well in the ballot for starting-gate positions, drawing at Nos 10 and 11 respectively. Janse van Vuuren says he is relying heavily on his jockeys, Marcus on Brazuca and Stuart Randolph on New Predator.

Although New Predator has drifted in the betting – possibly due to an interruption in his preparation before the Tony Ruffel Stakes in which he finished fourth – the young trainer does not believe there is much between his two charges and says: “Things have gone well. They’re looking good. But it’s competitive racing, against good horses. I just hope everything goes well and we get a bit of luck in running.”

Meanwhile, Mike Azzie, trainer of Betting World Gauteng Guineas joint-second favourite Abashiri, and usually the most outspoken of people, has decided to take a different tack on this occasion.

Azzie is keeping mum on the chances of his ‘big horse’.

“I am not talking to the media or Tellytrack,” said Azzie yesterday. “Usually I’m the one who does all the talking and it lands me in trouble so this time I’m going to let the horse do the talking.”

TABnews

Saturday’s R1-million Betting World Gauteng Guineas (Grade 2) over 1600m at Turffontein has an open look about it and trainer Mike de Kock’s assistant John Buckler summed up the general view of many camps, saying: “It’s a very competitive race with competitive horses.”

Buckler will saddle Suyoof (7-1 with Betting World) and Muwaary (10-1) in the first leg of the SA Triple Crown. Buckler says he would be more confident if Suyoof had drawn well in the big race. “It’s not going to be easy for him from No 16 draw. I’d be confident if he’d drawn in the first four. But he won a good race in the Tony Ruffel Stakes last time out and has improved since that run.”

Suyoof, returning from a two-month layoff, was not that well drawn in stall 10 of 13 in the Tony Ruffel Stakes but, as Buckler said: “It was a smaller field. He jumped slowly and managed to get in. I don’t know if Anthony Delpech can slot him in again.”

Buckler believes Muwaary, the mount of Callan Murray, might not be quite at best in his first run in three months. “He hasn’t had a prep run since coming back from Cape Town and it’s hard to say if that will affect him. Horses always seem to improve after a run, especially if they’ve been to Cape Town and back. But he galloped well last Saturday and is well in himself.”

Persian Rug is the De Kock stable’s representative in the R500,000 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas and Buckler believes she might find the mile a bit sharp. “We threw her out after she finished a well-beaten fourth behind Negroamaro in November and she ran a nice race on her comeback in the Three Troikas Stakes, when beaten only three lengths by Madame Dubois.

“She seems to have lost that early toe but has definitely improved since the Three Troikas Stakes.

“The 1600m might be a bit sharp for her – the 1800m of the SA Fillies Classic and 2450m of the SA Oaks will be right up her alley – so if she runs a place we’ll be happy.”

Jayyed will be trying further again in the Grade 2 1400m Hawaii Stakes after running pleasing races over 1200m in his last two starts. “He’s working well and will be competitive if he keeps rolling over the extra 200m,” said Buckler.

TABnews
Picture: Suyoof (JC photos)