With his turf rating of 111, four-year-old Ertijaal (AUS) will race under top weight of 60kg in Thursday evening’s Land Rover Discovery Sport Handicap over 1900m at Meydan.

This is a sand (dirt) contest, however, and the question that needs to be answered is whether the 2015 Gr1 Cape Derby winner will be similarly effective in his first run on the new surface in the hands of jockey Paul Hanagan.

Ertijaal’s pedigree suggests that he is likely to enjoy racing on sand. He is by Hard Spun, a terrific top-level performer who raced only on dirt and the Polytrack, winning seven of 13 starts from 1100m to 1800m, including the Gr1 King’s Bishop over 1400m on dirt at Saratoga.

Hard Spun’s places included a second in the 2007 Kentucky Derby (2000m) to Street Sense and he was runner-up to the star Curlin in both the 2007 Breeders’ Cup Classic (2000m) and the Pimlico Stakes (1900m).

Nothing is clear-cut however, and while the outcome of this race will determine the rest of Ertijaal’s Carnival campaign, Mike de Kock wasn’t too fazed on Tuesday, saying: “He will either go well on dirt or he won’t and if he doesn’t we’ll switch him back to turf. He’s fit and very well, it’s a competitive handicap, a real test but he is well drawn and I think he is massive runner even under his big weight.”

Judging by apparent stable confidence this could be “a good night at the office” – De Kock was bullish too about the chances of Sanshaawes (Christophe Soumillon) and Tellina (Wayne Smith), his contenders in the Gr3 Dubai Millennium Stakes over 2000m on turf.

“This doesn’t look like the best ever renewal of the race and we have two runners who are very fit and well. They should both get their share of the action here.”

Another runner considered to have a winning chance is Prayer For Relief (Soumillon), who was touched off by Le Bernardin on his seasonal debut in Gr2 mile on dirt; then beaten over seven lengths by the smart Frosted over 1900m on dirt.

“We’re bringing Prayer For Relief back to the mile, he seems to fade when he races beyond 1800m. He drops in class and we fancy he’ll be right there to contend this one.”

Seven-year-old Pylon is in the same race, making his own seasonal debut. The big sand galloper is short of his best and De Kock commented: “Pylon has suffered a few setbacks so this run after his long break will serve to bring him on, he will improve for it.”

Mastermind (Hanagan), is effective over 1400m on turf and will be yet another stable ace to be reckoned with in the Range Rover Trophy (Race 2).

“Mastermind gives of his best, he is doing well at home but he was penalised 8 pounds for his Gr2 placing last time so has a big weight to shoulder and there are several other hard knockers in the race. He has eachway prospects.”

Mikedekockracing.com

Picture: Ertijaal (Liesl King)

Trainer Frank Robinson scratched his classy filly Olma from her last start out of concern for the betting public, while in the Summerveld training ring next door to his Dennis Drier’s expectedly strong South African Champions Season string could well be bolstered by the up and coming filly Mater Familias.

Olma missed some crucial work in the lead up to her intended last race on February 10 due to rain affected training tracks, so Robinson asked permission from the stipendiaries to scratch her because in his opinion the 5/10 price would likely be misleading to the public.

The classy four-year-old Dynasty filly has come into her own and made it two in a row when winning the Gr 3 Flamboyant Stakes over 1600m at Greyville last time out in cosy fashion. She is now being targeted at the Gr 3 Acacia Handicap over 1600m at Turffontein on Guineas day, February 27, where she will run off a 101 merit rating.  Olma has run twice at Turffontein before, finishing tenth in the Gr 2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas against an ultra strong field, and then sixth in the Gr 1 Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks over 2450m, a distance which Robinson now believes was too far.

The three-year-old Trippi filly Mater Familias powered to a 5,75 length victory over 1400m on the Greyville poly last Friday night under Anton Marcus and still looked to have plenty in hand at the line. On debut she dwelt at the start before running on over a too sharp 1000m, but a subsequent re-schooling session did the trick because she jumped on terms on Friday night. The yard are not getting carried because she did not beat much and said they would take it “one step at a time”.

The horse she beat on Friday night, The Alyson Wright-trained Ovelord four-year-old filly Overly Impressed, now has two seconds and a third to her name, not bad for one who cost a mere R10,000. She started 7/10 favourite on Friday night, but was coming off an interrupted preparation and the yard also believes she is looking for 2000m.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Olma (Nkosi Hlophe)

Anton Marcus flies into Cape Town on Saturday for six rides at Kenilworth’s Prawn Festival meeting including last year’s winner Coltrane in the CTS Chairman’s Cup.

Coltrane’s trainer Joey Ramsden traditionally dominates this two-miler – he has won it seven times this century – and he is responsible for half the six runners with Bernard Fayd’Herbe on Grade 1 winner King Of Pain and Donovan Dillon partnering Gallica Rose.

Lohnromance, despite being officially the worst horse in the race, will be one of the focus points in the Vasco Prix Du Cap. She has won her only two starts with ease and Andre Nel was thwarted in his bid to run her in the Klawervlei Majorca when she suffered an over-reach.

J & B Met hero JP van der Merwe will also be in town. He has three rides including the Paul Reeves-trained Sea Cat in the Smart Call colours in the Prix Du Cap.

The Juvenile Plate was scrapped yesterday morning when the 12 entries attracted only three acceptors. There will be draws throughout the day for household appliances worth R50 000.

By Michael Clower

Bishop’s Bounty is odds-on for the opening maiden juvenile at Kenilworth today and understandably so. Justin Snaith fancied him to make a winning debut in the Listed race on Met day and he almost certainly has much less on his plate here.

He started evens favourite last month and, despite not being able to get a run when he needed it, he was beaten less than a length into third.

“Bishop’s Bounty was a bit green that day but he has done very well since and we think he is a decent horse,” says Chris Snaith. “This is 200m further which will probably suit him.”

World Sports Betting opened him at 9-10 on Monday and he shortened to 4-10 yesterday with the twice-raced In Your Face second favourite at 6-1. “He has come on a bit and, if there is no superstar among the first-timers, I think he will finish on top of them,” says Paul Reeves.

Mike Bass, who has won the last three Cape Town two-year-old races, has no runner but three of the seven newcomers carry the Jooste colours including the Joey Ramden-trained R2 million purchase Attenborough (7-1).  “All three are nice horses and we are hoping for the best but I think Justin’s will be hard to beat,” says Derek Brugman.

Starrett City opened evens favourite for race two and has since hardened to 9-10. Although he was only eighth first time, it was a good maiden and he was only beaten four lengths. He looks the form horse. “He was a little shin-sore after his run but he is fine now and he has come on a bit,” says Neil Bruss. “Looking at the field I think he should go very close.”

Newcomer Hero Quest is second favourite at 33-10 while Mike Robinson’s pair The Best Of Me (4-1) and Zama (backed from 12-1 to 7-1) showed form before disappointing last time. Declarator (4-1) was third to runaway winner Orion Quest but the form of that maiden has a question mark over it.

Andre Nel’s once-raced Liberal Sally is 22-10 joint favourite with Prize Peg for the fillies’ maiden (race three) but Pixelate at 9-2 makes more appeal. Shane Humby’s filly has been off since the end of December but she had Prize Peg half a length behind when second that day.

The handicappers left Cuban Emerald on an unchanged 79 after his close third in the opener on Met day and, while Shadlee Fortune may not be in the same league as S’Manga Khumalo, he is good value for his 2.5kg claim and the top weight looks the one to beat in race four. His opening price of 13-10 was short enough and he has since eased to a more realistic 15-10.

By Michael Clower

Prospects are looking up for former J&B Met-winning trainer Yogas Govender at Summerveld after a slow start to his post Sabine Plattner training career.

Govender’s small string of unfashionably bred horses-in-training, which has seen him contesting only 22 races with ten horses since his post Plattner debut at Greyville last June, has now changed complexion completely.

He now has a string of 40 and 33 of these are two-year-olds.

Govender confirmed he had never been one to rush two-year-olds, so both he and his patrons will require plenty of patience.

He said, “It is going to be a waiting game and the key is the very good and understanding owners I have and they also understand racing. We will always do what we do in the best interests of the horse and ultimately we set out to ensure they have long and successful careers and hopefully reach Black Type status.”

In other Govender news jockey Billy Jacobson has joined the yard.

Govender spoke of the importance of a senior jockey working the string everyday and providing vital feedback.

He also believes many of the jockeys outside of the top echelons just need to be given a chance to prove themselves and the potential swing in fortunes then has a snowballing affect.

He cited Karl Zechner, currently eighth on the national log, as a good example.

By David Thiselton