The dogs have been barking about Captain Marmalade and seemingly with good reason. “This is a nice horse and he can run,” confirms Justin Snaith whose two-year-olds have been in such sparkling form during the Cape season.

The Captain Al colt makes his debut in the opening Maiden Juvenile at Kenilworth today and he was understandably favourite yesterday with World Sports Betting opening him at 12-10.

Justin Snaith

Second favourite at 28-10 is Gregorian Chant, a Trippi colt whose dam won five including a Grade 3, but there does not appear to be any great expectation about toppling Captain Marmalade. “If he doesn’t run green I think he will be in the first four,” is Dean Kannemeyer’s assessment.

Mike Bass runs three including the R500 000 Philanthropist colt Barak Lavan whose dam won the Champagne. “”They are not well tried – I put three in to save the race – and the Horse Chestnut (Bombs Away) is the most forward,” says Candice Robinson.

Bombs Away is the shortest priced of the trio at 5-1, the same mark as the R250 000 purchase Starflash. This is a Pathfork colt but Vaughan Marshall is playing his cards close to his chest and saying nothing beyond a knowing smile. Does that mean he is holding a fistful of aces? If the horse is still 5-1 when they are down at the start it would be safe to assume that he isn’t!

Joey Ramsden indicates that his R140 000 Great Britain colt British Fairy will need the run but, even so, it is rare for a two-year-old newcomer from his stable being on offer at 20-1.

On The Right Path (6-1) is the only one to have run before and Carl Burger is taking off the blinkers which proved a disaster on Queen’s Plate day – “He didn’t know what was going on and all that smoke also bothered him.”

Captain Marmalade is the selection and Purple Mountains (3-1) gets a tentative vote in the Graduation Plate although this is a tricky-looking contest.

Kemal Kavur has a favourite’s chance at 22-10 on his Cape Derby run but this is two furlongs shorter (Marshall: “I was looking for a race over 1 800m but there isn’t one. I would be wary about a mile.”)

Mambo Mime (Nkosi Hlophe)

Mambo Mime was reported not striding out freely on Met day and, although fine when checked out by the vet the following day, he has been scratched. However stable companion Lord Marshal (7-2) could certainly pose a threat   “This is Lord Marshall’s first run after being cut – which needed doing – but he will be ready,” says Dean Kannemeyer.

Little has gone right for 7-2 shot Eighth Wonder since he won the Magnum Cape Classic but, says Greg Ennion: “His work is good and Bernard Fayd’Herbe has been impressed with him.”

The two Brett Crawford runners look too far out at the weights but the stable can take the Racing. It’s A Rush Handicap with Carrie Bow Cay who came in for some support yesterday and is now favourite at 28-10.

Half the punters in the country were waiting for Jingle Belle who had the Soccer 1 Maiden Plate at her mercy. Sadly she was scratched shortly after 11.00am yesterday as she has been put on medication. Newcomers Londalozi and Carolina Sky head the market but maybe Persian Silk should be given another chance at 6-1.

BLOB Michael Clower won with four of his five selections last Saturday. He also had two out of four at Durbanville and is showing a R97 profit to a R10 level stake so far this month.

By Michael Clower

Investec Dingaans and Grand Parade Cape Guineas winner Noah From Goa will likely never race in South Africa again. One of Mike de Kock’s chief owners Sheik Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum has bought a share in him and he will be on the next shipment overseas.

Noah From Goa’s Cape Guineas win earned him a shot at winning the Triple Crown, as it forms one of two alternate first leg races. However, he will now miss this prestigious series in favour of arriving as quickly as possible for an overseas campaign.

The Wilgerbosdrift Stud-bred Tiger Ridge gelding is small but courageous and also finished an excellent second to the 120 merit-rated Legal Eagle in the Gr 1 L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate.

He will leave South African shores merit rated 116 and as current leader of the race to be named Equus Three-Year-Old Male of the Year.

The J&B Met winner Smart Call will be on the same shipment as Noah From Goa. She is being targeted at the Breeder’s Cup.

The two thoroughbred stars have not yet entered quarantine in Cape Town as they are still waiting for enough horses (other breeds will also be included) to make up a full shipment.

Unfortunately, at this stage it appears the arduous journey via Mauritius is the only feasible route for the shipment.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Noah From Goa (Liesl King)

The line-up included New Predator, who was beaten a wet nose by Noah From Goa in the Gr2 Dingaans (a race that everyone knows should be a Gr1 but isn’t) two smart Ready To Run Cup winners in Lineker and Champagne Haze, and Suyoof (AUS), who gave his rivals between 3,5kg and 8kg when he won the Listed Secretariat Stakes last December.

But disputes over Graded status never gets anybody anywhere and suffice it to report that the merits of Suyoof’s success in the 2016 running of the Tony Ruffel is likely to manifest itself in quick follow-up wins in handicaps and at higher levels by Sheikh Hamdan’s three-year-old gelding and several others who finished on his heels.

Anthony Delpech rode Suyoof to victory from a wide draw on the inside track, never easy, and he commented: “He jumped a bit slow but we came out near the running rail and into a better position. He ran on, I could see Andrew Fortune (on Champagne Haze), coming on my inside but Suyoof won well.”

Mike de Kock watched the race in Dubai and said: “Suyoof is a very progressive horse and he will do well over 1600m too,” comments echoed by assistant trainer John Buckler who saddled the gelding for the stable.

Suyoof, bred by Yarraman Park Stud Pty Ltd, NSW, is a son of Magic Albert from Magic Harmony, a mare by Danehill Dancer. Expect more magic from him!

Mikedekockracing.com
Picture: Suyoof (JC Photos)

The Dubai World Cup is beckoning for Al Shaqab’s Mshawish (Todd Pletcher/John Velazquez) after the six-year-old powered home for his first Grade 1 victory on dirt in the Donn Handicap at Gulfstream.

Formerly trained in France, the son of Medaglia d’Oro had been campaigned on turf for much of his globe-trotting career and won the Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap on the same card 12 months previously.

However, Mshawish had shown his aptitude for dirt on a couple of previous outings before scoring by two lengths over front-running Valid to claim the $500,000 Donn – the race won by the great Cigar in 1996 before he won the inaugural Dubai World Cup. Captain Steve (2001) and Invasor (2007) also won here before claiming the world’s richest race.

Trainer Todd Pletcher said the plan for the winner was Meydan on March 26, with the World Cup looking a more likely target this time than the Dubai Turf (former Duty Free), in which he finished third to Solow in 2015.

“We’ll go to Dubai and make a decision but hopefully it will be the World Cup,” said Pletcher, who was winning his fifth Donn.
Racingpost.com
Picture: Mshawish (MiamiHerald.com)

The future racing career of both Legislate and Futura hangs in the balance after they showed signs of haemo-concentrating following their below-par performances in the J & B Met nine days ago.

Justin Snaith said on Saturday: “Their bloods are a bit thick, and we need to sit down and discuss things but I think it could be a good idea to get them ready for their stud careers.

“If they go to Jo’burg or Durban they won’t look like stallions by the time they have finished racing. But this is in the hands of the owners. It’s not a decision I should play a part in. If I did, I might be biased into keeping them racing.”

Legislate (left) and Futura (John Lewis)

John Freeman, who is a part-owner of both horses and is due to manage their stallion careers, appeared to be singing from much the same hymn sheet in the newsletter he sent to clients at the end of last week.

He said: “We always knew the time would come when our two five-year-old entires would tell us that their manhood was going to get in the way of their racing form. They have nothing more to prove. They each won four Grade 1s, both earned the ultimate accolade of Horse of the Year and both have a track record to their credit.”

Snaith also referred to the hurt of the Met after Five Star Rock won the Klawervlei Stud Maiden in the Futura colours at Kenilworth on Saturday.

He said: “It was not an easy pill to swallow. These horses are champions and nothing went our way.”

Cape Fillies Guineas winner and Million Dollar runner-up Silver Mountain has recovered well from the latter race and the Mike Bass stable is already looking forward to pastures new.

Candice Robinson said: “It’s all good with her and she will go to Natal.”

Last season’s Choice Carriers and Sceptre winner Cold As Ice found the early pace too hot when starting 9-4 favourite for the Listed Unibet Cleves Stakes at Lingfield on Saturday but she ran on well for Joe Fanning in the closing stages to snatch third.

Kenilworth Racing has issued an apology for some of the music on Met day being so loud that it upset the horses, adding: “Measures to prevent a repeat will be part of the planning for all future J & B Met days.”

By Michael Clower