Greg Cheyne hopes to have an operation on the multiple fractures in his right foot tomorrow. Previously it was too swollen for the surgeon to operate.

Cheyne (pictured) suffered the injuries when the subsequently scratched hot favourite Mount Keith was in the pens for the two-year-old race at Kenilworth on December 27.

He said yesterday: “When the horse became fractious my foot got trapped between the stirrup iron, the starting stalls and the horse. When he became more unruly the pressure was such that my foot was basically crushed. There are seven fractures and two displacements.”

Donavan Mansour has been out of action since Boxing Day when he was injured riding Geoff Woodruff’s  Sansui Summer Cup winner and J & B Met candidate Master Sabina in trackwork at Milnerton.

He said: “I was waiting for the tractor to come past but, when it did, Master Sabina went from being totally relaxed to stressed and I half fell off. When I was trying to stay on, and get my leg back over the saddle, I tore my groin and lower abdominal muscles quite badly.

“The doctor said that, judging from the x-rays, I would be out for three months but I am trying everything to speed that up including jet therapy and an oxygen chamber. I don’t want to miss out on the Triple Crown in Jo’burg. If I can get back in time, I can ride Brazuca in the Gauteng Guineas (Feb 27).”

By Michael Clower

Intriguing Lady blitzed home almost five lengths clear of her opposition on her 800m Scottsville debut yesterday and her connections are suitably impressed.

The two-year-old chestnut daughter of New Approach (IRE) and a Green Desert mare was bought at the 2014 Inglis Sale in Melbourne, knocked down to Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, who will be watching her progress with interest.

Assistant trainer Nathan Kotzen commented: “Well done to Sheikh Mohammed. Intriguing Lady showed good work at home, she has plenty of pace and room for improvement as she matures. Well done also to jockey Brian Nyawo, he’s been riding her in her exercise gallops and deserved to get the mount in a race.”

Mike de Kock, speaking from Dubai, said: “The Melbourne Sale has been very lucky for us. The nice thing about Intriguing Lady is that she has a scopy pedigree. She has lots of stamina in her female line so the fact that she shows so much pace is very encouraging. She’s a prospect for the Highveld Autumn Season and for KZN later this year.”
– Mikedekockracing.com
Picture: Intriguing Lady (Nkosi Hlophe)

The Million Dollar pot of gold is now only 19 days away and this morning three stables are convinced they are that much closer to the end of the rainbow after what happened in the Fairview Wine Sophomore Sprint at Kenilworth on Saturday.

Ernie won the race and, despite being by the SA Derby winner Elusive Fort (Peter de Beyer would say because of it!), he had the speed to win with authority.

Mike Bass also has probable CTS favourite Silver Mountain and Candice Robinson said: “I was using the Sophomore as Ernie’s prep for the race but it’s nice to now have two runners in it with a chance.”

So how will this one fare over the extra 200m? Grant van Niekerk who, like his boss, was in treble form, seemed to have slight doubts. “I don’t know – Ernie just loves it up the straight,” he explained. “But the way he is feeling at the moment I don’t see why he shouldn’t be alright.”

Mrs Robinson, though, has already worked this one out – “Ernie likes to be dropped out and given a chance. Ridden like that, he will get the extra no problem. In the Cape Classic we rode him too close to the pace and he didn’t like it.”

Illuminator finished only three-quarters of a length behind -admittedly receiving 2kg that he won’t get in the big one – but Glen Puller reckons his charge will fare better in the CTS despite his blood problems.

He said: “On Saturday they were going slow and then sprinting. You want to be up there when the pace is like that and mine came from behind. The pace is normally good over 1 400m. The haemo-concentrating has more effect the further you  travel but normally only after 1 400m.”

Seventh Plain, run out of second close home, might have looked a bit disappointing if you had your money on. But he will be 4kg better with Ernie and 6kg better with Illuminator on January 23 and over seven furlongs that translates into nearly four lengths and over five.

“I am over the moon,” said Derek Brugman who had already done the calculations. “This was many lengths better than his Ready To Run race performance and I though it a brilliant prep for the Million Dollar.”

Joe Ramsden also has his eyes on at least a minor part of the pot– you get over R600 000 even for finishing fifth – with Prince Of Thieves who completed a Marcus-ridden treble for the Milnerton trainer in the Itsarush Handicap.

Justin Snaith’s record for the fastest 100 in a season was established on Met day last year and the prolific-scoring team reckon they have already smashed it, following up a New Year’s Day double with two Fayd’Herbe-ridden winners on Saturday.

The NHA website statistics, prudently marked “not audited,” suggest they are still on 99 but the Sporting Post figures indicate that the list on the Snaith Racing office wall is correct.

By Michael Clower
Picture: Ernie winning the Sophomore Sprint (Liesl King)

The useful Charles Laird-trained Beloved Country proved her suitability to the minimum trip at Scottsville yesterday when winning the Non-Black Type African Holly Handicap over 1000m under Anton Marcus.

She was backed into odds-on and, running off a merit rating of 93 and carrying 57,5kg, it seemed race over when she took control close to home, but she then had to survive a late rally from Muscatt, who was one of a number horses over the weekend who showed that the lean spell of the Michael Roberts yard looks to be over. Muscatt, who started second favourite in the small six horse field, was only a quarter of a length back at the line and then there was two lengths back to third-placed Miss Varlicious.

Trainer Dennis Bosch had earlier scored a double and later made it a treble. The hard knocking Silvano gelding Red China converted 2/1 second favouritism in a Maiden over 1000m under Anthony Delpech. The talented Regardstobroadway then proved too good for a fillies and mares MR 77 handicap field over 1000m, despite odds of 13/2, and she thereby franked the form of two classy types, Free State and Beloved Country. Brandon Lerena, who had scored a treble at Greyville on Friday night, was aboard.

Later, in an unusually weak Graduation Plate for fillies and mares over 1200m, the Overlord filly Shezaleader destroyed them by 5,75 lengths to give Marcus a double. Marcus clinched a treble when winning the last race, a Maiden over 1200m, on the Gavin van Zyl-trained Western Winter colt Eternal Ice, who enjoyed the step back in trip.

There were two huge upsets in the Pick 6 legs. The Mike Pappas-trained seven-year-old King Of Kings gelding Highland Fling won a MR 70 handicap over 1200m under 2,5kg claimer Erico Saziwo Ngwane despite running off a 40 merit rating and being sent off at 110/1 odds. Later, the Corinne Bestel-trained three-year-old Fort Wood filly She’s A Fortress comfortably won a Maiden for fillies and mares over 1200m at odds of 66/1, but is entitled to be good as she is out of She’s A Winner, who won the Gr 3 Godolphin Barb Stakes over the same course and distance.

By David Thiselton
Picture: Beloved Country (Nkosi Hlophe)

Futura and Legislate dominate the betting for the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate at Kenilworth on Saturday and Justin Snaith is adamant that he has the pair primed to perfection.

Last year’s winner is 2-1 with Betting World and 19-10 with World Sports Betting. Legislate, odds-on when a virus victim 12 months ago, is 22-10 and 5-2.

Futura impressed when galloped on the course eight days ago and Legislate did a similar spin on his own over 1 400m last Tuesday with Futura’s rider Bernard Fayd’Herbe in the irons. Piere Strydom will be on board on Saturday when Snaith expects to have 33 runners.

Snaith said: “They are both spot on and it will take a very good horse to beat them. Legislate’s best run last year was in the Green Point after four and a half months off when he broke the course record and we are replicating what we did then with him.”

Both horses were checked out by Snaith’s vet towards the end of last week and given an unqualified thumbs-up  – “I always do that and I give them a blood test as well to make sure there is no haemo-concentrating because that is something that can sneak up on you.”

Ominously for the opposition one of the pair has always won when they have both run in the same race in the past. The score stands at Legislate three, Futura two.

Captain America, third favourite at a best-priced 13-2, was ridden by big race jockey Corne Orffer in a gallop with three others over 1 400m on the course last Tuesday and Brett Crawford said: “He worked well and I am very happy with him.”

Anton Marcus’s mount Act Of War (15-2) “worked fantastic” according to Joey Ramsden when ridden by Donovan Dillon in a seven furlong racecourse spin on Saturday accompanied by The Conglomerate (Keanan Steyn) and Brutal Force who was partnered by a groom.

Inara (Grant van Niekerk), bidding to repeat last year’s win in the Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes, also saw Kenilworth  1 400m action on Saturday and pleased Candice Robinson in a gallop with Come Fly With Me (Dillon).

Premier Trophy winner Paterfamilias (15-1 for the J & B Met) misses the Queen’s Plate to go straight for the January 30 spectacular. “He was drawn very wide this Saturday and in any case he doesn’t really need to have another race before the Met,” explained Mrs Robinson.

Stable companion Tevez, who ran way below form when fancied for the Diadem, was found to have been cut into behind and was quite sore afterwards.

By Michael Clower
Picture: Legislate (Liesl King)