The PinkDrive meeting at Greyville is here at last and the crowds should be flocking to the course in their pink outfits to support the worthy cause of breast cancer awareness as well as enjoying plenty of on course entertainment and great racing.

There look to be some good opportunities for punters, which is usually the case on a polytrack card.

In the Listed Michaelmas Handicap over 1900m, Master James has been fitted with blinkers since running green on his first outing after gelding and he is doing “exceptionally well” after taking part in a grass gallop at Summerveld on Monday alongside Solar Star. The latter had excuses in his last start in the KZN Breeders Million in June as he was hit by a clod and he has also been doing exceptionally well. He won his only poly start over 1600m and should enjoy this trip. Olma has won her three poly starts from 1600-2000m by an average of five lengths and will be fully wound up having recently been taken to Greyville for a gallop. She is drawn well in five under Ian Sturgeon but is eight points higher in the merit ratings since her last win and is up against battle hardened males so won’t have it easy. The selection is Master James to beat Olma, Solar Star and Alghadeer with The Royal Rhumba making most appeal of the rest.

In the first over 1400m, Ricochet Flyer has fared well against some good sorts and is drawn in pole over a suitable trip. Dark Avenger drops back to the trip of his best run and should be thereabouts from a good draw. Oracle Kingdom has only ever faced useful sorts and is better than his form suggests so could earn here under a 2,5kg claimer over a step up in trip which should suit. Royal Champion and Buster Brown could earn too and Buck Eye by Ideal World is the most interesting of the first-timers.

In the second over 1400m, First Sea Lord has been expensive to follow for win-only punters, but this looks to be a good opportunity over a suitable course and distance and he will be hard to beat from a plum draw. Shine Up is having his third run after a rest from a good draw over a suitable trip and should earn in this weak field. Quantity is likely improving and should enjoy the step up in trip while betting moves for the two-first-timers by Dynasty and Visionaire respectively, Filoli and Stokvel, should be monitored.

In the third over 1400m, the hard knocking Queen Of Thrones gets a good opportunity to get off the mark from a good draw. Red Seductress hasn’t been disgraced against one or two fair sorts and should enjoy the step up in trip. Gordon’s Cungee has pace and should appreciate the step up in trip so is interesting with Delpech up from a good draw.

In the fourth over 1000m, Sea Urchin is the one to beat from pole position under Delpech, especially if he jumps on terms as he has been close up to two good sorts in his two starts over this trip despite losing a couple of lengths on both occasions. Lord Luton improved with blinkers on the turf with this same 2,5kg claimer up which makes him interesting here as he is well-bred for the poly being by Miesque’s Approval. Bank It is a consistent sort who can earn again.

In the fifth over 1600m, Let It Rip would prefer further, but she has been doing well at home and can follow up on her easy course and distance win in May, albeit off an eleven point higher merit rating. Mission Rapids is hard to ride as she usually pulls if she jumps well and her best win was when able to stride out freely before settling in behind horses as the handler had held her by mistake, causing her to lose five lengths. However, if she does manage to settle she will be the one to beat as she has some class. Topweight Royal Denise  proved herself a capable sort when beating the classy Sabaha on turf over 1400m and Delpech might bring out the best in her off a four point higher merit rating from pole position.

In the seventh over 1000m, Arabian National is ultra-quick and won his only poly start over this course and distance, so is interesting from a good draw with Delpech up. Harrison appears to be a fair sort who is improving and from a good draw he could earn a place, or even a win, and a same could be said for Tonto.

In the eighth over 1000m Regardstobroadway will be hard to beat from a good draw if behaving himself at the start as he is quick, classy and should have benefitted from his last outing. All True Man is knocking on the door over course and distance and is drawn in pole and Apollo’s Gift should be right there too as he is improving and had a legitimate excuse when finishing second over this distance at Scottsville last time.

The last over 1000m Heart Of Christmas showed pace on debut at Scottsville over 1200m and was green so could cause an upset as the form of that race has worked out quite well. She will have to improve considerably to reverse form with Chapel Queen, but will likely appreciate the step down in trip as she was up with the pace before beginning to run all over the place. Chapel Queen has good natural speed so should be involved under Delpech. However, she does have to overcome a high draw. The obvious horse in the race is Simla and she will be right there if not being used up too much early to overcome a high draw.
– David Thiselton
– Picture: Master James (Nkosi Hlophe)

Trainer Mike de Kock will be upbeat about the chances of Toro Rosso after the announcement on Wednesday of the final field for the R1-million Peermont Emperors Palace Charity Mile over 1600m at Turffontein on Saturday 31.

The Brazilian-bred son of Elusive Quality has proven his ability on the turf and comes into this Grade 2 event drawn No 1 and with just 54.5kg on his back. Anthony Delpech gets the ride.

De Kock also saddles Flying The Flag who will be having his first run in South Africa, and Mitraad. Flying The Flag was formerly trained by Aiden O’Brien and joined De Kock last year. The son of Galileo has raced five times for the yard and won his penultimate start over 2000m in Dubai.

He is drawn No 10 for the Charity Mile and will be ridden by Marco van Rensburg.

The draw for charities and celebrities was made at a function at Emperors Palace yesterday. This year the charities will receive a record R1-million, with the charity who draws the winning horse receiving a whopping R150,000 with the second-placed runner earning R100,000 for their charity. Even the horse who finishes last will bring R50,000 into the fold for the charity.

French Navy, winner of the Grade 1 SA Classic and the Grade 1 Daily News 2000 tops the weights with 60kg but Sean Tarry’s charge has landed up with No 16 draw. Regular jockey Raymond Danielson is in the irons. Tarry also runs Halve The Deficit and Whiteline Fever but was disappointed that 2013 Vodacom Durban July winner Heavy Metal is only in as the second reserve runner.

Alec Laird saddles two runners in Bouclette Top and last year’s winner Bezanova. Bezanova has one just once since last year’s event but he comes back carrying just 0.5kg more than last year and jumps from barrier No 4.

Another runner of interest is Deputy Jud, a facile winner of the Supreme Cup over 1450m on the sand. Mike Azzie’s charge is proven on the turf but jockey JP van der Merwe will have to contend with No 13 draw.

ML Jet came back to form with a win over 1600m on the inside track recently and with just 54kg to carry and jumping from No 5 draw, the Gavin van Zyl-trained runner has to be a contender. Keagan de Melo takes the ride.

Justin Snaith saddles two runners in Ultimate Dollar and Dynamic but both drew wide. Fortunately he has engaged two top jockeys with Piere Strydom on Ultimate Dollar and Weichong Marwing on Dynamic.

Vee Moodley, Phumelela’s Betting Executive, has already pulled a couple of rabbits from his hat. There will be a Pick 6 carryover of R900,000 with an estimated pool of R4 million, while R100,000 will be injected into the Quartet on the Charity Mile itself and a pool of R700,000 is predicted.

– Phumelela

Picture: Halve The Deficit (Nkosi Hlophe)

Final field for the R1-million Peermont Emperors Palace Charity Mile (Grade 2) over 1600m at Turffontein on Saturday 31 October

1 – 16 FRENCH NAVY (S G Tarry) R Danielson 60.0 – 113

2 – 11 BOUCLETTE TOP (A G Laird) G Lerena 58.0 – 108

3 – 10 FLYING THE FLAG (M F De Kock) M V’Rensburg 58.0 – 108

4 – 4 BEZANOVA (A G Laird) …………… 57.5 – 107

5 – 13 DEPUTY JUD (M G Azzie) J P v’d Merwe 57.0 – 107

6 – 6 RAMPANT ICE (W H Marwing) I Sturgeon 56.5 – 106

7 – 14 BOLD INSPIRATION (C Laird) …………… 56.5 – 105

8 – 19 HALVE THE DEFICIT (S G Tarry) C Zackey 56.5 – 105

9 – 12 MAC DE LAGO (W H Marwing) S Khumalo 55.5 – 104

10 – 9 WHITELINE FEVER (S G Tarry) A Marcus 55.5 – 103

11 – 1 TORO ROSSO (M F De Kock) A Delpech 54.5 – 102

12 – 15 ULTIMATE DOLLAR (S J Snaith) P Strydom 54.5 – 102

13 – 17 DYNAMIC (S J Snaith) W Marwing 54.5 – 101

14 – 5 M L JET (G H Van Zyl) K de Melo 54.0 – 101

15 – 2 THE CAPTAIN’S TUNE (G V Woodruff) …………… 53.0 – 99

16 – 18 MITRAAD (M F De Kock) R Simons 52.0 – 97

Reserve Runners

17 – 7 SARATOGA DANCER (D C Howells) Reserve 1 52.0 – 95

18 – 3 HEAVY METAL (S G Tarry) Reserve 2 55.0 – 100

19 – 8 KILLUA CASTLE (G V Woodruff) Reserve 3 56.0 – 104

Same Trainer: (1,8,10,18) (2,4) (3,11,16) (6,9) (12,13) (15,19)

Greyville’s PinkDrive racemeeting is the place to be tomorrow night because it will not only provide an opportunity to reach into your pockets and support breast cancer awareness but the course should also be abuzz with atmosphere.

Patrons are encouraged to wear pink and the jockeys themselves will all be wearing pink silks for race five, while there will be plenty of on course entertainment as well as spot prizes.

Plenty of excitement will also be provided by the nine races on the polytrack and the clash between the Dean Kannemeyer pair Solar Star and Master James and the Frank Robinson-trained Olma in the Listed Jonsson Workwear Michaelmas Handicap over 1900m is eagerly anticipated.

The other nine contenders in this 12 horse field can by no means be written off but these three have been particularly eyecatching on the poly.

The Dynasty filly Olma has run three times on the poly between 1600m and 2000m and has won these starts by an average of five lengths. She last ran in the Gr 2 Gold Circle Oaks over 2400m at Scottsville in June and was not disgraced in fifth 2,15 lengths behind the winner.

Robinson recently took her to Greyville for a gallop and she has been putting in excellent work at home. She will be fully wound up for this race.

She is drawn well in five under Ian Sturgeon but is eight points higher in the merit ratings than her last win over 2000m here back in February and is now also up against some hardened male handicappers, so won’t have it easy.

Dean Kannemeyer’s pair Solar Star and Master James are doing “exceptionally well” and are coming off a pleasing gallop together on the Summerveld grass on Monday. Kahal gelding Solar Star was travelling well in his last start on June 28 at Greyville in the KZN Breeders Million over 1600m when he suddenly dropped the bit and it was discovered later he had been hit by a clod in the eye. He beat the useful Bold Inspiration in his only poly start over 1600m. He followed up by winning the Listed Sledgehammer over 1750m at Scottsville with something in hand, which suggested he would handle the extra 150m on this faster surface. He is however four points higher in the merit ratings since his last win and ten points higher than his last poly win and he also has a wide draw to overcome. He will be ridden by Warren Kennedy.

Master James, who is by Jet Master, was fancied by the yard last time out in his seasonal reappearance over 1600m on the poly but ran green in his first outing after gelding. The blinkers have now been fitted and Kannemeyer is expecting this to bring big improvement.  Master James will have no problem staying the trip. He has won twice on the poly over 1600m and also went close over 1900m on the surface. He is seven points higher in the merit ratings than his last win but showed his class in his penultimate start when a 0,3 length back in the Gr 2 Track and Ball Derby over 2400m at Scottsville. The gelding operation and blinkers should bring out improvement, so he is an intriguing runner from a fair draw of seven under Luyolo Mxothwa.

Kannemeyer is unable to separate his pair and expected good runs from both of them.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Olma (Nkosi Hlophe)

A Workrider’s maiden race meeting, which comprises the first leg of the 2015/2016 Workrider’s Challenge, is hosted by the Vaal Sand track today.

This course has been characterised by big exotic dividends, so punters will need to put their special Vaal Sand thinking caps on for last time in an attempt to find some of those big-priced winners and placed horses.

In the first race over 1450m, the first-timer Leigh Woods makes plenty of appeal from a fair draw as he is by Fort Wood, whose progeny love the sand, and his Mark Of Esteem dam was a fair sort, achieving a merit rating of 83 after a facile maiden win over 1600m and another win over 1800m. Le Clos will be involved in the finish from a good draw having gone close over 1200m on this surface last time. One concern is that he has made breathing noises before, but on pedigree he should enjoy the step up in trip. The Badge has a suitable sand pedigree. He should now be cherry ripe in his third career start, having led in a 1450m turf race last time out before fading, and he is well drawn under last season’s Workrider’s Challenge victor Lyle Hewitson.

In the second race for fillies and mares over 1450m there is not much form to go on but Carole Bouquet makes appeal being by Fort Wood and well drawn. She was beaten by Lindeman Lustre over course and distance three runs ago but there is now a reversal in draw fortunes. Lindeman Lustre only has one good effort to her name in seven starts, but she wasn’t disgraced last time out over course and distance and should be a big runner in this weak field. Gold Rupee wasn’t disgraced in her sand debut last time out over 1200m and showed some improvement in blinkers so could be a threat from pole position over a step up in trip which should suit on pedigree.

In the third race, a maiden over 1000m, Boogaloo has improved and went close to a fair sort last time so is the one to beat. Ziggy’s Boy hasn’t been disgraced behind some fair sorts from 1000-1200m, including on his debut on sand, and runs fresh having pulled up lame last time out in May in a strong turf race. Rock On makes his sand debut for an in form yard and on pedigree will be suited to the course and distance.

The fourth is a maiden over 1000m and Angie The Rebel only just failed over course and distance last time when cruising up and then being surprised by the kick the leader found, meaning she left her run just a fraction too late. She is the one to beat. Arrive At Five could go close in second-time blinkers as he showed some pace last time over course and distance and a horse he beat came out and won next time out, albeit on the turf. Fannalies Girl should love the surface being by Windrush and her best runs were over 1200m so she might enjoy the step down in trip from 1400m. Rain In Africa has blinkers and a tongue tie on having been close up to some promising sorts, but the concern is that she has made breathing noises before. Sister Mary has pace and has some fair turf form and tries sand for the first time.

The fifth over 1800m for fillies and mares represents a good opportunity for Angel Of Mercy, who wears second time blinkers and should be too strong for this field from a fair draw. Oblivion ran a cracker over 1950m at Scottsville last time out and is the danger because being by Announce she will love returning to the sand. Polly Woddle Doodle is a R200,000 first-timer by Judpot and is a half-sister to the Gr 1 Champions Cup winner Master Plan so the betting must be closely monitored.

In the sixth over 1800m Paratus’ only sand start wasn’t a bad effort and he looks perfectly suited to this trip. The race could represent an opportunity for the expensively purchased Umthetho as he should enjoy the sand on pedigree and his disappointing efforts over shorter suggested he would be looking for more ground. However, there are some stamina question marks on pedigree, although he is drawn in pole with Hewitson up and doesn’t face a strong field. Seven Single has to be included in all bets with the blinkers now off after a disappointing sand debut over 1450m. Il Duce ran a fair race behind a classy sort in his penultimate start over course and distance and should be involved in the finish. Lego House is never far off them and has gone close over 2000m on the Greyville poly before so should stay this trip. His pedigree suggests he should take to sand, albeit over a shorter trip.

The seventh over 1600m could be won by Cervantes as he ran a cracker over a too sharp 1200m on the sand and is now drawn in pole over a more suitable trip. Mr Balboa is a consistent sort whose one paced running style suggests he might enjoy this course and distance. Icy Avalanche’s two best sand runs have been over this trip and he could earn from a good draw.

The eighth is for fillies and mares over 1600m and Infinity Knot looks the one to side with having made a fair sand debut over 1450m last time and now jumping from a good draw over a step up in trip that should suit. Seattle Spice stayed on in eyecatching style on her sand debut over 1200m and should love he course and distance although the wide draw is a concern. Peggy Jay is a one paced sort who should enjoy the sand on running style. A Woman’s Will has run three fair races on turf and should also enjoy this surface on running style but she does have a tough draw.  Ginger Sioux has run a couple of fair races over course and distance and should be included in all exotics.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Lyle Hewitson

Port Elizabeth has its equivalent of the Vodacom Durban July this Sunday at Fairview, the Gr 3 R350,000 Algoa Cup over 2000m, and some good value could possibly be found in the talented but enigmatic Mitch Wise-trained Taarish.

This five-year-old Australian-bred Encosta De Lago gelding has the habit of dropping himself out at the beginning of his races, leaving himself with too much ground to make up in the closing stages. He always finishes well and connections are usually left wondering how much closer he would have been without his early race antics. However, the blinkers have at last been fitted and off a merit rating of 88, which sees him carrying a weight of just 52,5kg, he could be worth a small each/way bet at likely long odds. The cheek pieces didn’t appear to help in his penultimate start over 1800m on the poly, but his tailed off position early on in the race on that occasion had more to do with  dwelling in the starting stalls.

The big race has been won by a Cape Town raider for the last five times in succession.

However, the selection to do best of the Cape-based trainers’ horses is Current Event, a Justin Snaith-trained horse who has run his last three races in Port Elizabeth. He is a similar type to the winner of the last two Algoa Cups, Disco Al, in that he is effective over the 200m trip, but can win over further too. He looks to have been given the perfect preparation and jumps from a plum draw of six under Robert Khathi with just 52,5kg to carry.

Snaith also has a very interesting runner in the Jet Master gelding Masterly, who has improved from a 50-something merit rated horse to an 87 since arriving in PE from a Johannesburg yard earlier this year. He has won his last four starts, all on the poly, in fine style and sneaks into the handicap with bottom weight and from a good draw under the quality rider Keagan de Melo. There is no reason why he should not be just as good on turf.

Another of his stablemate’s Krambambuli announced that he is likely to be at his best this year when running on strongly to win over 1800m at Durbanville in his seasonal reappearance and he could be a big threat under Andrew Fortune, although he has a tricky draw of nine.

The Mike Bass yard send the Jet Master gelding Mountain Master and he has a definite chance as he has dropped back to a competitive merit rating, so only has to carry 52,5kg over a suitable course and distance and from pole position draw under stable jockey Grant van Niekerk.

The Glen Kotzen-trained Cape Town raider Gone Baby Gone is a frustrating sort who can’t be ignored on his best form, although he is 0,5kg under sufferance. His stablemate Political Power, who only has one eye, is an ultra-consistent sort and should be distance suited. His last win was off a one point higher mark, but he does have a tough draw.

The Alan Greeff-trained Kalamein is one of the big local hopes as he is a classy sort who could still be ahead of the handicapper and he has the polished Greg Cheyne aboard, but he unfortunately has to contend with the widest draw of all.

The Dorrie Sham-trained Symbolik should be ideally suited to this trip and in form Karl Zechner rides, although the draw of ten is not easy.

The East Cape polytrack horse of the year Gogetthesherriff is also effective on turf and is distance suited. Being by Go Deputy he is showing no signs of slowing down and is unbeaten in three this season, but he does have a big weight of 61,5kg to lug.

Gothic raids from Cape Town and from a good draw would not be a surprise winner for a trainer-jockey combination who have won this race before, especially considering he is off a two point lower merit rating than his last win. He is a similar type to Disco Al as he is effective over this trip and stays further, so he should be right there.

National champion trainer Sean Tarry sends two raiders down from Johannesburg and Orchestrated must be a runner carrying just 52,5kg from draw two, as he bounced back to form over 1800m on the sand last time in his first outing for over four months.

Stablemate Stonehenge is 2kg under sufferance but actually has Orchestrated beaten on their last meeting over this distance on turf, although that was back in May and the latter ran below par.

Zestful has been off form since arriving in Port Elizabeth and will have to bounce back to form.

Silent Partner finished third last year off a considerably higher merit rating, but is getting a bit long in the tooth now and won’t be carrying many local hopes as he comes into the race 4kg under sufferance.

A chance is taken with Taarish to beat Current Event and Gothic, with Kalamein and Masterly next best.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Taarish (Nkosi Hlophe)