The Tarry-trained Greys Inn gelding Legal Eagle was only carrying 52kg in the Listed Derby Trial over 2000m, but the manner of his comfortable 2,25 length victory under S’Manga Khumalo and the overall suspect form of the male three-year-old crop this season suggests that this relatively unexposed sort could be big runner in the Gr 1 SA Derby. Khumalo had him in midfield and the horse made up the ground quickly on the inside of runners in the straight. Khumalo was looking behind for dangers from 150m out and was easing his mount at the line.

It was Legal Eagle’s fifth career outing and it was the style of the victory that spoke loudest and the form was nothing to write home about. His stablemate Stonehenge finished runner up and this fairly exposed sort was running off a mere 74 merit rating. On the other hand Stonehenge was trying the 2000m for the first time and enjoyed it despite being by the speedy sire Seventh Rock. The race strengthened the argument that this year’s three-year-old male crop is a relatively weak one and Legal Eagle is the only one who can be taken out of it as a potential feature event contender.

Legal Eagle is out of the six-time-winning National Emblem mare Young Sensation, who was also trained by Tarry, and he was bred by Avontuur Thoroughbred Farm. He was purchased for R425,000 at the National yearling Sale and is owned by Markus and Ingrid Jooste.

The Listed Oaks Trial was run in a time 0,28 seconds quicker than the Derby Trial and the Tarry-trained 20-1 shot Epsom Downs produced a strong finish from last place under MJ Byleveld to catch the Gavin van Zyl-trained Withbatedbreath on the line. Epsom Downs was carrying only 52kg and was receiving 4kg from the runner up. However, this was only her fourth career start and she could continue to improve, so will be a runner in the Gr 1 SA Oaks over a 2450m trip that she should enjoy. She is the latest horse to prove that her ill-fated Wilgerbosdrift-based sire Tiger Ridge was not only about speed.

Van Zyl-trained charges, Rosalie and Kileigh, also filled the third and fourth places and the Tarry-trained 12-10 favourite Love Token could only manage fifth. Kileigh was carrying 7,5kg more than the winner and lost by four lengths. Being by Go Deputy she should be improving all the time and on pedigree should enjoy the Oaks trip, so she could be one of the horse to take out of Saturday’s race. Epsom Downs was bred by Wilgerbosdrift and  is a daughter the twice winning Shaamit mare Derby Strike. She was purchased for R325 000 off the National Yearling Sale and is owned by Chris van Niekerk.

Later, the Barend Botes-trained five-year-old Doowaley mare Tzigane gained black type for the first time when producing a strong finish under Piere Strydom to win the Gr 3 Sycamore Sprint over 1160m and she could be a contender for the Gr 2 Camellia Stakes on April 25 if similar tactics are employed. The Maine Chance Farms-bred horse was a mere R10,000 purchase at the Cape Vintage yearling Sale and has now won six races and earned R695,525. She is owned by SJD Mynhardt.

Picture: Legal Eagle running out an easy winner of the Derby Trial at Turffontein (JC Photos)

Dollar Dazzler went off at generous odds of 12-1, considering his wins in his previous two starts had appeared to prove that he was coming into his own. Punters must have ignored his outstanding record down the Turffontein straight. He won his maiden over Saturday’s course and distance by 10,5 lengths in March last year in just his second career outing. His next start down the Turffontein straight saw him defeated over 1100m, but that was in a Gr 3 and the horse that beat him by a mere 0,25 lengths at level weights was none other than Trip Tease, who is today one of the highest rated sprinters in the country. Dollar Dazzler’s only subsequent start at Turffontein before Saturday saw him powering home by four lengths in a MR 88 Handicap over 1000m despite carrying topweight.

He was therefore worth every inch of his 96 merit rating on Saturday and under the handicap conditions had as good a chance as any.

The Sean Tarry-trained Willow Magic was backed into even money, not surprisingly, as this horse had beaten the top class Red Ray when winning the Gr 1 SA Nursery over Saturday’s course and distance and his two recent runs suggested he was over the injury that had put him out for over a year after his Investec  Dingaans win. However, he was fractious at the start and was never travelling well before fading out to finish 11,5 lengths back. This run will put a dampener on his Gr 1 Computaform Sprint engagement, which was to be his Autumn target. However, the highly professional Tarry yard will soon identify what, if anything, went wrong on Saturday and address it, so he can’t be discounted for the Computaform just yet.

Dollar Dazzler would likely be outgunned by the like of Captain Of All in a weight for age Gr 1 like the Computaform, but he has the profile of a Gr 1 Golden Horse Casino winner, which is a handicap event. In fact he could make it three years in succession that a gelding by Var has won the Golden Horse. Last year’s Golden Horse winner was the three-year-old gelding Normanz, who carried 53kg off a merit rating of 101. The race was won in the previous year by the three-year-old gelding Contador, who carried 53,5kg off a merit rating of 100.  Dollar Dazzler is likely to be given a merit rating of around 101 after Saturday’s win.

Normanz and Contador are two of five  Vars that have won a Gr 1 at Scottsville. The strength of the Vars at this course is their ability to kick off a strong pace. They have continually been seen to have the ability to free wheel at  high speed down the hill and then nullify the effect of the uphill in the last 500m with their powerful finishes. Normanz led before kicking away from them last year. However, Dollar Dazzler is probably closer in racing style and conformation to Contador. On Saturday he was up with the pace throughout and kicked nicely. He got stronger and stronger the longer the race went and won easing up by 1,75 lengths.

The runner up Moofeed was 0,5kg under sufferance and third-placed Greasepaint is merit rated only 93, so they will battle to get into the Golden Horse field.

Dollar Dazzler is the third foal of the stakes placed four-time winning Joshua Dancer mare, Isla Bonita, who won up to 1400m. He was a R525 000 National Yearling Sale purchase and is owned by MC Gerber and JF and LMF Wernars.

Wylie Hall, an Australian-bred five-year-old Redoute’s Choice entire, had been diagnosed with a bone spur growing out of the back of a front knee joint after his last run in the Gr 1 Beach Beauty Champions Cup in July last year. It had been causing wear and tear on the tendons, but after the spur had been rounded off, the tendons have recovered.

It showed on Saturday as the former Gr 1 SA Derby winner travelled well throughout under Bernard Fayd’Herbe. Fayd’Herbe had him one wide in midfield of the nine horse field and brought him to the outside in the straight off a wide false rail. The 112 merit-rated horse quickened superbly to catch the leaders and then found another gear when it counted.

The proximity of the Paul Peter-trained 95 merit rated runner up Henry Higgins at level weights to Wylie Hall might take some gloss off the victory. However, Henry Higgins, a popular six-year-old Caesour gelding, continues to amaze as he took 15 races to win his maiden and has since won ten more times and risen from a 68 merit rating. Furthermore, Wylie Hall was eased before the line, so there was plenty left in the tank and he will have come on for this run.

The Sean Tarry-trained Cagiva looked to be a July contender last season before injury put him out for nearly a year. He ran on in encouraging style from the back on Saturday after a slow start. It was only his second run after the long layoff and he was only beaten two lengths by the winner at level weights.

His stablemate The Hangman set the pace and stayed on for a fair 3,5 length fourth considering he gave each of the three in front of him 1kg, but this five-year-old Jallad gelding still has to prove he is as effective over this trip as he is over a mile.

Tiger’s Retreat came from last for fifth and it wasn’t a bad run as his slow start put him at the back instead of the handy position he would prefer. Killua Castle moved up well but faded late in his first outing since the J&B Met. This race should have brought him on and he must not be discounted next time out.

Earl Of Derby was next best and would have preferred more testing going. Eurakilon looked outclassed and last placed Tribal Dance has become a disappointing sort. A lot of these runners will clash again in the Gr 1 President’s Champions Challenge, a race that Marwing said would be Wylie Hall’s chief mission.

Last year Wylie Hall had to run with a 2,5kg Gr 1 penalty, but his SA Derby win was more than 18 months ago, so will not apply this year and he will only carry a 1kg penalty for a Gr 2 win. This will put him right in the picture and he should improve on last year’s 4,75 length fourth to the high class Yorker.

Cagiva looks to be the other horse to take out of Saturday’s race. He should be at his peak for the Champions Challenge and he will not be carrying any penalty there. Killua Castle will not have any penalty either and it would be no surprise to see him repeat his Sansui Summer Cup runner up finish, because his undoing on Saturday only seemed to be a lack of peak fitness and little else.

However, Tiger’s Retreat will have to carry a 1kg penalty in the Champions Challenge as his Gr 2 Victory Moon Stakes victory happened less than 18 months ago. He has been a touch disappointing since then, as he was so impressive on that occasion, but if things go his way he can’t be discounted. He looks to be a galloping sort who would like to be handy off a strong pace before staying on resolutely, so his backers will be hoping for a good draw, a good jump and a strong pace.

Earl Of Derby appears to grow an extra leg in soft conditions so his connections will be hoping for rain on April 25 if he is able to get into the Champions Challenge field. However, off his merit rating of just 96 he will have a harder task than he did under the handicap conditions of the Sansui Summer Cup, where he finished fifth, so the connections might look for an easier option.

Henry Higgins’ best chance of feature race glory appeared to be in the staying events before the weekend and they might still be as it should be remembered that a few of his rivals on Saturday needed their outings. However, he has such a big heart that he can never be ignored wherever he runs.

Picture: Wylie Hall winning the Colorado King Stakes at Turffontein on Saturday (JC Photos)

Among his other good horses that will be contenders in big races for the Champions Season will be Forest Fox, Mogok Master and Henry Higgins.

Amsterdam, a three-year-old gelding by Windrush, plugged on resolutely in the testing going on Saturday under Ian Sturgeon and was only 0,75 lengths shy at the line, despite odds of 40-1. He might have even won had he not been caught on the less favourable going on the inside of horses.

Peter has few doubts about him staying the 2450m trip of the SA Derby at Turffontein on April 25.

He said, “He has such a big action and is only learning how to race now. On Saturday at the 1000m mark he dropped the bit and Ian had to pick him up again, so he will keep on and on improving.”

Paul Peter ( JC Photo)

Amsterdam’s mission in Durban will be the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 and Peter also hopes to get him into the big one, the Vodacom Durban July. Therefore his SA Derby run is of all importance as a win there will likely gain him a berth in the July.

Peter bought the Highlands Farm Stud-bred Amsterdam at the Cape Thoroughbred Sales Ready To Run Sale of 2013 for what now looks a bargain R110,000 and interestingly the horse that beat him on Saturday, the Sean Tarry-trained Count Dubois gelding French Navy, was bought at the same sale for a mere R100,000.

Amsterdam’s USA-bred dam Kindly Kat is by Machiavellian, a well-bred horse who was a champion two-year-old in France and who later became a major sire of sires, producing the like of Street Cry as well as South Africa’s own Kahal and Right Approach.

It is not surprising that the pedigree of Amsterdam, who was originally named Chivalrous Cheetah, caught the eye of Peter’s brother Dominic. The latter is a pedigree expert and Paul then follows up by looking at the specimen. Amsterdam paid back his purchase price early as he won his first two starts, both over 1600m, and Saturday was only his fourth career outing.

Windrush himself won up to 1800m, so on Amsterdam’s pedigree alone there might be some stamina doubts for the Derby distance, but he certainly gave the impression on Saturday that he would have a chance of staying the trip.

Forest Fox, a three-year-old gelding by Dupont, was the more fancied of Peter’s coupling on Saturday and started at odds of 10/1, having come from way back in the Gr 2 Betting World Gauteng Guineas to finish an excellent third. Peter describes him as a “top, top horse” and said that according to his rider on Saturday, Anton Marcus, the run can be ignored. He said, “He was left, so was on the back foot from the start, and he then raced wide and battled for a run. He is the type who likes to be left alone, he doesn’t want to be bustled.”

Peter described top jockey Marcus as a “thorough professional” and said, “I have a good relationship with him and would like to use him as much as I can in Durban.”

Forest Fox will be aimed at the Gr 2 KRA Guineas to be run on May 2 at Greyville, the opening meeting of the Champions Season.

Forest Fox ( JC Photo)

Paul and Dominic also worked together to find the Peter de Beyer-bred Forest Fox at the CTS Premier Yearling Sale Book 2 of 2013 for R210,000.

The Hyperpaint Syndicate, with Paul’s brother Gerrad as the nominee, own Amsterdam and have a share in Forest Fox in partnership with Bernard Kantor, Hassen Adams and GK and MM Nassif.

Peter also had a graded place on Saturday with the promising Mogok two-year-old colt Mogok Master, who ran on well for third in the Gr 3 Englezakis Protea Stakes over 1100m. He has always had a high regard for this horse, but believes he is looking for further, so although he will run him in the R1 million Gr 1 SA Nursery over 1000m on April 25, his chief target will be the Gr 1 Golden Horseshoe over 1400m on July day. He thinks he will also be suited to the Gr 1 Premier’s Champions Stakes over 1600m on Super Saturday.

Henry Higgins, a six-year-old gelding by Caesour, is one of the most popular horses in training due to his big heart. He took 15 starts to win his maiden but has since then won another ten races and has risen from an original handicap mark of 60 right up to 95. He is a versatile sort, but in feature company the staying races likely give him the best chance and his target will be the Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m at Greyville on June 6.

Peter will have a number of two-year-olds among his 20 Champions Season campaigners. He is one of the most transparent trainers in the country and is seldom wrong when he gives the public confidence in one of his horses, so it will pay to listen closely to his comments during his stint in KZN.

She didn’t have much chance on the book against the likes of Tevez and Normanz at Kenilworth yet the Mike Stewart-trained mare divided the pair. True, she was receiving plenty of weight but she still ran above her rating and, fortunately for her chance here, the conditions of the race stipulated no rating increase for the placed horses.

“Actually I don’t believe she did run above her form,” says her trainer. “But she is an improving horse and she hasn’t looked back since I found what her problem was.

“She wasn’t striding out on the grass but she would work beautifully on the sand on the beach. Then one day I worked her at low tide (when the sand was firm) and I saw she wasn’t striding properly. The next morning I took the shoes off and she strode out nicely once more.”

Ever since Stewart has raced the mare without shoes and in her last eight starts she has won three times, been second three times and third twice.  Sean Cormack, who has won on two of his last three rides on her, is back on board and his mount has already been heavily backed with Betting World, shortening from 12-10 to 8-10.

Stewart, an ever-cheerful 57, was born in London and lived in Ireland and Spain before moving to Cape Town when he was seven. He went back to Europe to learn his trade with Michael Stoute in England, Dermot Weld in Ireland and David Smaga in France. He then spent six years as assistant to Chris Snaith before starting on his own in 1988. His biggest success came with Fire Arch in the 1995 Summer Cup.

He also has a big chance with 16-10 favourite Surruptitious in tomorrow’s 2 400m handicap (race two) even though Cormack’s mount has not raced for over ten weeks.

“He had a break and then his comeback run was cancelled because there were only four runners,” the Noordhoek trainer explains. “But he has had a couple of gallops on the beach, he doesn’t need a lot of work and he should run a great race.”

However marginal preference is the East Cape Derby-bound My World who looks better value at 3-1. “He might just have needed his last run and he has definitely come on since,” reports Stan Elley. “His work is good and he has had a very good preparation for this.”

Good Grace (12-10) is the form choice in the opener but the money has come for Morning Light (18-10 to 11-10 favourite) even though she has been off for four months. “She had a bad cough and it took her a long time to get over it,” says Brett Crawford who doesn’t expect her to be in need of the run. “We have done a lot of work with her.”

Arezzo, yet another fancied Cormack mount, only just failed when stepped up to 2 400m here last time, and could be hard to beat in the shorter Rugby 5 Maiden.