Spies’ underrated three-year-old Sarge filly Sarve produced a strong finish from an unfavourable high draw of eleven to win the Listed KwaZulu-Natal Stakes over 1000m under Francois Naude. Choir Maiden finished well for second ahead of Garibondy. Clear Sailing was next best ahead of the favourite Pej.

Sarve (Nkosi Hlophe)

Earlier Spies had landed his second juvenile feature of the weekend, having won the Gr 3 Pretty Polly Stakes at Turffontein on Saturday with Trippi filly Speedy Suzy. Yesterday his raiding fillies Silvan Jazz and Nomvula took advantage of their favourable low draws in the Non-Black Type Sentinel Stakes over 1000m and finished one-two ahead of the fast finishing favourite Chosen Dash. Silvan Jazz, by Silvano and ridden by Fanie Chambers, was the lesser fancied of the Spies pair but was backed in from 16/1 to 15/2.

Later the dream for the popular youngsters of the 3A Racing syndicate continued when the Greg Kotzen-trained Visionaire filly Royal Pleasure led from start to finish under Greg Cheyne to win the Non-Black Type King Pact Stakes over 1000m easily and remain unbeaten. Team Valor bought one of the original owners of Royal Pleasure out, but 3A Racing boldly retained their shares in the first horse they have owned rather than leased.

Cape trainer Dean Kannemeyer celebrated the news that he had been granted boxes for a permanent satellite yard at Summerveld by landing a double at Greyville on Friday night with his first two KZN runners of the year. Yesterday his Vodacom Durban July candidate Power King readied himself for the Champions Season with a fine win in a competitive Pinnacle Stakes race over 1400m, beating his classy ex-stablemate Ice Machine (now with Charles Larid). Ice Machine showed he still has life in his limbs at the age of six as he carried topweight in his first run in over nine months and was well clear of the rest of the field, which included useful types like Jet Aglow. All three of Kannemeyer’s weekend winners were ridden by Anthony Delpech.

Silvan Jazz (Nkosi Hlophe)

Earlier, Dennis Drier’s top class sprinter Captain Of All destroyed a useful bunch in a Pinnacle Event over 1000m under Sean Cormack, his first run since his narrow defeat in the Gr 1 Cape Flying Championships.

The first race over 1200m confirmed that Klawervlei Stud appear to have yet another stallion to reckon with in Warm White Night as the Charles Laird-trained and Anton Marcus-ridden Ninefold was not the first of his progeny to have won in good style.

Laird later landed a double when the Roy Moodley-owned Choisir gelding Roy’s Donkey won a 1000m maiden under Warren Kennedy.

The second race over 1000m saw the Paul Gadsby-trained three-year-old Var filly Miss Varlicious building on her good debut and winning easily under Cormack.

The meeting ended with a an easy win for the Michael Roberts-trained Argonaut gelding Theseus in a MR 80 Handicap over 1200m under Keagan de Melo.

However, subsequent tests have revealed nothing untoward. The colt has been scoped and there was no sign of mucous. He is also a hundred percent sound.

The going was very testing on Saturday and Louis The King was caught on the unfavourable inside part of the straight. He was still in contention, but it looked unlikely that he would reach the eventual winner Captain America, who had powered clear on the outside.

He became short of room when a horse appeared to run across him. Shortly thereafter Strydom began looking behind him to see whether it was safe to ease him out of the race and he then duly did so.

The star Black Minnaloushe colt’s main autumn target has always been the Gr 1 President’s Champions Challenge on April 25 at Turffontein and he is still on track for that race.

It was also a magnificent day for Klawervlei-based stallion Captain Al, who had one Gr 1 and two Gr 3 winners. Tarry ended the day on stakes earnings for the season of R16,812,575, more than R4,5 million clear of his nearest rival Mike de Kock and more than R7,2 million clear of reigning champion Justin Snaith, who is in third place. He had gone within a head of winning both the SA Fillies Classic and the SA Classic before, Angel Flight just failing in the former in 2007 and Pomodoro just failing in the latter in 2012.

Sean Tarry

However, Saturday was the first time he had won either race and this made the double with Siren’s Call and French Navy respectively all the more sweet. Siren’s Call provides the fairytale story of the season. Her owner and breeder Peter de Beyer put his faith in her sire Elusive Fort, whom he brought back from the USA and took a majority share in, a bold step considering the low percentage of stallions that make it at stud. He then bought Siren’s Call back for just R60,000 at the Cape Thoroughbred Sales 2013 Premier Yearling Sale Book 2 and his next step was to send her to Tarry in order to give Elusive Fort some exposure in Gauteng.

He is now reaping the rewards. The filly not only won the lucrative R2,5 million CTS Book 2 Graduates race, but has provided Elusive Fort with a Gr 1 winner from his first crop. Siren’s Call has already earned R2,371,875 and is on the cusp of joining the celebrated fillies Igugu and Cherry On The Top as a winner of the Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara. Tarry is not concerned about her staying the 2450m of next month’s Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks and said that although it was too early to tell how his horses had come out of their tough races on Saturday there was nothing untoward about any of them yesterday morning.

He rated Siren’s Call’s win under her regular pilot Piere Strydom as being “full of merit”. He said, “The runner up Same Jurisdiction had everything her own way, Anton Marcus rode the perfect race on her and the going towards the outside rail looked to be favourable on the day. She (Siren’s Call) didn’t get a clear passage but I knew she would run on strongly. I was just waiting for her to kick and when she did I knew she would get there.” The soft conditions on the day probably helped her catch the leader on this occasion when it looked as if the bird had flown. However, finishing on the side of the track perceived to be unfavourable didn’t stop the courageous filly and fast conditions haven’t affected her performance in the past either, so she looks to be a true champion. In fact the mighty Majmu is the only female to have ever beaten her.

During the SA Classic Tarry was a bit concerned when the Count Dubois gelding French Navy had to be eased behind a wall of horses in the straight and dropped back a length or two. “He was in the right position the whole way, but it looked as if the gap wasn’t going to open. But when it did he had the courage to go through it.” The win was the cherry on the top of a fine season for Raymond Danielson and it would be no surprise to see this jockey in the championship race in forthcoming seasons. Tarry has no concerns about the 2450m trip of the SA Derby for French Navy.

Carry On Alice (Nkosi Hlophe)

Later, Tarry won the Gr 3 Man ‘O War Stakes for the third time. All of these victories have been with fillies and on this occasion it was with the three-year-old by Captain Al, Carry On Alice. He now plans to run her in the Gr 1 Computaform Sprint and the Gr 1 SA Fillies Sprint. He added that he had never had any reservations about her versatility and the Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes over 1600m on Vodacom Durban July day is also on her agenda. Earlier the Brett Crawford-trained Captain Al gelding Captain  America had romped home in the Gr 1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes over 1600m under Anton Marcus. He is a big horse with a laid back temperament and it appears now that his going days coincide with him being on his toes in the parade ring and keen on the way to the start, as he was on Saturday. It was his second career Gr 1 victory and Crawford’s third Gr 1 win in the space of three months.

The Gavin van Zyl-trained Captain Al two-year-old colt Redcarpet Captain had earlier created a fine impression in the Gr 3 Protea Stakes over 1100m under Khumalo. He remained unbeaten and looks likely to develop into a classic horse. Tarry was not surprised by the Dubawi mare Amber Orchid’s victory in the Gr 3 Jacaranda Stakes as he knew she would prefer the 1800m and would enjoy having Khumalo back aboard. He also had a Gr 1 third on the day, in the Fillies Classic, with the progressive Trophy Wife and now plans to run her in the Gr 1 Laurie Jaffee Empress Club Stakes on April 11, before sending her to KZN for the KRA Fillies Guineas. The twice July-winning trainer rated Saturday as up with his best ever meetings. Tarry said about the championship, “We will just keep on doing what we’re doing and hope it falls into place.”

From barrier one, Christophe Soumillon settled Mubtaahij in the perfect position on the rail, behind leaders Tap That (JPN) and Golden Barows (USA). Soumillon was quite content to lope along, while the Japanese pair reeled off speedy fractions.

Mubtaahij and Jockey Soumillon (Liesl King)

With 300m left to go Soumillon decide it was time to get going and bringing the Dubawi colt around the leading pair, he asked Mubtaahij to step up a gear. The effect was instantaneous as the colt powered away under a hands and heels ride. With the field soon going up and down, Soumillon had time to look over his shoulder at the ever-increasing gap, before easing Mubtaahij down and starting his celebrations.

The winning margin was a staggering eight lengths with Maftool under Paul Hanagan flying up late for second, beating a tiring Golden Barows into third, a further three quarter lengths back. The winning time was 1.58.35 on Meydan’s new dirt surface. Soumillion was very impressed with the acceleration of the colt. “I was going very easily and as soon as I pressed the button it was all over. In the end, I kept some energy for the future, especially if he goes to the Kentucky Derby.”

Even Mike de Kock who has now won this race six times, called Mubtaahij his best winner to date. “He was a length off the pace but he had the run of the race and he quickened magnificently. This performance blew me away. This is the best UAE Derby victory for us. It is the first time I have won it with a Northern Hemisphere horse.” Mubtaahij, an Arqana August Yearling Sale purchase by Jehan Malherbe of Form Bloodstock, was recording his fourth victory from six starts, earning a 100 points towards the famed Run for the Roses in the process. This is enough to ensure him a starting position come the first Saturday in May.

“The Kentucky Derby? It’s not even a question. We are going. The nice thing about this is what it has opened up for us. This horse has given us the opportunity to run in the Kentucky Derby”, added a delighted De Kock. De Kock further explained that Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, as a global owner, was delighted with the opportunity to have a horse in the Kentucky Derby. “ Sheikh Mohammed is up for anything I am up for. He is a progressive thinker. If it’s on, he will be right behind it.”

Soma helped KZN trainer Paul Lafferty prepare Love Struck for his win in the SA Classic two years ago and might be instrumental in landing another Gr 1 trophy for KZN on Saturday. Same Jurisdiction has been staying at Soma’s Turffontein yard since the Gauteng Fillies Guineas, where she finished a somewhat unlucky fifth.

Howells said, “I always feel that you should rely on these people’s advice. Joe has an exceptional record in preparing horses for big Turffontein races if you look at the stock that he has had, whereas I don’t know the tracks up there.”

It was also on Soma’s advice that Howells kept the strapping Mambo In Seattle filly up on the Highveld after her Gauteng Fillies Guineas run as he felt that would give her enough time to acclimatise to the altitude.

Howells continued, “She is exceptionally well and has improved since the Gauteng Fillies Guineas, she is a big runner. She hadn’t had a preparation before that last race and I got the impression that she needed the run.”

Same Jurisdiction also suffered a bad passage in that Gauteng Fillies Guineas. She was bowled at the start and then clipped heels shortly thereafter. She was left with a lot of ground to make up in the straight and after moving up in the manner of a champion, she ran out of steam in the closing stages.

However, Howells was confident she would stay the 1800m trip on Saturday and said, “She won over a Gr 1 over a mile as a two-year-old and that last race was not about a lack of stamina, it was just a lack of fitness.”

Anton Marcus has replaced Stuart Randolph for the ride and Howells explained, “This decision had nothing to do with Stuart not being capable or any belief that he rode a bad race last time and he is still my stable jockey, but I feel that Anton has a lot more experience of Turffontein and for these big Gr 1 races you need every advantage you can get.”

Same Jurisdiction put up a “phenomenal” gallop over 1400m on the Turffontein turf last Tuesday, according to Howells, although Marcus was not aboard for that workout.

Howells concluded, “I have always told the connections that winning the Classic was her main aim as it is a Gr 1 and I know that she is more than capable of doing it. She has a lot in her favour, I know she is a very good filly, she has a good draw, she has had a good prep, has a good jockey, so it will take a good horse to beat her.”

Same Jurisdiction will jump from a plum draw of two and it would be no great surprise to see her reverse form with the Gauteng Fillies Guineas winner Siren’s Call, despite the fact that the latter is clearly looking for this distance.