Richard Fourie’s mount yesterday opened at 18-10 with Betting World who make Candaleeyah favourite at 16-10. This one was reported to be hanging in from 300m out when third on her last run (Shane Humby: “She needed company – she was all on her own”) and Andrew Fortune rides her for the first time.

Saint Donan is 18-10 favourite for the opening Wilgerbosdrift Stud Maiden although he has a touch of seconditis after finding one too good for him in his last three starts. Panga Panga beat him rather easily three weeks ago and the third and fourth haven’t exactly boosted the form.

However Dolf Maeder has made no secret of his belief that this wasn’t his horse’s running and says: “He is better than that and his recent work is good although this might be a bit tight for him. He wants a mile and I was going to run him over that in a couple of weeks. But the owner is going overseas then so he runs here.”

Seattle Kat just might be a better bet at 5-1. He was less than half a length behind the favourite two races back and last time’s poor run can be excused. He was reported coughing by the course vet. “He did cough a little bit afterwards but it was more that he was choking in the race,” says Mike Robinson. “I am putting on a tongue tie and a stronger jockey. I want Karl Neisius to restrain him.”

The outcome of race two should provide a pointer to Ashram in the Cape Thoroughbred Sales Maiden and Greg Cheyne’s mount is expected to start favourite. “She has had three good runs over 1 200m but she didn’t win so we are going over further,” says Glen Kotzen who adds, significantly: “She is bred to go further.”

She may well prove to carry too many guns for Gauteng and Camara’s Park while the hat-trick seeking Big Ed carries a degree of confidence in the Jonsson Workwear Handicap.

Gareth Wright’s mount has come into his own since being upped to 2 500m (Humby: “He was too immature to go over it previously but now he is over his right distance”) and was only raised 1.5kg for last time’s defeat of Juddering Angel who franked the form by going on to win three weeks later.

Marwing, with his main yard now based in Ashburton, has had great success since his move and his horses have blossomed. Uncle Tommy made his local debut over a mile on the Greyville turf in the Christmas Handicap, finishing five lengths adrift of another old campaigner, Fourth Estate.

He was then switched to 1400m on the poly and the result was never in doubt in spite of giving the speedy filly Captain’s Daughter 12,5kg.

Uncle Tommy (JC Photos)

Uncle Tommy has the ‘grandstand’ on his back again but gains some relief from four-claiming apprentice Akshay Balloo who has been riding with new found confidence in recent weeks.

Uncle Tommy’s optimum trip looks to be 1400m but there is no doubting that he his lengths better on sand and poly than on turf and he will be racing off his turf rating, nine points lower than his sand rating which should see him right up there.

The handicappers appear to be on the hunt for Kings Archer who has risen steadily in the ratings in spite of not winning a race.

“We will see if the handicappers have got it right tomorrow,” said Duncan Howells. “Every time he runs a place he gets more weight. I don’t think he’s an 83 but having said that he does have a light weight and he’s fit and well. Here’s hoping.”

Cat In Command has smart form over the course and distance and landed the odds again on the Scottsville turf last time out. He is in receipt of 6kg from Uncle Tommy which puts him in with a big chance.

The opening leg of the Pick 6 is a maiden over 1400m on the poly where there looks to be a few to consider.  All Together Now was sent out favourite on debut at Scottsville but the stable where not wildly confident. That was borne out as All Together Now found himself out-paced for much of the race but finishing two lengths adrift of the hard-pressed winner Ace.

He takes to the poly for the first time but given his pedigree he should appreciate the extra furlong.

Dennis Drier is back in town after a three-month stint in Cape Town for their season and has lit the fire in his yard. His horses are coming to the boil and he looks set for a good evening. Drier’s runner First Sea Lord, like All Together Now, made a smart enough debut and is expected to pick up on that effort.  Marwing’s runner Fabrizio has the benefit of experience and has the makings of a promising trifecta.

Summerhill-based stallion Solskjaer failed to land a bid when offered up for auction last week but he is capable of a good winner. Drier saddles the Solskjaer filly Red Label in the fourth with Cousin Annie as back-up. Red Label is in very good form over the course and distance but this is a race where it may prove wise to go as wide as finances permit.

Gill’s Fancy is another Drier runner that looks to have plenty of scope and should enjoy the step up in trip when she takes on a fairly modest field in the fifth. The Dynasty won very comfortable on the Scottsville turf when shedding her maiden and has the benefit of a good draw.

Drier saddles Tell The Tale in the sixth, a comfortable winner of his last start, and the lightly raced son of Jet Master could prove too good for Strategic’ s Pride and top weight Mumsy’s Jet who has come very well since being gelded.

Yorker was expected by many to be among De Kock’s runners carded for the much-anticipated Super Saturday meeting at Meydan this weekend, but the five-year-old son of Jet Master has not made enough progress during his short time in the UAE.

De Kock commented: “Yorker has taken more time to adapt to conditions here than we anticipated, so we’ve backed off him. He hasn’t been working as well as he should be and given the time constraints we’ve had to rethink our plans. We’ll ship him on to the UK and play things by ear from our Newmarket stables. The horse will show us when he is ready.”

Yorker has won six of 14 career starts, including three Grade 1s.

– Mikedekockracing.com

“This is something we have wanted to do for a while now,” said Racing and Marketing Executive Graeme Hawkins. “We love the idea of 12 of South Africa’s top jockeys doing battle over a four-race competition. The Cape, Gauteng and KZN will each be represented by four of their leading riders in what is intended to become an annual attraction,” added Hawkins.

“We need names for each of the “franchises” and to add further public interest we are going to run a competition through our Racing App to see what comes up! We clearly can’t use the rugby or cricket names and hopefully something really creative and catchy will come out of the competition. Mystery prizes await the fans whose names for each Province are ultimately chosen. Details of the competition will be announced in due course.”

“Teams will be chosen using the National Log as at the end of June 2015 as a guide and the Interprovincial Rider Cup is sure to provide a fitting backdrop for the all-important WFA Grade 1 Mercury Sprint,” concluded Hawkins.

The Gr3 Meydan Sprint over 1000m on turf presents a tough introduction to international racing for Via Africa, who will be facing the likes of dual Gr1 Kings Stand Stakes winner Sole Power, another older ace in the form of Ahtoug and a few up-and-coming younger rivals including the five-year-old mare’s stable companion Banaadeer, and Moviesta.

Via Africa (Nkosi Hlophe)

Via Africa, by VAR, was bred by Gordon’s Bay-based Andre Hauptfleisch, who owns her in partnership with Albert Boshoff, whose home-bred colt Lizard’s Desire achieved phenomenal success when sold on to Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum before the 2010 Dubai World Cup.

Boshoff, in particular, is a wily horse lover associated with much good fortune and Via Africa’s supporters will be hoping that her part-owner’s luck will rub off again when she goes to post in the big league.

Mike de Kock commented:  “This will be as tough a field as Via Africa has ever come across and it won’t be straight forward. She’ll be tackled for speed by a few tough male rivals and we’re hoping she can carry it through. She’s doing very well, her work has been very good especially in the last two weeks. She’s on the up, but has improvement to come and it won’t be easy for her to win this competitive race.”

Leading South African jockey Gavin Lerena has been booked to ride Via Africa – his first chance to show his skills in the UAE and one the former Champion Apprentice is keen to convert successfully.

Pylon (Liesl King)

Banaadeer (Paul Hanagan) made marked improvement in his most recent outing, beaten a length and a quarter by Caspian Prince over the course and distance. He’s 1kg better off with his conqueror at the weights and must have a money chance again. “Banaadeer is very fit now and this is a good test for him,” De Kock opined.

It will be an exciting and busy afternoon for the De Kock team and the action starts in the Listed Al Bastakiya over 1900m on dirt. Mubtaahij (Dane O’Neill) and Ajwad (Christophe Soumillon) will represent Blue Stables in this curtain-raiser for the UAE Derby on World Cup night.

‘’Both runners are improving and in good nick, Mubtaahij is the stable elect. Christophe can’t make the weight on Mubtaahij, but Dane gets on well with him.  We’ll have to see what happens, Godolphin has entered an unbeaten horse in the race we’ll have to contend with,” said De Kock.

South Afican-bred sand specialist Pylon (Lerena) will have his own baptism of fire in the Gr3 Burj Nahaar over a mile on dirt and Mike told that this one was short of peak fitness due to a few hiccups in training. “Pylon is doing well of late, but he really needs this run.”

Mickdaam (Soumillon) and Umgiyo (Johnny Geroudis) will come under starter’s orders in the Gr2 Dubai City Of Gold over 2410m on turf, a race Mike has won before with Grey’s Inn (2004), Oracle West (2005) and Front House (2009).

Vercingetorix (Nkosi Hlophe)

“Mickdaam ran on very well last time and he’s doing fine, but this race is at level weights and he will have to up his game out of a handicap. Umgiyo is smart, he stayed on for second to a top horse over 2000m last time and my gut feel says he’ll see out the extra, he should run a big race.”

The top horse referred to in the Umgiyo formline is of course Godolphin’s 116-rated Hunter’s Light, who will be out to spoil the party for Mike’s six-strong onslaught on the Gr1 Jebel Hatta over 1800m on turf that tops the seven-race programme.

The Jebel Hatta has fallen to the stable four times, the winners being Ipi Tombe (2003), Surveyor (2004), Master Of Hounds (2012) and Vercingetorix, who won the 2014 renewal and will be defending his title with Soumillon in the irons in the company of stablemates Anaerobio (Richard Mullen), Flying The Flag (Geroudis), Darwin (Hanagan), Johann Strauss (O’Neill) and Sanshaawes (Lerena).

De Kock rated his runners: “Vercingetorix is in excellent form and has a good chance of following up, he’s enjoyed a good preparation. Flying The Flag won a nice race for us last week, he’s yet to prove himself in this class however and this is a last chance for him to prove that he can rise to the occasion to have any chance of racing on World Cup night. Darwin ran on over 1600m last time but is a bit suspect over 1800m.

“Johann Strauss is an exciting horse, as I’ve said before. It’s a pity we’ve had to rush him into this race, but that’s the way it goes in the Carnival. Sometimes one has no choice. He’s very well and we’re taking our chances, expecting a good run. Anaerobio will probably retire after this race, he earned a stake last year. Sanshaawes is also approaching the end of his career, we’re hoping he can step up to the plate. He has place prospects.”

• mikedekockracing.com