Trainer Johan Janse van Vuuren, jockey Gavin Lerena and owner Laurence Wernars were the dominant combination in the second big Highveld meeting of the season on Saturday, just as they were in the first.

The trio combined to win the main race of the day, the Gr 2 Peermont Emperor’s Palace Charity Mile, with the brilliant New Predator, an Australian-bred by New Approach.

Former national champion jockey Lerena rode the Jackpot and all four of the legs were features. Three of these were for Janse van Vuuren. Wernars was the outright owner of two of them and a partner in another of them. Janse van Vurren also had another winner on the card.

Wernars has supported racing as an owner for 25 years, but is yet to win a Gr 1. He should have an outstanding chance of achieving this deserved feat this season.

New Predator will be a major force in all of the Gr 1 weight for age miles. The big question is whether he will stay the 2000m trip of the Gr 1 Sansui Summer Cup. The bookmakers do not rate his chances of doing so and he is still a long shot at 25/1 with Betting World.

The two best Summer Cup trials on Saturday were put up by the Geoff Woodruff-trained Deo Juvente and the Duncan Howells-trained Saratoga Dancer. The former was the narrow runner up in the Summer Cup last year and stayed on strongly on Saturday to finish a 0,8 length third. That was despite it being his second run after a four month break.

Woodruff must have a good chance of landing the Summer Cup one-two for the fourth year in succession, considering last year’s winner Master Sabina, under Lerena, put in an excellent preparation run recently and will run off a merit rating only one point higher than last year. The Woodruff pair are 14/1 shots for the Summer Cup, which looks generous.

Saratoga Dancer stayed on resolutely from a good draw on Saturday and found extra late to get up for second, just 0,6 lengths behind the winner from whom he was receiving 2kg. This long striding sort is perfectly suited to the galloping Turffontein track and his Summer Cup odds of 25/1 also look generous.

Wernars’ best chance of Gr 1 glory this season might lie with the three-year-old Janse van Vuuren-trained Captain Al colt Doosra, who followed up on his impressive maiden win over 1200m by winning his first start around the turn in the Gr 3 Graham Beck Stakes over 1400m under Lerena. He just got up to deny the highly touted Mike de Kock-trained Heavenly Blue, who was making his seasonal reappearance.

Both colts ooze class and will relish a step up in trip, so the Gr 2 Investec Dingaans could see a repeat of last year. In that last Dingaans renewal New Predator only just failed to peg back the De Kock-trained Noah From Goa. The Woodruff-trained Philanthropist gelding Singapore Sling, beaten just 0,4 lengths in the Graham Beck, should also be a Dingaans contender.

Wernars will also have a chance of landing a Gr 1 classic with a horse he part-owns, the Janse van Vuuren-trained three-year-old Philanthropist filly She’s A Giver. She kicked away from the field in the Gr 3 HSH Princess Charlene Of Monaco Starling Stakes over 1400m to win by an impressive 3,75 lengths under Lerena, beating the highly regarded Alec Laird-trained Maleficent.

Lerena’s most lucrative win of the day was aboard the three-year-old Just As Well gelding Chili Con Carne, who kicked well and had enough in the tank to stave off the classy Sean Tarry-trained Africa Rising in the R2,5 million Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run Cup over 1400m.

Chili Con Carne is from the yard of Lucky Houdalakis, whose expertise as a trainer has seen him rising continually season after season. He is lying in 16^th on the current national log and will likely soon be pressing for a top ten position. More should be heard from both the winner and runner up of the Ready To Run Cup, as they are both classy types.

Janse van Vuuren’s other winner on the card was in the Gr 3 Yellowwood Handicap over 1800m with the four-year-old Silvano filly Girl On The Run. She is owned and was bred by Maine Chance Farms and was ridden by Randall Simons.

By David Thiselton