Conspicuous by his absence is the Gr 1 Grand Parade Cape Guineas winner Act Of War who is being targeted at the Winter Series in Cape Town.

Ramsden’s Champions Season string consists of King Of Pain, The Conglomerate, Kingvoldt, Disco Al, Coltrane, Gallica Rose, St. Tropez, Grey Light, Azincourt, and one unraced two-year-old.

King Of Pain travelled up to Johanesburg  recently to run in the Gr 1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes, a race for which Ramsden said he had enjoyed a superb preparation, but  had to be scratched after kicking a stable wall and bruising his heels.

Consequently, Ramsden has pulled the five-year-old Greys Inn gelding out of the Gr 1 President’s Champions Challenge and will run him in the Gr 2 Drill Hall Stakes over 1400m at Greyville on May 2 instead. Unfortunately, he has drawn wide in the Drill Hall in 25 out of 32 entries. However, it would be no surprise to still see him lining up as one of his chief targets will be the defence of his Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge crown over 1600m at Greyville on June 6.

The Conglomerate, a classy Australian-bred colt by Lonhro, has been priced up at 45/1 for the July and is one of the best value horses in the market at present as he has the look of a progressive type who has still not been fully exposed. He won the Listed Politician Stakes over 1900m last time out on January 10 and gave the impression that he would stay further. He received 3kg from the runner up MLJet that day, but had to be switched once or twice in the straight and won cosily in the end. He is merit rated 100 and has drawn 15 out of 28 entries for the Gr 2 KRA Guineas on May 2. The Gr 1 Daily News 2000 on May 30 is likely to be his chief target and as the male three-year-old division is not overly strong this year he is likely to make his presence felt, although on the other hand the mighty filly Majmu is due to be an entry in that race.

The Gr 1 Grand Parade Cape Guineas third-placed Kingvoldt had a fine Champions Season pipe opener last Friday night when conceding 3kg to the classy Heartland over 1400m at Greyville and being beaten just 0,75 lengths. This classy Western Winter colt is drawn  17 for the KRA Guineas. He hasn’t raced beyond a mile to date and as he was not entered for the July he looks likely to run in the Gold Challenge rather than the Daily News, although being out of a Parade Leader mare he could possibly stay further than 1600m.

Disco Al will likely have his best chance of feature success in staying races and could have races like the Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m, the Gr 2 Track And Ball Derby over 2400m and the eLan Property Group Gold Cup over 3200m, all at Greyville, as his chief targets. He has drawn 11 in the Listed Sledgehammer over 1750m on Sunday and is a versatile type who is also effective over this trip.

Coltrane is one of the best stayers in the country so will likely have all of the aforementioned staying races on his program. He is drawn 15 in Sunday’s Sledgehammer, a race he finished a short-head second in last year from a wide draw, which proved that he is also effective over this distance.

Gallica Rose is a Silvano filly who has come into her own this season and, having finished a 0,2 length second in the Listed Sun Classique Handicap over 2400m last time out, she could have staying races for fillies and mares on her agenda. The merit rated 95 filly is drawn 8 in the Listed Scarlet Lady over 1750m at Scottsville on Sunday and could then perhaps be entered in races like the Listed East Coast Cup over 2000m at Greyville on May 17 and the Gr 2 Gold Circle Oaks over 2400m at Greyville  on June 21. The Gold Cup might be on the cards if she does well in those races.

St. Tropez received 3kg from the classy Ultimate Dollar on Sunday at Greyville and was awarded the result on objection. Anthony Delpech was certain that he would have won the race but for the interference. This Silvano gelding  has a nice turn of foot and his tendency of hanging to the right will make him suited to Greyville, so it is a surprise to see him not entered in the KRA Guineas and perhaps the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 is his chief target as he will relish the extra trip on pedigree, being a full-brother to former narrow Investec Cape Derby runner up Tan Can.

Grey Light is a strapping filly by top USA sire Tapit and has dropped to a 93 merit rating, so should be watched in handicaps as Cape Town horses often have suppressed merit ratings due to the class of horse there. She has faced the like of Majmu and Inara. The sprint-miler Count Dubois  gelding  Azincourt is another to watch in handicaps.

Ramsden’s Summerveld string is being taken care of by Alson Ndzilana, who did a fine job for the yard at Clairwood last season.