Van Zyl said, “The top weight has to be a concern over 2000m in expected soft going, but he does now have a lovely draw of eight meaning he will be able to be placed according to the pace.”

No Worries’ (main picture) soft ground statistics are not encouraging, but Van Zyl said, “It is hard to say how he will handle soft ground, because he only experienced it before we fitted blinkers late in his three-year-old year, and this horse has disappointed everytime recently when he’s run without blinkers.”

Van Zyl has three runners in the Gr 2 Investec Dingaans over 1600m and sides marginally with Pioneer Spirit, although stable jockey Keagan de Melo has chosen Sun On Africa.

He said, “Pioneer Spirit (pictured)  is very well and was staying on well in the Ready To Run Cup over 1400m when beaten only 1,4 lengths. On a line through Afrikaburn he has a chance and is crying out for the extra 200m. He has been gelded since that last run and we did win a feature with Bulsara three weeks after gelding. Sun On Africa was found out by the heavy going last time and is now having his peak run. It’s a little bit on the short side but if he repeats his second place finish to Bezanova he is in the hunt. Iwo Jima was running on when three lengths back in the Ready To Run Cup and the extra 200m, and further, will suit him down to the ground.”

The yard have five runners in the Gr 3 Bradlows/Morkels Fillies Mile and Van Zyl fancied Kileigh ahead of De Melo’s choice Brown Sugar, who is coming off a hattrick of 1400m wins.

He said, “Brown Sugar will be competitive if she stays the trip. The mile will be right up Kileigh’s alley and she won’t be as far back as she was in the Starling Stakes. Banbury has got the form to win considering Piere Strydom’s aboard. Cassey O’Malley wasn’t disgraced on her Highveld debut and the winner Ataab then came and won next time out by five, so with expected improvement she shouldn’t be left out of trifectas and quartets.

“Withbatedbreath is a lovely big filly with a huge stride and won her maiden very well. She will hold her own in the company. I think that of the competition Smart Call is very smart, Ataab is improving all the time, Zrinski won her maiden very well despite losing two lengths, Tamanee is not out of it and Bilateral won a Gr 1 beating Alboran Sea, although I think this will be her toughest test. The formlines are still being established but I think some good fillies will come out of this race.”

Van Zyl runs Mohave Princess in the Gr 2 Ipi Tombe Stakes over 1600m. He said, “She is improving all the time and finding herself. She has the ability to win a race like this and has her best draw for some time.” The three-year-old Pine Princess is currently 3/1 favourite for this race while Mohave Princess is 10/1. The latter is 0,5kg better off with Pine Princess for a neck beating over 1800m at the end of October. The weight for age change since then would mean Pine Princess still has the form edge, but there is not much in it.

Van Zyl said about his well-bred first-timer by Ideal World in the last, “The factors against are that it is on the short side, it could be wet, it’s under lights and he could be green, but he is a very, very smart horse and I wouldn’t be surprised if he popped up.”

Pictures: Nkosi Hlophe