Trainers comments Daily News race day by David Thiselton

Alec Laird has been knocking hard on the Gr 1 door this year and has three chances of going one better than second place in the R2-million Gr 1 Daily News 2000 on Saturday.

The yard said that all three horses, As You Like, Earl Of Derby and Bezanova, would be fit considering their recent campaigns.

The latter pair have been at Summerveld and As You Like will travel down from Johannesburg late this week.

As You Like placed in the top three in all three legs of the SASCOC Triple Crown and his pole position draw on Saturday is ideal for his galloping style.

Bezanova showed a good turn of foot in the KRA Guineas to finish a three length second, but he doesn’t always start well, so his draw of 12 is a problem and he will need a lot of luck. His 3,5 length fifth in the Gr 1 SA Classic over the tough Turffontein 1800m suggests he should stay this trip.

Earl Of Derby finished third in the SA Derby, having been unlucky in his previous start. Before that he thrashed Bezanova by 4,5 lengths in a Listed event over 1800m at Turffontein, although he was receiving 3,5kg and the latter does also appear to prefer the coast, if his form is anything to go by. Earl Of Derby does have a good turn of foot, which is always a good weapon at Greyville.

Gavin van Zyl has a strong hand in both the R1-million Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 and the Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m at Greyville on Saturday.

Their champion filly Along Came Polly has been priced up as 11-2 second favourite for the Woolavington where Van Zyl said about the Judpot filly, “She’s fine and at her best. She’s very well.”

She has unfortunately drawn wide, but has become more relaxed in her demeanour lately, which will help, and S’Manga Khumalo, who rode her to victory in her last start in the Gr 1 Laurie Jaffee Empress Club Stakes over 1600m at Turffontein, is another bonus.

Along Came Polly only just failed in the fast-paced Gr 1 SA Fillies Classic over the tough Turffontein 1800m, when caught late and beaten a head by Athina, so should have no problem with the Greyville 2000m.

The yard are also bullish about the Australian-bred Mount Nelson filly Mohave Princess, whose merit rating of 93 is a bit misleading, as she was sent for home way too early in the SA Fillies Classic and only faded late to be beaten two lengths. She then ran on well for second in the Gr 1 SA Oaks over 2450m.

Chesney van Zyl is training her out of the yard’s Turffontein satellite yard and said, “She galloped like a superstar on grass this morning (Tuesday) and is a big runner. She is very sound and well and I’m very happy with her.”

Mohave Princess is capable of quickening well from close to the pace and she will start from a fair draw of seven if the three reserve runners come out. Keagen De Melo will ride her for the second time. Mohave Princess is currently a 16-1 chance.

The yard run No Worries and Shogunnar in the Lonsdale and they are at the top of the weights.

Shogunnar, second top-weight with 59,5kg, has always been a stayer in the making. He was very fresh in his comeback last time from a six month layoff in the Betting World 1900 and that run can be ignored. He dragged the jockey around the wrong way to the start and then, due to having hurt his mouth, he ran extremely wide around the first bend.

Kevin Shea has the best hands in the business and is a notable booking for this race. The five-year-old Solskjaer gelding will likely settle this time and his class and stamina should make him a big runner, although he does have a wide draw to overcome. His performance will be important in light of his Gold Cup aspirations.

No Worries, a four-year-old gelding by Kahal, has had a disappointing season. Nothing went right for him in Cape Town, where he tended to pull and was generally too handy. Unfortunately, he appeared to be keen early again in the Gr 2 Betting World 1900 last time out and he found little in the straight. His headstrong antics don’t bode well for this step up in trip, particularly considering the blinkers will still be on and he has a wide draw. However, he was staying on late in the straight in the 1900 and the yard are very pleased with his preparation.

Van Zyl said, “He was behind the wrong horses in the 1900 and they pulled him far out of his ground. He had nowhere to go in the straight as he didn’t seem to want to go between horses. Based on the decent work he was doing at the finish I think he will stay the trip and he was also finishing in last year’s July.”

De Melo has been riding him in work and is very pleased. He said, “He worked like a rocket on Saturday with blinkers on and he’s definitely back to his best. On his work he’ll definitely stay the trip.”

Stuart Randolph will ride No Worries as De Melo had agreed to ride the Glen Kotzen-trained Alexander after winning on him last time out.

No Worries carries top-weight of 60kg.

The Glen Kotzen-trained Alexander has been aimed at the Gold Cup from a long time ago and everything is going according to plan as he was the last horse to be accepted into the Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup to be run over 2400m at Greyville on Saturday and comes in with joint bottom weight of 52kg.

The yard also run the Silvano filly Omaticaya in the Gr 1 Woolavington 2000.

The four-year-old Dynasty gelding Alexander is officially 0,5kg under sufferance in the Lonsdale, but this shouldn’t hinder him as he is a progressive stayer.

He also has the relaxed running style, coupled with an excellent turn of foot that has been suitable to Greyville in the past.

Kotzen said, “He is doing very well.”

This will be Alexander’s third run after a layoff and he is drawn in nine, if the two reserve runners come out, with Keagan De Melo aboard.

Omaticaya is not a good work horse, but has proven ability on the track, having won a Listed race over 1700m and finishing just 3,35 lengths behind Beach Beauty in the Gr 1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes over 1600m.

Kotzen said, “She is very well in herself and is crying out for this trip

Mike de Kock will travel Whistle Stop down from Johannesburg to Durban tomorrow in what could well be his last start in South Africa in the R2-million Gr 1 Daily News 2000.

The reigning champion trainer also runs the British-bred filly Square Dance in the Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 and has two contestants in the Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m.

The highly regarded Silvano gelding Whistle Stop returned from his disappointing run in the Gr 1 Grand Parade Cape Guineas with a lung infection and only made his comeback to the track last Sunday. The team were happy with his five-length sixth behind Master Sabina in that 1600m Pinnacle event at Turffontein. However, he reportedly needed that run badly and the Daily News obviously comes a lot sooner than ideal.

Originally his intended qualifying race for the Vodacom Durban July had been the Gr 3 Cup Trial on June 7, but now that it is known that the quarantine for his overseas stint begins in ten days’ time, the time frame suited a run in the Daily News better. “It is important that horses go into quarantine fit and healthy,” De Kock’s son and assistant Matthew told Tabonline’s Nikki Garner.

Whistle Stop apparently took his last run well, but despite his class he seems an unlikely candidate to win, considering his rushed preparation, against the horses of the quality of Legislate, Louis The King and Captain America. He is drawn well in five with Anthony Delpech up.

Square Dance is by Oasis Dream out of the former De Kock-trained Front House, who, as a six month younger Irish-bred filly, ran a close second in the SA Oaks and a 1,5 length third in the Woolavington, despite receiving no Northern Hemisphere-bred allowance. Square Dance is also six months younger than her contemporaries and will receive a 2kg Northern Hemisphere-bred allowance.

She was beaten three lengths by Touch The Sky over this 2000m trip when finishing second in the Listed Oaks Trial at Turffontein in April. However, she was facing the latter on 4,5kg worse than weight-for-age and will now be facing her on equal weight-for-age terms, which will give her a chance of making up the deficit, especially considering she will relish the step up in trip and will also be improving all the time.

The De Kock yard regards Square Dance as a fighter, who is worth following through her career. She will also travel down from Johannesburg.

In the Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup the four-year-old Mogok gelding Wild One has his first run for the yard and they also have the three-year-old Greys Inn gelding Gone Baby Gone involved. Both of these horses have been trained out of Summerveld and stable jockey Anthony Delpech is aboard Wild One.

Assistant trainer Nathan Kotzen said that they didn’t know much about Wild One and that he didn’t show much at home. However, he is a talented sort and finished third in last year’s Gr 1 SA Derby. The robust gelding has his quirks though and often appears to get going too late, although he has won at Greyville before.

Gone Baby Gone ran a fine third in the Greyville 1900 Consolation race last time out, 1,5 lengths behind the highly regarded Futura, and Julius Mariba has been kept on top. He finished a five length fourth in the SA Derby over 2450m, indicating he stays this trip.

Wild One is drawn in pole position and Gone Baby Gone is drawn in ten if the two reserves come out.

Brett Crawford is happy with his R2-million Gr 1 Daily News contender Captain America and also believed his stable jockey Glen Hatt, who has been nursing a bout of influenza, would be back to his best on Saturday.

Crawford also runs the gallant filly Zacharias in the R1-million Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 as well as the proven stayer Wavin’ Flag in the Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup.

Captain America’s three lengths third in the Gr 2 KRA Guineas was disappointing to some, but he is a very big horse and Crawford said, “That was his first outing for a long time and he did need it. He’s doing well and will run a good race.”

The Daily News is Captain America’s chief target for the Champions Season and Crawford is sure to have him at his peak, in the same way that he had Jackson primed to win this race in emphatic style two years ago.

The Captain Al colt’s draw of eight is a slight concern, especially considering he was keen in the Gr 1 Investec Cape Derby.

However, in retrospect, the fact that he was headstrong and still finished only 1,25 lengths behind Legislate in that race shows how good he is and also that he stays the trip.

He settled quite well in the KRA Guineas, despite being caught a bit wide, but showed he needed it when not showing the same turn of foot that he has displayed before.

A lot will depend on how well he settles, but if he does he will give both Legislate and the Triple Crown hero Louis The King a lot to think about.

Zacharias is a rags-to-riches success story as she was bought for just R35,000 at the Cape Premier Yearling Sale Book 2 in 2012 and has won five races from just nine starts, including four in succession.
Crawford confirmed that the Lundy’s Liability filly had a big heart and added, “She has done nothing wrong. At the ratings it’s going to be difficult, but she is capable.”

She is drawn wide and will have to make a big step up, but she keeps on progressing, and was ridden hands and heels when winning over 1600m at Clairwood last time out in very soft going. She quickened well in that race, so should be suited to Greyville. Her female line is quite speedy, but her damsire Model Man and sire Lundy’s Liability could impart the stamina required for the 2000m trip.

Wavin’ Flag, a four-year-old Silvano gelding, has won twice over 2400m and finished placed in both the Gr 2 J&B Jet Stayers over 2850m and the Gr 3 Lektron Chairman’s Cup over 3200m in his last two starts in Cape Town.

He is still merit rated only 91 so carries only 53kg and comes into this race off a nice preparation, when finishing just 2,3 lengths behind his highly regarded stable-mate Futura over the too sharp 1900m at Greyville.

Crawford said, “He ran a very good prep race and is well drawn (2) and distance suited. He was quite handy last time, but over this trip could be given more of a chance. He is fine at Greyville.”

Hatt, who will ride all three horses, had to be booked off at Scottsville last weekend and as often seems inevitable when that misfortune happens, he missed out on a big winner, the Gr1 Golden Horse Casino Sprint victor Normanz.

He rode work during the week and Crawford said on Tuesday, “He is still a bit fluey, but hopefully will be fine by Saturday.”

Highveld trainer Joey Soma has another tilt at big race glory with his Gr 1 SA Fillies Classic winner Athina, who runs in Saturday’s Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 at Greyville.

The athletic Fort Wood filly is being looked after at Summerveld by Soma’s nephew Gabby Soma.

Gabby said, “She’s sound, her work has been very good and we expect a very good race. The only concern is her wide draw.”

Athina finished unplaced in the KRA Fillies Guineas last time out, but a line can virtually be drawn through that run as she turned for home way out of her ground.

Gabby confirmed, “Everything that could have gone went wrong in that race. She was bumped, boxed in and was still easing when they came into the straight.”

Athina didn’t get a clear run down the straight either, so to have been beaten by only 4,65 lengths was a good effort.

Gabby has no concern about her staying the trip and said, “The SA Fillies Classic (1800m) was run at a fast pace and she still managed to come from far back to win. There is no reason why she shouldn’t stay.”

Kevin Shea keeps the ride.

Summerveld-based trainer Ivan Moore is one of the most under-estimated trainers in the country and has made the most out of the limited number of good horses he has had in recent times. He is in contention for more Graded race success with Eton Mess in the Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400 at Greyville on Saturday.

The six-year-old Jallad gelding has had to carry big weights this season after winning Pinnacle events over 2400m and 2500m in June and September respectively last year, but that didn’t stop him winning a handicap over 2000m at Scottsville in December with 62,5kg on his back.

In his last start in the Non-Black Type Handicap over 2500m at Clairwood he carried top-weight of 61kg and wasn’t disgraced, finishing 3,75 lengths behind Alexander, with whom he will be 4,5kg better off on Saturday.

He has had three previous starts at Greyville and was unplaced in all of them, but all were from bad draws.

He is now well drawn with a jockey who knows him well, Ian Sturgeon, aboard.

Moore said, “I don’t think he’s out of it and, if he reproduces his last run, will be there. His work hasn’t changed and I think he will run well.”

Summerveld trainers Dennis Drier and Frank Robinson both have hopes of going close in the Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m at Greyville on Saturday.



Drier’s five-year-old charge King Neptune is by the sprinter Cataloochee, but this gelding has proven to be very effective at middle distances.



Drier said, “He is very well and the way he runs over 2000m I think he will stay, but there is a big difference between 2000m and 2400m. The big thing is that he has no weight.”



Robinson runs the four-year-old Black Minnaloushe gelding Great Rumpus, who won the Listed Easter Handicap over 2000m at Clairwood in his penultimate start, beating King Neptune by 1,25 lengths. He is now 2kg worse off with the latter.



However, he is proven over this trip.



Robinson said, “He was a bit handy last time (when a 1,8 length fifth in the 1900 Consolation race), so we will try the same hold up tactics as the time before.”



King Neptune will be drawn in seven if the reserve runners come out and Sean Veale is up, while Great Rumpus will be in draw eight and is reunited with his Easter Handicap pilot Muzi Yeni, who was pleased with his work this week.

Cape trainer Neil Bruss runs the well-bred Jet Master filly Red Flame in the R1-million Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 at Greyville on Saturday and gives her a winning chance, although he did feel that she would be even better as a four-year-old.

Anthony Delpech rode the relatively unexposed filly in her last start and was very impressed. He said that she showed a fine turn of foot and he didn’t have to move on her. That start over 1800m at Clairwood in very soft going in a Graduation Plate for fillies and mares was only her fourth career outing and she won comfortably by 1,85 lengths. She was receiving 2,5kg from the two horses she beat, but third-placed Star Jet is a year older and franked the form by coming out and winning the Listed East Coast Handicap over 2000m next time out. Furthermore, Red Flame had finished a two length runner up to Eventual Angel in the Gr 3 Umzimkhulu Stakes over 1400m at Scottsville in her previous start and the form of that race has also worked out well. That day she received 2kg from African Dream, whom she beat by 0,75 lengths, but the latter then came out and beat the classy Izora over 1200m in a handicap, with the rest of the field nearly five lengths further back.

Bernard Fayd’Herbe will be aboard on Saturday from a nice draw of six, assuming that the three reserve runners come out.

Bruss said that Red Flame had done her work and was just being kept ticking over at her Clairwood Champions Season base. The good looking bay’s wellbeing was obvious to observers yesterday.

Bruss also runs the two-year-old Filly Aquila Jet on Saturday in a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1400m and if pedigree is anything to go by she must be a runner as she is very closely related to Red Flame. She is by Jet Master out of a Western Winter mare that is an own-sister to the dam of Red Flame. The grandam Tawny Red is by Northfields, who was Champion broodmare sire in Ireland and England in 1992, and she also produced the Pas De Quoi mare Nacarat, the dam of Red Ray, Gr 1 winner Nania and the Bruss-trained stakes winner Adobe Pink, among others.

Bruss described Aquila Jet as a “nice filly”, who was still green, backward and learning and would get better as she got older. However, she certainly looks the part, so must have a chance from a good draw as there have been three winners coming out of her debut race over 1000m, in which she was beaten six lengths by the subsequent Gr 1 Allan Robertson Championship winner Alboran Sea.

Bruss was champion trainer eight times in his native Zimbabwe and has had success in other parts of the world including Saudi Arabia, where he trained the one-two in their biggest race, The Kings Cup, and while based there he also sent out the former Port Elizabeth horse Paris Perfect to run third in the 2009 US$ 6 million Dubai World Cup. Among the subsequent top trainers that worked for him while he was in Zimbabwe were Brett Crawford and the current perennial Zimbabwean Champion trainer Lisa Harris, while he was also influential in the riding careers of the Fayd’Herbe brothers, whose amateur riding skills impressed him while he was the Director of Racing in Madagascar.

is there no comment from SJ Gray?

Justin Snaith was very happy with his R2-million Gr 1 Daily News contender Legislate and was confident that the Dynasty colt had the best form of all the three-year-olds in the country, although he was cautious when saying this.

He added, “It’s always hard. I remember them saying the Run For It three-year-old crop was bad and then The Apache came out of it.”

The Gr 1 Investec Cape Derby winner Legislate was very impressive indeed in his last start when winning the Gr 2 KRA Guineas at Greyville by three lengths.

He showed that day that he is suited to the tight track and, furthermore, he will relish Saturday’s step up in trip.

He is drawn wide and Snaith said, “It’s not ideal, but if he does it the hard way there can be no excuses from the others.”

The Dynasty colt did “a nice long canter” yesterday at Clairwood.

He faces a strong field on Saturday that includes the Highveld’s Triple Crown hero Louis The King, as well as Cape Town’s Captain America, who pulled for his head when beaten only 1,25 lengths in the Cape Derby.

Richard Fourie described him as one of the best horses he had ever sat on after his KRA Guineas win and has also spoken before about the colt’s electric turn of foot, a vital asset at Greyville.

Legislate does also relax well in the running, which should lessen the impact of the draw, but Snaith said “it is hard from a bad draw.”

Snaith runs the Gr 1 Avontuur Estate Cape Fillies Guineas winner In The Fast Lane in the R1-million Gr 1 Woolavington 2000.

He admitted after her disappointing third in the KRA Fillies Guineas that he had “overcooked” her.

He said the following week, “That run was flat, she had no kick. The ground was also a bit too firm for her. The run can be discarded.”

However, he added yesterday that she doesn’t appear to enjoy Durban.

“We have freshened her up and I am trying my best to get her as happy as possible. But she enjoys the grass paddocks and the beach in Cape Town. I’m not saying she can’t win as she is still doing very well.”

The Jet Master filly was staying on well when a 1,25 length second to the brilliant Beach Beauty in the GR 1 Maine Chance Paddock Stakes over 1800m at Kenilworth, which gives her a chance of staying the trip. On pedigree, Jet Master will impart some stamina and her dam by Northern Guest won over 2000m, but her siblings are generally speedy types.

In The Fast Lane will jump from a good draw of three if the three reserve runners come out.

Snaith runs True Master in the Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m and lamented his bad draw. He said that from a bad draw in his last race in the Gr 2 Betting World 1900 he had to come from too far off them, instead of sitting in third or fourth the way he likes it and thus implied that it wouldn’t be easy to prevent a repeat. He could only hope that the four-year-old Jet Master gelding had come on from his last run and that he would see out the trip.

All three of the yard’s big race runners on Saturday will be ridden by their first call jockey Richard Fourie.

The Geoff Woodruff-trained Triple Crown hero Louis The King travelled well down from Johannesburg to Clairwood on Monday and was looking in good shape ahead of the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 at Greyville on Saturday.
The other horses in his Champions Season string, Yorker, Rake’s Chestnut, Arcetri Pink, Touch The Sky and Zephira, also travelled well and are in good shape.
Rake’s Chestnut also runs in the Daily News, while Arcetri Pink, Touch The Sky and Zephira will contest Saturday’s R1 million Gr 1 Woolavington 2000.
Yorker is here to run in the Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge over 1600m at Clairwood on June 7.
However, Woodruff said that as things stand Yorker will be among the horses on a forthcoming quarantine shipment from Johannesburg to Mauritius, bound for Dubai. The shipment is currently due in early June, which would rule Yorker out of the Vodacom Durban July, but there is a chance that it will be changed to after the July, in which case he will likely run in the big race.
There are some that believe that the Cape Town three-year-old male form is stronger than Johannesburg’s, but when this was put to Woodruff he replied, “If they had been there they wouldn’t have to question it, they would know.”
He continued, “I always feel that up until the three-year-olds meet in Durban there are always one or two that are still improving and they have to run together a time or two before you know.”
He said about the rags-to-riches Black Minnaloushe colt Louis The King, who was bought for R60,000 and has already earned over R5 million, “He is cool and has always done everything you ask of him. There is never any fuss. When he arrives in a new place, he just looks around once or twice and then gets on with it.”
All of the Woodruff horses, including Louis The King, had grass gallops recently on the Highveld and will just be kept ticking over this week.
Louis The King will do pace work on Thursday.
Yesterday he pulled a shoe during his light canter. Woodruff said, “He is not used to the heavy sand here. He often does that anyway as he has such a big stride.”
Louis The King is drawn very well in barrier two and Kevin Shea replaces his regular pilot Robbie Fradd, who has moved to Australia.
Louis The King should be suited to Greyville as there is no question that he has a fantastic turn of foot and jockeys that have ridden against him emphasise that asset of his.
Rake’s Chestnut is unexposed, but Woodruff called him “a very nice horse.”
The Horse Chestnut gelding made his debut last November over 1400m at the Vaal and won by 6,25 lengths in a time that was 1,3 seconds quicker than Louis The King’s debut one race earlier over the same trip.
He ran downfield next time out at a time he “already needed gelding”, according to Woodruff.
He needed the run last time when finishing just 0,5 lengths behind his useful older stablemate Lockheed Jetstar in a handicap over 1600m. Unfortunately, he had to be withdrawn from his last intended start over 2000m as he had picked up a virus, but fortunately the virus was transient and was soon gone. Woodruff added that the strong chestnut put a “very good” recent gallop.
Rake’s Chestnut is owned by Markus and Ingrid Jooste, so Anton Marcus gets the ride and they jump from draw nine.
Woodruff said that he would have made the same choice that Gavin Lerena made for the Woolavington, Touch The Sky.
He said about the improving grey Jet Master filly , “She finished off the Oaks Trial very well and that is probably her best trip.”
He said about the Australian-bred Rock Of Gibraltar filly Arcetri Pink, “She held her breath in the KRA Fillies Guineas, so we are trying her without the tongue tie. Her form before that was jolly good and she hasn’t held her breath in work without the tongue tie. But we are gambling with her as we’re not sure she stays the trip.”
He said about Western Winter filly Zephira, “I was mystified by her Oaks run, but there was a muddling pace and she might just have been caught a bit flat footed. The 2000m is probably a bit short for her, but I’m putting the blinkers on to try and sharpen her up.”
Arcetri Pink will be ridden by Sean Cormack and veteran jockey Marthinus Mienie makes a rare visit to Durban to ride Zephira.
If the reserve runners come out, Arcetri Pink will be drawn two in the 14 horse field, Touch The Sky will be in nine and Zephira has the widest draw of all.