No. 1846 ISSN 1023 / 6996
MONDAY 25th - THURSDAY 28th JUNE 2012
urban July D m o c a d o V 1 Gr side on pg 2 in S D L E I F L FINA Colour Me Bad? Amber Palace has been
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Colour Me Bad? Amber Palace has been disappointing, but gets his chance here
VAAL SAND
12:00pm (Monday) p.5
SCOTTSVILLE
12:30pm (Tuesday) p.13
DURBANVILLE
12:50pm (Wednesday) p.23
VAAL TURF
12:00pm (Thursday) p.31
MR 90 DIVIDED HANDICAP over 1400m at Durbanville on Wednesday
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The true home-baked value of investing in the progeny of stallion Dynasty is underlined by his dominance of the 2012 Champions Season feature events, including fielding two of the leading Durban July candidates. He is also versatile, and two of his less illustrious sons could grapple over the spoils of the highest rated race at Durbanville on Wednesday.
he 2003 Vodacom Durban July winner has made a smashing impact on our breeding industry in a relatively short space of time and he is represented on in Africa’s Greatest Horseracing event on 7 July by all of the brilliant Jackson, Beach Beauty and the less-fancied Sage Throne.
Amber To Red We are talking bread and butter fare for now though and the pleasingly well patronised eight-race midweek programme at Durbanville is headed by an MR 87 Handicap run over the tight 1400m. The eleven-horse field is characterised by a rather alarming dearth of form on most of the contestants’ formlines and Dynasty provides the joint topweight Amber Palace and
the bottomweight Red Banner, who meet the minimum requirements of some fair recent form and workable barrier positions. Justin Snaith rather raved about the ability of Amber Palace as a juvenile and this gelding won his maiden at his second start at prohibitive odds of 510, beating the very able Northern Conquest easing up. He then came out in the Gr3 Betting World Nursery and gave the well-performed Depardieu a fright when running him to 2,50 lengths. Amber Palace actually had a horse we have all come to know and love, 1,80 lengths behind him there. That fellow’s name is Variety Club, and while we are talking history of over a year ago, it was nevertheless a meritorious performance. That said, Amber Palace has been something of a disappoint-
ment following that eyecatching performance. In eight career starts, he has managed to win just a Graduation Plate in Port Elizabeth. Seriously. Don’t ever count the chickens when it comes to racehorses. His connections obviously believe he only does 1400m as he has been contained to this distance, and has slowly crept back to something that indicates he will win soon. At his last start, in an MR 96 Handicap , he ran the older and very capable Blanic to 2,25 lengths, giving him 2,5 lengths. He had some fair sorts beaten, there, including Jet Into The Wind who jumps from a poor draw here, and cannot beat him on paper. That race was also on very soft ground, so if the likely rains turn up, then Amber Palace will be well at home.
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setter, who doesn’t stop when most would expect him too. He had his first run at Durbanville last time when fading slightly to finish 2,25 lengths behind the well-performed Cavalli. That was over a mile, and he may prefer the 1400m of this race. Grant Van Nieker has won aboard him and knows him well. He is a danger if he gets into a dominant position.
half-kilo. While he is a course and distance winner, he is inconsistent and disappointing. Stan Elley’s Cork Forest attracts betting support every now and then, but has not won since November 2010 and his lukewarm form generates no confidence, despite the booking of top-jock Felix Coetzee. Trainer Piet Steyn sends out the regular coupling of Pergamon Alter and Terry Lister Customs and both look pressed to feaThe three year old Winter ture here. Migrant won his first race to Andy Capp rave reviews by top-judge Andrew Fortune, who paid Being a handicap where form him compliments that had is dodgy and reputations have most of us thinking that we been shattered, we would sugmay have seen a classic gest that caution be exercised. horse.That was not the case Amber Palace looks much betsadly and while he has run ter than his bank balance at this second twice, he always seems stage and he is surely classy to get there when the show is enough to clinch a race of this over. nature. He jumps from a 2 draw and The danger could be Ramgiven what looks a likely good sden’s Red Banner, while Spy pace, he could be storming Glass and Winter Migrant are through to mount a serious capable of big efforts from eichallenge in the final stages. ther end of the action. Beyond As mentioned, we cannot them it is difficult to make a case see the Mike Bass gelding Jet for anything. Into The Wind reversing the But this is Durbanville in form with Amber Palace. He midwinter. That means anyfinished over 5 lengths adrift thing could happen. And problast time when giving him a ably will.
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Showing Signs Dynasty’s other son in this race is the lightly raced Ramsden runner, Red Banner, who really could be anything. We like him as a progressive sort who hails from a yard that has tremendous success at Durbanville. Red Banner came up on his connections when winning easily first time out at 50-1 over 1200m. He was then rested for eight months before returning to racing with an unplaced effort 14,25 lengths back in an MR 80 Handicap. He then showed smart improvement when running on well for fourth 2,20 lengths behind the smart Kotzen-trained Roaring Wind last time. He steps up 200m here from his sprinting efforts, and he should relish the challenge. There is a strong chance that Joey would have galloped and let him see the country course, so he shouldn’t be green. Glen Kotzen’s Spy Glass and the Govender-trained Winter Migrant look the two most likely to trouble the Dynasty stronghold. The former De Kock Fort Wood gelding Spy Glass is a four-time winner, who seldom runs a below-par race. Bruce Ferreira’s galloper is a solid pace-
(R4.000 nom, R8.000 LF)
HIGHLANDS Tel: Mike Sharkey 082 372 2682 email: highstud@iafrica.com www.highlandsfarmstud.co.za