Trainer comments J&B Met by David Thiselton

The J&B Met favourite Jackson looked in fine shape at the Philippi training centre yesterday, although trainer Brett Crawford won’t go into Saturday’s race without any concerns.



The yard were also quietly confident of a good run from their other Met runner, Black Wing.



Jackson is not the most well behaved horse at the starting stalls and having to jump from the pens twice in the L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate did him no favours.



“He is an adrenalin horse,” said Crawford, implying the first jump would have taken a bit out of him.



In the second start he was taken up handy.



That is not his usual style, but the connections had already tried dropping him out from a wide draw in the Green Point Stakes and against a horse like Variety Club the ground can just not be made up.



He over raced in the Queen’s Plate early on, so showed huge heart to still get up for second.



However, the whole experience took its toll and he pulled up very distressed, suffering from heat exhaustion.



Crawford, talking about his post race condition, said, “It is obviously always in the back of your mind. We did all we could for him and are happy that he has bounced back, but we would have preferred it if that false start hadn’t happened.”



Jackson is a big, strong horse, which will give him a good chance of overcoming the post race experience.



However, the experience at the starting stalls, when difficult to load for the first start and then having to go through the whole process again, might be more of a concern, although the yard are sure to have done plenty of schooling at the pens since then.



A big plus for his chances is that he has at last landed a good draw.



Furthermore, he is unbeaten in two starts over the 2000m trip, both of the races in Grade 1s.



He will not have to be chased from his draw of five, so should have something in reserve to launch his devastating finishing kick.



He also always runs all the way to the line, with the Vodacom Durban July over 2200m being the only exception.



Crawford reckoned the four-year-old Dynasty colt still had a relaxed temperament and pointed at his form.



“He’s only been beaten by Variety Club in his last two starts and I think he would have got closer last time without the false start.”



Jackson strode out well yesterday when doing some light work on the light sand track.



Crawford said Black Wing was doing very well and confirmed that he would relish the step up in trip.



“It will be tough, but he’s in good form, ran a good last race and you never know what might happen with luck in running. He came from way back in the Peninsula to finish three lengths back to Hill Fifty Four and is now 3kg better off.”



Black Wing is drawn nine with Felix Coetzee aboard.



He should be staying on strongly and could be a good value place bet.



Crawford runs the four-year-old Jet Master filly Thunder Dance, the five-year-old Silvano mare Frequent Flyer and the four-year-old Tambulaine filly Reflective Image in the Grade 1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes over 1600m.



He said, “Both Thunder Dance and Frequent Flyer ran below their ability in the Maine Chance Paddock Stakes last time and are capable of better. It goes like that sometimes, maybe they had flat runs.”



He reckoned Thunder Dance, who won the Grade 1 the Paddock Stakes over 1800m last year, could well prefer the 1600m trip.



“The only problem is her wide draw,” he said.



She looked in good shape yesterday and stable jockey Karis Teetan, who will ride her on Saturday, said she had “enjoyed” her work out.



Teetan later described Frequent Flyer’s work out as “very good.”



Frequent Flyer finished second in the Majorca last year to Ebony Flyer and is well drawn in six with Glen Hatt aboard.



Without Beach Beauty in the field, there is not much between many of the other runners, including the aforementioned pair.



Reflective Image has finished placed in three feature sprints in succession, running on well in all of them.



She now tries further than 1200m for the first time from a fair draw of seven with the great judge of pace Robbie Fradd aboard.



Crawford said about the trip, “The way she runs she’s got a chance of getting it, but we will only really know on Saturday.”



Reflective Image’s first, second, third and fourth dams only won over sprint trips.



However, her sire Tamburlaine was a miler, which gives some hope.



Crawford reckoned his Investec Cape Derby entry, the Stronghold colt Patriotic Rebel, would be “running for second” with Capetown Noir in the field, but gave him a place chance.



The bay colt lost a length in the Listed Politician Stakes over 1800m last time, but stayed on for a 1,1 length fourth.



He has quite a lot of speed in his pedigree, but runs as if he could get the 2000m trip.



Crawford said about his runner in the second race over 1200m, Code Of Honour, “He’s in very good form and is doing well.”



He likely ran above his rating first time out the maidens last time in a Graduation Plate over 1200m, finishing 4,75 lengths behind Cape Royal, but it was only a four horse field, so he might have been flattered.



However, there is no doubt he is improving and he is drawn on the right side.

Anthony Delpech, who won last year’s J&B Met on the great Igugu, does not have a ride in the big race this year for the first time since returning from Hong Kong in 2008, but he was not unduly concerned and gave himself a chance of winning the two features he is involved in on the day.



“The way I see it there are only four or five horses that can win the Met and if I couldn’t get on to one of them I’d rather wait on the side lines than take a ride on a horse that is just making up the numbers. In racing you never know what might happen and I could then end up picking up a good ride (as a substitute).”



One of Delpech rides on Met day is aboard the Mike de Kock-trained Grade 1 Woolavington 2000 winner Viva Maria in the Grade 1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes over 1600m.



He said about the four-year-old Jet Master filly, “I’d prefer it if it was further, but I think she will run better than she did in her first Cape Town start. She travelled from Durban at a time when the heat was 35 to 45 degrees and in the race she didn’t travel as well as she normally does, considering her style, so under the circumstances that was a good run. She would have been in Cape Town for over three weeks by next Saturday and should be back to herself.”



The race he was talking about was her 5,5 length third to Met contender Beach Beauty in the Grade 1 Main Chance Paddock Stakes over 1800m.



Viva Maria is a strong front runner and out galloped the opposition in the Woolavington under a fine ride by Delpech.



The opposition underestimated her ability, so the likes of her stable companion Ilha Bela came nowhere near to catching her in the straight and were left four lengths adrift.



Despite Delpech’s concern over next Saturday’s trip, Viva Maria did win her penultimate start over 1600m, running out a comfortable pillar to post winner in the Grade 3 Flamboyant Stakes at Clairwood.



However, she will face a stronger field on Saturday.



Her presence will ensure a good pace, which usually leads to the best horse winning.



Delpech admitted he would have to go out really hard to have a chance over the sharper than ideal trip.



Delpech added, “Ilsanpietro must have a chance (in the Grade 2 J&B Reserve Stayers over 2800m).”



The De Kock-trained six-year-old Brazilian-bred gelding by Mark Of Esteem is a very honest and consistent sort.



He has a touch of class as well as the ability to stay two miles.



Ilsanpietro finished a one length third in the Grade 1 Sansui Summer Cup over 2000m two months ago, despite carrying 57,5kg, and followed up with a narrow second in a Pinnacle Stakes event over2450m.



He wasn’t disgraced in the Grade 3 London News Stakes last time over 1800m and should be in tip top shape by next Saturday.



This will be the second time Ilsanpietro has run in Cape Town.



He finished a 6,6 length twelfth to the mighty Igugu in last year’s Met.



Viva Maria is staying at Joey Ramsden’s Milnerton yard and Ilsanpietro will travel to Cape Town from Randjesfontein next week.

Justin Snaith was bullish about the chances of Run For It in the J&B Met and also spoke about the rest of his runners on the day.



Snaith said about the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate false start, “Run For It is a strange horse and definitely would not have liked that.”



He added, “He has always disappointed over 1400m to 1600m and is better over 2000m. Despite the false start, he finished only 3,55 lengths back in the Queen’s Plate, about 1,25 lengths behind Jackson and Pomodoro, and will now be getting 2kg from them.”



However, he admitted, “I think Jackson will be hard to beat.”



Snaith wasn’t too concerned about Run For It’s wide draw of 16.



“If you have a good draw in the Met you have to chase to hold your position,” he said.



Run For It certainly looked in magnificent shape at the Philippi training centre yesterday.



Snaith has two runners in the Investec Cape Derby and said, “Dynamic is my best value horse on the day. He is seriously underrated and I make him a big runner.”



He said that Parker had been badly cut into in his last run, so expected a better run from him, but Dynamic was the preference.



Snaith runs Hurricane Katrina in the Grade 1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes over 1600m from pole position, but she is six-years-old and her good merit rating of 102 has been gained in Port Elizabeth and could flatter her.





In the first race over 1200m Snaith said, “Varikate is the best one and then Pounce. Varikate won’t mind a headwind and will likely enjoy it.”



On the second race over 1200m, he said, “Casual Var is a big runner and is well handicapped on form so could win a race like this. Villa Del Largo found 1400m too far last time and will love the return to 1200m.”



He continued, “In the third race (over 1200m) Albert Mooney is probably the choice, but all of them have got chances in an open race.”



Snaith described the fourth race, the Listed Grandwest Casino and Entertainment World Summer Juvenile Stakes over 1000m, as a very open race, but felt he had a very strong hand.



Forest Panther was the first mentioned, although he said this Var colt had disappointed them when slowly away on debut.



This big, strong chestnut jumped well at the pens yesterday so could make amends, although on pedigree, being out of a Sadler’s Wells mare, he could possibly be looking for further.



The second one mentioned was the hard-knocking Tour De Var.



Unencumbered is the yard choice in the fifth over 1600m from Cigar Boy.



For the ninth over 1400m, Snaith said, “Captainofmysoul is doing very well and the roughie is Sunset Girl.”



In the tenth over 1600m Snaith felt Jet Explorer would enjoy the step down in trip and made him the yard choice, but added that M’Lord’s Throat could surprise.



He said, “M’Lord’s Throat is good on his day and comes in under the radar. Those are often the horses that do well on Met day.”



For the eleventh over 1800m, Snaith said, “Jet Supreme is the pick from Home Tree.”



He revealed that his horses had to be vaccinated recently due to a virus threat, which explained the yard’s slight recent dip in form for about ten days, but he expected all of the horses to now be back to their best.

Dennis Drier continues to be pleased with Beach Beauty ahead of Saturday’s J&B Met.



He said, “There are still a few days to go, but I’m very happy with her.”



The diminutive five-year-old Dynasty mare has been in magnificent form during the Cape Sizzling Summer Season, winning the Grade 2 Premier’s Trophy over 1800m against the boys and thrashing her own gender in the Grade 1 Maine Chance Paddock Stakes over 1800m.



She is consequently the best weighted horse in the Met field according to official merit ratings, despite having to carry a 2kg weight for age penalty.



She is drawn in barrier eleven, and Drier said, “A bad draw is bad draw, but it could be worse. But she can avoid the scrimmaging from there so it may work in our favour.”



Beach Beauty put up a fine gallop at Kenilworth last Thursday, but the fact that it was only over 800m told the story that she was at her peak for the Maine Chance Paddock Stakes and is just being kept ticking over.



She hasn’t put a foot wrong in the build up to the Met and Drier will be hoping to go one better than his second place in this race with Spanish Galliard in 1991.



Drier’s Barbosa is 1kg out at the weights in the third race, a handicap over 1200m, but he described the Captain Al colt as a progressive three-year-old, so from a favourable draw he must have a shout.



He said he was at a loss to understand Bambina Stripe’s poor last run in the Paddock Stakes when finishing over twenty lengths behind Beach Beauty and was hopeful she could bounce back to her best in the Grade 1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes.



He felt Discordia had just been going through the motions in her last two starts in Cape Town.



She has been dropped three points by the handicapper so has a chance over a suitable trip of 1800m in the eleventh race if putting her best foot forward from a pole position draw.



Both Beach Beauty and Barbosa have found betting support this week, the former shortening from 7-1 to 6-1 and the latter shortening from 9-2 to 5-2 favourite.

Gavin van Zyl is much happier with Slumdogmillionaire’s preparation going into the J&B Met than he was going into the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and he reckoned Bulsara, who is full of well-being, is not without a winning chance either.



Van Zyl said, “Slumdogmillionaire pulled up a bit jarred after the Christmas Handicap at Clairwood as the ground had firmed up quite a lot by then and, as a result, he had to miss five days of work. We X-rayed him and all was clear. However, I had concerns about running him in the Queen’s Plate as we couldn’t afford him to pull up like that again as he might then have had to miss the Met.



“But, he responded well to treatment, so we decided to crack on and he duly took his chances in the Queen’s Plate. He came out of the Queen’s Plate a different horse and was able to resume his program on the Monday after the race as planned. Everything has gone absolutely perfectly since then and his work has been sparkling.”



Van Zyl felt Slumdogmillionaire had to have a good chance based on his Queen’s Plate effort, in which he was doing his best work at the finish.



He said, “First he burst through the stalls. Then there was a false start. Then in the second start he was slow away and lost the advantage of his pole position draw. However, he still finished only 3,1 lengths back in fifth and was only about 0,8 lengths behind Jackson and Pomodoro.”



Van Zyl felt that if it hadn’t been for the fiasco at the start, he might have finished closer. Furthermore, having shown fantastic resolve to beat Pomodoro in the Grade 1 SA Classic over a gruelling 1800m in yielding ground at Turffontein last March, there is no doubt that he is going to relish the step up in trip.



Slumdogmillionaire has drawn pole position for the Met as well. This can be a tricky draw in a big race like the Met as there is usually a scramble for early position and the inside horses have to be chased to hold their positions.



However, Van Zyl had no concerns and only saw positives. He said, “He is a nice, big long-striding horse and Brandon (Lerena) will be able to decide where he wants to be and what pace he wants to go at.”



Slumdogmillionaire, a four-year-old colt by Strike Smartly, is a fine looking specimen and stands over a lot of ground. He looked in fine shape at the Milnerton training centre yesterday (Monday).



In the box next door, Bulsara looked just as well. His dappled coat was evidence that he had come on a lot from his L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate run, in which he finished just 0,65 lengths behind Slumdogmillionaire. He will now be 2kg better off with not only Slumdogmillioanire, but also with Jackson and Pomodoro, who both beat him by about 1,5 lengths.



The six-year-old Silvano gelding proved in his Vodacom Durban July run of 2011, when finishing fifth to Igugu despite carrying nearly 2kg overweight, that he will get the Met trip.



Van Zyl said, “Bulsara is working extremely well, as was witnessed by everybody at the Met gallops, and MJ Odendaal knows him well. He will sit in midfield and I have full confidence that he will run the race of his life. He is not without a place chance and an outside win chance, because if you can run a place why can’t you win.”

Greg Ennion is bullish about the chances of Master Plan in Saturday’s J&B Met over 2000m at Kenilworth and pointed at his unlucky race in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate over 1600m as proof that he could do it.



In the Queen’s Plate, Master Plan jumped beautifully in the false start but in the second start was squeezed out and ended up right at the back of the field. Robbie Fradd took him down the inside for his run and just as he reached top gear at about the 250m mark he was stopped in his tracks by Bulsara, who took up his running on the rail.



Fradd had to snatch him up and then pick him up again. He ran on strongly again to finish just 3,5 lengths back in sixth.



“Robbie Fradd reckoned he would have finished second,” said Ennion. The video evidence more than backs up this claim. Ennion added that if Master Plan had run second he might now be the Met favourite, instead of being out at 14-1.



Master Plan’s whole season has been planned with the Met in mind. He has proved before, when running on strongly to win the Grade 2 Betting World Derby over 2400m at Clairwood, that he will get the Met trip with ease.



Ennion added, “He has shown how he can turn it on too.” He continued, “The tougher the race the better for him. The faster they go the better and if the wind blows, let it blow.”



Master Plan won the Grade 1 Champions Cup over 1800m at Greyville in July, where he showed a fine turn of foot. He will consequently carry a 2kg Grade 1 penalty into the Met.



However, he will now be at his peak and has an experienced big race rider aboard.

Fradd is not only in top form, but also his excellent judgement of pace has become a feature of his riding since returning from Hong Kong and Singapore where sectional timing is used.



However, Ennion added, “The main thing that pleases me about having Fradd aboard is that he is confident (of winning the race).”



Ennion has chances in other races on the day, although he reminded, “All of the races on Met day are tough.” He felt Jackie O in the first could be in the money.



He has two runners in the second and said, “Money For Love had a bad overreach last time, so had to be given a break, but he is doing very well at home and I’m expecting a big run. I think we were barking up the wrong tree by sending Captain Dino over further and he will enjoy coming back to 1200m.”



Of his runner in the third, My Jelly Bean, he said, “It’s his first run for me. I would have preferred it to be 1000m, but he is enjoying himself and doing well, although he might just need the run.”



He runs Pamela Sue in the ninth race over 1400m, and said, “She’s had a little bit of a break, but runs well fresh.”

Karl Neisius has taken the ride on the Garth Puller-trained Ice machine for Saturday’s J&B Met over 2000m and was pleased with his gallop on Thursday, but he is more confident of a Grade 1 win with the highly promising Dean Kannemeyer-trained Capetown Noir, who is a short-priced favourite for the Investec Cape Derby over the same trip.



Capetown Noir toyed with the opposition when winning the Grade 1 Cape Premier Yearling Sales Guineas by 3,25 lengths.



However, on pedigree, the Western Winter colt must have a stamina doubt as his three full siblings, five-time winner Across The Ice, five-time winner Maxixe and one-time winner Heelthatdance, are all either sprinter to 1400m types or sprint-milers.



But, Neisius had few doubts Capetown Noir would stay the trip and said, “Only the race will tell, but I feel he will get the trip comfortably.”



Kannemeyer also believes he will stay the trip and said, “He was programmed for the Guineas and I noticed that he just started losing a touch of early speed. That’s usually a sign of a horse that will stay.”



Neisius rated Capetown Noir better than a previous Kannemeyer Cape Guineas winner Noordhoek Flyer, although he preceded that comment by saying, “I wouldn’t say he is as good as Dynasty.”



However, Dynasty is the best horse Kannemeyer has trained and one of South Africa’s all time greats.



For those that have their doubts about Capetown Noir staying the trip, a sure fire substitute could be the Mike Bass-trained Ze Kaiser, who was a possibly unlucky second when flying late in the Listed Politician Stakes over 1900m on L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate day under Neisius.



Anton Marcus will be riding him in the Investec Derby.



Ice Machine is a lightly raced but talented five-year-old gelding, who has won five of his twelve starts.



His merit rating of 106 is questionable, considering it was achieved without running in any black type events.



He has also never raced beyond 1600m.



However, Neisius said, “He actually galloped very well, I was very pleased.”

Sean Tarry was very pleased with his J&B Met contender Pomodoro, who has likely had a better build up to this race up than he had for the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate.



Pomodoro, the reigning Vodacom Durban July champion, had to travel from Johannesburg in the week of the Queen’s Plate but still managed third place, just a short-head behind Met favourite Jackson. Tarry said, “You are at a disadvantage if you travel. It can take a bit out of a horse.”



Pomodoro had a hard race in the Queen’s Plate, especially when one considers the journey from Johannesburg and the false start on the day. Tarry added, “He was also squeezed and had to go wide before getting into second place (in the running).”



Tarry would likely have abandoned Plan A, which was to be handy, if he could have got a message down to the start after the false start. “The second time around it might have been better to drop him out,” he said.



However, he added, “He had no ill effects from the race and was freshing the next day.” Tarry revealed, “He only came out of pre-quarantine a few days after the Queen’s Plate, but we’ve made the best of the two weeks we’ve had at Milnerton.”



The four-year-old Jet Master colt certainly looked in magnificent shape at Milnerton on Monday. He is a fine looking specimen, a big, strong sort with plenty of length.



He does have a 2kg Grade 1 penalty to carry, but will relish the step up in trip from the Queen’s Plate. His draw of eight will give his regular pilot Piere Strydom plenty of options as Pomodoro is versatile in terms of style.



He can be up handy, or even in the lead, as he proved when waltzing away with a recent 1600m race at Turffontein, and if necessary he can also really turn it on from behind, as he proved in his seasonal reappearance when winning a 1200m race against some useful sprinters.



Tarry was also bullish about the chances of Happy Archer in the Grade 1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes over 1600m. The five-year-old Australian-bred Dubawi mare has already won two Grade 1s over this trip.



“She was a bit quiet after the journey from Johannesburg before the Paddock Stakes,” said Tarry. “She was only a couple of lengths off the placed horses and there has been a lot of improvement (in her condition) since then. Her preparation has gone well and she has got the class. The young horses Jet Aglow, Hammie’s Hooker and All Is Secret are the obvious ones to beat, but from her number three draw she will give them something to think about.”



Happy Archer showed a tendency to be headstrong at one stage, especially as an early three-year-old, but Tarry had no concern that this would happen over this trip and from that draw.

Garth Puller admitted that his J&B Met contender Ice Machine had “had a hiccup” in his preparation for Saturday’s big race, but was happy that he was now back on course.



The lightly raced four-year-old Silvano gelding, who has won five of his twelve starts, has an on-going hind fetlock problem, which Puller described as a “slight problem that just has to be monitored.”



However, due to a misunderstanding of this condition, he was scratched at the start of the Jet Master Stakes on December 22, which was supposed to be part of his Met preparation program. He consequently still needed his last race, when over ten lengths back in the Grade 2 Peninsula Handicap over 1800m.



However, Puller was happy with him despite the “hiccup”. He said, “He galloped nicely at the Met gallops and Karl (Neisius) said he had enjoyed it.”



Ice Machine had never raced beyond 1600m before the Peninsula. His dam was a three time-winner from 1000-1200m, but she produced his half-brother Ice Diamond (Dynasty), who has won over 2000m. Furthermore, his sire Silvano won two Grade 1s over 2000m.



Puller said, “The manner of his wins over 1600m suggests he should get the 2000m.” Ice Machine has a fine turn of foot and cruised past the opposition in all three of his 1600m wins.



Puller viewed the Met as a very open race. He said, “Jackson is a worthy favourite. He’s had a few hiccups, but did well at the gallops. Pomodoro is a very good horse and wherever he is Slumdogmillionaire should be with him. Beach Beauty is top class but a slight concern is that she won the Maine Chance Paddock Stakes convincingly, so they would have had to keep her at her peak for another three weeks. But Dennis Drier is a master of his craft, so should keep her ticking over.”





Puller has one other runner on the day, the talented four-year-old Daylami gelding Cossack General, who was raised three points for his win over 1400m at Kenilworth last time and is consequently top-weight in the fifth race, a MR 80 Handicap over 1600m. Puller said, “He’s going over the mile for the first time. He’s not easy to settle but the kid (Chris Puller) rode him well last time.”

Stan Elley, Carl Burger and Stephen Page, who are based at the Philippi training centre, all have runners at Kenilworth on Saturday’s J&B Met day.



Elley’s Punta Arenas is in fine form and must have a shout in the Grade J&B Reserve Stayers over 2800m, especially considering he is the third best weighted horse in the race according to official merit ratings.



Elley said, “He gets a mile and a half, but I’m just not sure he will get this trip, although the indications are that he should.”



The strapping four-year-old Silvano gelding certainly looked in great shape on Tuesday and looks like a staying type.



Elley was bullish about the four-year-old Victory Moon filly Moon By Night, who runs in the eleventh, a handicap over 1800m.



“She went off a bit, but is now really thriving,” he said. “I’m not saying she can win, but she is much better than she has been for a month or two.”



He said he couldn’t fault the condition of his runner in the first race, American Fantasy, but felt that he had his “work cut out.”



Page made Cask, who runs in the tenth, a handicap over 1600m, his best runner on the day.



He said, “He will be in the best frame of mind, as he has been unlucky with draws lately.”



He gets a better draw of eight in the fifteen horse field this time and enjoys the 1600m trip, although he might prefer a touch further.



Burger made Dark Journey, who runs in the eleventh, his best runner on the day.



However, he added that his J&B Reserve Stayer contender Grey Cossack’s lowly merit rating of 81 couldn’t be taken on face value.



“He is a Grade 2 winner and his merit rating came down during his run of form in Durban. He has come well in Cape Town and is a 570kg horse, so 58,5kg on his back won’t worry him. He is a real stayer and if all goes well he should be right there.”



Grey Cossack sprang a 50-1 shock when winning the Grade 2 Gold Vase over 3000m at Greyville in 2011 and is drawn in pole position on Saturday.



Burger said all of his horses would be fit on the day and the other three he made mention of were First Flavour in the first race and Stormy Ridge and Western Movie in the second.

Vaughan Marshall made both of his J&B Met contenders, Hill Fifty Four and Tribal Dance, big runners in Saturday’s prestigious event over 2000m at Kenilworth and he reckoned he had some good chances in the other races on the card.



Stable jockey MJ Byleveld is on Hill Fifty Four, who has won two features in his last two starts, the Grade 3 Algoa Cup over 2000m at Fairview and the Grade 2 Peninsula Handicap over 1800m at Kenilworth.



Peninsula Handicap winners don’t have a great record in the Met but asked on whether he felt Hill Fifty Four could make the step up in class, Marshall replied, “Very much so, he is improving all the time.”



Hill Fifty Four has a wide draw of 14 to overcome.



However, he jumped from wide draws in both the Algoa Cup and Peninsula Handicap, but settled well in a handy position on both occasions.



Marshall confirmed before the Peninsula that the four-year-old Captain Al gelding was “an easy ride.”



Temperament is one of the keys to class and Hill Fifty Four could hardly be better in that department.



Marshall, commenting on the draw, said, “It’s not ideal but we will deal with it.”



He was pleased with Hill Fifty Four’s preparation and said, “He’s very well.”



It was clear he gave Hill Fifty Four a big shout.



He added, “Tribal Dance has a big shout after his (L’Ormarins) Queen’s Plate run.”



Tribal Dance needs further than 1600m so did well to stay on from the tail of the field to be just four lengths back at the line.



Only Master Plan had a faster 400m to finish time in that race.



Tribal Dance was an impressive winner of the EP Derby over 2400m last June, but he proved in the Campanajo Consolation race over 2200m, as well as in his seasonal reappearance over 1800m, both of which he won in fine style, that he is not just an out and out stayer.



Marshall has had the Met in mind since last season and the four-year-old Tiger Dance colt should arrive at the course in mint condition.



Marshall, asked whether Tribal Dance could perhaps be the pacemaker, considering his stamina reserves, replied, “He won’t be up front, we’ll leave that to someone else.”



Robert Khathi will be having his first Met ride on Tribal Dance and said, “I’m not worried about any of the other horses, there’s no pressure on me and I’m just glad my horse is fit and well.”



Marshall’s Equus Champion two-year-old filly of last season, All Is Secret, takes her chances in the Grade 1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes.



She won the Grade 1 Thekwini Stakes over this trip at Greyville, but the key could be whether she settles from a wide draw, as over racing has been her undoing in two big races around the turn to date.



All Is Secret looked in fine shape in the recent Grade 2 Sceptre Stakes, in which she was run out of it late by Blueridge Mountain.



Marshall confirmed she was “very well” at present and the wide draw was his only concern.



Marshall runs his luckless four-year-old filly Dubai Gina in the Grade 2 J&B Jet Stayers over 2800m, where she is the best in at the weights.



He gave her a big chance and had “no doubt whatsoever” that she would stay the trip.



Marshall runs the talented The West Is Wide in the third race over 1200m.



The three-year-old Western Winter colt was raised to a 100 merit rating after his last win and Marshall said, “He is very, very well, but at the weights this is a big step up.”



Marshall has two live chances in the Listed Grandwest Casino and Entertainment World Summer Juvenile Stakes and said that Bold Var had improved since his first run and he and Silk Road were “much of a muchness” at the weights.



On the rest of the card he gave Mateus “a place chance”, he was concerned about Brilliant Cut’s wide draw in the fifth race and reckoned Maltese Falcon was “very well” ahead of that same race.

Martial Eagle, who is without doubt the dark horse in this year’s J&B Met, was in fine shape at owner Sabine Plattner’s Rondeberg Training Centre yesterday and trainer Yogas Govender reckoned he would be “spot on” for the big race on Saturday.



Martial Eagle, who is a bull of a horse, worked lazily, as he often does on his own, over about 800m under his big race jockey Aldo Domeyer and his light workouts today and tomorrow (Thursday and Friday) will have put him just right.



On paper Martial Eagle has a fine chance of winning the race as he finished just a short-head behind Jackson and Pomodoro in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and is now 2kg better off.



The big question, having never raced beyond a mile before, is whether he will stay the trip.



Govender has analysed his pedigree as well as replays of his previous races and has no doubt that he will get the trip.



In fact he believes the seven-year-old “is looking for this trip.”



He points to his half-brother by Fort Wood having won over 1850m, while his second dam Ashfields produced a Grade 1 Paddock Stakes (1800m) runner up and he is from the family of the likes of July winner Classic Flag, Grade 1 SA Classic (1800m) winner Divine Jury and recent 2000m winner Judged Excellent.



Furthermore, his sire Silvano won two Grade 1s over the Met trip.



Looking at the seven-year-old’s race record, he showed a fine turn of foot when coming from way back to run a narrow third over 1600m at Greyville in a fast run Grade 3 Kings Cup in March 2011.



Having access to the sea at Rondeberg has done wonders for his sensitive back and he has improved a few lengths since that Kings Cup run.



In his last win he waltzed clear to win by 6,5 lengths under hands and heels over 1400m at Kenilworth in August, coming from last, and Govender reckoned the very testing conditions that day made the race more like an 1800m event.



Martial Eagle then finished 2,4 lengths behind Variety Club over 1400m in a Pinnacle event and it was when in his following start when running very wide in the Grade 2 Green Point Stakes over 1600m yet still finishing only 5,85 lengths behind Variety Club that Govender realised “he was decent”.



The way he stayed on in that race is another reason he reckoned he would stay the Met trip and his next two runs re-iterated his belief.



In those two runs he ran on late for a narrow second in the Jet Master Stakes over 1600m and then finished a gallant 2,35 length fourth in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate despite racing wide.



Domeyer said the TV camera angle had been deceiving in the Queen’s Plate and that he was actually coming back at Jackson at the line.



He reckoned he made up a length on Jackson in the closing stages.



Domeyer is not concerned about Martial Eagle staying the trip, but is just worried about his wide draw of 15.



He reckoned it left him with a dilemma.



Dropping him out would give him a probable better chance of running a place, but would almost certainly nullify his winning chances, while going up handy would increase his winning chances, but if it didn’t pan out well, could ruin his chances of running a place.



Slotting into a nice position from a wide draw is virtually impossible in the Met.



“You don’t get lucky in the Met,” said Domeyer, who will be riding in the big race for the second time.



This is especially the case in a race like Saturday’s that lacks an obvious pacemaker.



Martial Eagle might currently be a 40-1 shot, but the opposition connections will be taking him seriously.



Govender reckoned his probable best runner on the day would be Dance For Gold in the eleventh and said, “It’s tough on Met day, but she is in good, consistent form.”



He said of his other two runners, “Maliyakhe ran very well last time and is drawn well, so could run into the money (in the third). Razzle Dazzle Rose has had terrible luck with the draw once again (in the Grade 1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes over 1600m), so it’s difficult to know what to expect, but she does have Bernard Fayd’herbe aboard again and he might be able to make a plan.”