Alan Greeff sets his sights on rich Cape prize with four-time winner

Eastern Cape champion trainer Alan Greeff bids to plunder a big prize in the Western Cape when he sends his talented three-year-old Whatever Next to contest Saturday ’s R900,000 CTS De Grendel Ready-To-Run Stakes at Kenilworth.

No surprise that Greeff is making the trip as first prize in this 1,400m contest is R460,000 with the second purse R195,000 and R105,000 for the horse that finishes third. Even the runner who finishes eighth will earn R17,000.

Greeff and Gavin Smith dominate Eastern Cape racing and last season was no exception with the two trainers saddling 143 and 135 winners respectively. Greeff ended in sixth place in the national log with only Justin Snaith and Smith saddling more runners.

This term Greeff has remained in hot form; to October 20 he has sent out 31 winners from 216 runners.

He will be well aware that most of the country ’s top stables are represented in Saturday’s race, with Snaith sending out a quintet of runners, and trainers Sean Tarry and Candice Dawson trucking down Mounia and Slings And Arrows from Gauteng.

Judged on merit ratings, Greeff ’s four-time winner, Whatever Next, has a sound chance with the highest merit rating of 103. His regular pilot, Greg Cheyne, will be in the saddle.

Two of the Snaith team, Homely Girl (Richard Fourie) and Queen Of Shadows (Keagan De Melo), both have merit-ratings of 94 with stablemate Area Fifty One (Craig Bantam) two points lower on 92.

Tarry’s raider, Mounia, has already had a big payday in the Cape, winning a feature race at end-February. The filly will have needed the outing when fourth of six at the Vaal earlier this month. Donovan Dillon has been booked for the ride.

Pole position

Candice Dawson’s three-year-old gelding, Slings And Arrows, boasts a win and three seconds. Her latest effort behind Mike De Kock ’s Aussie import, Al Muthana, looks useful form.

Anton Marcus rode Mounia to her Kenilworth win, but he has been engaged for Vaughan Marshall ’s runner, Fifty Fiver, who has the advantage of pole position draw.

It was a red-letter day for trainer Candice Bass-Robinson and jockey Aldo Domeyer last Saturday with the duo teaming up to win the grade2 Western Cape Fillies Championship with Amanzimtoti.

There is a serious hurdle to overcome this weekend as trainer and jockey will have cursed when they saw their CTS runner, Dancetildaylight, had drawn on the nearby highway. However, Domeyer has the talent to overcome this disadvantage.

• Rachael Blackmore has already ensured it has been a memorable year for female jockeys. Another will be under the spotlight in Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup in Australia.

Rachel King, 31, who moved from Britain to Australia seven years ago, has been booked to ride 40-1 chance Pondus, who finished fourth in last Saturday’s Moonee Valley Gold Cup.

King told reporters: “It’s really special to pick up my first Melbourne Cup ride and it will definitely be the biggest day of my career. Pondus has gone well twice at Flemington. It’s a good track for the European horses [the gelding began his career in the UK] as it’s quite big and spacious and something they’re slightly more used to.”