Eastern Cape runners ready for KZN raid

Jack Milner

Racing in the Eastern Cape is getting stronger with every season and the days of other jurisdictions raiding Fairview it is more common to see Eastern Cape-trained horse travelling around the country for Graded races.

The World Pool Gold Cup meeting at Hollywoodbets Greyville and all of Alan Greeff, Kelly Mitchley and Dean Smith will be running horses on the 10-race card.

Greeff sends saddles US Ranger in Race 3, the Grade 2 World Pool Bet With TAB Stakes over 1200m and he has done little wrong back home having won three of his five races and placing finishing a close-up third and second in the other two. He has won both the East Cape Nursery and the Listed Dahlia Plate, both over 1200m.

His other runner is Anotherdanceforme, a winner of 11 of her 12 races and there were excuses for her lone defeat. She has been priced up as the 16-10 favourite to win Race 9, the Bet With The World Gold Bracelet over 2000m.

“She’s done pretty well and I’m very happy with her,” said Greeff. “She took on older horses for the first time last time out in the Paddock Stakes and she did it the hard way.

“She looped the field from last to first and she dictated from there. It was a gutsy win in a race where nothing went right for her.”

Anotherdanceforme won the Grade 2 Golden Slipper over 1400m at this course last year with ease and with Richard Fourie sticking with her, she looks a banker in the carryover Pick 6.

Mitchley has three runners, Soundofsymphonies in Race 3, Marchland in Race 4 and Anuschka’s World in Race 10.

Many eyes will be on Marchland who contests the Grade 2 Douglas Whyte Stakes over 1400m. All the talk for the race is for Sean Tarry-trained Alice B Toklas but Mitchley’s runner is unbeaten in three starts and was never off the bit to win in all three races.

Muzi Yeni rates her highly and so does Mitchley. “Hopefully our star filly can make it four in a row. She’s working really well going into the race, she’s doing really well at home, just hoping for the best from her and Muzi can steer her to victory and win our first Group 2 for us.

“That would be a highlight for our racing career.”

Smith only has one runner and that is Danish Dynamite in Race 10, the Listed HKIR In December Umngeni Handicap over 1000m. This Erik The Red filly will have her work cut out in this field but could be one to include in Quartets.