3 minute read

Durban is promoted as the city with the best weather, white beaches, warm water and good racing. And being blessed with a subtropical climate, this is mostly true.

At least until last week, when the rain gods opened the flood gates and the Greyville race track first became soggy, then very wet and eventually flooded.

Three consecutive meetings had to be abandoned and while they have had two dry days, there is more rain forecast.

So Friday night's Listed Michaelmas Handicap over 1900m, despite depicting the coming of spring, may take place on a very heavy track, if it takes place at all.

With Dynasty becoming a sire of note, it is not surprising that the highest rated horse in the race is the four-year old Dynasty gelding, Sage Throne.

Sage Throne comes into the race with good form, having won the Grade 2 Gold Circle Derby over 2400m at Clairwood, only to lose the race in the boardroom.

In a prior start, this brother of Grade 1 Cape Derby winner, Russian Sage, also beat Storm Sagaz home by a length and a half over the Scottsville 1950, so the drop in distance should not be a problem and Sage Throne clearly is the horse to beat.

What is a concern however are the track conditions. With the going likely to be heavy, one has to look no further than Sage Throne's last race, where he finished 9th in the Grade 1 Champions Cup at Greyville on meeting very soft conditions for the first time.

Cape based trainer Joey Ramsden saddles three runners in the race, but with White House also having a dislike of heavy going, his preferred runners are Predestination (AUS) and Hawk's Eye (GB).

The 6 year-old Predestination, by Dubai Destination out of the Silver Hawk mare, Dragoncharm, has had mixed fortunes of late, but a close second in the 3000m Grade 2 Gold Vase at Greyville, showed he may have returned to form.

He has handled soft going before and a drop in distance to 2400m saw him win by 1.75 lengths at Scottsville recently.

Another Cape trainer, Yogas Govender, may yet spoil the party, with his two runners Storm Sagaz (ARG) and Danish Silver. A son of Silvano, Danish Silver is a course and distance winner and has been placed in his last three starts. Storm Sagaz, won well at Clairwood after a rest and handles soft going. With only 53.5kgs on his back, he may well be the one to beat in the heavy going.

A horse that can handle wet conditions, is Requiem(AUS) gelding Kolkata. He has finished in the top two in six of his last starts, mostly over 2400m, including a 2nd in the Grade 1 Gold Cup over 3200m at Greyville in very soft conditions. If he handles the distance, then he is a big danger.

The dark horse in the race is the Deon Visser trained Hold The Gold. The Captain Al gelding finished 3rd behind Sage Throne a couple of runs back and comes off back to back wins at Scottsville. While his last win was over 1400m, the previous one was over 1950m, so the step up in distance should not be a problem.

If the rain stays away and Greyville race course finally sees some horses again, it may be Sean Tarry's Kolkata that they all have to catch, with Predestination, Danish Silver and Storm Sagaz fighting out the minor places. But if Sage Throne handles the puddles, his class should see him win here.