Anton Marcus, one of South Africa’s finest jockeys, is expected back in the saddle at Scottsville in Pietermartizburg on Saturday after recovering from surgery for a severe wrist injury he suffered earlier this year.
It’s My Turn – class act
Marcus is carded to ride the five-year-old Dynasty gelding It’s My Turn for Dean Kannemeyer in the R300 000, Gr 3 Track & Ball Derby over 2 400m. The gelding is one of three runners from the Kannemeyer yard in the 10-horse field and, together with The Slade, one of the two entries from the stable for the Vodacom Durban July.
Marcus suffered severe damage to his wrist after being dumped by the Brett Crawford-trained three-year-old White River in the parade ring before a race and went into surgery on the day he was to ride the champion Legal Eagle at Turffontein.
Dean Kannemeyer – strong hand
Kannemeyer, who has won the Track & Ball Derby in three of the last four runnings of the 2 400m event, holds a very strong hand with last year’s winner of the race, Mr Winsome, well drawn and in a strong position to complete the Derby double.
At the weights the stable trio could fight out the finish but one runner that might upset matters is the three-year-old Dynasty colt American Landing from the Crawford stable that won the Eastern Cape Derby at his last start.
R300 000 2400m TRACK AND BALL DERBY (Grade 3)
Weight For Age + Penalties
WFA: 3yrs-3kgs
No Apprentice Allowance
| 1 | 2 | Mr Winsome | 60 | 98 | A | K de Melo | Dean Kannemeyer | |
| 2 | 9 | It’s My Turn | 59 | 108 | A | A Marcus | Dean Kannemeyer | |
| 3 | 6 | The Slade | 59 | 105 | A | B Fayd’Herbe | Dean Kannemeyer | |
| 4 | 10 | Ollivander | 59 | 93 | BA | W Kennedy | Candice Bass-Robinson | |
| 5 | 7 | Liquid Rainbow | 59 | 80 | BA | G Wright | Andre Nel | |
| 6 | 1 | Silver De Lange | 59 | 80 | A | G Cheyne | Andre Nel | |
| 7 | 3 | American Landing | 56 | 87 | A | C Orffer | Brett Crawford | |
| 8 | 8 | Forafewdollarsmore | 56 | 84 | BA | …………… | Sean Tarry | |
| 9 | 4 | Ballymaine | 56 | 81 | BA | S Randolph | I S Moore/D W Moore | |
| 10 | 5 | Top Classman | 56 | 77 | BA | M Yeni | Frank Robinson | |
| Same Trainer – Not Coupled on Tote | ||||||||
| (1,2,3) (5,6) | ||||||||
The R300 000, Gr3 Track & Ball Oaks has drawn a strong field of 15 fillies and mares including two entries for the Vodacom Durban July, the Johan Janse van Vuuren-trained Girl On The Run that finished second to Zante in the Oaks last year and the three-year-old Go Deputy filly Flichity By Farr from the Alyson Wright stable that finished second in the Oaks at Turffontein.
Witchcraft winning the Oaks in 2016
Geoff Woodruff won the Oaks with Zante last year and fields the Judpot filly Bi Pot that beat Girl On The Run by about a head in the Gerald Rosenberg and meets her again here on 3.5kg better terms than in the Highveld race. With the Silvano filly Sunshine Silk, that comes off wins in her last two starts also in the race, Woodruff has a good chance of completing the Oaks double on the day.
Other fillies that could feature in the result are the Joey Ramsden stable inmate Epona that was favourite to win the race last year, the Sean Tarry-trained Witchcraft that won the race in 2016 and finished fourth last year and the Australian-bred Leaves Of Grass from the stable of Candice Bass-Robinson that ran third in the Scarlet Lady.
R300 000 2400m TRACK AND BALL OAKS (Grade 3)
For Fillies and Mares at Weight For Age + Penalties
WFA: 3yrs-3kgs
No Apprentice Allowance
| 1 | 4 | Wind Chill | 60 | 101 | T A | B Fayd’Herbe | Joe Soma | |
| 2 | 8 | Girl On The Run | 59 | 100 | BA | R Danielson | J A Janse van Vuuren | |
| 3 | 10 | Bi Pot | 58 | 105 | A | C Maujean | Geoff Woodruff | |
| 4 | 5 | Epona | 58 | 96 | A | M Yeni | Joey Ramsden | |
| 5 | 9 | Witchcraft | 58 | 92 | T A | …………… | Sean Tarry | |
| 6 | 2 | Royal Utopia | 58 | 85 | TBA | C Zackey | Candice Dawson | |
| 7 | 11 | Leaves Of Grass (AUS) | 58 | 84 | BA | G Cheyne | Candice Bass-Robinson | |
| 8 | 15 | Onesie | 58 | 81 | A | B Lerena | Mark Dixon | |
| 9 | 12 | Lady Li Lay | 58 | 80 | A | G Wright | Andre Nel | |
| 10 | 1 | Skyfire | 58 | 63 | BA | *D De Gouveia | Kumaran Naidoo | |
| 11 | 6 | Flichity By Farr | 55 | 100 | A | P Strydom | Alyson Wright | |
| 12 | 14 | Meryl | 55 | 98 | A | K de Melo | Dean Kannemeyer | |
| 13 | 7 | Raya Baya (AUS) | 55 | 94 | BA | W Kennedy | Candice Bass-Robinson | |
| 14 | 13 | Sunshine Silk | 55 | 82 | BA | C Murray | Geoff Woodruff | |
| 15 | 3 | Arizona Sunset | 55 | 79 | A | *S Moodley | Kumaran Naidoo | |
| Same Trainer – Not Coupled on Tote | ||||||||
| (3,14) (7,13) (10,15) | ||||||||
