Bela-Bela makes impact

BELA-BELA looks classic material after lighting up a rainsoaked Kenilworth on Saturday with an impressive performance that had potential written all over it.

Despite treating the start as if she was out for an afternoon stroll and racing as green as the grass under her feet, the newcomer was able to lead 50m from home without Bernard Fayd'Herbe having to resort to much more than hands and heels. She beat the pace-setting Sandton Rocker by a length and a quarter with the third five lengths back. The Dynasty filly is a daughter of broodmare extraordinaire Mystic Spring, the Royal Academy mare who has already produced Rabiya, All Is Secret’s dam Secret Of Victoria and Spring Lilac. Her latest Cheveleybred winner was bought by Varsfontein for R1.4 million at last year's National Two-Year-Old Sale.

Justin Snaith said: “Whatever she cost, she is worth double and maybe more. I am going to bring her along nicely and wait for the right races when she is ready for them.’’

Snaith, who went on land a treble, reckons there is also more to come from Bianzino who made all under Xavier Carstens in the Giggling Gourmet Handicap. Seemingly the reason is the bit that the member of the South African polo team put on the colt for the first time in a race - "He was fighting for his head in Durban so I rode him myself in a special polo bit that gives the horse more room for his tongue."

Captain Sam

Another that should prove worth following is Captain Sam who took his score to four out of six in the Betting World Handicap and Vaughan Marshall, who has now had eight winners from the last four Cape Town meetings, confirmed that there is more improvement in the gelding - “He is not a horse that will win by five or six lengths, he just does what he has to.’’

Handicappers don’t like horses that keep defying them and so Captain Sam can expect rather more than the kilo that his threequarter win would indicate.

But Greg Cheyne skilfully asked for no more than necessary and that should produce a dividend that is worth backing.

That Cowboy Kid

That Cowboy Kid is going to be penalised even more harshly as he ran the opposition ragged under Corne Orffer in the Samara Private Game Reserve Handicap to make it three in a row even though he is fitted with blinkers and a tongue tie.

Brett Crawford explained: “He makes a bit of a noise and gets his tongue over the bit while the blinkers help him to concentrate.’’

The Philippi trainer then revealed the reason for the fiveyear-old's improvement: “He had soundness issues as a young horse but now he is sound again and I also think that keeping him to a mile helps.’’

Crawford promptly followed up with Sea Glass - thanks in no small part to Orffer conjuring up some impossible-looking reserves from the filly to turn what looked certain defeat into last-gasp victory. Crawford was fighting off 'flu but had yet more reason to help his recovery when he heard that the Jay Peg filly he is to train made R360 000 when her racing career was auctioned in aid of the Sunflower Fund charity.