RACE 1:

HEART OF DARKNESS is the one to beat. Good form. MAGIC ICE vastly improved last time. SERIOUS REBEL has steady form. FIFTY STARS is improving slowly. DUE WEST needs to find more than debut effort.

1st - HEART OF DARKNESS (2); 2nd - MAGIC ICE (4); 3rd - SERIOUS REBEL (6); 4th - FIFTY STARS (5); 5th - DUE WEST (9)

RACE 2:

MALACHITE SUNBIRD has good form this C & D. GOODTIME GAL ran an improved second race last time. MIDNIGHT BREEZE has had three steady runs. ZANZIBAR BEAT has way more to find on first two runs. GROZNY has issues. More to find for the win.

1st - MALACHITE SUNBIRD (2); 2nd - GOODTIME GAL (6); 3rd - MIDNIGHT BREEZE (3); 4th - ZANZIBAR BEAT (11); 5th - GROZNY (7)

RACE 3:

ARCTIC TEON weakens late but is never too far back. SHALL BE FREE ran his best race in four last time. EARTH FAIR has something to find on overall form. KEEP COUNTING improved by nine lengths in his second start. SOLID AS A ROCK is improving slowly.

1st - ARCTIC TEON (1); 2nd - SHALL BE FREE (5); 3rd - EARTH FAIR (8); 4th - KEEP COUNTING (14); 5th - SOLID AS A ROCK (7)

RACE 4:

OUR ICON  is holding form well. WAITING FOR RAIN is never far back. Usually runs on. JUDDERING ANGEL has ability. Do not ignore. TIME TO KILL chance on penultimate start. MY WORLD will improve again.

1st - OUR ICON (4); 2nd - WAITING FOR RAIN (2); 3rd - JUDDERING ANGEL (3); 4th - TIME TO KILL (5); 5th - MY WORLD (1)

MASKED LADY has improved in her last three. SEA GLASS has good form and is a C & D winner. SPEEDY CHESTNUT has been finishing well. Got up to win last time. IN LIMINE needs a better finish. Fair form. VAN DAM'S FORCE has two fair post maiden runs. Stayed on last time.

1st - MASKED LADY (2); 2nd - SEA GLASS (1); 3rd - SPEEDY CHESTNUT (5); 4th - IN LIMINE (4); 5th - VAN DAM'S FORCE (9)

RACE 6:

CATSIDE SLEW is consistent and never far back. BIG CAT has moderate form. Watch for improvement. CATKIN runs his third run after a rest. ALGHADEER will improve on his debut in Cape Town last time. Looks promising. ZE KAIZER did stay on last time.

1st - CATSIDE SLEW (6); 2nd - BIG CAT (4); 3rd - CATKIN (2); 4th - ALGHADEER (1); 5th - ZE KAIZER (3)

The first "big one" of the Summer Season sees the Australian bred MAC DE LAGO coming into the race with a strong claim after his comeback run in the Grade 2 November Handicap. The one big concern would be that he may need another run to reach peak fitness. Nevertheless, he has raced over 2000m at Greyville in the Grade 1 Daily News in May and stayed on well that day which is promising. He is a lightly raced four year old. He has met FRENCH NAVY on two previous occasions and last time close the gap enormously. The Weiho Marwing trained MAC DE LAGO looks to be ready to win a Grade 1 sooner rather than later. The wide draw of 17 should not pose that much pf a hindrance over the lengthy 2000m. There should be a good pace in this race and that will suit him very well.

The obvious threat will be in the form of FRENCH NAVY. They meet on level terms from the November Handicap and that day FRENCH NAVY finished one length behind MAC DE LAGO. At level terms there should not be a change in the order. He has disappointed ion the odd occasion before but you can expect his trainer Sean Tarry to have prepared him to a T for this race. He has a tendency to lose ground at the start, but has the ability to finish well. Expect another strong finish. Jockey Raymond Danielson has a very good rapport with this horse and has ridden in all but one of his twelve starts which includes all four of his wins. An exciting race in the offing.

One cannot ignore the chances of POWER KING, winner of this year's Vodacom Durban July. He meets FRENCH NAVY at level weights for a three length victory in that race, but this will be his first race visit to the track. He did have a very good preparation run over a distance far short of his best. He is reunited with the jockey who was aboard in the July, Stuart Randolph. Horse and jockey will not go down without a fight.

DEO JUVENTE takes on stronger that she class of field he beat last time. He has raced against stronger before. Not out of it this afternoon.

DISCO AL was not disgraced in the marathon "Gold Cup" two runs back. Another Cape Town runner, POWER KING, one of four others, has a shout. Is a three time winner over the distance. One with a claim could also be MASTER SABINA.

1st - MAC DE LAGO (8); 2nd - FRENCH NAVY (1); 3rd - POWER KING (2); 4th - DEO JUVENTE (10); 5th - DISCO AL (13)

IT'S MY TURN ran an excellent post maiden run last time. Two very good runs. OUR JET will be running on. ICY TRAIL won his maiden at the third attempt last time. SOLAR KNIGHT has more to find on post maiden run. BLUE EYED BOY is improving ever so slowly.

1st - IT'S MY TURN (4); 2nd - OUR JET (2); 3rd - ICY TRAIL (8); 4th - SOLAR KNIGHT (6); 5th - BLUE EYED BOY (5)

RACE 9:

DIXIE EXPRESS has a hat trick chance. REBEL'S IDOL has very good form. LADY PENRHYN did not show on the polytrack last time. HANABI ran a fair post maiden last time. MATARI  weakens ever so slightly late.

1st - DIXIE EXPRESS (3); 2nd - REBEL'S IDOL (1); 3rd - LADY PENRHYN (2); 4th - HANABI (6); 5th - MATARI (7)

RACE 10:

SAINT DONAN has good form. Should go close. DURBAN BEACH has had a number of chances already. Consider again. OVAR ran a fair race race in his post maiden last time. EASTERN FRONT lost ground last time. BREATHLESS BERTIE won two in a row.