PREVIEW:SCOTTSVILLE - 26 MAY 2012

Scratchings up to date as at 15h00 Friday 25 May 2012.

RACE 1:Maiden Plate 1600m Bend

SOLEIL ROYAL showed good improvement last time. Could improve more. SACRED PLEDGE  has also improved nicely in his last two. SPARKLE WITH SPEED tends to fade late. DOUBLE OR NOTHING must have a chance with the latest improvement. ODESSEY (Deon Visser) is never far back.

SELECTIONS: 1st - SOLEIL ROYAL * (8); 2nd - SACRED PLEDGE (12); 3rd - SPARKLE WITH SPEED (3); 4th - DOUBLE OR NOTHING (4); 5th - ODESSEY (11)

RACE 2:MR 72 Hcp 1200m Straight

FIRE CURTAIN (Gavin Van Zyl) has decent post maiden form and ran against far stronger. HAIL THE KING (Yogas Govender) was just pipped over 1300m. Looks to be better over the 1200m distance. WARWICKADALE has won both of his races over this distance. Has also run well at this track. Sean Cormack has the ride. PUBLIC SCANDAL has a chance on his penultimate run. Chance with an apprentice claim of 4kg. ULWANDLE (Glen Kotzen) is never far back and has won this C & D.

SELECTIONS: 1st - FIRE CURTAIN * (1); 2nd - HAIL THE KING (9); 3rd - WARWICKADALE (4); 4th - PUBLIC SCANDAL (13); 5th - ULWANDLE (6)

RACE 3:Allowance Plate 1600m Bend

NORTHERN CONQUEST (Vaughan Marshall/MJ Byleveld) did not show against stronger last time. Chance on earlier form. ROMAN WALL (Sean Tarry/Brandon Lerena) ran on strongly to win over 1400m last time. Well weighted but not too reliable. POLITICAL PLAYBOY (Glen Kotzen/Sean Cormack) has won his last three starts, two of them over the distance. Has yet to run at this track. Will be finding more late. STRAW MARKET (Ormond Ferraris/Piere Strydom) must be respected. Raids from Gauteng and has not come to KZN for his winter vacation! ALWAYS AL (Sean Tarry/Anthony Delpech) travels this far for the first time. Must be considered and should see out the "mile".

SELECTIONS: 1st - NORTHERN CONQUEST * (2) ; 2nd - ROMAN WALL (7); 3rd - POLITICAL PLAYBOY (5); 4th - STRAW MARKET (4); 5th - ALWAYS AL (3)

RACE 4:MR 71 Hcp (F & M) 1600m Bend

ELEGANT MODEL has moderate form but one has to respect her chances with the blinkers on. Also she will have the services of an experience jockey this time around. She may be at 25/1 but she could be very good value. SPONDULICS is holding form very well and would have found the 2000m too far. Piere Strydom rides her again. RA RA RA can hardly be faulted on current form and did stay on over 1400m last time. AL NADIRA improved by just over ten lengths last time. Has a shout on that improvement, especially with Anthony Delpech aboard. KEEN ACCORD is currently in good form. Has won this C & D and has an apprentice claiming 4kg to boot.

SELECTIONS: 1st - ELEGANT MODEL (9); 2nd - SPONDULICS (12); 3rd - RA RA RA (3); 4th - AL NADIRA (7); 5th - KEEN ACCORD (5)

RACE 5:Grade 1 Allan Robertson Championship (R500 000) 1200m Straight

VALDIVIA (17/20) (Vaughan Marshall/MJ Byleveld) is unbeaten after three starts. She has won all three by an average of almost five-and-a-half lengths. Her three wins includes an impressive win in the Strelitzia at Clairwood two runs back. She won this C & D last time. Should be hard to beat. FRANNY (11/2) (Gavin Van Zyl/Richard Fourie) disappointed in the SA Fillies Nursery at Turffontein last time. She hung badly that day and another chance for this daughter of Trippi should be allowed. KING'S TEMPTRESS (11/2) has changed stables since her dramatic win AT 100/1 in the Nursery last time. The Kimberley raider caused a huge upset. It will be interesting to see how she fares this time around. Respect. ALL IS SECRET (5/1) (Vaughan Marshall/Anton Marcus) ran a very good post maiden last time in the Debutante Stakes. Prefer stable companion. Place chance with Anton Marcus aboard. LONSOME DOVE (12/1) (Mike De Kock/Anthony Delpech) won impressively on debut last time. Looks to be a good sort but she will be tested in this race. Add the other Mike De Kock runner, AL KINDI (20/1) for the scratched LONSOME DOVE. Kevin Shea to ride.

SELECTIONS: 1st - VALDIVIA ** (10); 2nd - FRANNY (4); 3rd - KING'S TEMPTRESS (5); 4th - ALL IS SECRET (2); 5th - AL KINDI (1)

RACE 6:Grade 1 Tsogo Sun Medallion (R500 000) 1200m Straight

REIGN AS KINGS (4/1) (Mike De Kock/Anthony Delpech) has won his last three starts including a feature at Clairwood last time. Runs on well. Should be a factor. TWITTER (5/1) (Vaughan Marshall/MJ Byleveld) has won his last two, but over 1000m. Won a feature impressively last time when running on. One cannot disregard any of Vaughan Marshall's two-year-old this season. ZIPARANA (66/10) ran a solid second in the SA Nursery last time. may need to find more but should still have improvement to come. CAPE ROYAL (357/100) (Sean Kannemeyer/Karl Neisius) won his debut in Cape Town last time by an impressive six-and-a-half lengths. Looks to be a special horse with plenty of pace. It will be interesting to see him race at this level. Don't ignore though. CONTADOR (12/1) (Charles Laird/Anton Marcus) may have more to find but is one that could cause an upset. Sets a good pace but fades late.

SELECTIONS: 1st - REIGN AS KINGS * (13); 2nd - TWITTER (14); 3rd - ZIPARANA (15); 4th - CAPE ROYAL (2); 5th - CONTADOR (3)

RACE 7:Grade 1 SA Fillies Sprint (R500 000) 1200m Straight

PRINCESS VICTORIA (2/1) (Glen Kotzen/Sean Cormack) is another of the country's really classy fillies and she displayed that when she won a feature at Clairwood last time. She won very much as she like that day and has to be the one to beat. She won the Grade 1 Allan Robertson this C & D last year. That day she won by over three lengths. WELWITSCHIA (5/2) (Mike De Kock/Anthony Delpech) is another top class performer over practically all distances. She will be running on but in this field cannot afford to be slow away. STATE BLUE (25/1) (Justin Snaith/Piere Strydom) loves the distance but has yet to produce her best runs at this track. EBONY FLYER (5/2) (Justin Snaith/Bernard Fayd'Herbe) should prefer further but respect on the good runs against strong opposition. CHOCOLICIOUS (25/1) is upset material and could have more to find.

SELECTIONS: 1st - PRINCESS VICTORIA * (11); 2nd - WELWITSCHIA (1); 3rd - STATE BLUE (3); 4th - EBONY FLYER (2); 5th - CHOCOLICIOUS (4)

RACE 8:Grade 1 Golden Horse Casino Sprint (R600 000) 1200m Straight

CASTLETHORPE (62/10) (Mark Bass/Karl Neisius) has been running on. Not only that he has won his last two which were both over the distance. Has to go close for the hat trick. LINK MAN (9/2) (Mike De Kock/Anthony Delpech) may not have the best of current forms but one has to respect him as he is still unbeaten this C & D (3 from 3). Has not run since January and if at best will be running on. Ignore Mike De Kock at your own peril. WHAT A WINTER (5/2) (Mike Bass/Bernard Fayd'Herbe) has the form. Is classy but did not show in this race last year. Should give another good account of himself. DELAGO DELUXE (9/1) (Charles Laird/Anton Marcus) is never far behind but has a tendency to fade late. Has improved since changing stables. DEPARDIEU (12/1) (Dean Kannemeyer/Robbie Fradd) disappointed in the Drill Hall Stakes at Greyville last time. Should prefer being back over this distance. One that could surprise.

SELECTIONS: 1st - CASTLETHORPE * (5); 2nd - LINK MAN (3); 3rd - WHAT A WINTER (1); 4th - DELAGO DELUXE (10); 5th - DEPARDIEU (11)

RACE 9:MR 89 Hcp (F & M) 1600m Bend

HAPPY HEART (Dennis Drier/Sean Cormack) was disappointing in a feature last time. Chance on earlier form. QUEEN MIRA (Sean Kannemeyer/Karl Neisius) has not run since December. Has also changed stables. Chance if not needing the run. MISS FILLY has fair form and simply loves this track. Has an apprentice claiming 4kg. JETER (Charles Laird/Anthony Delpech) has some decent form. Likes to set the pace but fades. ARTISTICALLY DONE is never far back and has had some bad fortune. Will be running on.

SELECTIONS: 1st - HAPPY HEART * (5); 2nd - QUEEN MIRA (1); 3rd - MISS FILLY (2); 4th - JETER (10); 5th - ARTISTICALLY DONE (12)

BEST BET:                    RACE 5 - NUMBER 10 VALDIVIA (17/20)

VALUE BET:                RACE 8 - NUMBER 5 CASTLETHORPE (62/10)

BEST OUTSIDER:      RACE 4 - NUMBER 9 ELEGANT MODEL (25/1)

PLACE ACCUMULATOR: RACES 3 - 9

PICK SIX: RACES 4 - 9 (Couplings taken into account)

JACKPOT: RACES 5 - 8 (Couplings have NOT been taken into account)