Whilst accolades were deservedly bestowed on Grade 1 two year old sprint winners The Secret Is Out and Always In Charge at Scottsville on Saturday, trainer Joey Ramsden’s potentially top notch juveniles Miranda Frost and Attenborough were cooling their heels far from the limelight at home base in the Cape. This follows illness and an operation after suspect performances by both the talented progeny of sire Western Winter in recent local events.

Attenborough hammered Sergant Hardy  a few weeks ago in the Somerset 1200, then could not pass that same rival as expected in last week’s Nursery, and a post race lung wash provided the explanation for the below par try. “It was quite disgusting what came out in the syringe,” stated Ramsden on his website. It will be interesting to see how the classy colt stacks up against contemporaries from around the country when he returns to good health.

Miranda Frost won her first two outings in style before flopping in the listed Perfect Promise Sprint at odds on a month ago. There was a reason for that fail as well. X rays showed that antibiotics had not properly sorted out a sinus infection which was causing a blockage to her airways passage. An operation was performed with three holes drilled into Miranda Frost’s forehead by the expert vets at Baker/Mcveigh.  “She is now clear and flying at work” explained relieved assistant trainer Ricardo Sobotker. The daughter of Western Winter will probably re-enter the fray towards the end of the season.

Jock Donovan Dillon is particularly sympathetic to Miranda Frost’s predicament. He too suffered through terrible sinusitis which compromised his breathing and threatened a burgeoning career as a reins-man. The circumstances behind Dillon’s suffering are slap-stick comical – though the victim was not amused when it happened. “I broke my nose as youngster when a friend of my Dad accidently threw me into a ceiling fan during a Rugby World Cup 95 celebration. I later developed sinusitis and just could not breathe properly until an operation helped me recover and get my career back on track.”

Dillon has prospered since moving to Cape Town and is taking full advantage of opportunities through retained links to owners Markus and Ingrid Jooste’s powerful string. He has one of the best records in the country for getting the job done on favourites, and with an industrious approach and continual work on his race-riding skills should be able to improve his overall strike rate above the current 10% mark.

Dillon does much of his riding for Ramsden, who used to be Marshall’s assistant years ago, before striking out on his own. Both trainers have put together excellent winning records in South Africa’s most important Graded races. Once Ramsden has Miranda Frost and Attenborough restored to full racing fitness, potential clashes with former boss Marshall’s proven juvenile stars would add special interest to the racing program.