It’s been a while since this newsletter covered Gauteng racing in any detail, but some recent significant performances show that the Joburg Spring season is now fully underway with the better horses making an impact as the oddsmakers expect.

Desert Miracle (speed score 97 +) was most impressive gapping her rivals at Turffontein on Saturday on her seasonal bow, priced up deep in the red. She had previously handed out a similar drubbing to Grade 2 opposition in the Golden Slipper at Greyville in June and is clearly training on to be a truly high-class filly.

First placed, Sparkling Water (s/s 103), 2nd, Forever Mine (s/s 102) and the smart three-year-old Smorgasbord (s/s 99) contested a particularly potent Progress earlier in the card over the same 1450m distance. The winner had run within two lengths of star filly War of Athena in the Oaks last term, loves soft ground and based on this strong comeback, is another worth supporting through the upcoming season.

The second horse tangled with MK’s Pride and Malmoos last season, emerging with credit in defeat. This represents another fine performance by the gelding, Forever Mine – indeed, the future looks bright for all three of these well-bred, Mike de Kock conditioned runners – Desert Miracle (by Dynasty), Sparkling Water (by Silvano) and Forever Mine (by Vercingetorix.)

Speaking of MK’s Pride – he ran a big number of 107 last week over the Turffontein 1450m in the Grade 2 Spring Challenge. He is compiling a sterling record over extended sprints, (1600m seems just a touch too far for him at the top level) and he is another to add to Horse Watch lists for the Joburg season. He was again chased home by Bingwa (s/s 106) who could be more at ease over slightly further having won up to 1800m at three.

The Joburg Spring Challenge for Fillies and Mares saw Big Burn topple hot pot, Under Your Spell. Going into the race Under Your Spell was heavily favored at 4/10, having run a triple digit speed figure at Scottsville as the winning juvenile of the Grade 1 Allan Robertson.

But Big Burn was no forlorn challenger (duly backed from 5/1 into 7/2) as she too had managed an excellent speed score of 104 when edging out Full Velocity in the Lady’s Stakes staged early September over 1200m. The daughter of Elusive Fort duly prevailed by just over a length in another key Highveld race, and both these very gifted fillies are worth marking up in their future engagements.