DAWNOFANEWDAY, with Keagan de Melo up, wins the Listed World Sports Betting Scarlet Lady for trainer Dean Kannemeyer at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday. (Picture: Candiese Lenferna)

Andrew Harrison (Gold Circle)

The boss is back in town after summering in Cape Town as Dean Kannemeyer made his first appearance back in KZN readying up for winter. He celebrated his return with a feature double as Rex Union kicked off his Champions Season Campaign in the WSB Highland Night Cup and was quickly followed by Dawnofanewday in the WSB The Scarlet Lady (Listed).

Rex Union, second in the Gold Vase and third in the Gold Cup last season, staked his claim for the forthcoming features. There is plenty to the son of Duke Of Marmalade, Kannemeyer describing him as a ‘bull’ of a horse, as stable rider Keagan de Melo played the waiting game in the 2400m event at Hollywoodbets Scottsville yesterday as Juan Carlos set the gallop closely followed by El Rey Viene, Rex Union handily placed in mid-field.

The two up front were quickly tackled by Etiquette and Riccardo with De Melo hunting a gap. When it did appear, he punched Rex Union forward and the gelding responded in good fashion, getting home comfortably in the end.

Southern Cape almost made it home in The Scarlet Lady with Ashton Arries taking them on up front. The filly was still going great guns over the final furlong and was game in defeat as Dawnofanewday finished the stronger with Southern Cape holding off the pack for second.

Lord William has come well since arriving in KZN from the Cape and assistant to Glen Kotzen, John Buckler had the Kings Cup third-placed horse primed and giving Arries a second win on the son of William Longsword. An eye-catching second was stable companion Flying Bull who is starting to find his feet after a change of stables at the end of last season.

It was a day that many punters will be happy to forget with a few long-shots arriving.

African Beat looked to be the right one of the Mike Miller yard and favourite in the first but as game as she was, she was not able to get onto terms with stable companion Lacewing who held her off in a driving finish with first timer Mauritania showing good pace before running out of gas late.

More was to follow in the next as Duncan Howells watched on speechless as his filly Oriental Bouquet came from last to win in exceptional fashion. “I could never get her into the starting stalls at Ashburton but at Summerveld she walked in. I think she has some ability but I thought she would need it today. Two of the best fillies that I trained, Fiorella and Gypsy’s Warning also caught me unawares. We live in hope,” he said.

Craig Zackey was aboard Oriental Bouquet and he followed up aboard the Peter Muscutt-trained first timer Neitherherenorther, also starting at lengthy odds. Bennie In The Area cut a smart early pace and pulled clear of his field except for Neitherherenorther who kept with him and getting his head in front. ‘Benni’ kept fighting and was a courageous second.

Zackey was looking to make it a hattrick of wins on the odds-on favourite Call To Glory, but Alec Laird’s filly found one too good for her in Gareth van Zyl’s filly Faizah. Call To Glory, bred in the purple by Kingman out of former Cape Met winner Smart Call, tried to make all but could not match Faizh’s finishing burst. Given the favourite’s pedigree, ten furlongs may now be a better option.