Gunner has not managed to find the winner’s enclosure since he won the Gr1 Premier’s Champions Stakes two season’s back where he became the first Gr1 winner for his sire Gimmethegreenlight.

Paul Gadsby has had a frustrating time since that win but it could all change at Greyville today where Gunner runs in the Delago Delux Handicap. The handicappers have been slow to give him any relief, probably with his Gr1 victory in mind, but the gelding has dropped to his lowest rating today and has given notice at recent outings that he is coming back to his peak.

Gadsby has stretched him to 1400m at his last two with apprentice Khanya Sakayi aboard and he has shown improvement in both races.

Gunner

He was a length off the useful Legend two runs back which saw his merit rating bounce back to 80 and although Sakhayi dropped his stick last time out, he was under three lengths back to the promising Anthony Hotspur and was dropped to a 77 MR.

Top rider Bernhard Fayd’Herbe takes over in the saddle and Gunner looks primed for this event.

Today’s race meeting honours training legend Charles Laird and the races have been named after the horses that have made an impact on his career and also Summerhill Stud who bred many of his top horses. Summerhill also stood top sire National Emblem who was the first feature race winner for Laird on his first day as a fully fledged trainer.

Duncan Howells has been chasing hard for his third KZN trainer’s title but his efforts have been hampered by a virus that affected the yard for over a month and saw many of his horses run below their best form. One was Girl In Gold who runs in the Summerhill Stud Handicap. She is way better than her last start when racing wide throughout and can do much better here.

Top weight Kahula has been racing in feature company and has not been far back. She has a fair weight to shoulder but has red-hot apprentice and Champion Jockey elect, apprentice Lyle Hewitson aboard which is a big plus.

Arizona Sunset has only been out of the money once for Ashburton-based Kom Naidoo and daughter of Mogok is well suited to the 1800m trip and with apprentice Serino Moodley taking 1.5kg off her back, she looks well in with only 53kg to shoulder.

Of the balance, Star Evolution and Pumpkin Queen are others to consider.

Apprentice Luke Ferraris has been making the most of his opportunities and has a fine chance in the card opener where he partners Glen Kotzen’s filly Majestica. She was a close-up second when taking on winners at Scottsville recently and from a good draw has a lot going for her.

The second appears to be a more difficult proposition although a set of blinkers could bring out the best in Vaughan Marshall’s runner Provocateur. He has shown some promise but has twice been run out of it in the finish and blinkers could do the trick.

Out side of Provocateur, Farland and Rumbleinthejungle look to be obvious threats.

Sharpe’s Eagle was given two barrier trials by Andre Nel before making his debut proper and the lightly raced colt has improved with each outing. He started at long odds when staying on well on debut and once can expect further improvement.

In the opening leg of the jackpot, Fieldmarshal Fenix takes a drop in class after showing up well against stronger last time out. He has a big weight to shoulder but should be competitive. Good To Give was a close-up second when tried in blinkers and is seldom far back. Open Court is lightly raced and has taken to the poly track. He also made a smart handicap debut and a repeat should see him in the firing line along with Royal Rustler who has recorded both of his wins over course and distance and has been consistent and is a must for all exotic bets.

By Andrew Harrison

Vodacom Durban July favourite African Night Sky has been raised four points by the handicapper to 112 after his impressive win in the Grade 3 Cup Trial over 1800m on Saturday.

Gold Standard (Liesl King)

Handicapper Matthew Lips said Platinum Prince, who finished a 0,9 lengths third, was chosen as the line horse. On paper that equated to just a two point raise for African Night Sky but another two points were added due to the circumstances of the win i.e he came from a long way back, suffered some interference (which caused him to switch) and yet still won easily. As things stand African Night Sky will carry 57kg in the July. Betting World currently make him 16/10, World Sports Betting have him at 17/10 and Track and Ball offer 19/10.

Platinum Prince and second-placed Crowd Pleaser remain on their same merit ratings of 101 and 102 respectively.

Meanwhile, the Grade 3 Jubilee Handicap winner Yakeen has been raised four points to 103 and the narrow runner up Tilbury Fort went up three points also to 103. Yakeen’s best July ante-post price is now 22/1 and Tilbury Fort’s is 25/1.

The merit ratings of July contenders Gold Standard and Roy Had Enough, beaten into 5^th and 6^th in the Grade 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge, remain unaltered on 117 and 110 respectively.

By David Thiselton

Fifteen horses will face the starter on Friday night at Greyville in one of the SA Champions Season’s most exciting races, the Grade 2 Post Merchants, which usually culminates in a cavalry charge for the line.

Black Cat Back’s five wins have been over 1400m but he has done well in sprints in his last two starts. In February in the Fever Tree Handicap over 1400m at Scottsville he set a good pace but was mowed down by Sniper Shot, who has since gone on to prove his class. The yard then fitted blinkers to Black Cat Back and ran him in a Pinnacle event over 1200m at Greyville. He wasn’t quickly away and came around them from behind into the straight. He still managed to stay on for a 1,25 length third to his useful stablemate Sunset Eyes. The form was then franked by the runner up Tribal Fusion. Interestingly the blinkers were removed for Black Cat Back’s next start in the Listed In Full Flight Stakes over 1100m at Scottsville and he was a touch outpaced before running on strongly for  a 2,25 length third to Bold Respect, with Sunset Eyes in second. Bold Respect went on to win the Grade 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint. The blinkers remain off Black Cat Back on Friday night and he has a plum draw of four. His 103 merit rating is near the top of the 100 to 104 band.

Sunset Eyes (Candiese Marnewick)

There is not much between Sun Set Eyes and Black Cat Back as the former beat the latter by 1,75kg in the In Full Flight but is now 2,5kg worse off.

Three-year-old Sniper Shot was scratched for the Tsogo Sun due to a minor back strain. The last time he ran over this trip was at Scottsville and he received only 0,5kg from Sunset Eyes and ran him to 0,75 lengths. He was a touch unlucky too and had the rest of the field well beaten, including beating Tribal Fusion by close to ten lengths. He has a tricky draw of eight and is now at level weights with Sunset Eyes, but if weight for age changes are taken into account he is 1,5kg better off.

Attenborough is an enigmatic sort but proved his ability when winning the Grade 1 Computaform Sprint, albeit in a below par Grade 1 field. He was dropped out in the Tsogo Sun and ran on well for fifth. His Computaform Sprint rider Richard Fourie is back aboard and he should be staying on strongly.

Too Phat To Fly is the best weighted horse in the race on official merit ratings due to her female allowance. She was not disgraced in the SA Fillies Sprint, running on after a slow start but it is always tough against the boys and she has the widest draw of all.

Legislate is a former Equus Horse of the Year and finished third in the Grade 1 Mercury Sprint over this course and distance two years ago, He hasn’t raced for over two years and will likely need it despite putting up a good barrier trial.

Bishop’s Bounty showed his class when winning the Diadem with a blistering finishing effort. The tough Kenilworth track suited him. He is likely to be dropped out from a wide draw in this race and it is going to be tough to make up the ground but he will be running on strongly.

Our Mate Art will have to improve considerably on his Tsogo Sun Sprint run, which he likely needed. He won the Matchem over 1400m this season, showing he has the speed and should be running on.

Pure Blonde was beaten three lengths by Black Cat Back in the In Full Flight and is only 0,5kg better off, so has a tough task on that form. He finished second from a tough draw in the Grade 2 Senor Santa over 1160m, although the form of that race is open to question.

Three-year-old Wonderwall showed he can mix it with good sprinters when fourth in the Grade 2 Senor Santa, beaten 0,8 lengths by Pure Blonde. He faces the latter on the same terms, although if weight for age changes are taken into account he is effectively 1,5kg better off.

Wynkelder just failed to beat Hack Green and Sergeant Hardy over 1100m here in April but on In Full Flight Stakes form is 1,5kg worse off with Black Cat Back despite being beaten 1,5 lengths by him.

My Pal Al needed his last two starts but has the ability, although his best form has been on the poly.

Rock Of Africa looks held by Wynkelder on Greyville form and by the like of Black Cat Back on Scottsville form.

Hoist The Mast has a tough task at the weights against the other female Too Phat To Fly on official merit ratings, but she did once beat the like of Sommerlied at level weights when just failing to win the Southern Cross Stakes over 1000m so has the ability to upset.

Mombela is a talented sort with problems, so is lightly raced as a six-year-old and this is his first attempt at a feature race.

By David Thiselton

African Night Sky, 28-10 with Betting World for the Vodacom Durban July before Saturday’s Cup Trial victory, came in for further support yesterday and is now as short as 16-10 with South Africa’s biggest bookmakers.

They had him at 17-10 when they reopened their books late on Sunday afternoon but the Justin-Snaith trained four-year-old was backed at that price and is now a point tighter. That is an incredibly short price in such a competitive handicap, particularly considering the handicappers raised his merit rating yesterday to reflect Saturday’s win and that the race is such a poor one for favourites.

There has only been one winning favourite (Igugu at 2-1 in 2011) in the past nine runnings and during that period only two other favourites have even made the frame. Indeed the average price of the winner in those last nine seasons is over 13-1.

Three-year-olds Majestic Mambo and Do It Again, second and fourth in the Daily News, are joint second favourites at 8-1 with Elusive Silva, Abashiri, Jeff Lloyd’s mount Made To Conquer and Coral Fever all on 16-1. Drill Hall winner Perovskia, who disappointed in the Cup Trial, has gone for a big walk from 33-1 to 75-1.

Rival firm World Sports Betting has African Night Sky at 18-10 (previously 3-1) and goes 7-1 Do It Again, Majestic Mambo,12-1 Abashiri, 15-1 Elusive Silva, 16-1 Made To Conquer, 20-1 and upwards others.

By Michael Clower

Featured Image: African Night Sky (Michael Price)

Brett Crawford won the Rising Sun Gold Challenge on Saturday for the second year in succession but the winner Undercover Agent had to share centre stage on the day with the Justin Snaith-trained African Night Sky who shortened to cramped odds for the Vodacom Durban July after an ultra-impressive win in the Grade 3 Cup Trial over 1800m.

Undercover Agent (Candiese Marnewick)

Crawford pointed out last week the three-year-old Captain Al colt Undercover Agent was one of the only horses in the field with improvement still in him and the classy individual duly gave apprentice Lyle Hewitson his first Grade 1 victory. Hewitson has smashed record after record since joining the apprentice ranks in March 2016 and has ensured a record he would not have wanted is no longer a possibility, i.e. the first jockey to be crowned South African champion jockey while still being Grade 1 winless. Hewitson was 23 winners clear of Muzi Yeni in the race for the title after Saturday’s meeting.

The surprise of the Gold Challenge was the tactics of Snowdance, who usually leads at a strong pace and then kicks on. This time she was held up by Grant van Niekerk and the other jockeys had to throw their pre-race plans out of the window. It also led to a crawl in the early stages and Undercover Agent was a touch strong on the bit. Thankfully his stablemate Captain America, who won last year, soon took over the lead and then went at a comfortable clip. This allowed Undercover Agent to use his action in the box seat and he was running on the right foot this time, unlike in the Drill Hall Stakes when narrowly defeated. Nevertheless, the race culminated in a sprint for home. Captain America went down the inside rail and Undercover Agent made his run down the centre. Snowdance and Sail South chased them. Captain America’s lack of a preparation race told in the final 150m as he began to tire, but the other three maintained their positions to the line, which underlined the slowness of the first quarter. It opened the question whether the Snowdance tactics were wrong, although she still finished a fine half-a-length second.

Earlier, African Night Sky became electrified when hitting the straight in the Grade 3 Cup Trial over 1800m and from last place scythed through the field to beat Crowd Pleaser by 0,75 lengths. Platinum Prince was a neck away in third followed 1,5 lengths further back by Sledgehammer winner Head Honcho.

African Night Sky, a four-year-old Dynasty gelding, has looked well handicapped ahead of the July. He escaped a merit rated raise when finishing a two length sixth in the Sun Met because a new rule stated only the first five in a Grade 1 race can be raised. Therefore the handicappers will likely be itching to give him as hefty a raise as possible. They will be justified in using fourth-placed Head Honcho, whom he beat by 2,4 lengths. They could thus give African Night Sky a five point raise. That will take him up to 113. In that case, if the top merit rated horse Coral Fever (118) runs, then African Night Sky will carry 57,5kg.

Crowd Pleaser and Platinum Prince’s connections will have anxious moments wondering whether there charges will get into the July, while Head Honcho and fifth-placed Wild Wicket might not have done enough.

In the Gold Challenge both July entries Gold Standard and Roy Had Enough caught the eye staying on well for fifth and sixth respectively and put their hands up for a place in the final field.

By David Thiselton

Mike de Kock, who has won the Vodacom Durban July four times, might have a fair hand in this year’s race after his good looking colt Yakeen won the traditional July pointer, the Grade 3 Jubilee Handicap, over 1800m at Turffontein yesterday under Muzi Yeni.

Muzi Yeni

Yeni did a fine job in settling the three-year-old Australian-bred colt by Teofilo as he threw his head up for a few strides in the early stages. Yeni managed to keep him covered behind Fort Ember and he relaxed well in the second quarter of the race. He turned for home in fourth place about three lengths off the pace set by Trading Profit. Yeni took Yakeen to the inside rail and he stayed on resolutely. The Sean Tarry pair Social Order and Tilbury Fort burst through from midfield to challenge. Tilbury Fort was going particularly well and looked likely to get up, but Yakeen dug down deep and held on by a whisker. Social Order faded in the final stages and was overtaken by Arctica. Romany Prince and Deo Juvente were next best.

Yakeen was merit rated only 99 going into the race and carried 53kg, but as it is a traditional July pointer he will come under strong consideration by the final field panelists. Coral Fever was eliminated by the July final field panelists last year after winning this race and it was likely due to his low merit rating at the time. However, he has since proved the panelists wrong as he is the highest merit rated horse still standing in this year’s race. He might have inadvertently helped Yakeen’s cause. Tilbury Fort, merit rated 100, is also a July entry and his recent form will also see him being considered. Social Order is merit rated 106 and has been in good form. After winning the Kings Cup at Greyville he ran third in the Grade 2 Colorado King Stakes over 1800m. He was a borderline horse on the July log but considering the pressure for a place this year he might have dented his chances with yesterday’s 1,8 length fourth. Deo Juvente is a July entry and would probably have needed to do better, despite his 2,9 length sixth with topweight being a good performance. Two other July entries Glider Pilot and Fort Ember likely saw their chances of making the July field disappearing with disappointing runs, beaten 4,5 and 21,25 lengths respectively.

One of De Kock’s other two July candidates, Cascapedia, was scratched from the Jubilee with an elevated temperature, but she was high on the log and has likely booked her place. De Kock’s third July entry is Royal Crusade, who finished third in the Gauteng Guineas and fifth in the SA Derby. The yard might be looking to qualify him at the last gasp saloon in the Grade 3 Track And Ball Derby at Scottsville on June 23.

By David Thiselton

Clouds Unfold has next season’s Cape Fillies Guineas as a major target after comprehensively outpointing her male rivals in the Cape Of Good Hope Nursery at a rain-softened Kenilworth on Saturday.

Aldo Domeyer, who also won this Grade 3 on fellow What A Winter-sired Dutch Philip 12 months ago, rode a waiting race on the Drakenstein homebred but was able to pick off those in front without recourse to much more than hands and heels. He had runner-up Seventh Sea three lengths back and apparently it was even more impressive than it looked.

He said: “I thought I would shake her up at the 500m mark to see what I had under me and she really turned it on. There is definitely something big in the pipeline.”

Aldo Domeyer

This was the 15^th Cape Town two-year-old success of the season for Candice Bass-Robinson who added: “Clouds Unfold will get a mile and she has a nice turn of foot. I would hope that she will prove to be a Guineas filly.”

Arabian Air, though, proved a costly beaten favourite for the third successive race and dropped out to finish plumb last. The veterinary examination ordered by the stipes revealed nothing but Donovan Dillon, who has ridden the colt in all four starts, had no doubt and reported: “He was not himself. He is still growing and so we will put him away for a while.”

In the Kenilworth Fillies Nursery it was Mrs Bass-Robinson and her jockey who suffered the reverse with odds-on Nous Voila managing only third after looking an assured winner approaching the furlong pole. She seemed to run lead-footed in the closing stages.

Her trainer said: “She has a bit of a Judpot action and I don’t think she enjoyed the ground.”

The race was won by the 28-1 outsider of the field who was apparently only entered to make up the numbers. “There were just five entries and the Club asked us to put horses in,” related Glen Kotzen. “We’d always thought highly of Coral Bay and I felt she was a top prospect but I’d put her on the back-burner. She then put up a good gallop, I said that we had to help the Club and run her. I promised the owners that her next race would be round the turn in a maiden that she could win!”

Robert Khathi, who had won this on an even longer shot two years ago – 45-1 chance Nordic Breeze – rode the Ideal World filly in the gallop, and said he then had to beg for the ride. But he delivered her to perfection to hit the front on the inner 100m from home.

It was a satisfactory afternoon for Kotzen because he also won the Interbet.co.za Handicap with Ostinato for Green Street Bloodstock, winner number 13 (and the first in Cape Town) for 16-year-old riding sensation Luke Ferraris.

Ryan Munger, 22, also rode his first Kenilworth winner when the Andre Nel-trained Room At The Top came away in the final furlong of the TAB Telebet Maiden to readily justify odds of 9-10. This was only Munger’s third visit to the course.

However Ferraris could finish no closer than third on Siberian Husky who attracted an extraordinary amount of support in the mile handicap. The three-year-old was backed from 13-1 to 100-30 favourite and made the running but was beaten into third by the Snaith-trained Green Archer who was brought from well back by Francois Herholdt.

Sandile Mbhele made it winner number 17 when springing a 28-1 shock on Seventh Silver in the opener. Grant Knowles led in the Vaughan Marshall winner – who made up five lengths in a furlong – and promptly announced that he is going to sell the colt to Mauritius. Runner-up Frank Lloyd Wright, expensive at 5-8, returned with an over-reach.

By Michael Clower

Justin Snaith will know the fate of African Night Sky’s merit rating sometime this morning after the handicappers have assessed Saturday’s win in the Cup Trial.

African Night Sky (Candiese Marnewick)

In the heat of the moment, Snaith was uncertain of any plans as to African Night Sky’s participation in the Vodacom Durban July, but with the benefit of hindsight the waters may settle.

“If we get hammered then we may take it on appeal but it will be up to Fred (Crabbia) to decide. If it’s around four pounds, hopefully less, then we will probably take our medicine and crack on,” said Snaith on Saturday.

So a lot hinges on which horse the handicappers choose as the ‘line-horse’, a horse that has run up to what they deem as its optimum rating.

If they choose either second placed Crowd Pleaser or third-placed Platinum Prince then the penalty could be as little as two pounds. If the handicappers choose fourth placed Head Honcho, then the penalty could be as high as five pounds or even six given the ease his victory.

Even with that in mind, the general consensus on course on Saturday was, “we’ve just seen the July winner!” and bookmakers tend to agree as African Night Sky was trading at short as 22-10 yesterday with Majestic Mambo and Do It Again at around 6-1.

The weights will be announced on Tuesday, June 19.

By Andrew Harrison

Frank Robinson runs Roy Had Enough and Roy’s Riviera in big races at Greyville for the second Saturday in a row and said as they were sound types this would not be a problem.

He said about Roy Had Enough, who runs in the Grade 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge over 1600m, “He was above himself last Saturday before the Daily News and then they went at a crawl. He pulled up like he had never had a run and has been moving brilliantly, so there is no reason he can’t run a week apart.”

Roy Had Enough (Candiese Marnewick)

The Australian-bred colt had missed his intended run in the Daisy Guineas so probably needed the run last Saturday. He has won twice over Saturday’s course and distance including in the Christmas Handicap.

Roy’s Riviera also pulled up well from her fine fifth-placed effort in the Grade 1 Woolavington 2000 and Robinson pointed out, like Roy Had Enough, she was a tough horse. He runs her in the Grade 3 Cup Trial over 1800m.

He said, “Considering she finished only 3,75 lengths behind Oh Susanna last Saturday off a slow pace, she is well weighted in the Cup Trial carrying just 52kg.”

Another Summerveld trainer who expected a good performance in the Cup Trial was Mark Dixon, who runs Celtic Captain, although he admitted he was not well handicapped. He said, “He is very well and I give him a shout.” He expected from draw 8 Celtic Captain would use his good gatespeed to make the running.

Dixon was bullish about the chances of Across Seattle in the Listed Gatecrasher Stakes over 1400m. This Sail From Seattle two-year-old finished a decent third in the Sentinel Stakes over 1000m, where he stayed on well after a slow start. Dixon said, “He has been gelded and will improve a lot over the trip.”

Robinson’s other runner on the day is Bank The Cash, who runs in the KZN Winter Challenge 2000  and he felt he was a big runner as he had felt he would need the run when winning easily over 1800m on the poly last time out.

By David Thiselton