The Grade 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge over 1600m is one of the highlights of the SA Champions Season and will see eight top class horses going to post on Saturday.

Dual Grade 1-winner this season over this trip, the three-year-old Snowdance, will have a fine chance. Trainer Justin Snaith was concerned about her before her Champions Season pipe opener in the Daisy Fillies Guineas. He said she had returned from a rest “almost too well” and needed the gallop she was given to “burn off” some of that pent up energy. After that gallop he had said that if she won the Daisy Fillies Guineas the boys had “better watch out” in the Gold Challenge as he knew she would not be at her peak against the fillies. She was duly only just touched off by Fiorella after going like the clappers in the front. She will have come on a lot from that race and this time will likely be more relaxed out in front meaning her renowned kick will be more telling.

Snowdance

Captain America is the defending champion and should go close. He is a big horse but has run well fresh before. From draw four he might have a bit of a problem getting into his favourite box seat. Snowdance, who is drawn three, is likely to lead and three-year-old Undercover Agent, drawn two, is thus in the ideal position to slot in behind her as he also likes to be handy. Captain America thus might have to run one wide outside of his younger stablemate. However, he has relaxed well as he has gotten older so it should not be too much of a problem. Both he and Undercover Agent can turn it on in the straight and will be big players.

The third Brett Crawford-trained horse, Sail South, is at his best when dropped out as he is capable of a blistering finish. He comes off a reasonable fourth place pipe-opening run in the Drill Hall.

Gold Standard is said to be moving better than he has the whole season but is still likely to need the run against more tuned up rivals. He showed himself top class when finishing a narrow second in the Cape Guineas as a three-year-old but he is yet to recapture that form after returning from a joint chip operation.

Roy Had Enough’s best form has been over course and distance and he is capable of running on strongly from off the pace. He has a better draw than he has been having and is a dark horse, although this is much tougher opposition than he has beaten here.

Trip To Heaven lost this race on objection two years ago when showing an exceptional turn of foot before the distance just got to him in the closing stages. However, it appears that his best days are behind him.

Copper Force showed in the Queen’s Plate what he can do when the pace is on, producing a flying finish to be narrowly beaten and he has won a Listed race over this course and distance before.

By David Thiselton

Anthony Andrews, the missing man of the Cape Town weighing room, expects to be out of action for a further two months.

When his right foot was crushed in the pens by a panicking Happy Girl at Kenilworth on April 28 x-rays revealed only soft tissue damage and Andrews expected to be out for not much more than a week. But the real damage proved to be in his right shoulder.

He said yesterday: “The foot was swollen for quite a long time – a week and a half to two weeks – as the ligaments were damaged.

“Initially I only had a bit of a niggle in my shoulder but, when it didn’t go away, an MRI scan revealed ligament and tendon damage that required an operation to repair. When the horse reared and fell, trapping my foot between her and the metalwork, I grabbed whatever I could to pull myself clear and that is when I did the damage. With the adrenalin pumping I didn’t realise anything was wrong.

“The doctors said I would be out for three or four months. It was four weeks ago that I had the operation, and I am doing intense physio three times a week, so I should be back in the saddle two months from now.”

By Michael Clower

Picture by Liesl King

Smart filly She’s A Dream is back to a sprint and could be the right one in a competitive line-up for the Capital Security Handicap that heads the field at Scottsville today.

After an easy maiden win, Mark Dixon’s filly was most impressive in her handicap debut, stamping herself as a filly with above average ability.

Given a break and it was a barrier trial and then two feature events over further. “There were not other races,” said Dixon candidly.

“She is back over what looks to be her best distance and with a low weight I give her a big chance.”

She’s A Dream (Candiese Marnewick)

Dixon also saddles the mare Isingamoya and his pair could make it a one-two over the boys. The daughter of Muhtafal is rarely far back and has been up against some smart opposition at recent outings.

However older horses that seem to have gone a little flat often produce their best when fitted with blinkers for the first time and Isingamoya fits into this category. She has won five races and has competed against some of the best fillies around including the Poinsettia Stakes over course and distance last time out where. Although finishing mid-field, was beaten three lengths by Sommerlied, Neptune’s Rain and Magical Wonderland.

Isingamoya has a big weight to shoulder but that form can see her finish ahead of the two gelding’s Wynkelder and Rock Of Africa, who finished together behind subsequent Tsogo Sun Sprint winner Bold Respect in the In Full Flight Stakes. That’s useful form in anyone’s book but the talented She’s A Dream with only 52kg on her back could prove too quick for them all.

The Vaughan Marshall-trained Jardin can get the ball rolling in the first. He ran out a facile winner on debut after trotting up in a barrier trial and he looks more than just useful.

Pickawinner hacked up in his barrier trial and the bookies were wide awake as Track & Ball have him 18-10 favourite for the second ahead of JJ’s Captain, second to Jardin last time out, and fellow debutante Roman Dancer next in the market.

Silver Raisin is short-priced to break a string of runner’s up berths in the opening leg of the Pick 6 and could give Duncan Howells a quick double. Silver Raisin has made marked improvement in blinkers but has a tricky draw to contend with and it may be worth including Louise Goosen’s runner Linnger Longer who has her third outing after a break and a better draw. MJ Byleveld takes over in the irons from an injured Gunter Wrogemann.

Howells has a chance of a treble as he saddles Sorceress in the fourth. She has a difficult draw in the extreme outside gate but has been up against the likes of Lady In Black and Dawn Calling at recent starts and has been far from disgraced.

However, Howells will know exactly what he is up against as ante-post favourite Ashfahan got the better of the Howells-trained Girl In Gold at her penultimate start and has since finished a close-up second to the well thought of Miyabi Gold. Ashfahan has the better draw but the early money has been for Sorceress and along with Breaking Barriers, may be the three to get you through this leg of the exotics.

From there on things get a lot trickier. Lovely Lucca is the marginal 7-2 favourite for the sixth. Doug Campbell’s filly has yet to finish out of the money and with four-claiming apprentice Luke Ferraris in the irons, she may be the right choice.

A Graduation Handicap (a handicap for two-time winners) could turn into a boat race between the improving Antony Hotspur and Gat Henshaw, the two having met early in their careers although a lot of water has flowed under the bridge since. Tom Collins and the filly Meryl could also feature.

The now blinkered Crown Charka and top-rated Press My Button could fight out the last but it’s not a race to go light in.

By Andrew Harrison

Glen Kotzen said he expected a good performance by Gold Standard in Saturday’s Rising Sun Gold Challenge over 1600m at Greyville, although he felt he might still need the run.

He said about the four-year-old Trippi colt, “He has been syndicated to go to stud and my instructions from the partners was to not run him unless he was really moving well. The good news is he has never moved better his season. He has had three gallops at Greyville and the Trippi’s enjoy running fresh although I’m not sure whether he might just need it running against the best who will all be tuned up.”

Gold Standard (Liesl King)

However, Kotzen expected the race to bring Gold Standard to his peak for a tilt at the Vodacom Durban July. However, he said if Gold Standard did win the Gold Challenge he would probably skip the July and go for the Grade 1 Champions Cup.

He said, “It is important to land a Grade 1 for the stud syndicate, although all 50 of the shares have already been bought.”

Gold Standard will stand at Drakenstein Stud together with his father Trippi.

The big bay proved himself a top horse as a three-year-old. He finished a narrow second in the Grade 1 Cape Guineas with the rest of the field well beaten and followed that with an unlucky fourth in a vintage Sun Met field.

However, he did not race again that season due to a chip in the fetlock and has been a touch disappointing this season.

He finished fourth in the Grade 3 Matchem Stakes and eighth and ninth respectively in the L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate and Sun Met.

Meanwhile, Kotzen said Pack Leader was still on course for the July. On Saturday the Philanthropist colt finished sixth in the Grade 1 Daily News 2000 but was only beaten 3,5 lengths. However, Kotzen said he had suffered a rough race and might just have needed it. He said he had been knocked around “like a ping pong ball” at the top of the straight and had then moved up to win the race but then looked like he needed it as he found no extra late. He surmised the reason must have been the combined effect of the colic incident which had caused him to be scratched from the WSB 1900 and the fact he had missed that race, because he had felt before Saturday’s race he had him ready. However, he now expected him to be “spot on” for the July and as he escapes a merit rating raise his July weight will be “bang on” the one they had wanted for him.

By David Thiselton

The Drakenstein Stud-owned and Justin Snaith-trained pair Legislate and Oh Susanna will not take part in the 2018 Vodacom Durban July.

Kevin Sommerville, the racing manager for Drakenstein Stud said, “Oh Susanna will stay in training and will definitely be racing in South Africa again, There are no plans to take her overseas. The plan in Durban was always the Woolavington, although we would have loved to have been able to have a preparation run going in. If she had won stretching away very comfortably, we would have considered the July. But the weight conditions are just not in her favour. We will aim her again at the Paddock Stakes and Met. She seems very happy in herself.”

Legislate (Liesl King)

Oh Susanna’s win in Saturday’s Woolavington 2000 at Greyville was her first run since her wins in the Cartier Paddock Stakes and Sun Met in January. Those three successive Grade 1 victories have made her the favourite to be the first female Equus Horse Of The Year since Igugu in the 2010/2011 season. The Australian-bred daughter of Street Cry gave her supporters a few anxious moments on Saturday when over-racing as they reached the first turn. However, such is her class she still managed to keep Fiorella and Lady In Black at bay in the straight and her giant stride carried her to a half-a-length victory under Grant van Niekerk.

The Snaith yard sent out a press release to announce the July scratchings and said the seven-year-old Dynasty entire Legislate would take his place in the Grade 2 Post Merchants over 1200m at Greyville on January 15 with Bernard Fayd’Herbe up.

Sommerville said, “”Legislate is very well but just needs more mileage. The Post Merchants should do him a world of good and won’t do him any harm. It will be a learning curve and will tell us whether he is able to take part in another big race.”

Sommerville named the Grade 1 Champions Cup as a possibility.

Legislate won the 2014 July and was named Equus Horse Of The Year for that 2013/2014 season.

Legislate proved to have a below average fertility rate at stud due to a low sperm count. Sommerville said his rate of getting mares in foal per cover was about 32% and his rate based on three covers was 58%. The accepted rate for the latter is 60% and above.

Sommerville said, “Every season a mare misses is costly for the breeder and he might have lost support due to that risk so it was decided to see how he would go back in training.”

The Grade 1 Daily News 2000 winner Surcharge has been scratched from the Vodacom Durban July.

This was not a surprising decision by the connections of the Stuart Pettigrew-owned Gimmethegreenlight colt as he has had an ultra-tough season.

He was asked to overcome wide draws in the Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run Cup and in all three legs of the Triple Crown.

He still managed to finish second in all three legs of the Triple Crown and before that won both the Listed Secretariat Stakes and Grade 3 Tony Ruffel Stakes, both over 1400m, when giving weight all around.

On Saturday he finally landed a good draw and duly won the prestigious R2 million classic event under Gunther Wrogemann.

Surcharge was quoted at 9/1 in Betting World’s July market at the time of his scratching.

By David Thiselton

Grant van Niekerk, given a 14-day suspension on Friday for an interference offence at Fairview on March 2, said yesterday that he will not appeal.

As the Review Board does not sit again until August 3, when the members can be expected to impose a ban that will have almost immediate effect, he will be free to take his big race mounts in much of the rest of the KZN season.

Grant Van Niekerk

The Fairview suspension was Van Niekerk’s first since January although he does face an inquiry as a result of the interference suffered by Made To Conquer when Strathdon (Van Niekerk) came in on him in the closing stages of last Saturday’s Lonsdale Stirrup Cup.

Candice Bass-Robinson, who won the Cape Of Good Hope Nursery and the fillies equivalent with Dutch Philip and Magical Wonderland 12 months ago, again has a strong in the two features at Kenilworth on Saturday.

She runs half the field in the Kenilworth Fillies Nursery with Nous Voila (Aldo Domeyer), Mixed Signals and Santa Clara. Nous Voila was second in the Perfect Promise and the other two won last time out. In the Cape Nursery she and Domeyer rely on Clouds Unfold who has won two out of three and was immensely impressive last time.

Joey Ramsden, last successful with Kingvoldt four years ago, runs three in this six furlong test and all his three runners finished behind One World a week ago – Carnage who was beaten only a fifth of a length, Lucky Dancer (fifth) and Arabian Air who started favourite but finished fourth and was found to be not striding out.

By Michael Clower

A compact field of nine runners, including the exciting three-year-old filly Snowdance, will face the starter for the R1-million, Grade 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge over 1 600m at Greyville on Saturday where a total of 10 Vodacom Durban July hopefuls will feature on the programme in a final bid for a place in the premier event on July 7.

Just three July contenders will compete in the Rising Sun Gold Challenge with the other seven running in the R300 000, Grade 3 Cup Trial over 1 800m which has a field of 12 that includes the favourite for Africa’s greatest race, African Night Sky.

Snowdance, the Justin Snaith-trained winner of the Cape Fillies Guineas and the Majorca Stakes before being upstaged in the Daisy Fillies Guineas at Greyville by Fiorella, is supported in the race by stable companion Copper Force but the pair face a formidable team of three from the Brett Crawford yard comprising Captain America, Sail South and Undercover Agent. None are July entries but all three are highly accomplished in their careers with the three-year-old just being touched off by Perovskia in the Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes and the other two finishing within a length off Legal Eagle in the Grade 1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate.

Champion trainer Sean Tarry has two runners in the field including his Vodacom Durban July candidate Liege. The five-year-old Dynasty gelding has not raced since winning the Grade 1 Summer Cup in November and technically should not be allowed to race. However, discussions were taking place between Gold Circle and the National Horseracing Authority on the gelding’s participation.

The Cup Trial will be followed with great interest with July favourite African Night Sky in the field. The four-year-old Dynasty gelding was just touched off by Star Express in a Pinnacle Stakes race over 1 600m in his only local run this season but is highly rated on his exposed ability and as long as he gives a good account of himself on Saturday his July place is secure.

Among his opposition is the Russian Sage gelding Perovskia from the Harold Crawford stable that caused an upset when winning the Independent Of Saturday Drill Hall Stakes and the Querari gelding Head Honcho that has won his last three starts including the Sledgehammer.

By Richard McMillan.

If ever a horse deserved the honour of a Grade 1 victory it was the gutsy son of Gimmethegreenlight, the three-year-old Surcharge from the Stuart Pettigrew stable, that powered his way to victory in the R2-million Daily News 2000 at Greyville in Durban on Saturday.

Only once out of the first two in his previous 10 starts and runner-up in the three legs of the Highveld Triple Crown, the game and honest colt boosted even further the outstanding season his pilot Gunter Wrogemann is enjoying and saluted the talent and perseverance of his conditioner.

Surcharge, coming from behind in another below par paced event won by three-quarters of a length from the Paul Peter-trained Majestic Mambo whose stable companion Alssakhara had been sent out to ensure a good pace and made the running ahead of Pack Leader and Warrior’s Rest that disputed the second place for most of the race.

Surcharge (Candiese Marnewick)

When they hit the home straight, favourite Do It Again made his winning bid down the inside while Wrogemann “got a split” further out at the top of the straight and stormed down the centre of the track to take the honours.

Having ridden his 100^th winner of the season earlier in the week – and one of the best seasons of his long career – Wrogemann commented that he felt for jockey Piere Strydom who had partnered the colt in most of his races and was sidelined with injury, but he felt blessed in the way racing had treated him this season. He said Surcharge had been unlucky in the three legs of the Triple Crown having had bad draws in all three.

Pettigrew, a long-time trainer on the Highveld, managed to hold his emotions in check as he praised the colt and said Surcharge was the best horse he had ever trained and ever would train.

Like the slow pace of the R1-million, Grade 1 Woolavington 2000 that had been run a short while earlier, the Daily News 2000 had not been run at a strong place in spite of the Paul Peter pacemaker getting on with things from the outset with the winning time of 124.31 secs being considerably slower than the class average of 122.72 sec and that will have been a concern for many racing pundits looking for a real star among the three-year-olds.

The Woolavington 2000 was run at an even slower pace with the Daisy Fillies Guineas winner Fiorella deliberately doddeling along at the head of affairs with Lady In Black in second place along the rail and odds-on favourite Oh Susanna fighting for her head in the early stages and one off the rail in third  place. In the home straight Grant van Niekerk got the favourite to the head of affairs but under strong attack from Fiorella on her inside with Lady In Black challenging and, at one stage, looking dangerous on her outside.

With this race having been run at a crawl in a time of 125.29 secs, it was definitely not a true reflection of the true capability of Oh Susanna but there could be a re-think of the star filly’s programme for the rest of the season when taken in the overall context of the three-year-old performances at the meeting.

The R300 000, Grade 3 Lonsdale Strirrup Cup had the racegoers on the edge of their seats as the Justin Snaith stable companions, favourite Made To Conquer and Strathdon, burst clear of the field together from off the pace at the top of the straight and fought it out to the line with Made To Conquer getting the decision by about a long head and third-placed Mr Winsome some seven lengths back.

News from the Snaith stable is that Made To Conquer, at present not featuring on the July Log, will be a July contender while Strathdon will be aimed at the eLAN Gold Cup on Super Saturday at the end of the season.

By Richard McMillan

The Vaal has a low key eight race meeting tomorrow and an MR78 Handicap is the highest rated race.

Powered Beauty looks the one to beat. This rangy three-year-old Australian-bred gelding is by the top sire Fastnet Rock and has only had two starts to date. The penny is still dropping on the evidence of his last start from a wide draw over this course and distance. After being dropped out from a wide draw he moved up threateningly but didn’t really respond to urging until it was too late. He was doing good work late to be beaten just 1,3 lengths but potentially could have done better.

Luke Ferraris

He is now drawn in pole and if the penny drops he will be hard to beat off just a 71 merit rating. Viburnum, being a gelding by Ideal World, will also be improving. He is drawn in two and can make it a hattrick in just his fourth career start. He won over 1800m last time, beating the promising Psychic, who runs in the previous race. Three-year-old Captain Al gelding Loyal Lieutenant is a good looking sort and is well regarded enough to have taken his place in the Dingaans, where he was not disgraced. He was a R400,000 purchase and could now start fulfilling his potential in his third run after gelding.

He is returning from an 87 day layoff. Jika was disappointing last time over 1400m when swamped in the final stages but that was quite a good field and he will also appreciate the step up in trip. Visigoth is an interesting runner. He is a big son of Visionaire and ran some fair races against strong opposition in Cape Town during the summer. He has been gelded after one poor comeback run on the Highveld in March and his merit rating has dropped considerably, so he should be competitive, although he does return from an 82 day layoff. Those are the ones that make most appeal although the in-form Mighty Valdie should be considered and on best form Infamous Fox has a shout.

The previous race is an interesting MR 72 Handicap over 2400m and Psychic looks the one to side with. He has been making eye-catching late progress in both of his last two starts over 1800m and 2000m respectively. He was an overdue maiden winner over 2000m before that and beat Snorting Bull that day. The latter came out and won ever so easily over 2400m in his next start and last time out over 2000m finished second, giving Psychic 2kg and a 0,8 length beating in the process. Psychic is by Visionaire and is a half-brother to his stablemate Witchcraft, who won the Grade 3 Gold Circle Oaks over 2400m, so he should enjoy this step up in trip.

Tern Unstoned is a consistent sort who stays this trip. He has a nice stride and will be dangerous from his usual handy position. Wheel Of Time should also enjoy the step up in trip looking at his running style and pedigree. He is by Tapit out of a mare by July winner Ipi Tombe. He was unlucky last time out over 2000m when losing two lengths and then unable to find a clear run in the final stages until it was too late. However, he looked to have a bit in the tank when crossing the line 3,25 lengths back.

Oratorio gelding War Legend only just failed last time over 2600m. He did rally again when challenged, although the narrow winner Fortune Fella was a six-year-old who had not won for over a year. That was only War Legend’s ninth start so he could still improve and he might well enjoy the step down to 2400m. Gentleman Only is proven over this trip so could be dangerous with the up-and-coming 4kg claimer Luke Ferraris up. Collegiate is a lightly raced five-year-old gelding by Ideal World and is 1kg under sufferance but he is an outsider to consider as he has always looked to be a stayer. He looks to be inherently better than his form suggests.

By David Thiselton

The handicappers always face one of their most daunting tasks after the running of the Grade 1 Daily News 2000 and Grade 1 Woolavington 2000 classics as the merit rating changes dished out have a big impact on the Vodacom Durban July weights.

Strathdon (Liesl King)

The Stuart Pettigrew-trained Surcharge was a deserved winner of the Grade 1 Daily News 2000. Throughout the season this talented Gimmethegreenlight colt has landed terrible draws in big races, yet he still managed to finish second in all three legs of the Triple Crown. It is testament to his class and laid back temperament that those races did not take a lot out of him. He at last landed a fair draw of five in the Daily News. Gunther Wrogemann duly managed to find cover soon after the off.

Surhcarge produced his usual strong finish to beat his classy Highveld contemporary Majestic Mambo by 0,75 lengths. The latter flew from last in the running. Cape Guineas winner Tap O’ Noth proved he stays this trip by finishing a one length third. The Cape Derby runner up and Daisy Guineas winner Do It Again was a 1,25 length fourth, half-a-length ahead of White River. The rule states that the line horse shall not be further back than fifth in a Grade 1 event, so the handicapper has a choice of using 104 merit-rated Majestic Mambo, either of the 110-rated pair Tap O’ Noth or Do It Again, or the 108 rated White River.

As Do It Again earned his rating in the Cape Derby over this trip he is almost certain to be the line horse. Surcharge will thus likely go up to roundabout 112 and Majestic mambo will go up to roundabout 111. Tap O’ Noth and Do It Again will probably remain untouched on 110 and White River might be raised one point to 109.

In the Grade 1 Woolavington 2000 Oh Susanna off a 121 merit rating was a half-a-length winner from 108 merit-rated Fiorella, with 111 merit-rated Lady In Black a further 0,25 lengths back. However, Oh Susanna was having her first run since the Sun Met and was clearly below her best as she over raced in the initial stages. Lady In Black earned her merit rating when second to Oh Susanna in the Paddock Stakes over 1800m so is likely to be used as the line horse. Oh Susanna is likely to be left alone, but Fiorella could well be raised to 111. However, Miyabi Gold, rated just 85, could be given a hefty raise having finished just 1,5 lengths behind Lady In Black. Fifth-placed Roy’s Riviera’s merit rating of 96 could also be raised as she finished three lengths behind Lady in Black.

The handicappers also face a tricky decision in the rating of the Lonsdale Stirrup Cup, a handicap, as the 94 merit rated winner Made To Conquer was a neck clear of Strathdon and there was then a yawning 6,75 length gap back to the 100 merit rated Mr Winsome and then 2,75 lengths back to the under sufferance 80 merit rated Silver De Lange. The maximum raise for a Grade 3 winner is ten points and five is the maximum for a second-placed horse. It would be no surprise to see the front two both raised by those maximum amounts.

Oh Susanna is the highest rated three-year-old in the July at present and the highest rated older horse is 118 merit-rated Coral Fever.

By David Thiselton