The eLan Gold Cup over 3200m to be run on Sunday is the big one in the Gold Cup Festival Of Racing Weekend and this year’s compressed handicap event is full of staying class.

Hermoso Mundo will be attempting to be the first horse to the “Gold” hattrick in the same season, having won the Gold Bowl over 3200m and the Gold Vase over 3000m. His winning run in the latter race was hindered by interference from Captain Splendid and he would have otherwise won going away. He is a big, long-striding sort who makes more appeal than the Gold Cup favourite Kinaan on pure looks and racing style, especially as he is by Ideal World whose progeny appear to continually improve with age.

However, he is 2kg worse off with Kinaan for a 1,55 length beating. Kinaan has looked to be an easier ride with the cheek pieces fitted for his last 3 starts. He has been given a perfect Mike de Kock-like big race preparation and De Kock is going for his third Gold Cup win in a row and a fifth overall.

Krambambuli (Nkosi Hlophe)

Krambambuli carried 61,5kg in the Highland Night Cup over 2400m at Greyville in April and quickened from a handy position behind a steady pace to hit the front and win easing up by two lengths. On Sun Met day in the Grade 2 Cape Stayers over 2800m he produced a resolute finish to win full of running. He beat last year’s Gold Cup runner up Helderberg Blue by 1,25 lengths in the latter race. Helderberg Blue beat Kinaan in last year’s Gold Cup by 0,25 lengths when facing him on only 3kg worse terms than weight for age. However, Krambambuli must now face Kinaan on 7kg worse than weight for age. History is also against him as the last topweight winner was 26 years ago.

Captain Splendid will be a big runner, having lost the Gold Vase on objection and now being 2kg better off. He led early before sitting on the rail behind the lonely leader Banner Hill and after appearing to initially be treading water in the closing stages he managed to rally when Hermoso Mundo came alongside him. Therefore, he might be able to stay the extra 200m, especially if finding a nice position earlier from a plum draw, as he did when winning the Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m.

Banner Hill wasn’t suited by front running tactics in the Gold Vase, but was only beaten 2,8 lengths and is now 2kg better off with Hermoso Mundo. He came from last when winning the slow run Chairman’s Cup over this trip. He used the same hold up tactics in the Lonsdale Stirrup, but off a slow pace over that shorter trip was making inroads too late.

My World by Ideal World stayed on for third in the Chairman’s Cup and second in the Lonsdale. He is now 3,5kg better off with Banner Hill for a 1,15 length beating, but is 1kg worse off with Captain Splendid, despite being beaten 0,5 lengths. He should enjoy this trip.

Royal Badge has an impressive stride and is 2,5kg better off with Krambambuli for a 1,95 length beating in the Cape Stayers over 2800m. However, he has to prove he stays 3200m having been a touch disappointing in the Chairman’s and he might prefer a more galloping track than Greyville.

Mr Winsome, who had no luck in the July, has won both of the 2400m races he has run in, including the Gr 3 Track And Ball Derby. On pedigree this typically progressive Silvano gelding should stay the trip, although he has quite a wide draw.

Trophy Wife is a class act being a leading member of a celebrated female crop and she appeared to relish the step up to 2400m last time out, when winning the Queen Palm carrying 61,5kg. She could bow out in style, despite quite a wide draw.

Mr Winsome (Nkosi Hlophe)

Cool Chardonnay has finished second in both of his 3200m starts and the formlines of both look very strong as he beat Enaad, last year’s Gold Cup winner, and Smart Mart, last year’s Gold Vase runner up, in the respective races. He has pole position draw and like Hermoso Mundo is trained by Weiho Marwing, who is a renowned trainer of stayers. However, this is his first run at Greyville.

Zante won the Queen Palm by six lengths last year and comes off a win in the Track and Ball Oaks. In both those 2400m events she took up the running at halfway and didn’t stop galloping, so has to have a chance under Gavin Lerena.

Francia is 1,5kg better off with Zante for a 2,75 length beating and beat both Captain Splendid and My World over 2400m at Durbanville in last September, but is now worse off at the weights with both of them.

Fortissima won the Grade 3 RA Handicap over this trip last November and is 6kg worse off with Kinaan after beating him by 8,8 lengths in that race. She bounced back to form last time with a win over 2450m. She does take a while to get going in the straight and it remains to be seen whether she will be suited by the short Greyville straight.

Let It Rain stayed on well for fourth in the Gold Bowl and is 3,5kg better off with Hermoso Mundo for a 5,75 length beating. He is 3,5kg better off with Mr Winsome for a 4,5 length beating in the Track and Ball Derby and is another who might prefer a galloping track like Turffontein.

The Elmo Effect was beaten 0,3 lengths by Fortissima over 2450m last time and is now 4kg better off, but he failed in his only attempt at this trip in the RA Handicap after setting the pace.

Royal Honour has a tough task on her South African staying form.

By David Thiselton

Durban July hero Marinaresco, so far a seemingly rock-solid favourite to repeat last year’s win in the World Sports Betting Champions Cup, is reported very much on target for Saturday’s Greyville Grade 1.

Candice Bass-Robinson said: “He was on easy work for two weeks or so after the July. He doesn’t take a lot but he worked last week and will do so again this week. He is fit and well, and ready to go.”

The Vodacom showpiece, although completed in fast time, was marked by a moderate early gallop and Mrs Robinson said: “I think the race could be run differently this time with different tactics but it all depends on what they do with Captain America and on whether he goes to the front. It would suit us to have a pace.”

Marinaresco is 18-10 favourite with the sponsors while Captain America shares second spot with Bela-Bela on 9-2. Other prices are 8-1 It’s My Turn, 10-1 Table Bay, 12-1 Black Arthur, 16-1 Deo Juvente, Brazuca, Ten Gun Salute, 20-1 Sail South, 25-1 Judicial, Matador Man.

Betting World goes fractionally shorter about the favourite at 17-10 with Captain America on 9-2 and Bela-Bela on 5-1.

By Michael Clower

Highveld trainer Weiho Marwing will bid to win the unofficial “stayers triple crown” when he saddles his four-year-old Ideal World gelding Hermoso Mundo for the R1.25-million, eLan Gold Cup over 3 200m at Greyville in Durban on Sunday, July 30.

The gelding has won the 3 200m Gold Bowl at Turffontein and the Grade 3 SABC Gold Vase over 3 000m at Greyville in his last two starts and will confirm his status as the country’s champion stayer if he can lift the ultimate marathon challenge title on the second day of the Gold Cup Festival of Racing Weekend at the Theatre of Champions at the end of the month.

Weiho Marwing (Nkosi Hlophe)

Marwing has proved time and again that he is one of the best conditioners of long distance runners and with brother Weichong in the saddle for this important encounter, Hermoso Mundo has a good chance of completing the treble. The record shows that the further they go the more he loves it and in winning the Gold Bowl he humiliated his opposition in winning by 5.25 lengths.

Completing the treble may not be that easy in the eLAN Gold Cup where he will meet, among other top stayers, the four-year-old Captain Al gelding from the Justin Snaith stable, Captain Splendid, that beat Hermoso Mundo by about a head only to be denied victory in the steward’s boardroom after an objection in the SABC Gold Vase. Piere Strydom, a master at judging pace, retains the ride on Captain Splendid and this time his mount will be 2kg better off in the weights with the Marwing runner.

Hermoso Mundo received a six-point penalty for his win in the SABC Gold Vase while Captain Splendid escaped a penalty and the difference could well have its effect over the extra 200m of this race.

But both could be upstaged by the Mike de Kock-trained Australian-bred gelding Kinaan, the four-year-old son of one of the world’s leading sires Galileo, that finished third in the SABC Gold Vase just 1.55 lengths behind the other two. He is again set to carry the low weight of 52.5kg which will be in his favour over this longer trip with top rider Callan Murray, back from a stint in Hong Kong, in the irons.

Others that could feature in the finish are Krambambuli, Mr Winsome, Trophy Wife, Banner Hill and Zante but it is the top three finishers in the SABC Gold Vase that could hold the aces in what should be a great race to bring the curtain down on South Africa’s Champions Season 2017.

By Richard McMillan

South Africa’s racing supporters have another massive betting bonanza to look forward to when the Gold Cup Festival of Racing Weekend takes place over two days at Greyville in Durban at the end of the month.

Racing enthusiasts saw mind-blowing pools for the exotic bets at the Vodacom Durban July meeting at the beginning of the month and while not expected to reach quiet the same heights at the duel meetings on July 29 and 30, they will attract country wide interest where just for the Pick 6 bets on the two days, the pools are expected to total about R10-million.

The National Totalisator has announced that for the Pick 6 on the Saturday which features the R1-million, World Sports Betting Champions Cup, they will start the pool off with a R1-million carryover and guarantee a pool of R3.5-million with the expectation  that it will reach R4-million plus.

For the Sunday meeting where the R1.25-million, eLan Gold Cup, the country’s premier marathon event over 3 200m, will take centre stage, they will start the pool with a R1.75-million carryover and will guarantee a pool of R5-million which they expect to reach at least R6-million.

The tote has also introduced a new bet for the weekend called the “Festival Cup Double” which they will start off with an injection of R100 000. In this bet punters will have to select the winner of the World Sports Betting Champions Cup on the Saturday and the winner of the eLan Gold Cup on the Sunday and 70% of the eventual pool will be shared by those that get it right.

They are also offering a consolation double where 30% of the pool will go to punters whose selection finish 1^st and 2^nd or 2^nd and 1^st in the respective Cup races. Betting on this double opens on Tuesday, 25 July and will close at 16:10 on Saturday and a minimum bet of R10 is required. Those using the betmark cards are required to mark the cards “SPQ” as the venue.

With the traditional great interest in the meeting, the pools on all bets for the two days are expected to be well above the normal weekend levels.

By Richard McMillan

The two-day Gold Cup Festival of Racing, taking place at Greyville next Saturday and Sunday, brings the curtain down on the season and while some of the categories for the Equus Awards are already fairly settled as far as likely candidates are concerned and up for debate, there are still a number of questions to be answered come the final two race meetings.

Two categories that go down to the wire almost every year are Champion Two-year-old Male and Filly. As things stand at present Gr1 Allan Robertson Championship winner Brave Mary, Gr2 SA Fillies Nursery winner Green Plains and Gr2 Golden Slipper winner Desert Rhythm would appear to be the principal contenders for the filly’s award. Of this trio, only Desert Rhythm is an entry in the Gr1 Thekwini Stakes next Sunday and victory there will go a long way to cementing her place at the top of the pile.

In the male category, Gr1 SA Nursery winner Mustaaqeem will be an automatic contender as will Gr1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion winner and unbeaten Sand And Sea along with Gr2 Golden Horseshoe winner Purple Diamond. The latter pair are both entries in the Gr1 Premiers Champion Stakes.

Other categories that are far from settled are Champion Older Male and Champion Middle Distance.

Obvious contenders for both categories are Legal Eagle, Whisky Baron and Marinaresco. Legal Eagle and Whisky Baron are done for the season but Marinaresco will enhance his chances in both categories if he triumphs in the Gr1 World Sports Betting Champions Cup next Saturday.

In the older male category, Gr1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge winner Captain America must be in contention as well as in the Champion Miler category where he will be up against reigning Horse of the Year, Legal Eagle.

Champion Stayer has always been a bone of contention with the only Gr1 that falls into this category (2400m and further) being the Gr1 SA Derby, obviously restricted to three-year-olds. All other staying stakes races over ground are Gr3 or Listed, including the eLAN Gold Cup that has been down-graded from Gr1 to Gr3 in spite of a Gr1 stake of R1 million.

However, no matter the down-grade, it still ranks as the country’s leading race over ground through tradition and also as most of the country’s best staying horses compete on a level playing field.

Derby winner Al Sahem will be in contention and the Gold Cup is likely to have a major influence on the Equus judges.

Carry On Alice, retired after her triumph in the Gr1 SA Fillies Sprint, and who won a Gr1 in each of the four seasons’ that she raced, has surprisingly not won an Equus award although featuring prominently in nominations each year.

She is a strong contender this year for Champion Older Filly or Mare and also Champion Sprinter.

Silvano has sewn up the Champion Stallion award for the second time ahead of the recently deceased Captain Al while Klawervlei are way clear of perennial rivals Summerhill Stud in the leading stud category. The human categories are all but done-and-dusted. Markus and Ingrid Jooste under the Mayfair Speculators banner will again walk off with the trophy as leading owners. Champion Trainer elect Sean Tarry has enjoyed a phenomenal year and has left his rivals trailing. At time of writing he had sent out 211 winners for record stakes of over R35 million, R15 million more than nearest rival Justin Snaith.

Similarly, Anthony Delpech is unchallenged for the Champion Jockey title ahead of Gavin Lerena.

The Equus Awards will be held at Emperors Palace in Johannesburg on Tuesday evening, August 15.

Andrew Harrison