Brett Crawford’s Somerset winner is quoted at 9-10 with the early layers and Bernard Fayd’Herbe takes over from the Gold Challenge-required Corne Orffer. Captain Tatters, who has a length to find but whose trainer Justin Snaith has a good record in the race, is second favourite at 4-1.

Vaughan Marshall, like Snaith bidding for his fourth Cape Nursery success in 15 seasons, is doubly represented with 11-2 chance Fearless Warrior (M.J. Byleveld) and 7-1 shot Ground Control for whom Greg Cheyne has been booked.

The  Marshall-trained Mirage, a well-backed winner of her only start, is 5-2 favourite for the Kenilworth Fillies Nursery with Cousin Liz next at 3-1 despite not having raced since her debut win four months ago.

By Michael Clower

Mike de Kock said Soqrat had been doing very well up at Randjesfontein and would arrive at Summerveld today (Thursday) ahead of his engagement in the Grade 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge.

De Kock said, “He was very unlucky in that last race from the wide draw and on how the race panned out, if you see how the horse next to him pushed him outward from the start.”

Randall Simons will be aboard Soqrat, who jumps from a good draw of four in the eight horse field. 

De Kock recognised the strength of the field but still gave Soqrat, a three-time Grade 1-winning miler, a good chance of winning.

He has two runners in the Listed Gatecrasher Stakes over 1400m, Ehsaan and Alramz.

Both have decent form and he gave both of them a chance of winning too.

Anton Marcus is aboard Alramz from draw three and Simons rides Ehsaan from pole position.

By David Thiselton

Sean Tarry runs Cirillo and Matador Man in one of the strongest ever renewals of the Grade 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge and he said he would not be stunned if either of them won.

Cirillo comes off a 0,35 length third in the Grade 2 Drill Hall Stakes over 1400m behind Undercover Agent and Rainbow Bridge.

Tarry believed it was not his slight missing of the break which had cost him there, but rather the decision to take on the known fighter Undercover Agent at the 300m mark which gave the latter time to fight back.

He was 3kg better off than weight for age (wfa) in the Drill Hall, as the first two both carried a Grade 1 penalty, so he will have his work cut underweight for age conditions on Saturday.

However, in his previous start he finished just 0,80 lengths behind his fellow three-year-old Soqrat in the Grade 1 wfa Horse Chestnut Stakes over 1600m at Turffontein Standside. That race proved he will stay Saturday’s trip, as the Greyville mile is less testing than the Turffontein one, and it puts him in with a form chance as Soqrat had previously beaten both Undercover Agent and Rainbow Bridge in the Grade 1 wfa L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate over 1600m at Kenilworth.

Cirillo has been prepared at Randjesfontein and will travel down to Summerveld on Friday.

Tarry said about Matador Man, who has been prepared at Summerveld, “He raises his game over this course and distance so it would be silly not to try him here. His last win was exceptional. It was in a very good time and he was carrying 62kg.”

Tarry said the pace should not have much of an impact on Matador Man’s performance. This horse always loses a bit of ground at the start and Tarry said, “If they go fast, the front ones will be stopping, and if they go slow it will give him a chance to make up the ground.”

He concluded, “They are both in good order and are course and distance suited. I have respect for the opposition but if either of them won it would not stun me.”

Tarry runs Social Order and Silver God in the Grade 3 Cup Trial over 1800m.

Neither of them are among the Vodacom Durban July entries still standing their ground.

He said, “Social Order seems to be enjoying going over shorter these days but couldn’t crack a draw in the Post Merchants and he was eliminated from the Tsogo Sun Sprint. But he is versatile.”

This five-year-old Count Dubois gelding finished third in the Colorado King Stakes over 2000m at Turffontein last year and won the Kings Cup over 1600m on the Greyville turf, so Tarry felt it worthwhile to take a chance in Saturday’s handicap where he will run from draw five under Julius Mariba and carry 56kg.

Silver God was originally a July entry but has been scratched as the improvement after gelding was not coming as quickly as hoped for.

This Silvano gelding is a half-brother to both William Longsword and Real Princess and was highly rated as a young horse but did not deliver. After gelding in May last year he came back strongly but then soundness issues arose and he had to be rested again.

Tarry is still hoping his pedigree will kick in and he can’t be written off on Saturday, despite being 4kg under sufferance as he was even worse off at the weights in the Grade 2 WSB 1900 and was only beaten 1,25 lengths into eighth.

He is drawn seven and Lyle Hewitson rides.

In the Grade 2 Tibouchina over 1400m Tarry runs three-year-old In The Dance and four-year-old Desert Rhythm.

He said, “In The Dance is a very classy half-sister to Capetown Noir and Across The Ice. She had a few interruptions and we were considering Scottsville but she wasn’t ready in time. So it would have been nice to have given her a prep but she is in good order and should give a good account of herself. I think she is top class and whether the run is coming too soon is the only question.”

He continued, “Desert Rhythm was holding form nicely before her last run. She is course and distance suited (she won the Grade 2 Golden Slipper here as a two-year-old) and has a good draw so she is not out of it, on her day she is more than capable.”

He runs Apple Magic in the first and felt she should be competitive although he said she would probably prefer further than this 1700m trip and there was a question mark whether she would enjoy the turf as her good form was all on the polytrack.

He runs Sweet Mary Lou in the Chapter Challenge 1600m final and he said, “Her last start over 1400m might have been too sharp. I thought she was better on the poly but her previous run at Scottsville was quite good, so I hope for a decent run but can’t be confident.”

In the last he runs Celestina and admitted she would have a tough task being 3,5kg under sufferance and jumping from a wide draw.

Tarry also has some important runners at Turffontein on Sunday.

His Vodacom Durban July candidates Legal Eagle and Tilbury Fort have their final preparation runs before the July in a Pinnacle Stakes race over 1400m. He expected the race to put them spot on. 

He also runs Redberry Lane and Wonderwall in that race and in the Grade 3 Jubilee he runs Captain And Master, Royal Italian and Shenanigans.

By David Thiselton

Move over Andrew Fortune – you have competition when it comes to post race television interviews. Aron Xabendlini, riding What A Captain in the work riders’ race at Scottsville yesterday, played to the crowd, and for whatever reason it was jam-packed for a mid-week meeting in the Capital.

Egged on by presenter Dees Dyanand and clearly not short of a word or three, Xabendlini had onlookers cheering.

“That’s what makes racing so much fun,” said one grizzled veteran. “I wish the whole world could see this.”

The paddock held more supporters than before the Gr1 Tsogo Sun Sprint and although the race was run without incident barring a slight scrimmage out of the gates, there were a few out-of-breath riders on their return.

Mike de Kock, who saddled the winner, was quietly amused. “The only thing I told him was not to go to the front,” he commented halfway through the race as What A Captain, Great Stohvanen and Be Happy cut out the pace.  He need not have worried, Xabendlini had it all under control and he got home with nearly two lengths to spare.

Anton Marcus, still in the hunt for the championship behind Yeni and Hewitson, booted home a quick double for Glen Kotzen, Prince Of Persia taking it up early and running hard to the line chased by Quant Master with the filly Talia Al Ghul being run out of it late after showing early toe.

First season sire Wylie Hall has got off to a fair start from limited opportunities, Poinciana his fourth winner from 17 runners to date. It was the Kotzen / Marcus show again as Poinciana took up the running a long way out to comfortably hold the first timer Baby Shooz, who raced in ear muffs, and Krishnies Jet.

Dean Kannemeyer shows little emotion when watching his runners and he hardly twitched a muscle as Silva’s Fling finally landed the odds in the Natal Property Consultants Maiden. With the blinkers removed, he kept rolling relentlessly to out-gun the year younger Knight Warrior and Brilliant Disguise.

Kotzen was looking for his third of the afternoon as Luna Child and favourite Golden Chance fought a desperate finish to the fifth, a short head in it at the line.

The stipendiary stewards called a race review that was upgraded to an objection after Hewitson had a cursory glance at the patrol film, objecting on the grounds of intimidation in the latter stages.

If anything, he was the chief culprit in the coming together so it came as no surprised when the protest was over ruled.

Donovan Dillon is a welcome addition to the KZN jockey ranks after deciding to re-locate from Cape Town. He was side-lined for two months after suffering a knee injury in a starting stalls incident but is now back to full fitness. He scored a double for Shane Humby at Greyville last week but most punters will not have been too enamoured with his win aboard Wendy Whiteheads Rocking Ruby in the sixth, a 55-1 chance on the books and paying R63.80 on the ‘nanny’.

Expedite was a top division sprinter in the Cape who won 12 races back in the late seventies, but the filly of the same name is no sprinter and came up short of giving Glen Kotzen and Marcus a treble for the afternoon in the seventh over 2000m. Marcus looked to have timed his run on the top weight to perfection as Expedite took the lead a furlong out, but Ella’s World under Gavin Lerena for Dennis Bosch, kept grinding away to out-run her rival when it counted.

Kannemeyer was back in the winner’s box for the last as Seattle Kid scored a narrow victory over rank outsider Sherman. Stand By Me had the call through the 400m marker and fighting hard, but his condition gave out in the battle for the line as Sherman took it up, only to be out-gunned late by the faster finishing Seattle Kid.

By Andrew Harrison

Image: Golden Chance (yellow) Lunar Child (black) – Candiese Marnewick

Frank Robinson runs Roy Had Enough in the Grade 3 Cup Trial over 1800m at Greyville on Saturday and realises the necessity for a big run if he is to stand a chance of making it in to the Vodacom Durban July field.

Robinson said, “He’s doing very, very well, I am very happy with him. We have got to try and qualify him for the July and Anton (Marcus) is riding him. He had a few issues and a few niggles last season but this season he is much better. If you watch his last run he actually ran away from Eyes Wide Open (In the Listed Sledgehammer over 1800m on the Greyville poly) and that one came out and won the WSB 1900. I’m expecting a good run from him. He has to otherwise he’s not going to get into the July. Although, he may get in if he runs second or third, I don’t know.”

The Australian-bred colt by Pierro carries joint top weight of 60kg and has a plum draw of two. All five of his wins, from 1600m to 1900m, have been at Greyville, including three on the turf. He will be a big runner on Saturday.

By David Thiselton

Glen Kotzen had originally planned to go straight into the Vodacom Durban July with Eyes Wide Open after the latter’s win in the Grade 2 WSB 1900, but he has changed his mind and the Dynasty colt will line up in Saturday’s Grade 3 Cup Trial over 1800m at Greyville.

Kotzen said, “He is a big horse and he is quite a lazy horse. I had to give him two gallops in between and he does just enough and I thought it might not be enough to bring him to peak fitness. So we decided to supplement him for the Cup Trial to see how he drew and he drew well. So he will run there and will then do the public gallop and should then be cherry ripe. But he is absolutely flying. They didn’t move his merit rating, so he is weighted to win.”

Eyes Wide Open carries joint top weight of 60kg in the handicap event and is drawn four with Warren Kennedy retaining the ride.

The yard run Elusive Heart in the Grade 2 Tibouchina over 1400m and Kennedy is also aboard in this race.

Kotzen said, “She is deadly over 1400m. She missed the break in the SA Fillies Sprint, so a line can be put through that race. We jumped her through the pens recently and she jumped five lengths clear of the stable companion.”

She won the Grade 3 Prix du Cap over this trip as a three-year-old last season and then finished third in three starts at Greyville, in the Grade 3 Umzimkhulu Stakes over 1400m, in the Grade 2 Daisy Fillies Guineas over 1600m and in the Grade 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes over 1600m. 

She must be in with a shout from draw seven out of eleven.

By David Thiselton

The Grade 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge defending champion Undercover Agent has been doing very well at Summerveld and the Brett Crawford yard make him the one to beat on Saturday, despite it being one of the strongest fields in the races history.

Assistant trainer Peter Muscutt said, “He has come through his very encouraging run in the Tsogo Sun Sprint in fine order. He will go in to the Gold Challenge third up, it should be his peak run, and from the optimum one draw he is the horse to beat.”

Muscutt admitted it to be a very competitive race with the like of Do It Again, Rainbow Bridge and Soqrat in the field, not to mention Cirillo and Matador Man, but added, “They have got to come and get him.”

Asked on what made him think the big Captain Al colt could reverse L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate form with the first three mentioned above, Muscutt said, “I think he is better on a right hand track and Greyville is far more suitable for him as a forward going horse than Kenilworth.”

Undercover Agent has run five times at Greyville starting with an easy win in the Grade 3 Byerley Turk over 1400m last season as a three-year-old, a long head second in the Grade 2 Drill Hall Stakes over 1400m, a win in the Grade 1 weight for age Rising Sun Gold Challenge over 1600m, a two length second in the Grade 1 Champions Cup over 1800m and a win in the Drill Hall Stakes in his pipe opening start to this season’s SA Champions Season.

Regular pilot Corne Orffer will be aboard on Saturday.

The field has cut up to eight runners but is sure to be the strongest line up in the SA Champions Season and it will be a race to savour for the purists.

By David Thiselton

There were a couple of well fancied runners in the maiden race where Prince Of Persia made his debut and he ran a cracker first up behind Cartel Captain and High Voltage who subsequently both ran in the Gr1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion.

Glen Kotzen’s runner showed good pace on debut and tried hard over the final furlong. With that experience and a drop to 1000m he could prove difficult to beat in the second at Scottsville this afternoon where racing around the turn makes a rare trip on the outside track due to the preparations for the finish of the Comrades Marathon this coming Sunday – the race ending on the inside track.

Quant Master was only run out of it late by Candy Apple on debut and looks a threat while Paul Gadsby’s filly Talia Al Ghul comes out tops in all Computaform ratings and although she takes on males, her pedigree suggests that seven furlongs and further would make her a better proposition.

Work riders are back in action in KZN for the first time in a long while and although the first race is hardly a betting proposition, it should prove something of a spectacle.

Jockeys are supreme athletes when it comes to fitness and even seasoned observers are unaware of the level of fitness it takes to ride a thoroughbred at a full gallop for 1000m let alone anything further.

Riding work is one thing, riding in a race is quite another and a few of these riders will be coming up for air long before the finishing line.

Mike de Kock’s charge, What A Captain, with Aron Xabendlini aboard, is a short-priced favourite but the likes of Great Stohvanen, Callum Dixon riding for his father Mark, and Kom Naidoo’s Peace Train with Tristan Mustard in the irons – his grandfather Leslie successful on Lightning Shot in the 1977 July – both show good pace.

Not a race to plunge in!

Krishnies Jet has earned his owner over R100k in stakes, having finished in the money in more than half of his starts, but he may have to be content with another finish in the shallow end of the purse in the third as Garth Puller’s gelding takes on some fast-improving juveniles, two months off turning three.

Duncan Howells saddles a trio of runners, best of which could be All The Way Up, who caught the eye on debut when finishing just off Toro Bravo. He can do better down the Scottsville straight and looks fair value at around 7-2. Second favourite is Poinciana at 5-2 with Krishnies Jet a little short at 22-10.

Silva’s Fling and Knight Warrior are vying for favouritism in the Natal Property Consultants Maiden, Silva’s Fling having his third outing since being gelded and the blinkers coming off.

The year younger Knight Warrior has been close-up in all three of his starts and will have his supporters while Brilliant Disguise is set to make big improvement on his debut effort over what looks to be a more suitable trip. This trio are the only runners quoted in single figures.

From here on things get progressively more difficult, punters faced with a succession of well-filled handicaps.

It’s 9-2 the field in the fifth with Golden Chance and Dame Kelly topping the boards but there is a lot to like about the chances of the lightly raced Elegant Royal who ran a cracking race behind course specialist High Altar last time out when trying to make all the running. With racing on the outside track, her 13 draw should not affect her chances and 11-1 look fair odds.

Petra was a little disappointing in the KRA Guineas when down the field behind Santa Clara after showing signs that she was back to the promise that she showed earlier in her career. Back in weaker company she can notch a long overdue second win in the sixth.

But it will not be easy, Sunshine Mint is lightly raced and comes off some useful Cape form while Ancient Spirit trialled well and sure to be a factor here.

Ruling the ante-post market is Procrastination who was a recent Durbanville maiden winner when landing short odds but 9-2 does not inspire much confidence about the favourite.

To take a bet go to www.tabgold.co.za or www.trackandball.co.za

By Andrew Harrison

Mike de Kock confirmed on Saturday after the Daily News 2000 that it was his intention to run Hawwaam in the Vodacom Durban July so the colt was still among the 32 horses left at the second declaration stage yesterday.

Also issued by Gold Circle yesterday was the final Vodacom Durban July log headed by last year’s winner Do It Again, ahead of Rainbow Bridge and Hawwaam.

Under the radar at this stage is Legal Eagle, who made his one and only appearance in KZN in the 2015 Vodacom Durban July.

One high profile casualty from the original log is Oh Susanna, Justin Snaith rather aiming her at the Gr3 Tibouchina Stakes this coming Saturday and then either the Gr1 Garden Province Stakes on July day or the Gr2 Gold Bracelet at the end of July.

Also out is Gr1 Cape Derby winner Atyaab who suffered a nose bleed in the Daily News on Saturday.

Eyes Wide Open, showing a welcome return to form, jumped from borderline to 10 on the log after his victory in the World Sports Betting 1900.

The log is only a guide to what the selection panel is thinking and there may still be changes given this Saturday’s Rising Sun meeting that has a host of borderline cases. However, the log reflects very much what the panel is thinking and barring any further withdrawals the field is close to settled.

The Gr1 R3.5 million Vodacom Durban July will be run over 2200m at Greyville on Saturday, July 6.

By Andrew Harrison