Richard Fourie, who kicked off July day with a Justin Snaith winner, can score for the stable on Snowdance’s full sister Juniper Spring in the Racing.It’s A Rush Maiden Juvenile Fillies at Kenilworth today.

This Captain Al filly was considered good enough to make her debut in last month’s Fillies Nursery (Jonathan Snaith said then: “She has a lot of class and we rate her very highly”) and she ran a creditable fifth of six to some really smart fillies.

She has far less on her plate here and, although the bookies are not giving much away at 13-20, she is bound to have come on from that first outing and she looks a banker.

Richard Fourie

Fourie also rides leading fancy Lanza in the opening Maiden Juvenile. The Glen Kotzen-trained colt was 28-10 joint favourite with World Sports Betting yesterday and is much better than last time’s second to shock winner Quarllo would suggest – the ground was so atrocious that racing was abandoned after only two races.

But marginal preference is for Bernard Fayd’Herbe’s mount Cash Call even though he has not raced since Met day.  He was seventh in the Listed race and had Lanza nearly four lengths behind. Little wonder that he has already been nibbled at from 3-1 to 28-10.

Some of those with more recent form also have claims, notably the Brett Crawford runner Hudoo Magic (17-2) and Dean Kannemeyer’s 11-1 shot Larry Jack. The draw could play a part here because at the Kenilworth meeting last Wednesday penetrometer readings for the straight showed the going to be seven per cent faster on the inside than either the middle or the outside.

Fayd’Herbe can also win races three and four. He rides Suite Francaise for Andre Nel in the TAB Telebet Maiden and the 16-10 favourite stands out after her half-length second to Ikebana over this course and distance three weeks ago. She is well drawn and should prove too good for Flower Of Carmel (9-2) and Fourie’s mount Courtisan (11-2).

Photcopy keeps running well and reverts to sprinting in the Tabonline.co.za Maiden but the 16-10 favourite has been frustrating to follow and the Justin Snaith-trained Captain Of Tortuga is preferred at 22-10. Fayd’Herbe’s mount made a whopping R4.5 million at last year’s Cape Thoroughbred Convention Centre Sale and, while no match for the classy Clouded Hill last month, he proved too good for everything else.

The Michael Robinson-trained Blue Roller has finished second in all three starts and can justify 11-10 favouritism in the Betting World Maiden even though his wide draw is a cause for concern.

By Michael Clower

Justin Snaith’s response to learning he had delivered the most dominant finish by a trainer in Vodacom Durban July history was to say “That is incredible, there is no history like the July.”

Terrance Millard did the 1-2-3 in both 1986 and 1990, although in the latter race one of his horses dead-heated for third. However, Snaith went one better by doing the 1-2-3 and fifth place. He did have five runners in the race, while Millard only had three runners on each of those two occasions. However, Snaith’s winner Do It Again was 6,75 lengths clear of the first non-Snaith-trained horse home while Millard’s winners in those two years, Occult and Illustrador, were respectively 1,85 lengths and 3,3 lengths clear of the first non-Millard-trained horse home.

Some will argue Millard’s horses faced much stronger fields and they would probably be correct as this year’s race did not have a vintage field. However, the winner might turn out to be something special. Snaith was forced to ride him work last Wednesday as there was a groom’s strike on and he phoned Anton Marcus immediately afterwards excited about the horse’s prospects.

VDJ winners (Candiese Marnewick)

Snaith said, “I have sat on a lot of champions in Australia and South Africa and the feel he gave me was as good as any horse I have ever sat on. His movement and the whole package he has, there is a lot of potential. I have to thank Malan Du Toit too because he put in a lot of work at the starting stalls with him.”

Do It Again had in fact been a real handful upon arriving at the yard.

Snaith said, “He was a very naughty horse. If ever there was a horse you would have wanted to have gone to war with it was him. You just had to point him in the right direction and he would have run through a wall. He has always been a very strong-minded horse. The first time we wanted to take him to the gallops we couldn’t get him on the float.”

Not surprisingly he was gelded about two-and-a-half months before his debut on July 27 last year. Snaith explained, “Gelding gets them to focus more. But a year of effort has been put in to get him to have full trust in humans. He is now comfortable around humans. Even in the lead-in on Saturday people were able to touch him. A year ago if that had happened he would have lashed out. His groom Isaac Mwelafse has learnt a lot about horsemanship over the last year. He has done a very good job looking after him and also looks after my polo ponies.”

Do It Again won his first two starts over 1200m and 1600m respectively and then ran a close third in the Selangor Cup over 1600m at Kenilworth. He disappointed when unplaced in the Grade 1 Cape Guineas. However, Snaith earmarked him for the July after he had produced a flying finish to run second in the Grade 1 Cape Derby.

In KZN he won the Grade 2 KRA Guineas in his first start and Snaith pointed out that not having the best horses competing there, like Eyes Wide Open, had meant he escaped punishment by the handicapper and helped his July chances. However, he added, “The way he won on Saturday it would not have made a difference anyway.”

Snaith said he was not an easy horse to get to right and he had been a bit flat for the Daily News but had then turned the corner.

The Northfields Stud-bred Do It Again is owned by Nick Jonsson, Bernard Kantor and Jack Mitchell.

He is by Twice Over and hails from a strong female line. His dam Sweet Virginia is a three-time Grade 3 winner and did the Winter Classic and Winter Derby double, beating the boys. Do It Again is a half-brother to Listed winner Strongman, who also did well in Hong Kong, and is from the family of stakes winners of the like of Grade 1 winners Smart As Paint, Mill Hill and Dancewiththedevil.

He was a strapping individual at the National Yearling Sales of 2016. Nick Jonsson made him his pick of the sale, but bloodstock agent John Freeman had also selected him in unison with Jack Mitchell. Bernard Kantor was also interested as a shareholder in Klawervlei Stud where Twice Over stands. Jonathon Snaith approached the trio of investors and suggest they try and secure him together instead of bidding against each other. All were agreeable to the partnership, but they still had to go to R1,1 million to secure him.

Snaith said everything had gone “like clockwork” for all five of his horses going into the July. The only disappointment on the day was the favourite African Night Sky and Snaith had to confess his team were not impressed by the ride he was given. It had definitely not been the plan to come around horses at the 800m mark and take the lead. Grant van Niekerk had battled to hold the horse behind the pedestrian pace but Snaith believed he should rather have taken a stronger hold than come around them as the horse had been in a perfect position. However, he did admit African Night Sky’s move had inadvertently helped Do It Again as Marcus was able to get on to the train provided by both him and Matador Man.

Snaith said all of the horses had so far appeared to have pulled up well, but it was too early to tell for sure. It was also too early to speak about their futures.

He was also frustrated by cut off for the nominations for Gold Cup day being 11 a.m yesterday, before the new merit ratings for his July day horses had come out. He felt Made To Conquer was a perfect horse for the Gold Cup but would not want to run him with too much weight and he was thus going to have to estimate his new merit rating.  Snaith concluded by saying he hoped Ben Jonsson had been watching from a high with a smile and a sip of champagne as his son led in the winner.

By David Thiselton

It is the dream of every owner in South Africa to win the Vodacom Durban July and on Saturday Durban businessman Nick Jonsson described the moment his two Justin Snaith-trained geldings Do It Again and Made To Conquer powered clear in the straight as “almost surreal.”

Prolific owner Bernard Kantor, whose colours were carried to victory by Do It Again, was still lyrical hours after the running and said, “What an experience!” Jack Mitchell is the third part-owner. It was his second July win, having done it with Legislate in 2014.

Jonsson became the first owner since Luke Bailes in 1990 to run one-two in the big race.

Bailes and Jonsson are close friends, just one irony in a day filled with drama.

Made To Conquer (Candiese Marnewick)

Bailes feat was achieved with the Terrance Millard-trained pair Illustrador and Olympic Duel in 1990, which was also the second time Millard had done the July trifecta. However, Justin Snaith now holds the record for the most dominant July performance as he trained the first three on Saturday and was just half-a-length away from doing the quartet as favourite African Night Sky faded late into fifth place.

Jonsson believed he had the two best jockeys in the race, Anton Marcus and Jeff Lloyd, and felt the key to victory was that they had ridden their races exactly as discussed.

Marcus became the first to ride five July winners. He had been stuck on four together with Harold “Tiger” Wright, since Hunting Tower’s victory in 2007. Anthony Delpech, currently recuperating from a serious injury, joined that pair on four wins with back-to-back victories in 2010 and 2011.

Marcus settled Do It Again near the back from a wide draw, while Lloyd took the ultra-relaxed type Made To Conquer forward from a draw of eleven. Lloyd settled Made To Conquer on the flank of the initial pacemaker White River, who had boiled over during the lengthy fifteen minute delay at the start and was over-racing.

Marcus remained patient behind a pedestrian pace. However, Grant van Niekerk appeared to be battling to hold African Night Sky and from a well-nigh perfect position in midfield eventually allowed him to circle the field and take the lead. This horse’s best asset, his turn of foot from off the pace, had now been negated. Made To Conquer, still beautifully relaxed, had by this stage found the rail in front. However, African Night Sky’s surprise move then provided him with the perfect tow into the straight. Everything was unfolding perfectly for “The Guv”, Jeff Lloyd, the 56-year-old six-times South African Champion Jockey who had flown out from Australia to make likely a last attempt at breaking his July duck.

However, Marcus was also having a fine trip, largely due to his brilliance as a big race rider. He got on to the back of the train provided by African Night Sky and Matador Man and was given a tow up the hill. 2013 July-winning jockey S’Manga Khumalo had kept Matador Man out wide in the back straight despite the latter’s usual slow start. However, the usual rush for the first turn never materialised and Khumalo suddenly found himself trapped wide on a fighting horse and his chances were gone.

Lloyd, knowing Made To Conquer stays further, sent his mount for home while still turning into the straight. However, Do It Again was by now just three lengths behind and still looking full of running.

Kantor was watching in a box at the 200m mark and at this point nudged the top South African Singapore-based trainer, Pat Shaw, standing next to him, and said, “Let’s go.” He was so confident of victory he knew he could make his way to the winner’s enclosure.

Indeed, Do It Again then fulfilled a statement Justin Snaith had apparently made to a racing enthusiast earlier in the week, “I don’t train horses, I train machines.” He passed the line 1,25 lengths clear. Third-placed Elusive Silva was beaten 5,50 lengths, 1,25 lengths ahead of fourth-placed Majestic Mambo.

It was Justin Snaith’s third July win.

Jeff Lloyd (Candiese Marnewick)

It was a best ever July finish for Lloyd, who had finished third eight times.

Even as Jonsson celebrated his momentous achievement with close friends in a second floor box his eyes were filled with sadness. He had thought of his late father Ben “all the time” during the emotion charged day. “Benji”, much loved and appreciated by the entire racing community for his friendly demeanour and the passion he had poured into his administrative roles in the sport, passed away in February this year having never realised his dream in 50 years of ownership of having a runner in the July.

A KZN owner had not won the July since Raymond Deacon and Glen Mitchell did it in 2009 as part-owners of Big City Life and one has to go back to 1994’s winner Space Walk to find the previous KZN-based owners.

Pat Shaw celebrated in the box with Kantor. He has trained for Kantor in both South Africa and Singapore for thirty years. Also in the box were Sean McCarthy and family. The latter part-owned the 1993 winner Dancing Duel, who had provided Luke Bailes with a third July winner.

Kantor was out from London for a meeting between Phumelela and horseracing owners and praised Gold Circle for “the incredible job they do with the July.”

The Investec kingpin has witnessed the emotions of Epsom Derby-winning owners and said winning the July was just about as good. The Derby is regarded as the premier horse race in the world and is now sponsored by Investec.

Indeed, the roar which ascended above Greyville when the horses jumped probably outdid the Cheltenham Festival’s world famous roar and on course the top Australian racing journalist Steve Moran described the July as world racing’s “best kept secret.”

Jonsson drew the short straw when deciding whether his or Kantor’s colours would be carried by Do It Again, so it will the familiar yellow with royal blue epaulettes which will become the latest new set of silks to make it on to the July victory wall in Greyville’s Classic room.

By David Thiselton

Snowdance, well-nigh invincible in Cape Town, has now been beaten in all three of her Durban starts. As in the Fillies Guineas and the Gold Challenge, she wasn’t beaten far in the Jonsson Workwear Garden Province and the odds-on shot looked all over the winner well inside the final furlong only to be pipped on the post.

Snowdance

“She is not the same horse here, she hasn’t settled in Durban and she hates it under the lights,” declared Justin Snaith but the Lammerskraal owner-bred Redberry Lane carried rather more stable confidence than her 22-1 price might suggest. “We came here upbeat about her chances,” said Sean Tarry and the way Lyle Hewitson kept driving was a sure indication of his belief that victory was well within the realms of possibility.

Jeff Lloyd flies back to Australia today to bring down the curtain on his great career and there was a huge cheer when he rode into the winner’s box for the final time in South Africa after landing the KZN Yearling Sale Million on Givinitsum.

This was the most valuable victory of Candice Dawson’s two and a half years as a trainer and for good measure she followed up with the Nooresh Juglall-ridden Infamous Fox in the finale.

By Michael Clower

It was on last Wednesday’s strike-ridden morning at Summerveld that Justin Snaith realised that Do It Again could be the pick of his five runners in the Vodacom Durban July.

“I rode 12 horses that day but he was the only one of the July five that I actually rode work on. When you ride them yourself you really get a feel and I just knew,” he related. “I thought he was really impressive and I immediately rang my brother Jonathan to tell him. Do It Again is not an easy horse to get right but we were able to do so on the right day this time.

“It was our race to lose on Saturday and the slow early pace didn’t matter to Do It Again. He is on the up and he has been showing signs of becoming a top horse. As regards the future, we will talk to the owners and then decide.”

Do It Again (Candiese Marnewick)

The 9-1 chance was Snaith’s third July winner – Dancer’s Daughter dead-heated with Pocket Power ten years ago and in 2014 Legislate got the race in the boardroom – but this time he also sent out the second, third and fifth. It was a record-breaking fifth July win for Anton Marcus who made light of his considerable achievement, preferring to give credit to the Northfields-bred son of Twice Over, saying: “Records are pictures on walls but this horse has got a very bright future ahead of him.”

There is a brass plaque in the pagoda in the Greyville parade ring inscribed in the memory of ‘Benjamin Jonsson, 24 July 1929- 15 February 2018 – a life dedicated to horseracing.’ This polite, distinguished-looking man would have been proud of the horse who is owned by his son Nick in partnership with Jack Mitchell and Bernard Kantor. The last-named was understandably thrilled, declaring: “Winning this race means everything. Forget about the Derby, this is home turf and there is only one July.”

For Grant van Niekerk, though, the race turned into a living nightmare. African Night Sky, for so long the obvious winner, hated being restrained and fought for his head. “I was hoping the pace would hot up but they just went slower and slower,” the favourite’s rider reported. “I thought that if I went on he would settle but he is a horse who comes from behind.”

Many of those who tore up their betting slips went home convinced that those rumours last week that the horse had suffered a setback must have been true after all. Indeed they were staggered to see the favourite’s Tote odds rise to a scarcely credible 6-1 just five minutes before the off. But Snaith, the one man in a position to know, dismissed all such suggestions, saying: “He was 100%. If there had been anything wrong with him he wouldn’t have run fifth. It was just that he over-raced.”

Others were more worried about Abashiri. The Triple Crown winner was pulled up before the line and was loaded into a horsebox, very obviously lame on his left fore. I saw some racegoers turn away in tears, clearly expecting to hear the fatal crack of the humane killer.

But, thankfully, Adam Azzie was able to report a couple of hours later: “He did a suspensory but he is going to be alright and in a couple of months we will decide whether he races again or is retired.”

The race itself, or rather the start, made a little bit of history because it was the first July in more than 30 years for which the stalls were opened manually. Repeated attempts to find the cause of the electrical failure in certain sections resulted in a 13-minute delay and saw the starter pulling a lever to open the gates rather than pressing a button.

By Michael Clower

The Triple Crown hero Abashiri damaged a suspensory ligament in Saturday’s Vodacom Durban July and was pulled out of the race in the straight by jockey Piere Strydom.

Abashiri

It is the end of the star gelding’s racing career.

The good-looking chestnut will spend a week in hospital and will then enjoy a likely pampered retirement being looked after by his trainer Mike Azzie and family.

He won six races in 19 starts and earned R4,289,250 in stakes.

He is by the Lammerskraal Stud sire Go Deputy and was also bred by Lammerskraal.

He was purchased for R400,000 at the 2014 National Yearling Sales.

Gold Circle’s Tote turnover for Saturday’s event was 7% down on last year but they were nevertheless pleased as it had come on the back of two increases in turnover in the previous two years and the July was also competing this year with two World Cup football quarter-final matches.

By David Thiselton

The Vodacom Durban July as I saw it: Anton Marcus

“Down at the start, when it was delayed, one or two of the other horses were getting a bit warm but Do It Again was nice and relaxed.

“I didn’t have a game plan as such going into the race but I was concerned that it was going to be devoid of pace and I was towards the rear early on. However, when African Night Sky started over-racing everything just fell into place. I had a trouble-free passage and a trouble-free run in transit, and this probably made the difference to the horse. I was able to keep him balanced and keep him in a rhythm, and for me that was the most important thing. Indeed on this course it was paramount and it meant I was able to keep him out of trouble.

“Going into the final turn I wanted to get him mobile so I started riding. I thought he would take a while to unwind – I knew he wasn’t going to come home in 22 seconds!  When I joined Made To Conquer I was slightly concerned because he is a fighter but when we passed him I knew we had put it to bed.”

By Michael Clower

They went in fully loaded with a team of five and emerged the victors in the annual racing spectacle at Greyville in Durban where they filled the first three places in the R4.25-million Vodacom Durban July.

It was mission accomplished for the powerful and very popular Justin Snaith racing team from the Cape that planned it’s July racing season in KwaZulu-Natal around Africa’s greatest racing event where jockey Anton Marcus partnered the three-year-old Twice Over gelding Do It Again that led the Snaith attack across the line ahead of Made To Conquer and Elusive Silva with race favourite African Night Sky filling fifth place.

It was a result reminiscent of the halcyon days of Terrance Millard who twice saddled the July trifecta back in the 1980’s. It was a result that confirmed the strength of the Snaith stable with Justin confirming his status as South African champion trainer elect for the current season.

Do It Again (Candiese Marnewick)

It was also a result that thwarted veteran jockey Jeff Lloyd from finally adding the famous race to his portfolio. Lloyd had travelled back to South Africa from his new home in Australia for a final bid to win the race which had eluded him all his riding career. Lloyd has indicated he could be retiring at the end of the year.

But “The Guv” gave everything he had on the Dynasty gelding Made To Conquer and almost pulled it off until Marcus brought Do It Again down the outside of the field with a sustained finishing burst to snatch the glory. Speaking after the race Marcus said he had a trouble-free run throughout and saw the favourite African Night Sky “over racing” at the head of the field which gave him confidence. Lloyd had Made To Conquer right up with the pace and the four-year-old kept going strongly to the line.

For former Highveld Triple Crown winner Abashiri, however, it could be the end of the road. He was pulled out of the race early in the home straight by jockey Piere Strydom after the five-year-old suffered a near-fore tendon injury.

The July result was an outstanding performance for the Snaith stable but the day was not without its disappointments. Their boom filly Snowdance that had been touted by the yard as virtually unbeatable in the Grade 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes, was beaten a whisker on the line, ironically by the Western Winter filly Redberry Lane from the stable of outgoing champion trainer Sean Tarry ridden by champion jockey elect, apprentice Lyle Hewitson.

The beautiful daughter of Captain Al suffered her third defeat since arriving in KwaZulu-Natal but was not disgraced and will undoubtedly prove she is the star they believe her to be in the future.

The disappointment will have slightly dampened the euphoria of the Vodacom Durban July success but they will be pleased with the quality of their racing stock and will be looking for the festival of racing on eLAN Gold Cup Day at Greyville at the end of the month.

Earlier in the day, jockey Keagan de Melo got the Querari gelding Head Honcho from the Andre Nel stable first across the line in the Grade 3 Betting World 2200, the race that traditionally hosts many runners that were not included in the premier event. The fancied Captain Al colt Crowd Pleaser had set the pace with Head Honcho in close attendance but in the final battle to the line Head Honcho just got the result.

The five-year-old Dynasty gelding It’s My Turn completed the stayers double when he stormed home under Anton Marcus to win the Grade 3 Dstv Gold Vase over 3 000m with Marcus saying afterwards that his only concern before the race was that there would not be a good pace and it would not be a true test of stamina.

Trainer Dean Kannemeyer said the five-year-old had a “touch of class” about him and had won very well.

The two Grade 2 juvenile races, the Samsung Golden Slipper for fillies and the Durban Golden Horseshoe were both won by fancied runners, the Slipper by the Sean Tarry-trained daughter of Captain Al, Celtic Sea, and the Horseshoe by the Gimmethegreenlight colt Barahin from the Mike de Kock yard.

Barahin, bred by the South African Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein operation just got the better of his more fancied stable companion Soqrat that was bred in Australia. They are both owned by Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid al Maktoum and were described by De Kock as “two very good horses”. As young horses with great potential, they have bright futures and could well be sent to campaign overseas at the end of this season.

With bright sunshine and a massive crowd, Vodacom Durban July Day 2018 proved another major success with the betting turnovers on major bets reaching expected levels in spite of the current quieter economic conditions.

By Richard McMillan

The July in Jozi meeting at the Turffontein Standside track is an exciting one to attend and starts off with some good class juvenile events over 1400m.

In the first of them Green Haze could upset two more high profile horses in Bold Eagle and Cirillo.

Bold Eagle (JC Photographics)

Green Haze was stepped up to this 1400m trip last time in the Listed Gatecrasher Stakes at Greyville. He took a while to get going in the straight but at the finish was running on in eyecatching style for a 3,25 length second to the exciting R2,6 million Gimmethegreenlight colt Barahin, who is the second favourite for the Grade 2 Golden Horseshoe over this trip at Greyville. Green Haze runs at level weights with Cirillo and receives 4kg from Bold Eagle. He has a tricky draw of six in the seven horse field but can be dropped out before staying on.

Bold Eagle can be forgiven his last disappointing 1,7 length fourth in the SA Nursery when starting 16/10 favourite. He missed his intended next start, the Grade 1 Gold Medallion, so there was clearly something amiss. He is laid back type who possesses a good turn of foot and he is bred to go this trip and more so can bounce back from a fair draw. Cirillo beat Bold Eagle in the Nursery but before that was beaten by him over 1100m despite receiving 5kg. He beat a maiden field easily last time over 1160m and the form has been franked. He should enjoy this trip being by Pomodoro. It looks to lie between those three and should be an exciting tussle.

In the next race the exciting Return Flight takes on some good fillies and has to give them all 2kg. She has put a combined margin of 19,5 lengths between herself and the opposition in her last two starts and has done it pretty effortlessly. She is a front-running sort so has an ideal pole position draw for her style and she can make it a hattrick. Railtrip has caught the eye as a progressive sort and she was extending when thrashing them by 4.5 lengths in a maiden when stepped up to this 1400m last time. She has plenty of scope for improvement and looks to be a lively threat. Dagmar can also make her presence felt, having run a good fifth in the Grade 1 Allan Robertson last time. She has pace but should stay this trip on pedigree so in the fast conditions could attempt to run then off their feet. Saints Alive won easily last time in the maidens and could earn. La Lucia won well on debut and is another contender, although she has a tough draw. Storm Destiny can’t be ignored either after a good win on debut.

Johannesburg fans could be cheering after the big one as Majestic Mambo is topped to use his electric turn of foot from behind and mow them down. Do It Again was a bit flat last time out in the Daily News and looks the main danger. African Night Sky is well weighted on his Met run and has enjoyed a fine preparation. White River has improved with gelding, especially temperamentally and should be right there. Made To Conquer is a laid back classy type who has more to come and has Greyville expert Jeff Lloyd up, Dark Moon Rising is tipped to also fill one of the first six places and Matador man and Coral Fever should be included in the wider exotic plays.

It should be a fun filled day so make your way to Turffontein.

By David Thiselton

It’s been seven years since last a three-year-old filly won the Vodacom Durban July and only two have been victorious this century. Both Igugu in 2011 and Ipi Tombe in 2002 were trained by Mike de Kock and went on to race successfully on the international stage, an indication of their class. Prior to that the last sophomore filly to win was Migraine in 1957. So the Duncan Howells-trained Fiorella has a lot of history against her when she lines up at Greyville tomorrow.

In her favour is that she is backed by solid form in a field that offers opportunity. A glance at bookmaker’s prices sees an 18-horse field sandwiched between 26-10 and 40-1 which gives an indication that this is anyone’s race.

Fiorella has had a perfect build-up and has been the surprise package in Champions Season. She started her run with a close-up fourth in the SA Fillies Classic at Turffontein and Howells is on record saying that she was not at her peak that day and still had improvement in her.

Fiorella (Candiese Marewick)

That assessment proved to be on the mark when she up-staged hot favourite Snowdance in the Gr2 Daisy Fillies Guineas. There were excuses for Snowdance that day but she followed up with an arguably unlucky second in the Gr1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge which franked Fiorella’s Fillies Guineas form.

Next up for Fiorella was the Gr1 Woolavington 2000 where Gr1 Sun Met winner Oh Susanna was all the rage. Oh Susanna was the first three-year-old filly to win the Met in over a century and was expected to doddle the race.

With a furlong to run, Fiorella had her under serious pressure and the line came just in time for the Met winner.  Behind Oh Susanna in the Met was tomorrow’s ruling ante-post favourite African Night Sky and although Fiorella will only be getting 4kg as opposed to the 8kg Oh Susanna was receiving in the Met, it is five months down the line.

This will be Fiorella’s first venture into open company but if Oh Susanna’s Met form holds any water then she must rate as a big runner.

“She is fit and well and has improved with every run,” said Howells and Mark Khan was suitable impressed after her Greyville gallop last week. “She gave me a really good feel. I think she will have a big chance,” was his opinion.

African Night Sky, winner of all three legs of the Cape Winter series last season, will be attempting to emulate the mighty Pocket Power who also landed the winter Triple Crown before going on to win the July the following season.

Justin Snaith’s runner has always been near the top of the boards since betting opened for tomorrow’s race but it was his smashing performance in the Cup Trial that catapulted African Night Sky clear in the market.

Pace, or the lack of it, plays a major role in any race, horse or otherwise, and without any recognised front runners in the line-up there could be a fair bit of congestion in the early exchanges and a rough race is on the cards where luck in running could play a major part and horses who like to come from behind off a strong pace will be disadvantaged.

African Night Sky is a runner that does his best when allowed to bide his time but can turn up the wick in an instant. However, if the field hits the home stretch tripping over each other, big race rider Grant van Niekerk will need to read what is in front of him and be wide awake to any gap.

Majestic Mambo (JC Photographics)

He got it wrong in the Pinnacle Stakes where he was caught in traffic and just failed to catch stable companion Star Express. That was a costly mistake as Snaith was then forced to run the gelding in the Cup Trial to make sure of his July participation. The Cup Trial proved to be little more than a walk in the park as African Night Sky accelerated through the field to win as he liked.

It was a seriously good showing but as feared, it earned him some extra pudding for the July. It also put paid to the chances of Crowd Pleaser and Platinum Prince making the July field as they were clearly no match on the day.

With five runners in the race, Snaith could hatch a plan and send out a hare in the form of Made To Conquer. Jeff Lloyd has been doing some work on him since arriving from Australia and said his mount felt like an out-and-out stayer, a “Gold Cup type horse”.

Made To Conquer has certainly come into his own recently and comes off a four-race winning streak, most recently getting the better of a bumping match with stable companion Strathdon in the Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m.

He has also won of 2500m in Cape Town so with a master tactician in the irons and no stamina limitations, Lloyd could have his rivals sweating come the last furlong.

Another trainer who will also be looking for a strong gallop is Paul Peter. Majestic Mambo came from the clouds when touched off by Surcharge in the Daily News 2000 and he certainly will not be suited to slow early fractions.

Given his style of racing, his wide draw should not be too much of a handicap and he does come into the race off a handy galloping weight.

One can make out a case for almost all of the runners but Fiorella has proven form in a year where the fillies have dominated and is taken to up-stage African Night Sky.

By Andrew Harrison