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

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

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

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

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

By Michael Clower

Featured Image: African Night Sky (Michael Price)

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

Undercover Agent (Candiese Marnewick)

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

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

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

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

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

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

By David Thiselton

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

Muzi Yeni

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

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

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

By David Thiselton

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

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

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

Aldo Domeyer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Michael Clower

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

African Night Sky (Candiese Marnewick)

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

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

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

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

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

The weights will be announced on Tuesday, June 19.

By Andrew Harrison

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

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

Roy Had Enough (Candiese Marnewick)

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

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

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

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

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

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

By David Thiselton

The Grade 3 Jubilee Handicap is traditionally an important Vodacom Durban July qualifying race and this year is no different with a number of horses trying to impress the final field selection panellists.

Social Order, who has come into his own with blinkers, stayed on strongly for a 1,75 length third in the Colorado King Stakes over 2000m and that form looks excellent now as he was running at level weights with the winner, Coral Fever, who went on to win the Grade 1 Premier’s Champions Challenge. S’Manga Khumalo rides from a draw of eight and the Count Dubois gelding should be finishing strongly.

Social Order (Candiese Marnewick)

The big Irish-bred filly Cascapedia is unbeaten in four starts over this course and distance and has a plum draw of two. However, she is well up on the July log and connections will likely be viewing this as a July preparation run. Deo Juvente ran a good race in the Champions Challenge considering it was his second run after his well below par Cape Town campaign. From a good draw in his peak run over an ideal trip he could be a big runner, especially as he is unsighted on the July log. Glider Pilot is another one who will need to impress the July panellists.

This long-striding sort is ideally course and distance suited and usually relaxes well in the running so has a chance of overcoming a wide draw. Tilbury Fort is unbeaten in two starts since gelding. He has never won beyond a mile but did finish second last year in the Greyville 1900 so he must have a shout here under Lyle Hewitson despite being raised three points for his last run. Elevated, fourth in the Grade 1 Cape Guinea of 2016, went close in his second and third starts for Mike de Kock but was then rested for six months. He comes in off one outing over a too sharp 1200m and with a light weight could make his presence felt if close to his best.

Wind Chill is a small filly who was a two length fourth in the Colorado King Stakes so she should finish close to Social Order on paper. She has a good draw. Fort Ember finished second in the Summer Cup and second in the Colorado King Stakes so loves this galloping track. In the Champions Challenge she did not have the speed to overcome a wide draw in a fast run race and she was then unlucky in the WSB 1900 at Greyville. The blinkers are on and this is probably in order to help her get to the front from another wide draw. If she is able to get the lead she has a shout. Yakeen has won three out of five starts and should appreciate the step up in trip so can’t be ignored. Tandava is a versatile type capable of a strong finish so has to be considered.

By David Thiselton

There are many pundits who subscribe to the theory of ‘second run after a lay-off’ and will be wary of Snowdance’s chances in the Gr1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge.

The filly takes on males in tomorrow’s Gr1 contest at Greyville and she comes off a bruising battle with Fiorella in the Gr2 Daisy Fillies Guineas, her first run after winning the Klawervlei Majorca Stakes back in January.

It was no doubt not the ideal return to racing, finishing second notwithstanding. Justin Snaith would have preferred a more gentle return to the track but Snowdance hooked up with a rival who was just that much fitter and it was a seriously testing final furlong.

Captain America

That race was a month ago, so there has been time for a little R&R, but Snowdance takes on some seriously good male milers headed by Captain America and this race will be no ‘gimme’.

Captain America will be defending his crown and is as game as they come. His last win came in this race last year but his recent form is impeccable and the break since finishing two lengths back to Oh Susanna in the Sun Met should not be a factor as he has shown that he races fresh.

Crawford said earlier in the week, “He is fine. He had a little problem when arriving in Durban, which is why he has not run yet, but we have done the best we can to have him race fit. Ideally it would have been nice to have had a run but he looks well, his work has been good and he runs well fresh.”

A ’mile’ is his optimum trip and he is a length inferior to Legal Eagle who is unbeaten over the distance. With that in mind, Snowdance will have her work cut out.

Brett Crawford holds a strong hand with Sail South and Undercover Agent also entered. There is very little between Sail South and Captain America over a mile and Sail South has had the benefit of a recent outing when three lengths back to Perovskia in the Drill Hall Stakes which could possibly give him the edge. Bernard Fayde’Herbe has committed to Sail South for the season so little can be read into the riding arrangements here but stable rider Corne Orffer will have had a choice between Undercover Agent and Captain America. Undercover Agent went down narrowly to Perovskia in the Drill Hall and this will be his third run after a break so should be at his very peak.

“He is drawn well is in great form and I expect another honest run. He beat most of the opposition here in the Drill Hall so it will be interesting to see how he goes against them over a mile,” said Crawford.

Captain America is the stable darling, so that may have swayed Orffer in his choice and apprentice Lyle Hewitson picks up the ride on Undercover Agent. Hewitson has had a phenomenal season and is way clean on the National Jockey’s table. A win would add more lustre to his feat and he will fancy his chances here.

Perovskia (Candiese Marnewick)

Gold Standard and Roy Had Enough are both Vodacom Durban July entries and with a number of runners that were included in the last July log having defected for one reason or another, both have good chances of making the final field although a forward showing would not do their cause any harm.

The Gr3 Cup Trial is traditionally the last chance saloon for July hopefuls and tomorrow’s event is no different. African Night Sky, after his unlucky second to stable companion Star Express last time out, is an obvious choice and a certainty to make the VDJ field. Given that he is among the top weights in the Trial, victory should not earn him much of a penalty with the July weights due out on Tuesday, June 19.

Perovskia surprised many when willing the Drill Halls Stakes beating hot favourite Undercover Agent and with that win cemented his place in the VDJ field. He will much prefer tomorrow’s 1800m trip and like African Night Sky would not face a huge penalty for victory.

Those on the outside looking in to VDJ selection but with realistic chances of making the field with a win include Head Honcho, Platinum Prince, Wild Wicket, Mambo Mime and the filly Roy’s Riviera.

Platinum Prince, second in the King’s Cup and fourth in the WSB 1900 is a borderline case. Expect a massive run from the Snaith entry and a must for all exotic bets. Head Honcho is unbeaten since being sent over ground and beat Pack Leader, many a pundits July fancy, in the Sledgehammer. Mambo Mime will need a forward showing but Kegan de Melo has defected to Head Honcho which may be telling. Wild Wicket and Crowd Pleaser would need to win while Roy’s Riviera has not been far back in hotly contested fillies features and with 52kg on her back, could surprise.

By Andrew Harrison

Clouds Unfold can become the first filly to win the Cape Of Good Hope Nursery at Kenilworth tomorrow since Empress Crown ten years ago.

Candice Bass-Robinson, whose father trained Empress Crown, won this with Dutch Philip 12 months ago and has an abundance of two-year-old talent to choose from. Aldo Domeyer’s mount was immensely impressive when beating two previous winners in a juvenile plate over a furlong less here eight weeks ago.

Justin Snaith

The selection had drifted slightly to 22-10 by yesterday morning whereas Arabian Air remained firm at 19-10 with World Sports Betting and this is a good race for favourites who have been successful in four of the last seven runnings.

Donovan Dillon’s mount can be excused last time’s below par effort over a furlong further as he was patently not himself after breaking through the pens and then not striding out freely. He finished behind stable companion Carnage with Lucky Dancer (backed from 10-1 to 7-1 here) only fifth but looks the biggest threat.  Carnage’s talented rider cannot claim his allowance so the 5-1 chance is effectively carrying 4kg overweight.

Watch Me Dad, who has already been backed from 10-1 to 17-2, won his maiden as if he could have found a bit more and Ronnie Sheehan was successful with Captain Chaos three years ago.

Justin Snaith, who last won this with Sergeant Hardy in 2016, relies on 10-1 chance Seventh Sea who took seven attempts to win a maiden but is almost certainly better than that would suggest. However Mr Crumford looks a more likely contender at 8-1. He was caught on the wrong side of the course when running below expectations in the Somerset, some four lengths behind Arabian Air.

Sailor Sam is friendless at 28-1. He is much better than his last place in the Somerset would suggest but, even so, it’s hard to see him winning.

The Bass-Robinson stable and Aldo Domeyer also won the Kenilworth Fillies Nursery 12 months ago – with future star Magical Wonderland – and they can repeat the performance with Nous Voila who is favourite at 11-10. She went close in the Perfect Promise and had 16-1 shot Coral Bay four lengths back.

It is significant that the Snaiths, who have won two of the last three runnings, have chosen this Listed race to introduce Juniper Spring, a Captain Al filly out of the 2006 winner Spring Lilac, a half-sister to Bela-Bela, Rabiya and Secret Of Victoria. “She has a lot of class and we rate her very highly,” said Jono Snaith yesterday. “But it’s a big ask first time up and we would be happy to see her get some black type.”

Juniper Spring is a 4-1 chance and Mixed Signals has been backed from 6-1 to 9-2. Carioca (17-2) was conceding weight all round in the Perfect Promise but the main danger could be the selection’s 33-10 stable companion Santa Clara.

Hopefully the forecast rain won’t wreck the racing and in the first Frank Lloyd Wright may get the better of the luckless Frozen Tune.

By Michael Clower

Featured Image: Candice Bass-Robinson (hamishnivenphotography)