Sean Tarry’s coupling of Trip To Heaven and Bull Valley have been priced up at 7-2 and 4-1 respectively to win Saturday’s Grade 1 Mercury Sprint over 1200m at Greyville.

Trip To Heaven, arguably the best performer not to have a Grade 1 victory in his CV, looks a worthy favourite as he is by far the best handicapped runner, 2.5kg better weighted than stable companion Bull Valley. He has run four times at Greyville, twice over 1600m in the Grade 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge, and twice in this race. Trip To Heaven was first past the post in the 2016 Gold Challenge but was relegated to second in the boardroom for causing interference to Mac De Lago. This year he ran on well to run a 1.50-length second behind Captain America.

His two 1200m races have resulted in his finishing unplaced but according to Tarry there were excuses. “Two years he got a very poor ride and should have finished a lot closer. Last year, as far as I remember, it was a slow-run race and I was happy with the run,” said Tarry yesterday.

It was also his first run after having been gelded but, as Tarry points out, Trip To Heaven has done little wrong since he was gelded.

Trip to Heaven (JC Photographics)

He’s drawn at No 7 but that is not a concern for Tarry. “He loses ground at the start so it’s really irrelevant where he’s drawn. Obviously, the faster they go the better. We know the weights are never his problem, just the gates.

“I really believe this horse deserves a Grade 1 win.”

S’manga Khumalo takes the ride on Trip To Heaven while Karl Zechner rides Bull Valley.

Bull Valley will be looking for his second successive Grade 1 win after coming out on top in the Tsogo Sun Sprint over 1200m at Scottsville in May. “It was a big win,” said Tarry. “He was primed for that race and he stole it from a long way out.”

Third favourite at 6-1 is Search Party, who finished a 1.50-length second to Bull Valley at Scottsville and then won the Post Merchants over this course and distance in June. In that race he beat Talktothestars (at 9-1 along with Kangaroo Jack) by a neck but the pair will have to overcome draws No 14 and No 13 respectively.

Opening betting on the Grade 1 Mercury Sprint over 1200m at Greyville on Saturday:
7-2 Trip To Heaven; 4-1 Bull Valley; 6-1 Search Party; 9-1 Talktothestars, Kangaroo Jack; 10-1 New Predator; 11-1 Brutal Force; 12-1 Attenborough; 14-1 London Call, Sergeant Hardy; 16-1 Champagne Haze, Rivarine; 20-1 Victorious Jay, Gulf Storm

– TABNews

The weight for age Grade 1 Mercury Sprint over 1200m features all of the top sprinters in the country still in training and is a particularly exciting race as it is around the bend at Greyville and the charge for home off the false rail is a spectacle to behold.

Bull Valley showed in the Tsogo Sun Sprint he has fine cruising speed and a tremendous kick, so he is going to be hard to beat from pole position. However, interestingly, Sean Tarry’s regular stable jockey S’manga Khumalo will be aboard Trip To Heaven and is replaced by Karl Zechner on Bull Valley.

Trip To Heaven is deservedly the highest merit rated horse in the field on 120, but the question will be how much ground he will lose at the start. This horse has a phenomenal turn of foot and his run here last year can be ignored as he lost plenty of ground as usual and was then rushed up and caught wide. He is sure to be given a better ride this year. The false rail is set to be five metres , so the front runners and inside drawn horses will not have as much advantage as they had in the recent Grade 2 Post Merchants, where there was virtually no false rail at all over this same course and distance. However, with the course running fast at present it will still not be easy for Trip To Heaven to make up the leeway.

Trip to Heaven (JC Photographics)

Sergeant Hardy could be a big runner from draw two as he has good pace and can stay on and he showed his liking for Greyville last time out when caught wide and coming from a long way back for second over 1100m. New Predator showed in the IOS Drill Hall Stakes over 1400m he has some pace and his turn of foot and long-striding finish make him one of the dark horses over a trip too sharp, especially if the pace is fast.

Reigning Equus Champion Sprinter Talktothestars was dropped out last year from a wide draw and had too much ground to make up. In the recent Post merchants he was handy and stormed home for a 0,25 lengths second despite giving the winner Search Party 2kg. July-winning heavyweight jockey Bernard Fayd’Herbe will be aboard, so there will be little or no dead weight to carry, but unfortunately Talktothestars has another very wide draw to overcome so will need more luck than he had last year.

London Call has 3,15 lengths to make up on Bull Valley from the Tsogo Sun and is only 1kg better off. However, he was right up at the front in the latter race until the closing stages and he has a good kick, so from a good draw of three here he could possibly last long enough to stay in the placings. He might be the pacemaker. Kangaroo Jack showed how good he was in last year’s Post Merchants over course and distance, where his devastating turn of foot was seen at its best, and after a recent preparation he will be a contender if reproducing that Post Merchants performance. His wide draw is not a great disadvantage for one of his hold up style.

Gulf Storm showed his class in the Tsogo Sun with a 2,55 length fourth, but he is worse off with Bull Valley now and will do well to repeat his fourth place of last year from a tricky draw of eight. Victorious Jay showed pace and a good kick from a good draw when a narrow second in the Drill Hall so could be dangerous here from a fair draw of seven.

Attenborough is an enigmatic sort with a lot of talent and over his ideal trip he could earn, but on paper he is well held on Tsogo Sun form by Bull Valley, Talktothestars, Gulf Storm and London Call. Champagne Haze is a dark horse considering the fine turn of foot he showed when winning the Gr 2 Senor Santa over 1160m, but it will be tough from the widest draw of all.

Rivarine has fine pace and possesses a kick, but will need to use his low draw to good effect to be able to reverse Computaform Sprint form with Talktothestars. Search Party is 2kg worse off with Talktothestars and has the widest draw of all to overcome in the 14 horse field, which will make it tough for him to repeat his start to finish Post Merchants win where he jumped from draw six. However, he has been progressive this season and can’t be ignored.

Anton Marcus did his homework in his usual professional manner to win comfortably on Red Ray last year and now rides his full brother Brutal Force. The latter ran a good fourth in the Computaform Sprint but was then tailed off in the Tsogo Sun when reportedly being hit in the eye by something and also found to be not striding out. However, he now has to overcome a wide draw of 12 and is not quite as talented as Red Ray, who overcame draw nine last year with his early pace and then still found a strong kick.

By David Thiselton

The Conglomerate, winner of last year’s Vodacom Durban July but only 13^th this time, had an operation yesterday to remove a chip from his near-fore joint.

Joey Ramsden said: “It happened in the race and is the reason why he didn’t let down.”

However stable companion Brutal Force is reported back on song for Saturday’s Mercury Sprint after suffering a freak accident in the Tsogo Sun Sprint at Scottsville. The five-year-old started third favourite that day but trailed in a long way last and the course vet reported him to be not striding out on his right fore.

Ramsden said: “Piere Strydom told me that after 50 to 100 metres the horse got something very sharp in his eye and, when he came back to the stables that evening, this eye was closed. He also picked up an infection in it from the bit of track that hit him.

“He is back to his best now but he has a ridiculous task from his 12 draw. On the all-weather at Greyville you’ve got a chance from a wide draw but it’s very hard on the turf course. Having Anton Marcus is a big help but we are still going to need a miracle.”

Ramsden has long complained about poor draws in KZN features – two years ago Act Of War had a Durban holiday after being repeatedly scratched from wide draws – and he added: “Every year we seem to get hit with wide ones and in the Merchants I don’t think I have ever caught a decent draw.”

By Michael Clower

Krambambuli, fourth in the recent Vodacom Durban July, heads the weights for the R1,25million Grade 3 eLan Gold Cup to be run over 3200m at Greyville on Sunday, July 30.

For the first time, the Gold Cup meeting will take place over two days of the weekend July, Saturday 29 and Sunday, July 30, with the Grade 1 Champions Cup the highlight of the Saturday card and the Gold Cup plus the two final two-year-old Grade 1 races of the season, namely the Premier’s Champion Juvenile Stakes and the Grade 1 Thekwini Stakes supporting Gold Cup Sunday.

Ten Gun Salute (Nkosi Hlophe)

Vodacom Durban July winner Marinaresco and Rising Sun Gold Challenge victor Captain America head the 17 nominations for the Grade 1 Champions Cup to be run over 2000m. Marinaresco, runner up in last year’s July, made amends in the Champions Cup and will be out to defend his crown. Also nominated are Garden Province winner Bela-Bela, and July runners It’s My Turn, French Navy, Ten Gun Salute and Nightingale.

Krambambuli heads an entry of 28 runners for the Gold Cup that includes Hermoso Mundo and Captain Splendid, the pair recently involved in a tight finish to the Gr3 SABC Gold Vase.

The Grade 1 Thekwini Stakes has attracted 31 nominations including recent Grade 2 Gold Circle Golden Slipper winner Desert Rhythm who will be looking to cement her place at the top of the two-year-old female rankings and Equus Champion. Her cause has been helped by a plum draw at 6.

In opposition will be the first five past the post in the Golden Slipper, Let It Flow, Tsessebe, Rockin Russian and Neptune’s Rain.

Purple Diamond, surprise winner of the Gr2 Durban Golden Horseshoe on July day, runner-up and beaten a short head, Ancestry, and the unbeaten Sand And Sea are among the 20 nominations for the Grade 1 Premiers Champion Stakes which will make for a cracking race if all three stand their ground. Also in the mix is Captain And Master, the more fancied of the Tarry runners in the Golden Horseshoe and possibly a touch unlucky after finding traffic.

By Andrew Harrison

The Gold Cup Festival Of Racing will be run over two days at the end of July and has all the makings of being, and becoming, one of the great racing celebrations in the country featuring 19 races over the two days headed on the Saturday by the Grade 1 Champions Cup and on the Sunday by the iconic marathon event, the eLAN Gold Cup.

The Festival, which begins with social events like the Gala Dinner on the Thursday and Golf Day on the Friday, will include a variety of entertainment on both race days to give the occasion an incredible festive atmosphere.

Marinaresco & Candice Bass-Robinson (Nkosi Hlophe)

Entries for the main feature events of the weekend closed on Monday with 28 horses being nominated for the eLAN Gold Cup and 17 for the Champions Cup, both races attracting an outstanding level of quality that should guarantee racing of the highest level to close off SA Champions Season and the South African 2016-2017 racing season.

The R1-million, Grade 1 Champions Cup over 1 800m could see the Vodacom Durban July winner Marinaresco going for the double having won the race last year trained by Mike Bass and staged as a tribute to Mike and his wife Carole with Mike retiring following a life-threatening illness. Under Mike’s daughter Candice, Marinaresco made history when winning the Vodacom Durban July in that he was saddled by the first lady trainer to ever win the big race.

Marinaresco’s participation in the race is yet to be confirmed but if he does run and win again, it would be one of the great fairy tales of South African racing.

Candice Robinson has also nominated her outstanding filly Nightingale that ran the race of her life when fourth by less than half a length to Marinaresco in the Vodacom Durban July having previously finished second over 1 400m in the Tibouchina Stakes.

It is a power-packed entry that includes the winner of the Premier’s Champion Trophy at Turffontein, Deo Juvente from the Geoff Woodruff stable, as well as the runner-up in that race, the Tyrone Jackey-trained Judicial. Brett Crawford has nominated his powerful Captain Al gelding Captain America that won the Rising Son Gold Challenge as well as Sail South that finished fourth in that race.

Justin Snaith has entered three horses headed by the brilliant filly Bela-Bela that cruised home in the Grade 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes. Black Arthur, third in the Cup Trial and It’s My Turn that was third in the Betting World 1900 and strongly fancied to win the Vodacom Durban July, are his other entries.

Add to the list the winner of the Betting World 1900 Ten Gun Salute from the Duncan Howells yard that found traffic problems when unplaced in the July and French Navy from the powerful Sean Tarry stable and you have what could be an outstanding field.

The eLAN Gold Cup over 3 200m carries a stake of R1.25-million and is the premier marathon race in the country.

The entries include the winner of both the Gold Bowl at Turffontein and the SABC Gold Vase, Hermoso Mundo, from the Weiho Marwing stable that will be going for the big staying race treble. He is likely to start as favourite but could find strong opposition from the Justin Snaith duo of Krambambuli and Captain Splendid, the latter having finished a head behind Hermoso Mundo giving the Marwing runner 1.5kg. Krambambuli had won the Highland Night Cup prior to running an outstanding fourth by less than half a length in the Vodacom Durban July where the 2 200m was short of his best trip.

Marwing has also entered the Dynasty gelding Let It Rain that finished fourth in the Gold Bowl and third in the KZN Derby and Adam Marcus has nominated Royal Badge that filled second place in the Betting World 2200. Candice Bass-Robinson has nominated Helderberg Blue and My World, the latter having finished second to Captain Splendid in the Lonsdale Stirrup Cup.

The two-day festival promises to be an absolute feast of racing and entertainment with betting pools in the millions of rands on both days.

By Richard McMillan

The South African juvenile racing programme is set to come to an exciting close at Greyville in Durban on Sunday, July 30, when the country’s top two-year-old thoroughbreds compete for victory and Equus glory in the final Grade 1 races of the season.

The young horses will compete over 1 600m with the colts and geldings doing battle in the R750 000 Premiers Champion Stakes and the fillies fighting it out in the R750 000 Thekwini Stakes.

Desert Rythym (Nkosi Hlophe)

Exciting entries have been received for both races and South Africa’s champion trainer Sean Tarry will be hoping to follow up on his juvenile success on Vodacom Durban July Day when he saddled the winners of both two-year-old events, Desert Rhythm in the Gold Circle Golden Slipper and Purple Diamond in the Durban Golden Horseshoe.
Desert Rhythm, that had won the Nursery at Turffontein before her Greyville success will be strongly fancied to take the honours over the mile on eLAN Gold Cup day and Purple Diamond, that won the Durban Golden Horseshoe as a 20-1 outside, will command a lot more respect in the Premiers Champion Stakes.

Tarry has also nominated the Seventh Rock filly Rockin Russian, fourth in the Gold Circle Golden Slipper for the Thekwini Stakes and, as back-up to Purple Diamond in the Premiers Champion Stakes, the Captain Al colt Captain And Master that finished third in the Durban Golden Horseshoe. With a team like that Tarry is likely to approach the day with a lot of confidence.

Sand And Sea (Nkosi Hlophe)

However, the stable will be wary of the Twice Over colt Sand And Sea that was a comfortable winner of the Grade 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion over 1 200m at Scottsville, Sea And Sand is from the Dennis Drier yard. The Twice Over colt had previously beaten the Great Britain colt Al Mariachi on debut and Brett Crawford’s charge had come out to win the KZN Yearling Sale Million at Greyville on Vodacom Durban July day.
But the challenge to the Tarry stable in the Premier’s Champion Stakes does not stop there. Trainer Joey Ramsden has entered his Oratorio colt Ancestry that was just touched off by Purple Diamond in the Durban Golden Horseshoe. This colt will have a better draw than those mentioned and will be a big runner.

In the Thekwini Stakes, Desert Rhythm will again face the Lucky Houdalakis-trained Let It Flow and Tsessebe from the Drier stable that finished second and third respectively to her in the Gold Circle Golden Slipper. In this case, however, Desert Rhythm will have a major draw advantage.

Neptune’s Rain from the Duncan Howells stable, third to Brave Mary in the Allan Robertson Fillies Championship at Scottsville, will be out to prove she is a lot better than her disappointing run in the Gold Circle Golden Slipper and the Dean Kannemeyer-trained Tiger Ridge filly Meryl , winner of the Devon Air Stakes, could step up to the plate and show that performance was no fluke.

These are two great races and could determine the winners of the juvenile categories at the Equus Awards in the months ahead.

By Richard McMillan

Recent Grade 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint winner Bull Valley, winner of five of his nine starts to date, will be looking to end his season on a high when the takes on a top field of sprinters in the Grade 1 Mercury Sprint to be run over 1200m at Greyville next Saturday.

Bull Valley (Nkosi Hlophe)

Tarry holds a strong hand with Merchants winner Trip To Heaven also in the line-up. Trip To Heaven loves Greyville having twice finished second in the Rising Sun Gold Challenge, the first time after being relegated, but he also shows top sprint form having won the Grade 2 Merchants beating Bull Valley and finishing second to star stable companion Carry On Alice in the Grade 1 Cape Flying Championship.

At time of writing Tarry had yet to declare riders.

Talktothestars, once the highest rated horse in the country, has found form again and after being unlucky in the Tsogo Sun Sprint where he was a fast-finishing runner up to Search Party in the Grade 2 Post Merchants. Search Party will be in opposition again but faces his rival on 2kg worse terms.

Gavin Lerena has stayed in the country to partner New Predator for Johan Janse van Vuuren before heading back to the UK for a month to finish his contract.

By Andrew Harrison