Justin Snaith, odds-on to win a third Vodacom Durban July with one of his five runners in the great race, has the favourite in a third of the 12 races at Greyville on Saturday.

In addition to African Night Sky (2-1 in the big one), Betting World makes Sergeant Hardy 5-2 for the tabGold Pinnacle, Platinum Prince 7-2 in the Betting Word 2200 and Snowdance a prohibitive 1-2 for the Jonsson Workwear Garden Province.

Interestingly two of those who didn’t make the cut for the July’s final field head the market in their respective consolation races. The Dean Kannemeyer-trained It’s My Turn is 4-1 favourite for the DStv Gold Vase and Perovskia is 5-1 joint favourite with Cape Derby winner Eyes Wide Open in the concluding Greyville Convention Centre Handicap. Jeff Lloyd will have his final South African ride on Harold Crawford’s Drill Hall winner.

Perovskia (Candiese Marnewick)

World Sports Betting, which has Snaith at 11-20 to win the July, quotes Sean Tarry next best at 15-2 and goes 10-1 Brett Crawford, 11-1 Paul Peter, 12-1 Mike and Adam Azzie,22-1 Paul Lafferty, 25-1 Mike de Kock, 33-1 and upwards others.

WSB is even betting on which horse finishes last. Secret Potion and the Snaith-trained Star Express share an unenviable favouritism at 9-2 while other leading contenders are the 11-2 shots Gold Standard, Liege, Fiorella and Rocket Countdown.

The threat by the Public Servants Association union to stage a protest at the meeting over Markus Jooste’s possible involvement has proved to be an empty one.

Last Friday the PSA issued a press release stating that it had written to both the National Horseracing Authority and Vodacom stating that horses linked to Jooste should not be allowed to run, with general manager Ivan Fredericks saying: “Vodacom, as an international brand, has a responsibility to society not to be associated with, or perceived to be purporting, the unethical behaviour that Mr Jooste is known for.”

However there is not one horse in the 12 races owned or part-owned either by Jooste or his Mayfair Speculators racing company.

Most of the PSA’s 240,000-plus members belong to the Government Employees Pension Fund which invested heavily in Steinhoff International and which has seen its investment virtually wiped out by the collapse in share price since Jooste’s shock resignation as CEO last December.

Last Friday the company published its results for the first time since Jooste’s departure. These show a total loss for the six months to March 31 of R9.6 billion. It was also revealed that the total value of overstated assets, coupled with the reversal of non arms-length transactions, was R98 billion. Even in international terms (€6.1 billion) this is a staggering figure.

BLOB Smart Call won for the first time since her triumph in the 2016 Met when scoring at Newcastle on Friday evening. The ten furlong Stobbart Energy Hoppings Fillies Stakes was her ninth race since leaving South Africa and was only a Group 3, and on the all-weather at that, but she quickened well when looking boxed in to lead inside the final furlong and justify 7-4 favouritism. She was ridden by Jim Crowley for Sir Michael Stoute.

By Michael Clower

The Highlands Stud Winter Derby meeting, including all its supporting features, will now be run on Saturday week (July 14), previously a blank day in the Cape Town racing calendar. The programme will be sent out this morning.

Last Saturday’s Kenilworth card was abandoned at 7.30am following further rain. “More was forecast to start around the time racing was due to begin and trying to get through just one or two races would have been ridiculous,” said Duty Manager Teresa Esplin.

Last Wednesday’s Durbanville meeting was also abandoned after parts of the course became waterlogged and, if the forecast of further rain today proves correct, Wednesday’s fixture at the country course could come under threat.

By Michael Clower

Defending champion Matador Man’s defection to the Vodacom Durban July next Saturday has left the door open for the filly Dawn Calling in the KZN Breeders Million Mile.

Runner-up to Matador Man last year, Duncan Howells has been meticulous in his planning for this event, and the filly will strip at her peak tomorrow.

Dawn Calling does her best at Greyville, her last win coming at the expense of the smart Ngaga in a Pinnacle Stakes. More recent was her close-up sixth in the Tibouchina Stakes behind The Secret Is Out after jumping from a difficult outside draw.

Dawn Calling

She takes on males here but this time has drawn three off the fence and she could take some catching.

Africa Rising has been lightly raced this term, having only his fourth start and his third after returning from a lengthy break. He would appear to have some issues but his last start was in the Hawaii Stakes so he does take a slight drop in class.

London Call is the best in at the weights but Mark Dixon’s runner appears best down the Scottsville straight where he has recorded 10 of his 11 victories. That said, he has won at Greyville but steps up in trip for the first time.

Unagi and Romany Prince come into the race with solid Highveld form and must rate chances while the improving Scrabble ran a cracking sprint behind the smart mare Isingamoya last time out and should prefer this trip.

The Million Mile is the only race on the turf with the balance of the card all on the poly track. The entire meeting is restricted to KZN-bred horses, each race carrying a stake of R200k, and punters are faced with a competitive card.

Isingamoya, racing in blinkers for the first time, got the better of the progressive Scrabble last time out and can follow up in the opening leg of the PA but she has to give the younger Victory Trip a hefty 8kg in the handicap which may be beyond her. Victory Trip trialled well behind the smart Traces in her latest visit to a race course and she boasts smart poly form. But it is a wide open affair with visiting runners Covered In Snow and Ouro unlikely to go down without a fight.

Wynkelder, third to Sniper Shot and Sunset Eyes in the Post Merchants, looks the part in the fourth with Hard To Play, Cumulus and Amazon King the obvious dangers.

Only six runners are carded for the fifth and if Wynkelder obliges, Tony Rivalland can pull off a quick double with the ever game Al Ciberano who has some useful poly form, albeit mostly over shorter. But he does have to five Fieldmarshal Fenix 5kg and Sean Tarry’s gelding was staying on nicely over 1200m at Scottsville last time out and can do better over this trip.

The sixth is something of a punter’s nightmare but Mighty Valdie has come good at his last two starts down the Vaal straight and was a touch unlucky behind Infamous Fox.

Champenois and Kahula make most appeal in the eighth and Mark Dixon can round off the afternoon with Fantasy Lady who is way better than her last effort in the soft.

By Andrew Harrison

Rock My Soul may lack the class of the top two in the Highlands Stud Winter Derby at Kenilworth tomorrow but he is the only horse in the field to have both won over the trip and in soft ground.

With more rain forecast for this evening the race could well turn into a stamina-sapping slog and the Joey Ramsden gelding proved his ability to handle that only ten days ago when his performance saw his rating upped by nine points.

Joey Ramsden

Hopefully the handicappers have interpreted the result correctly – he wouldn’t have had a prayer in this off his old mark – and, if they have, the 4-1 chance has only Ancestry and Doublemint to beat.

Ancestry, also Ramsden-trained and a possible fourth Winter Derby winner for Bernard Fayd’Herbe, has yet to reproduce his good two-year-old form, and has not won or been placed in the soft. But the 11-2 chance has only had one attempt at it and even then it was only yielding which doesn’t really compare with what it will be tomorrow.

Doublemint, 2-1 favourite, is similarly unproven in this ground. The race is his to lose on Winter Classic form, even with his kilo penalty, but he has not raced beyond 1 800m and there has to be a question mark over the final gruelling furlong.

Spring Man, on the other hand, should be in his element by that stage. He has not been further than 2 000m but his sire won over this trip and his dam is by Fort Wood. He was fourth in the Winter Classic and is rated only a kilo below Rock My Soul. Brett Crawford must be quietly fancying his chances of a first Winter Derby with this 4-1 shot.

Justin Snaith, bidding for his third successive Winter Derby, also runs Love Happens who has been backed from 7-1 to 11-2. Richard Fourie’s mount has to still to prove that he goes in the ground but his sire Silvano is an influence for stamina.

Of the others 25-1 chance Pacific Chestnut has won over the trip but has been unplaced in both runs in softish ground. Power Tower (14-1) beat Rock My Soul half a length over 2000m at Durbanville in April but was receiving 4.5kg plus apprentice allowance.

Fresnaye should get the trip in the Winter Oaks but her 7-10 price is prohibitive. The unbeaten One World has to concede two kilos and more in the Langerman and that’s a stiff task in this ground. Even so, he is hard to oppose.

Helen’s Ideal may not have beaten anything special when she won on debut four weeks ago but she looked a smart sort and at 6-1 she can beat the big guns in the Irridescence.

Brave Move’s ability to handle the ground is unproven – despite what it says in the Tab sheet – but she still appeals at 5-2 in the Ladies Mile.

By Michael Clower

The Turffontein Standside meeting on Sunday is headlined by three good class Pinnacle Stakes events which are full of interest.

In the 1600m Pinnacle Arctica is well in at the weights and this classy type is also perfectly course and distance suited. He is a handy type who keeps on finding extra and is coming off a good third in the Grade 3 Jubilee Handicap over course and distance in which he stayed on strongly and was a touch unlucky as he had to be steadied at the 300m mark. The main dangers could be the honest sort Pilou, who was beaten just half-a-length by subsequent Jubilee winner Yakeen over course and distance in his last start. Infamous Fox is a three-year-old on the up who is drawn in pole and he could also be involved in the finish.

Arctica

In the 2400m Pinnacle last year’s Gold Cup winner Hermoso Mundo has his second run after an injury forced layoff. He was staying on strongly last time in the Gold Bowl over 3200m when needing the run and is very well weighted in this race according to official merit ratings. Furthermore, he has the good 4kg claimer Luke Ferraris aboard so will be hard to beat. Kitty’s Destiny was 1,5 lengths ahead of Hermoso Mundo when finishing a 1,5 length third in the Gold Bowl and if apprentice claims are included he is now 6kg worse off. However, he has always struck as a staying type and looks the most likely runner up. Just Cruised in finished second in the Gold Bowl but is 2kg worse off with Kitty’s Destiny for a half-a-length beating.

The 1160m Pinnacle will be the most competitive of the three races. Queen Laurie has speed and class and proved it when running fourth in the Grade 1 Computaform Sprint over 1000m. However, she often starts awkwardly so a lot depends on how well she jumps. She showed in the Computaform she is capable of sitting behind horses and running on strongly. Females are given an allowance in these Pinnacle events so she has a fine chance on paper too. Pure Blonde, coming off a fine fourth place in the Post Merchants, enjoys this course and distance and has a high draw which is usually favourable. Rocky Valley comes off a fourth place in the Grade 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint and was fifth in the Computaform Sprint so also has a chance. Champagne Haze is the best weighted of the male runners but has to put two disappointing runs behind him, including when more than two lengths behind Queen Laurie and Rocky Valley in the Computaform. Romi’s Boy has speed and can stay on so can never be ignored.

In the next race Premier Show is an up and coming three-year-old who drops back to sprints after failing in his first attempt at a mile in the Grade 2 Daisy Guineas.

In the first leg of the Pick 6 Camel Walk is the one to beat as he bounced back to form earlier in the week and does not face a strong field.

By David Thiselton

National champion trainer Sean Tarry, bidding to win a third Vodacom Durban July, is happy with his three charges but said all of them, Liege, Matador Man and Tilbury Fort, had a single question mark hanging over their heads respectively.

Matador Man has been scratched from the KZN Breeder’s Million Mile, where he was to defend his title, as the owners want to give the July “a serious shot.”

Liege

In the case of Liege, Tarry had to change his original preparation plan. He had intended to run him in the Grade 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge over 1600m and then do the rest of his July conditioning from his Summerveld satellite yard. However, a local KZN racing rule relating to horses returning from rests prevented him from running in that race. In his previous run at the end of November, he had won the Grade 1 Sansui Summer Cup over 2000m. However, in the end he was forced to have his July preparation in a 1400m event at Turffontein, in which he finished a 12,4 length 9th.

Tarry said, “We were mindful of the fact he was drawn poorly and we didn’t want to use him up so we dropped him out and weren’t going to give him a hard time. He is a staying type who can lead over 2000m, so I am not concerned about it. He has put up pleasing gallops since, the reports from the jockeys have been very good and he is looking good.”

Ironically, Liege ran a below par race in the Victory Moon Stakes before winning the Summer Cup and Tarry confirmed, “Yes he can do that, so on paper that last run looks lacklustre but I am not too phased.”

Raymond Danielson won the Summer Cup aboard Liege so has been given the July ride.

There is no concern about Liege staying the trip. The five-year-old gelding is one of three horses in the race who will attempt to give former July winner Dynasty a second July winner as a sire.

Tarry opted to keep Liege at Randjesfontein to prepare him after the Gold Challenge option fell through.

Stamina is the one concern about Matador Man.

However, Tarry said, “He was running on strongly in the 1900 so that gives confidence he can go a bit further. If he does get the trip he will be finishing strongly.”

Matador Man (Candiese Marnewick)

This four-year-old Toreador gelding loves Greyville and followed his Million Mile win with a strong-finishing third place finish in last season’s Grade 1 Champions Cup over 1800m.

Tarry is not concerned by the wide draws of Liege (18) and Matador Man (15), but is concerned by Tilbury Fort’s wide draw (20).

He said, “Tilbury Fort has had the best preparation, he hasn’t put a foot wrong. He has certainly been on the up since gelding and I hope he can improve a bit more. But he is the one about whom I’m most worried about the draw. He can come from off them, but not from last. We will see how it pans out, but he is not the sort you can bustle or hunt for a position. You have to let it unfold smoothly with him.”

This four-year-old by Horse Chestnut ran in last year’s July and finished a six length 14th.

S’Manga Khumalo was aboard Matador Man when he won his penultimate start over 1600m at Turffontein so Tarry has put him back on.

National Champion Jockey elect Lyle Hewitson will stay aboard Tilbury Fort.

Tarry concluded by saying it would have been perfect if Social Order had also got in but he was nevertheless happy with his team of three.

By David Thiselton

A bumper crowd turned out on a chilly Durban morning to watch the Vodacom Durban July gallops and the general consensus after the gallops was, “well we’ve seen the winner, but which one was it?”
The majority of the runners did little more than go through the motions but it did give spectators a close-up preview of their fancies.

Jeff Lloyd was given a rousing welcome by the gallery and Made To Conquer will be a sentimental choice.

Rocket Countdown was first out of the blocks with big race jockey Stuart Randolph aboard and did little more than a steady half-pace.

Ruling favourite African Night Sky is a bull of a horse and will have little trouble lumping the 57.5kg he has been set to carry next Saturday. He did little more than a steady canter but looked in superb condition.

By Richard McMillan

The BMW Politician winner Doublemint has been installed 2-1 favourite to give Justin Snaith his third consecutive winner of the Highlands Stud Winter Derby at Kenilworth on Saturday. Leading Vodacom Durban July contenders Elusive Silva and African Night Sky were the other two.

Rock My Soul

World Sports Betting also goes 4-1 Rock My Soul and Spring Man, 9-2 Ancestry, 7-1 Love Happens, 14-1 Ballad Of The Sea, Power Tower, 20-1 Cape Extreme, 25-1 Pacific Chestnut and Man About Town.

The Joey Ramsden-trained Fresnaye, who side-stepped the race to stick to her own sex in the Winter Oaks, is odds-on at 13-20 while the unbeaten Vaughan Marshall-trained One World heads the Langerman market at 18-10 and Santa Clara is also 18-10 favourite for the Irridiscence.

Punters have been waiting for Brave Move for the last two months because she keeps winning with something in hand and Aldo Domeyer’s mount is 5-2 favourite to make it five in a row in the Ladies Mile.

BLOB Yesterday’s meeting at Durbanville had to be abandoned shortly after 9.00am following 19mm of rain that left parts of the course waterlogged.

By Michael Clower

Highveld trainer Paul Peter said having a runner in the Vodacom Durban July was a dream come true and he and jockey Callan Murray were both confident of the chances of the yard’s charge Majestic Mambo.

The strapping Mambo In Seattle colt did his July gallop at Turffontein earlier this week and Murray was “very pleased” with the work.

Paul Peter

Peter said Majestic Mambo had come out of his second place finish in the Grade 1 Daily News 2000 “very well” and had “actually improved” since then.

He displayed his usual devastating turn of foot from the back that day and was flying at the finish, losing by just 0,75 lengths to the top class Highveld horse Surcharge.

That race pointed to the three-year-old male strength this year lying in the Highveld as they had four of the best from the Cape, Tap O’ Noth, Do It Again, White River and Pack Leader behind them.

There were some groans from the audience on Tuesday in Greyville’s Classic Room when Majestic Mambo drew wide in 19.

However, Peter said, “The draw is not so bad for this type of horse, he doesn’t want to be cramped, so I am not too perturbed.”

He added, “We are going in with a lot of confidence. We are really happy so please God he travels down well and everything goes well before the race. He is in with a big shout.”

There is a chance Majestic Mambo could run in a famous set of colours in the July as a sale with a big South African owner was being negotiated at the time of going to press.

Peter has another Grade 1 runner on the day in Folk Dance, a classy three-year-old filly by Tiger Ridge, who runs in the Grade 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes over 1600m. She ran below par last time in the Grade 2 Tibouchina over 1400m last time out but Peter said she had not travelled down well on that occasion and had knocked herself in the float. She won the Grade 3 Fillies Mile by three lengths on Sansui Summer Cup day to stamp herself as one of the best of her crop, but since then has had to deal with a succession of tough draws, finishing fourth in the Grade 2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas, fifth in the Grade 1 SA Fillies Classic over 1800m and fourth in the Grade 1 Empress Club Stakes over 1600m. She now at last has a plum draw of two, which is important for her as she likes to lie handy before using her telling kick in the straight. The likely favourite Snowdance has drawn pole position and as this horse is usually a front-runner, the race could pan out well for Folk Dance. She has the added bonus of Piere Strydom aboard.

By David Thiselton

Justin Snaith was thrilled to have drawn barrier position ten for the Vodacom Durban July’s hot favourite African Night Sky. He will come into position nine if the second reserve runner Crowd Pleaser, who drew pole position, comes out and Snaith believed that was the perfect draw for the July. He explained he would then likely end up with an option of going outward in the straight. Three of his other runners, Elusive Silva, Do It Again and Made To Conquer, drew double figure barrier positions, while his filly Star Express drew nine. However, he was pleased with this outcome and said. “I don’t like being on the inside in the July with all the jostling, I’ve been there and done that, my horses prefer being away from the trouble.”

Fiorella (Candiese Marewick)

Glen Kotzen has one runner in the field proper, Gold Standard, as well as the first reserve Pack Leader and they drew six and 17 respectively. Hugo Hattingh part-owns Gold Standard and owns Pack Leader. Kotzen said, “Hugo did a good thing by drawing six for Gold Standard. Gold Standard has come right back to his best and when he is at his best he is as good as any and certainly better than this field.”

Paul Lafferty’s Dark Moon Rising drew well in three and he said, “I am only concerned about there being no pace. I think he is the horse to beat. If you look at the two favourites, African Night Sky and Do It Again, they have both flopped when running in Grade 1s.”

Robert Fayd’Herbe said about Rocket Countdown’s draw of five, “You can’t not be pleased with that draw. It is not the strongest field and he stays well. The Cape Town three-year-olds are always finishing on top of each other so he is not badly weighted and has a chance.”

Duncan Howells was “over the moon” with Fiorella’s draw of eight. He said, “I think with a faster pace she could have done even better (than a half-a-length second) in the Woolavington 2000 and Muzi also felt if he had gone earlier she could have done better. Everything is on song, she is exceptionally well, and will give a very good account of herself.”

Brett Crawford said about White River’s draw of 13, “I would have preferred lower but it’s ok.” Asked whether the three-year-old by Trippi had improved with gelding, he replied, “He has certainly shown that he has improved in his work at home, so we will see how he goes in his gallop on Thursday. I think he has as good a chance as Edict Of Nantes had last year.” The latter finished a 0,35 length third last year.

By David Thiselton