Vaughan Marshall may well have had Scottsville this coming Saturday in mind when Charge D’Affaires made her debut earlier this month, but those plans were shelved as she came up short behind Allan Robertson runner Outlandos D’Amour.

However, Dennis Drier’s charge has a reputation of being more than just useful so Charge D’Affaires should take some beating when she lines up in the Greyville opener this afternoon. Charge D’Affaires was game to the end on debut but Outlandos D’Amour had just a little more to come.

With a barrier trial and that race under her girth, Charge D’Affaires is likely to go off at cramped odds.

Dennis Drier

Also runner-up on debut was Dean Kannemeyer’s colt Fitzwilliam who is also fancied to get off the mark in the second. Up with the pace throughout over the Scottsville 1200m, he was run out of it late by Di Me. Fitzwilliam put in a good barrier trial on the poly so the switch of surfaces should not trouble him. But he does face a stiffer task than Charge D’Affaires.

Sigismund and Euphoric both trialled well while Gallagher is not up from the Cape to sample the Durban air and likely to make good improvement on his Durbanville debut.

In the third, Amberbell does not have the best of draws, a point that worries Lowan Denysschen. “A bad draw is a bad draw, it’s as simple as that,” he said.

However, his daughter of Silvano appears to have come to hand and the step up to 1400m should also be in her favour. But she does take on a competitive field. Holy Flame is the highest rated filly in the line-up and a beaten favourite last time out while Amber Furst was only a neck behind Holy Flame on debut and Wendy Whitehead’s charge should have more to come on that showing alone.

Two Stroke is rated way better than the majority of the field in the fourth and looking to snap a sequence for two runner-up berths, last time going down narrowly to Piaget Prince. The biggest threat to his chances could come in the form of Holy Land. Dennis Drier’s charge was just over a length back to stable companion Immortelle on debut and the latter is among the fancied runners for Saturday’s Gr1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion.

With two straight wins in the bag, Sunny Bill Du-Toy aims for a hat-trick in the fifth but it is likely to be a little more difficult as he takes a steep rise in class. He was the stand-out runner in his last race but although he is progressive, he will need to take full advantage of apprentice Luke Ferraris’s 4kg claim to pull this one off as top weight Pure Logic is back over what appears to be his optimum trip while Viento, Topclassman and the filly Roy’s Pony all rate dangers.

Fantasy Art takes a drop in class in the sixth and has not been far back at recent outings when taking on stronger. He goes well on the poly and from a good draw should be competitive in an open race. Piaget Prince makes his handicap debut under a big weight and also has a wide draw to contend with. But he has come well for his new stable and can go in again. Sovereign Solder is also down in class and jumped from a difficult draw last time out so must warrant consideration along with Roy’s Rolls Royce who is never far back and Gunter Wrogemann has stuck with the ride.

The seventh appears wide open but Above Eleven takes a major drop in class and is also down to what looks to be a more competitive handicap mark which could do it for Michael Roberts.

Roy’s Zara can round off the meeting for Duncan Howells ahead of Hatfield Square, recent winner Expresso Martini and the highly strung, High Altar.

By Andrew Harrison

Racing switches to the winter course for the Highlands Stud Winter Classic meeting at Kenilworth on Saturday and as a result Eric Sands has been reappraising tactics for probable favourite Rainbow Bridge who is drawn nine out of ten.

The most noticeable aspect of the switch from the summer course is that the straight is reduced from three furlongs to two and Sands said: “It means he is going to have to make his move earlier than he did in the Winter Guineas. If the Classic was run the same way he wouldn’t get there in time over this course.

Eric Sands (hamishNIVENPhotography)

“In any case I don’t want to teach him to race from the back as, if you do that, you can end up with the sort of horse who you are always wondering whether he is going to get there.”

With Aldo Domeyer on Grade 1 duty at Scottsville Candice Bass-Robinson is bringing down Stuart Randolph for Durban July candidate Rocket Countdown and four other rides together with Ryan Munger whose six mounts for the stable include Pacific Chestnut.

Joey Ramsden is expecting an improved showing from Ancestry who has just under two lengths to find with the favourite and is a kilo better.

He said: “I thought he was more forward than he was in the Winter Guineas but he proved only 80% ready. I was very impressed with Eric’s horse that day but there is plenty of improvement in Ancestry while my other runner Morning Catch worked well on the course last Saturday morning.”

Fresnaye, who ran below par when taking on the colts in the Winter Guineas, is switched back to her own sex in the Stormsvlei Mile and Richard Fourie has been snapped up.

Ramsden said: “She had a mucky trach wash after that last run but she worked well when we took her to the course on Saturday.”

Justin Snaith, who entered 15 for the Overarching Maiden Juvenile, has whittled the issue down to four with Callan Murray on Kiss Me Twice.

By Michael Clower

Justin Snaith said his Vodacom Durban July contenders Elusive Silva, Platinum Prince and African Night Sky could not have pulled up better than they have after their heroics at Greyville on Saturday.

He is also looking forward to Saturday’s Festival Of Speed meeting at Scottsville.

Snaith believes his Grade 2 WSB 1900 winner Elusive Silva has a shout in the July and said about the five-year-old Silvano gelding, “He is not one of the best horses in the race but has as much chance as any of the rest. He could be put on the second tier, whereas there are some horses who have no chance. He won the Winter Derby in an absolute canter, so 2200m is probably his best distance. He is not weighted out of it and he loves Greyville. So he has more going for him than not. if I can get him to the course in good condition on the day it would be no surprise to see him run in the first four.”

Elusive Silva

Elusive Silva has been given a four point raise to a new merit rating of 111 and is rated a 15/1 shot for the July by 1900 sponsor World Sports Betting.

Platinum Prince was most unlucky. He came from last and his long stride was putting him into contention when a gap closed on him, which was not altogether surprising as there was no false rail. When he got through he stayed on strongly and was just pipped for third by the equally unlucky Matador Man. Snaith said, “He would have gone very close.”

The Silvano gelding did not appear on the first July log so will have to have another race to qualify. Snaith said he would go for the Cup Trial on June 9.

Snaith said unplaced Strathdon had suffered a rough race on Saturday, which was unfortunate as he had been hoping for a positive run. However, he said he would be fine and would be going the stayers route.

His other runner in the 1900 was Captain Splendid, who ran ninth and will also be going the stayers route.

The best July trial of all on Saturday was put up by Snaith’s African Night Sky, who sliced through the field from the back in a Pinnacle event but was hampered in the process. He has duly gone to the top of the July betting boards.

Snaith said, “It was an unbelievable prep, he should never have lost. He was hit on the hindquarters and was knocked sideways, he looked like he was one of the horses in my polo game on Sunday. But he come out 100% sound and will also run in the Cup Trial.”

Star Express won the Pinnacle event and Snaith said her July participation would be discussed with the connections. He said, “She is a very good filly. Every now and then her feet give her trouble but she has run second in the Majorca twice and is a genuine Group 1 filly.”

Snaith will have two runners in Saturday’s Grade 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint at Scottsville. He said CTS 1200 runner up Kasimir was “flying” at home. He also expected a good run from Sir Frenchie, who is capable of a strong finish and whom he felt had “no chance” last time out when carrying a big weight but would now go in with a nice galloping weight.

He felt the Grade 1 SA Fillies Sprint was weaker than usual and believed his runners Gimme Six, Jo’s Bond and Casual Diamond would all run well.

By David Thiselton

Featured Image: Roy Had Enough (Candiese Marnewick)

Tsogo Sun raceday at Scottsville in Pietermaritzburg this coming weekend confirmed its status as the sprinting capital of South Africa when full fields of 16 runners plus reserves were carded for the four Grade 1 races over 1 200m that make the meeting unique on the country’s racing calendar.

With total feature race stakes of R3.25-million on offer for the four races, every top sprinting thoroughbred in the country is set to face the starter with the R1-million, Grade 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint field including the first three horses past the post in the Grade 1 Computaform Sprint at Turffontein recently.

Attenborough

Joey Ramsden’s speedsters Attenborough and Speedpoint filled first and third places in that 1 000m race with Dorrie Sham’s Pinnacle Peak sandwiched between them and they are set to renew their battle over the testing Scottsville course where they will be joined by, among others, the winner and runner-up in the In Full Flight Handicap Bold Respect and Sunset Eyes from the in-form Brett Crawford stable.

Poinsettia Stakes winner Sommerlied from the Dennis Drier stable along with the first three past the post in the recent Camelot at Turffontein, Green Plains, Myfunnyvalentine and Winter’s Forge, are among the acceptors for the R750 000, Grade 1 South African Fillies Sprint and the two Grade 1 races for juveniles, the Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion and Allan Robertson Championship, have highly competitive fields featuring the leading two-year-olds from around the country.

Dennis Drier has accepted with his three entries – Crown And Country, Goliath Heron and Immortelle – in his bid to win the Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion for the eighth time but will face serious opposition from William The Silent, Cirillo and Chimichuri Run that filled the first three places in the SA Nursery at Turffontein and the trifecta of runners from the Godolphin Barb – Cue The Music, Van Halen and Traces that led his colt Goliath Heron home on the day.

In the Allan Robertson Championship, the outcome of the race is another difficult to predict as the field includes the winner and runner-up in the SA Fillies Nursery at Turffontein, Ronnie’s Candy and Ghalla as well as the first three past the post in the Strelitzia Stakes, Inverroche, Canukepitsecret and Petra.

The four races form the official Jackpot at the meeting and with large exotic bet pools on the day, the competitiveness of the feature events could result in large payouts for successful punters.

By Richard McMillan.

Punters could get off to a good start at the Vaal Outside track meeting tomorrow, which has nine races in all, as the well-bred Saints Alive looks to have a fine chance in the first.

This Elusive Fort filly is a full-sister to the three-times Grade 1 runner up Safe Harbour and caught the eye staying on strongly with long strides on debut over 1200m to finish a narrow second despite having lost two lengths at the start. She should appreciate the step up to 1400m in this Maiden Juvenile Plate for fillies. However, she won’t have it easy as the Trippi filly Railtrip also looks a decent sort. She is a half-sister to SA Derby winner Hero’s Honour so will also appreciate the step up to 1400m. Last time out she was drawn on the wrong side on the Vaal Inside track over 1200m and after showing good pace stayed on strongly to only just fail. Saints Alive is given the vote as she is drawn close to the outside rail, which is usually the right side to be on at this course.

Alex The Great (JC Photographics)

Punters could accumulate more in the next race through Rocky Night. He is by speed influence Seventh Rock but is out of an In The Wings mare and is also a rangy sort, so he will likely appreciate the step up to 1400m in this Maiden Juvenile Plate. Furthermore, looks to have plenty of scope too. He is drawn 16, another point in his favour. It is an interesting race as there are quite a few others who make some appeal, including Drop Kick, Electromagnetic, Forries At Five, My Boy Calois, Tequila Man and the first-timers Tarzan and Latin Opus, but Rocky Night is the selection.

The third race over 1200m won’t take a lot of winning and the first-timer Risingofthenorth is the selection being by the promising sire Pomodoro out of the twice Grade 3 runner up sprinter Mary Stuart, who is by Black Minnaloushe. King Of The Delta has attracted betting support before and having finished strongly over this trip last time he should go close again from a favourable high draw. Her looks to be the main danger.

In the fourth race over 1200m the well-named Sally Called made a decent debut and is chosen to be a Pick 6 banker, but only due to the first-timer rule. Hot Chocolate and Laduree are well-bred first-timers who could upset her. The former is by Oratorio out of the Silvano Grade 2-winning sprinter Mocachino and the latter by Var is a full-sister to 94 merit rated sprinter Vous Et Var.

The handicaps then start so it gets tougher.

In the fifth race over 1200m Alex The Great has always been well regarded but has been disappointing. However, he has now dropped to a competitive merit rating and can make his presence felt from quite a high draw of 12. Cannes is an eight-year-old but still has pace and he is down to a competitive merit rating and drawn well over a course and distance he enjoys. Ashley Fortune is doing well with her horses which have been brought up from the Cape and if Mount Keith reproduces his Cape Town form he will be right there. Silver King can’t be ignored for those wishing to go wider as he beat Cannes last time they met and Snow In Seattle has been in fine form too.

Race six over 1000m sees a clash between two promising sorts in Sirtain and Copper Jay. The former’s only defeat in three starts since blinkers were applied was when he was changing legs last time before being narrowly beaten into second. He can resume winning ways if bouncing back to his best. Copper Jay is 1kg better off with Sirtain for a 0,3 length beating in the aforementioned race and has caught the eye before as one with some potential.

In the next over 1400m Bockscar was a bit outpaced over 1200m last time but flew up to win going away and he can follow up off just a four point higher mark. He could be a banker consideration, but beyond him the race is wide open.

The chief contenders in the eighth over 1400m are Dawn Flight, Inthepurplerain and Pretty Popular. Dawn Flight looks better than her merit rating and proved effective last time over this trip, although her low draw might be tricky. Inthepurplerain has been facing stronger without being disgraced and will go close. Pretty Popular has improved since a tongue tie was applied and is drawn on the right side.

The last race over 1400m Quebec Queen has won three times in her last four starts and if maintaining form can be involved again off a four point higher mark, although not too much can be read into her beating the promising Make Me Happy last time as the latter was drawn on the wrong side. Some Song was unlucky when beginning to move up well in that same race so the bare result can be ignored and she has a big shout here. Snow Path, All I Got and Chartwell make most appeal of the rest.

By David Thiselton

Top Cape trainer Justin Snaith strengthened his stable’s chances of victory in South Africa’s premier event, the Grade 1 Vodacom Durban July, when three of his big-race team put in strong performances at the World Sports Betting 1900 meeting at Greyville on Saturday, including victory in the main feature event.

With his stable already having four runners among the top 18 on the Vodacom Durban July Log, the impressive win by his Silvano gelding Elusive Silva in the R500 000, Grade 2 World Sports Betting 1900 could see this five-year-old joining them to give the exuberant and popular young conditioner what could become an exceptional and unique big race attack.

Elusive Silva (Denzil Govender)

Following up on the win by Elusive Silva, two of his other contenders already in the top 18 on the log, the Silvano mare Star Express and the Dynasty gelding African Night Sky, confirmed they deserved their ratings when they led the field home in the Solid Speed (2016) Pinnacle Stakes over 1 600m to give trainer Snaith and jockey Bernard Fayd’Herbe a quick double at the meeting. To emphasise that the stable was in serious top condition, jockey Grant van Niekerk then booted the three-year-old Silvano filly Miyabi Gold home for the stable in the final event of the day giving the yard and the German-bred stallion an impressive treble.

The somewhat disappointing performances by a few of the Vodacom Durban July contenders will have left the “July picture” very open but for Snaith the scenario could improve further if his former July winner Legislate, that won well in a recent barrier trial, impressed the July Selection Committee before they make their final selection.

Also improving his chances of a big race invite is the Ideal World gelding Dark Moon Rising from the Paul Lafferty stable. He came in for strong support in the betting to start tote favourite and, as some saw it, was unlucky not to win coming from off the pace to chase down Elusive Silva and suffer a mere half length defeat. He had not featured on the First July Log but is likely to show in the next along with the Toreador gelding Matador Man from the Sean Tarry yard that found traffic problems in the straight before running on well for third place.

While the Glen Kotzen-trained Pack Leader, well fancied to win Saturday’s WSB 1900, was scratched after showing signs of a colic attack before the race, did not get a chance to prove himself, the three-year-old Philanthropist colt is likely to retain his position on the log with the earlier scratching of Silvan Star and Lady In Black pushing him higher up the log.

After Saturday’s meeting another July nominee could muscle her way onto the July Log and that is the four-year-old Australian-bred filly Ngaga from the Andre Nel stable. She made the running in the Listed East Coast Cup over 2 000m under Richard Fourie then held off a challenge from Royal Utopia. However, while the win was impressive she may need to back that performance up with another strong effort before the final field is selected.

By Richard McMillan

Brett Crawford’s patience with the infamous Cape crawl finally gave out at Kenilworth on Saturday and he gave vent to his feelings after he and Fransie Herholdt decided to take the last by the scruff of the neck and make all on Miss Smarty Pants.

The Philippi trainer said: “I don’t know what we are trying to prove by running races in times four to six seconds outside the average. That doesn’t give horses a fair chance and to me it’s not racing.”

Aldo Domeyer

For Aldo Domeyer, though, it was a significant day. Not only did he break through the 100-winner mark for just the second time in his career but he took his tally to just eight short of his best and he put two more really smart Candice Bass-Robinson two-year-olds into his bank for next season’s top races.

Mixed Signals and Russet Air both started odds-on and won with authority while second-placed stable companion More Magic looked a certain future winner when throwing down the gauntlet to the second of these two. He had the third nearly eight lengths back

Domeyer, who completed a quick-fire treble on Blue Flower for Andre Nel, said: “Mixed Signals doesn’t show a great deal at home and when I asked her for an effort I was surprised at the way she turned it on. The trip was way too short for Russet Air but he had the class to pull it off.”

Ronnie Sheehan,82, and wife Jackie – both in the Panorama Mediclinic – had a badly needed tonic when Watch Me Dad proved too strong for Domeyer’s mount Frozen Tune in the Supabets Maiden Juvenile. The well-backed winner is owned by an enthusiastic group of Mauritians.

Robert Khathi, who rode him, donned the Bryn Ressell colours to get up inside the last 100m of the Play Soccer 6 Handicap on 9-1 shot Metorite who cost just R15 000 at the CTS Two Year Old Sale.

Piet Steyn said: “Some horses cost so much that they don’t even win the VAT back! When you ask a guy to come in at the sort of price this one fetched they sometimes think there is something wrong with the horse but Bryn has been very good to me.”

Jono Snaith celebrated his 41^st birthday by naming Jailhouse Rock as the banker of the day on Under Starter’s Orders and Callan Murray did the rest on the 2-1 favourite in the 1 800m handicap.

Chatuchak, scratched from the Winter Classic, was a reluctant leader early in the Interbet.co.za Handicap but Gareth Wright made all for a half length win. Nel has supplemented Selailai for Saturday’s race.

By Michael Clower

African Night Sky is back at the head of the Vodacom Durban July market following his eye-catching return in the Pinnacle at Greyville on Saturday.

The Justin Snaith four-year-old drifted out to 8-1 in the fortnight after stable companion Do It Again won the Daisy Guineas but the pair are now 5-1 joint favourites with Betting World which has Met winner Oh Susanna next on 8-1 with Pack Leader 10-1 and WSB 1900 hero Elusive Silva on 14-1.

African Night Sky is 5-1 clear favourite with World Sports Betting which goes 6-1 Do It Again, 9-1 Oh Susanna, 12-1 Pack Leader, 15-1 Elusive Silva and 20-1 bar.

Do It Again (Candiese Marnewick)

Suggestions that Snaith Racing may call on Jeff Lloyd for one of its July runners are wide of the mark according to Jono Snaith who said on Saturday that Grant van Niekerk, Anton Marcus and Callan Murray are the stable’s booked jockeys for the race. There is also Bernard Fayd’Herbe who won last year’s July on Marinaresco and scored on both Star Express and Elusive Silva. But the stable believes that Coral Fever will run and so keep the weights of its contenders below Fayd’Herbe’s minimum.

Magical Wonderland, 7-2 favourite with WSB for the SA Fillies Sprint, is reported in good heart for Saturday’s Scottsville Grade 1.

Candice Bass-Robinson, who also runs 15-1 shot Live Life, said: “Magical Wonderland is doing well and looking good. She has come on since her last run and Aldo Domeyer was up at Summerveld last week to ride her work.”

Brett Crawford reports Tsogo Sun Sprint favourite Bold Respect in similarly good shape, saying: “He is very well in himself, in good form and spot on for the race.”

Crawford is also particularly keen on Traces in the Gold Medallion even though at 8-1 there are four above him in the market.

Joey Ramsden will declare Computaform Sprint winner Attenborough (Fayd’Herbe) for the Tsogo Sun and has booked Keagan de Melo for Speedpoint who was third in the Turffontein race but has been raised a whopping 11 points.

Significantly Richard Fourie, who won on Attenborough last time, has elected to stay in Cape Town to keep his partnership with the exciting Rainbow Bridge in the Highlands Stud Winter Classic.

Ramsden looks like having one of the biggest hands in this 1 800m Grade 3 and will run three- Ancestry, Morning Catch and the filly Fresnaye. Candice Bass-Robinson also plans to be three handed with July supplementary Rocket Countdown, Ben-hur and Pacific Chestnut. Snaith, who has won three of the last six runnings, has declared Callan Murray for Doublemint and Robert Khathi for Love Happens.

By Michael Clower

Featured Image: African Night Sky (Liesl King)

Elusive Silva has burst into the Vodacom Durban July picture after his victory in the Grade 2 World Sports Betting (WSB ) 1900 at Greyville on Saturday and WSB now make him a 15/1 chance for the country’s biggest race.

Star Express (Denzil Govender)

Last year Elusive Silva was third favourite for the big race at one stage after impressive wins in both the Listed Sledgehammer and in the Cup Trial, but he had to be scratched after straining a tendon in the July gallops.

He clearly loves Greyville, like most Silvano’s do. In fact Silvano’s won the last three races at Greyville on Saturday and in 2015 they filled the July trifecta.

Star Express by Silvano won the seventh race on Saturday, a Pinnacle event over 1600m, and has shortened into 55/1 for the July with WSB. However, the biggest eyecatcher in that race was African Night Sky who stayed on strongly from way back and he is now the outright July favourite with WSB at 5.1. Recent impressive Daisy Guineas winner Do It Again is second in the betting on 6/1.

Dark Moon Rising increased his chances of making the July field by finishing a 0,5 length second in the 1900 and is now 40/1 with WSB for the July. Matador Man was an unlucky third in the 1900 and is a 50/1 July chance.

Pack Leader was scratched from the 1900 due to a concerns that he might have been having a slight bout of colic upon arrival at the course. It was just a precautionary measure and he remains prominent in the July betting with WSB at 12/1.

By David Thiselton