Horizon, third to Vodacom Durban July favourite Edict Of Nantes in the Daily News, looks set to miss the great race a week on Saturday.

Horizon (Liesl King)

Candice Bass-Robinson said yesterday: “I will decide in the morning but I am leaning towards waiting for the Champions Cup. The July is a tough race and Aldo Domeyer thinks he could be better off in the Champions.”

Domeyer is to switch to Krambambuli for Snaith Racing and Jonathan Snaith yesterday explained the decision to switch Bela-Bela from the July to the Jonsson Workwear Garden Province on the same card.

He said: “If she had been well handicapped Varsfontein would have run her but they felt that carrying 57kg was going to be a tough task for a filly. The three who won the July this century carried comparatively light weights – Ipi Tombe ( 52kg in 2002), Dancer’s Daughter (53kg in 2008) and Igugu (55kg in 2011).”

The stable has four in Saturday’s Highlands Stud Winter Derby but Jonathan said that African Night Sky, winner of both the Winter Guineas and Winter Classic, is expected to be their only runner.

Bernard Fayd’Herbe again rides the gelding and he has also been declared for stable companions A Time To Dream (Ladies Mile), Weston (Winter Oaks) and Miss Katalin (Irridescence).

By Michael Clower

Brett Crawford’s win in the Gr 2 Post Merchants with Search Party on Friday night at Greyville took his SA Champions Season tally to seven wins and he has earned more than any other trainer during this year’s festival of racing.

Brett Crawford (Liesl King)

Crawford’s total earnings in KZN from the Champions Season’s opening night on May 7 until the end of Friday Night’s Post Merchant’s meeting were R3,171,575. In second place was runaway national trainers championships leader Sean Tarry with seven wins for R2,477,575 and next was Justin Snaith with three wins for R1,367,500. KZN trainers Dennis Drier and Duncan Howells were the other million rand earners with eight wins for R1,219,200 and seven wins for R1,078,450 respectively. Dean Kannemeyer has had the most winners in this period, nine, but is only in ninth place in earnings. Crawford leads the number of black type races won with four, consisting of three Gr 1s and a Gr 2. Snaith has won a Gr 2 and two Gr 3s, Tarry has won two Gr 1s, Joey Ramsden has won a Gr 2 and a Listed race, Drier has won a Gr 1, Paul Matchett has won a Gr 1, Howells has won a Gr 2, Candice Bass-Robinson has won a Gr 2 and Kannemeyer and Gavin van Zyl have each won a Listed event.

The Crawford yard’s 27 Champions Season runs this season have also netted nine places, including three Gr 1 places.

Former Springbok rugby fly-half Lance Sherrell and his mother Delma have worn broad grins for a few weeks as they have watched the Crawford-trained pair Search Party and Gulf Storm run second and fourth respectively in their colours in the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint and they also own a share in the Crawford’s Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge winner Captain America. The Post Merchants was the cherry on top, although there might well be more to come. It is fitting the Sherrell’s black and white colours are doing well in KZN as all of Lance, his late father Reg and his grandfather Reg Evelyn played rugby for Natal.

Crawford-trained horses commandeer the top three positions in the Champions Season’s highest earnings with Gr 1 Daily News 2000 winner Edict Of Nantes on top with R1,27 million, Captain America second on R637,500 and Gr 1 Woolavington winner Lady Of The House third on R635,000. Search Party is in ninth spot on R447,500.

Another statistic where Crawford is top is the betting profit per runner. For a R1 stake put on all 27 of his runners they would have returned a profit of R41.

Corné Orffer has ridden three of Crawford’s seven winners and deserves plenty of credit for Search Party’s win on Friday night. There was no false rail for the race and this was always going to favour the low draws and the handy to front-running types. Orffer was aware of this and his first winning move was to use Search Party’s early pace from a fair draw of six to claim the rail in front. Orffer extracted a kick out of the four-year-old Captain Al gelding at the top of the straight and this was the second winning move, as it saw him stealing two lengths on the field. The improved four-year-old Captain Al gelding kept going well to hold on by 0,25 lengths for a thoroughly deserved second career Gr 2 victory. The runner up was last year’s Equus Champion Sprinter Talktothestars, who had sat handy on the rail from a draw of two and produced a flying finish with topweight.

He gave the winner 2kg so it was another fine performance by South Africa’s most travelled superstar. The third-placed Amazing Strike was drawn in pole and sat behind Search Party in the running. Fourth-placed Captain’s Causeway was also drawn well in five. The favourite Professor Brian’s chances looked forlorn after Search Party’s telling kick for home. He could only manage sixth, but did run on well and it is too early to tell whether the handicapper has his measure. His five successive wins before this race saw him rising from a 58 to a 91 merit rating.Crawford is the leading Cape trainer on the national log and before yesterday’s racing he was only R110,162.50 behind third-placed Mike de Kock.

By David Thiselton

The Vodacom Durban July selection panellists face an unenviable task today before the naming of the final field tomorrow as the Dean Kannemeyer-trained supplementary entry Mr Winsome threw a spanner in the works by winning the Gr 3 Track and Ball Derby over 2400m at Scottsville.

The four-year-old gelding is a typically improving son of Silvano and had impressed when finishing fastest of all for tie-third in the Betting World 1900.

Anthony Delpech (Liesl King)

Yesterday, he came from the back again, turning for home third last, and produced a resolute finish under regular pilot Anthony Delpech to wear down the underrated stayer Sun On Africa from the Gareth van Zyl yard and win by 0,5 lengths.

The excellent trainer of stayers Weiho Marwing claimed third place with Let It Rain, who was beaten 4,5 lengths.

Adding impact to Mr Winsome’s claim for a July place is that he will face It’s My Turn on the same weight terms as he did when dead-heating with him in The 1900.

Mr Winsome will provide another July runner for two of South African racing’s most deserving owners, Durban couple Roy and Gladys Meaker, who have been stalwarts of the sport for decades.

Earlier, the Gr 3 Track And Ball Oaks featured two July entries, Girl On The Run and Witchcraft. They ran good races to finish second and fourth respectively, but they would have had to do more to book a July place, considering the comfortable 1,75 length winner, the Geoff Woodruff-trained Zante, is merit rated only 92.

Bela-Bela was a July scratching last week, as she will be targeted at the Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes.

Bela-Bela’s, Orchid Island’s and Captain America’s scratchings have made the panellists tasks easier, because if all the horses on the final log are included in the field then there is still one place left in the top 18.

However, there are three horses who were not on the log whose connections will believe they deserve places. They are Mr Winsome, Coral Fever, who was supplemented after winning the Gr 3 Jubilee Handicap, and Black Arthur, who is 10/1 in the July ante-post betting and his good preparation for the big race was completed by a third place finish in the Gr 3 Cup Trial carrying topweight.

Therefore some of the log incumbents might come under pressure and there will be a lot of jostling amid discussion done by the panellists, who once again will be the envy of nobody.

By David Thiselton

Professor Brian is unbeaten since being gelded and trainer Joey Ramsden has done a masterful job in keeping the gelding winning and keeping his merit rating in check. The Australian-bred is looking for six wins on the bounce when he lines up in the Gr2 Post Merchants at Greyville tomorrow night and although officially out at the weights he could still be well under the handicapping radar.

Brett Crawford (Nkosi Hlophe)

Professor Brian was going nowhere before being gelded and as a result his merit rating had dropped dramatically. So when he did embark on his winning streak it was obviously a mark well below what he was capable off.

Strictly on paper Professor Brian has it all to do at the weights in spite of the handicappers pushing him up the maximum for each win.

Victory on Friday will give the handicappers more leeway in adjusting his rating but it will be too late for the opposition.

Brett Crawford, who saddled Captain America to win the Gr1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge last Saturday, will be two-handed with Search Party and Gulf Storm although the former looks to be the pick. He came in for some quiet market support in the recent Gr1 Tsogo Sun Sprint at Scottsville and only had the winner Bull Valley ahead of him. He has had a steady build-up into the Post Merchants and should be cherry-ripe.

Top weight Talktothestars did not have the best of luck on the Tsogo Sun Sprint, being checked just as he was making his run and losing all momentum. Top rider Bernard Fayd’Herbe will be aboard and with a clear run, could prove more than just dangerous to Professor Brian’s winning run.

Veteran galloper Barbosa has lost none of his zest for racing and was a fine third behind Bull Valley in the Tsogo Sun. He does have a better record down the straight but has a favourable inside draw and can be competitive.

Being a proper handicap, the Post Merchants often dishes up a surprise result and the likes of Gulf Storm, Amazing Strike and Lord Balmoral are others to consider especially if attracting a measure of market support on the day.

There is much at stake for some runners in the Track & Ball Oaks and Track & Ball Derby at Scottsville on Sunday, both Gr3 over 2400m. The names are something of a misnomer as both races are open to all ages but be that as it may, both races are seriously competitive.

With the final field for next month’s Vodacom Durban July to be decided on Monday, either of Witchcraft or Girl On The Run will need to win the Oaks, and win well, if they are to be considered for the July. Witchcraft won this race last year but has only had two outings since, the latest coming nearly a year after her penultimate start, so this may be a tall order. Yellow Wood Handicap winner Girl On The Run has finished runner-up in two starts since returning from a lengthy break and should strip at her peak. She looks the more likely candidate.

Mr Winsome, supplemented for the July by Dean Kannemeyer, is in a similar position in the Derby. He was running on strongly from last when third in the Gr2 Betting World 1900 behind Ten Gun Salute but although his recent form is solid, he will need victory on Sunday if he is to come into the final reckoning. His last two wins have come at Scottsville, the last an exercise canter over the distance, and although he takes on much stronger here, he does look the part.

By Andrew Harrison

The Gr 3 Track And Ball Derby and Gr 3 Track And Ball Oaks, both to be run over 2400m at Scottsville on Sunday, provide a last gasp opportunity for horses to impress the Vodacom Durban July final field panellists and these races are open to older horses these days so there are one or two July entries involved.

Mr Winsome (Nkosi Hlophe)

In the Derby, the July supplementary entry Mr Winsome is a typically progressive four-year-old son of Silvano and he impressed in the Betting World 1900 when finishing best of all for a two length third, dead-heating with Gr 1 winner It’s My Turn to whom he gave 2kgs. He will receive 2kgs from It’s My Turn in the July, so it will be difficult to leave him out if he wins on Sunday and with Anthony Delpech up from a good draw of four he looks the horse to beat. His only ever outing over this trip was over this course and distance, in his penultimate start, and he cruised in by five lengths. However, he was joint best in at the weights that day with the seven-year-old Serissa, but on Sunday has it a lot tougher.

Captain Splendid impressed when winning the Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over this trip at Greyville and he could follow up as that was only his second start around a right hand turn and he relished it. He was comfortably ahead of Ovidio, who had beaten him in the Gr 2 Cape Stayers over 2800m on Sun Met day.

Ovidio is the joint best weighted horse in Sunday’s race and has some fine staying form in Cape Town. He has to give the rest of the field at least 2kgs but has earned that penalty. He won the Listed Woolavington Handicap over this trip at Kenilworth last October with 62kgs on his back. However, in his last start in the Highland Night Cup over this trip at Greyville he ran well below par and finished more than nine lengths behind the July runner Krambambuli. His previous form behind Krambambuli over 2800m shows that was not his race and if he bounces back to his best he will go close.

Mr O’Neill was beaten two lengths in the Lonsdale and is now 0,5kg worse off with Captain Splendid. However, he was caught wide the whole way in that race, while the winner had the run of the race. He has always been well regarded and has proved why since gelding. He will be a big runner here, especially if he can find cover from a tricky draw.

Helderberg Blue finished an outstanding second in the Gold Cup over 3200m last year and is joint best in at the weights here, so he should go close as his notorious temperament has improved recently.

Witchcraft (Nkosi Hlophe)

Let It Rain cannot be ignored as he comes from the stable of the expert trainer of stayers, Weiho Marwing. He has good Highveld staying form and is progressive. His merit rating makes him under sufferance with the best rated here, but the Highveld stayers seem to have been treated more leniently than the Cape ones.

Sun On Africa has always struck as a staying type and after finishing third to Krambambuli in the Highland Night Cup he won a good race over 2000m so is going the right way.

Three Balloons has a plum draw but is the second lowest rated runner in the race. He will have to bounce back to his best.

Techno Captain is the lowest rated runner in the race but these staying races often defy the ratings and if he reproduces his best run over course and distance he could earn.

Mr Winsome is chosen to beat his stablemate Mr O’Neill with Captain Splendid third and Helderberg Blue and Let It Rain next best.

In The Oaks, Witchcraft defends her crown but has only had one run this season. However, she remains a July entry so must be in good shape. The other July entry is Girl On The Run and she has never been over this trip before and was caught late after leading over 2000m last time. She is by Silvano out of a Badger Land mare, but her grandam is by Golden Thatch, so there is a stamina question mark. The Centenary has some class and is proven over the trip so she is selected to beat Patchit Up Baby with Girl On The Run, Zafira and Witchcraft next best.

By David Thiselton

The Gr 2 Post Merchants over 1200m is always one of the most exciting races of the SA Champions Season as the early speed at which sprinters travel can be seen from side on as they rush for the turn at Greyville and the best of them still manage to find another gear in the straight in the charge for home.

Professor Brian (Nkosi Hlophe)

Professor Brian is unbeaten in five runs as a gelding. He is usually held up and then simply mows the field down. His best assets are his superb turn of foot and big stride. He is officially not well handicapped in this conditions event as he is merit rated 91 and all horses on a 94 merit rating and lower carry 52kg. However, he has been taking giant steps from a lowly starting point of 58 and could defy the handicapper again. His hold up style means the draw of 12 will not be an insurmountable disadvantage.

Seventh Plain, a big long-striding bay gelding, looked something special when winning the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion as two-year-old over this trip at Scottsville and he followed up by winning the Gr 1 Durban Golden Horseshoe over 1400m.

He disappointed as a three-year-old but caught the eye in no uncertain terms in his second run as a gelding when staying on strongly for a 3,5 length third to London Call over 1100m at Scottsville. He was 1,5kg under sufferance with the winner that day and it was also his first run since returning from Cape Town.

He has landed a plum draw of four and off his 97 merit rating falls halfway between the top and the bottom of his 95-99 merit rated band in the conditions event.

The fillies always have an advantage in these races on paper. Joan Ranger off 101 is near the bottom of the 100 to 104 merit rated band but her 2,5 kg gender allowance gives her a shout over an ideal trip, although her tough draw of 14 will be particularly tough as she is a type who likes to be handy.

Brett Crawford-trained horses can never be ignored these days and the improved Search Party has a chance despite a draw of nine. The weights for the Post Merchants were set before the running of the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint, where he was runner up but being raised from 106 to 109 has made no difference to his weight for this race as the 58kg band is for 105 to 109 ratings.

His stablemate Gulf Storm, fourth in the Tsogo Sun Sprint, remains on a 106 rating and considering he finished fourth in last year’s Gr 1 weight for age Mercury Sprint over this course and distance he has a shout.

Talktothestars (Nkosi Hlophe)

Amazing Strike has always been well regarded and has turned the corner so is a runner over a suitable trip from a plum draw.

Barbosa ran a fine third in the Tsogo Sun Sprint and a repeat will see him have a chance as his 104 rating falls at the top of the 56kg band.

Captain’s Causeway’s 104 rating falls at the top of his band and he wasn’t disgraced in the Tsogo Sun Sprint.

Talktothestars was unlucky from a wide draw in the Mercury Sprint last year and now has a plum draw of three, although he has to give the whole field 2kgs and will need a reproduction of his penultimate start in the Computaform Sprint.

Lord Balmoral had some good form in Cape Town but has to bounce back from a disappointing Champions Season pipe opener at Scottsville.

Just As I Said is a speedy sort who has improved and, although his last start suggests the handicapper now has his measure, he is drawn in pole and can’t be ignored.

Redcarpet Captain has always been full of ability and has won his last two, both on the poly over this trip, but he has not raced since last September.

Top Form is course and distance suited but needs to bounce back from a thrashing by Professor Brian on the poly.

Captain Swarovski looks a bit high in the weights and was well beaten by Top Form last time he ran at Greyville, albeit on the poly.

Mr Roy was beaten in a lesser handicap the last time he tried this trip.

By David Thiselton

Marinaresco was yesterday reported in fine fettle and on course for the Vodacom Durban July despite his below-par effort in last Saturday’s Rising Sun Gold Challenge and being lumbered with top weight in the big one.

Marinaresco (Liesl King)

The four-year-old started favourite for the Gold Challenge but seemingly failed to pick up and finished with only four of the 15-strong field behind him. Rider Bernard Fayd’Herbe reported to the stipes that he felt something amiss although the consequent veterinary examination failed to reveal anything wrong.

Candice Bass-Robinson said: “There was nothing amiss but I think the pace over a mile was a bit too hard for him and maybe he was racing a little bit too close to it for his liking. He is 100%.”

The stable’s Majorca winner Nightingale, who ran a fine race to take second to Just Sensual in the Tibouchina, could renew rivalry with the winner in the Jonsson Workwear Garden Province but the July now looks more likely. “We are leaning towards that way at the moment,” said her trainer.

However Silver Mountain, who disappointed in the Tibouchina, has been retired. She was a runaway winner of last season’s Cape Fillies Guineas before taking fourth in the colts’ equivalent and second in the CTS Million Dollar.

Mrs Robinson said: “She was very good as a three-year-old but she wasn’t quite the same filly at four. Last Saturday she was travelling pretty well and, I don’t know if she hit a bad patch or what, but she was suddenly not travelling and Piere didn’t persevere with her. There was nothing wrong afterwards.”

Captain America (Liesl King)

The decision of the handicappers to raise Captain America’s merit rating by two points to 118 for his win in the Gold Challenge was responsible for Brett Crawford scratching the gelding from the Vodacom Durban July late on Monday afternoon.

Crawford said: “It meant a further kilo that Captain America would have had to give away to the rest of the field. With his distance limitations, and after discussing the matter with his owners, we decided it would be in the best interests of the horse to wait for the Champions Cup (July 29).

“This is basically a weight-for-age race and so he won’t be giving away heaps of weight. We felt we should scratch him early so that the public is aware of the position.”

The scratching came as a surprise to many, this writer included, but perhaps it shouldn’t have. Crawford told the April 19 edition of this page that a decision would be made after the Gold Challenge on whether Captain America ran in the July or waited for the Champions Cup.

Top weight in the July usually proves too great a cross to bear. Since El Picha in 2000 only Pocket Power, who dead-heated in 2008, has managed the feat.

By Michael Clower

June 20 [Tue] Final Field and Draw: Announcement of the Final Field and Barrier Draws 

2017 Vodacom Durban July ante-post betting guide [as at 1:03pm June 13]:

5/1 Edict Of Nantes; 11/2 Al Sahem; 7/1 It’s My Turn; 15/2 Elusive Silva, Marinaresco, Black Arthur; 14/1 Horizon; 15/1 Ten Gun Salute, The Conglomerate; 20/1 Nightingale; 28/1 Pagoda, Saratoga Dancer; 30/1 Nebula, Krambambuli; 33/1 Coral Fever, Mr Winsome; 35/1 Bela-Bela, Safe Harbour, Master Sabina; 40/1 Tilbury Fort, French Navy; 50/1 Brazuca; 66/1 Master Switch, Liege; 150/1 Trophy Wife; 200/1 Witchcraft, Macduff; 250/1 The Elmo Effect, Girl On The Run, Banner Hill, Royal Badge;

Odds courtesy of www.trackandball.co.za and subject to change

Will ante-post 10-1 chance Black Arthur get into the Vodacom Durban July is the question which will be on the lips of many punters throughout this week?

Trainer Justin Snaith confirmed the classy son of Silvano would be “spot on” for the big day. He also spoke about his other three July runners, It’s My Turn, Krambambuli and Elusive Silva, and revealed the decision whether to run Bela-Bela in the July or Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes was still up in the air.

Black Arthur (Nkosi Hlophe)

Supporters of Black Arthur will be hoping for consistency from the final field selection panellists. In 2014 the panellists found a place for the crack three-year-old Futura, who was near the top of the July betting boards, but who had only managed third in the Cup Trial behind One Cool Dude and Serissa. The Brett Crawford-trained horse went on to become an Equus Horse Of The Year, but by that stage was yet to win a race at Graded or Listed level, although he had won four of his six career starts. Their decision was vindicated when Futura ran third in the July. Last year the panellists found a place for both The Conglomerate and Saratoga Dancer, who had finished third and fourth in the Cup Trial respectively, although the order was reversed after an objection. The decision was once again vindicated as they finished first and fifth in the July respectively.

Black Arthur, in fact, has remarkably similar form to that which The Conglomerate had at this time last year. Both were winners of the Gr 2 Daisy Guineas at Greyville as three-year-olds and both were unlucky to be just out of the placings in the July as three-year-olds. Both then failed to find a place in any of their following Cape Summer season starts and both were consequently given necessary gelding. They then had their first starts as geldings in the Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes where they both stayed on without being a threat. The Conglomerate then crossed the line fourth in the Betting World 1900 and third in the Cup Trial off a merit rating of 101 last year, while Black Arthur, on Saturday, finished third in the Cup Trial off a merit rating of 104. Neither The Conglomerate nor Saratoga Dancer put in the best performance in the Cup Trial of last year, but Black Arthur was the best performer in Saturday’s Cup Trial. He carried topweight and gave 3kg to the winner Elusive Silva, who beat him by 0,55 lengths, and 7kg to the runner up Crowd Pleaser, who beat him by 0,5 lengths.

Jockey Anthony Delpech told Snaith afterwards Black Arthur had just tired slightly in the closing stages, indicating he had only just needed it and would thus be spot on for the July.

Snaith said, “If he does not get in, I hope it is because they have found a good one and not just a horse who has no chance. Black Arthur is proven at Group level, he has had a perfect preparation and just about every punter out there knows he is a horse who can win the race.”

Futura’s inclusion in 2014 was made easier by the scratching of four horses who had been in the top 16 on the final July log, plus the scratching of one of the borderline horses.

Elusive Silva (Nkosi Hlophe)

Last year the field also cut up, but The Conglomerate and Saratoga Dancer were still included ahead of the like of Trophy Wife, who had recently won a Gr 2, albeit against her own gender, and narrow Summer Cup runner up and Gr 2 Peninsula Handicap third-placed Deo Juvente, who had admittedly pulled up in his final July preparation run in the Jubilee Handicap.

Meanwhile, Snaith said It’s My Turn had not run in another race after his third in the Betting World 1900 simply in order to protect his handicap mark. Off his current 106 merit rating, It’s My Turn will carry 1kg less weight than the 55kg he carried in last year’s July when finishing fourth as a three-year-old. Also, on Sun Met form It’s My Turn has the beating of Marinaresco at the weights and the latter is four points shorter in the betting than him.

Snaith believed Krambambuli deserved his lofty position on the July log after his places in the Gr 2 Premier Trophy and Gr 2 Peninsula, both over 1800 at Kenilworth, and his wins in the Gr 2 Cape Stayers over 2800m and Highland Night Cup over 2400m. He said this horse had been so well at home there had been no need to give him another run before the July.

He said the decision whether to run Bela-Bela in the July or the Jonsson’s Workwear Garden Province Stakes would be left entirely up to her owners and they would have to make the decision before the final declaration stage next Monday.

Snaith was pleased with Elusive Silva’s win in the Cup Trial, especially as he had lost his footing for a moment at the top of the straight. The latter fact was revealed by jockey Richard Fourie and the yard will keep a close eye on Elusive Silva to make sure the incident caused no ill effects.

Snaith will also run Sergeant Hardy in the Mercury Sprint after his good performance on Saturday and he confirmed the big three-year-old sprinter had “loved” Greyville.

By David Thiselton