Sixteen Vodacom Durban July contenders bidding for a berth in the country’s premier event and competing across three graded feature races topped by the R1-million, Grade 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge, is what awaits punters at Greyville in Durban on Saturday.

But last year’s winner of the R4.25-million race, The Conglomerate, as the first reserve is not guaranteed of a run in the Grade 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge unless there is a scratching among the 14 whose places are secured – but he is currently 11^th on the official July Log and should still be included in the big race as last year’s winner.

2016 VDJ winner THE CONGLOMERATE

With nine feature events on the 10-race card the meeting is one of the biggest events on the South African racing calendar and the final opportunity for entries for the blue-ribbon event to make the final field for the first Saturday in July.

The Rising Sun Gold Challenge includes eight July entries including the surprise Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes winner Marinaresco that won the Mike And Carol Bass Champions Cup last year and the captain of the Brett Crawford stable team, Captain America, that ran a good race behind Marinaresco in the Drill Hall in his first outing since finishing third in the Sun Met and second in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate.

Master Sabina, winner of the Summer Cup and French Navy, fourth in the Champions Challenge at Turffontein, are included along with Sean Tarry’s sprinters Trip To Heaven and Bulleting Home, the latter having won the King’s Cup at Greyville.

Star filly Bela-Bela will also take her place in the field in a bid to secure her July spot along with Saratoga Dancer that are ninth and 14^th on the July Log respectively.

The Grade 3 Cup Trial over 1 800m includes six July hopefuls including Black Arthur that was the boom three-year-old last season and last year’s Cape Winter Derby and recent Sledgehammer winner Elusive Silva. Master Switch and Trophy Wife, the latter having finished third in the recent Gerald Rosenberg, will add spice to the 1 600m weight-for-age event.

In the Grade 2 Tibouchina Stakes, Nightingale and Silver Mountain, both from the Candice Bass-Robinson yard, are the two July candidates hoping to make a strong enough impression to gain an invite into the big race but have a strong field of fillies to contend with.

By Richard McMillan

Brett Crawford will attempt to make it five Grade 1s for the season on Saturday at Greyville when the mellowed six-year-old gelding Captain America revisits a course, which was thought to not suit him as a headstrong three-year-old colt.

However, he will be facing a top class field in the Rising Sun Gold Challenge over 1600m.

Captain America (Liesl King)

Captain America’s class was shown early in his career, but a headstrong tendency soon became evident. He needs to employ handy to front-running tactics at the highest level because he does not possess an instant turn of foot. Gelding and maturity have seen him able to settle nicely in front and he has developed into a dangerous front runner. The big six-year-old is thus back in KZN for the first time for three years. Against him is a high draw and he will need to jump better than he did in the recent Drill Hall Stakes.

Marinaresco clearly loves Greyville and the key is his exceptional turn of foot. He would prefer further than a mile, but proved his effectiveness over shorter when winning the Drill Hall Stakes. He has a plum draw on Saturday.

Trip To Heaven is another horse with an exceptional turn of foot. A mile stretches him, but he showed in this race last year his class can carry him to the line as he only lost the race in the boardroom.

The versatile Bela-Bela has been unplaced in both her starts against the boys, but those were in the July and the Met and it will be interesting to see whether the coupling of her speed and class makes her more effective against them over this trip.

Brazuca finished a narrow second to subsequent Cape Guineas winner Noah From Goa in the Dingaans two years ago, so is a candidate here from a good draw.

His stablemate New Predator was fourth in this race last year, two lengths behind French Navy and the latter beat him by 1,7 lengths in this year’s Grade 1 weight for age Horse Chestnut Stakes over 1600m at Turffontein. New Predator has been top drawer over 1400m and might now begin seeing out 1600m better at a course which suits him, so he can’t be ignored, although his wide draw makes it tough.

French Navy is coming off an identical program to last year and his performances have been very similar, so he can place again, although his last win was way back in January last year.

Dual Guineas winner Janoobi is the only three-year-old contestant and has proven himself a dangerous front runner. The form of his Daisy Guineas win at this track is suspect, but the form of his Gauteng Guineas win is strong. His pole position draw helped his front-running style in the Daisy Guineas, but he now has a wide draw.

Saratoga Dancer (Nkosi Hlophe)

Sail South is much improved this season as he has settled better than in the past and he finished third in the Queen’s Plate, beaten 0,75 lengths by Captain America and he was 0,3 lengths ahead of Marinaresco. He has a tricky draw but Richard Fourie up is a bonus.

It will likely be a July preparation run for dual Gr 1 Sansui Summer Cup winner Master Sabina, who would prefer further. However, he is drawn inn pole and it’s a first run for a new yard, so this classy sort can’t be ignored.

Bulleting Home quickened away from the field in the Kings Cup and then finished fifth in the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint. However, it will be tougher here at Grade 1 weight for age level.

Saratoga Dancer has a fine turn of foot and consequently loves Greyville. He showed he is effective over shorter distances when third in the Drill Hall, beaten a head by Marinaresco, with whom he is now 2kg worse off.

Deo Juvente was 0,8 lengths behind New Predator in the Charity Mile when giving the latter 0,5kg and he was a neck behind Saratoga Dancer in that race when giving the latter 1,5kg. His surprise win in the Gr 1 Premier’s Champions Challenge constituted an improved performance over 2000m, so if he does the same over this trip he is a contender.

Victorious Jay won a mile race in good style on Met day and then finished a head second in the Drill Hall, so has come into his own. However, he will be 2kg worse off with Marinaresco from the Drill Hall and has a wide draw to overcome.

Reserve runner The Conglomerate is the Vodacom Durban July champion, but in this weight for age event looks well held on recent form.

Reserve runner No Worries is an enigmatic customer who has matched the best on a couple of occasions, but he is held on recent form.

Reserve runner Table Bay is much vaunted and none of the three three-year-olds who have beaten him over a mile this season are present here.

By David Thiselton

Last year’s Vodacom Durban July runner-up Marinaresco is reported in good heart for the Rising Sun Gold Challenge at Greyville on Saturday although there is some concern about the trip despite the horse’s win in last month’s Drill Hall over 200m shorter.

Marinaresco Liesl King

Candice Bass-Robinson said: “Marinaresco has been doing well and he is on target for Saturday even though a mile will be a little sharp for him. We have kept him a bit fresh for the race as he needs to be like that to run well over a mile.”

Bernard Fayd’Herbe, who again has the mount, is bidding for his third Gold Challenge win. He scored on the odds-on Pocket Power in 2009 and on 40-1 shock King Of Pain three years ago.

Saturday’s Grade 1 is expected to have an important bearing on the July even though the race’s record might suggest otherwise. Since Flaming Rock won both races for Chris Snaith in 1991, the only Gold Challenge winner to repeat the feat in the same season has been the Justin Snaith-trained Dancer’s Daughter who dead-heated with Pocket Power in the 2008 July.

By Michael Clower

They filled the next three places behind surprise winner Bull Valley in the Grade 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint at Scottsville a week ago and they will go to battle again in the R400 000, Grade 2 Post Merchants over 1 200m at Greyville on Friday, June 16.

Two of them, Search Party and Gulf Storm, that finished second and fourth respectively, are from the stable of top Cape trainer Brett Crawford who triumphantly won both the Grade 1 Daily News 2000 and the Woolavington 2000 at Greyville last weekend and will be on a high with strong hopes of snatching the honours in this top sprint event also.

Separating them at the line in the Tsogo Sun Sprint is the Dennis Drier-trained gelding Barbosa that showed a return to form in the Scottsville race with the promise of potential further improvement when he steps out on the polytrack for this race.

A full field of 14 runners will face the starter, with three reserves, with the Overlord gelding Talktothestars from the Coenie De Beer stable topping the weights and nicely drawn at three. While he disappointed in the Tsogo Sun Sprint, his previous effort when second to superstar Rafeef in the Grade 1 Computaform Sprint was confirmation that he had not lost the enthusiasm for racing and at the weights he has a 1.5kg advantage over his rivals on merit.

Search Party could be the Crawford stable elect with Corne Orffer in the irons and with steady improvement in each of his recent races he could be one of the strongest contenders in the race. Stable companion Gulf Storm, however, will have a major task ahead of him from the widest draw but cannot be discounted.

The Drier stable is in top form and in addition to the success in the Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion at Scottsville, the five-year-old Seventh Rock gelding Guiness gave his opposition a hiding in a MR 95 handicap over 1 000m at Greyville at the weekend confirming the form of the stable.

Gareth van Zyl fields the Captain Al gelding Redcarpet Captain that has won his last two starts over 1 200m on the Poly and the Alec Laird-trained Amazing Strike, winner of his last two starts, will be out to strike again.

Professor Brian from the Joey Ramsden yard has won his last three starts, the most recent over the course and distance in comfortable fashion and in a good time and with a light weight to shoulder again could put the cat among the pigeons in what has the makings of a thrilling speed encounter.

By Richard McMillan

When Piere Strydom landed at Durban’s King Shaka Airport last Saturday and heard his mount in Race 4 at Greyville had been scratched, he began questioning his decision to fly down for the race meeting.

“When I [initially] looked at my rides I thought that [Race 4] was my only chance for a winner. Now it was scratched,” Strydom said. But by the time he had left Greyville Racecourse to return to the airport that evening he had ridden two Graded stakes winners, Lady Of The House in the Gr1 Woolavington 2000 and Captain Splendid in the Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup.

Strydom’s two winners would not have delighted too many punters as Lady Of The House went off unfancied at around 20-1 and you get close to 10-1 on Captain Splendid. But riding fans would have worn out the replay button.

Strydom had to overcome draw 15 with Lady Of The House and wasted little time getting his mount into the lead in what looked a sedate pace. “They didn’t go that slow but the track was fast,” said Strydom. “I was told I could use her early on because she stays and is super fit.”

What punters did not know is that his saddle slipped shortly after the start. “That was a concern to me because when she started to hang in late in the race I wasn’t really able to ride her too vigorously.”

As a result, she hung in late and came together with 33-10 shot Gimme Six but stayed on to win by a head. Anthony Delpech lodged an objection against Lady Of The House but it was overruled.

As far as the Lonsdale was concerned, Strydom says he was told that Captain Splendid’s work had improved tremendously since his last run. “He was held on form so that must have made the difference,” he added.

Strydom is back at Greyville on Saturday, June 10, for the big Rising Sun racemeeting where he is carded to ride Janoobi in the Gr1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge and Silver Mountain in the Gr2 Tibouchina Stakes. For final fields visit http://www.goldcircle.co.za/champions-season-2/rising-sun-gold-challenge/

TABNews

Brett Crawford scored his second Grade 1 double of the season at Greyville on Saturday courtesy of Edict Of Nantes and Lady Of The House and stands a fine chance of becoming the first trainer since 2001 to do the Met-Vodacom Durban July double in the same season with two different horses.

Mike Bass achieved the feat with Bunter Barlow and Trademark in 2001 and also did the double with Pocket Power in 2008.

Lady Of The House (Nkosi Hlophe)

The Mayfair Speculators-owned Count Dubois colt Edict Of Nantes was an impressive winner of the Daily News 2000 under Anton Marcus.

His supporters will be waiting on tenterhooks to see how the handicapper views the race, but they need not be too anxious.

He beat the 106 merit rated SA Derby winner Al Sahem by 0,5 lengths and confirmed Investec Cape Derby form virtually exactly with Horizon.

The only other horse in the top five with form over a distance beyond a mile was the 81 merit rated Glider Pilot.

Therefore, Edict Of Nantes looks likely to be raised about five points to 107 and not much more.

It might have been a different story if the 101 merit rated SA Derby runner up Pagoda had finished fifth instead of sixth, as he could then have been used as a line horse.

As things stand Edict Of Nantes looks likely to have a nice galloping weight of somewhere from 54kg to 55kg in the July.

Betting World reacted by installing him the new 5/1 favourite. Al Sahem is at 11/2 and previous favourite Marinaresco is now 6/1.

Crawford won the Daily News in 2012 with Jackson. However, Jackson appeared to became a more and more difficult customer the older he got as an entire. He duly over raced in the July.

Piere Strydom (Nkosi Hlophe)

In contrast Edict Of Nantes looks to be an easy ride. He has it all, the gatespeed and early pace to help the jockey position him and the ability to be switched on and off at will. He has shown himself capable of quickening superbly off both a slow or a fast pace. He is going to be a hard horse to beat in the July as he looks likely to relish the 2200m trip and should come on from Saturday’s race.

On Saturday Al Sahem was unable to overcome a wide draw of eleven as easily as Edict Of Nantes had overcome his number nine draw. Edict Of Nantes ended up tracking Al Sahem and quickened past him despite being forced out wide. He then held Al Sahem at bay probably more comfortably than the winning margin suggests. However, in the latter’s defence he will relish the 200m further of the July and was coming off a hard Highveld season.

The front pair were clearly superior to third-placed Horizon.

The fourth-placed Glider Pilot is an A P Arrow gelding and is a half-brother to last year’s Daily News winner Rabada. He ran on well from second last to finish five lengths back in just his third career start and it will be will be interesting to see whether trainer Tyrone Zackey supplements him.

In a 5,5 length fifth was Copper Force. This year’s Cape Derby was thought to have been a below par race due to the US$500,000 CTS Mile being run on the same day, yet Copper Force, runner up in the CTS Mile, was comfortably beaten by two Cape Derby contestants on Saturday, the Cape Derby winner Edict Of Nantes and the Cape Derby fifth-placed Horizon. However, Copper Force was ahead of the Cape Derby runner up Zodiac Ruler and Cape Derby third-placed Captain Gambler, so has put his hand up for a July berth.

Zodiac Ruler stayed on from a good position for a 6,75 length seventh. He did take a bump at the start, which might have affected him. However, he was a borderline horse in 19^th on the first July log and might come under pressure for a place. However, the July scratchings of both Deo Juvente and Heavenly Blue, both near the top of the first log, will boost his chances.

Captain Splendid (Nkosi Hlophe)

Pagoda finished fast to beat Zodiac Ruler by 0,25 lengths, which might have been important as he was in 16^th place on the first July log.

It will be interesting to see whether Mayfair Speculators supplement their Woolavington 2000 winner Lady Of The House. Strydom overcame draw 18 of 18 to win last year’s July on the Mayfair Speculators-owned The Conglomerate and produced a virtual carbon copy race on Lady Of The House on Saturday. He was given confidence by Mayfair Speculators Racing manager Derek Brugman, who advised him she was looking for the trip. Strydom eased her to the front at the halfway mark. The rangy filly quickened at the top of the straight and stayed on resolutely. She hung inward in the latter stages, but she always looked likely to hold the narrow runner up Gimme Six at bay and the subsequent objection was overruled.

Safe Harbour beat SA Fillies Classic winner Orchid Island into third and boosted her chances of a July berth as Orchid Island was in fifth place on the July log. Smiling Blue Eyes did her chances of getting into the July no good by finishing unplaced.

Captain Splendid was a fluent winner of the  Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m, but Banner Hill did his chances of getting into the July no favours by finishing seventh.

Later, the former Gr 1 -winning sprinter Guiness made it a day for Mayfair Speculators to remember.  The cherry on the top was when Markus Jooste, owner of Mayfair Speculators, was able to watch his colours out in front for much of the way in the Epsom Derby, where his part-owned horse Douglas Macarthur finished a gallant seventh.

By David Thiselton

Edict Of Nantes was yesterday cut from 8-1 to 5-1 favourite with Betting World for the Vodacom Durban July following Saturday’s Daily News triumph. Second-placed Al Sahem has also been shortened (from 13-2 to 11-2).

Previous favourite Marinaresco, who runs in the Rising Sun Gold Challenge at Greyville on Saturday, remains on 6-1. Stable companion Horizon, third in the Daily News, has been marked out from 20-1 to 28-1.

Brett Crawford and Anton Marcus (Nkosi Hlophe)

World Sports Betting has Edict Of Nantes at 9-2 with Al Sahem on 11-2 and Marinaresco on 13-2. Horizon is a 28-1 chance.

Brett Crawford, fresh from Saturday’s notable Grade 1 double, is planning more assaults on top prizes and Search Party and Gulf Storm, second and fourth to Bull Valley in the Tsogo Sun Sprint, both go for the Post Merchants at Greyville on Friday week.

Crawford said: “Gulf Storm is not drawn well and Search Party is also a bit wide but they will both run while Al Mariachi (third to Sand And Sea in the Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion) goes for the KZN Yearling Sale Million on Met day.”

Live Life, who disappointed in the South African Fillies Sprint, could seek compensation in the Mercury Sprint on July 15.

Candice Bass-Robinson said: “She jumped upwards rather than forwards leaving the pens and was immediately at the back but she will stay in Durban and I will nominate her for the Mercury. However she will come home if she doesn’t draw well.”

By Michael Clower