SA Derby winner Al Sahem has been installed 19-10 favourite with World Sports Betting for Saturday’s Daily News 2000 but Brett Crawford reports that Cape Derby winner Edict Of Nantes – second favourite at 3-1 – is in particularly good shape for the showdown.

Brett Crawford (Nkosi Hlophe)

Crawford, who completed the Cape Derby-Daily News double with Jackson five years ago, said: “Edict Of Nantes has come on a lot from his recent Allowance Plate second, he has been doing well and we are very happy with him.”

Anton Marcus’s mount shouldered top weight in that Allowance race, his first appearance for 16 weeks, and Crawford makes the point that the colt will be better suited by the extra furlong on Saturday.

Horizon is 11-2 third favourite and WSB’s other prices are 6-1 Pagoda,7-1 Zodiac Ruler, 10-1 Africa Rising, 12-1 Copper Force, 14-1 Secret Captain, 20-1 Captain Gambler, 50-1 Dark Moon Rising, Gingerbread Man, Glider Pilot.

In the Woolavington Daisy Fillies Guineas winner Gimme Six is 5-2 favourite to confirm the placings with 6-1 shot Final Judgement who has a length and a half to make up but Glen Kotzen, successful with Imperious Star seven years ago, is cautiously optimistic.

He said: “Final Judgement is flying – she has had a good prep and is doing really well. Also I think she is going to enjoy the Greyville 2 000m.

“She had one run over 1 800 and that was in the Paddock Stakes when she finished just over two lengths off the winner but it could be a different story against her own age group. She has tended to get a bit flat-spotted over shorter distances so maybe she will be even more effective over further.”

Orchid Island is 6-1 to give Mike de Kock his fourth Woolavington in nine seasons and other prices are 6-1 Epona, 7-1 Safe Harbour, 10-1 Bi Pot, 12-1 Smiling Blue Eyes, 14-1 Wind Chill, 16-1 Oriental Oak, Lady Of The House, 20-1 Al Danza, 25-1 The High Life, Party Crasher, 50-1 Dress For Success, 66-1 Onesie.

By Michael Clower

The grey filly Bela-Bela was the only July hopeful in action this past weekend and trainer Justin Snaith will have been well pleased with her showing in Gr1 SA Fillies Sprint. Up with the pace throughout, Bela-Bela finished just off the leading pack in a sprint that will have sharpened her up no end in the lead up to the Vodacom Durban July come Saturday, July 1.

Bela Bela (Tracy Robertson Photography)

Saturday at Greyville should sort out a pecking order as far as the three-year-old hopefuls are concerned. The Gr1 Daily News 2000 and the Gr1 Woolavington 2000 have attracted the cream of the crop but in some cases, July hopefuls that fall outside the preferred 18 on the log. At this stage of proceedings, they will need forward showings to come under consideration by the selection panel.

In the Woolavington, Safe Harbour, Orchid Island and Smiling Blue Eyes are all July entries. Safe Harbour ran Bela-Bela to within a length in the Gr1 Paddock Stakes over 1800m at Kenilworth back in January and more recently was beaten the same distance by Orchid Island in the Gr1 SA Fillies Classic. She has yet to race beyond 1800m and stable first call rider S’Manga Khumalo will be aboard stable companion Smiling Blues Eyes with Sean Tarry declaring Muzi Yeni on Safe Harbour which could prove telling.

With still two months of the season to run, Tarry is a shoo-in to top R30 million in stakes. His current tally sits at R29 239 000.

Anthony Delpech is contracted to ride for Wilgerbosdrift and has been aboard Orchid Island in her last four starts. However, he has jumped ship to partner the Sanith-trained Gimme Six, not a July entry but still a possible with the final supplementary stage on Monday, June 12.

Two early fancies in the July ante-post market, Gr1 SA Derby winner Al Sahem and Gr1 Investec Cape Derby winner Edict Of Nantes, are both due to line up in the Daily News 2000.

After interrupted preparations for both the Gr2 Gauteng Guineas and Gr1 SA Classic, Al Sahem was spot on for the Derby and won as he liked. The SA Derby has always been a useful pointer for the July and runner-up and Derby Trial winner Pagoda must also come into the reckoning. Geoff Woodruff’s runner has come into his own since he started racing in blinkers but has been a little under the radar.

Al Sahem (JC Photographics)

Brett Crawford’s runner Edict Of Nantes goes into the Daily News off an excellent effort in an Allowance Plate where he gave the winner, Crowd Pleaser, 6kg. The race was switched to the poly track and he was making up ground quickly over the final furlong which augurs well for Saturday.

Both Al Sahem and Edict Of Nantes are certain of a July spot and Pagoda must be thereabouts. Others on the fringes include Africa Rising, Zodiac Ruler, Horizon and Copper Force. Africa Rising steps up to ten furlongs for the first time but his pedigree suggests that he should have no trouble seeing it out. However, his Daisy Guineas effort behind Janoobi does raise a few question marks. The three others mentioned are all in the same boat. Zodiac Ruler did the best of them in the Guineas and his second place in the Investec Derby will count in his favour. Horizon started odds-on for the Investec Derby but was beaten nearly four lengths. He opened his KZN campaign with a promising win over 1400m but disappointed again in the Guineas again when starting favourite. The Daily News trip should be more to his liking and he may be worth another chance.

Copper Force is another borderline case but will probably need a seriously big effort on Saturday if he is to make the July field. Although he has not finished out of the money in eight starts he has finished behind Africa Rising and Zodiac Ruler in recent outings.

Two other July hopefuls in action at Greyville are Rocketball and Banner Hill who take their chances in the Gr3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup. Rocketball will have to up his game substantially to have any chance of making the July field while Banner Hill finished four lengths off Ten Gun Salute in the Gr2 Betting World 1900 which may have compromised his chances. Glen Kotzen said Banner Hill’s original target for the winter season had been the Gr3 Gold Cup but decided to nominated for the July after a fluent Champions Season opener. Victory on Saturday will definitely put him into the reckoning.

By Andrew Harrison

Duncan Howells has had blinkers in mind for Secret Captain for a while and this talented grey has his first run in the headgear in the Grade 1 Daily News 2000 on Saturday.

The combination of Secret Captain’s form and his style of racing has Howells baffled and he is still not sure what his best trip is. He pointed on the one hand to the Captain Al colt’s good sprint form, in which he has always displayed a good turn of foot, and then added, “When you watch this horse galloping he looks to be a horse who needs ten furlongs and he is also a half-brother to Bela-Bela, but he seems to battle to quicken in races over further.”

Horizon (Liesl King)

Another confusing aspect is that in his races over a mile and beyond, he stays on late after that initial flat-footedness.

Howells is thus hoping the blinkers will help him quicken.

He reckoned Secret Captain’s last run on the poly over 1800m could be ignored. He said, “He ran way below his handicap mark and I don’t think it had anything to with the surface, rather it was the sharp corner and the short straight which didn’t suit him.”

That race was a case in point of the long-striding horse not quickening effectively, but then staying on late. He was beaten 2,35 lengths by Daily News second favourite Edict Of Nantes and now has to face him on 9kg worse terms.

However, the run must have been all wrong because in his previous start he had stayed on resolutely for a decent 1,75 length second in the Gr 2 Daisy Guineas on the Greyville turf, beating the like of prominent Daily News contenders Zodiac Ruler, Copper Force, Horizon and Africa Rising. He will face all of those horses on the same terms on Saturday.

Howells concluded, “He definitely has the ability, otherwise I would not be running him here. He has been showing exceptionally good work and if he stays he will give a very good account of himself.”

Secret Captain has been priced up at about 25/2 and stable jockey Keagan de Melo is up from a pole position draw.

Secret Captain (Nkosi Hlophe)

Howells also runs the Querari gelding Gingerbread Man, who was beaten 6,8 lengths into eighth in the Daisy Guineas. However, a closer look at the race shows him to have a big action and he was staying on in eye-catching style from last.

Howells said there were no other races for Gingerbread Man off his 90 merit rating.

He added, “I think he was a bit too far back in the Guineas.”

Howells said this gelding had always shown good track work. He believed he would stay on pedigree. He is out of a Fort Wood mare, Ginger Tree, who won over 1800m and who is a full-sister to Rhizome, who won six times from 1600m to 3000m. Further down his female line there is plenty of stamina as well as class and his fourth dam, Nagaika, produced three horses who went on to be sires, including Connaught, who finished second to Sir Ivor in the Epsom Derby. Howells hoped Gingerbread Man could earn a share of the R2 million stake money.

Howells rates the Gimmethegreenlight filly Girl In Gold, who runs in the first race over 1600m, and she certainly caught the eye on debut over 1400m at Greyville when caught very wide and running on strongly for fourth. He will target her at the Gr 1 Thekwini depending on how she fares on Saturday.

Meanwhile, he will target the Gr 1 Allan Robertson third-placed Neptune’s Rain at the Gr 2 Golden Slipper on Vodacom Durban July day. He believed she was unlucky to have had a low draw last Saturday, which forced her to be handy while her best form had been when coming from off the pace.

Howells’ Betting World 1900 winner Ten Gun Salute will go straight into the July. The back issue he had is almost completely clear now and the fact he had it might have turned out to be a blessing in disguise. He was hardly blowing after his exceptional 1900 victory, so the yard have learnt he does not have to be given a lot of work to be at his peak.

By David Thiselton

Aldo Domeyer will ride Horizon for the first time in public when the colt tackles the Daily News 2000 at Greyville on Saturday.

Horizon (Liesl King)

Bernard Fayd’Herbe, who rode him when he was seventh in the Daisy Guineas, now partners Zodiac Ruler for Justin Snaith but Candice Bass-Robinson said yesterday that it was always the plan for Domeyer to take over here.  She added: “If Horizon runs in the Vodacom Durban July Aldo will ride him in that too.”

Horizon started favourite for the Daisy Guineas but was squeezed out early on and had to come from the back. This time tactics are going to be different.

Mrs Robinson said: “He likes to be given a chance in a race with a strong pace because he can quicken off that. It all depends on the pace but ideally I would like him to be able to sit around fifth.”

Domeyer, in blistering form at the moment, added: “I always look forward to riding in the Group 1s and I am looking forward to Horizon. I am also looking forward to him coming home for the summer season as I think he will be at his very best then. But we will see what is in the tank on Saturday.”

Glen Kotzen introduced what looked an exceptional two-year-old in the first at Kenilworth yesterday. Elusive Heart, despite drifting from 20-1 to a totally unconsidered 36-1, made all the running under Karl Zechner in a field of 16 to come right away in the final furlong and win easily, putting four lengths between her and second-placed favourite Evie’s Light.

Kotzen said: “Everybody was putting me off but, although she hadn’t been showing much at home, she has a beautiful action.

“I think she will go round the turn. There is no rush but there are juvenile features coming up so I will chat to the jocks and the owners, and then we will see.”

By Michael Clower

Gimme Six has been one of the stars of the SA Champions Season so far and is one of many potential winners of Saturday’s Woolavington 2000 at Greyville, which is the most wide open Gr 1 race seen this season.

Final Judgement (Nkosi Hlophe)

Gimme Six’s pedigree points to a mile being a trip she would be more comfortable over. However, she was not stopping at the line when wining the Gr 2 Daisy Fillies Guineas cosily and from a pole position draw her exceptional turn of foot can be used to the maximum by Anthony Delpech.

The long striding Final Judgement turned for home handy in the Daisy Fillies Guineas and stayed on resolutely. She should appreciate the step up in trip. She now has an even better draw and Richard Fourie stays aboard.

Safe Harbour is also a long strider and has finished second in all of the Cape Fillies Guineas, the Gr 1 Paddock Stakes and the Gr 1 SA Fillies Classic. The latter races were both over 1800m and she was unable to find the necessary extra to secure the wins. However, she has another good draw and should have improved and strengthened, so should be involved in the finish considering Greyville is an easier track in terms of stamina than Turffontein Standside.

Orchid Island won the SA Fillies Classic full of running and will love this distance. From a good draw she should go close.

Gimme Six (Nkosi Hlophe)

Smiling Blue Eyes, drawn five, was not herself when disappointing in the SA Fillies Classic. She also finished unplaced in the SA Oaks. Before those two runs she had impressed when winning both the Gauteng Fillies Guineas and the Fillies Mile comfortably. She should stay this trip being a full brother to 2400m winner Sage Throne. However, Sage Throne was better known for never living up to his considerable potential. Nevertheless, Sean Tarry’s regular first call jockey S’Manga Khumalo is aboard Smiling Blue Eyes, while Muzi Yeni replaces him on Safe Harbour.

Bi Pot is another long striding sort, who was overtaken late by Orchid Island when finishing a 0,45 length third in the SA Fillies Classic, 0,2 lengths behind Safe Harbour. She then finished a fair 3,35 length fourth in the SA Oaks over 2450m, beating Orchid Island by 1,25 lengths. She was drawn better than both Orchid Island and Safe Harbour in the Fillies Classic and is now drawn slightly worse, but she is a scopey sort who should relish this trip.

Epona came from a long way back to win the Listed Aquanaut Handicap over this trip in early January at Kenilworth, beating Louisiana by two lengths, and the latter went on to win the Listed Scarlet Lady over 1800m at Greyville in April. Epona won her KZN debut over this trip on the poly in the Listed KRA East Coast Cup, where she also ran on strongly. Anton Marcus stays aboard her at the expense of Wind Chill and Lady Of The House.

Safe Harbour (Liesl King)

Wind Chill was an impressive winner of the SA Oaks and before that only just failed to win the Listed Oaks Trial when dropped out from a wide draw and making up a lot of ground in the straight. She should be a big runner.

Oriental Oak is progressive and ran on strongly from the back for a 0,75 length fifth in the SA Fillies Classic before finishing a 2,5 length second in the SA Oaks.

Lady Of The House is a well-bred, talented sort who caught the eye when fifth in the Cape Fillies Guineas. She has 4,7 lengths to make up on Gimme Six from the Daisy Fillies Guineas. She stayed on well over 1800m on the poly last time and should get this trip.

Dress For Success is a rangy type who steps up in class and will find this tough.

Al Danza stayed on quite well for a 3,75 length fourth in the Daisy Fillies Guineas, but there is some stamina doubt here.

The High Life was disappointing last in the Daisy Fillies Guineas, but at her best has a good turn of foot and will relish this trip.

Party Crasher was 1,25 lengths behind Epona in the East Coast Cup but is now 4,5kg worse off and has a tough draw.

Onesie was 2,25 lengths back in the East Coast Cup and is also 4,5kg worse off with Epona and widely drawn.

By David Thiselton

North meets south in the battle for sophomore middle distance supremacy as both Al Sahem and Edict Of Nantes have stood their ground in the Grade 1 Daily News 2000 to be run at Greyville on Saturday.

They are the only pair of Gr 1 winners in the field but both have tough draws and it is not a two horse race.

Al Sahem showed a good turn of foot in both the Gr 2 Gauteng Guineas and the Gr 1 SA Classic over 1800m when running second to Janoobi and Heavenly Blue respectively. He subsequently won the Gr 1 SA Derby, so looks to have the right combination of speed, stamina and acceleration to relish the Greyville 2000m. He is by Silvano so will be improving all the time. His trainer Sean Tarry is virtually invincible at present.

Al Sahem (JC Photographics)

Edict of Nantes’ sire Count Dubois produced the Daily News winner two years ago in French Navy. Edict Of Nantes turned it on when coming from the back in the Selangor Cup over 1600m to run a close second to the top class Gold Standard. He was nice and relaxed in the running when winning the Cape Derby and from an always handy position pulled away from them in the closing stages. It was not a vintage Derby field, but he won cosily. His trainer Brett Crawford did the Cape Derby-Daily News double with Jackson five years ago.

Zodiac Ruler set the pace in the Cape Derby and stayed on well for second. He has been gelded since and reportedly improved as a result. He has stayed on well in both of his SA Champions Season starts to date, including when third in the Daisy Guineas last time. He should be cherry ripe and will relish the trip especially from a plum draw of two.

His stablemate Copper Force also stayed on well in the Daisy Guineas to be just a head behind Zodiac Ruler and will also have benefitted from the run. This classy sort is also drawn well.

Pagoda showed a good turn of foot and signs of class when easily winning the Listed Derby Trial over this trip at Turffontein. He did the same when second to Al Sahem in the Grade 1 SA Derby, although the latter never looked in danger of defeat.

Africa Rising showed a good turn of foot in the Daisy Guineas to range up to Copper Force, but the latter then drew away from him. His pedigree is difficult to judge but if there are any stamina doubts his good draw will help.

Horizon showed an exceptional turn of foot when winning the Gr 3 Politician Stakes over 1800m. He will likely want a stronger pace than he received in either the Cape Derby and Daisy Guineas and that could bring out the best in him, although on pure form he has a bit to do.

Zodiac Ruler (Nkosi Hlophe)

Glider Pilot is the dark horse. He proved himself a decent sort when winning over this trip on debut and he then suddenly stayed on strongly late when the penny dropped in his second start over the same trip in a handicap. He has scope for considerable improvement and Tyrone Zackey is never a trainer to be ignored in big races.

Secret Captain is well regarded and stayed on for second in the Daisy Guineas in the manner of a horse who would see out this trip. He was then a bit flat footed at the top of the straight in a Progress Plate over 1800m on the poly, although he was staying on late. He received 9kg from Edict of Nantes that day and was beaten 2,45 lengths, which doesn’t augur well for his chances, but the blinkers have now been fitted and this might see him livening up.

Captain Gambler is the only filly in the race and stayed on well for third in the Cape Derby at 100/1 odds. The long striding filly stayed on quite well from last when unplaced in the Grade 1 SA Fillies Classic in her next start. She was also unplaced in the SA Oaks, but it is interesting to note trainer Joey Ramsden running her against the boys again.

Gingerbread Man is a nice rangy type, who was staying on in eye-catching style in the Daisy Guineas. He will likely relish the trip, although he was beaten 6,8 lengths in the Daisy Guineas so needs improvement.

Dark Moon Rising is an unknown quantity having easily won a handicap when stepped up to 1600m in just his third start. He did over race from a handy position that day, so will need to settle better over this trip, but as a rangy type by Ideal World he could still be anything and Piere Strydom is up.

By David Thiselton

Sean Tarry’s chances of reaching R30 million in earnings for the season became a formality on Saturday after he added the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint with Bull Valley to the earlier Gr 1 SA Fillies Sprint he had won with Carry On Alice.

Meanwhile, veteran trainer Paul Matchett rolled back the years by winning the Gr 1 Allan Robertson Championship with outsider Brave Mary.

Sean Tarry (Nkosi Hlophe)

Tarry carefully planned Bull Valley’s attempt at the Tsogo Sun Sprint, a Gr 1 handicap, as he is not the soundest individual. He avoided running him in the Gr 1 Computaform Sprint as a good run there could have added weight on to his back for the Tsogo Sun. The four-year-old Toreador gelding, carrying 58kg off a 109 merit rating, hardly ever looked in danger of defeat in a race run at a furious pace. He ran away from them in the end to win cosily by 1,5 lengths under S’Manga Khumalo. Search Party gave Brett Crawford a second runner up spot in this race within three renewals and the horse who had done it for him two years ago, Gulf Storm, finished fourth. In third place was the Dennis Drier-trained Barbosa and this gallant seven-year-old thus achieved his first place in the Tsogo Sun Sprint in his fifth attempt at it. The Gr 3 Kings Cup winner Bulleting Home enjoyed this sprint trip too and finished fifth.

Tarry and Khumalo won the first three races together on yesterday’s card at Turffontein. By then Tarry’s earnings for the season had climbed to R29,143,350.

Paul Matchett’s Brave Tin Soldier filly Brave Mary caused a 30/1 shock under Gunther Wrogemann in the Allan Robertson, where she showed a fine turn of foot to win by 1,75 lengths from the Tarry-trained Green Plains. The Duncan Howells-trained Neptune’s Rain finished third and was beaten a whopping 4,75, which shows how convincing Brave Mary’s victory was. Brave Mary was unable to run a place in a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1000m at the Vaal three runs ago in her second career outing. However, she was unlucky there and had always showed plenty of zip. Two runs after that race she won her maiden by 6,5 lengths over the same 1000m and finished 8,2 lengths clear of a horse who had previously beaten her. The latter statistic signified how much she had improved. However, she was still ignored in the market on Saturday and caused the Pick 6 to pay R927,683.20.

Matchett, a three-time Zimbabwean Champion trainer, won the Gr 1 Golden Horse Casino Sprint (Tsogo Sun Sprint) with Let’s Rock‘N Roll in 2006 and that same season he won the Gr 2 Post Merchants with Tiza. Hopefully Saturday’s result will herald the beginning of a revival for his yard’s fortunes.

By David Thiselton