David Thiselton

Wendy Whitehead has three runners at the KwaZulu-Natal Breeders meeting on Saturday and she is also looking forward to the run of one of her stable stars, Buttercup Baby, on Hollywoodbets Durban July day.

Wendy has the best weighted runner in the eighth race on Saturday, the Captain Of Al Kwazulu-Natal Breeders 1600 on the poly. Her three-year-old filly Limitless Sky is 4kg better off than any other horse. She ran a shocker last time over 1400m on the poly in a Class 3 event over 1400m. However, the on course veterinarian could not find anything amiss. Before that she had run a 4,10 length fourth to Keukenhof in the Gr 3 uMzimkhulu Stakes over 1400m and followed that by not being disgraced when beaten 9.05 lengths by the dual Gr 1 winner Wish List in the Gr 2 WSB Fillies Guineas. She has drawn barrier ten out of ten on Saturday and regular rider Calvin Habib rides.

Wendy said, “Limitless Sky is very, very well. My only concerns are she doesn’t really like the poly track and she is drawn deep, but I am going to try and change her tactics and try and get her to race a bit more handy and maybe that will pay off because I think that is the right race, it is just a pity we are drawn so deep.”

The bookmakers have taken that last run into consideration and Hollywoodbets have her at 5/1, which could be good value if she does manage to produce her best.

First up for Wendy on Saturday is Tee Dog (Act Of War), who runs in the Blue Sky Thoroughbreds KZN Breeders 1900 on the poly. The small size of the field with just eight runners will suit this big gelding as he relishes being in front and will have the opportunity to dictate in a field where there are no other front-running sorts. He is a whopping 9,5kg under sufferance with the best weighted Hat’s Queen. However, the latter has not run since flopping in this race last year when well treated at the weights, only managing a 1,45 length fourth of six. Hat’s Queen will likely need the run after a year’s layoff. The second best weighted runner in the race is Fine Wine (Futura) who is in good form and she has a further advantage of being ridden by the very much in form Mickaelle Michel, whose 1,5kg gender claim is a bonus. However Tee Dog could get the run of the race and will offer good eachway value at 14/1.

Wendy said, “Tee Dog is very well. He just needed that last run of his and has come on from it.”

She runs Dog Soldier (Declarationofpeace) in the Double Superlative Maiden Plate over 1400m on the turf. Wendy reckoned the rider backed off him last time when hampered halfway down the straight, so that run can probably be ignored, Before that he ran a cracking 3,40 length fifth in a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1200m on the Hollywoodbets Greyville turf, despite jumping from a wide draw. Richard Fourie is an eyecatching booking and he jumps from draw six over a trip he should get being out of a Captain Al dam who won three times from 1000m to 1600m. This race will not take a lot of winning. Furthermore, the likely favourite Owner Of Creation is drawn wide. The 7/1 shot Dog Soldier has a chance.

Wendy has entered the 102-rated What A Winter filly Buttercup Baby in the Middle Stakes race over 1200m for fillies and mares on the poly on Hollywoodbets Durban July day and she has everything in her favour. Firstly, she is at the top of the highest merit-rated band, the 99 to 102 band, which makes her the best weighted runner among the entries together with the 106-rated Precocious and the 104-rated Scarlet Macaw, who will get half-a-kilogram for each point they are above the benchmark rating of 102. Secondly she has landed a plum draw of five out of the 46 entries. She was tried over 1400m in the Tibouchina last time but it didn’t pan out at all well as she was caught wide without cover from a wide draw and duly faded after being squeezed out in the straight. Before that she ran a cracking four length third in the Gr 3 Poinsettia over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville and followed that with a fine run in the Gr 1 SA Fillies Sprint in which she was beaten just 5,40 lengths. She was raised five points to 103 for that Gr 1 effort, but came down a point after the Tibouchina. She should be a big runner in the Middle Stakes race over 1200m on Hollywoodbets July day.

Summerveld trainer Frikkie Greyling sends out three Blue Sky Thoroughbred-bred runners in the Kwazulu-Natal Breeders Mile and the two homebreds among them, Amelia’s Legacy and Go Grayson Go, have the class to be contenders.

 

Amelia’s Legacy is impeccably bred being by Vercingetorix out of the classy Dynasty mare Hashtagyolo. She looked capable of following in her mother’s footsteps when showing a magnificent turn of foot second time out and winning her maiden over 1400m at Hollywoodbets Greyville by four lengths. In her first run out of the maidens she was beaten 2,15 lengths by the classy older horse Ladyofdistinction over 1400m at Hollywoodbets Greyville when receiving just 2,5kg. Then next time out she faced the same horse in the Listed Flamboyant Stakes over 1600m at Hollywoodbets Greyville and receiving just 1,5kg ran a fine 0,25 length second. Then came a mishap at the start in her next outing and she had to be withdrawn. In her following start she was well below par, finishing a 12,15 length last in the Gr 2 WSB Fillies Guineas.

 

Bruce le Roux of Blue Sky Thoroughbreds said, “She didn’t raise a gallop in that last run. The race before she had that incident in the starting stalls, so she was a bit nervous, but apparently she is alright now. We are hoping she is back to her best, Frikkie says he is doing all that needs to be done now and he’s taken her around to the starting pens. So we are hoping for a big run, as always, but it is all to do with her mind now. That’s the main thing and we hope she will be fine.”

 

Go Grayson Go also has class, but Bruce confirmed he tends to take a bit of a strong hold.

 

However, he might appreciate the drop in trip as he won’t need to be reined in as much as he would over further.

Please Note: South African Quartet Pools with fractional betting offered at Ascot (World Pool) and Newmarket (UK) – 19 June 2026

RACE 1

FYFIELD LEGEND deserves a winning turn after three runner-up performances in a row. GIMMETHATWORLDCUP has already been gelded and makes his debut for the formidable team of Richard Fourie and Alan Greeff. J LORDI showed improvement second time out and has a place chance. CARNIVAL made a good debut and would not be a surprise winner. Stable companion NIGHT VISION does have stable jockey Craig Zackey in the irons.

RACE 2

Trainer Justin Snaith is raiding with a couple of runners. NOBODY’S PERFECT has not run badly in two of three starts and should be up to beating these rivals. STONE OF SCONE returned to form with a solid runner-up performance and can contest the finish again. TIPSY has room for improvement and is not out of it. WAIT FOR ME makes her local debut and should fight out the finish. FOCAL POINT has improved of late and could be having a winning turn.

RACE 3

REDLIGHT LANE has had her fair share of chances to win a race in the Western Cape. She got close a couple of times and could win a race of this nature. TURBULENT has been consistent since moving to this centre and should be right there at the finish once again. HALF MOON ISLAND returns from a break but might earn some money. MASTEROFTHEBAROQUE has only been fair so far but could improve for trainer Alan Greeff. PRETTY BOY showed some improvement and could have more to offer.

RACE 4

A very open race and it could be worth going very wide in the Pick 6. TASTE THE RAINBOW showed some improvement on local debut and could have more to offer. BUGLE and MONKEY’S WEDDING are both carded to run prior and those runs will need to be looked at. Both do hold fair chances of winning a race at this level. ALAKAZAM disappointed last time out but is clearly not out of it. LUCA DA WHEELS, MATT’S WARRIOR and JET O WAR are all capable of improvement and could be included in perms.

RACE 5

DUPONT EMERALD is still improving and has won twice in a row. She has every chance of completing the hat-trick. YOU’RE SO SPECIAL has ability but is trying to work off her high merit-rating. MOUNTAIN HIGH is capable of improvement and has a place chance. TOO LATE MY MATE showed promise on local debut and should be having a winning turn. SUPREME FATE has made the trip from Cape Town and would not be a surprise winner. POMEROL and UMZOLOZOLO are two others to consider.

RACE 6

Another open looking race. HELIOTROPE was a solid winner last week on this surface and could follow up. GLOBAL ALLY is consistent and clearly not out of it. JUAN CARLOS is better than his last run suggests. MAKHACHEV has struck form with two polytrack wins and must be respected for that. GEORGE HANDEL, ABOVE THE HORIZON and HOLLANDIA BAKKERIJ are all capable of getting involved.

RACE 7

PINK PIGEON is consistent and could be the right one for this particular race. SONG OF MYSELF has had a very good season and is not out of it. DOITWITHDIAMONDS makes her local debut and could make the frame. Her stable companion VIRGIN RIVER is in very good shape and should contest the finish yet again. UNCONQUERABLE LADY and KINGS AGAIN are both recent winners and could play minor roles tackling stronger this time. SPORTS FAN is better than her recent form and could be the surprise package of the race.

RACE 8

A very tricky race and it is best to go very wide in all the exotics. MY DEAR FRIEND tried her luck in a better race last time out and was not disgraced. She has changed trainers since and could score. SPEED RACER and stable companion THE WINTER LAKE are speedy so quite capable of upsets on their best form. WAROFDYNAMITE is in good form and could make the frame. OVERTURE is talented but might be at best over further. WARRIOR OF ROYALTY and CAN YOU DANSE are both better than their latest runs suggest and have to be considered possible winners.

David Thiselton

Peter Muscutt has engaged the Australian-based Zimbabwean Mark du Plessis to ride I Salute You in the Hollywoodbets Durban July and this will be a reunion of a partnership which has had success in both Zimbabwe and Singapore.

Peter has never had a runner under his own name in South Africa’s greatest race, but this year he looks a virtual certainty to have two runners as his pair of entries, Isivivane and I Salute You, were in 15^th and 16^th position on the last Hollywoodbets Durban July log.

Peter said about top jockey Mark du Plessis, who was Zimbabwe’s Apprentice Champion in the 1994/95 season and their overall champion in 1997/98, “He rode for me in Zimbabwe and in Singapore and in fact he rode my first winner in Singapore. He has been very successful in Asia and very successful in New Zealand. He actually had to forego the New Zealand championship the one season, because he landed a contract in Hong Kong. He would have won it, he was a long way clear. He did very well in Hong Kong (in two stints). He is a natural light weight and apart from his current residence (Australia) and all of those other places mentioned he has also ridden winners in Japan, very good rider.”

Mark has never ridden in the July before, but has ridden at Hollywoodbets Greyville.

Peter elaborated, “He did well in Hong Kong, whose two tracks are not unlike Greyville (both are tight, right-handed tracks), and he has got a lot of experience on tight-turning tracks in both New Zealand and Australia.”

Mark has ridden 36 wins in Queenland this season, which puts him in 32^nd place on the Queensland table. However, that gives a bit of a skewed picture, because in the statistics limited to the metro racetracks he is in 12^th position with 18 wins.

Although these are Peter’s first July runners under his name he has had a lot of experience in preparing July horses as the former Summerveld assistant to both Joey Ramsden and Brett Crawford.

As far as big race preparation goes, he has also learnt from one of the best trainers in the world, having spent seven years working with Australian legend Chris Waller.

The Hollywood Racing-owned four-year-old Erupt gelding Isivivane booked his berth in the July by winning the Gr 3 WSB 1900 on May 9, beating the fancied July entry Regulation by 0,60 lengths at level weights. Sean Veale rode him in the 1900 and will stay aboard for the July.

I Salute You, a four-year-old gelding by Soqrat, booked his place by finishing a 0,70 length second to Zeitz in the Gr 3 Betgames Cup Trial over 1800m on June 6.

Peter said, “Isivivane has a 2,5kg advantage over I Salute You, but I Salute You is a very good horse and I have no hesitation in suggesting that both horses are going to see out the trip very well, they are both very fit horses.”

I Salute You will be 1kg better off with Zeitz for a 0,70 length beating and Peter said, “I can’t see him beating us again.”

He added, “I Salute You was also a touch slowly away in the Cup Trial and if he hadn’t missed the break I think he would have taken a lot of beating. He was a fair way further back than I had wanted him and had he been in front of Zeitz turning in I don’t think he would have beaten us.”

He continued, “I Salute You has not jumped well in his last two starts, but we will do some work on that.”

He concluded, “They both came out of their races very well. They seem to be horses who are on the improve and they are both in really good form. Now we wait for the draws.”

Isivivane won’t have run for nearly two months by the time of the July, but Peter does not see that as a problem and reiterated that he was a very fit horse.

Both horses will work on their own at the official Hollywoodbets Durban July Gallops.

Peter added, “According to their schedule they will probably both work from the 1400m and pick it up from the 1000m.”

I Salute You is owned by Messrs E C Abraham, Mayesh Chetty, T Herdon, K Nattar, Tony Zackey, Advocate W A J Nicholson & Miss Trinisha Pillay. It will be an exciting build up to the big day for all of them.

Peter said about the draws he would prefer, “Anything from 5 to 10 would be ideal.”

Isivivane is a half-brother to the Gr 1 SA Classic winner Red Saxon (Red Ray). He is out of Casey Tibbs mare Rodeo Sioux, whose three wins included a minor feature over 2600m, so that coupled with Erupt being by Dubawi and having won two Gr 1s over 2400m augurs well for his capacity to handle the testing July trip.

I Salute You’s sire Soqrat’s three Gr 1 wins were all over a mile, but he was a flying second with topweight in the Gr 1 Summer Cup over the tough Turffontein 2000m. I Salute You,  is out of a mare by speed influence Var, but that mare is in turn out of a mare by stamina influence Silvano.

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