The thrill of Africa’s greatest racing event, the Vodacom Durban July, at Hollywoodbets Greyville in Durban last Saturday is over for this year but racing enthusiasts have another equally exciting feast of racing to look forward to at the end of the month with the country’s premier race for speedsters, the R1-million, Grade 1 Mercury Sprint, being one of the main graded races on Champions Day at the Theatre of Champions on July 27.

The meeting, also featuring the R1-million, Grade 1 World Sports Betting Champions Cup and the R1.25-million, Grade 3 eLAN Gold Cup, brings the curtain down on South Africa’s world-renowned three-month Champion’s Season and attracts thousands to the Durban venue where eight highly important graded races will take place on the 12-race card.

The Mercury Sprint, the longest running media-sponsored race in the country, is South Africa’s premier race for sprinters with the country’s fastest horses clashing over 1 200m under weight-for-age conditions which for the purists determines the real champion sprinter of the land. The result is likely to determine South Africa’s Champion Sprinter of the Year at the annual Equus Awards in August.

This year 27 horses have been nominated for the Mercury Sprint including the winners of three of the country’s top sprint races – the Grade 1 Cape Flying Champions, the Grade 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint and the Grade 1 South African Fillies Sprint.

For the first time in many years a two-year-old colt has been nominated to take on the older and stronger horses. Frosted Gold, from the Mike de Kock stable, is a New Zealand-bred son of All Too Hard that won the SA Nursery at Turffontein then ran second to the unbeaten Var colt Eden Roc in the Grade 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion at Scottsville. Eden Roc followed that up on Saturday when he won the Grade 2 Durban Golden Horseshoe over 1 400m on July Day being the exotic bet banker for most punters.  The Sean Tarry-trained colt has been entered for the R750 000, Grade 1 Premiers Champion Stakes over 1 600m.

Among the 27 entries for the Mercury Sprint are the SA Fillies Sprint winner Celtic Sea that on Saturday beat Oh Susanna and Snowdance in the Grade 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes over a mile and the winner of both the Cape Flying Championships and the Diadem Stakes Kasimir. The winner of the Tsogo Sun Sprint, Chimichuri Run, is among the entries as is Snowdance that was second to Celtic Sea in the Scottsville Grade 1 for fillies and mares.

As the grand finale to Champions Season, eLan Gold Cup day is the second biggest meeting in the country and the Mercury Sprint is a leading feature on the day.

By Richard McMillan

All of Sean Tarry’s Vodacom Durban July day runners were prepared in Johannesburg with the exception of Silver God but for the Gold Cup meeting all of the participants who ran on July day will be prepared at Summerveld.

He said Grade 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province winner Celtic Sea and Grade 2 Durban Golden Horseshoe winner Eden Roc were both likely to run in the Grade 1 Mercury Sprint and the Grade 1 Premier’s Champion Stakes respectively.

The only niggling doubt for Tarry about their participation was that a bad run for either could affect their probable positions as Equus Award champions elect.

The Golden Horseshoe runner up Putontheredlight is also expected to line up in the Premier’s. Tarry has also nominated Shango, who won at Scottsville yesterday, as well as Rock The Globe, who finished a 4,65 length ninth to Eden Roc on Saturday.

However, Tarry will have to think about his Grade 1-winning sprinter Chimichuri Run’s participation in the Grade 1 Mercury Sprint over 1200m as he drew 27 out of 27. Celtic Sea drew well in barrier position eight for the Mercury, Trip To Heaven drew eleven and Africa Rising drew 15.

He has two entries in the day’s headliner, the Grade 3 eLan Gold Cup. Liege, who won the Lonsdale Stirrup Cup, and Shenanigans, who won the Betting World 2200, drew 16 and 7 respectively out of 26 nominations.

Tarry has plum draws in the Grade 1 Champions Cup over 1800m, one and two for Cirillo and Matador Man respectively and Captain And Master drew five.

He also has three nominations in the Grade 1 Thekwini, the promising Victoria Paige as well as one-time winners Keep Smiling and Escape To Victory. Victoria Paige finished a 4,90 length eighth on Saturday in the Grade 2 Zulu Kingdom Explorer Golden Slipper over 1400m from a wide but will much prefer this trip and should have a better barrier position having drawn 14 out of 26 nominations.

Eden Roc showed an exceptional turn of foot to get up on Saturday in the Golden Horsehoe over 1400m. Tarry rates him highly and felt he would enjoy the 1600m trip. He said, “I think he is very good. He is progressive, is a good mover and covers ground. He ticks all the boxes. He is by Var but is out of a family who have done well for me over 2000m in the past and his style of running will also help him get the trip.”

He also rates Putontheredlight and said, “I think he is a top horse. His female line doesn’t suggest he will get much further but if he takes after his father Pomodoro there will be no stamina doubts.”

He concluded about this pair, “It would be foolhardy for me to make predictions on what will happen next year but both have potential.”

Tarry had earned stakes of R24,636,825 at the time of writing, R2,057,362 clear of Justin Snaith and R2,292,762 clear of Mike de Kock.

However, Snaith has no entries in either the Champions Cup or Thekwini.

He does have a good hand in the Gold Cup with Strathdon, Made To Conquer, Elusive Silva and Doublemint. His Grade 1 winning sprinter Kasimir is the favourite to win the Mercury.

Mike de Kock has a good hand in the Champions Cup with the top class Buffalo Bill Cody and the three-time Grade 1 winner Soqrat, although the latter did draw wide.

He has interestingly entered the two-year-old Frosted Gold in both the Mercury Sprint and the Premier’s Champions Stakes. He also has Alyaasaat in the Mercury and Alibi Guy and Var And Away in the Premier’s.

His pair Palace Of Dreams and Lady Defiance have both drawn wide in the Thekwini and he has no entries in the Gold Cup.

The feature races on Gold Cup day include the R1,25 million eLan Gold Cup, the R1 million WSB Champions Cup, the R1 million Mercury Sprint, the R750,000 Premier’s Champions Stakes, the R750,000 Thekwini Stakes, the R400,000 Gold Bracelet, the R300,000 Umkhomazi Stakes, the R300,000 The Debutante as well as two R150,000 Listed races, so there are opportunities for both Snaith and De Kock to catch up.

However, the bookmakers make Tarry the hot favourite to win his fourth championship. He is at 2,5/10 and both Snaith and De Kock are 3,65/1.

Tarry said the decision to keep the July day participants at Summerveld had nothing to do with the theory that horses can travel down to KZN twice in a season but not three times. He pointed out that Celtic Sea had travelled down to KZN for all three of her SA Champions Season starts and that hadn’t stopped her winning the Garden Province on Saturday.

Tarry said the decision was made due to the short three week gap between the July and the Gold Cup meetings and this would put the participation of any horse who did not travel well back to Johannesburg in jeopardy.

Meanwhile, Legal Eagle, who finished second last in the July on Saturday will remain in training.

Tarry said, “We normally avoid Durban but tried it this year and it didn’t work. We will give him the same break as he has always had and then follow the same Cape Town-Johannesburg campaign that has worked so well. If he shows any signs of being lacklustre he will be retired.” 

By David Thiselton

Horse racing is a sport of incredible highs but mostly lows. For owners the highs are intoxicating but the lows take faith, patience and quite often deep pockets, and sometimes even that is not enough!

But when it all comes together the sport is even more rewarding as Lynn and Garth Towell celebrated a second win as Before Noon carried Lynn’s royal blue and grey silks to victory in the sixth at Hollywoodbets Scottsville yesterday.

A buy-back on a dispersal sale, Sean Tarry recommended the gelding to the Towell’s. “About ten days later Sean phoned and said ‘I don’t know how to tell you this but your horse fractured a hind leg in work’,” recounted Garth yesterday.

“He fractured a left hind leg in about January last year but Sean had it x-rayed and the vet said he thought the horse had a chance.”

“He was sent to Karen Eekman in Kyalami for re-hab. Karen spells a lot of Sean’s horses and I must thank both Karen and Sean for their dedication and care,” said Garth.

The faith, patience and not inconsiderable expense all paid dividends as after a year off, Before Noon made it back to the track in February. He won at his third comeback race at Greyville and had placed three times more before adding another winner to champion jockey Lyle Hewitson’s growing total in his title defence.

With a double yesterday, both for Tarry, Hewitson extended his lead in his title chase and has now racked up 205 winners so far. Nearest rival Muzi Yeni picked up one winner yesterday to take his total to 196. With three weeks of the season left, Hewitson is odds-on to retain the title that he won as an apprentice last year and will head to Hong Kong safe in the knowledge that if all goes pear-shaped in the notoriously hard school that is Hong Kong, he can always return to a safe haven.

Tarry has played no small part in Hewitson’s success, having picked up on the youngster’s talent when champion work rider and it was again on display as Hewitson got favourite Shango home from a testing draw to win the fourth. Tarry obviously has high hopes for Shango who is amongst his nominations for the Gr1 Premier’s Champion Stakes at the end of this month along with last Saturday’s Gr2 Golden Horseshoe winner Eden Roc.

Hewitson was thwarted in his bid for a treble as another young gun, Luke Ferraris, got the better of him in the last. Riding for Michael Roberts, Ferraris got Winter Sun’s head down on the line to edge out Wishful Girl Linn with favourite Innogen under pressure a long way out.

Garth Puller was one of the finest ever to grace a racing dock and is also a fine horseman and trainer. Given his background he also knows the struggles that all participants in a tough sport face and is not averse to giving jockey’s chances. Athandiwe Mgudlwa is one of the fortunate few riders that does not have to battle the scale and Puller regards him as ‘under rated’. “He just needs to get his confidence back,” he said after Mgudlwa had got home on Simply Russian for Puller in the third. The race before he had finished runner-up on Puller’s short-priced favourite Winter Chill where he had to play second fiddle to the R40k purchase Candle Cove that gave Yeni his winner for the afternoon for Frank Robinson.

Robinson had favourite World Cruise in the fifth but was not overly confident of his chances.  In the money at his last five outings, World Cruise looked the right one in the 2400m contest but, “he’s a bit of a brass,” cautioned Robinson. “He’s always trying to get out of it.”

Whether he could have beaten the Puller-trained Belle Of Paris is debateable as apprentice Jabu Jacobs took full advantage of his 4kg claim and the filly made short work of her male rival.

By Andrew Harrison

The Vaal straight course stages an eight race meeting tomorrow and there are one or two opportunities for punters. 

In the first over 1000m, Sarah has won easily in her last two starts against her own gender and is the one to beat for the flying Paul Peter yard. The Tobie Spies yard are also in form and facile Flamingo Park debut winner True Charm could be a danger. 

In the second over 1000m, Dublin Quays is the one to beat as his debut win has worked out well and Marcus is now up. He can beat Astrix and De La Cruz.

The third over 1000m is likely to be contested by first-timers. The best of those to have raced is Rainbow Haze, who ran on over 1000m on debut in a fair field and was not disgraced. However, Scarlet Tiger is tipped to win. This first-timer is by Captain Al and is a half-sister to Mela Stregata, who was expensively purchased and has speed and talent but has hitherto been disappointing. The other first-timers to consider could be Pachal’s Samore, who is by promising new sire Vercingetorix out of a four time-winning Victory Moon mare from 1200-1400m, Musaytara, who is by Var out of the Grade 2 Debutante runner up Dijla (Elusive Quality), although the latter has not produced a winner yet, and Sasskia, who is by Master Of My Fate out of a one-time winning Dubawi mare.

The fourth over 1600m should be a duel between On My Mind and Blue Spark and the former is given the nod as one who has more experience and better time figures.

In the fifth over 1600m Ronnie’s Candy is talented and is well in at the weights. She has the ability to easily beat this field but this is her first run after a suspension for epistaxis. Scent Of Evening has beaten Ronnie’s Candy before over 1400m at level weights so must have a shout receiving 3kg here. However, Ronnie’s Candy was likely using that aforementioned race as a preparation. Furthermore, Scent Of Evening, although undoubtedly talented does have issues. So Pretty Border might also have to be included in the Pick 6 and Jackpot.   

In the sixth race over 1600m Zabarjad won his maiden easily over this trip last time. It was an improved performance and he looks capable of progressing off his opening handicap mark of 69. Gavin Lerena is an eyecatching booking although it won’t be easy carrying topweight. Oh Yeah will appreciate the step up in trip and has been dropped two points after his disappointing handicap debut. He is capable of better than that last run. Riga D’Oro ran a fair race first time out the maidens last time over this trip at Scottsville and could earn. However, many others will have to be considered if Zabarjad is not bankered. 

In the seventh over 1400m Monopolize ran a flat race in his second run after a layoff over 1200m last time. Over this ideal trip he should bounce back. Greenwood Drive will be dangerous from the front and proved last time this trip is not too sharp for him. Rocky Night also represents the Peter yard and should enjoy this course and distance from a middle draw, Count Tassilo beat both Greenwood Drive and Rocky Night last time over 1450m and this six-year-old Silvano gelding has won over the course and distance before. Nordic Rebel enjoys this course and distance and has dropped to a competitive mark.         

In the last race over 1200m the two-year-old Lighthearted is an imposing sort and could not find a gap when appearing to be travelling well last time over this trip and this followed a good win over 1000m. He represents the flying Paul Peter yard and should be in the shake up. However, he does have a big weight and a high draw and it remains to be seen which draws will be favourable on the day. Steffi’s Graft has a lot of natural speed and probably found the 1400m a touch beyond her last time. Back over this trip she must have a shout and in that last race over 1400m a low drawn horse won so the number one draw here should not be a disadvantage. Pretty Jolly moved up well over 1400m last time but found no extra late and she might appreciate the step down in trip. Baahir can go close if repeating his penultimate run, although he did disappoint last time. Category Four was not disgraced over 1000m over the weekend and should appreciate the step up in trip.

By David Thiselton

Rainbow Bridge has been installed 15-10 favourite by the sponsors to gain July compensation in the World Sports Betting Champions Cup at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday fortnight.

But the runner-up in the Vodacom Durban July has enjoyed mixed fortunes in recent runnings of the Champions Cup. Marinaresco won it 2016 but the previous year Punta Arenas finished second last and in 2014 Wylie Hall (relegated to second in the July) managed only third last in the Champions Cup. In 2017 and 2018 the July second did not even run in the Champions Cup.

Last Sunday’s Turffontein winner Buffalo Bill Cody is 3-1 second favourite for the nine furlong R1 million Grade 1 with 12-1 quoted about July third Twist Of Fate, Soqrat, Oh Susanna and Cirillo. Eyes Wide Open, third in last year’s Champions Cup and fourth in the July, is next on 14-1 together with Undercover Agent whose trainer Brett Crawford has won four of the last six runnings of the Champions Cup.

Sean Tarry is now considered by the bookmakers to be virtually unassailable in his bid to become champion trainer for the fourth time in five seasons. He leads current champion Justin Snaith by some R2.5 million and is variously quoted at 1-2 and 7-20. Snaith and Mike de Kock (close behind Snaith) are both between 3-1 and 15-4.

The championship is decided on NHA figures which exclude sales races. The Sporting Post considers this unfair and its statistics (which put Tarry nearly R6 million clear) include these high value races. The racing paper has a point – the sales races are worth so much that they have become prime targets for all owners and trainers with eligible horses.

By Michael Clower