The progressive St Vladimir can give Brett Crawford and Corne Orffer their first Winter Derby successes at Kenilworth tomorrow.

The Fort Wood colt won the East Cape Derby in convincing style and could well be going into this as the winner of five races on the bounce had he not been badly hampered when starting favourite at Durbanville.

The two concerns are his rating and the ground. He is officially 5kg inferior to Majestic Mozart and 4.5kg behind Herodotus who have both raced in better company. It was good to soft here on Tuesday and 3mm of rain was forecast for last night and today. The selection’s only run on anything softer than good was last August when he finished halfway down the field on yielding going – but it was his debut.

He was second favourite yesterday at around 3-1 with Majestic Mozart heading the market at 28-10. The latter is ridden by Bernard Fayd’Herbe who has won two of the last four runnings of this race while the favourite has won three of the last four.

Justin Snaith has won the last three – with horses of the calibre of Elusive Silver, African Night Sky and Doublemint. Nexus (11-2) has not been further than a mile yet the stable had no hesitation about nominating him for this race after his win 11 days ago.

Herodotus (33-10) was third in the Cape Derby and, as the betting suggests, is quite close with Majestic Mozart. Retro Effect is the only one of the 11 runners to have won on ground softer than good but he is rated 10kg behind the selection. At 16-1, though, he might be worth considering for a place.

Helen’s Ideal looks good to complete the fillies’ winter series in the Winter Oaks and is an understandable 17-10 favourite. She carries plenty of stable confidence with Paul Reeves reporting: “I don’t think I could have her any better and I don’t have a problem with the trip – she is bred for it, and in any case I don’t think they are going to go that fast because none of the others has been this far before.”

Star Fighter is the obvious danger at 22-10 as she was only a neck behind in the Stormsvlei Mile but Silver Operator stands out in the Langerman and he is one for whom there are no going concerns. It was yielding when he made that immensely impressive debut over the 1 400m trip three weeks ago.

By Michael Clower

Sean Tarry is a valued customer when it comes to KZN-bred horses and he often reaps the rewards on KZN Breeder’s day where his runners generally excel. Tarry targets this day of inflated stakes and won six of the nine races, including the Million Mile with Matador Man, back in 2017.

Matador Man is back over his favourite course and distance at Hollywoodbets Greyville tomorrow in an effort to regain his crown, and along with stable companion Africa Rising, gives Tarry a strong hand in the race.

With Do It Again playing up in the start of the Gr1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge, Matador Man was forced to stand in his gate for some time, Tarry commenting along the lines, “That will do for Matador Man. He will be slow to go.”

They were prophetic words as Matador Man ‘walked’ out of the gate and was never in the hunt.

The Million Mile field does not stack up to the strength of the Gold Challenge field and with Lyle Hewitson back in the irons, a reproduction of his penultimate start when comfortably accounting for Vodacom Durban July hopeful Head Honcho in a Pinnacle Stakes, he should take some beating.

Africa Rising comes off a tremendous effort behind stable companion Chimichuri Run in the Gr1 Tsogo Sun Sprint where he was beaten less than a length. The majority of his recent form has been over sprints but from a good draw he will give Matador Man a run for his money.

Camphoratus, was first reserve for next week’s Vodacom Durban July and with the scratching of Magnificent Seven, she has made it into the 18-horse field. As a result Robbie Hill has been given permission to scratch from the Mile.

Of the balance, evergreen Unagi pops up on occasion and with Marcus in the saddle must be respected along with Wynkelder who is an accomplished sprinter stepping up to a mile for just the second time.

Given the nature of the meeting, many of the runners are under sufferance in the handicap that should give punters an edge over the ‘Olde enemy’.

The first of the plums could come in the fourth, opening lg of the Pick 6 where top weight Vision To Kill should have the wood on her rivals. Paul Gadsby’s mare does not have the best of legs but she can get along a bit. She was a good third in the Gr1 SA Fillies Sprint behind Celtic Sea and Snowdance, either of which would be odds-on should they have been in this line-up.

Cumulus and Hard To Play are weighted to fight out the fifth, Hard To Play is marginally better off at the handicap but Cumulus is in receipt of 6kg from his rival and goes very well over course and distance. Hard To Play has earned his weight with some consistent form in useful company. These two look set to fight it out.

By Andrew Harrison

To take a bet go to www.tabgold.co.za or www.trackandball.co.za

Hollywoodbets and Gold Circle are delighted to announce a ground-breaking R10m – 3 year naming rights sponsorship of Greyville and Scottsville Racecourses hereafter to be named the Hollywoodbets Greyville Racecourse and Hollywoodbets Scottsville Racecourse. Whilst stadium sponsorship has become commonplace in other forms of sport in South Africa, this represents the first deal of its kind in the South African Horseracing Industry.

Gold Circle is part of a multi-faceted and integrated industry, organising thoroughbred horseracing events throughout KwaZulu-Natal and is now partnering with Hollywoodbets which is South Africa’s most dynamic bookmaker, offering the widest range of betting markets on Horseracing, Soccer, Lucky Numbers, and all other Sporting codes.

Hollywoodbets is proud of the contribution it has made to horseracing over the past years through their trainer and work-rider sponsorships, and the number of horses that run in the Hollywood Syndicate colours.

The collaboration between Hollywoodbets and Gold Circle will encourage other bookmakers and corporate brands to get involved in sponsoring the Sport of horseracing.

Hollywoodbets and Gold Circle look forward to working together in ensuring that KZN continues to be the ultimate racing destination in South Africa. Together we welcome the world to Hollywoodbets Greyville for the 123^rd running of the Vodacom Durban July on Saturday 6^th July 2019.

The reigning Equus Horse Of The Year Oh Susanna has been priced up at 12/10 by Track and Ball for the Grade 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes over 1600m to be run on Vodacom Durban July day having drawn well in three.

Her stablemate Snowdance was not as lucky and is drawn widest of all in barrier 14.

Trainer Justin Snaith said about them last week, “They are flying, Snowdance has just gone to another level. She needed the run in the SA Fillies Sprint. She was meant to be in a barrier trail before that but they cancelled it, so she never got to have her proper prep. She’s come on lengths from that race. Oh Susanna has come on for her Tibouchina win. She’s not a 1400m filly, she’s better over a mile. So I think the Garden Province is going to be very interesting.”

Oh Susanna was allowed to go to the front in the Tibouchina which favoured her as she is hard to catch once she winds up into her huge stride. This time the jockeys might not allow her to have her own way and the danger is she will begin racing too strongly if she does not reach the front. This will blunt her excellent turn of foot and punters might have to exercise caution.

Snowdance might have no option other than to go to the front from her wide draw. This might suit her as her best performances have been when allowed to stride freely behind a strong pace. In this race last year she started pulling in a handy position behind a slow pace and after showing her usual superb kick those over-racing antics then told as she was caught late after looking the winner. She showed she can settle well enough in front when leading in the KRA Fillies Last year. She was caught late in that race too but might well have needed it as it was her first run since winning the Majorca more than three months earlier.

Santa Clara showed a blistering turn of foot when winning the Grade 2 KRA Fillies Guineas at the first meeting of the SA Champions on May 3. She also showed fine gatespeed that night and was able to find the rail in front from a wide draw of ten and ended up in the box seat. If Oh Susanna does indeed go to the front Bernard Fayd’Herbe could get her into the box seat again with the same tactics.  

The Grade 1 SA Fillies Sprint winner Celtic Sea was unplaced in the KRA Fillies Guineas, but a line can be drawn through that race as it did not pan out at all well for her. She was caught one wide near the front without cover and did not settle.  She was drawn seven of 13 in that race and now has a better draw of six out of 14. If she does find a nice position she is capable of turning it on. She finished third in the Grade 2 Gauteng Fillies Guineas on the tough Turffontein Standside track so should get the easier Greyville 1600m.

The classy Front And Centre finished strongly in the KRA Fillies Guineas for second but has the problem of a wide draw. It is particularly problematic due to her tendency to hang inward, which might have cost her the Daily News 2000. This time she might have to be dropped right out and make a run down the inside. 

Vistula is an up and coming three-year-old who possesses a superb turn of foot. She is the dark horse and represents good each way value at 40/1 with Track and Ball, although her draw of nine is tricky.

Al Danza has her second start for the Dennis Drier yard, who are no strangers to winning this race. If able to recapture the form which saw her finish close seconds in both the Grade 1 Empress Club Stakes and Grade 2 Ipi Tombe Stakes she will be a runner, although she will have to overcome a wide draw, which as a handy sort will not be in her favour.

Temple Grafin stayed on well for third in the KRA Fillies Guineas from a handy position, but now has a wider draw. However, she came home strongly when dropped in from a wide draw in the Umzimkhulu Stakes over 1400m so is a contender if it pans out as well again.

Stablemate Elusive Heart ran a fine race in this event last year, coming from near the back to run third and she will be looking to repeat this feat from a similar draw of eleven.

Rose In Bloom is a talented horse with a good turn of foot and finished third to Snowdance in the Majorca last year, but the mile does probably stretch her.

Roy’s Riviera has a fine turn of foot and showed in the King’s Cup when just behind Dark Moon Rising and Matador Man that she enjoys a mile, although she has had a busy campaign.

The enigmatic Desert Rhythm won the Golden Slipper over 1400m here as a two-year-old two years ago and looks to be better over shorter than a mile.

Being Fabulous struck as a classy sort from day one but after becoming disappointing she flew home to win the Syringa Handicap over this trip in her penultimate start. However, on weight for age terms here she has a tough task.

Twice As Smart will appreciate the step up to 1600m and although outgunned at the weights on paper she does have close up form behind the like of Lady In Black and Camphoratus, so can’t be ignored.

By David Thiselton

Every serious punter in the country sat up and took note when Mike de Kock indicated on Winning Ways 17 days ago that Barahin had a better chance of winning this year’s Vodacom Durban July than the favourite.

Yet Hawwaam still heads the market at around 18-10 and, surprisingly, Barahin has hardly come down from the 7-1 at which he was available at the time of the James Goodman interview – but Muzi Yeni shares De Kock’s view about the horse’s chance and that he (Yeni) is the right man for the job.

“I’m at a prime age for a jockey (32) and over the years I have gained good experience of the July,” he says. “I know the dos and don’ts of the race, I can read the pace and how to understand how the track is running. Also I know my way round Greyville and all this will allow me to ride the horse accordingly and to the horse’s strengths.”

Greyville, apparently, is difficult and the July makes it more so: “It’s tight and in the July they tend to go fast early before slowing it down and then turning it into more of a sprint.”

Yeni has had a long association with De Kock, starting with his first winner Storm King and including Solo Traveller who finished fifth in Mike Rattray’s colours – less than a length and a half behind Pomodoro, seven years ago.

Yeni believes he could have won that year. “Solo Traveller was the best chance I’ve had so far but listening to other jockeys who had ridden him gave me the wrong idea and may well have cost me the race. Mine was the fastest 400m to the finish and, if I’d had him closer and in a better position, he would have gone very near.”

He has yet to ride Barahin in a race but this time he has put a lot of concentration into sussing the horse out for himself rather than consulting those who have partnered him in public. “I have worked him and I found him a bit of a lazy horse, the sort who will do better and give you more on a raceday.”

Yeni has also studied the horse’s racecourse performances – “He is reasonably straightforward. He doesn’t show a lot of pace in the early stages and I don’t think he is a horse that likes to be bustled so I am going to allow him to find his feet and get into the race at his own rhythm.

“My draw (6) will help as I am with fancied horses who run similar to the way he does which is coming from mid-field, or a little bit further back, so I will have my dangers around me.”

Yeni has had six previous July rides and did best on his first, Thundering Jet, who finished fourth to Big City Life in 2009. Happy Valley was fifth to Bold Silvano 12 months later but eighth is the closest he has come in three subsequent rides. 

He has put a phenomenal amount of effort into trying to win the championship this season. Which would he rather win, that or the July? He grins and shakes his head. “I am not fussed – just one of them would be fantastic.”

You have to go back to Hunting Tower in 2007 to find the winner starting from gate six and, curiously, the high numbers have proved best in recent runnings. Indeed in the last nine years the winner has only twice come from a single figure pen. The winners were drawn 10 (2009), 2, 10,20,11,11,18,8, 15 (2018).

During this nine-year period four-year-olds won the race three times and three-year-olds on all the other six occasions thus supporting the long-held view that the one to go for is an improving three-year-old – like Hawwaam or Barahin.

By Michael Clower