Track And Ball yesterday cut Do It Again from 5-1 to 3.85-1 clear second favourite for the Vodacom Durban July. Hawwaam still heads the market but he has been eased from 16-10 to 2.1-1 while Rainbow Bridge is out from 5.25-1 to 6.25-1. Other major layers have done much the same although at least one is still offering 5-1 about Do It Again

Punters are now weighing up whether to take advantage or whether to wait, and indeed whether Do It Again’s chances three weeks on Saturday have actually improved as a result of Saturday’s performance. History is all against last year’s winner and there is more to it than simply no horse succeeding in winning the country’s greatest race twice since El Picha at the turn of the century.

In truth, the Rising Sun Gold Challenge has been a poor guide to the July. Since Flaming Rock won both races back in 1991 only one horse has won the Gold Challenge and the July in the same season and that was the dead-heater Dancer’s Daughter 11 years ago.  Possibly significantly both horses were trained by a Snaith. But in addition the July winner has not even run in the Gold Challenge in nine of the last ten seasons.

Do It Again will need to overcome the dreaded second-run-after-a-rest syndrome and apparently also temperament problems that were revealed for the first time on Saturday – Justin Snaith: “I was very nervous. We had a few hiccups in the parade ring and I could see his head was starting to turn. He was getting annoyed.”  Snaith had even taken the precaution of flying in the famous horse whisperer Malan du Toit from Cape Town (“and thank goodness we did”).

And those whose price has lengthened? Well, Rainbow Bridge would surely not have been beaten anything like the official length and three-quarters had Anton Marcus not been forced to switch as he was making his run while the supremely talented shadow of Hawwaam hovers over the race like a colossus. His price will surely shorten if Mike de Kock is given the green light.

By Michael Clower

Armando may have run his last race in South Africa. When Brett Crawford trained Elusive Gold for a Tony Millard client the horse stayed here until he had won the Cape Guineas but Crawford, after watching the Lammerskraal-bred What A Winter colt put up a performance in the Cape Of Good Hope Nursery that had Guineas written all over it, expressed doubts about history repeating itself.

He said: “I am waiting to hear from Tony and Mr Ng but, now that Armando has proved that he is Group winner, it’s more than likely he will get going for Hong Kong.”

Understandable – that is what he was bought for – but he won as if he could put the Cape Nursery a bit more on the classic map and Bernard Fayd’Herbe was impressed, saying: “He won a gutsy race. The horse of Vaughan Marshall’s (Fearless Warrior) is decent. I picked him up about the 300 and I thought I would have him quite easily but he went on again.”

By this stage Fayd’Herbe was in the sort of inspired form that does not countenance defeat. His five-timer embraced the last four races and he had already landed the Kenilworth Fillies Nursery on 61-20 shot Cousin Liz who also had a Marshall-M.J. Byleveld fancy as her principal victim.

“I knew it was going to be hard to hunt down Mirage (the 22-10 favourite) because M.J. had a length and a half on me,” Fayd’Herbe related. “Mine got tired in the last bit but she is a smart filly, a sprinter.”

Candice Bass-Robinson, who has now won half the six runnings of these two nurseries in the three seasons she has been training, is optimistic that the Captain Al filly will get further. “I am sure she will try a mile and I hope she will get it but she does have a lot of speed.”

The situation is complicated – and clouded – by soundness issues. “She has a knee problem. It was tough getting her here today and I couldn’t get a run into her.”

Marshall and his jockey might have suffered Group reverses but they unleashed a good’un in the first In Silver Operator who had the bookies running for cover – he was backed from 9-1 to 11-10 – and came away from a furlong out to score by three and a half impressive lengths.

“You can see from the betting that we did fancy him,” confirmed Marshall’s assistant Adele Alsop. “This is a super, super colt.”

Byleveld added: “His work was magnificent and I thought it would take a very good horse to come and fetch him. It’s early days yet but he is something to look forward to.”

Greg Cheyne was the only other jockey to get a look-in, deputising for the sidelined Donovan Dillon on the Geoff Woodruff-trained last gasp winner Retro Effect and following up on Sacred Arrow who initiated a Bass-Robinson double in the Tellytrack.com Handicap.

By Michael Clower

The Mike de Kock-trained Gimmethegreenlight colt Barahin booked his place in the Vodacom Durban July yesterday when storming home under Anton Marcus to win the Grade 3 Jubilee Handicap over 1800m at Turffontein Standside.

The classy and laid back three-year-old was coming off a rest and “a bit of an injury” and seemed to be battling to find extra at the 400m having made some ground up from second last in the running. 

However, Marcus continued to ride him and he steadily built up a head of steam until it was clear he was going to get there after all.

He charged into the lead with about 100m to go and held off Shenenigans, who also ran on well from behind, to win by a length. Captain And Master was third followed by The Dazzler and Soldier On.

The De Kock yard had a fantastic day, notching up a four-time, three of them ridden by Marcus. 

The first race was a competitive event over 1400m with some decent types involved and the Ashley Fortune-trained two-year-old Twice Over colt Invidia might be on his way to run in the Grade 2 Golden Horseshoe over 1400m on Vodacom Durban July day after an impressive win under Muzi Yeni.

By David Thiselton

The Grade 3 Jubilee Handicap over 1800m at Turffontein Standside on Sunday is a traditional pointer to the Vodacom Durban July and there will be a few horses involved either having preparation runs or trying to impress the selection panellists.

Barahin, who finished second to Hawwaam in the Grade 1 SA Classic over this course and distance, was 15th on the second July log but will want a good run here to cement his place. De Kock thinks highly of this Gimmethegreenlight colt who defeated Soqrat in the Grade 2 Golden Horseshoe over 1400m at Greyville as a two-year-old. He jumps from a wide draw, eleven out of 12, but he has Anton Marcus aboard and a wide draw did not stop him finishing third behind National Park and Hawwaam in the Grade 2 Gauteng Guineas. This is a less inspiring field and he looks capable of rising above his current 108 merit rating so should do well in this handicap.     

Hero’s Honour won the Grade 1 SA Derby last year and ran a good third over this trip last time. He was drawn widest of all in that race and ran on strongly from off the pace for a decent third. He now has draw seven of 12, which should make it slightly easier, and he is 2kg better off with Infamous Fox for a 3,30 length beating. He was 14th on the last July log so will also be looking to cement his place.

Infamous Fox has some class and goes well for MJ Byleveld. The Cape Town-based jockey flies up for the ride again. Last time the Australian-bred by Foxwedge relished the step up to this trip and stormed home from a handy position to win easily. He has a tricky draw of eight now and has a four point merit rating raise to contend with but having possibly found his right distance he could follow up.

The Dazzler will be trying to get into the July as he was on the outside looking in on the last log. He was running on last time to be beaten just 0,70 lengths by Hero’s Honour, but he did not have much room and could have done better. He is half-a-kilogram better off with Hero’s Honour and is drawn well so has a shout. 

Soldier On has talent and won going away over 1600m last time, so could get this trip, although he does have a three point raise to contend with. 

Shenanigans was running on well in the aforementioned race won by Infamous Fox and he should relish the switch to the Standside course.

Sean Tarry regarded him as the best of his three runners here, although he is 2kg under sufferance.

Tarry will be trying new hold up tactics with Captain And Master, who could possibly need gelding as he has been disappointing. 

Banner Hill has talent and just needed his last start following a long break. He is still among the July entries so will be going all out. He is a big horse so that last run would have bought him on plenty and as a rangy horse he will relish the switch to the Standside track.

Flying Fable is another talented horse and she can rise above her current merit rating of 91. She should also enjoy the course and distance as she has been seen to run on over a mile. However, it is never easy against the boys.

Being Fabulous is 2kg under sufferance so it won’t be easy, but she did find a form return last time with second time blinkers and a tongue tie on, so could now begin to fulfil the potential she always had.   

Arctica was just 2,10 lengths back in the Summer Cup. He is two points lower in the merit ratings now, so has a shout, although this is his second run after a layoff.  

Royal Italian was finding no extra last time over this trip but did not have a great trip, so from pole position he could find cover and possibly stay the distance this time. However, he is 5kg under sufferance so it won’t be easy.    

The selection is Barahin to beat Hero’s Honour with Infamous Fox, The Dazzler and Soldier On next best. 

An earlier Pinnacle Stakes event over 1400m will be interesting as a number of July horses warm up for the big one, including Legal Eagle.  

By David Thiselton

Armando can stretch his unbeaten run to three by confirming Somerset form with Captain Tatters, Ground Control and Fearless Warrior in the Cape Of Good Hope Nursery at Kenilworth tomorrow.

Brett Crawford considered his colt good enough to go to Scottsville for the Gold Medallion and it was only the horse’s long term future – he is to race in Hong Kong – that kept him at home.

True, he only has a length to spare on the book but he would have won by further five weeks ago had he not hung fire for a few seconds when pulled out to go and win his race.  Corne Orffer said at the time that this was because he had never been to Kenilworth before and was having a look at what was in front of him. When he did accelerate he quickened like a good’un and he opened favourite at 12-10 with Track And Ball yesterday morning.

Fearless Warrior (13-2) was well beaten that day but he has won well since and Vaughan Marshall said that the reason for the below-par run was because the race did not go according to plan. It would be unwise to underestimate M.J. Byleveld’s mount, not least because Marshall has won three of the last 13 runnings.

Candice Bass-Robinson, bidding for her third consecutive Cape Nursery following Dutch Philip and the filly Clouds Unfold, runs the wide margin Durbanville winners Snow Report (11-2) and Three Two Charlie (8-1). Durbanville form is not Kenilworth but either could make the frame.

However stable companion Cousin Liz can gallop straight into the winner’s box in the Kenilworth Fillies Nursery despite not having raced for four months. When she won at odds-on on debut, beating four subsequent winners, Aldo Domeyer described her as “the real deal” and her trainer said she would put her away as she didn’t want to risk her getting too hot.

Bernard Fayd’Herbe takes over and his mount is joint favourite at 2.65-1. Also heading the market is Marshall’s Mirage who was well supported when winning on debut in mid-April. In the Perfect Promise Amy Johnson (third to Mirage) just got up to pip Drama Queen who had been beaten nearly three lengths when fourth to Cousin Liz.

But beware. This race has more often than not produced a major upset in recent years. Although the favourite has won half the past ten runnings, only once has she been successful in the last four and two of the three most recent winners started at 45-1 and 28-1.

If you are looking for a longshot you could do worse than 15-1 chance Queen Of Quiet who finished like a certain future winner on debut.

By Michael Clower