Two questions were answers at Greyville yesterday. Hawwaam is the best three-year-old in the country over a middle distance and it is almost a given that he will take his place in next month’s Vodacom Durban July.

Given the hype around Mike de Kock’s colt, it would have been a mighty let-down had he not landed the odds in the Gr1 Daily News 2000. But he did it with the minimum of fuss as he comfortably held off recent G2 KRA Guineas winner Twist Of Fate with the balance in another race.

There were fears before the race that Hawwaam’s suspect temperament may get the better of him in the preliminaries but he behaved like a gentleman although De Kock was granted permission for the colt to do one lap of the paddock before heading to the start.

“He’s a pretty straight forward horse,” said De Kock, “but he is a real man and likes to dominate. He gives you time to put the saddle on, time to get the jockey on but if you leave it too long, he can be difficult. He is a strong-minded horse and there are temperament issues.”

General expectations were that stable companion Atyaab would set the pace but that never materialised as Twist Of Fate went to the front with Anton Marcus sitting off the pace, Hawwaam keen to get on with it.

“The pace was just ordinary,’’ confirmed Marcus. The pair took up the challenge at the top of the straight but Marcus did not have to resort to the stick. “I kept the stick off him and just kept him as balanced as possible.”

“You have got to be impressed. Races like this are never a gimme. Twist Of Fate was only rated 4lbs inferior so it was a win full of merit. A couple of months down the line the world will be his oyster.”

A relieved De Kock said the race was always going to be a test. “You have to beat the best and the second best three-year-old around (Twist Of Fate) was going to test him today.”

“Nothing went well and he still came through. The plan was to go to the front today.”

De Kock heaped praise on Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum and his racing manager Angus Gold. “Sheik Hamdan is a massive asset to South African racing. All owners are important but Sheik Hamdan as been a staunch supporter, just frustrated by the current export protocols.”

De Kock confirmed that he had always intended to run Hawwaam in the Vodacom Durban July. “I was always happy to run the horse in the July – if it’s up to me the horse runs. It’s the most important race in South Africa but I must stress that it is up to the owners whether he runs or not.”

Twist Of Fate put up a cracking performance in second but found one too good for him on the day.

The Gr1 Woolvington 2000 proved to be something of an upset result as 11-1 chance Silvano’s Pride went to the front and never looked like getting caught although there were a few hard luck stories behind Justin Snaith’s filly.

Marcus lost his compass aboard favourite Front And Centre drifting across the entire width of the track to the inside rail causing a few runners to ease but finishing a clear second. He now faces a stewards inquiry.

“We have been looking for the right race,” said Snaith. “In her races the others always seemed to quicken past her. But everything came together today and I’m very proud that my horses always run to the line.

Silvano’s Pride is not among the Snaith nominations for the Vodacom Durban July, Oh Susanna withdrawn on Friday, but there is still one further supplementary stage so Silvano’s Pride may well still feature in the final field. Second declarations for the Vodacom Durban July are on Monday and will be accompanied by the final VDJ log while the final supplementary stage is on Tuesday, June 18.

Snaith has been relatively quiet so far this Champions Season but sounded a warning yesterday saying that this was now the sharp end of Champions Season and he was about to get serious.

By Andrew Harrison

David Thiselton

Matthew de Kock said the question of Hawwaam running in the Vodacom Durban July would be clearer after his participation in Saturday’s Grade 1 Daily News 2000.

The classy Silvano colt is the ante-post 33/10 favourite for the July with Track And Ball and is 33/100 for the Daily News.

Matthew said there was no longer any reason to be concerned about Hawwaam over-racing, as he had done in both the Grade 3 Tony Ruffel Stakes over 1400m and in the Grade 2 Gauteng Guineas. The latter race was his only defeat, although he did still run on well albeit from too far back.

The fitting of a customised bit coupled with a decent pace helped him settle in the Grade 1 SA Classic over 1800m, which he won impressively.

Anton Marcus’s taking him up handy in the Champions Challenge also helped, although he was a little bit strong before finding the box seat. He was arguably even more impressive in that race.

Hawwaam will have the best of both worlds on Saturday as he not only has a good draw of two but stable companion Atyaab has been put in the race in “to ensure a good pace.”

Hawwaam’s chief weapon is his tremendous turn of foot and this should make him suited to the tight Greyville circuit, as most progeny of Silvano are.

The only question mark will be the strength of the Johannesburg form versus the strength of the Cape Town form. 

The Cape Town form is best represented by the Joey Ramsden-trained Twist Of Fate.

This Master Of My Fate colt cost just R20,000, but has proven himself top class.

He was defeated just 1,25 lengths by Hawwaam’s stablemate Soqrat in the Cape Guineas.

Mike de Kock clearly rates the three-times Grade 1-winning miler Soqrat highly but has never spoken about him in quite the same terms as he has Hawwaam.

Twist Of Fate did gain revenge on Soqrat in the Grade 2 KRA Guineas, by 2,40 lengths, but the latter was undone by a wide draw in that race.

However, the performance which Hawwaam’s connections have most to fear could well be Twist Of Fate’s demolition job in the Grade 3 Politician Stakes over 1800m at Kenilworth.

The unprepossessing colt over raced for most of the back straight that day after finding himself in front and then trapped one wide. Usually that would spell the end of a horse’s chances, especially one who is carrying 61kg and giving lumps of weight away to the entire field. Instead, he won going away by 2,25 lengths.

He must have some engine in him and is going to provide Hawwaam with a tough test.

There are some progressive sorts among the rest, such as Bunker Hunt, Charles and Thanksgiving.

It is a race for the purists to look forward to.

Matthew said Atyaab might not take his place in the July after playing his role here and might instead be given a staying race campaign. 

the yard run the new recruit Blossom in the Grade 1 Woolavington 2000. She was previously trained by the recently retired legend Ormond Ferraris.

Matthew said, “She has been doing well. She took some time to settle in but has turned the corner. She is a nice filly and moves well.”

He believed her habit of coming from well off the pace, as she had done in all three legs of the Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara, had more to with wide draws than running style. She has a another tricky draw of eight on Saturday.

Matthew was not sure how she would handle Greyville as the yard have not been working with her for long.

However, she is by Silvano, so should enjoy the track. 

Blossom’s mother Cherry On The Top failed as favourite in this race but she had been coming off her tiring Triple Tiara success and was not herself that day.

The yard run Noble Secret in the Grade 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m, where he carries top weight of 60kg.

Matthew said, “His form over staying distances has been very good and he has won a couple of them with top weight.”

Asked on whether the tight Greyville track would pose any problems for the strapping galloper, he replied, “Not at all.”

The connections would give serious consideration to running him in the July if a win here qualifies him.

The yard’s only other runner on the day is Protea Paradise, who looks unlikely to get into the July. Matthew believes he will not stay much further than 2000m either. However, he said he would be competitive in Saturday’s eighth race, a MR 88 handicap over 1700m, despite being widely drawn and having to carry topweight. 

The horses will travel to Summerveld tomorrow (Friday). 

The Grade 1 Woolavington 2000 to be run on Saturday at Greyville will see a fascinating clash between top class fillies from top yards.

Return Flight from the high flying Sean Tarry yard won both the Grade 1 SA Fillies Classic over 1800m and Grade 2 SA Oaks over 2450m and followed up with a win in the Grade 2 Gerald Rosenberg over 2000m. That would seem like a tiring program but Tarry pointed out she was not hard pressed in two of those wins. She has drawn in pole on Saturday, so will likely try and take up her customary front-running position under Lyle Hewitson, who replaces Anton Marcus as the latter is retained by the connections of Front And Centre. Return Flight as a galloping type would seem unsuited to the tight Greyville track but she did win the Grade 1 Thekwini here as a two-year-old.

Front And Centre won the Cape Fillies Guineas and was second in both the Grade 1 Majorca and Grade 2 KRA Fillies Guineas. This is the first time she tries further than a mile.  She is a half-sister to Poatala Palace, whose best win was over a mile, but her sire Dynasty should help her stay and she was staying on well last time in the KRAFG. She has a tough draw of ten.

Santa Clara won the KRA Fillies Guineas in fine style and showed a fine turn of foot. She is by Duke Of Marmalade out of a full-sister to Silvano so should be improving all the time and should relish this trip. However, she has a tough draw of eleven. 

One of the most interesting runners is Blossom, who has her first run for Mike De Kock having previously been with recently retired legend Ormond Ferraris. Her mother Cherry On The Top won the Triple Tiara and was a warm order in this race but failed. Blossom could well do the opposite as she won none of the Triple Tiara races but she did place third in the Grade 1 Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic over 1800m and second in the Grade 2 SA Oaks over 2450m and strikes as one who will continue to improve. She is drawn eight and should be staying on strongly if able to find a good position from a tricky draw of eight.

Bize has always struck as a talented sort who would improve continuously and this trip should be ideal. She was a four length fourth to Return Flight in the SA Oaks but has drawn well here over a probably ideal trip. She looks to be the dark horse.

Seville Orange has some class and as a daughter of Duke Of Marmalade should be starting to come into her own. She finished third in the SA Oaks and was only 1,9 lengths behind Bize in the Oaks Trial over this trip when giving her 8kg, so she could also earn from a fair draw of six Chitengo is also a progressive sort and  wasn’t far back in any of the Gauteng Fillies Guineas, the SA Fillies Classic and the SA Oaks. However, Gavin Lerena has opted for Blossom and Raymond Danielson has opted for Bize. Chitengo has the widest draw to overcome too.

Silvano’s Pride tends to take a keen hold, which is why she often leads. Justin Snaith had plans in mind to help her relax and settle better in the running and if they haven’t worked this trip will stretch her. However, she does have courage and some class and being by Silvano will be improving all the time. Furthermore, a similar type in Viva Maria won this race from the front in 2012.

Richard Fourie is aboard Silvano’s Pride from draw seven and the stable companion Madonna will be ridden by Luke Ferraris from draw nine. This horse has plenty of scope and is better than her 82 merit rating suggests. She comes off a good win in the LIsted East Coast Oaks over this trip.

Snapscan was a head second to Madonna in the East Cape Oaks and then franked the form by running on strongly for a cracking fourth in the Listed East Coast Cup over this trip at Greyville. She faced some good older horses in that race and showed she was better than her 81 merit rating suggests.  

Princess Irene will relish this step up in trip having stayed on from behind in the KRAFG. She had previously won the Listed Jamaica Handicap over this trip and is another daughter of Duke Of Marmalade who will be improving all the time.

Count Dubucks stayed on resolutely to win when stepped up to 1750m last time at Scottsville but she will need a lot of further improvement to feature here. 

By David Thiselton                                            

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Adam Marcus is still in discussion with owners about the future of his Grade 3 Winter Classic winner Vardy.

Marcus believes the Var gelding is not quite ready for the Vodacom Durban July yet.

He said, “As a still immature three-year-old I think we could be dealing with a very special four-year-old if we nurture him into the Cape Summer season.”

Vardy reversed the Winter Guineas form by beating the highly regarded Vaughan Marshall-trained One World in Saturday’s Winter Classic and he did it by a comfortable 2,25 lengths.

The strength of the form was shown by the gulf back to third-placed Majestic Mozart. 

This horse was beaten 2,85 lengths in the Winter Guineas and by 8,50 lengths in the Winter Classic.

Marcus was confident Vardy would improve from his Winter Guineas run, where he did not settle well.

The problem is his “severe parrot mouth and very soft palate” and Marcus looks to have solved it with a plastic bit used in dressage competition which he imported from Italy.

Saturday was the first time he had raced with the bit.   

By David Thiselton                                            

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Twist Of Fate delighted Joey Ramsden in his final piece of work at Summerveld yesterday and the trainer expects his colt to really put it up to hotpot Hawwaam in the Daily News at Greyville on Saturday.

Ramsden said: “Twist Of Fate has done fabulously well since winning the KRA Guineas and I give him a serious chance – he is such a tough, hard-knocking horse. He did 1 800m in the Politician at Kenilworth looking like he loved it and wanted further while he seemed to like Greyville in the KRA Guineas and he was only getting into gear when he crossed the line.

“We grassed him last Thursday and he went really nicely in his last serious bit of work this morning. I like him a lot for Saturday – he has had a great prep going into it with no problems. I am sure it is the same with Hawwaam and it looks like being a fabulous contest.”

S’Manga Khumalo, who rode him in the CTS 1600 (second to One World), will be back on board and his mount is rated 2kg behind Hawwaam but 2.5kg and more in front of the rest. He is generally available at between 9-2 and 5-1 whereas Hawwaam is as short as 3-10. Cape Derby runner-up Charles (8-1) is the only other in single figures. Favourites have won three of the last five runnings and five of the last ten.

By Michael Clower

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