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

There were a lot of locals miffed at Mike de Kock referring to Greyville as a ‘go-cart’ track after Soqrat finished up fourth in the KRA Guineas but it was a performance way below what the Australian import is capable off and he did have excuses. A wide draw over the Greyville 1600m is always a concern but Santa Clara had shown in the KRA Fillies Guineas, a half-hour before, that it is not an unsurmountable obstacle.

However, one does need the cards to fall in your favour in a competitive race and Randal Simons’ decision to slot in behind and ending up way out of his ground instead of pushing forward from the draw may have cost him.

Whatever; you commit early and take your medicine.

Soqrat has a plum draw of four in the Gr1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge over the same course and distance tomorrow and victory will almost certainly see him garner an Equus award come season’s end.

Soqrat showed tremendous courage when fighting off the challenge of Cirillo in the Gr1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes and the Gr1 Cape Guineas winner was less than a length back to Do It Again in the Gr1 L’Ormarins Queens Plate, both races against older opposition.

He faces a similar task tomorrow in the face of what has stacked up into the strongest Rising Sun Gold Challenge field seen in the past decade.

Do It Again is again in opposition but this will be his first outing back since finishing second in the Sun Met at the end of January and although Justin Snaith has expressed confidence that his charge is close to his best, he will need to be sharp to win a race of this nature off a break.

Rainbow Bridge had to bend his knee to Do It Again in the Queens Plate but the favour was returned in the Sun Met, although Richard Fourie copped a fair amount of criticism for his handling of Do It Again.

This time around Rainbow Bridge has had a superb blow-out in the Drill Hall Stakes when under a length back to class act Undercover Agent and over the extra furlong, Eric Sands will be looking to turn the tables, or at least a sharp showing in the gelding’s build-up to the Vodacom Durban July.

Anton Marcus will be in the saddle for Rainbow Bridge and he was also aboard the gelding’s half-brother, and ruling VDJ ante-post favourite, Hawwaam, in the Gr1 Daily News 2000 last week.

Quizzed on who is likely to ride Hawwaam in the July, Mike de Kock was non-committal. “Speak to the king,” he shrugged. “He has a few balls in the air.”

The picture might be clearer come tomorrow evening.

But of the eight runners, New Caledonia can be regarded as the least likely winner with Cirillo, Lady In Black and course and distance specialist Matador Man all in the mix.

It should be a cracking race, possibly more a tactical battle than an out-and-out slog.

What could develop into a slog is the Gr3 Cup Trial, the traditional ‘last chance saloon’ for those hoping to make the July field. The last Vodacom Durban July log has pretty much cemented places for Eyes Wide Open (10) and  Made To Conquer (11) on the list but Doublemint (17) is marginal and will be up against Roy Had Enough, Dark Moon Rising and Run Red, all still in the hunt for a place in the big race.

So, taking desperation into account, Doublemint may prove to be the safest bet but the trio of VDJ outsiders will be pressing hard.

Also, on the outside and looking in is Camphoratus, who takes on Oh Susanna in the Gr3 Tibouchina Stakes a half-hour later. First reserve on the VDJ log, she beat Oh Susanna in the Gr1 Empress Club Stakes in what was a major upset, but she followed up with a smart effort in the WSB 1900, finishing a length back to Eyes Wide Open. The seven-furlong Tibouchina is arguably on the short side but the 2200m of the VDJ may also prove beyond her compass which could sway the VDJ selection panel.

So it boils down to victory or bust for Robbie and Shannon Hill’s filly where Oh Susanna is rated some 6.5kg superior.

The three KZN Winter Series races, all long handicaps, will keep punters on their toes and with a number of exotic bet carryovers in the offing, there will be some tempting odds available.

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

By Andrew Harrison

Brett Crawford’s Somerset winner is quoted at 9-10 with the early layers and Bernard Fayd’Herbe takes over from the Gold Challenge-required Corne Orffer. Captain Tatters, who has a length to find but whose trainer Justin Snaith has a good record in the race, is second favourite at 4-1.

Vaughan Marshall, like Snaith bidding for his fourth Cape Nursery success in 15 seasons, is doubly represented with 11-2 chance Fearless Warrior (M.J. Byleveld) and 7-1 shot Ground Control for whom Greg Cheyne has been booked.

The  Marshall-trained Mirage, a well-backed winner of her only start, is 5-2 favourite for the Kenilworth Fillies Nursery with Cousin Liz next at 3-1 despite not having raced since her debut win four months ago.

By Michael Clower

Mike de Kock said Soqrat had been doing very well up at Randjesfontein and would arrive at Summerveld today (Thursday) ahead of his engagement in the Grade 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge.

De Kock said, “He was very unlucky in that last race from the wide draw and on how the race panned out, if you see how the horse next to him pushed him outward from the start.”

Randall Simons will be aboard Soqrat, who jumps from a good draw of four in the eight horse field. 

De Kock recognised the strength of the field but still gave Soqrat, a three-time Grade 1-winning miler, a good chance of winning.

He has two runners in the Listed Gatecrasher Stakes over 1400m, Ehsaan and Alramz.

Both have decent form and he gave both of them a chance of winning too.

Anton Marcus is aboard Alramz from draw three and Simons rides Ehsaan from pole position.

By David Thiselton

Sean Tarry runs Cirillo and Matador Man in one of the strongest ever renewals of the Grade 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge and he said he would not be stunned if either of them won.

Cirillo comes off a 0,35 length third in the Grade 2 Drill Hall Stakes over 1400m behind Undercover Agent and Rainbow Bridge.

Tarry believed it was not his slight missing of the break which had cost him there, but rather the decision to take on the known fighter Undercover Agent at the 300m mark which gave the latter time to fight back.

He was 3kg better off than weight for age (wfa) in the Drill Hall, as the first two both carried a Grade 1 penalty, so he will have his work cut underweight for age conditions on Saturday.

However, in his previous start he finished just 0,80 lengths behind his fellow three-year-old Soqrat in the Grade 1 wfa Horse Chestnut Stakes over 1600m at Turffontein Standside. That race proved he will stay Saturday’s trip, as the Greyville mile is less testing than the Turffontein one, and it puts him in with a form chance as Soqrat had previously beaten both Undercover Agent and Rainbow Bridge in the Grade 1 wfa L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate over 1600m at Kenilworth.

Cirillo has been prepared at Randjesfontein and will travel down to Summerveld on Friday.

Tarry said about Matador Man, who has been prepared at Summerveld, “He raises his game over this course and distance so it would be silly not to try him here. His last win was exceptional. It was in a very good time and he was carrying 62kg.”

Tarry said the pace should not have much of an impact on Matador Man’s performance. This horse always loses a bit of ground at the start and Tarry said, “If they go fast, the front ones will be stopping, and if they go slow it will give him a chance to make up the ground.”

He concluded, “They are both in good order and are course and distance suited. I have respect for the opposition but if either of them won it would not stun me.”

Tarry runs Social Order and Silver God in the Grade 3 Cup Trial over 1800m.

Neither of them are among the Vodacom Durban July entries still standing their ground.

He said, “Social Order seems to be enjoying going over shorter these days but couldn’t crack a draw in the Post Merchants and he was eliminated from the Tsogo Sun Sprint. But he is versatile.”

This five-year-old Count Dubois gelding finished third in the Colorado King Stakes over 2000m at Turffontein last year and won the Kings Cup over 1600m on the Greyville turf, so Tarry felt it worthwhile to take a chance in Saturday’s handicap where he will run from draw five under Julius Mariba and carry 56kg.

Silver God was originally a July entry but has been scratched as the improvement after gelding was not coming as quickly as hoped for.

This Silvano gelding is a half-brother to both William Longsword and Real Princess and was highly rated as a young horse but did not deliver. After gelding in May last year he came back strongly but then soundness issues arose and he had to be rested again.

Tarry is still hoping his pedigree will kick in and he can’t be written off on Saturday, despite being 4kg under sufferance as he was even worse off at the weights in the Grade 2 WSB 1900 and was only beaten 1,25 lengths into eighth.

He is drawn seven and Lyle Hewitson rides.

In the Grade 2 Tibouchina over 1400m Tarry runs three-year-old In The Dance and four-year-old Desert Rhythm.

He said, “In The Dance is a very classy half-sister to Capetown Noir and Across The Ice. She had a few interruptions and we were considering Scottsville but she wasn’t ready in time. So it would have been nice to have given her a prep but she is in good order and should give a good account of herself. I think she is top class and whether the run is coming too soon is the only question.”

He continued, “Desert Rhythm was holding form nicely before her last run. She is course and distance suited (she won the Grade 2 Golden Slipper here as a two-year-old) and has a good draw so she is not out of it, on her day she is more than capable.”

He runs Apple Magic in the first and felt she should be competitive although he said she would probably prefer further than this 1700m trip and there was a question mark whether she would enjoy the turf as her good form was all on the polytrack.

He runs Sweet Mary Lou in the Chapter Challenge 1600m final and he said, “Her last start over 1400m might have been too sharp. I thought she was better on the poly but her previous run at Scottsville was quite good, so I hope for a decent run but can’t be confident.”

In the last he runs Celestina and admitted she would have a tough task being 3,5kg under sufferance and jumping from a wide draw.

Tarry also has some important runners at Turffontein on Sunday.

His Vodacom Durban July candidates Legal Eagle and Tilbury Fort have their final preparation runs before the July in a Pinnacle Stakes race over 1400m. He expected the race to put them spot on. 

He also runs Redberry Lane and Wonderwall in that race and in the Grade 3 Jubilee he runs Captain And Master, Royal Italian and Shenanigans.

By David Thiselton