Justin Snaith will be a little closer to sorting out his contingent for the Vodacom Durban July after the races at Greyville tomorrow. Snaith has nine entered for the race come the first Saturday in July, three of those at the bottom of the log published by Gold Circle a fortnight back.

Currently, Doublemint is 16^th and a guaranteed place for a run according to the first July log, with Magnificent Seven and Miyabi Gold two slots lower in what is a maximum field of 18.

All three are set to do duty tomorrow, Doublemint and Magnificent Seven in the Gr2 World Sports Betting 1900 and Miyabi Gold in the Listed East Coast Cup.

With the Vodacom Durban July in mind, there is a lot at stake for a host of runners, some borderline cases and others, almost certain of a place in the field, warming up.

Being a borderline case, Doublemint will cement his place with victory in the WSB 1900 and Snaith has booked master pilot Anton Marcus to do the job. Marcus partnered the colt in a 1400m spin at Greyville last week so will know exactly what he has under him and also what he is up against as there appears to be very little between Doublemint and Kampala Campari, although Andre Nel’s runner is not nominated for the July.

Double Mint was a neck clear of his rival in the Gr3 Peninsula Handicap and a similar distance ahead in the Sun Met. Doublemint is a little closer in the weights this time around so the race could pan out into a battle of wits between two of the best, Marcus and Bernard Fayd’herbe.

But there are others with fish to fry. The experiment with blinkers in the Sun Met did not work for Made To Conquer but he is still 12^th on the July log after finishing second with Jeff Lloyd aboard last year and he galloped along with Doublemint on the course last week. A forward showing should keep him from slipping down the list.

An interesting runner is recent The Sledgehammer winner, Orpheus. His easy end-to-end victory is still under the microscope but his performance prompted a supplementary entry into the July on Tuesday.

Others that need good showings are former Cape Derby winner Eyes Wide Open, Dawn Assault, Magnificent Seven and the filly Fiorella.

Fiorella, down the field in last year’s July but a head back to Oh Susanna in the Gr1 Woolavington 2000, will need a similar showing if she is to make this year’s line-up. Duncan Howells has been at pains to point out that there have been no races over a suitable trip for his filly because of her high merit rating, so although she has the worst of the draw she cannot be written off.

Miyabi Gold, 18^th on the July log, overcame heavy underfoot conditions in The Scarlet Lady at Scottsville before the meeting was abandoned but Sabina’s Dynasty was rattling home behind her and possibly put up the better showing.

The two meet again at level weights in the Listed East Coast Cup and considering that Sabina’s Dynasty was having her first run for Brett Crawford, one can expect a similar performance tomorrow where the extra 250m may swing things in her favour.

Possibly best bet on an otherwise tricky card is July entry Head Honcho in the Pinnacle Stakes, eighth race on the card. Although he has not run since the Sun Met where he looked a possible winner before being caught late by Rainbow Bridge and Do It Again, beaten less than a length, he looks a cut above this field in spite of the mile possibly being a touch on the short side for him.

Andre Nel made sure that this race held up for Head Honcho, saddling four of the seven runners, and even though he is up against course and distance specialist Matador Man and a lively Snaith runner in Platinum Prince, he should prove too classy.

By Andrew Harrison

18 May – Greyville (WSB 1900)

Alyson Wright and Wendy Whitehead are two stalwart lady trainers at Summerveld and both are confident of good runs from their respective charges Flichity By Farr and Twice As Smart in the Listed East Cost Cup over 2000m on Saturday, although they are up against strong opposition with the like of Summerveld-based Roy’s Riviera and a host of decent Cape-trained fillies involved.

Flichity By Farr is in fine shape and is known for her fine finishing effort. Most progeny of Go Deputy appear to step up a gear on the day they turn four years of age, so she should have come into her own. Flichity By Farr won a Pinnacle event over 1800m in good style on March 3 and then three weeks later in a Pinnacle event over 2200m the race was run at a crawl and this did not suit her. She jumps from a tricky draw of ten on Saturday and Lyle Hewitson retains the ride.

Whitehead was pleased with Twice As Smart, who tries the trip for the first time. She pointed out she is bred to go this far and in her last start she had won extending over 1500m. She is drawn well in two and this Twice Over filly should be a big runner under Stuart Randolph.

By David Thiselton

Duncan Howells said Fiorella had been crying out for a step back up in trip and the WSB 1900 to be run on Saturday had finally provided her with such an opportunity.

He said, “She is exceptionally well in herself. It was hard to find races for her over this sort of distance due to her merit rating being so high.”

Unfortunately, the Captain Al filly has drawn widest of all in the 12 horse field.

Howells said Muzi Yeni was the best rider for her at her allocated weight of 55,5kg. 

Yeni has ridden her once before, in the Grade 1 Woolavington 2000, and she only just failed to hold on that day against Oh Susanna.

She is the joint-third best weighted horse in the race according to official merit ratings. However, she is 2kg under sufferance with the best weighted Fresnaye, whom she beat by a quarter of a length in the Grade 1 Empress Club Stakes and lost to by 8,80 lengths in the Grade 1 Majorcas Stakes, both over 1600m.

Howells runs High Altar in the Listed East Coast Cup over 2000m.

He said, “It is a big step up for her and she seems to be better at Scottsville. I am not sure she is quite up to it, but I want to try and get some black type so hope she runs into the money.”

All races will be on the turf on the day.

Howells runs two-year-old Master Of My Fate gelding All The Way Up in the first race, a Maiden over 1000m.

He said, “He is a smart horse but may need a bit further.” He was a touch outpaced in his only racecourse appearance in a barrier trial over 1000m on the poly. Craig Zackey rides from a good draw of four and he should improve.

Howells run two horses in the third over 1400m, Frosty Princess and Trip To Freedom, and both have wide draws. He said Trip To Freedom was the better of the pair and if Lyle Hewitson is able to overcome the draw he expected her to be in the first three.

He runs Jet Stream in the fifth over 2200m and said, “She will appreciate the step up to this trip. She ran a good race on the poly the other day (over 1600m) and I expect her to finish in the first three.”

He runs Silver Raisin and Barinois in race nine over 1600m.

He said, “Hey are both hard-kocking and have chances but it is an open race.”

By David Thiselton

Justin Snaith believes his trio of Grade 2 WSB 1900 runners, Made To Conquer, Doublemint and Magnificent Seven, would be contenders at Greyville on Saturday despite having not raced since Sun Met day on January 26.

Snaith won this race last year with Elusive Silva, who came in off a fifth placed run in the Sledgehammer. 

Asked on whether his trio would need it on Saturday, Snaith replied, “No they have all had a grass gallop at Greyville, and that is what they needed. I’m very happy, they are all in a good place. Doublemint won the Peninsula over this trip and the other two are better over around 2200m, so he would be the yard elect. But Made To Conquer could fire up. So, it is going to be interesting.”

Anton Marcus rode Twice Over colt Doublemint in the recent gallop at Greyville and is aboard on Saturday from a good draw of four. Under the merit rated band conditions, he carries 58kg off a 104 rating. On Sun Met form he looks well handicapped, although on Pensinsula form he is 0.5kg worse off with Kampala Campari for a neck beating. 

Bernard Fayd’Herbe had the option of riding either Made To Conquer or Magnificent Seven, but decided not to ride either and has instead elected to ride the Andre Nel-trained Kampala Campari.

Apprentice Luke Ferraris rode Magnificent Seven in a recent Greyville grass gallop and stays aboard for Saturday’s race. Snaith, asked whether this meant Ferraris would be aboard Magnificent Seven for the Vodacom Durban July, said, “If the horse wins with him, we are not the type of people to take somebody off.” This four-year-old Horse Chestnut gelding took nine runs to win his maiden but has won seven of his last nine starts, including the Listed Algoa Cup over 2000m and the Grade 2 New Turf Carriers Stayers over 2800m. He has a fair draw of five and should run well fresh.

Made To Conquer, runner up in last year’s July, will have stable jockey Richard Fourie up on Saturday from draw seven. He won his first start in KZN last season over 1950m at Scottsville, so this five-year-old Dynasty gelding should give a good account of himself.

Snaith runs Miyabi Gold in the Listed East Coast Cup over 2000m, where she carries joint topweight of 61,5kg from draw six under Fourie. On official merit ratings she is 0,5kg under sufferance with joint-topweight Sabina’s Dynasty but is otherwise well in.

Snaith said, “She’s carrying a lot of weight but she carried it last time and she needed that last outing, so she has got to be a huge runner. She’s a Group 1 level filly.”

Snaith said Platinum Prince would likely go under the radar this year and he is running in a Pinnacle Stakes race over 1600m on Saturday and then going for the Cup Trial.

Oh Susanna is also entered in the Pinnacle Stakes race but had not been declared yet. Snaith said she was denied the opportunity to have a grass gallop at Greyville recently, so he would likely start her over a distance short of her best in the Tibouchina over 1400m.

Snaith has first-timer Innogen (two-year-old Master Of My Fate filly) in race two and one-time winner Ladder Man (three-year-old Twice Over gelding) is third reserve in race four.

He said on Monday, “They are so well, but have got bad draws. From good draws they would have both been huge runners. They have done all the work at home, they are ready and they go and draw bush. I was thinking they would both be bankers in everything, but from the draws I couldn’t have been more unlucky. Innogen is a nice little filly, she can run a bit, and my idea is to run her in some features here. She had a very good barrier trial and the horse who won it came out and won by three.”  

By David Thiselton

Being a ‘small’ trainer doesn’t necessary mean that you don’t know your way around a racehorse. There is often a simple reason behind the empty boxes in the yard, and quite often it boils down to personality. There are plenty of moderate trainers with full yards, but what they mostly have in common is the gift of the gab.

Gary Rich has been around horses all of his life, his father Des one of the best trainers of his era, his most famous victory being Lightning Shot in the Durban July – before the advent of cell phones.

So Rich is no mug when it comes to horses, his main fault – if you can call it a fault – being that he is a bit slow in coming forward. With owners at a premium these days it is a character trait that tends to see him overlooked in favour of the louder and more high profile. But give him a horse with some ability and he’s as good as any.

The filly Connect Me is a case in point as she got home at Scottsville yesterday under a tremendous ride from Stuart Randolph.

A narrow winner over course and distance at her previous start, she looked to have pulled a coffin draw on the extreme outside of the 15-horse field and was hence easy to back at 14-1. Those odds looked decidedly skinny as Randolph rousted her along four wide up the back straight. Prospects didn’t look much better heading for home with her rider still pumping away and Song Of The Forest seemingly singing the right tune.

But when all got tired, Connect Me kept on relentlessly to run them out of it.

Horses can be difficult to fathom, the worst are what as know in the trade as ‘morning glories’ – horses that show any amount of ability on the training track but run below expectations when in a race proper.

First race winner Candy Apple is a recent example. The stipendiary stewards had him tagged after a particularly disappointing second start but Duncan Howells had always rated the colt and was equally puzzled when Candy Apple trailed home, beaten seven lengths.

Given that showing he was relatively easy to back yesterday but after tucking him in behind early, Bernard Fayde’herbe switched the colt clear and let him loose two furlongs out; the race was over in a matter of strides.

J&B Met winning trainer Yogas Govender was once master of the powerful Plattner Racing yard in Cape Town but since going it alone and moving to KZN he has found things a lot more difficult. But like Rich, give him a horse with some ability and he will get it to perform as Deer Park showed in Track & Ball Gaming Maiden Juvenile Plate.

Alert punters will have picked up the connecting thread between Deer Park and Candy Apple, the common denominator Master Of Illusion. The step up to a mile was just what the doctor ordered and the son of Bold Silvano finished too strongly for hot favourite Knight Warrior.

In stark contrast to Gary Rich and Yogas Govender, Brett Crawford has a conveyer belt of good horses and with Peter Muscutt his able assistant in KZN his horses are always to be reckoned with.

There is not too much to GG’s Dynasty in stature but he is game as the three-year-old finished with a rattle under Corne Orffer to edge out his older rivals Tommy Grand and favourite Collabro.

Lyle Hewitson’s bid for a second national jockey’s title is on the back burner as he cried off all of his mounts yesterday – kidney stones are an extremely painful malady.

By Andrew Harrison