The BMW Politician winner Doublemint has been installed 2-1 favourite to give Justin Snaith his third consecutive winner of the Highlands Stud Winter Derby at Kenilworth on Saturday. Leading Vodacom Durban July contenders Elusive Silva and African Night Sky were the other two.

Rock My Soul

World Sports Betting also goes 4-1 Rock My Soul and Spring Man, 9-2 Ancestry, 7-1 Love Happens, 14-1 Ballad Of The Sea, Power Tower, 20-1 Cape Extreme, 25-1 Pacific Chestnut and Man About Town.

The Joey Ramsden-trained Fresnaye, who side-stepped the race to stick to her own sex in the Winter Oaks, is odds-on at 13-20 while the unbeaten Vaughan Marshall-trained One World heads the Langerman market at 18-10 and Santa Clara is also 18-10 favourite for the Irridiscence.

Punters have been waiting for Brave Move for the last two months because she keeps winning with something in hand and Aldo Domeyer’s mount is 5-2 favourite to make it five in a row in the Ladies Mile.

BLOB Yesterday’s meeting at Durbanville had to be abandoned shortly after 9.00am following 19mm of rain that left parts of the course waterlogged.

By Michael Clower

Highveld trainer Paul Peter said having a runner in the Vodacom Durban July was a dream come true and he and jockey Callan Murray were both confident of the chances of the yard’s charge Majestic Mambo.

The strapping Mambo In Seattle colt did his July gallop at Turffontein earlier this week and Murray was “very pleased” with the work.

Paul Peter

Peter said Majestic Mambo had come out of his second place finish in the Grade 1 Daily News 2000 “very well” and had “actually improved” since then.

He displayed his usual devastating turn of foot from the back that day and was flying at the finish, losing by just 0,75 lengths to the top class Highveld horse Surcharge.

That race pointed to the three-year-old male strength this year lying in the Highveld as they had four of the best from the Cape, Tap O’ Noth, Do It Again, White River and Pack Leader behind them.

There were some groans from the audience on Tuesday in Greyville’s Classic Room when Majestic Mambo drew wide in 19.

However, Peter said, “The draw is not so bad for this type of horse, he doesn’t want to be cramped, so I am not too perturbed.”

He added, “We are going in with a lot of confidence. We are really happy so please God he travels down well and everything goes well before the race. He is in with a big shout.”

There is a chance Majestic Mambo could run in a famous set of colours in the July as a sale with a big South African owner was being negotiated at the time of going to press.

Peter has another Grade 1 runner on the day in Folk Dance, a classy three-year-old filly by Tiger Ridge, who runs in the Grade 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes over 1600m. She ran below par last time in the Grade 2 Tibouchina over 1400m last time out but Peter said she had not travelled down well on that occasion and had knocked herself in the float. She won the Grade 3 Fillies Mile by three lengths on Sansui Summer Cup day to stamp herself as one of the best of her crop, but since then has had to deal with a succession of tough draws, finishing fourth in the Grade 2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas, fifth in the Grade 1 SA Fillies Classic over 1800m and fourth in the Grade 1 Empress Club Stakes over 1600m. She now at last has a plum draw of two, which is important for her as she likes to lie handy before using her telling kick in the straight. The likely favourite Snowdance has drawn pole position and as this horse is usually a front-runner, the race could pan out well for Folk Dance. She has the added bonus of Piere Strydom aboard.

By David Thiselton

Justin Snaith was thrilled to have drawn barrier position ten for the Vodacom Durban July’s hot favourite African Night Sky. He will come into position nine if the second reserve runner Crowd Pleaser, who drew pole position, comes out and Snaith believed that was the perfect draw for the July. He explained he would then likely end up with an option of going outward in the straight. Three of his other runners, Elusive Silva, Do It Again and Made To Conquer, drew double figure barrier positions, while his filly Star Express drew nine. However, he was pleased with this outcome and said. “I don’t like being on the inside in the July with all the jostling, I’ve been there and done that, my horses prefer being away from the trouble.”

Fiorella (Candiese Marewick)

Glen Kotzen has one runner in the field proper, Gold Standard, as well as the first reserve Pack Leader and they drew six and 17 respectively. Hugo Hattingh part-owns Gold Standard and owns Pack Leader. Kotzen said, “Hugo did a good thing by drawing six for Gold Standard. Gold Standard has come right back to his best and when he is at his best he is as good as any and certainly better than this field.”

Paul Lafferty’s Dark Moon Rising drew well in three and he said, “I am only concerned about there being no pace. I think he is the horse to beat. If you look at the two favourites, African Night Sky and Do It Again, they have both flopped when running in Grade 1s.”

Robert Fayd’Herbe said about Rocket Countdown’s draw of five, “You can’t not be pleased with that draw. It is not the strongest field and he stays well. The Cape Town three-year-olds are always finishing on top of each other so he is not badly weighted and has a chance.”

Duncan Howells was “over the moon” with Fiorella’s draw of eight. He said, “I think with a faster pace she could have done even better (than a half-a-length second) in the Woolavington 2000 and Muzi also felt if he had gone earlier she could have done better. Everything is on song, she is exceptionally well, and will give a very good account of herself.”

Brett Crawford said about White River’s draw of 13, “I would have preferred lower but it’s ok.” Asked whether the three-year-old by Trippi had improved with gelding, he replied, “He has certainly shown that he has improved in his work at home, so we will see how he goes in his gallop on Thursday. I think he has as good a chance as Edict Of Nantes had last year.” The latter finished a 0,35 length third last year.

By David Thiselton

A MR 80 Handicap over 1600m heads a low key card on the Vaal Classic track tomorrow.

Lord Silverio is a talented sort and had too much ground to make up last time over 1800m. The step down in trip is probably not ideal but from a much better draw he is likely to be closer to the pace and can mow them down.

Lord Silverio (JC Photographics)

Alssakhra met Mambo Symphony over this trip on the Turffontein Inside track on May 20 and was beaten 2,3 lengths by him. He is now only 1kg better off and if apprentice claims are included is 7kg worse off. A 4kg apprentice rode him that day and the same claimer is now on Mambo Symphony. However, Alssakhra is now being ridden by the maestro Piere Strydom. Strydom is a known good judge of pace and is tailor made for front-running types like Alssakhra. Furthermore, he has a good draw of three and the prevailing fast going should also be suitable. The Seventh Rock gelding is coming off a good performance in a Graduation Plate where he was beaten 2,55 lengths by the 101 merit rated Royal Crusade. He was receiving 3kg that day but is back in a handicap off an 85, so if he repeats that run he should be right there. The downside is he has had quite a tough campaign, which included a trip down to Durban to be pacemaker for stablemate Majestic Mambo in the Grade 1 Daily News 2000.

Mambo Symphony was caught wide without cover for most the way last time over this distance on the Turffontein Inside course. He now has a 4kg claimer up, so will make his presence felt if it pans out better from a draw of seven out of 12.

Bush Pilot is drawn in pole and is ideally distance suited. He can earn again if repeating his penultimate start.

Miss Bulsara is a full-sister to the Graded winner Bulsara and ran a good race over 2000m last time. This is likely a touch sharp but she is improving in the typical style of a four-year-old Silvano filly and could make her presence felt with a 4kg claimer up.

Querari Viking is 4kg better off with Mambo Symphony for a 4,1 length beating on their meeting on May 1 over this trip, but the latter will have improved further being still a three-year-old so Querari Viking has a tough task from draw ten.

In the last race over 1800m Dawn Flight showed she is competitively handicapped at present when going close over this trip on the Vaal Inside track 16 days ago. She now has a plum draw and runs off the same mark so should get it right under a jockey she runs well for, S’Manga Khumalo. Empress Valley beat her last time by 0,2 lengths despite casting a shoe so will have a fine chance again from pole position, despite being 1kg worse off. The dark horse in this race is White Out, despite her having been well beaten by the aforementioned pair last time. She did not have much luck in that race but is capable of a strong finish and gets on well with Karl Zechner, so if it pans out well from a wide draw she should be charging home late.

By David Thiselton

There were the usual aggrieved parties after the announcement of the Vodacom Durban July field in the Classic Room at Greyville yesterday and this time it centred around the omission of Pack Leader, who was chosen instead as first reserve.

Trainer Glen Kotzen pointed out Pack Leader had Grade 1 form, having run in four Grade 1s in his career, including two third places, the latest one being in the Investec Cape Derby when finishing two lengths behind July second favourite Do It Again, from whom he receives 1kg in the July.

Pack Leader

Owner Hugo Hattingh said Pack Leader had just been “coming into himself”. He revealed, in order “to put it into perspective”, huge money had been offered for Eyes Wide Open from an overseas party after his Cape Derby victory and the same amount had been offered for Pack Leader at the same time. Both offers were turned down. Monetary concerns are of no concern of the final field panelists and in their defence, Pack Leader’s disappointing sixth place finish in the Grade 1 Daily News was always going to put him under pressure for a July spot. He was unlucky in that race but luck should not be a factor either. Matador Man’s unlucky run in the WSB 1900 should also not have been of concern and he finished a 2,75 length third in that Grade 2 event. It was deemed better form than Pack Leader’s 3,75 length third in the Cape Derby and his 3,5 length sixth in the Daily News. Matador Man also has a stamina doubt, so his excellent form at Greyville was probably what counted in his favour.

Kotzen did make the valid point that in the Listed Sledgehammer, when having a preparation run and beaten a short-head, Pack Leader had beaten Dark Moon Rising by 0,75 length when giving him 1,5kg and he was now due to face him at level weights, not to mention that if weight for age changes were taken into account Pack Leader would in effect be 3kg better off in the July.

However, Paul Lafferty, trainer of Dark Moon Rising, responded by pointing out the Sledgehammer was only a Listed event and had just been a preparation run for his charge. He also pointed out he had been finishing like a train and added, “If Pack Leader does get in to the July we will race him for a car.” Lafferty did not specify what make of car it would be.

Dark Moon Rising (Candiese Marnewick)

Dark Moon Rising is certainly a progressive sort, like most progeny of Ideal World, and he will relish the step up in trip. His eye-catching finishes in both the Sledgehammer and WSB 1900 came behind unsuitably slow paces. He only failed by half-a-length in the 1900, a Grade 2 event. Lafferty makes Dark Moon Rising the horse to beat in the July and his only concern is the perceived lack of pace.

Another question raised was how two horses from the Jubilee Handicap formline, Yakeen and Tilbury Fort, had made it into the final field despite being under sufferance in the weights. The winner of that race, Yakeen, is 2,5kg under sufferance and Tilbury Fort is half-a-kilogram under sufferance.

“I remember winning the Jubilee with a horse who had won four out of six and he didn’t get into the July,” grumbled one trainer. Indeed last year’s Jubilee Handicap winner Coral Fever did not get into the July.

However, in the panellists’ defence Coral Fever has proven them mightily wrong this season as he is this season’s July topweight. Furthermore, Yakeen is a progressive three-year-old who is improving all the time and once he was included it was tough to leave Tilbury Fort out, considering the latter ran to the same rating and is better weighted in the July.

Pack Leader will need a horse to be scratched before 8:15 a.m. next Friday in order to get in and the connections of second reserve Crowd Pleaser will be hoping for two scratchings.

By David Thiselton