Elusive Trader looks good to get punters off to a winning start in the Data Simplified Maiden at Kenilworth tomorrow.

The Greg Ennion-trained gelding had the useful Shadowing and subsequent runaway winner Clouded Hill immediately behind when going under by less than a length to Perfect Symmetry last month and that should be good enough. He opened favourite at 22-10 and has been backed to 16-10.

Greg Ennion

Lanza (9-2) was considered smart enough to run in the Listed race on Met day but he was then only fourth at Durbanville and that run was over three months ago.  Strabo (33-10) is probably a bigger danger even though he is coming up for five without having won a single race.

Rocket Girl, placed in her last three starts, opened 17-10 favourite for the Liquidity Services Maiden Juvenile when World Sports Betting posted its prices on Wednesday but preference is for the Ramsden filly Sparkeling Fire at 2-1 because she ran well in the soft last time.

One to watch out for is Tropical Hibiscus (5-2) as she owes this column and there were valid reasons why she failed last time. “I brought her back a furlong because there wasn’t another race for her,” recalls Paddy Kruyer. “I thought she would get away with it but they took her off the bridle.

“This 1 400m should suit her a lot better although I’m worried about the ground. She has never gone on it and it’s her first time round the turn.”

Brett Crawford, on fire here on Tuesday, is responsible for half the field in the Leapfrog Durbanville Maiden Plate (race three) and on form Neria (5-1) has the best chance of the quartet. However she is held on last time’s run by 22-10 shot Bell Jar and marginal preference is for 16-10 favourite Sommersonne who is proven in the soft.

In the Nu-Line Elevator Products Handicap 35 minutes later Cavalleria could be worth an interest at 4-1 even though she has been raised a massive 7.5kg for last time’s win. She was 4kg under sufferance that day but she still skipped away in the final furlong to score by three and a half lengths. She has won in the soft and could have most to fear from Northern Ballet who is also proven in the ground.

Louis Burke, who rides Cavalleria, also has good prospects on 5-1 chance It Is What It Is in the 121 BPO Services Pinnacle. His mount acts in the going and is a sprinter whereas most of the opposition are at their best over further.

That said, the selection is between 2.5 and 4kg wrong with the top two and it is easy to see why the classy Made In Hollywood is favourite at 14-10.

By Michael Clower

Dean Kannemeyer is planning a Cape Town campaign for the unbeaten Hashtagyolo who has twice got the better of Snowdance’s Daisy Fillies Guineas conqueror Fiorella.

The Dynasty filly is now back in Kannemeyer’s Summerveld yard after a lengthy recuperation at part-owner Bruce Le Roux’s Spring Valley Stud in Mooi River. She was ante-post favourite for the Gauteng Fillies Guineas in March before picking up a nasty virus that involved two spells in a Johannesburg equine hospital.

Hashtagyolo

Kannemeyer said: “She returned to me three weeks ago and she is doing well once more – she is moving nicely and her head is in the manger- but I am not going to push her in what is left of the Durban season. Instead I aim to take her to Cape Town where she will hopefully return to her best.

“She was a big gangly filly when she was racing before but she could be even better than I thought because twice she met Fiorella and twice she annihilated her.”

In the KZN Fillies Guineas Trial at Greyville last October Hashtagyolo beat Fiorella by a length and three-quarters but the Duncan Howells-trained filly was over four lengths back fifth when Hashtagyolo won the Grade 3 Flamboyant Stakes at the Durban course on New Year’s Eve.

Track Attack, the Dynasty half-brother to Yorker that topped the National Yearling Sale at R5.2 million, has gone to Jane Thomas’s Far End pre-training operation in Mooi River and is due to start being broken next month.

The colt was bought for Lady Laidlaw’s Khaya Stables for whom Kannemeyer won the 2015 Vodacom Durban July with Power King.  Kannemeyer will also train the second top lot for the same owner. This is Captain Cherry, a R4.75 million Captain Al colt out of champion Cherry On The Top, and he stays with vendors Mauritzfontein until the time comes for him to go into training.

By Michael Clower

Dean Kannemeyer arrived in KZN without a strong Vodacom Durban July contender in 2015 and walked away with the trophy and this year the odds are stacked even higher against him, but he does have a glimmer of hope through It’s My Turn, who runs in Saturday’s Grade 3 Track and Ball Derby over 2400m at Scottsville.

Kannemeyer has a strong hand in Saturday’s race as last year’s winner Mr Winsome as well as The Slade also line up and his classy filly Meryl will contend the Grade 3 Track and Ball Oaks.

He said about the five-year-old Dynasty gelding It’s My Turn, “I think he is looking for this trip. He is well in under the conditions of the race. He is doing very well.”

He said about It’s My Turn’s July ambitions, “If he wins we will speak to Fred Crabbia about running him in the July. But he has got to win well to get in.”

It’s My Turn (Liesl King)

It’s My Turn won the Investec Cape Derby as a three-year-old for the Justin Snaith yard and in KZN finished second in the Grade 1 Daily News 2000 and a 2,35 length fourth in the July. Last year he finished a 1,4 length eighth in the July.

This season he finished an eye-catching third in the Kings Cup in his second run after a layoff. It was also his second run for the Kannemeyer yard. However, in his next start when fancied in the WSB 1900, he over-raced badly. That is cause for concern over this trip, especially from a tricky draw of nine, although Anton Marcus now rides him in his first meeting back from injury.

The five-year-old Silvano gelding Mr Winsome’s win in this race last year earned him a July berth. He has been disappointing since then but did run third in the Grade 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m last time out, albeit beaten 6,9 lengths.

Kannemeyer said, “That was a better run last time. He loves Scottsville and I think he has turned the corner, he I doing very well.” Stable first choice jockey Keagan de Melo rides from a plum draw of two.

Kannemeyer said about the four-year-old Philanthropist gelding, The Slade, “He was disappointing last time in the 1900 but was a little below his best then and is doing exceptionally well now. He is fit and well and I have always been convinced he would stay this trip.” Bernard Fayd’Herbe rides from a draw of six.

Meryl is a three-year-old Tiger Ridge filly and comes off an impressive win over 1750m at Scottsville. She gave some decent three-year-old males 5,5kg and more in that race and finished strongly to win by 1,5 lengths. Before that she had not been disgraced against some of the country’s best fillies during the Cape Summer Season and as a two-year-old she won the Listed Devon Air Stakes over 1400m at Greyville.

Kannemeyer said, “She won a great race the other day and is doing well. The race will tell whether she stays. I trained her mother (Rose Lipped Maiden by Fort Wood) and he didn’t stay more than a mile but she tended to over race, so I think he will stay.” De Melo rides from a tough draw of fourteen.

By David Thiselton

The last chance for July horses to show their credentials happens on Saturday in the Grade 3 Track and Ball Derby and Grade 3 Track and Ball Oaks, both over 2400m at Scottsville. The Oaks looks to be a highly competitive race and should be a thriller.

Witchcraft

In the Oaks Flichity By Farr will be improving all the time being by Go Deputy and will be at her best next season as a four-year-old. However, a repeat of her runner up finish in the SA Oaks, where she finished strongly, will see her go close. She has run well at Scottsville before and Piere Strydom rides from a good draw of six. Meryl gave the impression she could stay last time when finishing strongly over 1750m to beat a decent bunch of males, to whom she gave lumps of weight. She has class but does have a tough draw to overcome and is unproven over the trip.

Wind Chill, a small filly with a big heart and some class, won last year’s SA Oaks in good style and should go close here from a good draw. Girl On The Run has class and was unlucky when going close over 2600m last time, which proved she stays the trip. Bi Pot has some class and always struck as one who would improve with age. She finished a 3,25 length fourth to Wind Chill in last year’s SA Oaks. Royal Utopia looks to be on the up and put in a cracking effort over 2000m last time in the Listed East Coast Cup over 2000m at Greyville where she was runner up. She finished third in last year’s SA Oaks so is proven over the trip and has a plum draw here.

Witchcraft won this race two years ago and was a close fourth last year. However, she has to bounce back from two poor runs. Leaves Of Grass was a narrow second in the Winter Oaks over 2200m at Kenilworth and has shown glimpses of class. Onesie is well regarded but has been a bit disappointing. However, being by Ideal World this might be the trip she has always been looking for. Raya Baya has potential but did disappoint in the Woolavington 2000 last time when finding little extra, so needs to bounce back and she has to prove she stays the trip.

Sunshine Silk is a typically improving filly by Silvano and is the dark horse as she has won three of her last four starts and loves this trip. She does have a tough draw but is capable of running on from behind. Epona is a half-sister to Jay Peg but has become a disappointing sort who can’t be relied on, although on her day she is capable of going close here. Lady Li Lay is a lightly raced four-year-old Silvano filly who is interesting over this trip as he has won twice over 2000m. Skyfire looks outclassed and Arizona Sunset also faces a big step up in class and will need sudden improvement.

Flichity By Farr is selected to beat Meryl with Wind Chill, Sunshine Silk and Girl On The Run next best.

By David Thiselton

It was only a four-horse contest but Winter Blues put in a tremendous gallop to warm up for Greyville, Saturday, July 7, with an emphatic victory in the Fresh Eyes Communication Handicap at Scottsville yesterday.

“The yard is starting to tick up,” said Louis Goosen whose stable was one of those hard-hit by the now notorious Ashburton virus.

Apprentice-ridden Swakopmund looked the only real danger but he was on the receiving end of a race-riding lesson from the wily Bernard Fayd’Herbe.

As former champion jockey Michael Roberts told his riders, “you are up against one of the best. Let’s see how good you are.” Unfortunately, neither of Kingsmead or Flamboyant could keep up the pace.

There was no malice or anything sinister in Fayd’Herbe letting Winter Blues range up alongside Swakopmund, but it did pressurise young Luke Ferraris to go early, leaving the door open for Winter Blues.

There is not much of Winter Blues in height, but he has filled out into a solid galloper and this was his fifth win from nine outings.

Ferraris was quick to make amends as he made full use of his 4kg claim to steer Miss Calypso to a convincing win in the fourth for Gavin van Zyl with the Duncan Howells-trained Beat It ridden out for second.

Howells has had an extraordinary run of runner-up berths in recent weeks and finally broke his run with Fire Song who was in the last chance saloon after a string of disappointing runs. Always travelling well under Muzi Yeni, the colt looked set for a romp in the park but when the taps were turned on, the water was slow to flow. “I was going so easy, I thought I would win by five or six (lengths), I think he needs gelding,” said Yeni bluntly.

Garth Puller is in a rich vein of form and Roman Dancer showed a fine turn of foot to land the card opener. “We fancied him last time,” said the seasoned horseman, “but he got hit over the head, not the best for a two-year-old.”

“He shows a lot of speed, that’s why I kept him to a sprint but I think he will go further.”

Third-placed Pickawinner was well fancied but found the 1000m dash too short. “Muzi said he only pulled him up at the 1400m mark,” said Howells. That’s nearly a full loop of the track.

Gary Rich finally appears to have got to the bottom of Pina Colada who obliged under a vigorous ride from Sherman Brown. Always there or thereabouts, Rich was uncertain as to what the filly’s optimum trip was. “I tried her over sprints and the jockeys told me to go further. I put her over 1400m and they said go back to a sprint. I really didn’t know where I was so just stuck her over a mile. She won well today and I think she will go even further. She has the action of a stayer.”

By Andrew Harrison