The Alyson Wright-trained Flichity By Farr will be out to impress the Vodacom Durban July final field panellists when running in the Track and Ball Oaks over 2400m at Scottsville on Saturday.

Piere Strydom

Assistant trainer Kevin Wright said the three-year-old Go Deputy filly was fit and well and added, “She will need a big run to get in to the July.”

A case can be made for her to qualify as things stand as she was staying on strongly when a 1,2 length second in the Grade 2 SA Oaks at Turffontein and the winner of that race, Secret Potion, was high up on the last July log.

Two other points in Flichity by Farr’s favour is that she is by Go Deputy, so will be improving consistently, and she has run well at Scottsville before.

She has also drawn well in six.

Piere Strydom will be aboard, another plus.

Flichity By Farr made her debut at Scottsville over 1200m and then in September last year made her second appearance at the Pietermaritzburg venue over 1400m in a three-year-old handicap. She gave Fiorella 3kg that day and was beaten just one length after producing a flying finish. Fiorella has since booked her place in the July by winning the Grade 2 Daisy Fillies Guineas and finishing second in the Grade 1 Woolavington 2000.

Flichity By Farr is currently a 125/1 shot for the July.

Wright concluded, “The distance is absolutely ideal and she has improved since the Oaks.”

By David Thiselton

The Paul Lafferty-trained Grade 2 Post Merchants winner Sniper Shot will be going for the Grade 1 Mercury Sprint over the same Greyville 1200m course and distance.

The three-year-old chestnut gelding by Judpot ran on strongly from midfield after overcoming a wide draw last Friday night.

It has not been a strong season for sprinters and Sniper Shot would have a chance in the weight for age Mercury Sprint, despite winning the Post Merchants, which is run under merit-rated band conditions, off just a 105 merit rating.

He is a versatile type and was coming off runner up finishes in both the Grade 2 Daisy Guineas and Grade 3 Byerley Turk over 1600m and 1400m respectively.

Before that he won the Fever Tree Handicap over 1400m at Scottsville, but his 1200m form going into the Post Merchants made him one of the horses to beat on pure form, despite his starting odds of 113/20.

By David Thiselton

Anthony Delpech would in normal circumstances be looking forward to an attempt at a Vodacom Durban July record but instead has a much tougher battle on his plate as he recuperates from a horror fall suffered in the SA Classic on April 7.

The good news is he feels there is a “definite” chance he might one day be able to ride again.

However, it will be another few months before such a decision can be taken as it all depends on how well the injury heals and how strong the surrounding tissue becomes.

Anthony Delpech (Liesl King)

Delpech was aboard the fancied Majestic Mambo in the SA Classic and said when a half gap opened he went for it. However, one of the horses ahead of him shifted slightly and the gap closed. He attempted to pull out of it but the horse had shot forward and it was too late.

Delpech suffered a herniated disc in the neck and a new disc had to be put in its place. He also had to have vertebrae four and five fused together.

He also suffered excruciating nerve pain in his hands and lost all of the strength in his hands too.

His frame of mind also took a blow as he had been on top of the world and was on his way to a second successive national jockey’s title and a fourth overall.

However, he said, “It is a huge operation. It was very hard at first, I was very down, but I have really come a long way.”

He is getting the strength in his hands back, has been able to drive his car again and is feeling a lot more upbeat.

In a fortnight’s time he will go for his first scan since the operation.

Things might move quicker after that because up until now no physiotherapy has been allowed on the neck. The physiotherapy, once it starts will be vital, and in a few months’ time a call will be made on the strength of the injured area versus the risks should there be another fall.

Delpech has been watching the big races and asked which horse he would have liked to have been on for the July said, “African Night Sky has been very impressive and is the stand out.”

He is the joint July record holder together with Harold “Tiger” Wright and Anton Marcus having ridden the winner of the big race four times.

Anton Marcus is also on the injury list but is still hopeful of being ready in time to ride in the July.

By David Thiselton

Traces,  winner of the two-year-old Listed race at Met day and first past the post in the barrier trial at Greyville last Friday, runs next on Vodacom Durban July day but not in any of the features.

Brett Crawford said: “We have decided that we should stick to five furlongs for the time being as he has run twice over further than that and disappointed on both occasions. We want to find a race he can win and therefore he goes for the 1 000m Pinnacle (race ten) on July 7 rather than any of the features.”

The Snitzel colt started favourite for the Godolphin Barb Stakes but was beaten nearly seven lengths into third behind Cue The Music and in the Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion he was fifth to Van Halen.

By Michael Clower

Featured Image: Brett Crawford (Liesl King)

Charles will be the focus of much attention in the first at Kenilworth today, not least because he cost a whopping R6 million when he topped the Cape Premier Yearling Sale 17 months ago.

Also he sports Markus Jooste’s famous emerald green, yellow stars and black sleeves colours that are these days something of a rarity – certainly in comparison to the pre-Steinhoff scandal days when they were seen in almost every race.

The Trippi colt has a strong pedigree – he is the first foal of Ipi Tombe Challenge winner Demanding Lady (by Dynasty) – although, at least arguably, not R6 million strong. But, by all accounts, he was a particularly striking-looking yearling.

Mac De Lago

He was knocked down to M.V. Magnier and his mother Sue is in partnership with Jooste’s Mayfair Speculators. World Sports Betting, who take note of what newcomers cost, opened him favourite at 22-10 on Saturday but by yesterday the colt was available at 7-2.

“Charles has done well and he is forward enough from both a mental and a physical perspective,” says Brett Crawford. “But my concern is the ground. There was a lot of rain forecast and it could be heavy.”

Preference is for the well-supported 18-10 favourite The Suit whose saddle slipped back shortly after the start last time yet he still had All The Sevens (7-1) a length and a quarter behind. That said, Dan Katz believes that his horse might well be able to turn the tables – “He has come on heaps and I think he is a huge runner.”

The betting so far indicates that the Candice Bass-Robinson runner Mio Vito (16-1 to 8-1) should also command respect.

Whatever his fortunes with Charles the in-form Crawford should win race two with Shamrock Wind who had the rest quite well strung out when keeping on well to be second to odds-on Mixed Signals on debut. Corne Orffer’s mount is favourite at 14-10 and probably has most to fear from Snaith’s Doubled Over (so far weak in the market at 33-10) and 4-1 chance Miss Plumcake whose work at home suggests she has come on according to Mrs Bass-Robinson.

Greg Cheyne’s mount Ikebana could be another for Crawford in the Book Your Seat Maiden (race three) while 3-1 chance Friendly Tibbs is a confident choice for the Betting World Handicap. Piet Steyn’s consistent seven-year-old is one of the few still racing by Casey Tibbs, a stallion whose progeny are particularly effective in testing ground.

However the early betting suggests this is wide open with all bar Woodland’s Forest quoted at between 28-10 and 7-2.

Mac De Lago (33-10) has more class than the rest but he hasn’t done much good in five attempts in the soft. “In fact I’m not worried about the going but we are in untested territory,” says Katz. “I’m not worried about the distance either but the two together do concern me.”

By Michael Clower