A competitive MR 88 handicap over 2000m heads an eight race card on the Turffontein Inside track on Sunday and The Rising Legend could still be ahead of the handicappers.

This three-year-old gelding is well regarded and is fast gaining a reputation for his sterling finishing efforts from well off the pace. His last win over 1800m at this course earned him just a two point merit rated raise and he is well regarded so can rise above his current mark of 84. Callan Murray stays aboard from a fair draw of seven. Big Parade, who is by Dynasty out of Summer Cup winner Flirtation, has been disappointing in two runs on the Highveld since a fair campaign in Cape Town, which included a close second to one of the July’s most fancied horses, Made To Conquer. He now has his third run back on the Highveld and it follows a three month layoff and gelding. Gambado won a good race over this trip in his penultimate start and followed with a fair 3,7 length eighth in the SA Derby. He is drawn in pole with Strydom up and should be involved.

Callan Murray

Top Shot has been consistent lately and having been lowered one point from his last run should be thereabouts especially considering he has won his only start over this course and distance. Kremlin Judgement, stablemate of Big Parade’s, looks to be the yard elect according to jockey bookings. He is well drawn and 1kg better off with The Rising Legend for a mere half-a-length beating over 1800m. That was his first outing with blinkers and they are on again. However, he was reported to have made a breathing noise in that race, which does not augur well for this step up in trip. Notting Hill has dropped to a competitive mark and this big front-running type will have more chance of keeping his nose in front carrying just 53,5kg. Bold Viking is talented but has breathing issues and usually starts slowly.

The best bet on the card looks to be Parental Control in the second race over 1450m. This Judpot filly ran on strongly from midfield over 1160m last time having caught the eye on debut over 1000m before that. Long Pond could be the danger. She was a bit below par last time over this 1450m course and distance when beaten 11,25 lengths into second by Return Flight, but had a shoe attended to that day. Before that she was close up to the decent Cloud Break on debut over 1200m. She has a fair draw and horses from the Houdalakis yard continually improve.

In the fifth race Hirohito should be improving being by Ideal Word. Weiho Marwing is an outstanding trainer of stayers, so he should now be cherry ripe to step up to 2600m having done well in three races over 2400m before staying on well for second over 2000m last time. Smart Deal is also by Ideal World and was beaten by a promising sort over 2400m last time so should also go close.

Exotic bets look to be the best way to approach the day.

By David Thiselton

The final field for next month’s Vodacom Durban July will be announced on Tuesday so there is still time for a few runners to make a claim for a place in the final field of 18.

Three of those borderline cases line up at Scottsville tomorrow and all three will need convincing performances if they are to be considered by the selection panel. It’s My Turn, The Slade and the filly Flichity By Farr are the three runners in question.

It has been many a year that a July field could be missing a runner from the Dean Kannemeyer yard. Last Winter, who incidentally arrived in England last week, will have been the stable’s early hope so either It’s My Turn or The Slade or both will need to put up smashing performances in the Gr3 Track & Ball Derby that heads up tomorrow’s card along with the Gr3 Track & Ball Oaks.

Rabada (Left) It’s My Turn (right)

Two season’s back, when under the care of Justin Snaith and one of the fancied runners for that year’s VDJ, It’s My Turn went wrong in the pre-race gallops and was scratched.

He made the field last year and under Piere Strydom finishing a creditable eighth, beaten under two lengths by Marinaresco in a blanket finish.

It’s My Turn has since had three starts for Kannemeyer and has progressed nicely, although Kannemeyer was probably expecting a slightly better effort in the WSB 1900 when beaten into sixth, beaten nearly four lengths by Elusive Silva, after coming off a close-up third in the King’s Cup.

Speaking mid-week, Kannemeyer said, “I think he is looking for this trip. He is well in under the conditions of the race. He is doing very well.”

“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 is probably the highest earning two-time winner in the country, his earning already topping R1.5 million, and he should strip at pretty much his peak tomorrow.

He also has the services of Anton Marcus who makes his return to the saddle after recovering from a broken wrist.

The Slade is also under pressure to make the July field and will need a hugely impressive performance if he is to be considered by the VDJ selection panel. However, Kannemeyer was up-beat. “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.”

Both will be up against the EP Derby winner American Landing. Trained by Brett Crawford, American Landing came from a long way back in the EP Derby to win going away by five lengths but given his lowly merit rating of 87, Crawford did not nominate the three-year-old for the VDJ. He is also way out at tomorrow’s weights given the conditions of the race but he is an improving three-year-old who can run above his rating.

In the Track & Ball Oaks, Flichity By Farr is a VDJ entry and like It’s My Turn and The Slade, will have to win if she is to have any chance of making the field for the big race. She was running on strongly in the SA Oaks at Turffontein behind Secret Potion so she stays the distance well.

But assistant trainer Kevin Wright is under no illusions saying the filly was fit and well but added, “She will need a big run to get in to the July.”

She also faces a difficult task as she takes on a number of older runners with strong form. Royal Utopia was a close-up second in the East Coast Handicap behind VDJ entry Ngaga and Girl On The Run was narrowly beaten over 2600m at Turffontein earlier this month and comes from an in-form stable. Lady Li Lay is still improving and tomorrow’s distance should suit while Bi-Pot and Epona both run well over this distance and have chances.

By Andrew Harrison

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