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

The pressure for a place in this year’s Vodacom Durban July field has probably never been greater as only one horse of the eight who have earned automatic berths is still standing which means 17 place are still up for grabs.

The eight races which gain an automatic July berth for the winner are the Queen’s Plate, the Met, the Cape Derby, the SA Classic, the SA Fillies Classic, the SA Derby, the Premier’s Champions Challenge, the Daily News 2000, the Woolavington 2000 and the Gold Challenge. Coral Fever, the winner of the Champions Challenge, is the only winner of those races who is among the July’s declared horses. There are four races which enjoy preferential consideration for the winners, the Summer Cup, the WSB 1900, the Cup Trial and the Jubilee Handicap. All four of the winners of those races, Liege, Elusive Silva, African Night Sky and Yakeen are still among the declarations.

Elusive Silva (Denzil Govender)

The panellists thus face an impossible task and there look sure to be connections who will feel aggrieved. For example, which horses are more deserving, the like of Tilbury Fort and Dark Moon Rising, who ran to ratings of 103 and 101 when respective runner ups in the Jubilee and WSB 1900 respectively, or Gold Standard and Roy Had Enough, who have Grade 1 unplaced form but in the Gold Challenge were both staying on well and ran to ratings of about 115. Gold Standard, who is merit rated 117, has not quite lived up to his outstanding form of last season but has been beaten 3,3 lengths, 5,5 lengths and 3,5 lengths in the Queen’s Plate, the Met and the Gold Challenge respectively. He was 13^th on the last July log and subsequent scratchings Oh Susanna, Surcharge and Legislate were all above him so he looks likely to make it into the final field. Roy Had Enough became the first three-year-old to ever win the Christmas Handicap, a feat he pulled off by a comfortable 2,75 lengths and he followed up by winning a Pinnacle event over the same course and distance. Since then he has only run in Grade 1s, finishing a 4,1 length fifth in the SA Classic, a 6,25 length 8^th in the Daily News and a four length sixth in the Gold Challenge. However, his connections will be on tenterhooks as he was 19^th on the last log.

There is still one round of qualifying to go in next Sunday’s Track and Ball Derby and Track and Ball Oaks.

An interesting entry in the Derby is Royal Crusade, who won a strong Graduation Plate over 1600m at Turffontein on Saturday. However, that win might not have been enough to impress July final field panellists and he might have to line up next Sunday. Strathdon, The Slade and It’s My Turn are also among the July hopefuls entered and the latter pair will likely have to put in impressive displays to be considered. Strathdon has already put up his hand for a place by only just failing to beat Made To Conquer in the Lonsdale Stirrup Cup, The latter was supplemented for the July and is fancied by many to win it. Roy Had Enough is also a Derby entry but trainer Frank Robinson will probably avoid running him three weekends in a row.

An interesting entry in the Oaks is Flichity By Farr, who was on the outside looking in on the last July log. Connections could make a case for her to be included in the July field without a run on Sunday as she finished second in the SA Oaks and the winner of that race Secret Potion was tenth on the last log. However, she will likely line up as a stayer who would not want to miss an opportunity to win a race like this. Ngaga is another interesting Oaks entry as she impressed when waltzing home in the Listed East Coast Handicap over 2000m last time out and is a July declaration. Girl On The Run and Roy’s Riviera are two other Oaks entries who will have to impress the July final field panellists.

Matador Man (Candiese Marnewick)

Meanwhile, the connections of the like of Matador Man, Platinum Prince, Rocket Countdown, Sabina’s Dynasty, Social Order and Head Honcho will be sweating it out. Head Honcho was surprisingly not on the last log despite winning the Listed Sledgehammer, and his fourth in the Cup Trial might not be good enough. Matador Man was an unlucky third in the WSB 1900 and the way he was finishing suggested he could possibly stay the July trip. He will likely defend his title in the KZN Breeders Million Mile just six days before the July. Another July contender who is among the Million Mile entries is Gilder Pilot, whose recent form has severely dented his chances of making the July field. Platinum Prince was an unlucky fourth in the WSB 1900 and third in the Cup Trial so remains a borderline case. Sabina’s Dynasty put his hand up by winning the Grade 2 Gerald Rosenberg Stakes over 2000m at Turffonein. Rocket Countdown finished runner up in the first two legs of the Cape Winter Series to the crack gelding Rainbow Bridge. Social Order’s fourth place finish in the Jubilee dented his chances.

These borderline horses would have been leap-frogged by Made To Conquer and possibly also by respective Jubilee winner and runner up Yakeen and Tilbury Fort and Cup Trial runner up Crowd Pleaser.

July log third-placed Liege ran 12,4 lengths back in his comeback in a Pinnacle event on June 10, but as the Summer Cup winner panellists will probably forgive him that run.

However, the connections of all the horses mentioned will be chewing their finger nails as the big race approaches.

By David Thiselton