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

African Night Sky came out of his facile Cup Trial win in great shape and, unless there are any surprises when the weights are published tomorrow, he could well start one of the shortest priced Vodacom Durban July favourites this century.

Jono Snaith said at the weekend: “African Night Sky couldn’t be better, he is doing amazingly well and he is going into the July as his third run after a rest.”

The general consensus is that last year’s Winter Series winner is exceptionally well handicapped on a mark of 112. Indeed Mike de Kock calculated on his website last week that the horse’s true rating is more like 121 – and nine points, or 4.5kg, over the July trip is roughly the equivalent of six lengths!

African Night Sky (Liesl King)

Little wonder that the four-year-old’s price is as short as 18-10 (with Betting World) and 2-1 with World Sports Betting and certain other layers. The shortest priced July favourite since 2001 was Yard-Arm when he flopped at 8-10 14 years ago.

It is looking odds-against Drill Hall winner Perovskia making the line-up. Harold Crawford, asked on Saturday how the horse is progressing, produced a photograph of the damaged left fetlock on his phone showing a red circular area with the skin torn off.

He said: “I have got until final declarations on June 25 to make a decision. If it hasn’t healed, or nearly healed, by then I will have to scratch him.”

Justin Snaith has Saturday week’s Highlands Stud Winter Derby as well as the July in his sights and he has entered three including Politician winner Doublemint who was third to the unbeaten Rainbow Bridge in the Winter Classic and fourth to him in the Winter Guineas.

Snaith is bidding for his third consecutive win in the race but Joey Ramsden, who has already won it three times, has entered the filly Fresnaye who is 4kg top-rated even before taking into account the 2.5kg sex allowance. Third in both the Cape Fillies Guineas and the Paddock Stakes, she won the Stormsvlei Mile last time.

Durban-based owner Mario Ferriera paid the top price of R1 million at Friday evening’s Klawervlei Farm Sale for a Captain Al half-brother to Ramsden’s 2016 Cape Fillies Guineas winner Just Sensual. No less than 121 of the 126 lots catalogued found buyers at an average of R76 909.

By Michael Clower

Dutch Philip sets out on the 1 600k journey from Milnerton to Summerveld this morning after putting up a satisfactory Mercury Sprint prep in the Pinnacle Stakes at Kenilworth on Saturday.

True, he didn’t win but – even if you were one of those whose money helped make him favourite at 11-10 – third place (beaten only a length and a quarter) was hardly a disaster of Eskom proportions. And there were extenuating circumstances as the stipes reported that he was tightened for galloping room 400m out.

Dutch Philip (Liesl King)

“It was a good run and he had a fairly hard race which he needed,” said Candice Bass-Robinson. “He likes to come from further back and I thought that Aldo possibly rode him a bit too handy.”

However the man on top had no such reservations and, asked if he was happy with the performance, replied: “Definitely, particularly over 1 000m and as he was giving away up to 9kg.”

Tevez, carrying the same Marsh Shirtliff colours, almost certainly earned a reprieve from retirement by accelerating like a Ferrari to lead 100m out and coming away under hands and heels with Bernard Fayd’Herbe delightedly saluting with his whip.

The eight-year-old’s trainer said: “He is an amazing horse. I was going to retire him at the end of the season but the minute he doesn’t enjoy it any more will be the time for that, and at the moment he loves his racing.”

So do the Justin Snaith two-year-olds. For most of the season they have been, to use their trainer’s now famous phrase, “under the radar,” but now they are emerging thick and fast. Clipper Captain got there under 50m out in the first (Richard Fourie: “I had to work on him the whole way but he is one to keep an eye on”) while Clouded Hill powered home under Grant van Niekerk as if he is something special.

Another lesson served up on Saturday is that the Horse Chestnut progeny have that comparatively rare ability to act in the soft and, as such, will be a valuable weapon in the punters’ armoury over the next two or three months. Clouded Hill is by the Mike de Kock-trained legend and so is Magic Mary who came right away in the final furlong of the Betting World Maiden.

For Brett Crawford and Corne Orffer, though, it was the victory of Grand Silvano that was sweetest because this three-year-old spent so much of what should have been his early career knocking at death’s door. “He had laminitis and after that he strained a tendon,” his trainer recalled. “We thought we would never get him to the racecourse.”

Brandon May, involved in a car accident, was forced to miss the meeting as was Louis Burke who was hurt in a trackwork fall on Saturday morning. Morne Winnaar took his place on Foxy Princess in the Supabets Handicap and proceeded to set a searching pace on the 22-1 apparent no-hoper. Much to the surprise of the jockeys in the stands his mount kept up the gallop just long enough.

“She kept rolling so I thought I would hold on,” reported Winnaar but Paddy Kruyer freely admitted to being one of the doubters. “Making the running wasn’t the plan but from that draw (13) we had to try something,” he said. “But I was waiting for her to stop!”

Joey Ramsden, setting the standard with his two-year-olds all season, showed that he still has a few decent maidens left to unleash by making it Cape Town juvenile success number 15 with the Donovan Dillon-ridden Sugerpova.

By Michael Clower

Commentator Sheldon Peters had all a-twitter before the first at Scottsville yesterday, broadcasting that hot favourite Sigismund had been kicked behind the pens.

So adamant was Peters that he asked his television producer to re-wind and show the incident.

In his defence, one of the runners did lash out at Sigismund and from the camera angle it did appear to make contact.

Callan Murray

However, rider Callan Murray was unperturbed or unaware of his mount being kicked and continued to circle with the balance of the runners.

The incident was relayed to the stipendiary stewards who in turn contacted the starter via two-way radio. Starter Paul Hepworth and course vet Roehaan Sutherland were both adamant on the radio that, “no horse has been kicked at the start.”

To compound matters, Sigismund did not feature in the finish leaving the public with the perception that the favourite had been kicked and that it had affected his chances.

Peters added even more fuel to the fire later reporting that Sigismund had pulled up lame behind.

Alistair Gordon, who missed saddling his horse as he had mixed up his starting times and was late on course, later reported to Chairman of the Stipendiary Board, Shaun Parker, that Sigismund had a troublesome testicle and that was the probable cause of the lameness which was on the opposite side to where the horse was allegedly kicked.

There was a double each for Shane Humby and Garth Puller on the day and Hashtag Strat led her field a merry dance in the Pinnace Stakes for Louise Goosen and apprentice Khanya Sakayi.

Wrogemann on the mend

After two weeks in an induced coma, Gunter Wrogemann was finally brought around on Friday. A fortnight back, Wrogemann had taken a horrific fall and had been kicked in the face.

His wife Sam posted yesterday that for two days he “wasn’t calm and completetley incoherent but by yesterday morning he was fully coherent”. He had no idea what had happened and that he had been in a coma for two weeks but was hopefully on the mend.

She thanked all for their terrific support.

By Andrew Harrison

The Turffontein Inside meeting tomorrow holds interest for Vodacom Durban July watchers as the Mike de Kock-trained Royal Crusade runs in possibly the first leg of his bid to make the big race’s final field.

Royal Crusade

The three-year-old Silvano gelding runs in a Graduation Plate over 1600m and is entered in next weekend’s Grade 3 Track and Ball Derby over 2400m at Scottsville, which is the final opportunity for July hopefuls to show their credentials. Royal Crusade finished third in the Grade 2 Gauteng Guineas and although he was well beaten by the runaway winner Monk’s Hood he will be the one to beat tomorrow. He is selected as an exotics banker but that is only because it is a tricky card as he will be up against some useful opposition. Glider Pilot is the highest rated horse in the race and in a handicap would be giving Royal Crusade 2,5kg. He runs at level weights with him here so must have a shout. He is by A. P. Arrow so would seem to need further but his best recent run has been over this trip. He is still a July entry but disappointed in the Jubilee over 1800m last weekend, so the connections will be hoping he can impress here.

Full Mast disappointed when last facing Glider Pilot and was well beaten by him but as a son of Go Deputy he will be improving. Furthermore, he has a plum draw of three with Piere Strydom up so must be considered. Punta Cana has always struck as a classy sort and now at last goes over the trip which would suit his pedigree, being by Trippi out of a Fort Wood mare who won the Grade 2 KRA Fillies Guineas and the Grade 2 Gerald Rosenberg over 2000m. This is also his second run after gelding so he is a most interesting contender. The third De Kock horse is Puget Sound who set the pace last time over this distance and finished only two lengths behind Yakeen when receiving only 1,5kg, so as the latter went on to win the Jubilee Handicap he is another one with a chance. Top Rank won impressively on debut in a moderate maiden. However, he started at long odds that day and is merit rated only 74 so has a lot still to prove. The only filly in the race London Secret finished third in a fillies and mares feature last time so is another one who can’t be ignored.

In the first leg of the PA Carbon Atom is an improving sort who had too much ground to make up last time over 1600m when dropped out. He is now drawn in pole with Hewitson up and as a progressive two-year-old will make his presence felt. However, another two-year-old Silken Prince made a good debut over 1200m and will be a big runner from draw three under Piere Strydom.

In the fifth race over 2000m Chariot Of Gold is the obvious horse having finished third in the SA Oaks and sixth in the Grade 1 Woolavington 2000. She is tipped but a danger could be Insignis, who on running style and breeding should relish the step up to 2000m. Tigerlace is also a fair sort who runs on well and she is drawn in pole.

By David Thiselton