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

Master’s Spirit can benefit from the talented Luke Ferraris’s 4kg claim and upset the big guns in the Pinnacle Stakes at Kenilworth tomorrow.

On adjusted merit ratings the Justin Snaith six-year-old might as well stay at home – certainly compared with Dutch Philip and Tevez – but the rain has changed the complexion of the race and this is a horse that goes in the soft. Furthermore he is a decent price at 11-2.

Dutch Philip (Liesl King)

Dutch Philip is a class act and the obvious favourite. He gave away more ground at the start than he was beaten when second to Silicone Valley in a similar race over a furlong further in April and on official handicap marks he has the beating of everything except Tevez. However he is untested in soft ground and at 18-10 that is too big an imponderable.

Tevez (7-1) acts on this going but there is more than a suspicion that he is not quite as good as he was and, rising nine, that is only to be expected.

Olympian (9-2) has strong claims, not least because he is proven in the ground. Over 1 200m last time he had Nasty Harry, Master’s Spirit and Power Grid behind and is weighted to confirm the placings.

Kingston Passage (8-1) looked very good last season, particularly when making the running, and he likes this trip. His ability to act in the wet is a complete unknown but that doesn’t mean to say he won’t.

Power Grid, also an 8-1 chance, should be in his element but you would have to wonder if he is quite good enough to beat this opposition.

Nasty Harry (9-1) will like the underfoot conditions and Mike Stewart has long predicted that Al Wahed will really come into his own when the rain arrives. That said, the six-year-old has too much to do at the weights while Strikeitlikeamatch is a long shot even at 33-1 and allowing for his ability to go in the ground.

Of the others 30-1 shot Big Mistake has been disappointing in recent starts while Fifty Cents (16-1) has been off since February.

Snaith Racing are now finally beginning to unleash their two-year-olds. They run four in the first, four in the second and two against older horses in race three. Seven of them are first-timers. But they will have to be smart to beat Shadowing in the opener and the form book says that Winter Five is likely to prove too strong for Without Limits in race two.

By Michael Clower