Former Vodacom Durban July winner Legislate will be one of the centres of attention when he runs in the Gr2 Post Merchants at Greyville tonight. Legislate’s stud career was cut short as he has fertility problems so just how he performs back on the racetrack after an absence of two years will be interesting.

He hacked up in a recent barrier trial at Scottsville but tonight’s race is a different proposition. He was carrying plenty of condition in his trial and is unlikely to strip anywhere near his peak, but he does have class on his side.

The Post Merchants has a reputation of throwing up surprise results and tonight’s race could be no different as it has attracted a highly competitive field and the list of possible winners is a long one.

Legislate

Likely favourite is the Brett Crawford-trained Sunset Eyes, who finished second to stable companion Bold Respect in the recent Tsogo Sun Sprint. Sunset Eyes recorded his last win over Friday’s course and distance and both he and the Crawford stable are in mustard form.

Joey Ramsden was disappointed with Attenborough’s run in the Tsogo Sun Sprint and the Gr1 Computaform Sprint winner will be out to redeem himself. Ramsden blamed a wide draw at Scottsville and he has fared better here and will jump from a mid-field draw of seven.

Sniper Shot is smart and versatile although dropping back to 1200m after contesting the Daisy Guineas may be a problem albeit that he has run Sunset Eyes close on two occasions.

Alec Laird tends to fly under the radar and Pure Blonde could be the surprise package of the race. The gelding has some solid Highveld form and the blinkers are back on which should see him improve on his effort behind Bold Respect and Sunset Eyes in the In Full Flight Handicap.

Dennis Drier is chasing hard to regain his KZN Champion Trainer title he lost to perennial rival Duncan Howells last season and Caliente will be a strong fancy in the card opener after a smart barrier trial led to a promising debut.

However, he could find the year older Pavarotti Passion difficult to beat. Mark Dixon’s gelding has been a nightmare at the gates but showed in his first barrier trial that he has plenty of ability. His next trial is best ignored and the fact that he lines up this evening means that he has been passed at the gate.

Merit ratings have been a hot topic of debate this past week after African Night Sky seemingly got off lightly after his victory in the Cup Trial but that’s a debate for another day. An interesting runner tonight will be the showing by Flying Myth in the Wild Coast Sun Handicap.

Sean Tarry’s runner obviously has his problems given his record of time between races and they have not been at all good since winning a Juvenile Maiden back in 2016.

He started his three-year-old career off a rating of 93. That has dropped to this evening’s 66 and given his recent form that is probably a fair assessment.

But the fact that Tarry has persisted with the gelding may tell a tale and the switch to the poly track could hold the key. He’s not one for a big wager but also one that you cannot ignore.

By Andrew Harrison

The shortest priced female in the Vodacom Durban July, Cascapedia, is still on course for the big race despite having had to be scratched from the Jubilee Handicap on Sunday due to a spiked temperature.

Cascapedia (JC Photographics)

Her trainer Mike de Kock lambasted the handicappers for what he perceived to be inconsistencies in treatment of different July runners, including his own charge Yakeen, who won the Jubilee.

Assistant trainer Matthew de Kock said about Cascapedia, ““This is a setback as we’ve missed two prep runs with her, but this won’t change our plans. She’s already better, her blood’s not quite right yet but she will be fine. She has been doing really well in her work and we’ll give her a public gallop if needs be.”

De Kock pointed out that African Night Sky had run to at least a 121 merit rating in the Sun Met (he escaped punishment as a local rule states only the first five horses in a Grade 1 race can have their merit ratings upwardly adjusted and he finished a short-head behind the fifth-placed horse.)

African Night Sky duly won the Grade 3 Cup Trial over 1800m at Greyville with consummate ease on Saturday but was only raised four points, while Yakeen “fell across the line” in the Jubilee but received the same four point raise.

Matthew said about the Australian-bred three-year-old Teofilo colt Yakeen, “It will be hard to leave him out of the July now.”

By David Thiselton

The Paul Lafferty-trained Sniper Shot should go close on formlines in tomorrow night’s Grade 2 post Merchants over 1200m at Greyville. However, he had an interruption in his training program due to a sales offer and then had to be scratched from the Tsogo Sun Sprint due to a pulled muscle in his back. But all is now well with the three-year-old Judpot gelding and Lafferty’s assistant trainer Roy Waugh said, “He has put up a good grass gallop and is looking fantastic.”

Do It Again (Candiese Marnewick)

Sniper Shot failed the pisoplasma test after being the subject of a sales offer. In his last three runs he won the Fever Tree Handicap over 1400m at Scottsville, finished second in the Grade 3 Byerley Turk over 1400m at Greyville to subsequent Grade 1 winner Undercover Agent and then finished second in the Grade 2 Daisy Guineas at Greyville to Do It Again.

Previous to that he had run twice at Scottsville over tomorrow night’s trip of 1200m and been beaten both times by Post Merchants contender Sunset Eyes. In the first of those meeting he gave Sunset Eyes 1kg and was beaten two lengths and in the second meeting in February he received half-a-kilogram and was beaten 0,75 lengths.

He now faces Sunset Eyes at level weights. However, if weight for age changes are taken into consideration he is 3,5kg better off for a two length beating and 1,5kg better off for a 0,75 length beating, so there is very little in it.

However, Betting World have Sunset Eyes as the 5/2 favourite and Sniper Shot is at 8/1.

Sunset Eyes does have a draw advantage of pole position vs draw ten, which is a big factor.

Sniper Shot was kept wide in order to overcome a wide draw in the Byerley Turk and ended lying third in the running alongside the well drawn Undercover Agent, but it will be tough to repeat that tactic against classy speedsters over a 200m shorter trip. Nevertheless, he should be running on strongly as he loves Greyville.

By David Thiselton

Candice Bass-Robinson, already one ahead of her first season 88-winner total, has a favourite’s chance of collecting with Dutch Philip in the Pinnacle Stakes at Kenilworth on Saturday.

The US$500 000 CTS 1200 winner heads the market at 18-10 with World Sports Betting which has the Vaughan Marshall-trained Olympian next on 9-2 with Master’s Spirit on 11-2. Justin Snaith has snapped up 4kg-claiming rising talent Luke Ferraris for the last-named.

Mrs Bass-Robinson’s second string Tevez is a 7-1 chance with Kingston Passage and Power Grid on 8-1. Other prices are 9-1 Nasty Harry, 16-1 Al Wahed, Fifty Cents, 30-1 Big Mistake and 33-1 Strikeitlikeamatch.

By Michael Clower.

Featured Image: Dutch Philip (Liesl King)

Jarred Samuel is one of the unsung members of the weighing room but given a chance he can match it with the best of them as he showed when getting Unbelievable Lad home in a driving finish in the Hunting Tower Handicap at Greyville yesterday. It may not have been the ‘July’ but Samuel gave Ivan and Darryl Moore’s gelding a peach of a ride.

Jarred Samuel

For some reason, probably initiated by poly specialist Anton Marcus whose want is to head wide into the straight, swinging wide into the Greyville straight on the poly track appears to have some kind of benefit and Samuel, wide off the turn, went straight up the outside rail.

Highveld-based Craig Zackey sent Royal Rustler up the inside and the pair left the balance of the field chasing shadows as they hooked up 300 m out. It was nose-and-nose to the line with Royal Rustler angling out to join Unbelievable Lad but every picture tells a story and Samuel’s had his mount’s nose in front when it counted.

A wide draw on the poly track is not much of a handicap as Warren Kennedy proved in the seventh. He pressed forward early on Brett Crawford’s runner Savuti and then set his mount alight on the turn. It proved an inspired move as Savuti shot clear and was not for the catching. Dance Off and favourite Gunner chased from well of the pace but were never in contention for the judges.

Barrier trials get up the noses of many a trainer but it was two trialists that fought out the finish in the third. Priceless Ruler and Ticket Holder, both prominent in their respective trials, fought out a protracted duel with Dennis Drier’s gelding, owned by wife Gill, getting home narrowly. Duncan Howells knocked Drier off his throne as KZN Champion Trainer last season (judged on number of winners in KZN) but Drier has turned on the taps to regain his crown and Priceless Ruler put him 9 ahead of Howells with about seven weeks of the season to run so it could still come down to the wire as it did last season when Howells sewed it up inside the final fortnight.

Bequia was labelled the ‘money horse’ in the card opener and didn’t let his supporters down, winning easily under Bernard Fayd’Herbe for Garth Puller ahead of favourite Majestica who trailed in nearly three lengths adrift.

Blinkers were the inspired addition to Vaughan Marshall’s colt Provocateur and he put four lengths on the opposition in the second and looks more than just useful.

Calladdi found his best form for Gavin van Zyl when he burst clear inside the last 100m to land the fifth. Up until then, Warren Kennedy was involved in a tight tussle with Muzi Yeni on Big King, but Calladdi suddenly found an extra gear and rocketed away with Bonnie Dawn running on late for third.

Sharpe’s Eagle had his wings clipped when favourite for the third but O’Keefe eased the pain for Andre Nel in the Summerhill Stud Handicap as she kept on resolutely to get the better of Kahula and Inga with Pumpkin Queen coming from well back to take fourth.

By Andrew Harrison