Glen Kotzen said the Grade 1 Daily News 2000 third favourite Pack Leader had been “flying” at home and this race had through circumstances beyond his control now become his chief SA Champions Season mission.

Pack Leader followed his excellent Grade 1 Cape Derby third place with a short-head second in the Listed Sledgehammer over 1800m at  Greyville after which he was comfortably in the top 18 on the first July log.

However, on the day of his intended next race in the Grade 2 WSB 1900 he cramped on the course and a minor colic attack was suspected.

Kotzen decided to scratch him as a precaution.

They had believed him to have been unstoppable that day

Pack Leader

He was treated and responded so well he was fresh and bucking the next day on the track.

However, Kotzen had wanted him to run in 1900 for more reasons than one. It would have brought him to his peak for the Vodacom Durban July and by avoiding the three-year-olds it would also have ensured he came into the big race well weighted.

The Daily News 2000 was the best race now available to the Philanthropist colt and as it is a Grade 1 classic it could see his merit rating jumping considerably if he wins, although it does depend on whom he beats. The yard have thus decided to make it his main mission for the season and are now viewing the July as a bonus.

Kotzen said, “He put up a super gallop last Thursday on the grass around the bend at Summerveld and is in a good space, he is on track.”

He is drawn ten but this has been a lucky draw for Kotzen in the past with Big City Life winning both the Daily News and the July from that draw.

Kotzen runs Elusive Heart and Luna Child in the Grade 1 Woolavington 2000.

He said about Elusive Heart, “She is one of the few horses to have beaten Snowdance and I think if ridden differently she will get the ten furlongs.” She is by SA Derby and Daily News 2000 winner Elusive Fort, but has a speedy female line and showed her speed when winning the Grade 3 Vasco Prix du Cap comfortably. She also beat Snowdance in a handicap over 1400m. In her last run she finished a 1,35 length third in the Grade 2 Daisy Fillies Guineas when staying on from second in the running.

Luna Child opened up a big lead last time out in the Scarlet Lady over 1800m at Greyville before coming back to them early in the straight but she then stayed on again to run a gallant fourth. Kotzen said, “We have changed the bit and put a tongue tie on and will ride her softly and see if it makes a difference.”

Richard Fourie rides Pack Leader and Elusive Heart, who is drawn two, and Gunther Wrogemann rides Luna Child who is drawn in pole.

Gone Baby Gone is their other runner on the day and he was said to be working like a “steam train” but the trip is too short and it is being viewed as a preparation run.

By David Thiselton

One World, despite running as green as the grass he was racing on, confirmed that he is something special with a brave, front-running display in the Play Soccer Juvenile Plate in uncharacteristically testing ground at Kenilworth yesterday.

Dan Katz (SportingPost)

MJ Byleveld decided to make it “because this is a big striding horse” but he had more than a few anxious moments, notably when the 21-10 chance decided to head straight into the rails. His mount looked beaten when Carnage came at him in the final furlong but, despite not keeping entirely straight, he kept answering his rider’s every call to prevail by a hard-fought fifth of a length.

His rider reported: “I probably went a bit slower than I wanted but he was green and at the junction he nearly went off the track. That said, he is a really nice horse.”

Vaughan Marshall, watching from Durban, said: “He is a big baby, still green, but a very good horse. We will see how he pulls up but we’ve got to go the Langerman route. That’s why I left him in Cape Town rather than take him to Durban.”

Arabian Air, who started favourite at 21-20, was beaten over four lengths into fourth but there were excuses. A veterinary examination showed him to be not striding out and Donovan Dillon said: “After he broke though the pens before the off he wasn’t himself and I was outpaced at the 800m mark which wasn’t him.”

Dan Katz is predicting a bright future for Hassen Adams’ Var filly Bouvier who made a winning debut at 14-1 under Louis Burke in the opening maiden juvenile fillies.

He said: “She is very small – I wish she was a hand higher – but she can run and she is good. I am expecting big things from her.”

The Betting World Juvenile Plate, already an exclusive match between Joey Ramsden and Candice Bass-Robinson, was decimated when three of Ramsden’s four runners were scratched ‘off-feed’ at 8.45am. But the opposition’s Cruise Along and Aldo Domeyer were made to fight for every metre by Dillon on Ramsden’s Sparkeling Fire.

Piet Botha, who took that horrible fall from Steel Rose in the Solid Speed Pinnacle at Greyville 11 days ago, sees his doctor today and is optimistic that he will be given clearance to resume next week.

BLOB Rocket Countdown is reported to have come out of his fine Winter Classic run in good shape. Deez Dayanand apparently has other trainers keen to have Jeff Lloyd in the irons in the Vodacom Durban July. He stresses that he will make the booking and that nothing has yet been confirmed.

By Michael Clower

National champion trainer Sean Tarry has a runner in both the Grade 1 Daily News 2000 and the Grade 1 Woolavington 2000, Warrior’s Rest and Chariot Of Gold respectively but said they were facing tough fields and it would be hard to have confidence.

“We’re going in hoping for the best,” he said.

Warrior’s Rest, a big colt by What A Winter, impressed more than once as a two-year-old, including when finishing a 0,6 length third in the Grade 1 Premier’s Champions Stakes over 1600 at Greyville on Gold Cup day.

Sean Tarry

Tarry said, “He missed his intended second run which is not ideal but we seem to have him fit enough and he had his final gallop today (Tuesday).”

He was laid off for six months between October last year and April this year and Tarry explained, “He went unsound, but we have him sound now and I’m happy with him. He proved himself against the best last season but he hasn’t been able to have the exposure against the best three-year-olds this season. He is a big horse with a big stride and the way he races it would appear he could stay the 2000m trip, even though on pedigree there would be a doubt.”

In the Premier’s last year he led before staying on well, but Tarry said it would be unlikely he would lead this time running over 2000m for the first time.

Warrior’s Rest is by the Equus Champion Sprinter What A Winter. However, he is out of a Badger Land mare who won a Listed race over 2000m, so there is hope, even on pedigree, he will stay the trip.

The Silvano filly Chariot Of Gold will have no problem at all staying the trip. She won the Listed Oaks Trial over 2000m and followed up by finishing third in the Wilgerbosdrift Grade 2 SA Oaks over 2450m.

Tarry said, “She took her race in the Oaks very well. Oh Susanna is impossible to beat but if you’re not in the race you will never know.”

The pair will travel down to KZN on Friday.

Shenanigans will also be travelling down to run in the Listed Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m.

Tarry said, “He is a nice horse and the step up in trip might help.”

Tarry also has the old soldier Hyaku in the Lonsdale, in which he finished fourth last year. The six-year-old Admire Main gelding has lived in KZN for the last couple of seasons and is being prepared by Tarry’s new Summerveld satellite yard assistant trainer Lorenzo Karriem.

Meanwhile, Legal Eagle has been sent to the farm for a layoff and will be brought back next season to prepare for his bid to equal Pocket Power’s four L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate victories in succession.

By David Thiselton

Alyson Wright said Sunny Bill Du-Toy was in good shape ahead of his tilt at the Grade 1 Daily News 2000.

Alyson Wright (Supplied)

The good looking and rangy gelding by Irish Flame takes a massive step up in class but Wright confirmed he was improving all the time.

He has won three in a row from 1800m to 2000m, all on the poly, and Wright saw no reason why he would not take to turf.

He has a fine draw of two and might surprise a few as he certainly caught the eye last time over 2000m when running wide and yet still finding enough to power away from the field and win by 2,75 lengths.

However, he was only running off a 74 merit rating and was raised to an 81 so on paper will have to improve on that performance by lengths to finish close to the like of 110 merit rated Do It Again.

Sunny Bill Du-Toy is named after a friend of Owen Heiffer’s, the owner of Hollywood Bets. The horse runs in the Hollywood Syndicate colours.

By David Thiselton

Justin Snaith explained the disappointing run of Grade 1 winner Sergeant Hardy last Saturday before talking about his runners in Saturday’s big meeting at Greyville where he saddles the favourites for both the Daily News 2000 and Woolavington 2000, Do It Again and Oh Susanna respectively.

Sergeant Hardy has a habit of jumping left and on this occasion Snaith said he “over-reacted as usual when the pens opened, went left and a horse (Isca) hit him sideways. That was his race gone right there.” Bernard Fayd’Herbe had already been pulling on the right rein in an attempt to straighten him and when the horse hit him the force on the right side of his mouth must have been doubled and the inside of the mouth on that side was cut. “That was why he took off to the left rail,” explained Snaith. “Because of his cut mouth I have had to scrap the original plan to run him in the Post Merchants and will now have to wait for the Mercury Sprint.”

Bernard Fayd’Herbe (Liesl King)

Snaith said in all of his pre-race comments he had pointed out Sergeant Hardy had still been recovering from his trip to Johannesburg and the Scottsville race was not ever going to be his peak event. Sergeant Hardy drifted alarmingly in the betting and from odds-on eventually started 17/10.

Snaith said it would be hard for the horses whom Do It Again beat in the Grade 2 Daisy Guineas to reverse form in the Grade 1 Daily News over 2000m as this was “his trip.” He added, “He is doing well and everything has gone according to plan. He is spot on. It’s very competitive and very good horses are taking part, I will be particularly interested to see how Tap O’ Noth runs as he is a high quality horse.”

Sun Met winner Oh Susanna is at cramped odds for the Grade 1 Woolavington. Snaith said the crack in her heel, which forced her to miss the Daisy Fillies Guineas, had grown out and he reckoned she would be at her best. He concluded, “She is doing well and is fit and ready.”

He also runs Silvano filly Miyabi Gold in the Woolavington and said, “She is a half-sister to Ultimate Dollar and I’m hoping she finishes in the first three, but it will be tough. She is a high quality young horse and she wouldn’t be in the race if I didn’t think she was good enough. She will be running on strongly.”

Snaith runs Captain Splendid, Strathdon and Made To Conquer in the Grade 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m.

Captain Splendid defends his crown here and he said, “He is the dark horse, he needed his last run and considering he got bumped it wasn’t a bad run at all. He has come out of that race well and is ready.”

“Strathdon was very unlucky in that race (WSB 1900). The jockey was battling to hold It’s My Turn and he bumped Strathdon three wide and he then had to loop the field, so a line can be drawn through that run.”

“Made To Conquer should run his usual consistent race, although I am a little bit worried about the second run after a layoff syndrome so am not as confident as normal. But if he runs well here he will be a contender in any race, he is high quality and will get every bit of the 2400m.”

One Direction runs in the fourth race over 1900m and he said, “He is doing very well and will fight out the finish, it just depends on whether Silva’s Bullet comes back to form, he is high quality and I just wish he wasn’t in the race.”

He runs Captain Courteous in race eight over 1400m and said, “He is doing very well at home and had a very good first run in KZN. He should fight out the finish.”

By David Thiselton