A compact field of nine runners, including the exciting three-year-old filly Snowdance, will face the starter for the R1-million, Grade 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge over 1 600m at Greyville on Saturday where a total of 10 Vodacom Durban July hopefuls will feature on the programme in a final bid for a place in the premier event on July 7.

Just three July contenders will compete in the Rising Sun Gold Challenge with the other seven running in the R300 000, Grade 3 Cup Trial over 1 800m which has a field of 12 that includes the favourite for Africa’s greatest race, African Night Sky.

Snowdance, the Justin Snaith-trained winner of the Cape Fillies Guineas and the Majorca Stakes before being upstaged in the Daisy Fillies Guineas at Greyville by Fiorella, is supported in the race by stable companion Copper Force but the pair face a formidable team of three from the Brett Crawford yard comprising Captain America, Sail South and Undercover Agent. None are July entries but all three are highly accomplished in their careers with the three-year-old just being touched off by Perovskia in the Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes and the other two finishing within a length off Legal Eagle in the Grade 1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate.

Champion trainer Sean Tarry has two runners in the field including his Vodacom Durban July candidate Liege. The five-year-old Dynasty gelding has not raced since winning the Grade 1 Summer Cup in November and technically should not be allowed to race. However, discussions were taking place between Gold Circle and the National Horseracing Authority on the gelding’s participation.

The Cup Trial will be followed with great interest with July favourite African Night Sky in the field. The four-year-old Dynasty gelding was just touched off by Star Express in a Pinnacle Stakes race over 1 600m in his only local run this season but is highly rated on his exposed ability and as long as he gives a good account of himself on Saturday his July place is secure.

Among his opposition is the Russian Sage gelding Perovskia from the Harold Crawford stable that caused an upset when winning the Independent Of Saturday Drill Hall Stakes and the Querari gelding Head Honcho that has won his last three starts including the Sledgehammer.

By Richard McMillan.

If ever a horse deserved the honour of a Grade 1 victory it was the gutsy son of Gimmethegreenlight, the three-year-old Surcharge from the Stuart Pettigrew stable, that powered his way to victory in the R2-million Daily News 2000 at Greyville in Durban on Saturday.

Only once out of the first two in his previous 10 starts and runner-up in the three legs of the Highveld Triple Crown, the game and honest colt boosted even further the outstanding season his pilot Gunter Wrogemann is enjoying and saluted the talent and perseverance of his conditioner.

Surcharge, coming from behind in another below par paced event won by three-quarters of a length from the Paul Peter-trained Majestic Mambo whose stable companion Alssakhara had been sent out to ensure a good pace and made the running ahead of Pack Leader and Warrior’s Rest that disputed the second place for most of the race.

Surcharge (Candiese Marnewick)

When they hit the home straight, favourite Do It Again made his winning bid down the inside while Wrogemann “got a split” further out at the top of the straight and stormed down the centre of the track to take the honours.

Having ridden his 100^th winner of the season earlier in the week – and one of the best seasons of his long career – Wrogemann commented that he felt for jockey Piere Strydom who had partnered the colt in most of his races and was sidelined with injury, but he felt blessed in the way racing had treated him this season. He said Surcharge had been unlucky in the three legs of the Triple Crown having had bad draws in all three.

Pettigrew, a long-time trainer on the Highveld, managed to hold his emotions in check as he praised the colt and said Surcharge was the best horse he had ever trained and ever would train.

Like the slow pace of the R1-million, Grade 1 Woolavington 2000 that had been run a short while earlier, the Daily News 2000 had not been run at a strong place in spite of the Paul Peter pacemaker getting on with things from the outset with the winning time of 124.31 secs being considerably slower than the class average of 122.72 sec and that will have been a concern for many racing pundits looking for a real star among the three-year-olds.

The Woolavington 2000 was run at an even slower pace with the Daisy Fillies Guineas winner Fiorella deliberately doddeling along at the head of affairs with Lady In Black in second place along the rail and odds-on favourite Oh Susanna fighting for her head in the early stages and one off the rail in third  place. In the home straight Grant van Niekerk got the favourite to the head of affairs but under strong attack from Fiorella on her inside with Lady In Black challenging and, at one stage, looking dangerous on her outside.

With this race having been run at a crawl in a time of 125.29 secs, it was definitely not a true reflection of the true capability of Oh Susanna but there could be a re-think of the star filly’s programme for the rest of the season when taken in the overall context of the three-year-old performances at the meeting.

The R300 000, Grade 3 Lonsdale Strirrup Cup had the racegoers on the edge of their seats as the Justin Snaith stable companions, favourite Made To Conquer and Strathdon, burst clear of the field together from off the pace at the top of the straight and fought it out to the line with Made To Conquer getting the decision by about a long head and third-placed Mr Winsome some seven lengths back.

News from the Snaith stable is that Made To Conquer, at present not featuring on the July Log, will be a July contender while Strathdon will be aimed at the eLAN Gold Cup on Super Saturday at the end of the season.

By Richard McMillan

The Vaal has a low key eight race meeting tomorrow and an MR78 Handicap is the highest rated race.

Powered Beauty looks the one to beat. This rangy three-year-old Australian-bred gelding is by the top sire Fastnet Rock and has only had two starts to date. The penny is still dropping on the evidence of his last start from a wide draw over this course and distance. After being dropped out from a wide draw he moved up threateningly but didn’t really respond to urging until it was too late. He was doing good work late to be beaten just 1,3 lengths but potentially could have done better.

Luke Ferraris

He is now drawn in pole and if the penny drops he will be hard to beat off just a 71 merit rating. Viburnum, being a gelding by Ideal World, will also be improving. He is drawn in two and can make it a hattrick in just his fourth career start. He won over 1800m last time, beating the promising Psychic, who runs in the previous race. Three-year-old Captain Al gelding Loyal Lieutenant is a good looking sort and is well regarded enough to have taken his place in the Dingaans, where he was not disgraced. He was a R400,000 purchase and could now start fulfilling his potential in his third run after gelding.

He is returning from an 87 day layoff. Jika was disappointing last time over 1400m when swamped in the final stages but that was quite a good field and he will also appreciate the step up in trip. Visigoth is an interesting runner. He is a big son of Visionaire and ran some fair races against strong opposition in Cape Town during the summer. He has been gelded after one poor comeback run on the Highveld in March and his merit rating has dropped considerably, so he should be competitive, although he does return from an 82 day layoff. Those are the ones that make most appeal although the in-form Mighty Valdie should be considered and on best form Infamous Fox has a shout.

The previous race is an interesting MR 72 Handicap over 2400m and Psychic looks the one to side with. He has been making eye-catching late progress in both of his last two starts over 1800m and 2000m respectively. He was an overdue maiden winner over 2000m before that and beat Snorting Bull that day. The latter came out and won ever so easily over 2400m in his next start and last time out over 2000m finished second, giving Psychic 2kg and a 0,8 length beating in the process. Psychic is by Visionaire and is a half-brother to his stablemate Witchcraft, who won the Grade 3 Gold Circle Oaks over 2400m, so he should enjoy this step up in trip.

Tern Unstoned is a consistent sort who stays this trip. He has a nice stride and will be dangerous from his usual handy position. Wheel Of Time should also enjoy the step up in trip looking at his running style and pedigree. He is by Tapit out of a mare by July winner Ipi Tombe. He was unlucky last time out over 2000m when losing two lengths and then unable to find a clear run in the final stages until it was too late. However, he looked to have a bit in the tank when crossing the line 3,25 lengths back.

Oratorio gelding War Legend only just failed last time over 2600m. He did rally again when challenged, although the narrow winner Fortune Fella was a six-year-old who had not won for over a year. That was only War Legend’s ninth start so he could still improve and he might well enjoy the step down to 2400m. Gentleman Only is proven over this trip so could be dangerous with the up-and-coming 4kg claimer Luke Ferraris up. Collegiate is a lightly raced five-year-old gelding by Ideal World and is 1kg under sufferance but he is an outsider to consider as he has always looked to be a stayer. He looks to be inherently better than his form suggests.

By David Thiselton

The handicappers always face one of their most daunting tasks after the running of the Grade 1 Daily News 2000 and Grade 1 Woolavington 2000 classics as the merit rating changes dished out have a big impact on the Vodacom Durban July weights.

Strathdon (Liesl King)

The Stuart Pettigrew-trained Surcharge was a deserved winner of the Grade 1 Daily News 2000. Throughout the season this talented Gimmethegreenlight colt has landed terrible draws in big races, yet he still managed to finish second in all three legs of the Triple Crown. It is testament to his class and laid back temperament that those races did not take a lot out of him. He at last landed a fair draw of five in the Daily News. Gunther Wrogemann duly managed to find cover soon after the off.

Surhcarge produced his usual strong finish to beat his classy Highveld contemporary Majestic Mambo by 0,75 lengths. The latter flew from last in the running. Cape Guineas winner Tap O’ Noth proved he stays this trip by finishing a one length third. The Cape Derby runner up and Daisy Guineas winner Do It Again was a 1,25 length fourth, half-a-length ahead of White River. The rule states that the line horse shall not be further back than fifth in a Grade 1 event, so the handicapper has a choice of using 104 merit-rated Majestic Mambo, either of the 110-rated pair Tap O’ Noth or Do It Again, or the 108 rated White River.

As Do It Again earned his rating in the Cape Derby over this trip he is almost certain to be the line horse. Surcharge will thus likely go up to roundabout 112 and Majestic mambo will go up to roundabout 111. Tap O’ Noth and Do It Again will probably remain untouched on 110 and White River might be raised one point to 109.

In the Grade 1 Woolavington 2000 Oh Susanna off a 121 merit rating was a half-a-length winner from 108 merit-rated Fiorella, with 111 merit-rated Lady In Black a further 0,25 lengths back. However, Oh Susanna was having her first run since the Sun Met and was clearly below her best as she over raced in the initial stages. Lady In Black earned her merit rating when second to Oh Susanna in the Paddock Stakes over 1800m so is likely to be used as the line horse. Oh Susanna is likely to be left alone, but Fiorella could well be raised to 111. However, Miyabi Gold, rated just 85, could be given a hefty raise having finished just 1,5 lengths behind Lady In Black. Fifth-placed Roy’s Riviera’s merit rating of 96 could also be raised as she finished three lengths behind Lady in Black.

The handicappers also face a tricky decision in the rating of the Lonsdale Stirrup Cup, a handicap, as the 94 merit rated winner Made To Conquer was a neck clear of Strathdon and there was then a yawning 6,75 length gap back to the 100 merit rated Mr Winsome and then 2,75 lengths back to the under sufferance 80 merit rated Silver De Lange. The maximum raise for a Grade 3 winner is ten points and five is the maximum for a second-placed horse. It would be no surprise to see the front two both raised by those maximum amounts.

Oh Susanna is the highest rated three-year-old in the July at present and the highest rated older horse is 118 merit-rated Coral Fever.

By David Thiselton

Paul Barrett and Paul Reeves believe they just might have found the good horse they have been looking for all these years. Certainly Helen’s Ideal could hardly have been more impressive on debut at Kenilworth on Saturday.

Despite losing valuable ground at the start of the TAB Telebet Maiden Juvenile Fillies, she was three lengths clear two furlongs out and came away in the closing stages to win by almost five with Donovan Dillon declaring: “She went down like a winner and she came back even better.”

Reeves, who has an increased hand of 14 two-year-olds this term, added: “It’s wonderful to have a filly like this in my yard. She is pure quality and very special.”

Donovan Dillon

Barrett bought a half share in the Ideal World filly from breeder Peter de Beyer in a sponsor’s marquee after having a few drinks – not always the wisest preliminary – before the enormity of his mistake suddenly hit him. “I was under the impression I was buying a yearling but I then realised she was only a little foal. I thought ‘What have I done?’”

De Beyer softened the blow by insisting on naming her after Barrett’s amazing wife Helen who has bravely and repeatedly defied both cancer and medical opinion. “I’m due a good horse – I’ve had enough bad ones,” said her husband. “Now it looks as if I’ve got a real racehorse.”

What was billed, by this scribe and others, as Aldo Domeyer’s day proved expensive. He rode six favourites and was beaten on four of them including supposed certainty More Magic in the first. The 2-7 shot was one of only three to come up the stands side – according to penetrometer readings three per cent faster than the inside – and after that the jockeys avoided this part of the course as religiously as if it was infected by a plague.

Over 100mm of rain during the week made the course much softer than usual but Domeyer said: “I don’t think it made much difference to More Magic. She probably wants further but I know the winner was fancied a bit.”

That was Mr Green Street who made all at 10-1 under Craig Zackey to give Green Street Bloodstock its 50^th success in three years.

“This one was led through the ring unsold at the Emperors Palace Select in April last year,” Justin Vermaak recalled. “Chris Snaith came to me and asked if I would like him to buy the horse for us. He cost R100 000 which is just below our average.”

Andre Nel declared six, scratched three (including Vase who broke through the pens and bolted) and won with the other three to add to winners at Fairview and Greyville and underline that his soul-destroying virus is finally history.

The final leg of the Kenilworth treble was East Lynne, ridden by the talented Sandile Mbhele who also scored on the well-backed Victorious Captain for Vaughan Marshall and now has only four winners to go before losing his 4kg claim.

BLOB Sadly Ronnie Sheehan’s wife Jackie died on Friday night. She had not been well for quite some time.

By Michael Clower