Paul Lafferty believes his Ideal World gelding Dark Moon Rising has done enough to qualify for the Vodacom Durban July after finishing a 0,5 length second in the Grade 2 WSB 1900 at Greyville on Saturday.

The yard also spoke about their runner in the Tsogo Sun Sprint, Sniper Shot.

Dark Moon Rising was running off just a 95 merit rating on Saturday but was 5kg under sufferance with the best weighted horse, the luckless Fort Ember, and was 2kg under sufferance with the winner Elusive Silva.

He thus proved he was better than his rating suggested.

Dark Moon Rising (Candiese Marnewick)

Lafferty’s assistant trainer Roy Waugh pointed out the progressive gelding also had two things go against him on Saturday.

As a horse who would stay 3200m “on his coconut” he is firstly one who needs a good pace and instead got a crawl.

Secondly there was no false rail, so this nullified his good draw of two as he had to be dropped back and switched outward for a run, which was made particularly difficult off the slow pace.

Nevertheless, the rangy bay ran on strongly with long strides on the outside and swept past all but one of the runners.

Waugh said, “All things considering it was a great run.”

The yard plan to now go straight into the July.

Sniper Shot was the subject of an offer to purchase from overseas after his excellent runner up finish in the Grade 2 Daisy Guineas. However, he failed the compulsory pyroplasmosis test so the sale was called off. This meant he was out of work for two weeks and has consequently put on a bit of condition according to Waugh. He has proved effective over sprints and will have an important gallop midweek this week.

By David Thiselton

Glen Kotzen said the three-year-old Philanthropist colt Pack Leader was fine and on course for the Vodacom Durban July, despite having to be scratched on course on Saturday when favourite for the Grade 2 WSB 1900.

He also spoke about his contenders for Scottsville’s Festival Of Speed meeting on Saturday.

Pack Leader

Kotzen said, “When loading on to the float two grooms had to hold him he was so full of himself, he had a good temperature reading, he had eaten up fine and everything was fine. However, two hours later he showed signs of cramping.”

Kotzen suspected a slight case of colic and decided to scratch him as a precaution.

He said, “We treated him back at the stable, he was soon scratching for his food, and I took him to the track this morning (Monday) for a canter and he was nice and fresh.”

Kotzen had planned to put Pack Leader straight into the July after the 1900 but has now had to find another race for him. The most suitable race appears to be the Grade 1 Daily News 2000 on June 2 and the yard have duly entered him.

Kotzen has Too Phat To Fly and Princess Peach in the Grade 1 SA Fillies Sprint and he said, “Too Phat To Fly comes in off two good wins (over 1100m and in the Listed Sweet Chestnut Stakes over 1400m). She is flying and put up a great workout this morning (Monday). Princess Peach is doing well but has to come back to her best.”

He runs Pathfork filly Purest Bliss in the Grade 1 Allan Robertson. She followed a barrier trial win by beating winners, including some well regarded sorts, in a Juvenile Plate over 1200m at Scottsville. Kotzen said, “She doesn’t know how good she is, the penny hasn’t dropped yet.”

By David Thiselton

Vaughan Marshall may well have had Scottsville this coming Saturday in mind when Charge D’Affaires made her debut earlier this month, but those plans were shelved as she came up short behind Allan Robertson runner Outlandos D’Amour.

However, Dennis Drier’s charge has a reputation of being more than just useful so Charge D’Affaires should take some beating when she lines up in the Greyville opener this afternoon. Charge D’Affaires was game to the end on debut but Outlandos D’Amour had just a little more to come.

With a barrier trial and that race under her girth, Charge D’Affaires is likely to go off at cramped odds.

Dennis Drier

Also runner-up on debut was Dean Kannemeyer’s colt Fitzwilliam who is also fancied to get off the mark in the second. Up with the pace throughout over the Scottsville 1200m, he was run out of it late by Di Me. Fitzwilliam put in a good barrier trial on the poly so the switch of surfaces should not trouble him. But he does face a stiffer task than Charge D’Affaires.

Sigismund and Euphoric both trialled well while Gallagher is not up from the Cape to sample the Durban air and likely to make good improvement on his Durbanville debut.

In the third, Amberbell does not have the best of draws, a point that worries Lowan Denysschen. “A bad draw is a bad draw, it’s as simple as that,” he said.

However, his daughter of Silvano appears to have come to hand and the step up to 1400m should also be in her favour. But she does take on a competitive field. Holy Flame is the highest rated filly in the line-up and a beaten favourite last time out while Amber Furst was only a neck behind Holy Flame on debut and Wendy Whitehead’s charge should have more to come on that showing alone.

Two Stroke is rated way better than the majority of the field in the fourth and looking to snap a sequence for two runner-up berths, last time going down narrowly to Piaget Prince. The biggest threat to his chances could come in the form of Holy Land. Dennis Drier’s charge was just over a length back to stable companion Immortelle on debut and the latter is among the fancied runners for Saturday’s Gr1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion.

With two straight wins in the bag, Sunny Bill Du-Toy aims for a hat-trick in the fifth but it is likely to be a little more difficult as he takes a steep rise in class. He was the stand-out runner in his last race but although he is progressive, he will need to take full advantage of apprentice Luke Ferraris’s 4kg claim to pull this one off as top weight Pure Logic is back over what appears to be his optimum trip while Viento, Topclassman and the filly Roy’s Pony all rate dangers.

Fantasy Art takes a drop in class in the sixth and has not been far back at recent outings when taking on stronger. He goes well on the poly and from a good draw should be competitive in an open race. Piaget Prince makes his handicap debut under a big weight and also has a wide draw to contend with. But he has come well for his new stable and can go in again. Sovereign Solder is also down in class and jumped from a difficult draw last time out so must warrant consideration along with Roy’s Rolls Royce who is never far back and Gunter Wrogemann has stuck with the ride.

The seventh appears wide open but Above Eleven takes a major drop in class and is also down to what looks to be a more competitive handicap mark which could do it for Michael Roberts.

Roy’s Zara can round off the meeting for Duncan Howells ahead of Hatfield Square, recent winner Expresso Martini and the highly strung, High Altar.

By Andrew Harrison

Racing switches to the winter course for the Highlands Stud Winter Classic meeting at Kenilworth on Saturday and as a result Eric Sands has been reappraising tactics for probable favourite Rainbow Bridge who is drawn nine out of ten.

The most noticeable aspect of the switch from the summer course is that the straight is reduced from three furlongs to two and Sands said: “It means he is going to have to make his move earlier than he did in the Winter Guineas. If the Classic was run the same way he wouldn’t get there in time over this course.

Eric Sands (hamishNIVENPhotography)

“In any case I don’t want to teach him to race from the back as, if you do that, you can end up with the sort of horse who you are always wondering whether he is going to get there.”

With Aldo Domeyer on Grade 1 duty at Scottsville Candice Bass-Robinson is bringing down Stuart Randolph for Durban July candidate Rocket Countdown and four other rides together with Ryan Munger whose six mounts for the stable include Pacific Chestnut.

Joey Ramsden is expecting an improved showing from Ancestry who has just under two lengths to find with the favourite and is a kilo better.

He said: “I thought he was more forward than he was in the Winter Guineas but he proved only 80% ready. I was very impressed with Eric’s horse that day but there is plenty of improvement in Ancestry while my other runner Morning Catch worked well on the course last Saturday morning.”

Fresnaye, who ran below par when taking on the colts in the Winter Guineas, is switched back to her own sex in the Stormsvlei Mile and Richard Fourie has been snapped up.

Ramsden said: “She had a mucky trach wash after that last run but she worked well when we took her to the course on Saturday.”

Justin Snaith, who entered 15 for the Overarching Maiden Juvenile, has whittled the issue down to four with Callan Murray on Kiss Me Twice.

By Michael Clower

Justin Snaith said his Vodacom Durban July contenders Elusive Silva, Platinum Prince and African Night Sky could not have pulled up better than they have after their heroics at Greyville on Saturday.

He is also looking forward to Saturday’s Festival Of Speed meeting at Scottsville.

Snaith believes his Grade 2 WSB 1900 winner Elusive Silva has a shout in the July and said about the five-year-old Silvano gelding, “He is not one of the best horses in the race but has as much chance as any of the rest. He could be put on the second tier, whereas there are some horses who have no chance. He won the Winter Derby in an absolute canter, so 2200m is probably his best distance. He is not weighted out of it and he loves Greyville. So he has more going for him than not. if I can get him to the course in good condition on the day it would be no surprise to see him run in the first four.”

Elusive Silva

Elusive Silva has been given a four point raise to a new merit rating of 111 and is rated a 15/1 shot for the July by 1900 sponsor World Sports Betting.

Platinum Prince was most unlucky. He came from last and his long stride was putting him into contention when a gap closed on him, which was not altogether surprising as there was no false rail. When he got through he stayed on strongly and was just pipped for third by the equally unlucky Matador Man. Snaith said, “He would have gone very close.”

The Silvano gelding did not appear on the first July log so will have to have another race to qualify. Snaith said he would go for the Cup Trial on June 9.

Snaith said unplaced Strathdon had suffered a rough race on Saturday, which was unfortunate as he had been hoping for a positive run. However, he said he would be fine and would be going the stayers route.

His other runner in the 1900 was Captain Splendid, who ran ninth and will also be going the stayers route.

The best July trial of all on Saturday was put up by Snaith’s African Night Sky, who sliced through the field from the back in a Pinnacle event but was hampered in the process. He has duly gone to the top of the July betting boards.

Snaith said, “It was an unbelievable prep, he should never have lost. He was hit on the hindquarters and was knocked sideways, he looked like he was one of the horses in my polo game on Sunday. But he come out 100% sound and will also run in the Cup Trial.”

Star Express won the Pinnacle event and Snaith said her July participation would be discussed with the connections. He said, “She is a very good filly. Every now and then her feet give her trouble but she has run second in the Majorca twice and is a genuine Group 1 filly.”

Snaith will have two runners in Saturday’s Grade 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint at Scottsville. He said CTS 1200 runner up Kasimir was “flying” at home. He also expected a good run from Sir Frenchie, who is capable of a strong finish and whom he felt had “no chance” last time out when carrying a big weight but would now go in with a nice galloping weight.

He felt the Grade 1 SA Fillies Sprint was weaker than usual and believed his runners Gimme Six, Jo’s Bond and Casual Diamond would all run well.

By David Thiselton