Vodacom Durban July favourite African Night Sky has been installed 4-1 favourite with the sponsors for the World Sports Betting 1900 at Greyville on May 19 when the Justin-Snaith four-year-old will be ridden by Anton Marcus for the first time.

It’s My Turn, equal third in last year’s race when trained by Snaith but now with Dean Kannemeyer, shares second favouritism on 8-1 with the Mike de Kock-trained Cascapedia whose three-race winning run came to an end when she finished only tenth behind Nother Russia in the Princess Charlene Empress Club Stakes.

Tilbury Fort, second in last year’s 1900, is a 25-1 chance this time and last season’s third Mr Winsome is one of the real outsiders at 45-1. Elusive Silva, fifth last year and another Snaith entry, is quoted at 18-1.

By Michael Clower

Featured Image: It’s My Turn (Liesl King)

When expected pacemaker Newton’s Spark got the better of a scrum of starter’s assistants before eventually wearing out the starter’s patience, the Racing.It’s A Rush Handicap was reduced to six runners and had Dean Kannemeyer cursing his luck.

As he feared, the field hacked the first 1500m leaving top weight Made To Conquer to win the sprint for home, which he did finishing clear of hot favourite and a one-paced Silva’s Bullet and Snaith stable companion One Direction.

“I purposely gave this horse a break to leave something for KZN and it worked out nicely,” said Justin Snaith who finally broke his winter season duck in the province.

Gavin Van Zyl

“It’s been a bit tense and I have been ‘box walking’ but the weather hasn’t been kind. Three days of rain then 30 degrees then rain, it hasn’t been easy but we will settle down and start firing.”

With Snaith saddling the two best fillies on the country at Greyville on Friday night, yesterday’s win was a timely boost of confidence.

Made To Conquer came off some cracking Cape form, this being his fifth win from his last five starts but any thoughts of a supplementary entry for the Vodacom Durban July are on hold.

“He’ll probably get about six points for this win. He may not get into the July and he might not be good enough if he does but I know he stays so maybe the Gold Cup will be a better option,” pondered Snaith. “We will see how we go.”

Bernard Fayd’Herbe, who had ridden Made To Conquer in his five previous starts, was cautious about the chances of the favourite beforehand. “He’s won for of his last five,” he said of the top weight, “and we are only getting half a kilo,” he surmised.

Anton Marcus made an early move at the top of the straight and Made To Conquer kept rolling to the line. Silva’s Bullet briefly looked a threat but it was soon clear that his rival had pinched a winning lead.’

Given the slow early fractions this form could prove deceiving and Silva’s Bullet may be worth another chance.

Miss Calypso booked her place in the Gr1 Allan Robertson Championship with a smart victory in the second on the card, underlining the benefit of racing experience as opposed to those making their debut. “Next is the big one,” said Gavin van Zyl after Miss Calypso had streaked clear of market rival Alsflamingbeauty making her debut for Snaith. Miss Calypso knew what it was all about while Alsflamingbeauty was at sea for most of the race and did well enough to stay on for second. She is definitely one for the notebook.

Alsflamingbeauty had finished close-up in her barrier trial to Sunday’s Strelitiza Stakes winner Inveroche who is also headed for the Allan Robertson. “The Allan Robertson and then she is also eligible for that million-rand race on July Day,” said Mark Dixon. “Then we will put her away.  Five races is enough for a two-year-old.”

Di Me was responsible for one of the longest priced winners in recent months as Ivan van Wyk’s colt got the meeting off to a rocky start. Di Me was a 125-1 chance with the books and paid R73 a win on the tote.

By Andrew Harrison

Snaith Racing will wait until Friday evening before dispatching Computaform Sprint favourite Sergeant Hardy and stable companion Bishop’s Bounty from Summerveld in order to minimise the effects of altitude.

Jonno Snaith said “Sergeant Hardy is the type of horse you want to take to Jo’burg – tough as nails and sure to dig deep – but the trip could be on the short side for Bishop’s Bounty.”

Justin Snaith

The latter is a 16-1 chance with Betting World which makes Bernard Fayd-Herbe’s mount 22-10 favourite ahead of 9-2 chances Trip To Heaven and Exquisite Touch. Attenborough (Richard Fourie) and Speedpoint (Callan Murray) are outsiders at 16-1 and 25-1 but Joey Ramsden is expecting a big run from both of them.

He said: “Attenborough is in brilliant form, absolutely superb, and he did a good gallop there last week. Speedpoint is not out of it either. He ran a smasher at the Vaal in his first race since Met day and he had had a holiday in the interim.

“He is a tricky horse to train as he has little niggles but it’s the right trip for both of them and I am lucky to have two such top jockeys.”

Brett Crawford is looking at more immediate targets and he has the first two in the betting in the Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes at Greyville on Friday evening. The hat-trick seeking Undercover Agent is 3-1 favourite with World Sports Betting and Sail South next on 9-2.

Crawford said: “Undercover Agent is very well in himself and Sail South is also in good form. He hasn’t raced since the Met but he likes to run fresh and he will be running on well at the end.”

By Michael Clower

Dennis Drier said his Equus Champion filly Lady In Black was very well ahead of the Grade 2 Daisy Fillies Guineas at Greyville on Friday night and said she had improved by about “four to five” lengths since returning from Cape Town.

However, he believed the brilliant Justin Snaith-trained Snowdance would be hard to beat. Both fillies run in the black and white colours of Jack Mitchell.

Drier had a wretched Cape Summer season where nothing appeared to go right.

However, Lady In Black put in the stand out performance of the campaign by finishing second to subsequent Sun Met winner Oh Susanna in the Grade 1 Paddock Stakes over 1800m.

The Drier yard has turned the corner since returning from Cape Town and Lady In Black won her comeback in KZN in the Grade 2 Umzimkhulu Stakes over 1400m at Greyville.

However, he said her main target for the SA Champions Season is the Grade 1 Woolavington 2000.

Drier reckoned he had the best crop of two-year-olds he had ever had and one of his barrier trial eye-catchers, Outlando D’Amour runs in race one.

By David Thiselton

Chesney van Zyl could well make a fairytale start to his career as a licensed trainer as the runners at his debut meeting, Turffontein’s Champions Day on Saturday, include the Grade 2 SA Nursery favourite Bold Eagle.

The Bold Silvano colt is unbeaten in three starts and Chesney said he had come on from his win in the Grade 3 Protea Stakes over 1100m when giving weight all around.

He said, “He is very, very well, he has taken all of his runs well and is improving and I am happy with the spacing of his races.”

Bold Eagle (JC Photographics)

He has a middle draw of eight in the 13 horse field and is the one to beat.

Warren Kennedy rode him on debut and replaces the recuperating Anthony Delpech.

Chesney has four runners in the Grade 2 SA Oaks over 2450m and a couple of them could be dark horses.

He admitted the Await The Dawn filly Pilgrim’s Progress had been a bit disappointing but pointed out she had always had to be carrying big weights against older winners and it had been tough to make up ground under those circumstances. He said, “She will definitely stay the trip and her work at home has been very good and she is well within herself, so now that she is at level weights with her own age group hopefully she can turn the tables.”

He also rated What A Winter filly Mar Del Seur a dark horse and said considering how fast she had gone in front last time in the SA Fillies Classic her ten length beating had not been bad. He said, “Every time I have sent her over further than 1400m she has disappointed, but she has not been given the best of rides. With Grant van Niekerk now aboard she can hopefully be ridden with more patience, but it all depends on whether she stays.”

He was hoping African Dynasty could reproduce her excellent third in the Oaks Trial and hoped Azkhur, who has been a touch disappointing, could bounce back.

He is hoping for a good pace as three of his runners have to overcome wide draws, although Mar Del Sur’s chances of staying have been helped by a pole position draw.

Chesney was bullish about the chances of Just Cruised In in the Grade 3 Gold Bowl over 3200m where he is in the handicap carrying only 52,5kg. He said, “He is very well and is carrying a light weight so I am hoping for another big run as he is enjoying the long trips and we are now seeing the best of him.”

Chesney served his father very well as the caretaker of his Turffontein satellite yard for nine years and in that time not only delivered winners but winners at the highest level such as The Apache, Slumdogmillionaire, Seal, Along Came Polly, Bulsara, Prestic, Franny and others.

Chesney said, “It feels the same really, but it is good to finally be going on my own and I hope it goes well.”

He will continue to view his father as his mentor and said, “He is always there for us, he has vast knowledge on his side and is a great horseman so I will always turn to him when needing help.”

Gavin said, “We wish Chesney every success in the future as he enters the training ranks in what could be described as the toughest of times, where only the tough will survive.”

By David Thiselton