Marinaresco will attempt to become only the second horse this century to win two Champions Cups (following Futura in 2014 and 2015) at Greyville on Saturday week.

Candice Bass-Robinson confirmed the four-year-old a runner at the weekend despite his 17 out of 17 draw, saying: “The draw doesn’t really matter so much with him and [together with Captain America] he is the best horse in the race. He has only had three runs in Durban this season and he might as well take his chance.”

El Picha in 2000 is the only horse to win both the Durban July and the Champions Cup in the same season in the last 17 years but Marinaresco is 22-10 favourite with race sponsor World Sports betting which has Captain America on 9-2. It also bets 11-2 Bela-Bela, 8-1 It’s My Turn, 10-1 Black Arthur, 12-1 and upwards others.

However Majorca winner Nightingale (12-1) will miss the race to run in the Grade 2 Gold Bracelet on the same card. She is the highest rated in that 2 000m race but has to give weight all round.

Mrs Robinson will run both 16-1 chance My World and Helderberg Blue (18-1) in Sunday week’s eLan Gold Cup. Riding arrangements have still to be finalised.

Mike de Kock’s SABC Gold Vase third Kinaan has been installed 5-1 favourite with WSB, ahead of the promoted winner of that race Hermosa Mundo who is on 11-2 while the relegated Captain Splendid is a 6-1 chance, the same price as stable companion and Durban July fourth Krambambuli.

By Michael Clower

Bull Valley and Sean Tarry – they got the ear and tail in bull fighting terms – as the gelded son of Toreador threw his hat into the ring for Equus Sprinter of the Year honours with a thoroughly workmanlike victory in the Gr1 Mercury Sprint at Greyville yesterday. Tarry, having the season of his life and adding another feature race triumph to his tally, saw his charge get the better of Search Part – unable to turn the tables of the Gr1 Tsogo Sun Sprint – and New Predator.

Winning Connections of Bull Valley (Candiese Marnewick)

The Mercury Sprint is the final Grade 1 sprint event of the season and the lightly raced Bull Valley, who does not have the best of legs and has his problems, has been patiently handled by Tarry to produce the goods and this win adds ammunition to Bull Valley’s Equus chances, ironically to the possible detriment of stable companion and star mare Carry On Alice.

“He’s had his setbacks but the Scottsville race (Tsogo Sun Sprint) was his long-term plan. I’m glad he’s come through it. But he had an abscess and I was in two minds whether to pull the plug (for this race) but he’s a brave horse,” said Tarry.

Stable companion and mount of first-call rider S’Manga Khumalo, Trip Heaven, blew his chances at the start and his first Grade 1 victory remains elusive. Trip To Heaven’s starting antics are well documented but he was particularly slow away this time around and was never in the hunt.

Search Party, second to Bull Valley in the Tsogo Sun Sprint, did well to overcome a wide draw but again proved second best and good enough to edged out New predator to snatch second.

Bull Valley (Candiese Marnewick)

Tarry-trained Trophy Wife, who came out of one of the best three-year-old crops of fillies seen in recent years, finally got her act together to run out a fine winner of the Listed Queen Palm Stakes. This was her first win of the season that comes to an end in a fortnight’s time, but it was long overdue and well deserved.

“She’s had her problems and is not the easiest,” said assistant trainer Dijon Steyn but she was well handled by apprentice Lyle Hewitson who has one of the finest pair of hands in the game.

Stable companion Witchcraft set the pace but with a furlong to run it was line-across the track. However, Hewitson coaxed the best out of his mount and went on through to hold a fast-finishing Forbidden Duel, the rank outsider of the six-horse field.

Duncan Howells and Dennis Drier are locked in a neck-and-neck duel for the KZN Trainer’s Championship that is decided by number of winners in the province rather than stakes won.

It is proving a see-saw battle. Reigning champion Drier was first out of the blocks, winning the first two on the card, but Howells pulled one back with Accidental Tourist in the fourth. Drier was back again with Rocky Valley in the in the sixth leaving Howells with a three-winner lead but Howells was not done as Russian Speed held on narrowly from a fast-finishing to score in the ninth.

With four meetings to run. It will pay punters to follow these two stables.

By Andrew Harrison

Turffontein stages a low key meeting on Sunday on the Standside track and there appear to be a few opportunities for punters.

The highest rated race on the card is the sixth, a Pinnacle Stakes event over 1400m. St. John Gray has been in good form recently and his charge Captain Aldo has an outstanding record over this course and distance with three wins and two seconds from six starts. Captain Aldo is only 0,5kg under sufferance with the latter and is the joint second best in at the weights behind topweight Cool Chardonnay, who would prefer further. Captain Aldo has a plum draw of two and at the weights should turn it around with Finchatton, who beat him last time they met over course and distance.

Gavin Lerena

The main danger could be Amazing Strike, who has always been well regarded and has been in fine recent form with a win over 1160m, a win over 1400m and then a third place in the Grade 2 Post Merchants over 1200m. He was ridden by Anthony Delpech in all three of those races and Delpech is back aboard from a reasonable draw of five in the ten horse field. He wears his usual cornell collar and is only 0,5kg under sufferance with Captain Aldo, so should go close. The three-year-old Jiffy has always had class and is going for a hattrick over an ideal trip, so will also be a big runner under Gavin Lerena.

He is officially 1kg under sufferance with Captain Aldo, but looks to be progressive and has to be included in the Pick 6 and Jackpot from draw three. Finchatton has a bit of a cloud hanging over his head after feeling amiss last time at Scottsville and running downfield. He also has a tough draw to overcome, but does have the ability to be a contender. Moofeed is another one with the ability to win and from pole position draw his strong finish could be used to maximum effect. However, he has become unreliable and is hard to fancy.

In the seventh race, a MR 84 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1800m, the Trippi filly Guns And Roses is coming off a hattrick from 1475m to 1600m looks to be full of promise. She is also versatile in running style as she can be handy or come from off the pace.  She is a half-sister to a horse who won over 1900m and on running style she also looks likely to stay. Her good turn of foot coupled with her finishing effort will make her suited to the long straight of the Standside track. The topweight Alexa has some class and can also produce a strong finish, so looks the man danger over an ideal course and distance.

In the second race, a Maiden Juvenile Plate for fillies over 1400m, the Await The Dawn filly Perfidia makes appeal and has been selected as the best bet on the card. She caught the eye staying on over 1200m on debut and has a fair draw of five over a step up in trip she will relish. The form of the race is fair and she does not face an inspiring field.

The first leg of the Pick 6, a Juvenile Plate over 1160m, is a contest to look forward to. Secret Harbour could be anything after a good winning debut, but Snowboarding won a good race over this course and distance in his penultimate start and the form has worked out, while Alfolk, despite being a touch disappointing, has always struck as one with ability, so should also be right there.

The value bet has been selected to be Sheet Weaver in the last race, a MR72 handicap over 1800m, as it always pays to note a son of Ideal World winning in his four-year-old year as his progeny continually improve with age. This consistent sort is only three points higher for the win and as one who can come from off the pace the course and distance is ideal.

By David Thiselton

Johan Janse van Vuuren picked up a double at Greyville last Wednesday but will be looking to fry a bigger fish at the same venue tomorrow where he saddles New Predator in the Gr1 Mercury Sprint.

The Australian-bred colt has found Greyville a happy hunting ground, having won the Drill Hall Stakes last year and then finishing a close-up fourth to Marinaresco in the same race last month, beaten under a length.

New Predator (Nkosi Hlophe)

He had a coffin draw of 14 out of 14 in the Gr1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge and expended most of his energy in an effort to make it into a handy position before the turn which left the tank all but dry over the final 100m.

Under the circumstances he did well to stay on to finish four lengths off Captain America.

New Predator is not short of early pace and with the addition of blinkers to his equipment tomorrow he could well put one over the more accomplished sprinters. An added arrow to his quiver is that Gavin Lerena has delayed his trip back to the UK to finish up his contract to partner New Predator.

Recent Grade 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint winner Bull Valley, winner of five of his nine starts, will be looking to end his season on a high for champion trainer elect Sean Tarry who holds a strong hand in the race. However, stable companion Trip To Heaven looks the better proposition.

Trip To Heaven loves Greyville, having twice finished second in the Rising Sun Gold Challenge, the first time after being relegated, but he also shows top sprint form having won the Grade 2 Merchants beating Bull Valley and finishing second to star stable companion Carry On Alice in the Grade 1 Cape Flying Championship.

He is generally a tardy starter but possesses a tremendous turn of foot and he will be running hard at New Predator come the final furlong.

Brutal Force (Liesl King)

Bull Valley is no slouch but Talktothestars, once the highest rated horse in the country, has found form again. He was unlucky in the Tsogo Sun Sprint where he was checked just as he was about to make his run, losing all momentum. He followed up when a fast-finishing runner-up to Search Party in the Grade 2 Post Merchants. Connie de Beer’s charge has only managed one victory this term, that in a Pinnacle Stakes in Kimberley in his seasonal opener, but he has finished close-up in both the Gr1 Computaform Sprint to Carry On Alice and was ‘flying’ when second to Search Party in the Post Merchants.

A wide draw should not be much of a concern as he is likely to be paired with Trip To Heaven towards the rear of the field in the early exchanges and it will be up to Bernard Fayd’Herbe to find a trouble-free run to the wire.

Brutal Force is way better than his Tsogo Sun effort and was a neck behind Talktothestars in the Computaform Sprint. He is drawn one inside of Talktothestars and has Anton Marcus to help him home.

These five look to be the main protagonists and New Predator is taken to get home ahead of Trip To Heaven and Talktothestars.

The Hollywood Bets Queen Palm Stakes has attracted a small but quality field where tactics are likely to prove paramount. There are a number of runners who like to race handy so a slow pace is unlikely and the cards could fall the way of Trophy Wife, even though Tarry’s first call rider, S’Manga Khumalo, has opted for Witchcraft.

Apprentice Lyle Hewitson has a fine pair of hands which will suit the mare and she is sure to be running at them when the whips are cracking.

Girl On The Run has never been out of the money for Janse van Vuuren and she was running on well behind Zante in the recent Track & Ball Oaks over the distance at Scottsville and has a master of pace in the saddle.

By Andrew Harrison

It looks a straight fight – between Tevez in the one corner and Silicone Valley in the other.

According to the handicappers the pair are two and a half lengths better than anything else in the GA MacLachlan Incorporated Pinnacle Stakes at Kenilworth tomorrow.

Dual Merchants winner Tevez runs for the first time since he lost patience with the starter in a similar race two months ago and smashed his way through the gates. Now reunited with his favourite jockey, he is out to recover the losses of April 22 when he started hot favourite only to weaken just as he looked like going on to win.

Tevez (Liesl King)

He had been off for 12 weeks that time but Silicone Valley was returning after a break of nearly four months when overcoming a slow start to finish second in a 1 400m Pinnacle last time. He was also classy enough to take fifth in the Queen’s Plate. But tomorrow’s 1 200m looks on the short side – or does it?

“Most of his wins have come over 1 200m,” points out Glen Puller. “He wasn’t 100% last time and he would have come on a bit from that.”

What swings it his way, in the writer’s view, is the Merchants last December. He was only beaten half a length by Mercury Sprint fancy Search Party that day and was giving him 4.5kg. Tevez, admittedly conceding 2kg, was over two and a half lengths further back.

But it may not be quite as straightforward as this because Tevez is getting old – he will be eight next month – and his injury-prone rival has had more blows than a boxer’s sparring partner.

Villa Del Largo is rated 3kg behind the top two – in other words he could win but shouldn’t – while Jet Air’s ten month absence surely counts him out.

Line Break was only half a length behind Tevez in the April 22 race and can be excused last time’s flop because he was found to be coughing and not striding out afterwards.

Purple Mountains is 5kg wrong with the top two and Canigao has been off since February but Power Grid can go a fair bit despite the muscle deformity that causes one leg to swing like a pendulum. He might get into the shake-up. But win? No.

In the first there is precious little between Endofmarch and The Judicator. The latter was finishing the better last time but he has had more chances so the vote goes to Domeyer’s mount while Cardinal Call is weighted to reverse the placings with Cortada in the Mortgage Max Handicap.

By Michael Clower