Turbulent Air, fifth in both the Winter Guineas and the Winter Classic, looks good for the Racing.It’s A Rush Pinnacle Stakes at Kenilworth today.

The Justin Snaith gelding is the only three-year-old in the field and, believe it or not, he actually started favourite to beat the likes of African Night Sky, Our Mate Art and Loadshedder in the opening leg of the Winter Series. His class should carry him through here.

Justin Snaith (Nkosi Hlophe)

The Australian-bred is not that well in at the weights – theoretically the top three in the race should beat him by anything between two and four lengths – but he makes more appeal and almost certainly has more scope for improvement.

The enigmatic Milton is the best treated and was 3-1 second favourite with World Sports Betting early yesterday afternoon – Turbulent Air headed the market at 5-2 – but he was most disappointing last time. Maybe having the Durban July-winning jockey on his back will inspire him to put his best foot forward.

Brilliant Crimson (33-10) finished over four lengths in front of Milton last time and has some reasonably consistent form. Ultimate Dollar, 13-2 and stable companion of the selection, is probably better than recent form would suggest. Forget last time – the hood managed to get lodged in the tack and the five-year-old covered half the race with the thing flapping uncomfortably against his neck and shoulder.

Annigoni has gone up two points for a short head defeat while Waiting For Rain holds Friendly Tibbs and Red Peril on his most recent start but should not win at the weights.

Jannie Bekker has two good chances of landing his so-far elusive comeback winner. Apollo Star is 12-10 favourite for the 1 400m Maiden Juvenile but the snag is that the gelding is proving expensive. He has finished second on his last four outings, starting favourite in three of them. Possibly the softer ground will help him but Friday On My Mind is preferred at 22-10 after going so close against Klopp over the trip six weeks ago.

Bekker’s mount Colorado Rose is also favourite (at 19-10) for the Racing Association Maiden and probably has most to fear from stable companion Sandy Bay (28-10) who might well have finished closer last time but for losing ground at the start.

Merysagos looks good for Snaith and Fayd’Herbe in the first. The Andre Nel-trained Sister Soozie is a warm favourite for the TAB FM 71 Handicap but stable jockey Grant van Niekerk sticks with Can Cope on whom he won over a furlong less a fortnight ago. She is available at 4-1 and could be worth a punt.

By Michael Clower

Gold Circle was pleased to announce a 5% increase in their own betting turnover on Vodacom Durban July day.

Their overall turnover on all meetings on the day increased by R2,9 million to R65,7 million. Gold Circle also registered a 5% increase on the Greyville meeting alone and a 5% increase on the Vodacom Durban July itself [Race 7].

Phumelela and the Western Cape also enjoyed increases in their betting turnover on the day.

However, Saftote registered a decrease of 2,1% from R145 million to R142 million on July Day according to Gold Circle’s Commercial Executive Patrick Loker. The decrease was apparently due to a R10 million decrease in the PGE (Isle Of Man) turnover.

By David Thiselton

Candice Bass-Robinson achieved the notable feat of winning the country’s biggest race, the Vodacom Durban July, in her first season as a licensed trainer on Saturday with Marinaresco under a fine ride by Bernard Fayd’Herbe, who landed his second July. Bass-Robinson became the first woman to train a July winner.

The little horse proved there is only one way for him to run and that is to be held up off the pace.

The win scored a remarkable fourth July victory for his top drawer sire Silvano. The Maine Chance Farms-based stallion landed a July trifecta two years ago and this year did the exacta. He also had the tie-fourth horse home and the all important sixth place finisher, Horizon, is out of his full sister. This unbelievable achievement saw Silvano securing a second National Sires Championship as he is well clear in the standings.

Marinaresco (Nkosi Hlophe)

Last year, Marinaresco just failed to get there after coming from last and the difference this year was he came from a touch closer and the pace was a touch quicker.

The race was the fourth fastest July since the distance was upped to 2200m in 1970.

The faster the race the truer the result and there can be little coincidence that Bass-Robinson’s father Mike Bass trained the winners of the fastest and third fastest 2200m Julys, they being Trademark in 2001 and Pocket Power, who dead-heated with Dancer’s Daughter in 2008.

Marinaresco carried the same colours as Pocket Power, those of prolific Cape Town owner Marsh Shirtliff. Back in 2008 Candice was assistant trainer to father Mike and another assistant back then was Robert Fayd’Herbe, who is still with the yard and has done a sterling job over the last two seasons looking after their Champions Season string at Summerveld. Robert is brother of jockey Bernard. Mike Bass, who retired at the end of last season, was present on course with his ever enthusiastic wife Carol as well as his son Mark, who plays an administrative role in the yard. Bernard dedicated the win to Mike. The Bass’s have now won a total of four Julys between them as they also did it with Dunford in 2005. Shirtliff’s long term partner in Marinaresco has been fellow big Cape Town owner Bryn Ressell. However, Freddie Green and Mike Bass himself had joined the partnership before last year’s July.

Fayd’Herbe dropped back and found the rail from the number eight draw and Marinaresco was able to stride out freely for most the journey due to the good fractions set up front by last year’s winning jockey Piere Strydom on It’s My Turn. Strydom had little option but to move to the front as he found himself three wide near the front at the first turn. Earlier, Krambambuli had crossed over to take it up from last year’s winner, The Conglomerate.

The Conglomerate had towed the pole position drawn favourite Al Sahem threw into a handy position. The second favourite Edict Of Nantes ran three horse widths away from the rail the whole way, but did at least have cover behind Brazuca.

Strydom won from the front in 1996 in tailwind conditions on London News and he cleverly slowed it up a fraction coming up the hill. Greg Cheyne switched outward on Krambambuli in response. S’Manga Khumalo on Al Sahem understandably switched outward at the same time and begun rousting his mount. However, with the advantage of hindsight, this move was probably unnecessary as The Conglomerate, whom he had sat behind the whole way, had been able to creep closer on the rail.

Marinaresco (Liesl King)

Krambambuli matched a hard ridden It’s My Turn under the hands and when he was driven into the lead at the 200m mark an upset looked on the cards. The Sabine Plattner-owned Justin Snaith-trained horse had initially been the longest priced horse in the final field, but a flood of money saw him shortening into 16-1 at the off. Meanwhile, Fayd’Herbe had remained patient on the rail coming up the hill and he said later he had so much horse underneath him when swinging off the false rail he just needed to find a split. He found himself with plenty of space in the centre and then eyed a gap towards the inside, but not before Anthony Delpech had flashed across him on Nightingale eyeing a gap towards the outside. The gap towards the inside opened for Marinaresco when The Conglomerate began fading. Fayd’Herbe committed and the little bay pushed his head outward in that familiar head carriage style of his. He then swooped in devastating fashion to overtake Krambambuli, who had been unable to find extra. Towards the outside Al Sahem’s resolute finish and Edict Of Nantes late surge also carried them past Krambambuli, while Nightingale got up to share fourth with him. Horizon was right there too.

But, Marinaresco had done it by a head. Runner up Al Sahem had a gap close on him at the 300m mark which meant Khumalo had to wait for a moment before he could give his all. However, the only possible hard luck story was Edict Of Nantes. He initially had a dream run on the outside, but Marcus did not give his all, no doubt needing to reserve a little due to the taxing wide path the horse had travelled in the running. However, just when it was time to produce the final burst Nightingale hung across away from the whip and Edict Of Nantes was cramped for room. He did still manage to produce a magnificent late surge to be beaten only 0,35 lengths into third, but the race was already lost.

Bass-Robinson also trains Nightingale and Horizon, beaten 0,4 and 0,65 lengths into tie-fourth and sixth. In a July sideshow, Horizon’s beating of seventh-placed Black Arthur by half-a-length would have proved a point. Marinaresco was bred by Mary and Jessica Slack’s Mauritzfontein Stud. It was a great day’s racing, one which left punters and partygoers wishing it could be repeated next weekend. However, they will all have to wait for another year for the country’s biggest horseracing event.

By David Thiselton

The Justin Snaith-trained four-year-old Dynasty filly Bela-Bela stamped herself as the best classic female racehorse in the land when annihilating a classy field in the Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes over 1600m on Vodacom Durban July day.

This victory has made the Equus older Female award interesting as she joined the brilliant sprinter Carry On Alice on two Grade 1 wins for the season. However, the latter looks to have the Equus Champion Sprinter award wrapped up and it would be no surprise to see the panellists opting for the more versatile Bela-Bela, especially when considering the dominance of Saturday’s victory.

Anthony Delpech used the brilliant grey’s early pace on Saturday to quickly secure a perfect position on the rail from a good draw of five. The writing was on the wall for the opposition when she settled into her usual head-nodding rhythm behind a reasonable pace set by Kilauea.

She’s A Giver struck the front from third position in the running, but when Bela-Bela was asked the question it was race over and she won by 3,75 lengths at odds of 21/20.

She is fast proving to be the Beach Beauty of current times as she never lets down her supporters whenever viewed as the “meeting banker”, as she was on Saturday.

Three-year-old She’s A Giver, who had gained a reputation as a 1400m horse, stayed on well to claim second place.

The classy Bella Sonata ran on well for a 4,25 length third, just pipping Bela-Bela’s stablemate Gimme Six.

Pundits would be forgiven, after Saturday’s results, if they award a final adjudgement of this season’s three-year-old female crop to be no more than average. Gimme Six was a leading representative and had no excuses from pole position. The crops other Garden Province representatives finished a well beaten 2^nd, 6^th, 10^th and 14^th respectively. Tenth-placed Just Sensual remains top class but the race probably proved she is more suited to 1400m. Another leading member of the crop, Safe Harbour, finished second last in the July, although she was ridden a bit too handy considering her usual hold up style.

Bela-Bela’s win might also earn a deserved Equus Award for the outstanding Cheveley Stud broodmare Mystic Spring, whose progeny also include Rabiya, Rafiya, Touch The Sky and Secret Captain.

However, Secret Captain did let the side down again by finishing unplaced in the Listed Daisy Business Solutions Handicap over 1600m and trainer Duncan Howells might now plan a sprint campaign for him next season, because that is where his best form lies, despite his rangy action.

Cheveley Stud have had a magnificent recent record on July day as they also bred the July winner three years ago, Legislate, as well as last year’s Garden Province runner up Olma.

By David Thiselton

Candice Bass-Robinson is the first to admit that she took her eye off the ball when she staked her place in racing history as the first woman to train the winner of the Vodacom Durban July.

“I was watching Nightingale (equal fourth) and Horizon (sixth) as Marinaresco looked to be out of it,” she admitted on the winners’ podium at Greyville on Saturday, “and I didn’t even know I had won the race.”

She might be Mike Bass’s daughter but she has still had a phenomenal first season – more than 80 winners including the Majorca and a CTS $500 000 – and now the greatest prize of all.

Marinaresco & Mrs Robinson (Nkosi Hlophe)

“She has been producing the goods time and time again. It just shows when it’s in your blood,” declared a full-of-admiration Bernard Fayd-Herbe while Mrs Robinson was quick to pay tribute to his younger brother – “Robert has been looking after the horses in Durban and he had all these three spot on.”

A repeat of the Champions Cup that Marinaresco won last year would seem the obvious target but apparently it is unlikely. “I don’t know that he needs to run in that again,” said his trainer. “We will see how he comes out of this.”

One of the principal reasons for her reservation is that Marsh Shirtliff and his fellow owners still have rich overseas prizes on their agenda. The gallant little Mauritzfontein-bred Silvano would now be in the States had Derek Brugman’s initiative met with more support earlier in the year and, if more recent arrangements had gone to plan, he would be arriving at the Kenilworth quarantine station by the time you read this.

Shirtliff explained: “They couldn’t get the vector process set up in time and now it’s too late. I would still like to send him overseas but it will be next year now.”

Marinaresco, a 17-1 chance, was only the second horse to win with top weight since El Picha in 2000. The other was Pocket Power in 2008, sporting the Shirtliff colours and also ridden by Tiger Wright’s grandson.

The early pace looked horribly slow but they then turned up the wick to such an extent that the time of 2 min 12.51 sec was the fastest since that famous Pocket Power- Dancer’s Daughter dead-heat. But the race was a rough as heavyweight title fight.

Saratoga Dancer, Ten Gun Salute, Safe Harbour all suffered interference – the latter pair three times – while Safe Harbour’s rider Nooresh Juglall and Aldo Domeyer (Krambambuli) were both given suspensions for not keeping straight. S’Manga Khumalo, who went so close on 4-1 favourite Al Sahem, was fined for using his whip with excessive frequency in the last, desperate 150m.

He was only beaten a head and Edict Of Nantes pretty much confirmed the Daily News form by taking third, a quarter of a length back. But a bitterly disappointed Brett Crawford reported: “They didn’t go that hard and he was a bit flat-footed, only getting into the race in the last 75m. I had expected a bit more than that. There is now the possibility of the Champions Cup. I will discuss it with Derek.”

By Michael Clower