The Met has always eluded Justin Snaith – and his father before him – but African Night Sky raised their hopes that he just might be the one by pulverising the opposition in the Highlands Stud Winter Derby at Kenilworth on Saturday.

Bernard Fayd’Herbe (Liesl King)

Seemingly some of the 14-10 favourite’s rivals knew their fate even when still in the back straight. Bernard Fayd’Herbe, winning this for the third time, afterwards related with some relish that MJ Byleveld on Ollivander turned to him and said: “If your horse doesn’t s*** in he will never win!”

He duly did, quickening away from the opposition from over a furlong out as if he had a plane to catch – much to the relief of owner Fred Crabbia who confessed: “I was so nervous I didn’t know where to turn.”

The winning margin was five and a half lengths and who knows what it would have been had the gelding’s rider pressed the button a bit earlier. “From the way he won this I think he could be a special horse,” said Fayd’Herbe, evoking memories of his 2006 winner Pocket Power.

Indeed African Night Sky, the first to complete the Winter Series treble since that legend, emulated him by refusing to go into the winner’s box. The winner, somewhat appropriately, was bred by the race sponsors and is by their resident stallion Dynasty.

True, his main market rivals either failed to fire or to stay – the jury is out on which with some of them – and fourth-placed Our Mate Art was found to be coughing but it was an impressive performance.

African Night Sky (Liesl King)

Snaith, who also won last year’s race with the ill-fated Elusive Silva, said: “This is a proper horse and the Met has always been the plan. Fingers crossed, we will look after him and aim him at the right races.”

Tap O’Noth was almost as impressive in the Langerman. Eyebrows were raised when Vaughan Marshall mentioned him in the same breath as William Longsword after he won on debut but the Captain Al colt, named by owner-breeders Alec and Gillian Foster after an ancient Scottish fort, accelerated like a class act and Byleveld said: “He is a serious horse. We went a good gallop and he picked it up on his own. He had it won inside 100m.”

“It was his demeanour and the way he went about things,” said Marshall, explaining how he had spotted the talent even before the colt saw a racecourse. “He took to work as if he was an older horse and he clearly had the right attitude. We will put him away now and aim him at the Guineas if he proves good enough.”

Silver Coin, the 14-10 favourite, never got into it and finished last but the veterinary examination ordered by the stipes revealed that he wasn’t striding out behind.

Joey Ramsden and Anton Marcus had better luck with Rose In Bloom in the Irridescence while 17-10 favourite Ngaga was seemingly a little unlucky when failing to peg back Richard Fourie on the Glen Kotzen-trained Silvan Star in the Ladies Mile. “The gap I went for was tight, the horse on my inside moved out and I had to wait for a couple of strides,” said Grant van Niekerk.

Whose That Girl led a one-two for Candice Bass-Robinson in the Winter Oaks while Brett Crawford also showed the well-being of his string in advance of Saturday’s big day with a Corne Orffer double.

By Michael Clower

Update [June 30]: Weichong Marwing has picked up the ride on (9) TEN GUN SALUTE in the Vodacom Durban July replacing Muzi Yeni.

Latest ante-post betting guide for the 2017 Vodacom Durban July to be run at Greyville on Saturday, July 1.

4/1 Edict Of Nantes, 4/1 Al Sahem; 7/1 Its My Turn, 7/1 Black Arthur; 8/1 Elusive Silva; 10/1 Marinaresco; 14/1 Ten Gun Salute, 14/1 Nightingale, 14/1 The Conglomerate; 20/1 Mr Winsome; 30/1 Pagoda, 30/1 Master Sabina, 30/1 Saratoga Dancer, 30/1 Safe Harbour, 33/1 French Navy; 40/1 Tilbury Fort, 40/1 Brazuca,44/1 Krambambuli

Odds courtesy of www.trackandball.co.za and subject to change

The filly Dawn Calling only has a single victory behind her name but she has mixed it with the best with some success and looks set to make a belated opening to her seasonal account in the KwaZulu-Natal Breeders Million Mile at Greyville on Sunday.

Dawn Calling (Nkosi Hlophe)

Duncan Howells is a master at targeting big money restricted races and the Anton Procter-bred Dawn Calling has almost everything in her favour when she lines up on Sunday. On official ratings she is 2kg better off than any of the opposition, bottom weight, good draw and a top light-weight rider. If there is a chink in her armour it may be that she doesn’t quite see out 1600m as she has often been found out over the last 100m. However, on most of these occasions she has been competing at set weights or in level weights races where she is not always well in. On this occasion, although she takes on a useful field, bottom weight will be a huge advantage and the mile well within her compass.

Mike and Tanya McHardy of Rathmor Stud have been investing heavily in top bloodstock over the past few years and they will be looking to the Ormond Ferraris-trained Romany Prince to fly their flag. The son of Kahal has been competing in strong handicaps on the Highveld with his last victory coming in January in the London News Stakes where he beat subsequent Premier’s Champion Challenge winner Deo Juvente. He has been on the boil since and will strip a fit horse on Sunday where Anthony Delpech rides from pole position.

No Worries (Nkosi Hlophe)

Unagi and Top Shot give Garry Alexander a useful hand, the latter possibly being the pick of the pair from a better draw and a close-up second at the Vaal last time out.

No Worries, twice a winner of this event, showed signs of coming to hand again when three lengths off Marinaresco in the Drill Hall and the blinkers are back on. But whether the can give a filly the class of Dawn Calling 10kg is debateable.

The Million Mile is the only race on the turf with the balance of the card on the poly and restricted to horses that qualify as KZN-bred.

It is also the final of the KZN Breeders Series ‘Levelling the Playing Fields’ with a mountain of money at stake.

Early pace-setters, Brave And Bold and Putchini, are joint second on 47 with the ever consistent Royal Agree in fourth on 46 points. The King of Random and Kahula follow next on 42 and 41 points respectively. The Owner, breeder and trainer of the leading horse at the conclusion of the Series will each receive a bonus of R50 000.

Morne Winaar, Billy Jacobson, Marco van Rensburg and Craig Zackey are the four jockeys best placed to land the rider’s bonus with Winnaar and Jacobson in the prime seats. Of that pair Winnaar appears to have the better ride on Wendy Whitehead’s mare Brave And Bold on whom he has scored most of his points but Jacobson is on Royal Agree, Glen Kotzen’s filly having won the first leg of the warm-ups and at best over Sunday’s 1400m. Tony Rivalland narrowly heads the trainer’s log along with his owner Mary Liley, their gelding Reactive doing them proud.

By Andrew Harrison

African Night Sky can lay the jinx on Winter Classic winners in the Highlands Stud Winter Derby at Kenilworth tomorrow.

In the last decade seven of them have attempted the double and all found the 2 400m trip beyond them. And, just to underline how difficult and demanding this race can be (for punters as well as horses), only one of the last nine favourites has been successful.

Unlike many of those that have gone before him, though, the Justin Snaith runner has the pedigree for the job. “He doesn’t give you the feel of a stayer – he is not a plodder and he does have a turn of foot – but he is bred to stay and so he should do so,” says Bernard Fayd’Herbe, successful on Liquid Mercury two years ago and of course on the legendary Pocket Power in 2006 – but, ominously, well beaten on hot favourite Whisky Baron 12 months ago.

African Night Sky (Liesl King)

The threat to a Winter Series clean sweep comes from Newlands, officially the best horse in the race and in receipt of a kilo from African Night Sky, but not guaranteed to stay. Although he is by High Chaparral, his dam did not win beyond a mile and is by the Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus who was essentially a ten furlong horse.

Anton Marcus’s mount has only once been as far as that when he was fourth to Edict Of Nantes in the Cape Derby. This is the best form in the race and, while he wasn’t exactly staying on strongly at the end, he wasn’t weakening either.

Joey Ramsden, successful three times in the past 14 years, says: “I think his chances of getting the trip are quite good. His pedigree has more stamina than most South African horses.”

Our Mate Art, second in both the Winter Guineas and Classic, is not bred to stay- he is by a Breeders’ Cup mile winner and the dam’s side does exactly shout stamina. “I’m not sure whether he will get the trip but it’s not a strong field of staying horses. We will have to see what the pace is like,” says Candice Bass-Robinson. “But Ollivander should get it and he is very well.”

Loadshedder, third in the first two legs, was putting in his best work at the end last time but he is not bred to get the extra and at least one of the lesser lights is intent on stretching him and the others at the top end. “They are going to feel every metre because we are going to test them with Soaring Past to see if they really do get the trip,” warns Riaan van Reenen.

The rest have almost certainly too much to do at the weights: Desert Wisdom looks a longshot, Paddington stays well and the best of the outsiders is almost certainly Mangrove who loves the trip and won very easily last time.

Silver Coin may beat the equally highly regarded Tap O’Noth in the Langerman, Elusive Heart appeals in the Irridescence and Ngaga in the Ladies Mile.

By Michael Clower

Turffontein Inside track stages a nine race meeting on Saturday and there might be one or two opportunities for punters.

The highest rated race on the card is the fourth, a MR 86 handicap for fillies and mares over 2000m. Parisienne Chic was staying on well over 1800m last time for a good third and now has Piere Strydom up from a plum draw. She is the one to beat although the least exposed horse in the race is the lightly raced Cold Cash, who won easily over 1800m at the end of April. She looks full of promise, but does have a wide draw to overcome which will be particularly tough due to her handy to front-running style. Tambalang has fine form on the Highveld against good sorts, but her only start since the Cape Summer has been on the Greyville poly over this trip. If she is at her best she will be right there. She is unproven over this trip, but being by Go Deputy she should stay and the progeny of that sire also come into their own when they are roundabout Tambalang’s age now.

Piere Strydom (Nkosi Hlophe)

In the eighth race, a MR 84 fillies and mares handicap over 1600m, Emily Jay should relish the step down in trip having been a bit keen in second time blinkers over 1800m last time yet still staying on quite well. She is a nice looking type and has a sizeable stride. In her last attempt at this trip she was not beaten far (5,4 lengths) by the useful Bi-Pot. Alexa is course and distance suited and should also be thereabouts, although she has a tough draw.

In the sixth race, a fillies and mares MR 68 Handicap over 1000m, Burgundy Rose makes appeal from a plum draw of two. In her penultimate start she beat the speedy Gratuity over this trip and before that was not disgraced against the up and coming Effortless Reward. Last time off a six point higher merit rating than her last win she was a touch disappointing, finishing fifth. However, her turn of foot should be more effective off the slower pace she could get around the turn here and from her good draw she should be in a position to pounce coming off the elbow. Madam Secretary has her first run out of the maidens off a merit rating of 70. She is well drawn and has caught the eye on occasion. She should be finishing strongly and will be a threat. Lakahal is a capable sort who was only 0,55 lengths behind Burgundy Rose when they last met over this trip at the Vaal and she has a fair draw here.

The going is will likely be fast and horses with daisy cutting actions are the one who usually enjoy this ground so it would be worth picking those ones out in the canter pasts.

By David Thiselton