It’s D-Day for many of the borderline cases when the final field for this year’s R4.25 million Vodacom Durban July are announced at a function at Greyville Racecourse today. The announcement of the 18 runners and two reserves and the draw for barrier positions can be viewed live on DSTV Tellytrack channel 239 starting at around 1pm.

Thursday morning will see the traditional July gallops taking place at Greyville where all 20 of the July runners will be in action for the public to have one final view of their fancies before the big race on Saturday, July 1.

The gallops start at 7pm sharp and can also be viewed live on Tellytrack while on-course patrons will be treated to the traditional hot coffee and Chelsea buns.

Officials are predicting mega exotic bet pools on the day and punters who find the right combinations should be rewarded with decent returns. The Pick 6 pool is a guaranteed R10 million but expected to climb well beyond that, while the Quartet pool on the Vodacom Durban July is a guaranteed R13 million with an estimated pool of R15 million plus.

The win pool on the main race is expected to top R10 million while the tote will pay out on the first six placed horses with the expected pool to reach well over R8 million.

With a R100 000 quartet carry-over on the first race of the 12-race card, punters can get off to a rollicking start with the pool expected to reach R1 million.

The racecard will be on sale from Thursday at all TABgold and Track&Ball outlets with tote betting on the meeting opening on Monday, June 26, giving punters a full week to sort out their bets before the big day.

By Andrew Harrison

The lightly-raced Heartland, with Bernard Fayd’Herbe in the irons, appeals at 5-1 in the Racing.It’s A Rush Pinnacle Stakes at Kenilworth today although stable companion Star Chestnut could run him close.

BernardFayd’Herbe (Nkosi Hlophe)

The selection has only had one race since the end of November and that was in a Pinnacle over a furlong less two months ago. The trip was widely considered too short for him yet he managed to divide La Favourari and Tevez, no mean achievement. He had Line Break a length and a half behind and meets him again on the same terms.

Star Chestnut will not now be partnered by Richard Fourie who has been compulsorily stood down after becoming dehydrated towards the end of Sunday’s meeting. The four-year-old has gone close in his last two starts and looks sure to get into the shake-up.

“He is very consistent and will run well while Heartland will too. He likes to race fresh,” comments Jonathan Snaith. “We expect to have a good day and our runners sprinted up well on Sunday morning.”

Star Chestnut was a 6-1 chance yesterday with World Sports Betting who had Silicone Valley favourite at 33-10 even though the six-year-old has been off since suffering an over-reach four months ago.

Donovan Dillon (Nkosi Hlophe)

Piet Botha’s mount is the class horse in the race – he was fifth in the Queen’s Plate and second in the Merchants – but his lengthy absence is a considerable negative. “You always wonder if they are going to need it after being off like this,” says Glen Puller. “Silicone Valley has his problems – he has had two knee operations – but he was off for a year at one stage and came back to win.”

But the horse has to give weight all round and in the circumstances his price looks too short. Milton (6-1) is always a threat over this sort of trip but the handicappers put him up three points for last time’s win over 400m further when Donovan Dillon pinched the race – and that could swing the balance against him.

This time Dillon is on 8-1 chance Catkin who has won three of his last six starts over this trip and went up only a kilo for the most recent one when he beat Star Chestnut less than half a length and is a kilo worse.

Brilliant Crimson (7-1) won over this distance two races back but looks held by Star Chestnut as does 12-1 chance Line Break although he often gives the impression he is capable of a bit more.

Icon King (15-1) ran the first bad race of his life when dropped back to 1 200m last time. “He was slowly away and got bumped,” recalls Mike Stewart. “This is a tough race but I think he will be there.”

On paper the Eric Sands pair Streak Of Silver and Hanabi have it do but the latter is on a four-timer and Streak has won his last two. “He needs a good pace,” says Sands, “while Hanabi always tries and I think she is well in.”

Varside is 17-10 favourite to start the Snaith balling rolling in the first but he has had a lot of chances so maybe Seventh Rule will prevail. But Angel’s Trumpet should oblige at 28-10 in race two.

By Michael Clower

Race 1
Preview: SEVENTH RULE has run two good races and looks ready to win. GREY HALO showed good improvement from run one to run two and should be right there again. LOVE TO FLY is improving with racing and must be included in everything. (Warren Lenferna 9-5-8)

Race 2
Preview: ANGEL’S TRUMPET is much better than her last run shows which was not the worst seen anyway – she is the confident first choice. EVIE’S LIGHT is coming to hand and improving with racing and should again be able to go very close today. IT IS WHAT IT IS caught the eye on debut and can improve plenty to go very close. (Warren Lenferna 1-4-7)

Race 3
Preview: ENDOFMARCH nearly won last time and based on that has been selected to win this race. DASHING BRAVE should improve plenty on his debut run and should be right there at the finish. BEN-HUR nearly won on debut but followed that up with an unplaced effort – he can be forgiven that and should do very well here. (Warren Lenferna 4-3-1)

Race 4
Preview: STRIKEITLIKEAMATCH, FORT VIVA and SPRING GOLD look to be the principal contenders in this race however it is a maiden plate over 2400 and anything can happen – try and include as many as you can in your quartet. (Warren Lenferna 5-1-2)

Race 5
Preview: CAPTAINS COMPANION brings solid form into the race and from an okay draw looks to be hard to beat. ROCK ON WOOD never fired last time but if she reproduces and improves on her penultimate run, she should once again go very close and if she won, it would not be a shock. CHRISTMAS CAROL can improve on her recent Cape Town form to place. (Warren Lenferna 1-2-5)

Race 6
Preview: A tough race where all of BLACK CAT BACK, STAR CHESTNUT, HANABI and HEARTLAND are worth a look. HANABI comes into the race with a light weight and she is in top winning form but the horse they might all have to beat could be BLACK CAT BACK. (Warren Lenferna 9-7-12)

Race 7
Preview: TWINKLE TOES has done very well in her last two starts and another bold run can be expected from her today. CAPTAINS DOVE very seldom misses the money and it would be very silly to ignore her chances from a bet like the quartet. VARUMBA and TRIP TO INDIA could get into the action for the back end of the quartet. (Warren Lenferna 2-9-1)

Race 8
Preview: THE JOY OF IT is lightly raced and doing very well – she seems to have ability and could be worthwhile following. GOLDEN PASS and READY SET GO have strong place chances and are worth including in most bets. (Warren Lenferna 5-12-1)

Supplementary entry for the Vodacom Durban July, Mr Winsome, duly landed the odds in the Gr3 Track & Ball Derby at Scottsville yesterday but made heavy weather of beating Sun On Africa. The two drew well clear of the opposition over the final two furlongs but it was only inside the last 100m that Mr Winsome finally managed to get the better of Sun On Africa who had clearly had enough at the line.

Sun On Africa (Nkosi Hlophe)

The two met at level weights, the runner-up some 7.5kg inferior in the merit ratings, so Mr Winsome’s participation in the July is still very much up in the air. The selection panel tasked to choose the July runners will deliberate tomorrow with the final field to be announced at a function at Greyville on Tuesday.

Earlier July hopefuls Witchcraft and Girl On The Run saw their July tickets up in smoke with the latter only managing fourth and Girl On The Run second in the Gr3 Track & Ball Oaks. The race developed into a dog-fight over the final furlong with the race eventually falling to the Geoff Woodruff-trained Zante who managed to pull clear late under Ian Sturgeon. Zante last season landed the Listed Queen Palm Handicap for Neil Bruss who now plies his trade in the Middle East.

Girl On The Run was game in second but is unlikely to be considered by the July selection panel, the same going for Witchcraft who did well considering that this was only her second run back from a lengthy break, but not well enough.

Joey Ramsden (Nkosi Hlophe)

Joey Ramsden and Anton Marcus landed a double for Mayfair Speculators with their two smart colts Ancestry and Table Bay.

Ancestry is a smart looking son of Oratorio and, although only shedding his maiden, the half-brother to Gr2 winning filly A Womens Way, romped home with plenty of daylight between him and second-placed Texas Sky.

Table Bay made the expected improvement from his pipe-opener in the Gr1 Tsogo Sun Sprint, to run out a comfortable winner of the Track & Ball Pinnacle Stakes from the Brett Crawford runner Winter Prince.

In France on Saturday, apprentice, Mpumelelo ‘Pumie’ Mjoka, won the Longines Future Racing Stars on the prestigious Prix de Diane card at Chantilly.

The Prix Longines Future Racing Stars is designed to showcase the best up and coming young riding talent from across the world and selects hand-picked participants from the world’s top racing schools. The event is open to riders under the age of 25 who have won between 3 and 35 races.

Mjoka won the mile Handicap on the Chantilly polytrack aboard Beaupreau.

Mjoka follows on the success of fellow SA Jockey Academy graduate Franklin Maleking who won the Longines Future Racing Stars in 2013.

By Andrew Harrison