Edict Of Nantes will be kept ticking over until the July gallops in nine days’ time says Brett Crawford.

He said: “Edict Of Nantes is also doing well. He is racing fit so all we have to do now is look after him and keep him happy.”

One Crawford stable star who won’t be in action on July day is Woolavington winner Lady Of The House. “She has done her job and she is going for a rest in the paddock,” said her trainer. “In my opinion she is still a couple of months immature so a break will do her good.”

Edict Of Nantes (Liesl King)

Crawford, 45, has had a memorable season and victory in the big one on July 1 would not only fill one of the few gaps in his CV but finally make amends for the 2002 head defeat of Angus in his first season as a trainer.

“That was hard to take because I thought we had won,” he was to recall. “I never even saw Ipi Tombe who came with such a dash that she got up on the line.  People kept saying to me that it was some achievement in my first season but in this game nobody ever remembers who came second!”

Piere Strydom, who rode Angus that day, has been confirmed by Snaith Racing for last year’s Cape Derby winner It’s My Turn. He won last season’s July on The Conglomerate and will be bidding for his fifth success in the historic race.

Grant van Niekerk, beaten a short head on Smanjemanje on his first July ride in 2012 and a close second on Marinaresco 12 months ago, rides Black Arthur while Richard Fourie has been confirmed for Cup Trial winner Elusive Silva. Fourie won the 2014 race for the stable on Legislate.

By Michael Clower

Marinaresco, one of the early favourites to win the Vodacom Durban July, ran an indifferent race behind Captain America in the Gr1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge at Greyville on Saturday but trainer Candice Robinson confirms that he has pulled up well.

Marinaresco (Liesl King)

She said on Sunday morning: “He was fine after the race. I think he just raced too handily. We were trying to get him closer to the pace and they went hard on Saturday so he was always travelling out of his comfort zone. His biggest asset is his turn of foot, but he couldn’t find it because they were travelling so hard. Ideally we would have done better coming off the back. We’ll go back to dropping him in.
“That said nobody could have beaten Captain America!”

Robinson was thrilled with Nightingale’s second to Just Sensual in the Grade 2 Tibouchina Stakes over 1400m: “She ran a cracking race, running wide all the way, so she was unlucky, really.”
She added: “We haven’t really made decisions yet but I’m leaning towards running her in the July. She’s a big filly so she should hold her own quite easily in the rough-and-tumble of the July and she’ll be lightly weighted.”

Robinson also saddled Silver Mountain, but the 61-10 shot finished last. “I don’t know what happened,” she said. “She was travelling quite nicely but before the turn dropped the bit completely and never picked it up. Maybe she got a clod in her eye?

“I think she’s going to retire now. She’s never really grown, she’s the same size as she was as a three-year-old, and the other fillies have matured past her.”

TABNews

The last piece of the Vodacom Durban July pre-race puzzle was played out at Turffontein yesterday in the Gr 3 Jubilee Handicap over 1800m.

The two July entrants in the field, Liege and The Elmo Effect, both failed to make the frame as the second favourite, the Robbie Sage-trained Coral Fever finished like an express train from off the pace to win cosily under Muzi Yeni.

Liege (Nkosi Hlophe)

Liege and The Elmo Effect might have battled on the current unforgiving ground at Turffontein and their respective connections would have been disappointed.

However, the final field panellists might have breathed a sigh of relief as they already faced an unenviable task.

Coral Fever, a lightly raced four-year-old, started at 5/1 and provided another accolade for his underrated sire Judpot. He was bred by Ascot Stud and has now won four of 12 starts. The 25/1 shot Bankable Teddy bounced back to form by running second and 12/1 hot Hidden Agenda was next best.

In other news, reigning champion trainer Sean Tarry passed the R30 million mark in stakes earning this season at Scottsville last week Wednesday where he scored a double.

He has already smashed his record stakes earnings of R27,999,562, set last season.

The only question left now in the trainer’s championships is whether Tarry can earn double the amount of the runner up.

At present Tarry is on earnings of R30,102,750 and second-placed Justin Snaith is on R16,786,375.

By David Thiselton

Brett Crawford joined Mike de Kock on five Gr 1s for the season, one behind the six of Sean Tarry, when Captain America won the Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge over 1600m at Greyville under his regular pilot Corné Orffer.

This race and the Gr 3 Cup Trial over 1800m, which was won by the Justin Snaith-trained Elusive Silva, made the Vodacom Durban July picture a touch clearer.

However, the panellists who have to choose the final field face an unenviable task.

Corne Orffer (Nkosi Hlophe)

Captain America’s two career Gr 1 wins have now both been in weight for age miles. However, his only attempt at the July as a three-year-old colt in 2014 can be ignored as he jumped awkwardly and lost a length and then over raced. As a relaxed six-year-old gelding his headstrong antics are now a thing of the past. In this year’s Sun Met he had to be used up early to find the lead from a wide draw, yet was only caught at the 150m mark. However, he was hardly tiring as he rallied to finish third. Furthermore, it was the fastest run Met since the first of Pocket Power’s Met victories in 2007. Another tick for Captain America’s stamina capacity can be found when viewing his Cape Derby run in 2014, where he over raced throughout but still managed to stay on strongly for second to Legislate. The Conglomerate showed last year that being handy in the July can be an advantage and it is easy to imagine Captain America running a similar race to last year’s winning one. However, against him will be the topweight he will have to carry. He is currently merit rated 116 and might get a point or two for Saturday’s win. The line horse is likely to either be the consistent 1,75 length third-placed Bela-Bela or the 2,5 length fourth-placed Sail South, who proved his Queen’s Plate run was no fluke.  Captain America ran to about a 117 compared to Bela-Bela. However, she was a touch unlucky and that might be taken into account. Compared to Sail South, Captain America ran to about a 118 or 119. However, it might be taken into account that coming from the back at Greyville gave Sail South less time to make up the leeway than he had at Kenilworth, where he was 0,75 lengths behind Captain America in the Queen’s Plate.

Elusive Silva (Nkosi Hlophe)

Betting World reacted by chopping Captain America from 33/1 to 14/1. Marinaresco had every chance from a midfield position, but faded tamely when it counted and behind the strong pace he would have preferred to have been further back. He has drifted out to 8-1. Bela-Bela’s running was taken up briefly at a crucial moment at the top of the straight, so her third was an outstanding effort. However, the bookmakers still have her at 25/1 and the reason might be the Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes still being an option for her on the big day. The Conglomerate stayed on under a sympathetic ride and it was a pleasing preparation for the defence of his July crown, where he will have a fine chance at the weights.  Saratoga Dancer was perhaps a bit too handy in a strongly paced race and didn’t find extra in the closing stages. However, he was in 13^th place on the log so might be safe. Brazuca was doing his best work late in quite an eye catching preparation and in 11^th position on the log should get in. Master Sabina, who as the Summer Cup winner has likely booked his place, was also doing good work late. French Navy has never been one to run well fresh, but his well below par run will have been concerning for his supporters just three weeks away from the big race.

In the Cup Trial Elusive Silva booked his place in the July by quickening well off a slow pace and just pipping the pacemaker Crowd Pleaser. Third-placed Black Arthur will be the biggest headache for the panellists. They will attempt to find a place for him as he is 10/1 in the July betting and has enjoyed a fine preparation. After all, they did find a place for both Futura and Saratoga Dancer in recent years after they had finished third and fourth respectively in the Cup Trial. Also in the Cup Trial Nebula’s chances of making the final field disappeared. He was on the outside looking in on the log. He had the box seat in the running on Saturday, but in a slow-paced race could not match the finishing speed of the first three and ended second last in the nine horse field. The only horse he beat home was Master Switch, who was also on the outside looking in on the log, but he is just not the same horse at Greyville as he is at Turffontein and this was his fourth unplaced run at the Durban course in four starts. Trophy Wife attracted controversy when emitted from the final field last year, but this year there will be no repeat. She lost ground at the start and then swished her tail. She finished well, but the slow pace of the race worked against her and she could only manage sixth place, which won’t be enough to book a place. The long-striding Royal Badge can also be considered unlucky to have encountered a slow pace as he finished strongly from off the pace for fifth, which won’t be enough to persuade the panellists.

Nightingale ran on well for second in the Gr 2 Tibouchina over 1400m to keep her July hopes alive, but Silver Mountain will drop out of contention after being eased out of the race.

By David Thiselton

Betting World yesterday slashed Captain America from 33-1 to 14-1 for the Vodacom Durban July as a result of the six-year-old’s convincing win in Saturday’s Rising Sun Gold Challenge.

Stable companion Edict Of Nantes has been shortened from 11-2 to 5-1 clear favourite while Al Sahem (beaten half a length by Edict Of Nantes in the Daily News) remains on 11-2. However Marinaresco, who managed only a disappointing 11^th on Saturday, has been marked out from 13-2 to 8-1.

Cup Trial winner Elusive Silva has been cut from 14-1 to 15-2 third favourite and strong-finishing Tibouchina runner-up Nightingale [see replay above] clipped from 45-1 to 25-1, the same price as last year’s Durban July winner The Conglomerate (from 18-1) who was sixth in the Gold Challenge.

By Michael Clower