The Gr 3 Cup Trial over 1800m is a last gasp opportunity for Vodacom Durban July borderline horses to put up their hands for a berth in the field and this year’s race will be fascinating as six of the nine runners are July entries and they will all need big runs to book their places.

Black Arthur (Nkosi Hlophe)

Rising Sun in unison with Gold Circle always put on an amazing race day and Greyville is the place to be on Saturday to watch the Cup Trial, the Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge and the Gr 2 Tibouchina Stakes.

The Justin Snaith-trained Black Arthur is the fourth favourite in the July at 10/1 with Betting World, yet is nowhere to be seen on the latest July log, which was released yesterday. He started 10/1 for last year’s July and finished a 2,75 length seventh, but was unlucky as he was hindered by a horse inside of him when making his run on the outside and could have got closer. He subsequently had a haemoconcentration problem and can be forgiven his below par form in the Cape summer. Gelding has solved his issues and he was staying on in the Drill Halls Stakes over 1400m to finish just 2,75 lengths back under Anthony Delpech. He should come on a lot for the run and will relish the step up in trip. He has landed a good draw of four and Delpech, who partnered him to win last season’s Gr 2 Canon Guineas, stays aboard. He has to carry topweight, but it would be no surprise if he turns out to be better than his current 104 merit rating as he has always been highly regarded.

His stablemate Elusive Silva went up to near the top of the boards after his impressive win under Delpech in the Listed Sledgehammer over this course and distance. He is currently a July 13/1 shot, having run a bit of a flat race in the Betting World 1900, although the lack of pace did not suit him there and a gap did not open for him immediately at the top of the straight. He is now in position 20 on the July log and needs a big run, but Delpech looks to have opted for Black Arthur. He could not have got a better replacement in Richard Fourie and off his 99 merit rating he gets 2,5kg from Black Arthur. He does have the widest draw of all to overcome and will likely have to rely on his magnificent turn of foot to earn a July berth.

Nebula (Nkosi Hlope)

Nebula is the Algoa Cup holder and won his Champions Season debut over 1600m on the Greyville poly hands and heels after moving up impressively. He looks to have come into his own and is drawn in pole.

The long-striding Royal Badge was running on in eyecatching style in that race and will relish the extra 200m in this race.

Master Switch has run below par in all three of his starts at Greyville as he has not settled well, but he now has a plum draw and if he finds cover and settles he has the ability to go close.

Champion trainer Sean Tarry has four in the top 20 on the log and will try and qualify the gallant filly Trophy Wife in this race. She has been one of the best of a magnificent crop of females and last time out was staying on well for a 1,9 length third in defence of her Gr 2 Gerald Rosenberg crown over 2000m at Turffontein . After a layoff she had three runs in about five weeks, so that was a tough ask and she might now be ready to give of her best.

Celtic Captain (Nkosi Hlophe)

Celtic Captain has been scratched from the July as it is probably a touch too far for him. He can be headstrong so is another one who needs cover, because if he settles he has a fine turn of foot and a sustained finish. His draw of six is thus a bit tricky but if he does find cover and settles this trip will be ideal and he will go close.

Go Direct, not a July entry, produced an amazing finish to win a Pinnacle event over this trip at Turffontein in April and he was caught wide in the Betting World 1900 before ending in a probably too handy position. He now has a plum draw and if held up off the pace could surprise.

The front-running Crowd Pleaser is the most interesting runner in the race as he won an Allowance Plate over this trip on the poly last time out and beat none other than Edict Of Nantes and Lady Of The World, who won the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 and Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 in their next respective starts. The latter pair were likely preparing in that race but it was still a fine display and Crowd Please has won his last three starts at Greyville. Against him is his wide draw as he will have to make some use of to get to the front.

By David Thiselton

The Adam Marcus trained four-year-old gelding Royal Badge is rated a 150/1 shot with Betting World for the Vodacom Durban July, but a perusal over the progeny record of his under rated sire Go Deputy will quickly show he is not just a hopeful entry. He will stake a claim for a berth in the big race when he runs in the Gr 3 Cup Trial over 1800m on Saturday at Greyville.

Adam Marcus

Marcus said, “His biggest asset is he is an extremely good mover.”

He showed that in his Champions Season pipe opener on the Greyville poly over 1600m. He turned it on in the straight and his big stride carried him to a fast finishing fourth, 2,4 lengths behind Nebula, whom he faces on Saturday on 3kg better terms.

Marcus said, “It was a wonderful prep after a little break and he has improved from that run and is exceptionally well. I was very pleased with the acceleration he showed, so don’t think the 1800m will be too short for him. We have always thought of him as a horse who was on the up and at this time of the Champions Season it just takes one race to go your way and you suddenly have a boom horse.”

Unfortunately, Royal Badge’s regular rider Richard Fourie will be aboard the fancied July horse Elusive Silva on Saturday.

However, Marcus is pleased with the replacement Grant van Niekerk, whom he said should know Royal Badge as he has ridden him in track work in Cape own before.

Adam’s famous father Basil, who was a seven-times Hong Kong Champion jockey, had two July runners as a trainer in Jay Peg and Desert Links.

Grant Van Niekerk (Nkosi Hlophe)

Adam has not yet had a runner in the big race, but has earmarked a program for Royal Badge, which is based on the one Desert Links followed in 2008.

Desert Links won the Cup Trial, finished a 1,6 length fifth in the July and then won the Gold Cup.

Adam said, “It is very exciting to have a horse in contention for a place in the July and hopefully he gets in, that would be awesome.”

Looking at the stakes earners of Go Deputy’s first crop: Adobe Pink won two races in a busy season as a three-year-old and ended the season merit rated 76, but she won four on the trot as a four-year-old and ended the season merit rated 96; Pessoa was merit rated 78 entering the July of his three-year-old year and then won four on the trot, including his first three starts as a four-year-old, and he later added the Gr 3 King’s Cup to end the season merit rated 103; Changingoftheguard did well as a three-year-old winning two races including a Listed race and was merit rated 95, but an eight month break from January until September benefitted him because in his second start as a four-year-old he won the Matchem Stakes, beating the crack three-year-old King Of Pain. These are just three examples of the progeny of a sire who have always paid to follow the moment they turn four-years-old as the improvement is notable in virtually every instance.

Royal Badge himself did well as a three-year-old, winning three races, but his first black type-earning performance came in the December of this season as a four-year-old when cruising to a 2,75 length win in the Gr 3 Grand West Cape Summer Stayers handicap over 2500m. He is now merit rated 95 and among his competition on Saturday will be another Go Deputy four-year-old, Go Direct, who has also proved progressive this season.

Royal Badge has a tricky draw of seven in the nine horse field, but in that last 1600m race he had a similar draw and was dropped out to second where he found the rail and switched off nicely.

By David Thiselton

The VDJ LOG as at 13:00 on Tuesday 6 June 2017:-

> Final Supplementary Entries: Close 11:00 Monday, 12 June 2017

> Weights Published: Tuesday, 13 June 2017

> Final Declaration: Close 11:00 Monday, 19 June 2017

> Final Field and Draw: Announcement of the Final Field and Barrier Draws will take place on Tuesday, 20 June 2017

> Public Gallops:  7am at Greyville Racecourse, Thursday, 22 June 2017

2017 Vodacom Durban July ante-post betting guide [as at June 6]:

9/2 Edict Of Nantes; 11/2 Al Sahem; 13/2 Marinaresco; 9/1 Black Arthur; 11/1 Its My Turn; 12/1 Elusive Silva; 14/1 Ten Gun Salute; 15/1 Nebula; 16/1 Horizon, The Conglomerate; 28/1 Saratoga Dancer, Bela-Bela; 30/1 Captain America, Master Switch, Krambambuli; 33/1 French Navy, Brazuca; 35/1 Tilbury Fort, Master Sabina; 40/1 Copper Force, Pagoda, Orchid Island, Liege, Nightingale; 50/1 Zodiac Ruler, Safe Harbour; 100/1 Girl On The Run, Silver Mountain, Trophy Wife; 150/1 Witchcraft, Royal Badge; 200/1 Macduff, Banner Hill; 250/1 The Elmo Effect;

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

The Cape Breeders’ Club are proud to host their 2017 Stallion Services Auction at Highlands Farms Stud (part of the Ridgemont Group) on Friday June 16.

The always popular services auction will commence shortly after the CTS Mares, Weanlings & Fillies For Stud Select Sale on June 16, and is a wonderful opportunity to acquire services to some of South Africa’s top sires –whose books are only open to shareholders.

Top sires with services up for auction this year include Dynasty, Silvano, Trippi and Var as well as such popular stallions as Coup De Grace, Duke Of Marmalade, Elusive Fort, Gimmethegreenlight, Jackson, Oratorio, Querari, Soft Falling Rain, Twice Over, Vercingetorix and What A Winter.

The auction will also offer services to exciting young sires Admiral Kitten, Quasillo, Red Ray, The United States and William Longsword, all of whom will stand their first year in South Africa this year.

The Select Sale is scheduled to get underway at 17:30pm, with approximately 115 lots due to go under the hammer.

For more info please contact Wendy Probert at secretary@capebreeders.co.za and to reserve a seat for the auction please email Amanda Carey at amanda@cthbs.com

CapeBreeders.co.za

Sixteen Vodacom Durban July contenders bidding for a berth in the country’s premier event and competing across three graded feature races topped by the R1-million, Grade 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge, is what awaits punters at Greyville in Durban on Saturday.

But last year’s winner of the R4.25-million race, The Conglomerate, as the first reserve is not guaranteed of a run in the Grade 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge unless there is a scratching among the 14 whose places are secured – but he is currently 11^th on the official July Log and should still be included in the big race as last year’s winner.

2016 VDJ winner THE CONGLOMERATE

With nine feature events on the 10-race card the meeting is one of the biggest events on the South African racing calendar and the final opportunity for entries for the blue-ribbon event to make the final field for the first Saturday in July.

The Rising Sun Gold Challenge includes eight July entries including the surprise Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes winner Marinaresco that won the Mike And Carol Bass Champions Cup last year and the captain of the Brett Crawford stable team, Captain America, that ran a good race behind Marinaresco in the Drill Hall in his first outing since finishing third in the Sun Met and second in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate.

Master Sabina, winner of the Summer Cup and French Navy, fourth in the Champions Challenge at Turffontein, are included along with Sean Tarry’s sprinters Trip To Heaven and Bulleting Home, the latter having won the King’s Cup at Greyville.

Star filly Bela-Bela will also take her place in the field in a bid to secure her July spot along with Saratoga Dancer that are ninth and 14^th on the July Log respectively.

The Grade 3 Cup Trial over 1 800m includes six July hopefuls including Black Arthur that was the boom three-year-old last season and last year’s Cape Winter Derby and recent Sledgehammer winner Elusive Silva. Master Switch and Trophy Wife, the latter having finished third in the recent Gerald Rosenberg, will add spice to the 1 600m weight-for-age event.

In the Grade 2 Tibouchina Stakes, Nightingale and Silver Mountain, both from the Candice Bass-Robinson yard, are the two July candidates hoping to make a strong enough impression to gain an invite into the big race but have a strong field of fillies to contend with.

By Richard McMillan