Brett Crawford will attempt to make it five Grade 1s for the season on Saturday at Greyville when the mellowed six-year-old gelding Captain America revisits a course, which was thought to not suit him as a headstrong three-year-old colt.

However, he will be facing a top class field in the Rising Sun Gold Challenge over 1600m.

Captain America’s class was shown early in his career, but a headstrong tendency soon became evident. He needs to employ handy to front-running tactics at the highest level because he does not possess an instant turn of foot. Gelding and maturity have seen him able to settle nicely in front and he has developed into a dangerous front runner. The big six-year-old is thus back in KZN for the first time for three years. Against him is a high draw and he will need to jump better than he did in the recent Drill Hall Stakes.

Marinaresco clearly loves Greyville and the key is his exceptional turn of foot. He would prefer further than a mile, but proved his effectiveness over shorter when winning the Drill Hall Stakes. He has a plum draw on Saturday.

Trip To Heaven is another horse with an exceptional turn of foot. A mile stretches him, but he showed in this race last year his class can carry him to the line as he only lost the race in the boardroom.

The versatile Bela-Bela has been unplaced in both her starts against the boys, but those were in the July and the Met and it will be interesting to see whether the coupling of her speed and class makes her more effective against them over this trip.

Brazuca finished a narrow second to subsequent Cape Guineas winner Noah From Goa in the Dingaans two years ago, so is a candidate here from a good draw.

His stablemate New Predator was fourth in this race last year, two lengths behind French Navy and the latter beat him by 1,7 lengths in this year’s Grade 1 weight for age Horse Chestnut Stakes over 1600m at Turffontein. New Predator has been top drawer over 1400m and might now begin seeing out 1600m better at a course which suits him, so he can’t be ignored, although his wide draw makes it tough.

French Navy is coming off an identical program to last year and his performances have been very similar, so he can place again, although his last win was way back in January last year.

Dual Guineas winner Janoobi is the only three-year-old contestant and has proven himself a dangerous front runner. The form of his Daisy Guineas win at this track is suspect, but the form of his Gauteng Guineas win is strong. His pole position draw helped his front-running style in the Daisy Guineas, but he now has a wide draw.

Sail South is much improved this season as he has settled better than in the past and he finished third in the Queen’s Plate, beaten 0,75 lengths by Captain America and he was 0,3 lengths ahead of Marinaresco. He has a tricky draw but Richard Fourie up is a bonus.

It will likely be a July preparation run for dual Gr 1 Sansui Summer Cup winner Master Sabina, who would prefer further. However, he is drawn inn pole and it’s a first run for a new yard, so this classy sort can’t be ignored.

Bulleting Home quickened away from the field in the Kings Cup and then finished fifth in the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint. However, it will be tougher here at Grade 1 weight for age level.

Saratoga Dancer has a fine turn of foot and consequently loves Greyville. He showed he is effective over shorter distances when third in the Drill Hall, beaten a head by Marinaresco, with whom he is now 2kg worse off.

Deo Juvente was 0,8 lengths behind New Predator in the Charity Mile when giving the latter 0,5kg and he was a neck behind Saratoga Dancer in that race when giving the latter 1,5kg. His surprise win in the Gr 1 Premier’s Champions Challenge constituted an improved performance over 2000m, so if he does the same over this trip he is a contender.

Victorious Jay won a mile race in good style on Met day and then finished a head second in the Drill Hall, so has come into his own. However, he will be 2kg worse off with Marinaresco from the Drill Hall and has a wide draw to overcome.

Reserve runner The Conglomerate is the Vodacom Durban July champion, but in this weight for age event looks well held on recent form.

Reserve runner No Worries is an enigmatic customer who has matched the best on a couple of occasions, but he is held on recent form.

Reserve runner Table Bay is much vaunted and none of the three three-year-olds who have beaten him over a mile this season are present here.

By David Thiselton

Last year’s Vodacom Durban July runner-up Marinaresco is reported in good heart for the Rising Sun Gold Challenge at Greyville on Saturday although there is some concern about the trip despite the horse’s win in last month’s Drill Hall over 200m shorter.

Candice Bass-Robinson said: “Marinaresco has been doing well and he is on target for Saturday even though a mile will be a little sharp for him. We have kept him a bit fresh for the race as he needs to be like that to run well over a mile.”

Bernard Fayd’Herbe, who again has the mount, is bidding for his third Gold Challenge win. He scored on the odds-on Pocket Power in 2009 and on 40-1 shock King Of Pain three years ago.

Saturday’s Grade 1 is expected to have an important bearing on the July even though the race’s record might suggest otherwise. Since Flaming Rock won both races for Chris Snaith in 1991, the only Gold Challenge winner to repeat the feat in the same season has been the Justin Snaith-trained Dancer’s Daughter who dead-heated with Pocket Power in the 2008 July.

By Michael Clower

There are a number of potential pitfalls facing punters in the Racing.It’s A Rush Allowance Plate that heads the card at Scottsville today. There are a host of three-year-olds that have obvious claims and there are a couple that have the potential but have been off form in recent months.

Add to that a number of older horses who, if they produce their best form on the day, could put a spanner in the works. In short, it’s not an easy race to predict an outcome in spite of it being a set-weights event.

Justin Snaith and Anthony Delpech were denied in a tight finish to the Gr1 Woolavinton 2000 on Saturday but they team up with Bishop’s Bounty here and the smart son of Western Winter looks primed.

He was tested in the lucrative Lanzerace Ready To Run and the Gr1 Cape Guineas but both races seemed to be beyond his compass when judged on his previous sprint form.

Bishop’s Bounty has had one outing over course and distance in the soft when going down narrowly to Purple Tractor and although he gives weight to most and not the best in under the conditions, he should be a serious contender.

The filly Our Destiny is the best weighted runner in the race and her last outing in the Poinsettia Stakes is probably best ignored as she did not get the best of passages. Glen Kotzen’s runner has been up there with the best of her generation as far as the fillies are concerned and off a handy weight should at least be competitive.

Charles Laird sends Buffalo Soldier over what looks to be his best course and distance after trying further at his last two. He showed good pace before folding behind Horizon in a sophomore Allowance Plate over 1400m last time out and the declaration of blinkers could sharpen him up enough for victory.

Runners from the Dennis Drier yard have started to hit form and Horse Guards will have a host of supporters after he finished under two lengths back to Attenborough in his first run back since gelding. The form of that race has panned out quite well.

Stable companion Hack Green has lost form since beating the smart filly Green Pepper over course and distance last August. With stable jockey Sean Veal preferring the chances of Horse Guards the inference is obvious but an upset by Hack Green would not be beyond the realms of possibility.

But the list of possible winners is a long one. Sylvester The Cat drops to a sprint and if he decides to let loose he cannot be discounted. Isingamoya, Rodney and Bold Respect are others to consider in a wide-open affair.

The Scottsville 2400m has become something of a specialist distance since the closure of Clairwood and the paucity of races over the distance on the Greyville turf.  The Blinkers Bar Handicap is a prime example but that still does not make things any easier.

Top weight One Man Show was possibly just in need of his last outing over course and distance although he did find traffic at a crucial stage of the race and is likely to do better here.

Main Player ran an excellent race on the Greyville poly when beaten by Crowd Pleaser and Edict Of Nantes last time out but prior to that, in his first outing in a handicap, was touched off a piece-of-paper by the well regarded Techno Captain. Garth Puller’s runner goes this trip for the first time but on the strength of that run should have no trouble with the extra and rates a big runner.

Sheriff Hood and Burnt Cherry look pick of the balance.

By Andrew Harrison

They filled the next three places behind surprise winner Bull Valley in the Grade 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint at Scottsville a week ago and they will go to battle again in the R400 000, Grade 2 Post Merchants over 1 200m at Greyville on Friday, June 16.

Two of them, Search Party and Gulf Storm, that finished second and fourth respectively, are from the stable of top Cape trainer Brett Crawford who triumphantly won both the Grade 1 Daily News 2000 and the Woolavington 2000 at Greyville last weekend and will be on a high with strong hopes of snatching the honours in this top sprint event also.

Separating them at the line in the Tsogo Sun Sprint is the Dennis Drier-trained gelding Barbosa that showed a return to form in the Scottsville race with the promise of potential further improvement when he steps out on the polytrack for this race.

A full field of 14 runners will face the starter, with three reserves, with the Overlord gelding Talktothestars from the Coenie De Beer stable topping the weights and nicely drawn at three. While he disappointed in the Tsogo Sun Sprint, his previous effort when second to superstar Rafeef in the Grade 1 Computaform Sprint was confirmation that he had not lost the enthusiasm for racing and at the weights he has a 1.5kg advantage over his rivals on merit.

Search Party could be the Crawford stable elect with Corne Orffer in the irons and with steady improvement in each of his recent races he could be one of the strongest contenders in the race. Stable companion Gulf Storm, however, will have a major task ahead of him from the widest draw but cannot be discounted.

The Drier stable is in top form and in addition to the success in the Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion at Scottsville, the five-year-old Seventh Rock gelding Guiness gave his opposition a hiding in a MR 95 handicap over 1 000m at Greyville at the weekend confirming the form of the stable.

Gareth van Zyl fields the Captain Al gelding Redcarpet Captain that has won his last two starts over 1 200m on the Poly and the Alec Laird-trained Amazing Strike, winner of his last two starts, will be out to strike again.

Professor Brian from the Joey Ramsden yard has won his last three starts, the most recent over the course and distance in comfortable fashion and in a good time and with a light weight to shoulder again could put the cat among the pigeons in what has the makings of a thrilling speed encounter.

By Richard McMillan

When Piere Strydom landed at Durban’s King Shaka Airport last Saturday and heard his mount in Race 4 at Greyville had been scratched, he began questioning his decision to fly down for the race meeting.

“When I [initially] looked at my rides I thought that [Race 4] was my only chance for a winner. Now it was scratched,” Strydom said. But by the time he had left Greyville Racecourse to return to the airport that evening he had ridden two Graded stakes winners, Lady Of The House in the Gr1 Woolavington 2000 and Captain Splendid in the Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup.

Strydom’s two winners would not have delighted too many punters as Lady Of The House went off unfancied at around 20-1 and you get close to 10-1 on Captain Splendid. But riding fans would have worn out the replay button.

 

Strydom had to overcome draw 15 with Lady Of The House and wasted little time getting his mount into the lead in what looked a sedate pace. “They didn’t go that slow but the track was fast,” said Strydom. “I was told I could use her early on because she stays and is super fit.”

What punters did not know is that his saddle slipped shortly after the start. “That was a concern to me because when she started to hang in late in the race I wasn’t really able to ride her too vigorously.”

As a result, she hung in late and came together with 33-10 shot Gimme Six but stayed on to win by a head. Anthony Delpech lodged an objection against Lady Of The House but it was overruled.

 

As far as the Lonsdale was concerned, Strydom says he was told that Captain Splendid’s work had improved tremendously since his last run. “He was held on form so that must have made the difference,” he added.

Strydom is back at Greyville on Saturday, June 10, for the big Rising Sun racemeeting where he is carded to ride Janoobi in the Gr1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge and Silver Mountain in the Gr2 Tibouchina Stakes. For final fields visit http://www.goldcircle.co.za/champions-season-2/rising-sun-gold-challenge/

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