North meets south in the battle for sophomore middle distance supremacy as both Al Sahem and Edict Of Nantes have stood their ground in the Grade 1 Daily News 2000 to be run at Greyville on Saturday.

They are the only pair of Gr 1 winners in the field but both have tough draws and it is not a two horse race.

Al Sahem showed a good turn of foot in both the Gr 2 Gauteng Guineas and the Gr 1 SA Classic over 1800m when running second to Janoobi and Heavenly Blue respectively. He subsequently won the Gr 1 SA Derby, so looks to have the right combination of speed, stamina and acceleration to relish the Greyville 2000m. He is by Silvano so will be improving all the time. His trainer Sean Tarry is virtually invincible at present.

Al Sahem (JC Photographics)

Edict of Nantes’ sire Count Dubois produced the Daily News winner two years ago in French Navy. Edict Of Nantes turned it on when coming from the back in the Selangor Cup over 1600m to run a close second to the top class Gold Standard. He was nice and relaxed in the running when winning the Cape Derby and from an always handy position pulled away from them in the closing stages. It was not a vintage Derby field, but he won cosily. His trainer Brett Crawford did the Cape Derby-Daily News double with Jackson five years ago.

Zodiac Ruler set the pace in the Cape Derby and stayed on well for second. He has been gelded since and reportedly improved as a result. He has stayed on well in both of his SA Champions Season starts to date, including when third in the Daisy Guineas last time. He should be cherry ripe and will relish the trip especially from a plum draw of two.

His stablemate Copper Force also stayed on well in the Daisy Guineas to be just a head behind Zodiac Ruler and will also have benefitted from the run. This classy sort is also drawn well.

Pagoda showed a good turn of foot and signs of class when easily winning the Listed Derby Trial over this trip at Turffontein. He did the same when second to Al Sahem in the Grade 1 SA Derby, although the latter never looked in danger of defeat.

Africa Rising showed a good turn of foot in the Daisy Guineas to range up to Copper Force, but the latter then drew away from him. His pedigree is difficult to judge but if there are any stamina doubts his good draw will help.

Horizon showed an exceptional turn of foot when winning the Gr 3 Politician Stakes over 1800m. He will likely want a stronger pace than he received in either the Cape Derby and Daisy Guineas and that could bring out the best in him, although on pure form he has a bit to do.

Zodiac Ruler (Nkosi Hlophe)

Glider Pilot is the dark horse. He proved himself a decent sort when winning over this trip on debut and he then suddenly stayed on strongly late when the penny dropped in his second start over the same trip in a handicap. He has scope for considerable improvement and Tyrone Zackey is never a trainer to be ignored in big races.

Secret Captain is well regarded and stayed on for second in the Daisy Guineas in the manner of a horse who would see out this trip. He was then a bit flat footed at the top of the straight in a Progress Plate over 1800m on the poly, although he was staying on late. He received 9kg from Edict of Nantes that day and was beaten 2,45 lengths, which doesn’t augur well for his chances, but the blinkers have now been fitted and this might see him livening up.

Captain Gambler is the only filly in the race and stayed on well for third in the Cape Derby at 100/1 odds. The long striding filly stayed on quite well from last when unplaced in the Grade 1 SA Fillies Classic in her next start. She was also unplaced in the SA Oaks, but it is interesting to note trainer Joey Ramsden running her against the boys again.

Gingerbread Man is a nice rangy type, who was staying on in eye-catching style in the Daisy Guineas. He will likely relish the trip, although he was beaten 6,8 lengths in the Daisy Guineas so needs improvement.

Dark Moon Rising is an unknown quantity having easily won a handicap when stepped up to 1600m in just his third start. He did over race from a handy position that day, so will need to settle better over this trip, but as a rangy type by Ideal World he could still be anything and Piere Strydom is up.

By David Thiselton

Sean Tarry’s chances of reaching R30 million in earnings for the season became a formality on Saturday after he added the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint with Bull Valley to the earlier Gr 1 SA Fillies Sprint he had won with Carry On Alice.

Meanwhile, veteran trainer Paul Matchett rolled back the years by winning the Gr 1 Allan Robertson Championship with outsider Brave Mary.

Sean Tarry (Nkosi Hlophe)

Tarry carefully planned Bull Valley’s attempt at the Tsogo Sun Sprint, a Gr 1 handicap, as he is not the soundest individual. He avoided running him in the Gr 1 Computaform Sprint as a good run there could have added weight on to his back for the Tsogo Sun. The four-year-old Toreador gelding, carrying 58kg off a 109 merit rating, hardly ever looked in danger of defeat in a race run at a furious pace. He ran away from them in the end to win cosily by 1,5 lengths under S’Manga Khumalo. Search Party gave Brett Crawford a second runner up spot in this race within three renewals and the horse who had done it for him two years ago, Gulf Storm, finished fourth. In third place was the Dennis Drier-trained Barbosa and this gallant seven-year-old thus achieved his first place in the Tsogo Sun Sprint in his fifth attempt at it. The Gr 3 Kings Cup winner Bulleting Home enjoyed this sprint trip too and finished fifth.

Tarry and Khumalo won the first three races together on yesterday’s card at Turffontein. By then Tarry’s earnings for the season had climbed to R29,143,350.

Paul Matchett’s Brave Tin Soldier filly Brave Mary caused a 30/1 shock under Gunther Wrogemann in the Allan Robertson, where she showed a fine turn of foot to win by 1,75 lengths from the Tarry-trained Green Plains. The Duncan Howells-trained Neptune’s Rain finished third and was beaten a whopping 4,75, which shows how convincing Brave Mary’s victory was. Brave Mary was unable to run a place in a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1000m at the Vaal three runs ago in her second career outing. However, she was unlucky there and had always showed plenty of zip. Two runs after that race she won her maiden by 6,5 lengths over the same 1000m and finished 8,2 lengths clear of a horse who had previously beaten her. The latter statistic signified how much she had improved. However, she was still ignored in the market on Saturday and caused the Pick 6 to pay R927,683.20.

Matchett, a three-time Zimbabwean Champion trainer, won the Gr 1 Golden Horse Casino Sprint (Tsogo Sun Sprint) with Let’s Rock‘N Roll in 2006 and that same season he won the Gr 2 Post Merchants with Tiza. Hopefully Saturday’s result will herald the beginning of a revival for his yard’s fortunes.

By David Thiselton

Evie’s Light could be worth a chance at 5-1 in a big field for the opening Fillies Maiden Juvenile at Kenilworth today.

Greg Ennion’s filly is better than last time’s six-length third would suggest – she got worked up when loading and went over backwards – but her previous run puts her bang there and Greg Cheyne is a bonus.

“Something happened at the back of the stalls – I don’t know what but she is not like that,” says Ennion who had a two-year-old winner on Saturday. “It affected her performance badly and she now gets frightened – not of the pens but when she is behind them. However she worked very well on Saturday.”

Greg Cheyne (Liesl King)

Sharing 5-1 second favouritism with World Sports Betting yesterday was the Brett Crawford newcomer First Swallow, a R525 000 Kahal filly out of the Danehill Dancer mare Acquavella who is a half-sister to a French Group 1 winner. The fact that Corne Orffer is on her in preference to Love Dove (who has a definite chance and has been backed from 7-1 to 9-2 favouritism) is a significant pointer.

But this is a very open race. Seemingly, though, not too much should be read into Bernard Fayd’Herbe partnering 11-2 shot Tough Love rather than going for the more obvious claims of Sassy Lady (13-2).

“There is really nothing between them but Tough Love is difficult so Bernard rides her,” explains Jonathan Snaith, adding: “Tough Love does have ability and could pop up.”

Another to note is the Trippy filly Arctic Siren (8-1) because Candice Bass-Robinson’s first-timers have a better strike rate than most.

Colour Magic is 22-10 favourite for the mile handicap (race two) and stable companion Tonya next best at 28-10. The victory of Cortada on Saturday suggests that Vaughan Marshall is putting his recent virus attack behind him.

Marginal preference, though, is for Katie’s Jay (33-10) as she has been dropped a kilo for last time’s run when she had valid excuses – she lost ground at the start and was tightened for galloping room.

Dark Chocolate (backed from 13-2 to 5-1 yesterday) was raised three points after getting up in the last 100m in a big field and Sublime Lady (5-1) dropped the same amount while Fayd’Herbe’s mount Petty Officer (also 5-1) returns after a three and a half month absence. “She had a break and I want to run her in the Ladies Mile,” says Ennion. “This is the only suitable prep but she is working very well.”

The consistent Apollo Star was brushed inwards when starting favourite against older horses last time and the Ramsden gelding should collect at around 2-1 in the Tablonline.co.za Maiden Juvenile.

A line through Miss Katalin suggests that 5-2 chance Daring Miss may beat 19-10 favourite Heart Of A Legend in the Racing Association Maiden.

By Michael Clower

SECOND DECLARATIONS
29 MAY 2017

Declarations: 36

9 Horses scratched at 2^nd declarations

Secret Captain

Copper Pot

Fort Meyers

Bold Viking

Bi Pot

Deo Juvente

Rocketball

Prince Of Wales

Jubilee Line

PLEASE NOTE:

• Final Supp. 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

Justin Snaith has declared both Zodiac Ruler (Bernard Fayd’Herbe) and Copper Force (Richard Fourie) for the Daily News 2000 at Greyville on Saturday. The pair were third and fourth to Janoobi in the Daisy Guineas.

He won the Grade 1 with Legislate three years ago and Fourie’s mount went on take the Vodacom Durban July. He also sent out last year’s runner-up It’s My Turn who went on to finish fourth in the July.

His Daisy Fillies Guineas winner Gimme Six will again be ridden by Anthony Delpech in the Woolavington 2000 while Fourie partners Captain Splendid in the Lonsdale Stirrup Cup. Joey Ramsden has supplemented Macduff for this 2 400m Grade 3.

By Michael Clower