2017 Vodacom Durban July ante-post betting guide [as at 1:12pm May 19]:

7/1 Elusive Silva, Al Sahem, Marinaresco; 12/1 Heavenly Blue; 13/1 Edict Of Nantes; 15/1 Black Arthur; 16/1 Its My Turn; 18/1 Horizon; 20/1 Master Switch, Hat Puntano #, Pagoda, Saratoga Dancer; 25/1 Africa Rising, Krambambuli, Captain America; 28/1 The Conglomerate; 30/1 Copper Force, Brazuca, Deo Juvente, Zodiac Ruler; 33/1 Prince Of Wales, French Navy; 35/1 Nightingale, Master Sabina; 40/1 Bela-Bela, Secret Captain, Orchid Island, Banner Hill; 50/1 Liege; 66/1 Nebula; 80/1 Ten Gun Salute; 100/1 Witchcraft, Bi Pot, Safe Harbour, Macduff, Girl On The Run, Silver Mountain, Trophy Wife, Smiling Blue Eyes; 150/1 Bold Viking, Jubilee Line, Tilbury Fort; 200/1 Copper Pot; 250/1 Royal Badge, Rocketball; 300/1 The Elmo Effect, Fort Meyers;

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

Please be advised that Vodacom Durban July entry, Master Sabina, has changed stables and will now be trained by Justin Snaith as from 18 May 2017.

Following a track inspection at Greyville this morning, tonight’s Grade 2 Betting World 1900 is the only race that will be run on the turf. All other races have been switched to the Poly Track.

The inspection panel, comprising of, two Gold Circle racecourse managers, trainer Garth Puller, National Horse Racing Authority (NHA) chief stipendiary steward Shaun Parker, NHA vet Roehan Sutherland, and Gold Circle Racing Executive, Raf Sheik, decided that the track had not dried out sufficiently following last week’s down-pours that dumped over 200 mm of rain on the course.

The average penetrometer reading for the course was 29 but the area near the finishing post, that does not receive as much sunlight as the rest of the course because of the shadow cast by the grandstand, read 34.

Raf Sheik, Gold Circle’s Racing Executive, said that the decision was taken in the interests of safety and also to prevent irreparable damage to the turf surface that would affect the balance of Champions Season.

The Turffontein meeting tomorrow is headed by the Syringa Handicap, a listed event over 1600 metres for fillies and mares, and there are plenty of other interesting races on the nine race card.

S’manga Khumalo (Nkosi Hlophe)

In the Syringa, the beautifully-bred Sean Tarry-trained Simply Royal led from start to finish over 1500m last time to win by 3,5 lengths and make it two wins and one unlucky loss from three career starts. However, the handicapper believes she still has a bit to prove as she was given a seven point raise as opposed to the maximum eight. She looks classy and has a good draw. She might face a threat from the Mike de Kock trained Al Hawraa, who had no luck in her last start. When it did pan out well for her in the Gr 2 Gauteng Fillies Guineas she ran on strongly for a 2,6 length second and was a touch unlucky as she became cramped for room halfway down the straight. She has to give Simply Royal 4kg tomorrow and has a tough draw, but she does strike as one with scope for further improvement. Banking April has proved consistent over 1800m, but as a handy type who stays on resolutely her plum draw of two coupled with the nature of the Inside Track will play into hands even over this shorter trip as she will not be easy to overtake in the dash for home from the elbow. Last year’s Gauteng Fillies Guineas winner Heaps Of Fun has landed a good draw of three and has dropped to an attractive merit rating, but Tarry’s first call rider S’Manga Khumalo will be aboard Simply Royal. Shatoosh has always struck as one with some class and is 3,5kg better off with Simply Royal for a 4,6 length beating. Span Die Seile won well last time over this trip and has snuck into the handicap with the minimum weight. She looks to have scope for further improvement and has a fair draw.

The best bet of the day comes in the last race, a MR 71 handicap for fillies and mares over 1200m. The Louis Goosen-trained Shwanky has good pace and a good turn of foot and strikes as one who is yet to show her best. Off a reasonable merit rating and from a good draw she could prove hard to beat.

Sean Tarry (Nkosi Hlophe)

The value bet of the day comes in race eight, a MR 90 handicap for fillies and mares over 1200 metres. She’s A Dragon drops from a sustained feature race campaign into an ordinary handicap off a merit rating which has dropped eleven points since the beginning of the season. Over an ideal trip and from a good draw she could mow them down late. Santiburi is also an interesting runner in this race as she has often over raced in 1400m and 1600m races and her stride seems to shorten in the closing stages. She could well be looking for this drop to a sprint distance. She has a tricky draw but has shown class before and her 84 merit rating is quite attractive.

Purple Diamond will likely be all the rage in the first leg of the PA but is not a certainty to enjoy the step up in trip, so the robust Skiminac could be worth including in exotics as he will relish the step up in trip, is drawn in pole and looks to have plenty of scope.

In the first leg of the Pick 6 Suprise Move has shown signs of class but was given a break after swishing her tail continuously in her second start over 1400m in January. She returns with blinkers on over a step up in trip she will relish on pedigree. Miss Bulsara, a full sister to the Graded winner Bulsara, will be improving being by Silvano and after running on well over 1400m last time will relish this step up in trip.

In the first leg of the Jackpot over 2600m Silken is yet another progressive four-year-old by Silvano. She is a proven stayer and is best in at the weights, so will be hard to beat if producing her best.

The sixth is a Pinnacle Stakes event over 1600 metres and the classy miler Romany Prince is presented with a good opportunity. He is the best weighted male runner here and this is an ideal course and distance. The filly Witchcraft is the best weighted contestant but has not raced for nearly a year and prefers further. The Elmo effect could be an interesting runner as he was a revelation when stepped down from staying trips to 1800m and he is now drawn well over a further step down in trip.

By David Thiselton

Sean Tarry and Keagan de Melo could hold the key to tonight’s Gr2 Betting World 1900. While much of the pre-race interest has been centered on the obvious Vodacom Durban July entrants, notably the Justin Snaith pairing of It’s My Turn and Elusive Silva, Geoff Woodruff’s runners Master Switch and Go Direct while the Glen Kotzen-trained Banner Hill has also attracted attention after his recent victory.

A little under the radar have been Tarry’s July entries Tilbury Fort and Copper Pot but the key runner here could be Serissa. Tarry’s veteran galloper is the only obvious pacemaker in the line-up and with nothing to lose as far as the July is concerned the obvious instruction to De Melo will be to control the pace to suit the other stable runners.

Serissa (Nkosi Hlophe)

It’s probably best to put a line through Tilbury Fort’s run in the SA Classic and concentrate on his previous efforts, which although seemingly nothing special, had shown glimpses to suggest that one write’s off his chances at your peril.

Tilbury Fort has drawn in pole but stable companion Copper Pot’s faces an uphill task from gate 14.

For most a solid gallop would suit, especially the likes of Elusive Silva who finished with a rattle to win the Sledgehammer from Helderberg Blue. What was more impressive is that this was his first outing in nearly ten months. It was also his first race since gelding and with a handy weight and a plum draw his is likely to start close to the top of the boards.

Ominously, Jubilee Line has hardly garnered a mention in pre-race speculation but with Mike de Kock at the helm and Callan Murray riding with supreme confidence, he too must come into the reckoning.

With many of the runners fighting for a place in the July it is likely to be a rough-and-ready contest and while one can reasonably expect a July entrant to make it into the winner’s enclosure, the list of possible winners is a long one.

The Allowance Plate and the Pinnacle Stakes that follow directly after the Betting World 1900 also have July entries battling for a place. Investec Cape Derby winner Edict Of Nantes is sixth on the July log and since he has not been out since the Derby and carries 61kg, this is possibly a pipe-opener and fellow three-year-olds Bold Viking and Secret Captain could prove better propositions, the latter off 52kg and a plum draw possibly the pick.

Last year’s Vodacom Durban July winner The Conglomerate has been winless since, his best effort coming when runner-up in the Sansui Summer Cup. Off his current merit rating he will come into the July nicely handicapped and Joey Ramsden is likely to have left some meat on the bone and would more than likely be happy with a forward showing. Two that will need a bold effort if they are to come into the reckoning for the July are Nebula and Royal Badge.

By Andrew Harrison

African Night Sky and Bernard Fayd’Herbe should confirm Winter Guineas form with their six rivals in the Highlands Stud Winter Classic at Kenilworth on Sunday despite having to give them all weight.

The gelding has had less racing than any of the opposition and sprang a 10-1 surprise three weeks ago but there was no fluke involved. Indeed he did it the hard way.

BernardFayd’Herbe (Nkosi Hlophe)

Drawn wide, Fayd’Herbe had trouble getting him in and was soon much further back than Our Mate Art who had a dream run throughout. Sunday’s selection had a lot more to do in the straight yet he was able to hit the front 200m out and draw clear to score by a length and a quarter.

He gave the distinct impression that he will stay further and that he is good enough to confirm the placings on a kilo worse terms.

Recent history is on his side. The last three Winter Guineas winners to go on to the Classic all collected. It is in the Winter Derby where the upsets tend to come with many fancied horses failing to stay the much longer trip and proving nothing like so effective in the softer ground.

Big things have long been expected from Our Mate Art and he should again get into the shake-up although it would be no surprise to see Loadshedder prove the biggest danger.

He was ridden fully two and a half furlongs from home three weeks ago and looked as if he was going to be well beaten. But the way he ran on into third suggested that he might well be better over this extra furlong. Andre Nel and his stable jockey are in blistering form.

There has only once been a smaller Winter Classic field in the past 15 years but it is unusual for every runner in the race to have contested the first leg of the Winter Series. The only other horse good enough to win is surely Elevated whose Cape Guineas fourth remains the best of the seven.

He ran way below form last time, soon losing position and dropping towards the rear. True, he made fair progress for a while in the straight but weakened over a furlong from home. Riaan van Reenen is adamant that he wasn’t ready but will be this time.

Verdier (sixth) never really looked like posing a threat while Ollivander (13^th) soon weakened after making some progress two furlongs out. He might well be used as a pacemaker for Our Mate Art.

By Michael Clower