Ten Gun Salute, amongst the fancied runners for last year’s Vodacom Durban July but in the doldrums since, burst onto the scene for this year’s edition with a scintillating performance in the Gr2 Betting World 1900 at Greyville on Friday night. Re-united with Muzi Yeni at the insistence of owner Heinrich Kuhn, the Duncan Howells-trained Ten Gun Salute blew away a high-class field that included current July ante-post favourite Elusive Silva.

Quoted at 80-1 before Friday, Track & Ball cut him to a still fairly generous 25-1 yesterday with Elusive Silva drifting to 10-1 and Marinaresco and Al Sahem firming slightly to 13-2, pretty skinny odds with five weeks still to the big race.

But it was touch-and-go whether Ten Gun Salute took his place in Friday’s line-up. “Two weeks ago he was a doubtful starter,” said Howells. “He pulled a back muscle in the Drill Hall Stakes and didn’t work for three or four days. “I had the physio work on him – Beth Shaw did a fantastic job – and then we worked him twice a day for the last week.”

“I was still in two minds but I trotted him out yesterday (Thursday) morning and he was sound so I thought, ‘what the hell’ and we took our chances.”

It proved an inspired decision. Racing well of the pace and wide for much of the early exchanges, Ten Gun Salute had two behind him turning for home. But Yeni set him alight as the field swung for home and the response was instant. Ten Gun quickly got the measure of the opposition in spite of drifting in and won in exceptional fashion.

“We always thought he was a good horse and he showed me what he is made of,” said Yeni. “I turned for home and got there a bit quicker than I wanted to. The pace was not genuine – it was quite slow –  and I was sitting three wide at one stage. His turn of foot was amazing.”

“We always thought highly of him. At least I know how to ride him now. Last year (in the July) I had him a little too close. If he gives the same type of finish he is a massive runner.”

As expected, Serissa set the pace for stable companion Tilbury Fort and it all worked out nicely for them except that Ten Gun Salute left Tilbury Fort for dead at the top of the straight. Tilbury Fort, always handy, stayed on for second while It’s My Turn was plugging on gamely in third. Mr Winsome also ran on well from behind for third while race favourite, Elusive Silva, turned for home ahead of Ten Gun but was blown away.

The 1900 was the only race run on the turf following torrential rains the previous week with the balance of the 10-race card switched to the poly track to avoid excessive damage to the turf surface.

Johan Janse van Vuuren has a small string based at Ashburton and Crowd Pleaser made all the running to win the Allowance Plate over 1800m. He was never really pressured and got home comfortably under Warren Kennedy. Investec Derby winner Edict Of Nantes, giving the winner 6kg, was doing his best work late, in a smart warm-up for the Gr1 Daily News 2000, impressing bookmakers who cut his odds to 11-1.

Favourite Secret Captain was one-paced throughout in a disappointing showing and there must now be doubts about his ability to stay further than a “mile” at this stage of his career. Howells, his voice but a rasping whisper after Friday’s urgings, said yesterday that he did not know what to make of the run. “He was staying on but didn’t quicken. He’s still immature and I think he will be a better horse next year.”

But as far as bookmakers were concerned, Nebula put up the best performance of the evening. A record priced yearling in his day, he has some way to go before recouping his R3,75 million purchase price but quickened smartly to land the Pinnacles Stakes over 1600m. “I thought it was a good effort,” said Peter Muscutt, assistant to Brett Crawford. “He took a heavy fall at his last start and it’s good to see that he has not lost his confidence.”

On Friday morning Nebula was on offer at 66-1 in the July ante-post market and Track & Ball slashed his odds to 16-1 come midnight.

Last year’s July winner The Conglomerate, raced handy throughout but was never in the hunt for the winner’s cheque as Anton Marcus nursed him home under a few back-handers. An each-way nibble at 33-1 may not be a sign of madness.

At Scottsville on Saturday, biggest upset of the day came in the opening leg of the Place Accumulator as rank outsider The Dazzler lived up to his name for owner/trainer and Winning Ways presenter James Goodman. Paying over R50 on the tote and having his first outing, The Dazzler showed an excellent turn of foot under replacement rider Keagan de Melo, who didn’t have to raise his crop in anger.

“I thought he was decent but we were taking on a strong field,” said Goodman. “We were up against winners and I thought third or fourth would be a good effort.”

It was more than just a good effort, and with a pedigree that suggests a ‘mile and further’ The Dazzler is one for the notebook.

Andrew Harrison

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