It’s on the cards, or in this instance, it’s in the entry lists for the four Grade 1 races on Tsogo Sun Sprint day at Scottsville on May 27 that this meeting could host one of the most talented and competitive gatherings of speed horses ever seen in the country.

With Scottsville in Pietermartizburg having become known as the Mecca of sprint racing in Africa featuring four Grade 1 sprint events over 1 200m on the same card and making up the four legs of the Jackpot, every one of the four special events have drawn entries loaded with talent.

Always In Charge (Nkosi Hlophe)

The races are the R1-million Tsogo Sun Sprint, the R750 000 South African Fillies Sprint, the R750 000 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion and the R750 000 Allan Robertson Championship and with such talent on show things are likely to be very hot on the challenging 1 200m track.

Top sprinters like Trip To Heaven, Talktothestars, Purple Tractor, Always In Charge, Attenborough, Barbosa, Lord Balmoral and Moofeed are among the 32 entries for the Tsogo Sun Sprint and there are many other talented nominees that could make this a highly contested race where any one of the final entries could win.

The grand dame of sprinting fillies, Carry On Alice, is likely to take her place in the final field for the South African Fillies Sprint along with The Secret Is Out, Green Pepper, Vision To Kill, Live Life, Exquisite Touch, Real Princess, Joan Ranger and Jo’s Bond with the star fillies and mares Bele-Bela, Just Sensual, Dawn Calling and Sail using the race as part of their season preparation programme but talented enough to make their presence felt.

The two-year-old contests are packed with potential future champions with runners like Woljayrine, Sir Frenchie and Varallo, the first three past the post in the Godolphin Barb Stakes matching strides in the Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion with Naafer that was runner up to the sensational Mustaaqeem in the Gauteng Nursery and Sentinel Stakes winner Arianos Bagofgold.

The first four past the post in the Strelitzia, Neptune’s Rain, Made In Hollywood, Gold Image and Princess Peach, could renew their battle in the Allan Robertson Championship and match their talents with the Pretty Polly Stakes and Gauteng Fillies Nursery winner Princess Peach and the Tony Ruffel Stakes winner Daring Diva.

Overall, the number of talented sprinters entered for this famous meeting is awesome and extremely exciting.

By Richard McMillan

Difficult weather conditions over this past week will have put a kink in many a preparation for tomorrow’s Greyville racing but it is still mouth-watering stuff as a host of Vodacom Durban July hopefuls line up.

Because of the inclement weather, the majority of the races have been moved to the poly surface but the three races that count remain on the turf including the G2 Betting World 1900. The race is loaded with July hopefuls who are either warming up or looking to gallop open a place in the July field.

The Justin Snaith trio of It’s My Turn, Prince Of Wales and Elusive Silva are all border-line cases. It’s My Turn and Elusive Silva are 18 and 16 respectively in the current July log while Prince Of Wales is among the five just out of the 20 horses on the log.

Geoff Woodruff saddles Master Switch, currently 20^th on the log, who has shown up well in his two starts this year but is another needing a forward showing.

Ten Gun Salute, a July runner last year, is older and stronger but probably needs to win or finish in the first three to have a chance of making the July field. His last outing in the Drill Hall Stakes is best ignored as he tweaked a back muscle.

Banner Hill has come good this winter, winning a handicap in good fashion, but like Ten Gun Salute will need a win here or in the Cup Trial to enhance his chances of making the July field.

Rocketball has gone off the boil and would be a surprise winner, tomorrow or on July 1. Macduff has been close-up behind Met winner Whisky Baron in the past and could be a surprise package. Tilbury Fort, Copper Pot and Jubilee Line are three others for which this race could be make-or-break although the two former could still have a shot in the Gr1 Daily News 2000.

Some have taken a slightly easier route in the Allowance Plate. Investec Derby winner Edict Of Nantes, sixth on the July log, looks assured of a place and as he has not been out since his Derby win in January, this is a likely warm-up. Not so for Bold Viking and Secret Captain, although both are likely entries for the Gr1 Daily News 2000.

Finally, last year’s Vodacom Durban July winner, The Conglomerate, has been carefully placed by Joey Ramsden and is an interesting runner in the Pinnacle Stakes where other July entries include Nebula and Royal Badge.

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.

Smart Call, the 2016 Met winner, is set to make her re-appearance on the racetrack in the Gr2 Betfred Middleton Stakes over 2050m at York Racecourse in the UK on Thursday.

Jessica Slack’s wonderful five-year-old mare had her initial Breeders’ Cup campaign interrupted when she suffered a muscle injury to her near hind last October and trainer Alec Laird didn’t want to rush her, opting instead for a rest and recovery.

Smart Call was transferred to Sir Michael Stoute’s Newmarket stable early this year and Steven Jell, representing Slack this week, commented: “Sir Michael is a nice, down to earth man. He is happy with the progress Smart Call has made. It’s a small, strong field and the objective is to get her through this race, to see how she goes. She looks good.”

Trainer John Gosden’s lightly raced four-year-old So Mi Dar, who races for Sir Andrew Lloyd-Webber, tops the boards at 1-1, with Stoute’s other runner Queen’s Trust at 9-4. She won last year’s Breeders’ Cup  Filly and Mare Turf for Frankie Dettori, who hops on the Gosden favourite and is replaced by Ryan Moore. Stoute has booked Jim Crowley for Smart Call, who is generally on offer at 12-1.

The Middleton Stakes is off at 3.55pm, SA time.

– Turf Talk

Picture: Liesl King

High-flying Highveld trainer Geoff Woodruff has two runners in Friday night’s Betting World 1900 on the Greyville turf, the geldings Master Switch and Go Deputy.

Unlike the KZN-based horses, whose programs have been affected by the heavy rains over the last week, they have not missed any work as they have been prepared for the race at Randjesfontein. However, Woodruff admitted to being concerned by their wide draws and the going conditions on the rain affected track.

On the latter point the pair were not bothered by the “very soft” conditions in their last start in a Pinnacle Stakes event over 1800m on Turffontein Standside. Master Switch appeared to have that race in the bag after quickening well from the back of the field. However, Go Direct then came flying out of the pack to nab him on the line.

Woodruff said about Go Direct, “He is just a lovely little horse who is very honest. I told Marco (Van Rensburg) to wait with him for as long as possible. He was never out of his ground.”

At first sight it appeared Go Direct had needed every inch of the long Turffontein straight, but bearing Woodruff’s clarifying comment in mind he should have no problem with the short Greyville straight.

However, Woodruff admitted he would need luck in running from draw 13. He is only 1kg worse off with Master Switch for the neck beating and has clearly come into his own in the typical fashion of a Go Deputy four-year-old. Van Rensburg retains the ride.

Woodruff said Go Direct had not been a Vodacom Durban July consideration before that last win, but were he to win tomorrow night he would be supplemented for the big race.

Master Switch has run twice at Greyville before. He was backed into 7/1 third favourite for last season’s 1900 and ran a touch disappointingly, finishing a 4,7 length seventh. He stayed on at one pace from a good draw that night. Then on July day he missed the break, a rarity for him, in the Gr 3 Delta Airlines 2200. He then over raced at the back of the field, so did well to run on for a 3,6 length fifth. Woodruff believed he would have won the race had he not missed the break.

Chase Maujean had no problem settling Master Switch in that last start at Turffontein, which augurs well for the horse tomorrow night. Anton Marcus is now aboard the Mayfair Speculators-owned five-year-old Jet Master gelding and might well opt to drop him out from his draw of nine, because with the front-running Serissa in the field there should be a decent pace.

Woodruff confirmed Master Switch had improved in the last 12 months. The pair were being transported down to KZN on Wednesday. Woodruff has boxes at Summerveld for the Champions Season, but will raid for his campaigners’ first runs and then keep them at Summerveld from then onwards.

Master Switch is the 1900 second favourite at 7/2 with the sponsor and Go Direct is at 16/1. Master Switch was in 20^th place on the first July log, so will need a big run to book his place. He is currently a 35/1 shot for the July.

Woodruff has just come off another big race win on the Highveld, landing the R4 million Premier’s Champions Challenge with Deo Juvente, who started the race at 25/1 and upset the Equus Horse Of The Year Legal Eagle. That saw Deo Juvente being put in number one spot on the July log and he is also now the joint highest rated entry on 115. Woodruff said Deo Juvente had come out of the race “very well.” However, he will have a tough task carrying topweight in the July and Betting World currently have him at 33/1.

David Thiselton 

The Glen Kotzen-trained Banner Hill has become a Vodacom Durban July dark horse since winning his SA Champions Season pipe opener over 1800m on the Greyville turf in impressive style on April 9.

The four-year-old Maine Chance Farms-bred Tiger Hill gelding will attempt to qualify for the big race on Friday night at Greyville, where he runs in the Gr 2 Betting World 1900.

Kotzen said, “He had always been our Gold Cup horse. But, when he won that 1800m race we opted for the July route. He now just has to run a cracker from a wide draw on Friday night. He is absolutely flying at home. He likes to run fresh, so we have given him a breather since that last win.”

The latter point might give him an edge, because the big rains over the last week have prevented any KZN horses from doing full work. Furthermore, the likely soft conditions tomorrow night will make the race more testing, which will play into his hands as he is a versatile type who has won from 1600m up to 3200m. Lastly, that 1800m win at Greyville was in “very soft” going, so he will enjoy the going conditions.

Banner Hill’s win on April 9 was his first outing since winning the Gr 3 Chairmans Cup over 3200m at Kenilworth. He raced off a 93 merit rating in the MR 93 1800m-handicap, meaning he had to carry topweight of 60kg. The long-striding bay went handy from draw five and was suited by a good pace. This allowed him to turn it on impressively at the top of the straight and from there on in he stayed on resolutely to win by 2,75 lengths.

Banner Hill has been raised to a 99 merit rating and faces a considerably stronger field tomorrow night. He did not feature in the first July log, so will need a big run. He jumps from draw 15 of 15, but a big plus point is that the world class Richard Fourie remains aboard. He will need a strong pace and could be vulnerable to horses which quicken well. However, he will be staying all the way to the line.

Banner Hill’s sire Tiger Hill stands in Germany at Gestüt Fährhof, owned by Andreas Jacobs, who owns Maine Chance Farms in South Africa. This Danehill stallion won three Grade 1s between one mile two furlongs (2000m) and one mile four furlongs (2400m) in the late 1990s. In 1998 he finished a one length third in the Prix de l’Arc de  Triomphe and the following year finished fifth in that elite event. As a sire Tiger Hill has produced the like of Rewilding, whose two Gr 1 wins include the Dubai Sheema Classic over a mile and four furlongs and Royal Ascot’s Prince Of Wales Stakes over a mile and two furlongs. Rewilding also finished third in the Investec Epsom Derby.

Kotzen secured Banner Hill for R200,000 at the CTS Premier Yearling Sale in 2014.

Banner Hill was an August 1 foal but started his career late, in the December of his three-year-old year, for two reasons. He injured himself one day after breaking loose and he is also a late maturing type. Kotzen confirmed Banner Hill was currently improving “month by month.”

Betting World are taking little chance with Banner Hill and have priced him up at 8/1 for the 1900 and 55/1 for the July.

David Thiselton