Vodacom Durban July watchers will be on tenterhooks throughout this week in the build up to one of the most important pointers to the big race, the Betting World 1900, which will be run on Friday night at Greyville.

The 1900 is one of the Champions Season D-Days for horses who are on the borderline of July qualification.

It’s My Turn (Liesl King)

Justin Snaith has the topweight It’s My Turn, who finished fourth in the July last year. However, he was only in 18^th place on the first July log, so will need to run a big race either here or in another qualifier like the Cup Trial. Snaith’s other 1900 pair, Elusive Silva and Prince of Wales, put in excellent SA Champions Season pipe openers in the Listed Sledgehammer handicap over 1800m. Elusive Silva showed showed a magnificent turn of foot to win easing up and is now joint-second on the July boards at 8/1. He only has a 99 merit rating, but was in 16^th place on the July log. The winner of the 1900 can only get a maximum of a six point merit rated raise, so he looks likely to be one of the best weighted horses in the July. Prince Of Wales gave Elusive Silva 3kg in the Sledgehammer and ran on strongly to be beaten only two lengths. Snaith said he had come on tremendously for the run, so he still represents good July value at 33/1. Prince Of Wales and Elusive Silva have landed plum draws on Friday night.

Last year’s July-winning trainer Joey Ramsden has a fascinating runner in Macduff. He is merit rated only 89 and finished way back in the Sun Met, but he had some good 1800m form behind Whisky Baron before that. He won his only previous start at Greyville. That was in the Listed Darley Arabian over 1600m on the poly, where he showed a good turn of foot, He is as effective on turf and has a plum draw on Friday night.

National Champion trainer Sean Tarry runs the tough old front-running veteran Serissa, who should ensure a decent pace. He also runs five-year-old Hyaku and the three-year-olds Tilbury Fort and Copper Pot. Copper Pot has a good turn of foot, but has been found wanting in features to date. Tilbury Fort finished a good 2,8 length third in the Gauteng Guineas, but was way back in the Gr 1 SA Classic, where he might not have enjoyed the going, as he should stay the 1900m trip.

Mr Winsome (Nkosi Hlophe)

Geoff Woodruff’s Master Switch has come into his own this season, so should do better in this race than he did last year. His stablemate Go Direct has also come into his own in the typical manner of a four-year-old by Go Deputy and is a dark horse. Both of Woodruff runners have wide draws.

Three-time July-winning trainer Dean Kannemeyer runs Mr Winsome, who is a typically improving son of Silvano, but must prove he is as good against out of province horses as he is against the locals.

Gavin van Zyl runs the long-striding but continually disappointing Rocketball. He has dropped to a 95 merit rating and showed some signs of revival last time.

Four-time July-winning trainer Mike de Kock runs Jubilee Line, who is yet to live up to the regard he is held in, but ran a good race in a 2000m handicap last week.

Duncan Howells runs Ten Gun Salute, who was in last year’s July and has been said to have come on a lot from gelding.

Glen Kotzen runs Banner Hill who proved himself more than just a stayer when easily winning his Champions Season pipe opener over 1800m on the Greyville turf.

By David Thiselton

2017 Vodacom Durban July ante-post betting guide [as at 12:53pm May 15]:

13/2 Marinaresco, Al Sahem; 7/1 Elusive Silva; 14/1 Heavenly Blue; 15/1 Black Arthur, Saratoga Dancer; 16/1 Horizon, Edict Of Nantes; 18/1 Its My Turn; 20/1 Pagoda, Hat Puntano #; 25/1 Copper Force, Africa Rising, Captain America, Krambambuli, Zodiac Ruler; 28/1 Brazuca, The Conglomerate, Deo Juvente; 33/1 Prince Of Wales, French Navy, Master Switch; 35/1 Bela-Bela, Master Sabina, Nightingale; 40/1 Orchid Island, Secret Captain; 50/1 Liege, Banner Hill; 66/1 Nebula; 80/1 Ten Gun Salute, Bi Pot, Silver Mountain; 100/1 Safe Harbour, Witchcraft, Girl On The Run, Smiling Blue Eyes, Trophy Wife; 150/1 Jubilee Line, Tilbury Fort, Macduff, Bold Viking; 250/1 Royal Badge, Copper Pot; 300/1 The Elmo Effect, Rocketball, Fort Meyers.

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

Aldo Domeyer, forced to call off his rides at Kenilworth yesterday because of problems with his back, will see a neurosurgeon today.

Aldo-Domeyer

He said: “It’s the old injury in my back, it keeps niggling me and it feels too bad for me to ride. I went to hospital on Friday and they suggested cortisone but I know that is not going to fix the problem. I told them that I would go to a specialist but unfortunately he could not see me until Monday.”

Daisy Fillies Guineas winner Gimme Six will return to Greyville for the Woolavington on June 3 and Jono Snaith reports that Turbulent Air will join Winter Guineas winner African Night Sky (Bernard Fayd’Herbe) in a two-pronged challenge for the Highlands Stud Winter Classic at Kenilworth on Sunday.

The closing date for entries for the Cape Of Good Hope Nursery and the Kenilworth Fillies Nursery, both on May 27, has been held over until this morning. There were only ten nominations for the former on Friday and just seven for the fillies race.

The virus that hit a number of Joey Ramsden’s horses appears to have spread to Vaughan Marshall’s stable. Marshall scratched all nine of yesterday’s Kenilworth runners.

By Michael Clower

Turffontein Standside track stages the final leg of the Workriders Challenge tomorrow and this meeting always produces plenty of excitement as the riders vie for the title and the R50,000 main prize.

However, the quality of the horses on the day are not out of the top drawer and all eight races are maidens.

Sam Mosia

In the first leg of the PA over 1160m, Bono returns from a layoff since January but has the reigning champion workrider Sam Mosia up and has the form to win the race. Singaswewin and Bravo Zulu are the other pair who could be in the winner’s enclosure. Singaswewin ran an improved race last time and was finishing well. Bravo Zulu is only a two-year-old, but has faced some good opposition without being disgraced and the blinkers have been dispensed with after he failed with them on last time. Francis Semela, who won the second leg of this season’s Challenge, is aboard Bravo Zulu, while Singaswewin has the in form Goodman Dadamisi aboard. Dadamisi has won on five of his last eleven rides. He does not have the best rides on the day, but is a rider who is always worth following as he has a fine pair of hands as well as balance and horses run for him.

In the second leg of the PA and first leg of the Pick 6, Semela can post a win on Gotoluvher, who has the form to beat Playing Games and Fictitious.

The next race is over 2000m and pace judgement will be of particular importance. Two good, experienced riders, Charles Ndlovu and Sam Mosia, are aboard the two form horses, Subtle Force and Half A Bar respectively. Subtle Force makes more appeal as he is likely looking for this trip. Yes Dear’s rider Sebelo Siphika is not In line for the title, but he did finish second on her over 2600m in April, so this horse also has a chance.

The fifth race is competitive, but Ohio makes most appeal being by Ideal World and now stepping up to 2000m. His rider Siyabonga Mthembu had a win and two seconds in the second leg of the Challenge. Golden Gate Bridge was staying on over shorter last time and is an interesting runner with Dadamisi aboard. Houston Rocket, Zingana and Ali Bon Dubai all have winning chances too.

The sixth race is a weak event over 1400m and the superbly bred Lainsberg Blue has a chance to make amends for his losing debut, where he went off at 8/10. He is by Dynasty and is a half-brother to Trip To Heaven and the good rider Joe Gwingwizha is aboard from a good draw of three. He showed good gatespeed on debut and has a nice stride, but was overtaken in the closing stages and might appreciate the step up in trip.

In the seventh over 1400m Lady Lucinda ran a fair race last time from a wide draw over 1450m and now has a good draw. She has a long stride and champion workrider Sam Mosia should position her well. It is an open race, but Grey’s Delight makes most appeal of the rest.

In the eighth race over 1000m Phillydelphia has good gatespeed and pace and was tried in the Gr 2 SA Fillies Nursery last time. She was outclassed there but back in a maiden could keep an uninspiring field at bay. Music Maker makes most appeal of the older horses here as she has shown some ability.

By David Thiselton

Johan Janse van Vuuren, who currently has a small raiding string based at Ashburton, takes to the Greyville poly track on Sunday where his runners have realistic chances in all six of their races and a straight-line Pick 6, while unlikely, is not beyond the realms of possibility.

Crowd Pleaser in the Pick 6 opener is a progressive three-year-old who is no stranger to the Greyville poly as both of his victories have come on the synthetic surface. Back in January she simply ‘smoked’ home, leading all the way over the 1900m.

Anton Marcus (Nkosi Hlophe)

Crowd Pleaser was wacked eight pounds for that win which will make things a touch more difficult this time around against some more seasoned opposition but he has a poly master in Anton Marcus up and he could prove difficult to peg back.

Marcus will be aboard another Van Vuuren runner in Gasoline in the fourth who caught the eye when finding some interference in his last start at the Vaal before finishing second. Older horses tend to take to the poly and on that showing he could have the measure of Keep On Chooglin, going this trip for the first time, and confirmed poly specialist, the Brian Wiid-trained Racing Socks.

Marcus has forsaken the ride on the speedy Vine Street Star and a possible hat-trick of wins for the Mayfair Speculators filly to partner The Thinker for Van Vuuren. If his sequence of win, lose, win continues, he is due another victory although his merit rating is also on the rise. Bonnie Dawn from the visiting Louis Goosen yard, and Vine Street Star are obvious dangers.

Cathedral County hunts a winning hat-trick for Van Vuuren in the Track & Ball Gaming Handicap after scoring two effortless wins at the Vaal. Of concern is that he was reported to be coughing after both of those wins and they won’t be taking any prisoners when it comes to pace in this five-furlong dash with the filly Go With Flo under a postage stamp and the highly rated La Ferrari not short of early toe.

Another Van Vuuren runner, Doosra, has lost his way a little since beating the likes of Heavenly Blue and Daffiq early last season but although well beaten into second last time out, blinkers appear to have improved him a little. He will need to find his best form if he is to get the better of the smart and lightly weighted Palladium.

Cedrus Libani is the last of the Van Vuuren runners in the Jackpot Quick Mix Handicap where he will be up against it from a tricky draw in a field packed with possibilities. Top weight Breakfast Club is finally showing his true colours, winning both recent starts over course and distance, while Yankeedoodledandy, Archilles, King Django and Restless Rogue head a long list of possible winners.

By Andrew Harrison

Tevez is a logical choice for the Royal Horse Pinnacle Stakes at Kenilworth on Sunday but watch out for rising star Kingston Passage.

Tevez (Liesl King)

Greg Cheyne’s mount carries the Whisky Baron colours and has won the last three of his four starts, most recently going straight to the front and killing off the opposition shortly after halfway – and the time was good.

“It’s a big ask at the weights,” says Brett Crawford. “But it is going to be an interesting race and it should tell us exactly what he is capable of.”

True, the Western Winter gelding faces a formidable task against a horse who only two races back was beaten less than two lengths when fifth in the Cape Flying Championship. Even after going up eight points for his last win, Kingston is a full 6kg worse with Tevez than he would be in a handicap.

But he is not the only horse Aldo Domeyer has to worry about because La Favourari beat him off when he appeared to come at him with the race in the bag over a furlong further in a similar event three weeks ago. The four-year-old is on a hat-trick and clearly improving – “He is still doing well and there is no reason why he shouldn’t run another nice race,” says Andre Nel.

Lineker (Nkosi Hlophe)

But Tevez should surely reverse the form with a run under his belt and a 3kg turnaround in the weights. “He always runs a good race and he won’t need it this time,” points out Candice Bass-Robinson.

It looks between the three even though Vincente passed the post only a length and a half behind Kingston Passage five weeks ago and is now 4kg better.

Weights and recent form point to Silvan Star in the Equine Online Pinnacle even though it is debatable whether she deserved to go up as much as 2.5kg for last time’s neck win.

Top weight Milton seldom runs a bad race but he was most disappointing when favourite for a 1 400m Pinnacle at the beginning of last month and it is significant that Billy Prestage is putting him back over this longer trip.

Lineker would have strong claims if Greg Cheyne can get him away on terms but the Snaith four-year-old lost four lengths coming out of the pens in his last race and six lengths the previous time. Little wonder that Bernard Fayd’Herbe has switched to It Is Written.

Excellent looked unlucky when favourite three weeks ago and could be worth another chance in the Epol Handicap.

By Michael Clower