MIKE de Kock said that Janoobi had “booked his spot to Dubai” following his win in Sunday’s Gr2 Daisy Guineas (Gr2) by 1,75-lengths after spending almost the entire race fighting jockey Piere Strydom.

From what we’ve seen of Janoobi this season, he was bound to be perfectly suited to the mile at Greyville. He’d run fourth to William Longsword in the CTS Mile and then defeated promising Al Sahem in the Gr2 Guineas over the tough Turffontein mile, leading from gun to tape.

Janoobi (JC Photographics)

“When he drew one and considering his form we knew this would be an ideal race for him,” Mike commented on Monday.

Strydom said the same after he’d won the race and conveyed his thanks for being kept on the colt – though this was a ride in which the veteran really had to earn his fees.

“Janoobi just pulled himself to the front and after a while his mouth went hard, he wouldn’t stop pulling so I let him go a bit to get clear in the straight. I thought he wouldn’t keep going after pulling so hard, but he kept giving more,” Strydom said.

On the video replay, ‘Striker’ seems more in control than he admitted to have been – in fact it looks like a typical Strydom front-running ride and Janoobi responds again when shown the whip for the first  time at the 100-mark.

Race in the bag, all the same, and Mike said that the Gr1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge at Greyville was the only possible race left for Janoobi to contest.

Janoobi rounded off a wonderful weekend for Sheikh Hamdan of Dubai following his two Gr1 wins at Turffontein on Champions Day.

Janoobi was a R1,2 million Cape Premier Yearling Sale Book 1 graduate. He has won 5 races with 2 places from 11 starts for stakes of R1 982 500.

Bred by Maine Chance Farms, he is by Silvano out of the well related unraced Rakeen mare, Shasta Daisy.

–  mikedekockracing.com

It most often pays to follow form stables and form riders and Jubilee Line fits nicely into that category when he is due to line up in the sixth at The Vaal tomorrow. Jubilee Line comes from the very much in form Mike de Kock yard and stable rider Callan Murray will be bubbling with confidence after riding a Gr1 treble at Turffontein on Saturday.

Mike De Kock (Nkosi Hlophe)

Jubilee Line was an early nomination for the Vodacom Durban July last year but didn’t quite match up to expectations. However, he was good enough to run the more than useful Judicial to a length before running out of gas and reportedly coughing in the Gr3 Jubilee Handicap.

He has been lightly raced since, this being only his third start this year, and is now over what looks to be his optimum trip.

Hamaan had his July ticket withdrawn by Sean Tarry at first acceptance on Monday after being beaten by the solid galloper Yer Maan last time out. The veteran is in opposition again tomorrow but is now 2kg worse off at the weights. Craig Zackey has switched mounts from Yer Maan to debutante winner Glider Pilot who landed something of a betting coup when backed in from 40-1 to 10-1. He may be worth following again.

Roy Magner’s filly Levi Lady looks generously handicapped in the Book A Table Handicap as she gets weight from both Louis Goosen runners, Effortless Reward and Gratuity and that could make all the difference between three runners that are dab hands over this Vaal short cut.

Flying Russian looks capable of breaking his duck in the opening leg of the Pick 6 but he has had a few tries so the lightly raced Nordic Rebel and Soldat could prove valuable back-ups.

Sassi Model has improved with every run and looks primed for the TAB Maiden Plate after her close-up second last time out while Front Club gets blinkers for the first time but reports of a respiratory noise in all three starts is of concern.

Oracle Of Delphi gets blinkers and a major drop in class for the Computaform Express Handicap and Seventh Of June impressed when shedding his maiden, being sent over seven furlongs for the first time. He should stay the extra but it is not a race to go light in.

By Andrew Harrison

An exciting Argentinean-bred three-year-old colt, that boasts three wins from his first four starts including two Grade 1 events, has been nominated by top trainer Mike Azzie for the Vodacom Durban July.

Mike Azzie (Nkosi Hlophe)

Hat Putano, by the Japanese sire Hat Trick – a grandson of Sunday Silence – out of the Bernstein mare Stormy Pursuer, is owned by Drakenstein Stud in partnership with Mr Jaime and Mrs Mariza Vilela, and has an outstanding Argentinean race record where he earned a merit rating of 112.

After winning his debut by 16 lengths, as a two-year-old he won the Grade 1 Gran Premio Gran Criterium over a mile in his second start. He was unplaced in his next race, another Grade 1 event, and in his only start as a three-year-old he won the Grade 1 Gran Premio Clasico Dos Mil Guineas.

Mike Azzie said the colt would have his first local race in a Progress Plate on the Highveld on May 28 after which it was hoped the handicappers would make a new assessment of him. “They have rated him a 113 and it will depend on how they treat him whether I will run him in the Vodacom Durban July.

“Fortunately, I have good owners and I am not going to go through what I did last year with Abashiri and run him with a weight of 57,5kg against the local classic winners that are set to carry a lot less.”

Azzie said he would make a decision when the weights are announced and he may take him out and run him in the Champions Cup at the end of the season and then in the two big races in the Cape.

The colt was the only horse supplemented into the Vodacom Durban July

The Michael Azzie trained dual Grade 1 winner, Hat Puntano (ARG), was an interesting supplementary entry this morning for the 2017 Vodacom Durban July bringing to 47 the number of horses still in contention for the big race on 1 July 2017.

The first VDJ Log has been issued by Gold Circle and serves as a clear indication as to who would be in the field if the race was run tomorrow. “We have not considered Hat Puntano at this stage as he has yet to win beyond 1600 metres and has not been seen in action since July 2016,” said Gold Circle Racing Executive Raf Sheik. “Hopefully he will make his South African debut in the near future,” he added.

The top six spots on the VDJ Log are occupied by horses who have won automatic qualifying races this season. Marinaresco and Captain America, at 7 and 8, lead the way amongst the balance but there is a long way to go yet and those on the outside looking in still have plenty of opportunities to qualify.

The VDJ LOG as at 14:00 on Tuesday 9 May 2017:-

2017 Vodacom Durban July ante-post betting guide [as at May 9 13:30]:

11/2 Marinaresco; 8/1 Al Sahem; 9/1 Elusive Silva; 13/1 Black Arthur; 14/1 Heavenly Blue; 15/1 Horizon, Saratoga Dancer; 18/1 Edict Of Nantes, Zodiac Ruler, Its My Turn, Deo Juvente, Pagoda, Copper Force, Africa Rising; 20/1 Bela-Bela; 25/1 Captain America; 28/1 Secret Captain, Brazuca; 30/1 Prince Of Wales; 33/1 Orchid Island, French Navy; 35/1 Krambambuli, Nightingale; 40/1 Banner Hill, Master Sabina, Master Switch, The Conglomerate; 50/1 Nebula; 66/1 Bi Pot, Liege, Ten Gun Salute; 80/1 Trophy Wife, Witchcraft, Smiling Blue Eyes, Safe Harbour, Silver Mountain; 100/1 Girl On The Run; 150/1 Bold Viking; 200/1 Jubilee Line, Macduff, Tilbury Fort; 250/1 Royal Badge, Copper Pot; 300/1 Rocketball, Fort Meyers, The Elmo Effect;

Odds courtesy of www.trackandball.co.za and subject to changeImportant Vodacom Durban July dates to diarise:

• Second Declaration: Close 11:00 Monday, 29 May 2017
• Final Supplementary 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

The brilliant four-year-old Tiger Ridge filly Nother Russia, that was beaten about a head in the thrilling finish to the Grade 1 Premier’s Champion Challenge at Turffontein on Saturday, has been withdrawn from the Grade 1 Vodacom Durban July.

Nother Russia (JC Photographics)

The Mike de Kock stable inmate ran a fantastic race fighting out the finish with favourite Legal Eagle before outsider Deo Juvente from the Geoff Woodruff stable forced his way between them to snatch the victory by a whisker.

The filly was among the 12 horses withdrawn from Africa’s Greatest Horse Race at the first declaration stage with the withdrawals including Samurai Blade and Mac De Lago that contested the event last year.

Betting on the race was suspended for bookmakers to reassess the field but after his brilliant win in the Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes at Greyville on Sunday the top Cape contender Marinaresco is likely to have his previous odds of 9-1 shortened considerably when it re-opens.

The first supplementary entries close at 11am on Tuesday with the second declaration stage being Monday, May 29.

By Richard McMillan