The build up to the 2017 Vodacom Durban July has begun and among the 58 entries, who will either be preparing for battle or fighting for a place in the field on July 1, are no fewer than 14 individual Gr 1 winners.

There is unlikely to be a repeat of last year’s weights anomaly, which saw all but five of the eventual 18 runners competing under sufferance.

The Joey Ramsden-trained The Conglomerate will thus have an outstanding chance of defending his crown. If the race was run tomorrow he would carry the same weight as last year, 55,5kg.

The nominations are  headed by the Brett Crawford-trained Sun Met third-placed Captain America, who has developed into a highly effective front runner. Captain America’s 116 merit rating is one higher than the Candice Bass-Robinson-trained Marinaresco’s. The latter finished a flying second last year before winning the Gr 1 Champions Cup over 1800m at Greyville.

National champion trainer Sean Tarry has the most entries, 16, and among them is last year’s topweight French Navy. This five-year-old is now merit rated 113 and can match it with the best when at his absolute peak. Tarry has nine three-year-olds among his entries and the best candidate could well be Al Sahem, an inexperienced Silvano colt who was runner up in both the Gr 2 Gauteng Guineas and Gr 1 SA Classic.

Bela-Bela with Anthony Delpech up (Nkosi Hlophe)

Justin Snaith’s nine entries include the dual Gr 1-winning champion filly Bela-Bela as well as last year’s July fourth-placed It’s My Turn and also the talented Black Arthur. His four-year-old Dynasty gelding Prince Of Wales has been especially laid out for this KZN campaign and is one who could emerge from the blue.

Bass-Robinson has two Gr 1-winning fillies among her four entries, Nightingale and Silver Mountain, and the former makes more appeal over this trip. Her expensively bought three-year-old Horizon could also develop into a July horse.

Brett Crawford’s three entries include the Gr 1 Investec Cape Derby winner Edict Of Nantes.

Mike de Kock has five entrants and it would be no surprise to see him win his fifth July with the progressive Gr 1 SA Classic winner, Heavenly Blue. His Gr 1 SA Fillies Classic winner Orchid Island could also make her presence felt.

Geoff Woodruff has a strong entry of five. They include the twice Gr 1 Gauteng Sansui Summer Cup winner Master Sabina and the promising three-year-old gelding Pagoda. His other three entries Deo Juvente, Master Switch and Bi Pot have all been Gr 1 placed.

Former KZN champion trainer Duncan Howells’ four entries include last year’s fifth-placed Saratoga Dancer as well as Ten Gun Salute, who is a dark horse as he has reportedly been a different horse since gelding.

There are only two other KZN horses, the talented Gareth van Zyl-trained Celtic Captain, and the Gavin van Zyl-trained Gr 1 SA Derby runner up Rocketball, who continues to disappoint considering his massive stride.

Johan Janse van Vuuren has entered Brazuca, who was an impressive winner of the Gr 2 Colorado King Stakes over 2000m at Turffontein last time out.

Stanley Ferreira has entered the classy Gr 1-winning filly Juxtapose, who won two legs of last season’s SA Triple Tiara.

Weiho Marwing has entered last year’s July third-placed Mac De Lago. However, this Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge winner has had a disappointing season.

The first supplementary stage is on May 9.

It was also announced on Thursday that Gold Circle have joined forces with Prosport International to stage a “festival of racing” on the last weekend of the SA Champions Season. This extravaganza will have nine races on the Saturday, including the Gr 1 Champions Cup, and ten races on the Sunday, including the e Lan Gold Cup.

David Thiselton

Made In Hollywood can show that last time’s six-length romp was no fluke by winning the Place Your Bets Juvenile Plate at Kenilworth on Saturday,

The Joey Ramsden filly led two furlongs out on Prix du Cap day and came right away to win in a common canter with Anton Marcus declaring: “She gave me a very smart feel.” True, the form has only been franked by fourth-placed Favola while the runner-up, fifth and seventh have all been well beaten since.

Joey Ramsden (Nkosi Hlophe)

But this R450 000 buy gave the impression of serious potential and she should be able to beat the other four previous winners in Saturday’s field. The Somerset-bound Dutch Philip would have run last week had the race not been scrapped and he was good enough to take third in the Met-day Listed race when starting a hot favourite.

Only two subsequent winners have come out of that 14-strong field but this is a smart colt. So too is Zodiac Jack who has a five-length win to his credit and should be forgiven last time’s odds-on defeat as he was found to be incubating an infection.

This race would have been scuppered for the second week running had not Ramsden put three in it. His juveniles are strong this season and it’s worth bearing in mind that Speedpoint had a bit in hand when springing an 11-1 surprise in a field of 16 that had subsequent winner Pen-Chan three lengths back third.

The stable’s third string Rose In Bloom is more difficult to fancy. She started odds-on last month but had to stretch to hold off Casual Diamond and has more on her plate here.

Ramsden introduces the R650 000 Var filly Ice Queen, whose dam is a sister to Mother Russia, in the first but riding arrangements point to stable companion Fours A Crowd who led on debut but weakened in the final 200m to take fourth to surprise winner Raya Baya.

However the debut form of Angel’s Trumpet suggests that the Snaith filly may prove the stronger. She had Merysagos, Delia’s Delight, Dragonair and Heart Of Legend well behind on her debut third to Regal Ruby and last Saturday’s winner Lily Theresa in a field of 18. But it’s worth noting that Heart Of Legend lost a fair bit of ground at the start that day.

BLOB All three of Michael Clower’s selections won last Saturday including Pen-Chan at 4-1.

By Michael Clower

Nicklaus has cost himself victory in the boardroom on more than one occasion and Duncan Howells will be looking for a change of fortune for his runner in the sixth at Greyville on Friday evening.

Nicklaus (Nkosi Hlophe)

Thirtytwo Squadron was the steward’s beneficiary four runs back and then it was the turn of Last Tiger who took the slightest of nudges but enough to convince the stewards that Nicklaus was at fault.

Keagan de Melo made sure that Nicklaus stayed away from trouble at his next start but Just Ask Me got first run and he was unable to haul him in before the line.

1400m on the Greyville poly is the gelding’s optimum trip and although he takes on a useful field he is due a change of fortune.

The Slade is no stranger to the poly track having shed his maiden on the course before being shipped off to Cape Town for the summer where he contested the Selangor Cup and the Politician Stakes. He was well beaten in both events but was not far off the winners. He strikes as a progressive gelding and Dean Kannemeyer’s runners have an enviable record on the poly track.

Ashton Arries is full value for his 4kg claim and can break a string of runners-up places for We’re Watching You for Michael Roberts and confirm the form behind Icy Spirit. At time of writing, Arries was four winners away from 20 and having his claim reduced to 2.5kg.

By Andrew Harrison

Catch the first entries for the 2017 Vodacom Durban July on Tellytrack DSTV 239 on Thursday, April 13, at 6.55pm.

The Grade 1 R4,25million Vodacom Durban July will be run over 2200m at Greyville racecourse on Saturday July 1.

For event and raceday information visit http://www.vodacomdurbanjuly.co.za OR http://www.championsseason.co.za

The Vaal Inside track has a low key eight race card tomorrow and the exotics could be the way to go. Low draws are favourable by trends in all races on this course.

In the first leg of the PA, the classy Querari colt Wonderwall looks hard to oppose. He has outstanding form, having finished second over 1000m on debut and then following up with a fine second in the R1 million Kuda Sprint over 1200m. He beat Barrack Street by five lengths in the Kuda and the latter has won a Listed and a Gr 3 sprint since returning to the Highveld. However, there are a couple of interesting first-timers in the field. These include the Australian-bred Naaher, who is by Lonhro out of Listed-winning and Gr 1-placed  sprinter.

Piere Strydom

The highest rated race on the card is the sixth, which is an Allowance Plate for fillies and mares over 1800m. The best weighted horse on official merit ratings is American Story. This long-striding galloper is 4,5kg better off with Pennington Sands for a 3,25 length beating last time they met, if apprentice claims are ignored. She has never run badly at the Vaal and as a handy sort carrying only 52kg in a small field she is selected to win over a trip she will relish. Against her is a wide draw. Pennington Sands has a touch of class, and considering her good turn of foot can afford to be dropped out from her wide draw. However, she does have a welter burden to carry. Inaninstant looked to be a horse who would reach the top class at one stage, but she then put in a number of lacklustre efforts. She showed some sign of a return to form last time, so can’t be ignored.

The seventh is an interesting MR 72 Handicap over 2000m. Porcupine Creek overcame a wide draw to win over 1800m last time, having won his maiden over the same trip. He is now drawn in pole position and is off just a two point higher mark, so can go close over a step up in trip he should handle. However, he will likely have his work cut out to keep Hamaan and Stunned at bay. Hamaan proved he was crying out for this sort of trip when running third in the Listed Derby Trial. This is a weaker field and he will likely be doing his best work late as he has a tricky draw to overcome. Stunned was unlucky in the Derby Trial but has some fine form in ordinary handicaps. He is distance suited and is off a still attractive merit rating. Those three could be enough to get punters through the Pick 6.

The most competitive race in the Pick 6 is the fifth race, the third leg. In this MR 79 Handicap over 1700m, the eight-year-old Baracah has been selected to win as he is drawn well over a suitable trip and has come down a couple of points in the merit ratings. He goes well for Piere Strydom, who has ridden him in his last three starts. However, Starret City won well last time in his third run after a rest and can progress further. Bold Viking is another one who can progress further, but Dawn Assault, Kanonkop, Trip To Rio, Cockade and Hieronymus are all capable of winning too.

In the last leg of the Pick 6, Don Christo has come into his own and Gavin Lerena stays aboard, so he can win yet again. However, the blinkers strike Side Show as well as Dragon’s Breath are both talented sorts, if not enigmatic, and have to be included.

By David Thiselton