Twice Vodacom Durban July-winning trainer Justin Snaith has his own personal fancy among his four runners in the big race, but believed it would be unfair to name the horse because of the nature of the race.

“It all depends on how the race pans out and also if the best horse wins he or she would have to be a superstar because the weights are designed to give every one of the 18 horses a chance. If Abashiri won carrying 59kg or Bela-Bela won giving just 1kg to the three-year-olds males, you would have to say, wow superstar! But if the race was run five times in the same day you would probably get five different results.”

Snaith said a couple of weeks back he was not bothered by the pundits who were saying this year’s Vodacom Durban July could not be won by a three-year-old.

He said, “I don’t care if people are saying this is a weak three-year-old crop, because I know my three-year-olds are certainly good enough to win the race.”

Bela-Bela, Black Arthur and It’s My Turn are officially 2kg, 0,5kg and 2,5kg under sufferance respectively at the weights. Snaith had said, “In six months time they won’t have those ratings.” In his opinion the innate ability of all three is better than their merit ratings suggest.

He used the Cape Derby to emphasise the point, “They rated It’s My Turn after his two lengths Cape Derby win only 101, which was a surprise. They didn’t seem to rate the field and there is now a question whether they were right or not.” At the time the general feeling was the Million Dollar race had diluted the strength of the Cape Derby field. However, the form of the Cape Derby has now turned out to be exceptionally strong, with the like of Marinaresco (3rd), Black Arthur (4th) and Liege (9th) among the eight winners which have come out of the race.

Furthermore, whilst the form of both Black Arthur and It’s My Turn is now looking strong, Anthony Delpech has still opted to ride Bela-Bela, which says a lot about how good she must be.

Justin’s father, the former July-winning trainer Chris, digs at his son by saying he is the only trainer in history to have won two Julys without crossing the line in front once. He is referring to Dancer’s Daughter dead-heating in 2008 and Legislate winning the race in the boardroom in 2014.

Justin quipped, “Maybe I can win it and fill some of the places too, that will keep him quiet for a few years!”

Bela-Bela, like Dancer’s Daughter, is a grey filly, and like Legislate, was bred by Cheveley Stud and sired by Dynasty. Both Dancer’s Daughter and Legislate were three-year-olds when winning the July. It’s My Turn is also by Dynasty, whose progeny love Greyville due to their ability to turn it on so quickly.

Anthony Delpech has won three Graded features for Snaith this SA Champions Season, including doing the Canon Guineas and Daisy Fillies Guineas double on Black Arthur and Bela-Bela respectively. The twice South African Champion jockey holds the record of most wins in a South African season, an incredible 334, and is going for a record-breaking fifth July victory.

Delpech spoke highly of Black Arthur after the Canon Guineas. On the same night he called Bela-Bela “special”, but questioned whether she would stay the 2200m July trip.

However, his opinion on her stamina capacity changed emphatically after she had won the Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 easing up. Furthermore, upon climbing off, he described her as being second only to 2011 July-winner Igugu as the best filly he had ever ridden.

Later that day Delpech rode Investec Cape Derby-winner It’s My Turn to an unlucky second in the Gr 1 Daily New 2000. However, Black Arthur would likely have been his choice of the colts if Bela-Bela had not stood her ground.

In his days as stable jockey to Mike de Kock, Delpech seldom got his big race choices wrong and rode three July winners for the great trainer.

Douglas Whyte, an ex-patriot South African who has won the Hong Kong Championship thirteen times, will arrive on the morning of the race. He will be hoping Black Arthur gives him his first July winner.

Richard Fourie who won the big race on Legislate, albeit via the boardroom, is aboard It’s My Turn. He said, ““At Greyville if you have a Dynasty you have a big chance.”

The yard’s other runner Dynamic is also by Dynasty. He has a tougher task than the others as his official merit rating puts him 3kg under sufferance and as a six-year he is obviously more exposed than the three-year-olds. However, he is drawn in pole and his mere participation has made waves as he is the mount of eighteen-year-old apprentice sensation Lyle Hewitson, who joined the professional ranks just over three months ago.

Snaith said he could not have been happier with all of his contenders’ preparations.

He added on the day he looked strong in the last two races and among the few runners he gave chances in those races he mentioned Victoria Lavelle as having been badly weighted in her last race and she was now well weighted, while he said Baritone had been putting in outstanding work.

David Thiselton

Brett Crawford’s stable jockey Corné Orffer does not have a ride in Saturday’s Vodacom Durban July, but was bullish about two of his mounts for the yard on Saturday.

He said about the recent Gr 2 Tibouchina Stakes winner Alexis, “She is doing very, very well.” The small Dynasty filly loves Greyville, having won three of her five races there, but like last year has landed a tough draw of eleven for the Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes. She finished a 4,4 length fifth in the race last year from draw 9.

Her optimum trip is probably 1400m, but she did win last season’s Gr 2 KRA Fillies Guineas in fine style over the Garden Province 1600m course and distance, albeit from a good draw of five. Alexis will be 1kg worse off in weight for age terms with both Silver Mountain and Inara from the Tibouchina for respective 0,15 length and 0,9 length beatings. However, she will be 1kg better off with Sensible Lover despite a 0,65 length beating.

Orffer was particularly bullish about the three-year-old Silvano gelding Nebula, despite him having to jump from a wide draw of 12 in the last race of the meeting, the Listed Daisy Business Solutions Handicap over 1600m on the turf.

He said, “Nebula will be hard to beat.”

Nebula found a handy position from draw eleven over course and distance last time out under Anthony Delpech and quickened well in the straight to beat Danza by 1,75 lengths. It earned him a six point merit rated raise, but being by Silvano he is likely to be improving as he matures.

By David Thiselton

Glen Kotzen only has two runners at the Vodacom Durban July meeting, but could well find himself in the winners enclosure during the day.

Seven years ago Kotzen walked away from the VDJ meeting with two Gr 1 trophies as his Equus champion Three-year-old Colt Big City Life won the July and his Equus Champion Three-year-old Filly Lady Windermere won the Garden Province.

This year he has a fine chance of landing the majority share of the KZN Yearling Sale Million stake cheque with the Kahal filly Shizam.

Shizam has some fine maiden form in Cape Town. She got off the mark last time out on April 23 over 1200m in her fifth career start, having placed before that behind some top class sorts like the Secret Is Out and The Merry Widow. She won that Maiden Juvenile Plate for fillies by 0,5 lengths from subsequent winner China Pearl and had the rest of the field beaten 6,75 lengths. Two other horses have subsequently won out of the race and she beat them by 9,75 lengths and eleven lengths respectively.

Her pole position draw on Saturday is ideal as she has plenty of pace.

Kotzen said on pedigree she should stay an extra 500m, so the 100m extra of the 1300m trip will pose no problem. She has been at Summerveld for at least six weeks and is fit and well.

He described her as a forward-thinking filly who does not race green, so experiencing the course and the lights for the first time should not be a concern.

“She is a huge runner,” he concluded.

He said his runner in the Gr 2 Gold Circle Golden Slipper, the Judpot filly Final Judgement, was “exceptionally well and working like a bomb.” He said she had been caught flat-footed when beaten 5,25 lengths by Maleficent in the Listed Devon Air Stakes over the same 1400m course and distance as she had raced very green in her first experience of the course. He concluded by saying there was room for “big improvement.” She is also drawn in pole.

Stuart Randolph rides both fillies.

David Thiselton

Dennis Drier and Alistair Gordon could have winners at Saturday’s Vodacom Durban July meeting with Desert Fighter and Royal Line respectively.

Both trainers have a number of other chances at the meeting.

Desert Fighter runs in the second, the Middle Stakes over 1400m on the poly, and jumps from a plum draw of two with stable jockey Sean Veale aboard. He was a bit slow away over 1600m on the poly last time so had a lot to do in the straight and ran on well for a close second. His two wins have been over 1200m, so this trip should be ideal. The yard described this Toreador three-year-old gelding as a progressive sort and added,  “This looks to be the right race for him.”

Royal Life runs in the last, the Listed Business Solutions Handicap over 1600m on the turf. He has S’Manga Khumalo up from a good draw of six. He over raced in his penultimate start over 1400m, but still won easily and impressively. He over raced again over the Greyville turf 1600m last time, yet still ran on well and was pipped by a whisker. Gordon has now tried a new bit with him and he has consequently settled much better in his work. If he does the same in the race on Saturday, he will be a big runner as Gordon is happy with his well-being and with the draw and jockey.

The Drier yard are hoping Sail will be more settled on course than she was last time, when bouncing around a bit yet still managing to win a Juvenile Plate over 1400m. If she is this talented Philanthropist filly could be the chief threat to Maleficent in the Gr 2 Gold Circle Golden Slipper over the same course and distance from a plum draw of four.

The yard run last year’s July runner up Punta Arenas in the Gr 3 Delta Air Lines 2200 and said he was fit and well. He looked well in his workout on Tuesday morning.

Gr 1-winning sprinter Guiness has “been going through the motions” so blinkers will be fitted and he has been working well in them, although he has a tough draw in the Compendium MR 103 Handicap over 1000m.

The yard are hoping blinkers will have the same affect on Eventual Angel, a talented sort capable of surprising from a plum draw in the Gr 1 Jonsson Workeear Garden Province Stakes over 1600m.

Gordon could not separate Royal Life and Bunker Bill as his best runner on the day. Talented three-year-old Bunker Bill loved the step back to 1200m last time and won easily. He goes on the poly for the first time over 1200m in the tabGold Sprint and has Piere Strydom up from draw six, albeit off a merit rating which has been raised six points.

Gordon said Velvet Wind was well, but might find the 1400m of the first a touch short, although he expected her to be running on. He expected Sublime Code to be suited to a step up to 1400m in the second and said he was also fit and well.

David Thiselton

Mike Azzie said if Triple Crown hero Abashiri was not at his peak on Saturday for the Vodacom Durban July he would be pretty close to it. He is also expecting a good run from Oomph in an earlier feature.

Azzie said he had to put out of his head everybody saying Abashiri had too much weight to carry in the July, “because this is not a normal horse, this is a special horse.”

The Go Deputy gelding with the giant stride carries 59kg, the biggest weight ever allotted to a three-year-old in the big race.

He has not run since winning the SA Derby on April 30, where he had to dig down deep.  However, Azzie said the big horse’s work had been very good. He said big race jockey Karl Zechner was confident.

Abashiri certainly caught the eye at the July gallops and the exceptional turn of foot he has shown in his last two races should make him suited to Greyville.

Oomph has the second run for the yard in the Gr 2 Durban Golden Horseshoe over 1400m.

The Tiger Ridge colt was the talk of the town in Port Elizabeth after three facile wins over 1200m and he was then purchased by Azzie’s chief clients Adriaan and Rika van Vuuren.

However, Azzie said the colt had been well in need of his run in the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion, as they had backed off him in PE before he had arrived at Summerveld. He said the horse had tightened up and improved since the Medallion.

Azzie’s runner in the first over 1400m on the poly on Saturday, Peep Show, runs off an 83 merit rating compared to her 97 sand rating. However, she hasn’t run since January.

Azzie said he had seen Peep Show brighter than she currently was, and he would have liked her to be a little more crisp, but he was hoping she wouldn’t need it. He said if the four-year-old Ideal World filly reproduced her best on the sand she would be a tough nut to crack as she was capable of galloping flat out for a mile.

Azzie has July reserve runner Deputy Jud in the Gr 3 Delta Air Lines 2200m where he jumps from draw nine. His recent runner up finish in the Track And Ball Derby proved he was in a good space and his merit rating is unchanged, so he must have a shout.

Black Minnaloushe gelding Greek Legend has been a touch disappointing in three runs in KZN, but being a half-brother to Gold Cup winner Wavin’ Flag makes him an interesting runner in the Gr 3 SABC Gold Vase over 3000m.

The yard run Lazer Star in the Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes. She was bought out of the Ormond Ferraris yard mainly for breeding purposes and on previous evidence the 1600m trip might stretch her, although she is drawn well and it is her third run for the yard.

Splendid Garden carries topweight in the eighth, the Compendium MR 103 handicap over 1000m on the poly, and has a tough draw of nine. However, he has come a point down in the merit ratings and this talented but temperamental sort can’t be ignored coming off two Gr 1s where he was not disgraced.

By David Thiselton