Triple Crown-winning trainer Mike Azzie believes Rabada is the horse to beat in the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 at Greyville on Saturday.

He said, “All things have been going well, I am very happy with him and have no reason to believe he won’t stay.”

Rabada (Nkosi Hlophe)

Jockey Anton Marcus was impressed by the Gr 1-winning Brave Tin Soldier colt’s last run in the Gr 2 Canon Guineas at Greyville, because after being taken to the front from a wide draw in a fast-paced race he was able to stay on and be beaten just a half-a-length, while the two in front of him faded out to the back.

Furthermore, Rabada stayed on well in the Gr 3 Cartier Politician Stakes over 1800m at Kenilworth on L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate day to finish a 2,25 length sixth with 62kg on his back. He was conceding 5kg to the winner Black Arthur and 6,5kg to third-placed Marinaresco, who are now respectively the top pair on the Vodacom Durban July betting boards.

Azzie added, “He was given a sympathetic ride in the Politician Stakes too, due to the weight and also his main mission was the Cape Derby.”

Rabada was unable to take his place in the Derby due to injury but proved his well-being when winning his comeback run over 1400m at Turffontein three weeks before his fine Canon Guineas effort. He is the joint 33/10 favourite for Saturday with Gr 2 IOS Drill Hall Stakes winner New Predator.

Azzie also runs the Toreador gelding Trading Profit, who is drawn well in three.

He was bought out of the Ormond Ferraris yard after downing the like of Judicial and French Navy when way out at the weights in a Pinnacle Stakes event over 1800m at Turffontein in February. However, he has run below par in two outing for his new yard in the SA Classic and Premier’s Champions Challenge respectively, and was headstrong in the latter race.

He is a good looking sort and has talent, but Azzie said, “He took a while to adjust and an improved run can be expected, but Rabada is superior to him.”

By David Thiselton

National Champion trainer Sean Tarry has three runners in the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 and two in the Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 and all of them are capable of upsetting the odds.

Heaps Of Fun (JC Photos)

His first choice rider S’Manga Khumalo is aboard SA Classic and SA Derby third-placed Samurai Blade in the Daily News 2000 and Tarry said, “He is doing well and all three runs for us have been good. He took a while to find top gear at Turffontein and if they go a canter-sprint in his first run at Greyville it could catch him out. He has a bad draw (16 out of 16) … It is all very well holding them back for the July, but he could end up being drawn badly there too and things can also go wrong in the July, so, being well now, he must take his chances.”

He said about Prospect Strike, “I think his run in the Canon Guineas was very good considering he worked so much harder than the rest out wide and still finished only 2,4 lengths back. I think he is probably looking for this trip.  A sprint-miler will normally be able to come back from a layoff and win comfortably when so well in at the weights as he was in his two comeback runs (over 1000m and 1200m) and when he was beaten in the first of them and then had to work hard to win the second it was the tell-tale sign that those trips were now way too sharp for him.”

Tarry’s decision to take the Toreador gelding back to Johannesburg after the Canon Guineas had been a “trade off.”

He said, “It means two journeys of eight hours, but he has had some serious issues and I would not want to be chopping and changing tracks with him. Obviously if he is going to run in another race in Durban he won’t travel a third time.”

Tarry confirmed Summerveld assistant Dishone Steyn’s upbeat reports about Dynasty colt Liege and said, “He was in fantastic shape when he went down to Durban and won impressively on the poly. Dishone said he has been ticking over nicely since.”

Liege (Nkosi Hlophe)

Prospect Strike also has a wide draw of 15, but has in form Grant van Niekerk aboard, while Liege is drawn nine and has SA Triple Crown-winning jockey Karl Zechner up.

Tarry revealed Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas winner Heaps Of Fun had pulled up with severely strained muscles after her disappointing SA Fillies Classic run.

He said, “Her ordinary run there had nothing to do with being caught wide or the trip being too far. I decided to bring her back from that run with a sprint (Gr 2 Camelia Stakes over 1160m) and she ran on very well for third. She is now in good shape and I think she will stay the trip.”

He continued, “Witchcraft’s SA Oaks run can have a line drawn through it, just nothing went right for her.” She was drawn wide and was then caught wide and the writing was on the wall from a long way out.

Before that she had won well over 2000m at Turffontein and was doing some good late work when running a 3,8 length fifth in the SA Fillies Classic, suggesting she would prefer further.

Khumalo rides Visionaire filly Heaps Of Fun from draw ten and Brandon Lerena is aboard Kahal filly Witchcraft from draw six.

Tarry runs Serissa in the Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m and said, “He’s a soldier, he didn’t go hard enough in the 1900 last weekend.” He is likely to lead this time and has proven his liking for the trip before.

Liege and Serissa have been prepared at Summerveld and all of the others will be travelling down from Randjesfontein.

By David Thiselton

Dean Kannemeyer is pleased with his Gr 1 Daily News 2000 contender Mambo Mime and believes if he stays the trip he has “as good a chance as any.”

He said, “He has been moving very well and has tightened up nicely. He came from last in the Canon Guineas and had no split so had to go to the outside while the winner Black Arthur went down the centre. He looked dangerous.”

Mambo Mime (Nkosi Hlophe)

He finished a decent 1,5 length third, having jumped from draw six. Stuart Randolph stays aboard, but now has a 13 draw to contend with.

Kannemeyer added, “Whether he stays, only the race will tell.”

His sire Mambo In Seattle was a narrow second in a Gr 1 over 2000m on the dirt and his USA-bred dam won over 1600m, but has produced mainly speedy types.

However, early in his career Mambo Mime pulled the whole way in a juvenile 1600m event at Greyville, yet still won, so as a much more relaxed type these days should just about stay 2000m at the same course.

Kannemeyer has two runners in the Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m and said, “Balance Sheet was runner up in the Gold Cup and is now fit and ready after two runs and is back to his correct distance. Solar Star over raced last time with blinkers on (but still finished a close second in his first attempt at 2400m) and the blinkers are now off.”

Balance Sheet has Anthony Delpech up and jumps from draw 14 and Solar Star has Randolph up and is drawn eight.

By David Thiselton

In-form jockey Muzi Yeni was left looking for another Gr 1 Daily News 2000 ride when his guv’nor Duncan Howells kept Brandon Lerena aboard the yard’s chief contender, Ten Gun Salute, and he will consequently be riding the biggest outsider, the Brian Wiid-trained Bankable Teddy.

Muzi Yeni (Nkosi Hlophe)

He is also aboard an outsider in the Gr 1 Woolavington 2000, the Luis Cunha-trained Ruler Of The Sky.

Yeni said, “I can only hope Bankable Teddy reproduces his Derby Trial run, that was over this trip and maybe he didn’t stay the trip in the SA Derby.”

The Bankable colt thrashed subsequent SA Derby fourth-placed Stebbins by 4,8 lengths in the Derby Trial and will now be 0,5kg better off with the latter, so can’t be written off jumping from a good draw of four.

Yeni continued, “The trainer rates Ruler Of The Sky.”

This rangy Judpot filly is perfectly drawn in two for her front-running style and looks likely to enjoy the trip. However, she couldn’t win a fillies and mares handicap over 1600m off her 76 merit rating last time, so will require dramatic improvement.

Yeni is aboard the Howells-trained Crime Victim in the Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m and gave him a place chance at best.

“He needs to up his game,” he said. One of the Bezrin gelding’s best career runs was over the course and distance, when a 2,25 length third to Solid Speed in the Highland Night Cup last season and he was only receiving 1,5kg from the winner that day. He scrapes into the handicap on Saturday with the minimum weight and is drawn ten. He looks to have enjoyed a nice preparation and can’t be ignored.

By David Thiselton

Punters will be able to see Vodacom Durban July favourite Black Arthur in action at Greyville on Saturday after all.

Black Arthur (Nkosi Hlophe)

The Canon Guineas winner was not declared for the Daily News but Jonathan Snaith reported yesterday that the colt will be ridden by Anthony Delpech in a spin over 1 800m on the course at 1.15pm. He will work with a companion and the gallop will be shown live on Tellytrack.

Marinaresco has been raised four points (2kg) to 101 for his win in the Winter Classic at Kenilworth last Saturday moving him eight places up the July log bot not enough to be sure of getting a run.

Cape Town-based Ken Nicol, who made the assessment in conjunction with fellow handicappers Roger Smith, Matthew Lips and Lennon Maharaj, said: “Marinaresco actually ran to 99 and we gave him a further two points for ease of victory.”

Last Friday night’s Betting World 1900 winner Solid Speed was put up three points to 106 but the significant one was runner-up St Tropez (14-1 for the July) who ran to 102. However his merit rating stays on 99 as the race conditions stipulated no increase for the placed horses.

By Michael Clower