Dominic Zaki brings his Gr 1 SA Nursery winner Arabian Beat down from his Vaal base to run in the Gr 1 Durban Golden Horseshoe over 1400m on Vodacom Durban July day and also has a big shout in the tenth race with Bad Boy Buddy Boy.

Zaki said about the Black Minnaloushe gelding Arabian Beat, “He’s doing very well, his prep went nicely. It’s just the draw (11) that’s a little bit of a worry, but besides that he’s a very classy individual.” Zaki had no concerns about him staying the trip and pointed out he was the type that switched off in the running. He confirmed that his last run in a Juvenile Plate over 1160m, in which he pulled 3,6 lengths clear despite giving the field weight, was merely a preparation for this race.

Zaki’s speedy three-year-old Captain Al gelding Bad Boy Buddy Boy comes off a front-running hattrick of 1000m wins and sneaks into the handicap with bottom weight in the Compendium Insurance Brokers MR 104 Handicap over 1000m on the polytrack. He said, “He’s drawn well with a low weight, he’s in hot form at the moment and he’s a big runner. I don’t think he will have a problem with the poly.”

He admitted his Jet Master filly Be Mine Tonight was an optimistic entry in the Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes and felt that the draw was the only thing in her favour.

By David Thiselton

VDJ betting now open: PA Leg 1 starts in race 3  – estimated pool R 3.6 million.

Alec Laird’s Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 winner Smart Call lines up in the Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes over 1600m on Vodacom Durban July day and could be the dark horse in a vintage field.

Smart Call (Nkosi Hlophe)

Neil Bruss also has a talented runner in this race in Red Flame.

Laird’s assistant trainer at Summerveld Julia Pringle said about Ideal World filly Smart Call, “She’s good and will be okay over the trip as long as they don’t go too slow. We’ve freshened her up. She’s a very sound, solid filly.”

The interesting point is that she won the Woolavington largely due to a change of tactics. After being held up off the pace she not only displayed a fine turn of foot but also a resolute finish. She beat the like of July contenders Pine Princess and Tamaanee as well as dual Gr 1-winner Inara, so having finished a two length third to Siren’s Call in the Gr 2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas with front-running tactics, it will be interesting to see how she goes over the same trip when employing the new tactics.

Bruss’s Jet Master filly Red Flame is not far off the best of a fine generation of milers. Her fine turn of foot makes her suited to Greyville. She moved up from a handy position and stayed on well in the Gr 2 Tibouchina over1400m last time out. She was only two lengths back at the line, although she will now be 1kg worse off with the winner Hammie’s Hooker. She will prefer this trip and, having her third run after a rest, Bruss confirmed she was “spot on.” He said the same about Tiger Tiger, who contests the tenth race.

By David Thiselton

VDJ betting now open: PA Leg 1 starts in race 3  – estimated pool R 3.6 million.

David Nieuwenhuizen has lively chances on Vodacom Durban July day and his confidence is enhanced by the 5000-winner jockey Piere Strydom being in the saddle for all three of his runners.

Lateral filly Sapsan runs in the Gr 1 Zulu Kingdom Explorer Golden Slipper over 1400m and he said, “Piere always said she was looking for 1400m. It was a pity about her wide draw (13) but she is very, very well and I think she will give a good showing.” It does not look a vintage Golden Slipper field and having finished a 4,6 length fourth in the Gr 2 Nursery over 1160m, she only has 2,1 lengths to find with the like of Frosted Honey.

He runs Just As Well colt Just As I Said in the KZN Yearling Sale Million over 1300m from a plum draw of 3 and said, “He has always been looking for further than sprints and the only reason he hasn’t tried them is because he always drew badly. This trip will definitely be right up his alley. Although he probably had to win that last start to get into this race, it was also a prep to put him right for this race and he is now tuned up.”

He has been close up to some good horses and looks to have a shout, especially considering Strydom has stayed aboard after he found another gear to just get up over 1160m last time in a competitive juvenile plate with the rest well beaten.

Nieuwenhuizen runs the three-year-old Way West filly Green Crest in the second over 1400m on the poly and said, “She’s well having bounced back to her previous form last time. We’re not sure how she will go on the poly. She usually prefers to run on from off them and they go fast on the poly so I’ve put the blinkers on to give her some pace.”

By David Thiselton

VDJ betting now open: PA Leg 1 starts in race 3 – estimated pool R 3.6 million.

Wylie Hall will be the sentimental favourite of many for this year’s Vodacom Durban July and trainer Weiho Marwing confirmed yesterday (Wednesday) that the good looking five-year-old bay had enjoyed a good preparation.

Wylie Hall (Nkosi Hlophe)

The Australian-bred Redoute’s Choice entire has not run since winning the Gr 1 President’s Champions Challenge over 2000m at Turffontein, in which he impressed jockey Bernard Fayd’Herbe. The Challenge was also the last run he had before last year’s July, which he controversially lost on objection, so he clearly enjoys running fresh. He appears to have really come into his own this year but that is also reflected in his merit rating and weight as he is now a 116 and carries 58kg compared to 109 and 57,5kg last year.

However, taking weight for age changes into account, he will effectively face Majmu on identical weight terms in the July as he did in the Challenge, when beating her by 1,25 lengths. He also has a draw of two compared to six last year and is likely to be up near the pace again. On the downside, his collateral form with July favourite Legal Eagle, through Killua Castle and Judicial, suggests on paper he has over four lengths to find on the crack three-year-old.

Marwing said Bilateral always did well in KZN so expected a good run from her in the Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes, but she does face a huge task against a vintage field.

Lertasha (Nkosi Hlophe)

Marwing described his progressive three-year-old Go Deputy gelding Rampant Ice as a versatile type and having run on in eyecatching fashion from well back in the Gr 2 KRA Guineas he is interesting in the Listed Canon Business Centre Handicap over the same course and distance, although he does have a tough task carrying topweight off a merit rating of 106

Marwing said Isobar was “fit and well” ahead of that race, despite returning from a six month layoff. He ran on well from a similar wide draw the last time he tried this course and distance in the Christmas Handicap, despite later having been found to be coughing.

Marwing felt the 1400m trip would be too sharp for Fulcrum in the first.

However, he expected the Australian-bred filly Lertasha to go well in the second race, provided she took well to the poly. She is a talented filly and should have grown into her tall frame by now, so should be coming into her own. She was right up there throughout when winning over 1450m on the Turffontein Inside track last time, so will be interesting on the Greyville poly, which often has true paced races.

By David Thiselton

VDJ betting now open: PA Leg 1 starts in race 3  – estimated pool R 3.6 million.

Geoff Woodruff’s Vodacom Durban July runner Tellina travelled from Randjesfontein to Summerveld yesterday and is quietly fancied by many for Saturday’s big race at Greyville.

Tellina (JC Photos)

“He’s been doing very well, doing great work at home, we’ve got a ticket and we’ll give it a bash.” The five-year-old Silvano gelding’s big race jockey Johnny Geroudis, who won the July on Teal in 1995, has galloped him a couple of times and was “very happy”. Woodruff agreed that at the weights Tellina had a chance, and hoped to get “a bit of luck in the running, unlike last year.” He felt Tellina was in even better shape now than he was for last year’s July, in which he finished a 1,85 length fourth. That is an interesting comments as he raced off a merit rating of 110 and carried a weight of 58kg last year, as opposed to 108 and 54kg this year. He added, “He’s definitely improved with the gelding, he’s much freer.”

He was gelded before finishing fifth in the L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate and fourth in the J&B Met. He is 4,5kg better off for a 3,1 length beating by Futura in the Met and this is why many rate him the best value horse in the race at odds of 25/1.

Woodruff regarded July favourite Legal Eagle’s win in the Gr 3 Jubilee over 1800m, in which he gave his own Killua Castle 1kg and a 5,1 length beating, as “a stunning run”. “They went a decent clip, carrying topweight like that as a three-year-old I thought it was super impressive. He actually surprised me by how well he won and there weren’t mugs behind him.” Woodruff regarded Legal Eagle as the one to beat, but added, “I don’t know how Anton (Marcus) is going to do 54kg.”

Killua Castle (Liesl King)

Woodruff runs the strapping Dylan Thomas filly Wild Ash in the Gr 2 SABC Gold Vase and said, “Her last run was just a come on run and she took it well. She’s nicely drawn and has a manageable weight, she’s quite useful and she will stay all day. I don’t consider her a filly, she’s a very masculine girl and she has a touch of class about her.” Woodruff “most definitely” gives her a winning chance. She has had the advantage of altitude training and was on the same float as Tellina yesterday. The Gr 1 eLan Property Group Gold Cup will be a consideration depending on how she goes here.

Killua Castle was also on yesterday’s float and will run in the Gr 3 tabGold 2200. Woodruff said, “He’s doing very well, he galloped with Tellina for the July gallop and they both galloped well. It’s a big weight but Bernard Fayd’Herbe’s a heavyweight jockey so he’s not carrying much dead weight. I certainly think he’s in with a shout. He hasn’t yet proved himself suited to Greyville, but in fairness he hasn’t been given much opportunity to.”

By David Thiselton

VDJ betting now open: PA Leg 1 starts in race 3  – estimated pool R3.6 million.