Cape trainer Stan Elley will be hoping to cement the July places of Dynastic Power and Punta Arenas at the big Rising Sun Meeting at Greyville on Saturday. Both are top 18 incumbents in the July log and both run in the Gr 3 Cup Trial over 1800m.

Elley was confident of a good Champions Season for Dynastic Power, as he had managed to run some good races during the Cape Summer without the yard ever having had him “quite right.” The classy gelding duly won the Gr 2 betting World 1900 in his first KZN outing when given his head rounding the final bend and sustaining a strong finish throughout the straight. Punta Arenas ran on strongly for third in the same race, which was also his Champions Season opening salvo.

Elley said, “They have both come through their preparations very well and I can’t fault either. We had to give Dynastic Power a little bit of a break after the 1900, he had an abscess on one hoof, but it hasn’t set him back because both of his serious workouts in the last ten days have been very good. Punta Arenas doesn’t take as much work and is looking really nice. They should get into the July as long as they don’t run shockers. All they need is luck in running.”

Dynastic Power is drawn ten as opposed to 12 in the 1900 and Greg Cheyne remains aboard.

Punta Arenas seldom draws well and this time has to contend with draw 12 in the thirteen horse field. Ian Sturgeon keeps the ride.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Punta Arenas (Nkosi Hlophe)

Cape Guineas winner Act Of War looks like having a two-month Durban holiday following the decision not to declare him for Saturday’s Rising Sun Gold Challenge.

Racing manager Derek Brugman said: “Unless something pops up, and he is doing exceptionally well, the plan is to give him a break in Durban until next season.”

Joey Ramsden brought the colt back to win the Tekkie Town Winter Guineas as a prep for the Gold Challenge but only on condition he had a decent draw. He was taken to Durban but was then drawn 22 out of 22.

By Michael Clower

Act Of War (Liesl King)

Cape trainers Dean Kannemeyer and Neil Bruss have chances of feature race success at the Rising Sun meeting at Greyville on Saturday, while Justin Snaith reiterated the well-being of his star quality competitors.

Kannemeyer runs the improving Dynasty gelding It Is Written in the Gr 3 Cup Trial and said, “It’s a tough race but he’s exceptionally well. The Betting World 1900 was a rough race and there was a lot of bumping and checking near the fence but he still ran a fair race. The 1800m is fine for him but he will have to win to prove he deserves a place in the July.”

Kannemeyer regards his Listed Gatecrasher contender Whiskey Joe as a horse who is on the up and one that will make a nice three-year-old. He wasn’t sure how good the field he beat on debut was but added that he had come on in leaps and bounds since, although he felt the Greyville 1400m might be on the sharp side for him.

He brings Gr 1 winner Afrikaburn back in the Non-Black Type Durban Dash over 1100m on the polytrack after a lengthy break. He has had two grass gallops and Kannemeyer felt this was a good starting point, although he added it would be on the sharp side for him.

Bruss runs the talented Red Flame in the Gr 2 Tibouchina Stakes over 1400m and said she was “fine”. He added it was a tough field but she was drawn well and was effective from 1200-1800m so should run a good race from a plum draw. Her good turn of foot makes her suited to the tight Greyville circuit.

He described Go Deputy filly Flying Ice, a winner on debut over 1400m at Scottsville two week ago, as a “nice horse”. She is entered in the Listed Devon Air Stakes and took her debut win well. She should be running on strongly, judging from the telling late kick she found on debut.

Snaith said “everything is fine” with Futura and Legislate ahead of the Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge as well as with Dynamic ahead of the Cup Trial. His impressive two-year-old Australian-bred colt Lineker should be a big runner in the Gatecrasher and Bianzino is an interesting runner in the tenth over a suitable 1800m trip on the polytrack.

By David Thiselton

Picture: It Is Written (Nkosi Hlophe)

Joey Soma said a line could be drawn through Athina’s last run over 1200m and believed she was coming back to her best and peaking at the right time ahead of Saturday’s Gr 3 Cup Trial over 1800m at the big Rising Sun Meeting at Greyville.

Soma said about the classy four-year-old Fort Wood mare Athina, “She is doing very well. I thought she was an unlucky second in the Paddock Stakes. We had been aiming her at the President’s Champions Challenge but at the end of March she developed a hoof abscess which took longer to clear up than we had predicted.

“She was out of work for two-and-a-half weeks so we put her in the sprint on Champions day instead. It was maybe the wrong thing to do in restrospect but we couldn’t have predicted how cut up the ground was going to be and both her eyes were closed the next day, she must have been hit by clods. The run can be completely ignored.

“She has done a lot of work since. We were going to go for the Gold Challenge but she drew badly and the 1600m might be a touch sharp for her now. She’s looking for the ground and she is drawn well with a good jockey aboard (Richard Fourie). We will decide after the race whether she goes for the July or the Garden Province. We’re expecting a big run.”

Athina is the only female in the Cup Trial and has to carry 58kg off her 106 merit rating.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Athina (Nkosi Hlophe)

Mike Bass had a fine feature day down in Cape Town last Sunday and will be hoping to repeat the dose at Greyville on Saturday where he has plenty of big race runners at the Rising Sun meeting.

In the weight for age Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge over 1600m he runs Ashton Park, Night Trip and Ze Kaiser, none of whom are entered in the Vodacom Durban July so they will be at their peaks and, unlike a few others, will not be viewing this as a preparation outing.

Assistant trainer Robert Fayd’Herbe said, “They are all doing well. It’s tough to split them, but if I had to choose one it would probably be Night Trip.”

Ashton Park had little hope from a high draw in the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint over 1200m last time out but before that ran on well from the back over his probable favourite trip of 1400m in the Gr 2 IOS Drill Hall Stakes. His decent efforts in both the Gr 2 Lanzerac Le General Green Point Stakes and the Gr 1 L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate showed that he is also effective over 1600m. He is drawn five with astute jockey Greg Cheyne aboard.

Night Trip flew up last time out over course and distance to finish just 0,25 lengths behind Futura. The latter still needed it and will be 1,5kg better off here, but Night Trip is now having his third run after a rest. He has the advantage of Anthony Delpech up as well as a fine draw of two.

Ze Kaiser is the lowest rated horse in the race, but has come into his own since the yard farrier solved his foot problems. He flew last time out to be only 0,5 lengths behind Futura, but is now 3kg worse off.

Bass runs the J&B Met third-placed Helderberg Blue in the Gr 3 Cup Trial over 1800m and he will need a big run to get into the July. A line can be drawn through his unplaced run in the Gr 2 Betting World 1900 as he was shuffled back in a slow run race and then couldn’t get a run down the outside rail. Anton Marcus is now aboard from pole position, so he could find the handy position he likes. He was lowered  one point for his last run but still has to lug second topweight of 59,5kg. Fayd’Herbe said, “He was well before that last run.  He is just as well now and is obviously a fitter horse.”

The yard run the top mare Hammie’s Hooker in the Gr 2 Tibouchina Stakes over 1400m, which she won comfortably over 1450m at Clairwood last year, having thrived during her KZN stint. This will be her fist run since finishing a respectable fourth to Majmu in the Gr1 Empress Club Stakes over 1600m at Turffontein on April 11. She is the highest rated horse in the race and has always given the impression that 1400m is her optimum trip.

She put up a career best performance in her only start at Greyville to date, when running the brilliant Beach Beauty to 0,75 lengths in last season’s Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes over 1600m. Jockey Bernard Fayd’Herbe thinks highly of her and is aboard from a plum draw of three. Robert Fayd’Herbe said, “She put up a good gallop and her work is good, she is doing well and is ready, so can win the race again.”

Bass runs the Visionaire colt Jet Air in the Listed Gatecrasher Stakes over 1400m He was well beaten in the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion over 1200m at Scottsville two weeks ago, but before that won his maiden over 1400m at Kenilworth in good style and will likely appreciate the step back to that trip. Fayd’Herbe said, “It’s tough for a young horse from that draw as he will have to make up a lot of ground.”

The yard’s sprinting  type Equity Kicker runs in an earlier race and it will be a preparation outing for the Gr 2 Post Merchants.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Night Trip (Nkosi Hlophe)