Frank Robinson runs the Dynasty filly Olma in the Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 and said she was back to her best, while Neil Bruss and the Alec Laird yard were pleased with their runners in that race, Zante and Smart Call respectively.

Olma has an outstanding record at Greyville, albeit on the polytrack but there is no reason for her not to do just as well on turf.

Robinson pointed out, “Her only bad runs have all been at Turffontein and at altitude in soft going it was very hard. You will see a much better horse this time and she has never let us down at Greyville before. She has been doing very well  since returning from Johannesburg and I hope to see her back to her best but it’s a tough field.”

The 2000m trip looks to be her optimum trip. Not only was her most impressive poly win over this distance, but she was also a bit keen early last time out over 2450m in the Gr 1 Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks, suggesting that was a touch far for her. Ian Sturgeon rides from a plum draw of five.

Ideal World filly Zante is drawn well in three with Gavin Lerena up and will relish this trip. Bruss said from Summerveld on Tuesday, “She raced a bit handy last time trying to overcome a bad draw. The 2000m is her game and she will be doing her best work at the finish. It’s a tough field but she is absolutely fine and looking very good. We are just keeping her ticking over, she has done all of her hard work. I am very happy with her.”

Gr 2 Gauteng Fillies Guineas third-placed Smart Call should enjoy this trip as she is also by Ideal World and is out of a Horse Chestnut mare. She is drawn six with Weichong Marwing up and has been at Summerveld since last week. Alec Laird’s assistant trainer Julia Pringle said, “She has been doing well and working well.”

By David Thiselton

Picture: Olma (Nkosi Hlophe)

Former top Gauteng-based jockey Gavin van Zyl has only had his trainer’s license for eight years at Summerveld but already has a fine record in the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 and has two more chances of adding to that record on Saturday.

He won the race with The Apache in 2011, finished third with Shogunnar in 2012 and second with No Worries in 2013. His chief hope in the R2 million race this year will be a newcomer to the yard, MLJet, which is pronounced [Mil-yet] and is the name of one of the Adriatic Islands of the Dalmatia region of Croatia.

Van Zyl has decided to fit this talented Jet Master gelding with first-time blinkers.

He said, “He is in good shape. His sand work is not as good as his grass work, but he put up very exciting work on the grass at Summerveld with blinkers on a week ago. He is drawn second widest but is a 102 merit rating, which he has earned somewhere along the way, so we expect him to run a very competitive race and if he brings his grass work and the form of his second to The Conglomerate in the Politician Stakes to the course he is in with a shout.”

MLJet’s 0,5 length runner up finish to The Conglomerate in the Gr 3 Politician Stakes over 1800m at Kenilworth on January 10 was viewed as yet another disappointing run at the time, but now looks very good on paper. He was giving The Conglomerate 3kg that day and the latter is currently the joint Vodacom Durban July third favourite after his impressive win in the Gr 2 KRA Guineas.

Overall MLJet has been one of the most disappointing three-year-olds of the season. He looked set for big things after two impressive wins in Juvenile Plates at Clairwood last year were followed by an unlucky 0,25 length third to Equus Champion colt Harry’s Son in the Gr 1 Premier’s Champion Stakes over 1600m at Greyville.

He has not lived up to expectations, and joined Van Zyl’s yard after a disappointing run in the Gr 1 SA Classic over 1800m at Turffontein on March 28, his second after gelding, although the very soft ground probably went against him in that race.

He has not raced since then as an intended preparation in an Allowance Plate at Greyville on May 8 had to be scrapped due to a lack of entries.

Warren Kennedy rides from draw 15 in the 16 horse field and it should be remembered that in the recent Gr 2 Betting World 1900 the first five were drawn in double figures, partly because they avoided the scrimmaging on the inside around the first turn.

The yard also run the Silvano gelding Dante’s Legacy, who will be wearing blinkers for the first time since he tried them against MLJet as a two-year-old over 1500m at Clairwood, a race he was beaten in by 10,65 lengths.

No Worries came in unheralded two years ago and Dante’s Legacy has a similar profile. His only run over this trip was in the Listed Derby Trial and looks good on paper as he finished 2,85 lengths behind the subsequent Gr 1 SA Derby winner Legal Eagle and was giving the latter 2,5kg. He finished a decent fifth in the SA Derby, beaten 10,25 lengths, but he was only 3,25 lengths behind Gr 1 Investec Cape Derby winner Ertijaal.

Dante’s Legacy has been at Summerveld for about a month and Gavin’s son and assistant trainer Gareth said, “He is doing well and we are looking for him to be a bit sharper with the blinkers on. We are hoping for a first four finish.”

Van Zyl also runs two horses in the Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup, Heart Of A Lion and Sun Of Africa.

He said, “  Heart of a Lion is well and if he repeats his last two runs he is in with a chance (third in both the Gr 3 Caradoc Gold Cup over 2850m and the Gr 2 Gold Bowl over 3200m). Sun Of Africa is well weighted if he can repeat the form of his second behind Bezanova (that was over 1600m but he won well over 1900m at Greyville as a two-year-old) and he is not without a winning chance. He has been working very well.”

Both horses are taking in this race on route to the Gr 2 Track and Ball Derby over 2400m on June 21 and the Gr 1 eLan Property Group Gold Cup over 3200m on July 25.

By David Thiselton

Picture: MLJet (Nkosi Hlophe)

Cape trainer Mike Bass and KZN’s Paul Lafferty both have chances of Gr 1 glory at Greyville on Saturday and their respective contenders Inara and Run Rhino Run are in fine shape ahead of their runs in the Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 and Gr 1 Daily News 2000 respectively.

Bass’s assistant Robert Fayd’Herbe is looking after the yard’s Champions Season string at Summerveld and said about the Trippi filly Inara, “She has come on nicely from the KRA Fillies Guineas and has a good draw.”

Inara ran second in the best form race of the season, the Gr 1 Avontuur Estate Cape Fillies Guineas, and has 2,5 lengths to find on Majmu from that run. However, her subsequent wins in both the Gr 1 Maine Chance Paddock Stakes over 1800m and the Gr 1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes over 1600m showed that she had improved.

She didn’t enjoy the best of luck in running in the Paddock Stakes before running on well and holding on late, so she should stay the 2000m trip. On pedigree her dam Trippi was a twice Gr 1 winner over 1400m, but Inara herself is a half-sister to Mountain Master, a middle distance to staying gelding by Jet Master who runs in the Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m on Saturday. Inara showed a fine turn of foot in the Gr 2 KRA Guineas last time out and weaved her way through, but had no reply to Alexis on her outside and could only stay on for  a two length second, which suggested she needed the run.

Fayd’Herbe said Mountain Master had improved from his good effort in the Gr 2 Betting World 1900 two weeks ago when running from the front and staying on nicely for a 2,65 length fifth. He reckoned he was looking for this 2400m trip and off a 96 merit rating the yard will be hoping for a big run in order to book his place in the Gr 1 eLan Property Group Gold Cup, although it is not a certainty he will stay that arduous 3200m journey.

Meanwhile, Lafferty recently said about the talented Silvano gelding Run Rhino Run, “He has only been running over his minimum trip (1400-1600m) and all he wants is a bit of ground. Wait until he gets that because he is a really good horse.”

Lafferty’s assistant Roy Waugh was pleased with Run Rhino Run’s gallop over a mile at Greyville last Wednesday in which he was given a lead and “left his companion for dust” in the straight. He had his final serious workout yesterday and did well. Waugh said, “It is just a matter of getting him over from that draw (15). I think they will go in this race and he has a bit of tactical speed (meaning jockey Keagan de Melo will be able to have him handy or drop him out according to how it pans out).

By David Thiselton

Picture: Inara (Liesl King)

Top jockeys Anton Marcus and Greg Cheyne are looking forward to their rides in the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 on Saturday aboard The Conglomerate and Light The Lights respectively.

Marcus said about the Joey Ramsden-trained Australian-bred colt by Lonhro, The Conglomerate, “He doesn’t give much away at work, but I’m happy with where he’s at.”

Marcus rode The Conglomerate for the first time in the Gr 2 KRA Guineas at Greyville at the beginning of this month and the colt surprised Ramsden, who believed a mile would be his bare minimum, by winning impressively by two lengths. However, he did benefit form a good pace and should relish the step up to 2000m. Marcus is not convinced about the strength of the KRA Guineas form and mentioned the Gr 1 Investec Cape Derby winner Ertijaal as a horse that could be the one to beat, having noticed how well he had quickened in the Investec SA Derby over 2450m at Turffontein last time out before the soft ground and the distance got to him.

Marcus has also been happy with his Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup ride Disco Al’s work at Summerveld.

Cheyne was looking forward to seeing how Light The Lights would do over the 2000m trip and confirmed trainer Glen Kotzen’s view on the Western Winter colt’s stamina range. He said, “He had some speed when he was younger but has lost that now and this is the trip he is now looking for.” Cheyne believed the colt only had to repeat his run in the Gr 2 KRA Guineas, where he finished third, to have a good chance on Saturday. Kotzen confirmed that the colt had come on nicely from that last run.

Light The Lights has landed another good draw of three, while The Conglomerate is in seven.

Kotzen was also happy with his Lonsdale Stirrup Cup contender Gone Baby Gone and said, “We fancied him last time, but he has in fact been working even better this time.” .

By David Thiselton

Picture: The Conglomerate (Liesl King)

National Champion Trainer elect Sean Tarry has a strong hand in both the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 and the Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 at Greyville on Saturday.

He is running his top class filly Siren’s Call in the Daily News and this makes good senses as not only has this season’s three-year-old fillies crop been seen as exceptional compared to the dubious reputation of the three-year-old males but the race carries a total stake of R2 million compared to the R1 million of the Woolavington. Furthermore, with a merit rating of 109 and a 2,5kg female allowance she will need to win the Daily News by a street to attain a merit rated raise, while she could risk a merit rated raise in the Woolavington by merely running close to the 114 merit rated Majmu.

However Tarry did add that the Daily News is part of the Vodacom July preparation for both her and stablemate French Navy. He said, “There will still be a little bit to come from both of them, but they should still run well. We have left a little bit to work with for all of our July horses.”

Both Siren’s Call and French Navy will love the 2000m distance, having won the Gr 1 SA Fillies Classic and Gr 1 SA Classic respectively in very soft going over the tough Turffontein Standside 1800m. Interestingly, Siren’s Call’s time was 0,11 seconds quicker than French Navy’s that day, despite her having to make her finish on the inside of horses, which was the inferior going on the day. Both horses have won in fast going before so clearly go on any ground and both are known for their strong finishes from off the pace, so they should enjoy Greyville.

Tarry has two Woolavington contenders, Tamanee and Trophy Wife, and he said, “Tamanee is very well, but there could be slight improvement after this run. Trophy Wife is probably at her best.”

Tamaanee ran a cracker last time out when stepped up to this distance for the first time in the Gr 2 Gerald Rosenberg Stakes and her time was actually 0,43 seconds quicker than Woolavington favourite Majmu’s on the same day, despite the fact that she was carrying 2,5kg more. That was a brilliant performance and this improving type could well finish in the first three on Saturday.

Trophy Wife, the perennial bridesmaid to Siren’s Call, has also continued to improve throughout the season and appears to be ultra-tough. She was doing her best work late last time out in the Gr 2 KRA Fillies Guineas and looks likely to appreciate the step up in trip.

Tarry said an improvement could be expected from his stayer Kolkata, who runs in the Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m, although he could still come on further for the run. He said, “There are one or two things we have got on top of with him.”

By David Thiselton

Picture: Siren’s Call (JC Photo)