The Greyville meeting tonight features the Gr 2 Betting World 1900, an important Vodacom Durban July qualifier, and it looks to be a meeting in which punters could possibly boost their Champions Season coffers. Greyville also has a mixed turf and polytrack meeting on Sunday and the Listed East Coast Cup heads the card.

In race one tonight, a maiden juvenile plate over 1200m, the in form Michael Roberts yard have a good chance with the Ashaawes filly Durban Blues despite a wide draw as she ran second on debut over 1200m at Scottsville behind a very well regarded sort and the form has worked out well.

Double Clutch (Nkosi Hlophe)

On Tuesday she worked on the beach sand with race coupling Chinese Whisper who appeared to have her measure, but Keagan de Melo aboard Durban Blues returned to say this filly is lazy at home and only does as much as asked of her.

Mandla Ntuli reported Chinese Whisper to be hanging to her left, but she could be a place consideration from a good draw. She showed pace on debut but was green and Roberts does think a little bit of her. Classy Chic beat Chinese Whisper by six lengths in that race, which was over course and distance, but that was her third outing and the form doesn’t look great. Kumaran Naidoo gave Classy Chic a chance and said only the wide draw was a concern.

Charles Laird said that his first-timer Harvest Queen was a strong filly who had ability, but having flipped over in the stalls on the day of her intended debut, one of the aims of this outing would be to just get her through that phase of the race. Greg Anthony described first-timer Var filly At Variance as a nice filly who was showing good work.

Anthony was bullish about the chances of Wild Namaqua in the second race, a maiden over 1400m on the poly, especially considering the ever professional Anton Marcus had got a feel of her by working her this week and she had worked very well. The danger Slewsgate always works well and has been kept ticking over by the Dennis Drier yard after a hard-knocking poly campaign from 1200-1400m.

The third is a MR 80 handicap over 1600m on the turf and as the merit ratings of Cape Town horses appear to be suppressed due to the class of horse down there, the result could rest between Seize The Throne and Dynastic, who both went close in their Champions Season pipe openers. Seize The Throne is well regarded and was looking a picture in his box on Wednesday, so is given the nod from a good draw as he should have also come on plenty from that last start over this trip at Scottsville.

Power King (Nkosi Hlophe)

Dynastic only just failed over 1400m on the poly after being slowly away and finishing strongly. He should appreciate the step up in trip, but has a wide draw to overcome. Sea Fever was hampered early on the turn against Dynastic last time and is now 0,5kg better off for a 0,75 length beating and the yard believe he will stay the trip. Naidoo gave Dancingwithjackson a place chance and Colin Scott was pleased with Biz-Jet’s run over course and distance last weekend and felt he could place. Entree can’t be ignored either.

The fourth is a MR 80 handicap over 1600m on the turf. Bianzino needed his last start over 1600m at Scottsville and ran a cracker, so he strikes as a good bet here from a good draw. The Drier yard rate Horse Chestnut gelding Firewood one of their two best runners on the card and regard him as “above average”. His dam was a sprinter and has produced sprinters but the yard hope he can get a mile. Master James was probably too handy behind a strong pace the last time he went this trip in the same race as Bianzino at Scottsville and he could do better with more conservative tactics here.

The Betting World 1900 is highly competitive but De Kock has come on a lot from his Champions Season pipe opener and will enjoy this trip, so looks the one to beat. Jayyed has class and should be running on strongly. Solar Star is in fine form and looks to have plenty of improvement in him. Power King is thriving in KZN and is distance suited. Jet Explorer is the joint best weighted horse and is course and distance suited. Dynamic has come on further from his good Champions Season pipe opener but has a wide draw.

It Is Written has come into his own and could continue to progress. Double Clutch has proven effective from the front in races with no pace and this could be one of them. Bold Inspiration is at his peak and is drawn in pole over a suitable trip. Killua Castle is one of the best weighted horses and will enjoy the fast going. Helderberg Blue has ability but is not well treated at the weights. Punta Arenas is good enough to win this but his draw makes it tough. Whiteline Fever has gone close in the July so should stay the trip and has had a good preparation. They are selected in the order mentioned.

Punta Arenas (Nkosi Hlophe)

In the sixth over 1400m Bee My Honey has the right breeding for the poly and can follow up on his flying finish victory over 1200m last time. It is an open race and Sutherfini, Umoyana, Dream Bay, Glorious Moment and Pula can also be considered.

In the seventh over 1400m Solar Triptych races off a mark 24 points lower than his sand rating over a suitable trip from a good draw with Marcus up so is the one to beat.

In the eighth over 1400m In Other Words, who went close on debut, is well bred for the poly and has worked on the Summerveld poly, so is tipped ahead of Queen Delta, whom the Drier yard regard as a very nice horse who can improve further but who might find this a bit on the sharp side.

The Listed East Coast Cup on Sunday could be won by former SA Oaks winner Ash Cloud, who would have come on a lot from her decent effort in the Listed Scarlet Lady. Gathering Fame and Shingwedzi make most appeal of the rest.

By David Thiselton

Mike Azzie runs the consistent Brooks-Club in the Betting World 1900 at Greyville on Friday night and another Gauteng-based horse in the field is the Sean Tarry-trained Whiteline Fever.

Brooks-Club is only 1kg under sufferance with the two best weighted horses by official merit ratings, Jet Explorer and Killua Castle, and is well drawn in barrier four. He has been at Azzie’s Summerveld Champions Season yard since Sunday.

The six-year-old Strike Smartly gelding should have no problem staying the trip having finished third in the Gr 1 SA Derby over 2450m as a three-year-old, beaten just a length by dead-heaters Pomodoro and Royal Bencher. On the downside, despite being a consistent place getter, he has only won five times in a career of 40 starts and none of these victories have been in feature races. Azzie said, “He is a hard knocker and I expect him to be right there.”

Whiteline Fever is also a six-year-old gelding who has had exactly 40 starts. He has won seven times, including the Gr 2 Hawaii Stakes over 1400m twice. There is a perennial debate about his stamina capacity, as none of his wins have been beyond 1600m, although he was a touch unlucky when staying on strongly in the 2012 Vodacom Durban July. Whiteline Fever is also 1kg under sufferance with the best in and Tarry said, “He has prepped well and I am confident he will stay the distance, especially at that course.” The Right Approach gelding was due to travel down to KZN today (Thursday). Tarry would like to see Whiteline Fever being placed within striking range of the lead considering the race appears to lack pace. He was confident that Piere Strydom would be able to place him well despite a draw of nine in the sixteen horse field.

Meanwhile, Tarry’s Summerveld assistant trainer Deshone Steyn rated the yard’s three-year-old Trippi filly, In Other Words, “hard to beat” in race 8, a 1400m fillies and mares maiden on the polytrack. It will be her first time on the poly but Trippi’s progeny are known to love the surface and she has worked on the Summerveld polytrack. However, Dennis Drier rates Queen Of Thrones in this race as one of his two best runners on the night, the other being Firewood in race 4, a MR 80 Handicap over 1600m on turf.

By Dave Thiselton

Picture: Whiteline Fever (Nkosi Hlophe)

The Geoff Woodruff yard have operated on Louis The King in an attempt to not only resolve his racing issues but also to preserve his stud career.

Meanwhile, they are also happy with their Gr 2 Betting World 1900 candidate Killua Castle.

It is believed that Louis The King’s below par recent form was due to him pulling a testicle upward, which caused a lot of pain, so this testicle has now been removed.

Killua Castle will be fit from his recent runs and this big-hearted handicapper will travel down to KZN today (Thursday). He is the joint best-weighted horse in the 1900 according to official merit ratings and is drawn well in six over a suitable distance with Donavan Mansour up.

He has finished second last in both of his previous two outings at the tight Greyville circuit. However, in January he easily won the Gr 3 London News Handicap over 1800m on the tight Turffontein Inside course and that dispelled the notion that he only ever ran to his best on the galloping Turffontein Standside course. He also appears better on fast ground, so could well do better on Frday night than in his two most recent runs, which were both in soft going at Turffontein.

By Dave Thiselton

Photo: Killua Castle (JC Photo)

National Champion trainer Justin Snaith faces an important weekend at Greyville as he has two runners, Dynamic and Jet Explorer, in the Betting World 1900 on Friday night and his ruling Vodacom Durban July favourite Futura then has his Champions Season pipe opener on Sunday.Snaith believes he has now done “the groundwork” with most of his Champions Season string as they largely needed their first outings having been given breaks after the Cape Summer Of Champions Season.

He said about his two 1900 contenders, “They are both in the best form they can be and have come on plenty from their last runs. I just wish Dynamic had a better draw because I would otherwise be thinking he would win it. I think he should be in the July but this could cost him his place as this is a tight track and the draw plays a big part.”

He said Futura had been doing very well, but added, “This will be a prep run and his record shows that he always seems to need his first run.”Snaith mentioned two other weekend runners, Bianzino (Friday) and Ash Cloud (Sunday), that he thought would “run well.” His other Friday night runner, Seize The Throne, was looking a picture of health in his box and this well regarded sort should be a big runner in race 3, a MR 80 Handicap over 1600m, as he is capable of rising above his current 86 merit rating.

By Dave Thiselton

Picture: Dynamic (Liesl King)

The Paul Lafferty-trained Equus Champion colt Harry’s Son is healthy and sound but has had his last run in South Africa.

Meanwhile, the yard are happy with the preparation of their Gr 2 Betting World 1900 candidate, “the miracle horse” Double Clutch.

Harry’s son jarred his knee in the week of his intended run in the Gr 2 KRA Guineas. The heat in the knee had disappeared by the time of the race, but the yard had already scratched him knowing that he would have had to miss the finishing touches to his preparation.He will be entering quarantine at the end of the first week of July and faces an arduous five month journey via Mauritius and Europe to the UAE, where he will be a member of Lafferty’s first Dubai string.

Another candidate for the Dubai string will be Vodacom Durban July entry Run Rhino Run, whom the yard believe has as good a chance as any of winning the Gr 1 Daily News 2000.Lafferty said about this talented Silvano gelding, “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.”

Double Clutch has won his last three races, all of them over 2000m at Greyville, and has been able to quicken from the front on all three occasions. However, he was only taken to the front because there was no pace in any of those races. He had shown in his maiden win that he is capable of coming from last too. Friday night’s Betting World 1900 looks to lack pace and the yard would like to see him going handy from his wide draw.

Double Clutch was knocked sideways at one stage when winning the Listed Easter Handicap on April 10 and consequently pulled a muscle. He had to have a bout of physio, but was soon back in full work. He worked very well on the Summerveld grass on Monday and left his moderate companion way behind.The Stronghold gelding is a big, strong horse and the yard hope he can defy the handicapper yet again.Double Clutch was diagnosed with West Nile disease in the first half of last season. This is the same disease that was believed to have killed the mighty Jet Master.

Double Clutch weighed 100kg less than he does now and was close to being euthanized. The veterinarian had also advised that even if he did recover he would never race again. On one occasion the yard were unable to help him walk from his stable across a strip of concrete onto a grass patch. He was simply too weak. He eventually managed to achieve this short trip after being fitted with special foam shoes. It is quite incredible that he has won five races since making a full recovery from his illness and is an entry in the country’s premier race the Vodacom Durban July.

By Dave Thiselton

Picture: Double Clutch (Nkosi Holphe)