Vardy, 5-2 favourite for Sunday week’s Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge, has come on considerably since his reappearance third in the Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes according to Adam Marcus.

The Milnerton trainer, based at Summerveld for most of the KZN season, said on Wednesday: “His Drill Hall run might have looked a little disappointing at first glance but it had been so difficult to plan preparations for these horses without knowing when racing was going to continue. He hadn’t had a racecourse gallop and was going into the Drill Hall off one grass gallop at Summerveld and some sand work. Also he had never been on a clockwise turn.

“He was a little bit above himself on the day and he travelled a bit hard which is not like him – he usually comes from further back. The race did him the world of good and he has responded to it exceptionally well. He has tightened up beautifully and so far his preparation has been very good.”

Craig Zackey again has the mount on the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate winner at Hollywoodbets Greyville while Donovan Dillon will partner stable companion Twist Of Fate.

This represents a change of plan for last year’s Vodacom Durban July third as Marcus had planned to keep him away from the big weight-for-age races in his build-up to the July.

He explained: “In the WSB Cup Trial he was going to be handicapped out of it because several of the higher-rated horses are running in the Gold Challenge and, although he is looking for more ground than a mile, I feel he needs another run under his belt before the big one.”

Missisippi Burning is second favourite for the 1 400m Tibouchina on Sunday week but the WSB Cape Fillies Guineas and KZN Fillies Guineas winner is also second favourite for the Woolavington 2000 on the same card – and she may not run in either race!

Marcus explained: “She is drawn wide (17) in the Tibouchina so that is doubtful and, while we are still making a final decision, my gut feeling is that 2 000m is too far for her.

“She has done us proud and she owes us nothing so I want to put her in races where I know it’s the correct distance and things are in her favour. She is KZN-bred so the KZN Breeders Million Mile on July 19 could be a possibility.

Friday is an important day for Grant van Niekerk as the licencing board is to meet to consider his application for the renewal of his South African licence.

According to the sahorseracing website he will not be able to resume until August 1 but he could be back quite soon if all goes well on Friday.

He has already been given a clearance letter by the Hong Kong Jockey Club who dismissed him in early April following a domestic dispute on Jockey Club property. As he has since explained himself, and apologised, on social media he will be anxious to put this episode behind him and resume race-riding as soon as possible.

He had been doing particularly well in Hong Kong at the time, was fifth on the log with 37 winners and was becoming much in demand with local owners and trainers.  

By Michael Clower

The Turffontein Standside meeting today (Thursday) consists purely of plate races, including seven Maidens, but there is still some good class racing to look forward to in the four Juvenile events. 

Mike De Kock has two first-timers by the promising Australian sire Deep Field in the first two events and both have been installed as favourite. 

In the third Stuart Pettigrew has an exciting prospect in the Var filly Anything Goes, who is a half-sister to the Grade 1 SA Classic runner up Green Laser. She has plenty of substance and came from way back to win on debut over 1450m after dwelling at the start. She faces some well performed types here 

Place Accumulator: (R216)
Leg 1: 1,2,4
Leg 2: 4,2,3
Leg 3: 10,6,7
Leg 4: 2,10
Leg 5: 2
Leg 6: 12,1
Leg 7: 10,1

Pick 6: (R1080)
Leg 1: 4,2,3,9
Leg 2: 10,6,7,11,3
Leg 3: 2,10,6
Leg 4: 2,1,3
Leg 5: 12,1
Leg 6: 10,1,11

Jackpot: (R90)
Leg 1: 10,6,7,11,3
Leg 2: 2,10,6
Leg 3: 2,1,3
Leg 4: 12,1

Best Bet:
Race 7: 2

Value Bet:
Race 3: 1

By David Thiselton

To take a bet go to www.tabgold.co.za or www.trackandball.co.za

Rainbow Bridge put up an impressive looking gallop on the Hollywoodbets Greyville polytrack this morning under national champion jockey elect Warren Kennedy.

Trainer Eric Sands said Kennedy would be given the pick of his two big guns, the half-brothers Rainbow Bridge and Golden Ducat, for the Vodacom Durban July.

Sands felt Rainbow Bridge’s companion today, the Brett Crawford-trained CTS 1600 winner Count Jack, had eased himself out of it when challenged by Rainbow Bridge at the top of the straight and added, “So we still have a bit of work to do.”

Visually Rainbow Bridge’s gallop looked outstanding as he pulled away from Count Jack effortlessly to win by many lengths.

The five-year-old Ideal World gelding had suffered a respiratory infection upon arrival at Summerveld this season but looked alert and happy in the parade ring today both before and after the gallop. 

The Grade 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge is to be run on June 28 and Rainbow Bridge will be looking to better his third place finish last season. 

Some would wonder how a gallop on the polytrack would help him in his preparation as his big races will be on turf, but the intensity of a gallop on a racecourse coupled with the excitement of being on the float to the course and in the parade ring is able to bring a horse on a lot more than a gallop at home.  

Sands’ Grade 1 Woolavington 2000 hopeful Driving Miss Daisy had worked earlier with the Crawford-trained Kelpie.

Sands said he had hoped they would have gone a bit harder than they did as Driving Miss Daisy had needed “trimming up.”

He will therefore have to give her two or three more fast workouts before that big race date, also on June 28.

Driving Miss Daisy was runner up in both the Grade 1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas and Grade 1 Cartier Paddock Stakes and looked to need it when finishing ninth in the Grade 2 WSB Fillies Guineas at Hollywoodbets Greyville recently. 

Meanwhile, Grade 1 Cape Derby winner Golden Ducat is doing well ahead of the Grade 1 Daily News 2000, which will also be run on June 28. 

By David Thiselton

WORLD SPORTS BETTING 1900

The Covid-19 virus has turned the world upside down including the schedule of feature races for South Africa’s Champion Season. However, Gold Circle have managed to schedule an innovative new programme that allows structured build-up for horses into the major features.

The World Sports Betting 1900 has always been an important stepping stone into the Vodacom Durban July and as such has attracted a high-class field for the race to be run at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday, June 20.

Although not the last chance saloon for VDJ hopefuls, victory in the WSB 1900 on Saturday will almost certainly ensure automatic entry into the country’s biggest race as a dozen of the 13 runners  hold entries for the VDJ so there is a lot at stake.

Justin Snaith has kept the wraps on his charge Belgarion, who is the likely favourite come Saturday. Snaith has hopes of qualifying him for the VDJ with minimum possible weight and a win on Saturday will probably see the gelding on ice until the big race.

Other notable entries are the mare Camphoratus, sixth in last year’s VDJ, the highly rated Duke Of Spin, Born To Perform, a son of former VDJ winner Dancer’s Daughter, Crown Towers and Eyes Wide Open who races as a gelding this season.

Stephen Marshall, Gold Circle Marketing Executive was appreciative of the World Sports Betting sponsorship. “World Sports Betting have become a significant sponsorship partner of Gold Circle. With their presence as an on-course bookmaker pre Covid-19 and with their sponsorship of the WSB Guineas, WSB Fillies Guineas and the prestigious WSB 1900, they have shown their commitment to the sport of horseracing in KwaZulu-Natal. Gold Circle appreciates their support, especially during these trying times,” he said.

Journalist: Andrew Harrison.

Kommetdieding could prove to be one of the biggest bargains in last year’s Klawervlei Farm Sale after running out a convincing winner of the R225 000 Graduate Race  on debut at Kenilworth on Tuesday.

The Elusive Fort colt cost Ashwin Reynolds a mere R55 000 and he started at 16-1 but Sihle Cele’s mount proved two lengths too strong for hot favourite Tanzanite Queen with 30-1 shot Captain Dizzy all of four and a half lengths back third.

Michelle Rix, asked if the win came as a surprise, replied: “Definitely not. He opened at 25-1 and there was money for him. We have always known that he was special and we have thought highly of him from day one – although we were worried that he might jump a little slowly, not having been to the track before.”

Glen Kotzen might have been out of luck with Tanzanite Queen but he could do little wrong early on, winning three of the first four races even though victory didn’t always come from the one he expected.

Fairy Warrior was the one he – and most punters  – thought would win the Kuda Maiden Juvenile but the 5-2 favourite managed only fifth behind 33-1 newcomer My Bestie. “Mr Kotzen told me to school My Bestie and give him a good experience,” said Sandile Mbhele. “But he was travelling comfortably and picked up nicely.”

“I have always loved this colt but I was a bit disappointed with the favourite Fairy Warrior,” admitted Kotzen. “Last time he came from off them, and I don’t know why Morne Winnaar took him to the front today. He said the horse was very green up front – and I’m not surprised.”

Winnaar, though, was soon back in the Woodhill trainer’s good books  with first reserve Caya Coco leading a furlong out to spring a 16-1 surprise in the www.proboost.co.za Maiden Juvenile. “This is a smart filly and we have rated her from day one,” said the trainer. “But first time they walked out of the pens and her run was too bad to be true.”

Kotzen’s stable jockey promptly doubled up with Flower Of Saigon who led just under a furlong out for owner-breeders Martin Wickens and Gisela Burg in the Coup De Grace/Snaith Racing Maiden Juvenile.

Justin Snaith reached his 16^th successive century with Parktown (Richard Fourie’s 86^th winner of the season) and Spirit Festival who was ridden by Winnaar’s son Joshwin Solomons in the last.

Robert Khathi rode a fine waiting race in front on the Michael Robinson-trained Sudden Star in the New Turf Maiden, keeping more than enough in reserve for the final furlong.

Horses of tremendous potential seldom make their debuts in work rider races but Look To appears something special, leading over a furlong out in the Cornerstone Vet & Vetscape Maiden to score by a staggering nine and a half lengths under Lungisani Geledu.

Adele Allsop, Vaughan Marshall’s assistant, said: “We thought highly of her as a two-year-old but she got injured and had to have an operation. She is a lovely filly.”

When Peter Wrench ran Troop The Colour under a huge amount of sufferance in the Kenilworth Cup the handicappers raised the five-year-old a staggering 13 points and some knowledgeable critics said the horse would never win again. But it only took him two runs, and a five-point drop, to spring a 10-1 surprise under Ossie Noach in the Vaughan Marshall Racing Handicap.

By Michael Clower