Rising star Katak is only third highest-rated in the Legal Eagle Stakes – the new name for the Winter Classic – at Kenilworth on Saturday week.

The handicappers raised the unbeaten Piet Steyn-trained colt 7.5kg for his impressive performance in last week’s Kuda Variety Club Mile (formerly the Winter Guineas) but that still puts him 1.5kg behind Silver Host and Super Silvano who were beaten nearly six lengths and nine lengths in the Kuda.

The Justin Snaith-trained Politician winner Silver Host has already been declared for the Legal Eagle and will again be ridden by Richard Fourie while Robert Khathi will be on stable companion Bayberry.  Snaith has won four of the last 12 runnings of the Winter Classic while Fourie will be bidding for his fourth win in the race following Alvaro in 2008, Why Worry (2012) and Rainbow Bridge two years ago.

Snaith has also declared four for the Ladies Mile on the same card – Esteemal (Fourie), Duchess Of Bourbon (Khathi), Dynamic Diana and Fortune Flies – as well as three for the Stormsvlei Stakes, the second leg of the fillies winter series – Flatware (Fourie), Honey Pie (Khathi) and Double Reward – and three for the Olympic Duel: Queen Of Quiet (Fourie), Casino Queen (Khathi) and Fleeced.

By Michael Clower

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Mike de Kock looks set to have a fine day at Turffontein and has been tipped to win the first four races and finish second in the eighth.

De Kock kicks off with the first-timer Regent in a 1450m maiden. He is a full-brother to Grade 1 winner Eyes Wide Open and would not have to be a superstar to win this race. The hard-knocking Dark Tide and the progressive Dogliotti, who both went close in their first runs after lockdown over 1200m and 1450m respectively, look to be the chief dangers.

In the second race over 1450m De Kock’s charge Integrity has a tricky draw but will relish the step up in trip being by Flower Alley and having finished strongly for a close second over 1200m. 

In the third over 1450m Peaceontherocks has four seconds and one third in her last five starts and should finally get it right here in this uninspiring field, although the improving Nu Bell will make a bold bid to keep her in the second box. 

In the fourth race over 2000m Barak is drawn in pole and on pedigree this promising sort should relish the step up in trip being by Master Of My Fate out of a Captain Al mare who won over this trip. 

De Kock should also go close in the eighth with Flaming Duchess who is by Duke Of Marmalade so should be improving all the time. She is going for a hattrick in 1600m event.  

By David Thiselton

Eden Roc, in contention for Champion Two-year-old last season, had been winless this term but that all changed today (Saturday) when Stuart Randolph produced him with a telling late effort to land the Grade 2 Post Merchants. It was a triumphant return to Hollywoodbets Scottsville, the scene of his Grade 1 Gold Medallion victory.

With Sean Tarry’s first-choice riders, Lyle Hewitson, successful on Eden Roc last year, and Luke Ferraris still holed up in Gauteng, locally based Randolph picked up the mount and delivered a copybook ride.

Sitting mid-field for the early exchanges he asked Eden Roc to start picking it up with about 400 m to run. At this stage Invidia appeared to be travelling best of all and a likely winner 200m out, but the red light was flashing empty when Eden Roc swept past to score comfortably with Cartel Captain third and Warrior’s Rest making it a memorable afternoon for winning owner Chris van Niekerk.

The Grade 1 Golden Horse Sprint on July 4 is an obvious next target.

Vernichey, who zipped home in a 900m scurry on debut, took a steep rise in class in her stride when she out-gunned the more fancied pair of Slalom Queen and hot favourite Delta Queen in the Grade 3 Strelitzia Stakes.

Showing signs of ring-rust after a nearly six-month break since her debut win, Warren Kenney had the devil’s own task of keeping his mount straight and hard to her task when he asked for an effort. Fortunately, he managed to clear the runners on his inside before allowing his mount to shift in towards Slalom Queen and Delta Queen who were battling it out on the inside rail. Slalom Queen kept Delta Queen at bay all the way to the line but was not able to hold off the late effort from Vernichey.

Trained by Gareth van Zyl for Kestorm Investments with Kenneth Pillay as nominee, Vernichey is now two-from-two and primed for a crack at the Grade 1 Allan Robertson to be run at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Saturday, July 4.

Dennis Drier is a master at preparing his two-year-olds for the Grade 1 Gold Medallion, a race that he has won eight times, and he served notice that his runners will again be a force to be reckoned with on the fourth of July, saddling the first two past the post in the Grade 3 Godolphin Barb Stakes. Tempting Fate came in for some strong market support and it proved to be money on the button as Sean Veale put in a typically powerful ride to get Tempting Fate home ahead of stable companion Pray For Rain who gave the starter a few grey hairs as he played up in the gate before being re-loaded and jumping on terms.

Ante-post favourite Joseph Barry, proved friendless in the market which proved prophetic. Although handy for much of the race, he was just not able to go on with his effort when it counted. Obviously a little short of peak fitness, he is likely to come on lengths from this race.

Pretty Young thing gave her older rivals a galloping lesson in the Grade 3 Poinsettia Stakes and was the easiest feature race winner on the afternoon. Anton Marcus had Brett Crawford’s filly on the bridle for much of the race and when given her head, the daughter of Jackson accelerated away from her rivals, leaving them like corks bobbing in her wake with Master Keys, mostly ignored up the inside fence rattling him for second and edge out pacemaker Captain’s Girl. Owned by Ridgemont, nominee Wayne Kieswetter and bred at the Kieswetter-owner Highlands Farm Stud, Pretty Young Thing was recording her fifth win from ten outings and could well have the Grade 1 SA Fillies Sprint on her agenda.

By Andrew Harrison

Anthony Andrews expects to be out action for the best part of three months as a result of the injuries he suffered in the pens when Cape Town racing resumed at Kenilworth last week.

His mount in race three, the Glen Kotzen newcomer Magical Midlands, somehow got his leg stuck over the foot barrier and Andrews’ right leg was painfully crushed between the horse and the framework. He also dislocated his left thumb.

Finding out exactly what was damaged proved a long process – “Because of Covid-19 everything has to be sterilised and so they only do a certain amount of MRI scans at the Mediclinic,” he reports.

The scans revealed a partial tear of a ligament in his right knee and a Grade 1 sprain of the main ligament. “They put me into a knee brace as any side movement could tear the ligament. That would mean an operation and eight months off.

“I have been doing physiotherapy and the specialist said that in 12 weeks I will be able to be back on a horse but I am hoping to be race-riding then. It’s extremely tough as I had some nice horses that I was looking forward to but at least I don’t have to have an op this time so there is that little bit of light at the end of the tunnel.”

Andrews, 31, was referring to his previous bad pens accident in April 2018 when his right foot was similarly squeezed and ligaments damaged while his right shoulder required an operation. He was out for months.

Magical Midlands, scratched by the starter, will now make his debut in the valuable Klawervlei Farm Sale Graduate Race at Kenilworth on Tuesday but the runner Andrews will be watching even more closely is stable companion Tanzanite Queen. He rode her on debut last week, she finished a highly encouraging second and will be one of the favourites on Tuesday.e

Bernard Fayd’Herbe hopes to be back in action by the end of the month. He has been undergoing rehab as a result of the freak lower back spasm he suffered when going down to the start at Kenilworth in February. He recovered sufficiently to win the SA Classic on Got The Greenlight in early March but then heeded his specialist’s advice to take a break.

By Michael Clower

Hat-trick seeking Do It Again tops the initial log for the 2020 Vodacom Durban July which will be run at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday 25 July 2020. Apart from Do It Again, all of Rainbow Bridge, Vardy, Soqrat and Hawwaam boast an official rating of 130+ and these occupy the next four positions on the log which was issued by Gold Circle today. A total of 52 entries were received at the first stage and the log identifies the top 20 with the next five listed in alphabetical order. With a number of critically important features due to be run over the next few weeks, the log could be subject to significant change and will be updated during the first week of July.

Three year olds Golden Ducat and Gotthegreenlight have cemented their places in the Vodacom Durban July line-up courtesy of their respective victories in the Cape Derby and SA Classic.

Ends

VODACOM DURBAN JULY (Grade 1)
R 1,500,000  2200m
WFA: 3yrs-2.0kgs
1	DO IT AGAIN	(5G)	135	Justin Snaith
2	VARDY	(4G)	134	Adam Marcus
3	RAINBOW BRIDGE	(5G)	134	Eric Sands
4	HAWWAAM	(4C)	131	Mike de Kock
5	SOQRAT (AUS)	(4C)	133	Mike de Kock
6	GOT THE GREENLIGHT	(3C)	116	Joe Soma
7	GOLDEN DUCAT	(3G)	110	Eric Sands
8	TWIST OF FATE	(4C)	129	Adam Marcus
9	BUNKER HUNT	(4G)	124	Justin Snaith
10	BELGARION	(4G)	113	Justin Snaith
11	SHANGO	(3C)	118	Sean Tarry
12	CHIJMES	(4G)	120	Gary Alexander
13	SNAPSCAN	(4F)	118	Glen Kotzen
14	PADRE PIO	(3G)	110	Dennis Bosch
15	SACHDEV	(3G)	108	Justin Snaith
16	TIERRA DEL FUEGO	(4C)	124	Sean Tarry
17	SILVANO’S PRIDE	(4F)	115	Justin Snaith
18	EYES WIDE OPEN	(5G)	116	Glen Kotzen
19	CAMPHORATUS	(5M)	111	R A Hill/S R Hill
20	MIYABI GOLD	(5M)	115	Justin Snaith
NEXT 5 IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER
DIVINE ODYSSEY	(5G)	114	J A Janse van Vuuren
HERO’S HONOUR	(5G)	117	Gary Alexander
MAGNIFICENT SEVEN	(5G)	114	Justin Snaith
ROY HAD ENOUGH (AUS)	(5H)	115	Frank Robinson
ROY’S RIVIERA (AUS)	(5M)	111	Frank Robinson