Defending champion Matador Man’s defection to the Vodacom Durban July next Saturday has left the door open for the filly Dawn Calling in the KZN Breeders Million Mile.

Runner-up to Matador Man last year, Duncan Howells has been meticulous in his planning for this event, and the filly will strip at her peak tomorrow.

Dawn Calling does her best at Greyville, her last win coming at the expense of the smart Ngaga in a Pinnacle Stakes. More recent was her close-up sixth in the Tibouchina Stakes behind The Secret Is Out after jumping from a difficult outside draw.

She takes on males here but this time has drawn three off the fence and she could take some catching.

Africa Rising has been lightly raced this term, having only his fourth start and his third after returning from a lengthy break. He would appear to have some issues but his last start was in the Hawaii Stakes so he does take a slight drop in class.

London Call is the best in at the weights but Mark Dixon’s runner appears best down the Scottsville straight where he has recorded 10 of his 11 victories. That said, he has won at Greyville but steps up in trip for the first time.

Unagi and Romany Prince come into the race with solid Highveld form and must rate chances while the improving Scrabble ran a cracking sprint behind the smart mare Isingamoya last time out and should prefer this trip.

The Million Mile is the only race on the turf with the balance of the card all on the poly track. The entire meeting is restricted to KZN-bred horses, each race carrying a stake of R200k, and punters are faced with a competitive card.

Isingamoya, racing in blinkers for the first time, got the better of the progressive Scrabble last time out and can follow up in the opening leg of the PA but she has to give the younger Victory Trip a hefty 8kg in the handicap which may be beyond her. Victory Trip trialled well behind the smart Traces in her latest visit to a race course and she boasts smart poly form. But it is a wide open affair with visiting runners Covered In Snow and Ouro unlikely to go down without a fight.

Wynkelder, third to Sniper Shot and Sunset Eyes in the Post Merchants, looks the part in the fourth with Hard To Play, Cumulus and Amazon King the obvious dangers.

Only six runners are carded for the fifth and if Wynkelder obliges, Tony Rivalland can pull off a quick double with the ever game Al Ciberano who has some useful poly form, albeit mostly over shorter. But he does have to five Fieldmarshal Fenix 5kg and Sean Tarry’s gelding was staying on nicely over 1200m at Scottsville last time out and can do better over this trip.

The sixth is something of a punter’s nightmare but Mighty Valdie has come good at his last two starts down the Vaal straight and was a touch unlucky behind Infamous Fox.

Champenois and Kahula make most appeal in the eighth and Mark Dixon can round off the afternoon with Fantasy Lady who is way better than her last effort in the soft.

By Andrew Harrison