Gavin van Zyl runs the Kahal gelding No Worries in the Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge and this strapping chestnut is the quiet fancy of more than a few to win the big one, the Vodacom Durban July.
This 111-merit rated five-year-old finished a gallant 2,25 length third in the Gr 1 President’s Champions Challenge over 2000m at Turffontein last time out and as things stand will be considerably better off in the July weights with both the winner Wylie Hall and the runner up Majmu, although he does risk punishment from the handicapper if going close on Saturday considering he is up against the like of 120 merit-rated Futura and 117 merit-rated Legislate.
Van Zyl said, “That last run was only six weeks ago, so we were able to keep him going. He is in a good space at present and I make him a runner. We won’t be burning him up in front as this is also a preparation for the July, so we will be looking slot him in, although he is a versatile type and if we can get a soft lead we will take it.”
No Worries jumps from a slightly tricky draw of eight in the 12 horse field.
However, there has been no sign of the headstrong antics which affected his performances in his early four-year-old career. This has in part been due to the fine partnership he has struck up with the talented young jockey and horseman Keagan de Melo.
No Worries already has three Gr 1 places at Greyville. He showed as a three-year-old here that he is capable of producing flying finishes from the back of the field, so his current reputation as a front-runner is a bit misleading.
Van Zyl runs the three-year-old Horse Chestnut filly Banbury in the Gr 2 Tibouchina over 1400m, where she has to overcome the widest draw of all in the 12 horse field. Her Gr 3 Fillies Mile win at Turffontein now looks good on paper, having beaten the subsequent Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 winner Smart Call. Last time out she was beaten four lengths over Saturday’s course and distance by Maybe Yes in a conditions event and now faces her on 1,5kg worse term, but she did need that run quite badly and Van Zyl said, “She is fine and been working well and we expect her to get closer to Maybe Yes than she did last time.” Banbury has a good turn of foot, but is the type that needs cover, so the draw will be tricky for jockey Warren Kennedy.
The yard run the Judpot gelding Rocketball in the Listed Gatecrasher Stakes over 1400m. He appeared to relish the turf surface in his third career outing last time out when coming from off the pace to win over course and distance. The form was franked as the narrow runner up King’s Knight won next time out over 1200m on the poly. Van Zyl said, “He is not a great track horse but good horses often don’t sparkle at home. He will need to improve three lengths to run a place but I expect him to do so through normal progression. This is unchartered territory and only the race will tell how good he is.”
By David Thiselton
Picture: No Worries (Nkosi Hlophe)
