Jockey legend and now Summerveld trainer Michael Roberts has four runners and a reserve on Vodacom Durban July day, including one Gr 1 contestant.

He said about Gr 1 Durban Golden Horseshoe runner Vous Et Var, “Unfortunately he kept on drawing wide in the races winners can run in and I think he’s going to make into a nice three-year-old, so I didn’t want run him and mess him up. He has finally cracked a good draw but it’s a tough one and if he ran in the first half I would be over the moon.”

Vous Et Var (Nkosi Hlophe)

He runs Natal and Durban Blues in the KZN Yearling Sale Million and said, “Natal won very impressively and is a smart horse. Durban Blues has been a nice filly. I would like both of them to get a slice of the cake but I would think Natal is the preference.”

He runs Spectrum mare Alina in the second, a 1400m fillies and mares handicap on the polytrack, and this is her favourite course and distance. He said, “She loves the poly and has been very consistent on it. She likes running fresh so I expect a good run from her. Unfortunately she’s not drawn the greatest but she has a lot of gate speed.”

Theseus is first reserve in the eThekwini Sprint over 1200m on the poly and he said, “He’s a decent animal and is seven to ten pounds off the top sprinters. He won well and then went a bit off but I was happy with his last run. If he gets in I will think of putting blinkers on and he will have a squeak.”

By David Thiselton

VDJ betting now open: Jackpot ONE Leg 1 starts in race 5 – estimated pool R2,1million.