Alec Laird’s Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 winner Smart Call lines up in the Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes over 1600m on Vodacom Durban July day and could be the dark horse in a vintage field.

Smart Call (Nkosi Hlophe)

Neil Bruss also has a talented runner in this race in Red Flame.

Laird’s assistant trainer at Summerveld Julia Pringle said about Ideal World filly Smart Call, “She’s good and will be okay over the trip as long as they don’t go too slow. We’ve freshened her up. She’s a very sound, solid filly.”

The interesting point is that she won the Woolavington largely due to a change of tactics. After being held up off the pace she not only displayed a fine turn of foot but also a resolute finish. She beat the like of July contenders Pine Princess and Tamaanee as well as dual Gr 1-winner Inara, so having finished a two length third to Siren’s Call in the Gr 2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas with front-running tactics, it will be interesting to see how she goes over the same trip when employing the new tactics.

Bruss’s Jet Master filly Red Flame is not far off the best of a fine generation of milers. Her fine turn of foot makes her suited to Greyville. She moved up from a handy position and stayed on well in the Gr 2 Tibouchina over1400m last time out. She was only two lengths back at the line, although she will now be 1kg worse off with the winner Hammie’s Hooker. She will prefer this trip and, having her third run after a rest, Bruss confirmed she was “spot on.” He said the same about Tiger Tiger, who contests the tenth race.

By David Thiselton

VDJ betting now open: PA Leg 1 starts in race 3  – estimated pool R 3.6 million.