Former National Champion Trainer Justin Snaith will be arriving at Summerveld in about a week’s time with an SA Champions Season string of 22, which he said would be one of the strongest teams he had ever sent to KZN.

Snaith said a decision had been taken halfway through the Cape Summer to rest some of the yard’s top horses and save them for the Champions Season, because little had been going right for the yard at the time. There is nowhere to gallop horses on the grass in Cape Town at present, so the string will arrive in KZN earlier than usual in order to make use of the Summerveld grass. Snaith will have a strong hand in the Vodacom Durban July.

Justin Snaith(Left) Bela-Bela(Right) – Tracy Robertson

The like of It’s My Turn, Black Arthur, Elusive Silva, Zodiac Ruler, Prince Of Wales and Star Express will likely be among the yard’s entries. It’s My Turn, a Dynasty gelding who won last season’s Gr 1 Investec Cape Derby and finished fourth in the July, had a fair Cape Summer Of Champions Season. He finished a 2,4 length third to subsequent Sun Met winner Whisky Baron in the Gr 2 Peninsula Handicap over 1800m, despite giving the latter 1kg. He then finished a 5,6 length eighth in the Met, where he carried a 2kg Gr 1 penalty. He had few excuses in the Met, although could have got closer if not having to be switched inward. His connections will be glad to hear Whisky Baron is off overseas and that Met fourth-placed Gold Standard is unlikely to make it to KZN in time for the July.

Snaith said the Silvano four-year-old Black Arthur, who came from last to win the Gr 2 Canon Guineas last year before finishing seventh in the July, had done “very well” with a recent rest and gelding. It’s My Turn and Black Arthur are merit rated 106 and 104 respectively, a nice base from which to work.

Elusive Silva, a Silvano colt who has been rested since winning the Gr 3 Winter Derby over 2400m at Kenilworth last June, is merit rated only 93. However, he is described as a “very nice horse” by Snaith. He certainly showed a fantastic turn of foot in his Winter Derby win, coming from near last in a slow run race. He beat none other than Whisky Baron by 3,15 lengths, although that was the latter’s final run before career-transforming gelding.

Zodiac Ruler is an Australian-bred by Zoffany who showed his liking for Greyville last year by winning the Gr 2 Durban Golden Horseshoe over 1400m. He finished runner up in this year’s Cape Derby. He set the pace and fought back after being overtaken in the straight, so will get the July trip.

Prince Of Wales is a four-year-old gelding by Dynasty who has been rested since running an eye-catching one length fourth in the Gr 2 Premier Trophy over 1800m. He looks to be a horse to follow.

Zodiac Ruler (Nkosi Hlophe)

Star Express, a four-year-old Silvano mare, finished strongly for a narrow second in the Gr 1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes over 1600m on Met day. She has won easily over 2000m before, so can go for either the July or the Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes.

Meanwhile, the yard’s champion filly Bela-Bela’s inclusion in the string is still to be finalised. It is likely she will be going to KZN and it will be no surprise to see her avoiding the July this year in favour of the Garden Province. The yard will be well represented in the sprint division by Sergeant Hardy and Bishop’s Bounty, as well as the filly Jo’s Bond. The admirable pair Krambambuli and Ovidio, first and third in the Gr 2 Cape Stayers over 2800m on Met day, head the staying team along with Listed Settler’s Trophy-winning filly Francia.

Copper Force, a Royal Air Force gelding who finished second in the US$500,000 CTS Mile, is described by Snaith as a “very nice horse and one to watch.” He will take part in the three-year-old classics. Gimmethegreenlight filly Gimme Six, third in the Prix du Cap, will go for the Fillies classics. Dynasty filly Qing disappointed the yard during the summer, but will be tried in fillies staying features during the Champions Season.

Snaith only brings two two-year-olds. Sir Frenchie is an Australian-bred speedster by Choisir, who has won two out of three starts. Captain Al filly Esteemal is described by Snaith as “the right type of horse for Durban.” The Snaiths will be using their facebook to provide the public with information per runner before every meeting.

By David Thiselton