David Thiselton

The Grade 3 Jubilee Handicap, run over 1800m at Turffontein today, is a traditional Vodacom Durban July pointer and this year it could fall to a horse who has already booked his place, the Stuart Pettigrew-trained ExpressfromtheUS.  

He has to carry topweight but regular physiotherapy has helped bring the best out of this horse and his class could carry him to victory with topweight of 61.5kg.

Chijmes produced a late charge over 1400m in his first start for the Johan Janse van Vuuren yard so will be interesting here if the same hold up tactics are employed from a wide draw as he is more suited to this trip. 

Bingwa is drawn well over a suitable trip. He is capable of winning this, having won two of his last three starts and having finished third in the Dingaans and fifth to top three-year-olds four times this season.

Running Brave has Greg Cheyne aboard, a hint that he will ride her in the July. Her last run was all wrong as she did not break well and then took hold of the bit and over-raced. When she settles in front of smallish fields like this, she proves difficult to overtake, so she has a fine chance if bouncing back to her best.

Johnny Hero has a fair draw over a suitable trip and has snuck into the handicap with the minimum weight so he also has to be included.

Green Haze lost by a quarter of a length to Johnny Hero last time over this trip on the Inside track and is half-a-kilogram worse off if apprentice claims are ignored and 3kg worse off is they are considered. However, there is a reversal in draw fortunes as he is now drawn in pole. He has won over this course and distance before.

Jet Start is an in and out horse but if it pans out well for her she can beat fields like this. However, a wide draw does not augur well for her.

Pack Leader has become as disappointing on the Highveld as he was in the Cape and KZN but he does have the ability so is another who can’t be ignored.

Shango is a former Dingaans winner who has been beset by problems since then. However, he has his third start after a long rest and gelding so is another who is difficult to ignore. Christopher Robin has not been seen since February but is course and distance suited. He enjoys rain softened ground but is unlikely to get it according to the sunny weather forecast. Oyster King has improved but is way out at the weights and will have to improve again.