The two Gr 1 events at Greyville tomorrow, the Daily News 2000 and the Woolavington 2000, will be significant Vodacom Durban July pointers as usual, while the Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup will provide some clues for the eLan Gold Cup.

Rabada looks the horse to beat in an open looking Daily News, having stayed on from a handy position for a close second in the Canon Guineas, despite having to be used up early to overcome a wide draw and then lying handy in a fast paced race. His staying on sixth in the Politician Stakes over 1800m at Kenilworth when carrying a welter burden provided further evidence he would stay this trip.

It’s My Turn’s Investec Cape Derby victory has worked out exceptionally well and he would have benefitted from his Canon Guineas run in which he was outpaced early and then ran wide.

Samurai Blade has a tough draw but relaxes well in the running and looks a type who will continue to improve. He could get up late for a top three finish after producing a sustained finish from the back.

New Predator (Nkosi Hlophe)

New Predator would likely be the first choice if there were no stamina doubts. He was sent for home at the top of the long straight of Turffontein in the Gr 1 weight for age HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes and was only just run out of the second spot, so he should get the 2000m here on an easier course and if ridden more conservatively.

Rocketball is drawn in pole and has to go into the equation after new hold up tactics did the trick in the SA Derby, where he stayed on strongly from the back and only just failed to spoil Abashiri’s SA Triple Crown party.

Celtic Captain is on the up having recently been gelded and being out of a mare who won over 2400m looks likely to relish the trip. He looked up at the TV when quickening well to hit the front in the Canon Guineas and a repeat is unlikely, so he is the dark horse from a good draw.

Brooklyn Brawler showed a fine turn of foot when winning easily last time over 1600m at Greyville and being by Dynasty should stay the trip. Prospect Strike ran a fine race in the Canon Guineas considering he used up so much energy out wide in the first half of the race.

Liege is an improving sort who should love the trip. Mambo Mime stayed on well for third in the Canon Guineas, but the question will be whether he will stay the trip, especially from a wide draw of 13.

Ten Gun Salute was doing good work late for fourth in the Canon Guineas and is a half-brother to a Gr 3 winner in Australia over 2500m, so should do well from a fair draw having enjoyed a good preparation.

Bankable Teddy could surprise if reproducing his easy Listed Derby Trial win over this trip. Trading Profit could earn if reproducing his 1800m run on Guineas day at Turffontein.  Redcarpet Captain looks to have a stamina doubt, while Stebbins likely prefers further. Sylvester The Cat is talented but enigmatic and has a stamina doubt.

Rabada is selected to beat It’s My Turn with Samurai Blade, New Predator and Rocketball next best.

Bela-Bela (Nkosi Hlophe)

The Woolavington looks to be a boat race between Nightingale and Bela-Bela at first sight, but there are some up and coming sorts who could spoil the party. Nightingale is the selection as one who looks to be wanting this trip.

The classy Bela-Bela might be better over a touch shorter. Witchcraft should be staying all the way to the line and her last run in the SA Oaks when caught wide throughout can be ignored.

Negroamaro stayed on for third from a handy position in the Daisy Fillies Guineas and her second place in the SA Fillies Classic suggests she should get this trip. She could cause an upset from a plum draw. Flying Ice stayed on for fourth in the Daisy Fillies Guineas and should enjoy the 2000m.

Gauteng Fillies Guineas-winner Heaps Of Fun’s SA Classic run can be ignored as she pulled up with strained muscles, but there must still be a slight stamina doubt. Fortissima stayed on very well for second in the SA Oaks and Anton Marcus is a significant booking.

Adorada ran a cracker behind Gallica Rose and Deputy Ryder in the Scarlet Lady over 1750m, running on after being dropped out from a similarly wide draw.

Nightingale is tipped to beat Bela-Bela with Witchcraft, Negoroamaro and Fortissima next best.

Solar Star looks one of the best bets of the meeting in the Lonsdale, despite Anthony Delpech jumping ship to Balance Sheet. Solar Star has caught the eye this season in KZN and nearly won the Highland Night Cup last time over this trip despite over racing. The blinkers are now off and Stuart Randolph is up from a fair draw of eight.

David Thiselton

The two chief protagonists in the Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 at Greyville this Saturday, the Justin Snaith-trained Bela-Bela and the Mike Bass-trained Nightingale, are doing well ahead of the big race and so are Snaith’s two Gr 1 Daily News 2000 runners, It’s My Turn and Brooklyn Brawler.

Meanwhile, Snaith said the ruling Vodacom Durban July favourite Black Arthur, who is avoiding the Daily News and going straight into the big one, will have a gallop at Greyville before the first race on Saturday pending permission from the course manager.

Snaith said about his three Gr 1 runners for the Daily News meeting, “I couldn’t be happier with them, there have been no hiccups. It is now just down to luck in running.”

Snaith had been confident before Dynasty filly Bela-Bela’s Gr 2 Daisy Fillies Guineas victory three weeks ago, pointing out nothing had gone right for her when soundly beaten by Silver Mountain in the Gr 1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas, and she had subsequently proven her class by running third in the “strongest form race of the Cape season”, the Gr 1 Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes. She had also been putting in phenomenal work at Summerveld.

Summerveld (Supplied)

Bass assistant trainer Robert Fayd’Herbe said, “Nightingale is fit and well and the jockey is confident.”

Jockey Grant van Niekerk seemed quietly confident, but was fully aware of the toughness of the task.

Nightingale lost a bit of momentum in the straight of the Daisy Fillies Guineas when having to be switched outward off the heels of a slowing horse. Bela-Bela did not have a clear passage herself, but her momentum was unaffected and she passed Nightingale with a wet sail. However, the latter was coming back at her at the line to be beaten only 0,5 lengths.

After the race jockey Anthony Delpech had his doubts about the 2200m July trip for Bela-Bela, but added she would “get away with” 2000m against her own gender in the Woolavington.

Nightingale has already proven her liking for 2000m when finishing strongly to beat older horses in a MR68 handicap for fillies and mares at Kenilworth on L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate day in January. She did not have a perfect preparation into the Daisy Fillies Guineas, due to her intended preparation race on the Greyville turf having to be switched to the polytrack, although she did still win the latter race. She will now be having her third run after a layoff.

Bela-Bela is having her second run after a layoff, but judging by her Daisy Fillies Guineas win that shouldn’t pose a problem and, like Nightingale, she should also be more forward this time.

Dynasty gelding It’s My Turn looked a bit outpaced early in the Canon Guineas and was then kept wide to avoid the kickback, so did quite well to stay on for a 4,65 length tenth.

“He’s not a miler,” confirmed Snaith.

The form of his Gr 1 Investec Cape Derby victory, which is run over the Daily News 2000m distance, is looking strong, considering he had both the July favourite and second favourite, Black Arthur and Marinaresco respectively, comfortably beaten. Delpech will be aboard on Saturday from a tricky draw of eleven and he is the horse to beat.

Brooklyn Brawler won well over 1600m at Greyville recently and has apprentice Lyle Hewitson up. On his damside he is closely related to the like of Capetown Noir, who always had a slight stamina doubt beyond a mile despite winning the Cape Derby. However, his July-winning sire Dynasty gives him hope. Snaith added, “Dynasty at Greyville is the key, just look at the record of both himself and his progeny there.”

The Bass yard also run Helderberg Blue in the Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m. He will be 1kg worse off with No Worries despite being beaten 1,5 lengths by him last time out over this trip at Scottsville. This will now be his third run after a layoff. He remains a quirky sort whose temperament is his own worst enemy, but as such could not have found himself in a better yard. The outstanding horsemanship of the Bass team have allowed the Jet Master gelding to still be competitive everytime he lines up and he is now down to a competitive merit rating.

By David Thiselton

National Champion trainer Sean Tarry has three runners in the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 and two in the Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 and all of them are capable of upsetting the odds.

Heaps Of Fun (JC Photos)

His first choice rider S’Manga Khumalo is aboard SA Classic and SA Derby third-placed Samurai Blade in the Daily News 2000 and Tarry said, “He is doing well and all three runs for us have been good. He took a while to find top gear at Turffontein and if they go a canter-sprint in his first run at Greyville it could catch him out. He has a bad draw (16 out of 16) … It is all very well holding them back for the July, but he could end up being drawn badly there too and things can also go wrong in the July, so, being well now, he must take his chances.”

He said about Prospect Strike, “I think his run in the Canon Guineas was very good considering he worked so much harder than the rest out wide and still finished only 2,4 lengths back. I think he is probably looking for this trip.  A sprint-miler will normally be able to come back from a layoff and win comfortably when so well in at the weights as he was in his two comeback runs (over 1000m and 1200m) and when he was beaten in the first of them and then had to work hard to win the second it was the tell-tale sign that those trips were now way too sharp for him.”

Tarry’s decision to take the Toreador gelding back to Johannesburg after the Canon Guineas had been a “trade off.”

He said, “It means two journeys of eight hours, but he has had some serious issues and I would not want to be chopping and changing tracks with him. Obviously if he is going to run in another race in Durban he won’t travel a third time.”

Tarry confirmed Summerveld assistant Dishone Steyn’s upbeat reports about Dynasty colt Liege and said, “He was in fantastic shape when he went down to Durban and won impressively on the poly. Dishone said he has been ticking over nicely since.”

Liege (Nkosi Hlophe)

Prospect Strike also has a wide draw of 15, but has in form Grant van Niekerk aboard, while Liege is drawn nine and has SA Triple Crown-winning jockey Karl Zechner up.

Tarry revealed Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas winner Heaps Of Fun had pulled up with severely strained muscles after her disappointing SA Fillies Classic run.

He said, “Her ordinary run there had nothing to do with being caught wide or the trip being too far. I decided to bring her back from that run with a sprint (Gr 2 Camelia Stakes over 1160m) and she ran on very well for third. She is now in good shape and I think she will stay the trip.”

He continued, “Witchcraft’s SA Oaks run can have a line drawn through it, just nothing went right for her.” She was drawn wide and was then caught wide and the writing was on the wall from a long way out.

Before that she had won well over 2000m at Turffontein and was doing some good late work when running a 3,8 length fifth in the SA Fillies Classic, suggesting she would prefer further.

Khumalo rides Visionaire filly Heaps Of Fun from draw ten and Brandon Lerena is aboard Kahal filly Witchcraft from draw six.

Tarry runs Serissa in the Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m and said, “He’s a soldier, he didn’t go hard enough in the 1900 last weekend.” He is likely to lead this time and has proven his liking for the trip before.

Liege and Serissa have been prepared at Summerveld and all of the others will be travelling down from Randjesfontein.

By David Thiselton

In-form jockey Muzi Yeni was left looking for another Gr 1 Daily News 2000 ride when his guv’nor Duncan Howells kept Brandon Lerena aboard the yard’s chief contender, Ten Gun Salute, and he will consequently be riding the biggest outsider, the Brian Wiid-trained Bankable Teddy.

Muzi Yeni (Nkosi Hlophe)

He is also aboard an outsider in the Gr 1 Woolavington 2000, the Luis Cunha-trained Ruler Of The Sky.

Yeni said, “I can only hope Bankable Teddy reproduces his Derby Trial run, that was over this trip and maybe he didn’t stay the trip in the SA Derby.”

The Bankable colt thrashed subsequent SA Derby fourth-placed Stebbins by 4,8 lengths in the Derby Trial and will now be 0,5kg better off with the latter, so can’t be written off jumping from a good draw of four.

Yeni continued, “The trainer rates Ruler Of The Sky.”

This rangy Judpot filly is perfectly drawn in two for her front-running style and looks likely to enjoy the trip. However, she couldn’t win a fillies and mares handicap over 1600m off her 76 merit rating last time, so will require dramatic improvement.

Yeni is aboard the Howells-trained Crime Victim in the Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m and gave him a place chance at best.

“He needs to up his game,” he said. One of the Bezrin gelding’s best career runs was over the course and distance, when a 2,25 length third to Solid Speed in the Highland Night Cup last season and he was only receiving 1,5kg from the winner that day. He scrapes into the handicap on Saturday with the minimum weight and is drawn ten. He looks to have enjoyed a nice preparation and can’t be ignored.

By David Thiselton

Black Arthur, the ruling favourite for the Vodacom Durban July, will not take part in Saturday’s R2-million Grade 1 Daily News 2000 at Greyville but trainer Justin Snaith still goes into the country’s premier classic event with a strong hand

The stable will, however, be going for the local “classic” double with the Dynasty filly Bela-Bela that won the Daisy Fillies Guineas at Greyville two weeks ago and, because of the manner in which she won, is likely to start odds-on favourite for the R1-million Grade 1 Woolavington 2000.

Snaith did not accept with Black Arthur and, according to reports, took the decision with owner Alec Foster to “protect” the horse and to ensure the Silvano colt would not be penalised in the weights for the blue ribbon event.

But he has accepted with two gelded sons of Dynasty, It’s My Turn that won the Investec Cape Derby and Brooklyn Brawler that won his last race over the Greyville mile in a time almost a second faster than Black Arthur’s winning time in the Canon Guineas.

It’s My Turn did not fare well in the Canon Guineas where the Mike Azzie-trained Brave Tin Soldier colt Rabada was just snaffled on the line by Black Arthur. Rabada lines up in the Daily News 2000 but has yet to be tested over the 2 000m trip which could give It’s My Turn the edge.

Rocketball from the Gavin van Zyl stable will have his followers after a brilliant performance in the SA Derby at Turffontein where he nearly upset Abashiri’s bid for Triple Crown glory.

Champion trainer Sean Tarry goes into the race with a four-horse team headed by the Australian-bred colt Samurai Blade that finished third to Abashiri in both the SA Classic and SA Derby and Dean Kannemeyer will be looking for a special performance from Mambo Mime that won the Byerley Turk and finished third by 1.5 lengths to Black Arthur in the Canon Guineas.

Bela-Bela winning the Daisy Fillies Guineas (Nkosi Hlophe)

Bela-Bela will be all the rage to win the Woolavington 2000 not only because of her latest performance at Greyville, but also because of her third behind Smart Call in the Grade 1 Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes at Kenilworth in January.

She will, however, have to again contend with the attentions of the Mike Bass-trained Silvano filly Nightingale that flew through to finish half a length behind her in the Daisy Fillies Guineas and will most likely relish the extra 400m of this race.

Another that is likely to keep her honest is the Fort Wood filly Negroamara from the Johan Janse van Vuuren stable. She finished third in the 1 600m event and, having finished second in both the Gauteng Fillies Guineas and SA Fillies Classic before that, is another that could shine over the longer trip.

Adding to Bela-Bela’s troubles could also be the Fort Wood filly Fortissima from the Joe Soma yard. She finished second in the SA Derby and won both her starts over 2 000m before that while Tarry will not feel his Visionaire filly Heaps Of Fun is out of the picture having won the Gauteng Fillies Guineas.

The third of the graded races on Daily News 2000 day is the Grade 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2 400m. It has drawn a full field where the Bass stable stalwart Helderburg Blue will be one of the fancied runners having shown a return to his competitive form with a third behind No Worries in the Highland Night Cup.

No Worries from the Van Zyl stable will again be one of his opponents along with Solar Star from the Kannemeyer stable that beat him half a length in the Highland Night, Storm Warning that was third in the Gold Bowl and the gutsy six-year-old Coltrane that has placed in his last three starts over marathon trips including the J&B Stayers and the Chairmans Cup in the Cape.

Smart Mart, fourth in the Gold Bowl and Kingston Mines that was third in the J&B Stayers, are two of the three runners from the Mike de Kock stable in the race.