The last piece of the Vodacom Durban July pre-race puzzle was played out at Turffontein yesterday in the Gr 3 Jubilee Handicap over 1800m.

The two July entrants in the field, Liege and The Elmo Effect, both failed to make the frame as the second favourite, the Robbie Sage-trained Coral Fever finished like an express train from off the pace to win cosily under Muzi Yeni.

Liege (Nkosi Hlophe)

Liege and The Elmo Effect might have battled on the current unforgiving ground at Turffontein and their respective connections would have been disappointed.

However, the final field panellists might have breathed a sigh of relief as they already faced an unenviable task.

Coral Fever, a lightly raced four-year-old, started at 5/1 and provided another accolade for his underrated sire Judpot. He was bred by Ascot Stud and has now won four of 12 starts. The 25/1 shot Bankable Teddy bounced back to form by running second and 12/1 hot Hidden Agenda was next best.

In other news, reigning champion trainer Sean Tarry passed the R30 million mark in stakes earning this season at Scottsville last week Wednesday where he scored a double.

He has already smashed his record stakes earnings of R27,999,562, set last season.

The only question left now in the trainer’s championships is whether Tarry can earn double the amount of the runner up.

At present Tarry is on earnings of R30,102,750 and second-placed Justin Snaith is on R16,786,375.

By David Thiselton

Brett Crawford joined Mike de Kock on five Gr 1s for the season, one behind the six of Sean Tarry, when Captain America won the Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge over 1600m at Greyville under his regular pilot Corné Orffer.

This race and the Gr 3 Cup Trial over 1800m, which was won by the Justin Snaith-trained Elusive Silva, made the Vodacom Durban July picture a touch clearer.

However, the panellists who have to choose the final field face an unenviable task.

Corne Orffer (Nkosi Hlophe)

Captain America’s two career Gr 1 wins have now both been in weight for age miles. However, his only attempt at the July as a three-year-old colt in 2014 can be ignored as he jumped awkwardly and lost a length and then over raced. As a relaxed six-year-old gelding his headstrong antics are now a thing of the past. In this year’s Sun Met he had to be used up early to find the lead from a wide draw, yet was only caught at the 150m mark. However, he was hardly tiring as he rallied to finish third. Furthermore, it was the fastest run Met since the first of Pocket Power’s Met victories in 2007. Another tick for Captain America’s stamina capacity can be found when viewing his Cape Derby run in 2014, where he over raced throughout but still managed to stay on strongly for second to Legislate. The Conglomerate showed last year that being handy in the July can be an advantage and it is easy to imagine Captain America running a similar race to last year’s winning one. However, against him will be the topweight he will have to carry. He is currently merit rated 116 and might get a point or two for Saturday’s win. The line horse is likely to either be the consistent 1,75 length third-placed Bela-Bela or the 2,5 length fourth-placed Sail South, who proved his Queen’s Plate run was no fluke.  Captain America ran to about a 117 compared to Bela-Bela. However, she was a touch unlucky and that might be taken into account. Compared to Sail South, Captain America ran to about a 118 or 119. However, it might be taken into account that coming from the back at Greyville gave Sail South less time to make up the leeway than he had at Kenilworth, where he was 0,75 lengths behind Captain America in the Queen’s Plate.

Elusive Silva (Nkosi Hlophe)

Betting World reacted by chopping Captain America from 33/1 to 14/1. Marinaresco had every chance from a midfield position, but faded tamely when it counted and behind the strong pace he would have preferred to have been further back. He has drifted out to 8-1. Bela-Bela’s running was taken up briefly at a crucial moment at the top of the straight, so her third was an outstanding effort. However, the bookmakers still have her at 25/1 and the reason might be the Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes still being an option for her on the big day. The Conglomerate stayed on under a sympathetic ride and it was a pleasing preparation for the defence of his July crown, where he will have a fine chance at the weights.  Saratoga Dancer was perhaps a bit too handy in a strongly paced race and didn’t find extra in the closing stages. However, he was in 13^th place on the log so might be safe. Brazuca was doing his best work late in quite an eye catching preparation and in 11^th position on the log should get in. Master Sabina, who as the Summer Cup winner has likely booked his place, was also doing good work late. French Navy has never been one to run well fresh, but his well below par run will have been concerning for his supporters just three weeks away from the big race.

In the Cup Trial Elusive Silva booked his place in the July by quickening well off a slow pace and just pipping the pacemaker Crowd Pleaser. Third-placed Black Arthur will be the biggest headache for the panellists. They will attempt to find a place for him as he is 10/1 in the July betting and has enjoyed a fine preparation. After all, they did find a place for both Futura and Saratoga Dancer in recent years after they had finished third and fourth respectively in the Cup Trial. Also in the Cup Trial Nebula’s chances of making the final field disappeared. He was on the outside looking in on the log. He had the box seat in the running on Saturday, but in a slow-paced race could not match the finishing speed of the first three and ended second last in the nine horse field. The only horse he beat home was Master Switch, who was also on the outside looking in on the log, but he is just not the same horse at Greyville as he is at Turffontein and this was his fourth unplaced run at the Durban course in four starts. Trophy Wife attracted controversy when emitted from the final field last year, but this year there will be no repeat. She lost ground at the start and then swished her tail. She finished well, but the slow pace of the race worked against her and she could only manage sixth place, which won’t be enough to book a place. The long-striding Royal Badge can also be considered unlucky to have encountered a slow pace as he finished strongly from off the pace for fifth, which won’t be enough to persuade the panellists.

Nightingale ran on well for second in the Gr 2 Tibouchina over 1400m to keep her July hopes alive, but Silver Mountain will drop out of contention after being eased out of the race.

By David Thiselton

Betting World yesterday slashed Captain America from 33-1 to 14-1 for the Vodacom Durban July as a result of the six-year-old’s convincing win in Saturday’s Rising Sun Gold Challenge.

Stable companion Edict Of Nantes has been shortened from 11-2 to 5-1 clear favourite while Al Sahem (beaten half a length by Edict Of Nantes in the Daily News) remains on 11-2. However Marinaresco, who managed only a disappointing 11^th on Saturday, has been marked out from 13-2 to 8-1.

Cup Trial winner Elusive Silva has been cut from 14-1 to 15-2 third favourite and strong-finishing Tibouchina runner-up Nightingale [see replay above] clipped from 45-1 to 25-1, the same price as last year’s Durban July winner The Conglomerate (from 18-1) who was sixth in the Gold Challenge.

By Michael Clower

Brett Crawford is having the winter of his life and the dream may not have ended at Greyville yesterday when Captain America powered home in the Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge.

Crawford saddled the winners of both the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 and the Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 last weekend. Captain America’s victory took him to three Gr 1 victories in the space of just two weeks and he has the Vodacom Durban July on the horizon.

Vijay Maharaj & Brett Crawford (Nkosi Hlophe)

Captain America is an accomplished miler and in the absence of his nemesis Legal Eagle, who had his measure in both the Gr1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes last term and the Gr1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate in January, he made short work of a high-class field yesterday.

“When he quickens he gets a good couple of lengths on his field,” said regular pilot Corne Orffer. “He’s a very honest horse.”

Always handy from a wide draw, Captain America quickened up the inside rail in a matter of strides and had the race in the bag crossing the subway. Trip To Heaven and Bela-Bela chased hard in the minor placings but the winner was never seriously challenged.

Trip To Heaven, denied in the stewards room last year and a notoriously slow starter, ran true to form missing the break by a good couple of lengths but rattling home for second.

The filly Bela-Bela was also doing her best work late. Justin Snaith was more than happy with the showing of his filly but confirmed that she will not be taking her chances in the Vodacom Durban July. “Garden Province” he said, adding that, “unfortunately we will have to take on Just Sensual,” who an hour earlier had run out a comfortable winner of the Gr2 Tibouchina Stakes. “A pity she’s not in the July,” he added wryly.

Disappointment of the race was favourite Marinaresco who was up with the pace for much of the race but failed to fire and finished with just one behind him.

The result of the Gr3 Cup Trial will have given the July selection panel further headaches although winner Elusive Silva did cement his place in the line-up with a courageous victory over Crowd Pleaser and stable companion Black Arthur.

Captain America (Nkosi Hlophe)

A touch worrying was the way Elusive Silva had his head turned to the side and drifting in under pressure before being straightened by Richard Fourie but he did enough to get up on the line to collar pacemaker Crowd Pleaser. “He ran green and was hanging in,” commented Snaith. “He’s a big strong horse and was always going to quicken even though they didn’t go a good pace.”

Snaith was batting for third-placed Black Arthur, close to the top of the betting boards for the Vodacom Durban July but until yesterday not certain of a place. “You don’t want to leave it this late,” he said. “But you can’t leave him out.”

Anthony Delpech, aboard Black Arthur, was up-beat. “I thought I was going to win it. He just lacked that little bit at the end. This was his second run after a long lay-off and he ran a great race.”

Crowd Pleaser did everything but win it. Keagan de Melo dictated the pace to a nicety on the instruction of Johan Janse van Vuuren and although giving the winner 4.5kg he was only collared one jump from the line. Master Switch, Nebula and Trophy Wife may well have seen their chances of making the July field out of the window.

Cape Fillies Guineas winner Just Sensual sharpened her pencil for the Gr1 Garden Province Stakes with a cracking win in the Gr2 Tibouchina Stakes although Anton Marcus was not altogether impressed with the performance of Joey Ramsden’s filly. “Halfway up the straight I gave her one and she shot away, but having said that I was a little disappointed. I thought that she would win a little easier than that. But she’s ready for the Garden Province. In the end I’m just happy to have a winner.”

Second-placed Nightingale finished best of the rest with Anna Pavlova running on nicely up the inside fence for third.

By Andrew Harrison

The Vodacom Durban July pointer, the Grade 3 Jubilee Handicap over 1800m, heads an eight race card on Turffontein Standside on Sunday.

Sean Terry will attempt to qualify Liege for the big race. He last ran in the Summer Cup, where he stayed on for fourth from a handy position. He looks likely to prefer this slightly shorter trip and is sure to be fit enough. Flying Ice should be cherry ripe to deliver having now had enough time and races to fully acclimatise to the Highveld and over an ideal trip her sustained finish makes her ideally suited to this galloping course. The Elmo Effect has always caught the eye but was always considered to be a stayer until winning an 1800m event in March. That prompted a July entry and he now attempts to qualify from a good draw.

Liege (Nkosi Hlophe)

Fortissima looks fairly handicapped on her best form and has a plum draw and the class to earn over a trip short of her optimum. She should improve on her last start where she ran in steels. Bankable Teddy can win this race at the weights if reproducing his run behind Liege over 2000m last October, but he does have to bounce back to form. The long-striding Kitty’s Destiny is course and distance suited and should improve in his second run after a layoff. King’s Archer will be stretched by this distance but the going is fast at present and that might help him get home. .

The best bet comes in a Pinnacle Stakes race over 1160m. Rivarine has his second run since returning from Cape Town and considering his speed and class he will be hard to beat over this fast course and distance.

In another Pinnacle Stakes race, for fillies and mares over 1400m, She’s A Giver is best in at the weights and should have come on from her run last weekend when going close against the boys. This is an ideal trip, although Wukkin’ Up runs well fresh and could be a threat.

The first is an intriguing affair as there is little to separate Whorly Whorly, So Var and Alfolk at the weights and they all look to have scope. Rebel’s Champ’s and Like Astair can’t be ignored either.

In race two the first timer Polar Vortex is by Western Winter and is a half-brother to last weekend’s Lonsdale Stirrup Cup winner Captain Splendid. Town Flyer looks the best of the raced horses.  In the third Zerodarkthirty performed well against two decent sorts in his first two starts, but Over Easy could improve and be a threat.

In the next race Shufoog is a speedily-bred Australian-bred and doesn’t face a vintage field.

In the last race Starret City looks to be a progressive type and might still be ahead of the handicapper.

By David Thiselton

Gareth van Zyl said his Gr 3 Cup Trial contestant Celtic Captain had recovered nicely from his 7,25 length ninth in the Gr 1 Premier’s Champions Challenge over 2000m at Turffontein, which was run on May 6, and he expected him to run to his ability on Saturday at Greyville. He believed the four-year-old Captain Al gelding would probably prefer this 1800m trip and hoped he could run a place.

He predicted Celtic Captain would get the decent pace he required with the front-running Crowd Pleaser in the field. Celtic Captain has always struck as one who is full of ability. He does sometimes take a keen hold, but in his last two turf starts, in the Umthombothi Stakes over 2000m at Greyville and in the Champions Challenge, he has settled well after finding cover.

He won the Unthombothi, but was being caught in the closing stages and his good turn of foot will likely be more effective over this slightly shorter trip. He was lowered two points for his Champions Challenge run to 103 and jumps from a tricky draw of six in the nine horse field.

Celtic Captain (Nkosi Hlophe)

Van Zyl scratched Celtic Captain from the Vodacom Durban July at first declarations and said he believed he was not quite good enough.

Van Zyl mentioned Trojan Harbour as one of his best runners on the day. This impressive Australian-bred specimen is a bay colt by Harbour Watch out of the Encosta De Lago mare Salma. Harbour Watch was unbeaten in three starts in England, including winning the Gr 2 Richmond Stakes for two-year-old males over six furlongs at Goodwood. No horse got within 2,25 lengths of him. Salma is a half-sister to Big Time (Danewin), who won four times from 1600m to 1900m including a Listed event.

Therefore, on pedigree Trojan Harbour should stay the 1400m of Saturday’s Listed Gatecrasher Stakes. Third time out he ran on well to win over 1000m at Greyville by two lengths going away and displayed a long elastic-like action. Van Zyl cited one of KZN’s most talked about horses, the Alistair Gordon-trained Monks Hood, as being “hard to beat”. However, an interesting collateral formline emerged on Wednesday.

Monks Hood’s 7,5 length runner up  Tom Collins was beaten 9,7 lengths by Concealed Secret over 1200m and the latter was the two length runner up to Trojan Harbour. That puts Trojan harbour ahead of Querari colt Monks Hood, but that is purely on paper as the latter was very impressive in his 1200m win at Scottsville and relish the step up in trip on pedigree. The Gatecrasher is a conditions event where there is effectively a 2kg penalty per win and Trojan Harbour gets 2kg from the two-time winners and has to give the maidens 2kg. He jumps from a plum draw of three.

Stable jockey Warren Kennedy rides both Celtic Captain and Trojan Harbour.

By David Thiselton

Captain America, the highest-rated horse on the Vodacom Durban July log, has been a significant mover in the market for Saturday’s Rising Sun Gold Challenge.

New Predator (Nkosi Hlophe)

The Brett Crawford six-year-old was a 7-1 chance when World Sports Betting posted its prices on Monday evening but within 24 hours he shortened to 11-2 joint second favourite with Bela-Bela.

New Predator has also been backed for Saturday’s Greyville Grade 1, from 9-1 to 6-1, but Marinaresco remains firm at 5-2 favourite despite being rated half a kilo below Captain America and despite only two horses justifying favouritism in this race in the last ten years – Pocket Power in 2009 and Variety Club in 2012 and 2013.

Joey Ramsden’s Cape Fillies Guineas winner Just Sensual was yesterday installed 18-10 favourite for the Tibouchina Stakes with stable companions Nightingale and Silver Mountain next on 6-1. Black Arthur heads the Cup Trial market at 2-1 with Elusive Silva second favourite at 28-10.

By Michael Clower

Justin Snaith believes the Equus champion filly Bela-Bela will have “her best chance” of beating the boys at weight for age Grade 1 level in Saturday’s Grade 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge over 1600m at Greyville.

The brilliant twice Gr 1-winning grey has taken on the boys before in last year’s Vodacom Durban July and this year’s Sun Met and was not at all disgraced, but Snaith is of the firm belief that a mile is her optimum trip. He said she had needed her last run in the Gr 1 SA fillies Sprint over 1200m at Scottsville, where “she found a little bit of trouble”.

Justin Snaith & Bela-Bela (Tracy Robertson)

He added, “She is very well, she is spot on, she has a definite shout.”

Bela-Bela is well drawn in barrier four and will be ridden by Anthony Delpech, who partnered her to a Gr 2 Daisy Fillies Guineas/Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 double last season.

Snaith concluded, “It is a rough race and I just hope she gets a clear run.”

Snaith also has Master Sabina in the race and this will be the dual Gr 1 Sansui Summer Cup winner’s first run for the yard. He said he was doing well, but it was on the short side and a pole position draw would not help as he did not have the necessary early pace to hold his position over this trip. Maser Sabina is likely to be running on, but Snaith concluded by saying it would be a valuable preparation outing for the July.

The Snaith yard have an important date in the Grade 3 Cup Trial over 1800m as both Black Arthur and Elusive Silver will need big runs to earn their July berths.

Snaith believed Black Arthur was back to his best having suffered haemoconcentration problems before gelding. He was running on in the Drill Hall over 1400m in his first run as a gelding over too short a trip. Snaith said he was doing very well at home and everything had gone according to plan.

Snaith explained Elusive Silver’s disappointing run in the Gr 2 Betting World 1900 was not at all his race and was due to the rain which caused him to miss important work.

“He could only canter for eight days,” he said.

To heighten the problem the race had then been run in testing going.

“He got a double whammy,” he said.

Bela-Bela (Liesl King)

Elusive Silver had previously been impressive when winning the Listed Sledgehammer over the Cup Trial course and distance. He showed a tremendous turn of foot in that race, which was his first outing since winning the Winter Derby ten months earlier. Snaith said he was in a better place now than he was going into the Sledgehammer.

He added, “He is a very nice horse. He will be good competition for Black Arthur at the weights and it will take a very good horse to beat our two.”

Richard Fourie has already been booked to ride Elusive Silva in the July, while Anthony Delpech “has always been a big fan of Black Arthur’s.” Delpech partnered Black Arthur to win last season’s Gr 2 Canon Guineas and they jump from a good draw of four in the nine horse field on Saturday. Elusive Silva has to jump from the extreme outside draw of nine.

Snaith runs Star Express in the Grade 2 Tibouchina over 1400 metres and said it would be a bit on the short side for her. He said she had pulled up “foot sore” in Johannesburg. However, her feet have now been sorted it out. He expected her to run well and finish in the money, despite it partly being a preparation outing for the Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes. Bernard Fayd’Herbe rides from a good draw of five.

Snaith mentioned Qing as a runner to look out for on the day. She runs in the Beach Beauty Pinnacle Stakes for fillies and mares over 1600m. He had been confident of a good run from her in her SA Champions Season pipe opener, but said she had been hit by a clod and could not see for a few days.

He was also bullish about Sergeant Hardy in the Conubia/Phoenix Sun Durban Dash over 1100m, although did mention his eleven barrier position as being “a bit of a wide draw.” Snaith said the big Captain Al gelding had not liked Scottsville last time in the Tsogo Sun Sprint and also had a difficult task as a three-year-old off a 110 merit rating. He is now comfortably the best in at the weights in this three-year-old event and if he runs well will be aimed at the weight for age Gr 1 Mercury Sprint. Delpech rides him for the third time.

By David Thiselton

Last Saturday was a defining moment for many Vodacom Durban July hopefuls as indicated by the latest July log that was issued on Tuesday and it’s another big day at Greyville on Saturday.

Safe Harbour (Liesl King)

Last Saturday, Rocketball and Banner Hill fell by the wayside after disappointing performances in the Gr3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup. Orchid Island and Safe Harbour, third and fourth respectively in the Gr1 Woolavington 2000, did just enough to keep them in the hunt, although Orchid Island is pretty much assured of a place in the July and at 15 on the log, Safe Harbour also looks relatively safe.

Edict Of Nates and Al Sahem were already shoo-ins but also cemented their place at the top of the ante-post market when first and second respectively in the Gr1 Daily News 2000. Horizon kept his July hopes alive by finishing third but is nineteenth on the log and Pagoda, although down the field in the Daily News, mainly owes his current sixteenth place on the log to his runner-up berth behind Al Sahem in the Gr1 SA Derby.

The balance of the three-year-old hopefuls are pretty much out of the reckoning.

Saturday is the last big day for borderline cases. The Gr3 Cup Trial should prove a fascinating contest with six of the nine runners in the hunt for a July place.

Ten Gun Salute (Nkosi Hlophe)

Lightly raced, gelded but winless since beating Rabada in the Gr2 Daisy Guineas last season, Black Arthur has always been at cramped odds in the July ante-post market in spite of there being doubts of him even making the field. He is not among the first 25 on the current log so it’s basically win or miss out come Saturday. However, he was running on from a tricky draw in the Drill Hall Stakes so the signs are good.

Stable companion Elusive Silva looked pretty much a certainty for a place after his impressive win in the Sledgehammer but then ran an indifferent race in the Gr2 Betting World 1900. The winner, Ten Gun Salute, came from behind him in the straight but it may have been a case of the winner enjoying the soft ground and Elusive Silva not enjoying the going in his second run after a lengthy break. Currently borderline at twentieth, a hard-fought place may be enough see Elusive Silva edge into the top 18.

Nebula doddled a recent Pinnacle Stakes on the poly but a win is possibly not negotiable. The same goes for Master Switch who, along with Nebula, is currently in the top 25. A win for the filly Trophy Wife is also not negotiable.

Candice Bass-Robinson’s pair of Nightingale and Silver Mountain are both borderline cases. Nightingale is currently eighteenth on the log while Silver Mountain in the last five knocking at the door. It would seem that only a win in the Gr2 Tibouchina Stakes will enhance their chances but they face some tough opposition better suited to the trip so they face an up-hill task. The Gr1 Garden Province on July day could end up a forced option.

Nightingale (Liesl King)

The Gr1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge is loaded with July entries but all six look relatively safe. Lowest on the log of the six is Saratoga Dancer in thirteenth place. Duncan’s Howells’s runner generally flies under the radar but he finished a close-up fifth in the July last year, a head third in the Drill Hall behind Marinaresco last month, and a forward showing here will all but cement his place.

At Turffontein on Sunday, Liege and The Elmo Effect will be looking to improve their chances in the Gr3 Jubilee Handicap. Liege has slipped out of the top 25 on the log but a win here will give the selectors a headache. The Elmo Effect seemed pretty much out of it after a flat last showing.

In all this is a defining weekend as far as the July field is concerned and come Saturday evening any debate is likely to centre around the last three or four spots in the line-up.

The final field and draws will be announced at a function on Tuesday, June 20.

By Andrew Harrison