Gavin van Zyl said his smart three-year-old Judpot gelding Rocketball had “come out of the July bouncing” and he hoped the blinkers would do the trick in the Gr 1 Mike and Carol Bass Champions Stakes over 1800m at the eLan Gold Cup meeting at Greyville on Sunday. Meanwhile, his son and assistant Gareth is bullish about the chances of No Worries in the same race.

The yard also have a number of other runners with chances on the day. Rocketball, who has a giant of a stride, disappointed in the Vodacom Durban July when turning for home too far out of his ground and then failing to quicken.

Gavin said, “I hope the blinkers help this time. He has a good draw so will hopefully be ridden just off the pace and will hopefully follow through.” Champion jockey Gavin Lerena rides and is a boost to his chances.

No Worries bounced back to form this season over staying trips. However, he then proved the turnaround had little to do with his stamina capacity when winning the KZN Breeders Million Mile off the back of a slow pace, displaying a fine turn of foot.

The 1800m trip should be perfect. The draw of nine is tricky, but didn’t stop him in the KZN Million Mile, where he jumped from draw ten. Warren Kennedy gets on well with the six-year-old Kahal gelding and remains aboard. Gareth said, “He is 100%, we couldn’t have hoped for a better preparation. I am confident he will do his best.”

Gavin has an interesting runner in the Gr 1 Premier’s Champions Stakes over 1600m, the eye-catching Gimmethegreenlight gelding Without A Doubt. He is still a maiden but has impressed with his strong finishes against some good horses over shorter.

Gavin said, “He has good form and I don’t think he ran to his best on the poly last time (2,8 length third to Qeyaadah), I think he is better on the turf. He is bred to go the ground and further and it wouldn’t surprise me if he ran into the money.”

In the Gr 1 Thekwini Stakes over 1600m, Gavin runs Mogok filly Costa Da Sol. He said, “She has good form but is yet to come up against this sort of opposition and she has a wide draw too. But the two-year-old form is still establishing itself at this time of the year so we are taking our chances and hope she runs into the money.”

Poster Girl (Nkosi Hlophe)

Gareth runs Poster Girl in the Thekwini and said, “Anton Marcus suggested we run her in this race and her work has been very good. The race will tell whether she stays the mile or not. All things considered, she could be the dark horse.”

Gavin’s sprinter Isca won well on Vodacom Durban July day and now runs over the same polytrack 1000m course and distance in the Listed Umgeni Handicap. However, he now has an eleven draw to overcome, as opposed to two, and was also given a maximum eight point raise for that last win. Gavin said, “I am just as happy with him as I was before that last run and he will run a good race.”

Gavin runs King Of Kings gelding Prince Ariano in the second race, a Juvenile Plate over 1900m on the turf. He said, “We have put the blinkers on and he is looking for the extra ground. He has got a chance and I expect him to run into the money.”

Gareth runs the talented Mygirldownunder in the Gr 2 Debutante over 1200m, but he was cautious about her chances.

He said, “She is very fast and only time will tell whether she sees out 1200m, so it not ideal trying that trip for the first time after a little rest and from a wide draw. She will likely come on from the run but is above average and it is a Gr 2 so we decided to take our chances. She certainly won’t disgrace herself.”

Gareth runs Night Shadow in the last race of the season, a MR 78 Handicap over 1900m on the poly, where he has an inexperienced 4kg claimer up in order to alleviate his 63,5kg weight. Gareth is not sure what to expect from this horse, whom he believes to probably be “bi-polar”. He said, “He is temperamental and has gone off the boil, but it seems it’s mental because one day he wants to work, the next day he doesn’t. If the right Night Shadow arrives he will probably win, so we hope he bounces back to form. He is fit and sound.”

Gavin completed his grass work with his charges last week and has been using the Summerveld polytrack this week.

Gareth has been using the Summerveld poly and the grass bend this week. None of the yard’s runners have missed any work.

David Thiselton

The Drakenstein Stud-based sire Trippi has justified his high price tag and is on the brink of landing his first National Sires Championship, but former champion Silvano looks to have more than just a fair chance of spoling the party on eLan Property Group Gold Cup day on Sunday.

By close of play on Monday Trippi on R18,451,175 was R761,775 ahead of Silvano. Reigning champion Captain Al was only about R100,000 behind Silvano in third place, but doesn’t look to have the runners at the Gold Cup meeting to make up the leeway.

Silvano, on the other hand, has many big race runners on Gold Cup day, so the championship might play out to a thrilling conclusion.

In the Gr 1 R1 million Mike and Carol Bass Champions Cup, Silvano has no fewer than four runners, odds-on favourite Marinaresco, the officially best-weighted Punta Arenas, last year’s narrow runner up Ice Machine and also St Tropez. The first prize is R625,000 and Silvano could well make some serious inroads into Trippi’s lead in this race, if not overhaul him, because there is good place money on offer too.

Trippi’s sole runner in the Champions Cup is Baritone, who is not without a chance despite a wide draw.

Earlier, in the Gr 2 R1,25 million eLan Property Group Gold Cup, Silvano is also in the pound seats. He has last year’s runner up Balance Sheet involved as well as Zafira, who is from the stable of staying race maestro Weiho Marwing. Trippi, being a speed influence, has no runners in this event. The first prize in this race is R781,250.

In the Gr 1 R600,000 Thekwini Stakes, which carries a first prize of R375,000, Trippi has a lively chance with Dawn Calling, while Silvano is unrepresented.

However, in the Gr 1 R600,000 Premier’s Champions Stakes, Silvano has a chance with Palladium, while Trippi is unrepresented.

Earlier, in the Gr 2 R300,000 The Debutante, which carries a first prize of R187,500, Trippi has two chances with the promising Trippi’s Girl and Water Lily Lake, while Silvano has one runner, Arissa, who has the ability to upset.

Trippi (Liesl King)

In the R300,000 Umkhomazi Stakes, Trippi is the only one of the pair to have a runner, the speedily-bred topweight Flying Myth.

The race for the Sires title might go right down to the wire, because in the Gr 2 R400,000 Gold Bracelet, which carries a first prize of R250,000, Silvano has the useful Nightingale involved, while Trippi is unrepresented.

If Trippi does need a last gasp opportunity following that race he will get it in the form of Beloved Country in the Listed R150,000 Umgeni Handicap (first prize R93,750) and with two livewires, Night Trip and Tripandie, in the Listed R150,000 Darley Arabian. Night Trip goes for his third successive win in this race.

The 12^th race over 1900m on the poly, which is the last race of the South African season, carries a total stakes of R82,000, with a first prize of R51,250, and Silvano has two good runners in Night Shadow and Shimmering Brook, while Trippi is represented by Trip To Rio.

Trippi, a USA-bred horse by End Sweep, is the most expensive horse to ever be imported to South Africa.

The country is fortunate to have the Maine Chance Farms-owned Silvano as he was originally intended to be a shuttle stallion, but was unable to return home to Germany after his first season here due to an outbreak of African Horse Sickness, which led to a suspension on exports. Consequently it was decided to syndicate him and base him permanently in South Africa. Silvano was SA champion sire in the 2012/2013 season.

David Thiselton