Frank Robinson has four runners on Vodacom Durban July day and sounded most bullish about Eddie Sweat and Emperor Niarchos.

Emperor Niarchos (Nkosi Hlophe)

He said, “Eddie Sweat (race 7) is slightly touched in the wind, he’s been like that for a while and beat Al Ciberano like that, but I think he is better over 1000m as well. I’ve targeted this race and kept him fresh for it, he is definitely a runner. He is drawn a bit wide but he always tucks in, he has to be covered up. I’m not worried about draws on the polytrack especially for horses that come from behind. He’s well and will run well.”

“Emperor Niarchos (race 1) is always a horse that showed so much, he probably needs to be gelded. But he comes out fresh and often wins a good race. If he just runs to his best he will be a big runner in this type of race, he ran in a MR 100 last time in Jo’burg and ran a good race, this is much lower and I think he’s a good place bet.”

“Sounds Positive (race 2) will also run a good race, she also runs well fresh, she is a filly I’ve battled with soundness but she is very sound at the moment. She may just need it but it’s not the strongest field and I think she is also a good place bet.”

“Great Rumpus (4^th) has been disappointing, but last time he was a little bit handy. He only runs on if we leave him alone in races and in the Highland Night Cup he ran on very well.  I’m just hoping over the extra trip he will have quite a long time to get into the race. He’s well and fit but he has just an outside chance. I’m not very confident with him.”

By David Thiselton

VDJ betting now open: BiPot ONE Leg 1 starts in race 2 – estimated pool R700,000.

The racing industry has rallied around Summerveld trainer Paul Lafferty, one of the characters of the game who has fallen ill, and his positive approach when appearing on his Winning Ways show on Monday night drew much admiration.

He will also be viewing Vodacom Durban July day positively, despite both of his runners on the day not being in very good places.

Jay Power (Nkosi Hlophe)

The yard’s Gr 3 tabGold 2200 entry Double Clutch pulled a hip joint in the Gr 2 Track and Ball Derby when jumping from the gate awkwardly and he was likely to be scratched.

Jay Power is a talented stayer being tried over 3000m in the Gr 2 SABC Gold Vase, but the yard believe that this breathing issues could well be his undoing.

Run Rhino Run contests the Listed Canon Business Centre Handicap over 1600m, but having ended up in front against instructions in his last two this horse now believes “oiling it” from the off is the idea. He consequently over raced badly in Sundays KZN Breeders Million Mile. He might still run on Saturday, but is going to have to learn to settle.

A golf day is being staged today to raise funds for Lafferty’s medical treatment and his close friend Phil Georgiou said, “We would love it if people could pledge to the cause anytime.”

It is a pity that Double Clutch will not be running and winning on July day as Paul Lafferty has likely already drawn inspiration from this “miracle horse’s” fight back from serious illness into a July entry.

By David Thiselton.

Picture: Paul Lafferty

VDJ betting now open: BiPot ONE Leg 1 starts in race 2 – estimated pool R700,000.

South African-born Australian jockey Chad Schofield can fill in a blank missing on his father’s CV when he partner’s The Conglomerate in Saturday’s R3,5 million Gr 1 Vodacom Durban July for Joey Ramsden. The KRA Guineas winner was yesterday quoted at 25-1 for the big race.

Ramsden said it was becoming increasingly difficult to find lightweight jockeys and the connections had decided to begin looking around when no phone calls for the ride were forthcoming. He added they had considered a number of options on who to bring in, so the decision had not been made lightly.

“Chad comes highly recommended. They were impressed with him in the UK and he’s got a contract to ride in Hong Kong so he’s obviously got something. He seems to be a bit of a maverick and I like that in a jockey.”

Father Glyn Schofield was one of the country’s leading jockeys before immigrating to Australia where he followed brother-in-law Jeff Lloyd in 2007 and quickly established himself as a leading rider in Sydney. He had seven rides in the July but never managed a place.

Young Schofield’s first winner was in September 2010 at Newcastle and he claimed the Sydney Apprentices’ Premiership under the guidance of top former South African trainer, David Payne.

Schofield became the first rider in history to land both Sydney and Melbourne Apprentices’ Premierships and will joined the likes of Malcolm Johnston, Wayne Harris and Darren Beadman as a winner of the Melbourne Apprentices’ Premiership in just his second year.

The 21-year-old Schofield really burst onto the scene when partnering Shamus Award to win one of Australia’s most prestigious races, the Gr1 Sportingbet Cox Plate in 2013.

He has since won three other Gr1’s in Australia where he has ridden 271 winners but is no stranger to controversy. In his relentless drive to win he has copped some lengthy suspensions for careless and improper riding, two suspensions totalling 59 meetings last year, and also through injury.

Recently he has been riding for leading English trainer Ed Dunlop in England during the Australian winter and partnered the David Hayes-trained Criterion to fifth in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot. He is due to start a contract in Hong Kong in September.

Of the July, Schofield tweeted: “Can’t wait to ride in the country I grew up in.”

By David Thiselton

VDJ betting now open: BiPot ONE Leg 1 starts in race 2 – estimated pool R700,000.

Colin Scott has three runners on Vodacom Durban July day and all take part in ultra competitive races.

He runs Caviar in the second, a polytrack handicap over 1400m, where she runs from draw 13. He said, “Not the best of draws but it will probably be her last run before she goes to stud and I think she will run a decent sort of race coming from off the pace and running on. It’s the right type of race for her and she enjoys Greyville, she gets the 1400 there.”

He runs Christmas Handicap winner Fourth Estate as well as Stolen Destiny in the Listed Canon Business Centre Handicap over 1600m and said, “Fourth Estate is another one who loves Greyville. He got a bit of a penalty for winning the Christmas handicap and his one run since then was at Scottsville, which he hates and he didn’t raise a gallop, but it just brought him on a little bit and he should be spot on. Stolen Destiny would probably be a little better over 1400m but this is the right type of race and we might get away with at Greyville. He is also well in himself and should run a good race.”

Kumaran Naidoo also has three runners and three reserves on Vodacom Durban July day and he made Royalsecuritypower his best runner.

The Rock Of Gibraltar gelding runs in the tenth, a MR 104 Handicap over 1000m on the poly, from a nice draw of seven and Naidoo said, “His last two starts were over 1200m, I don’t think he quite sees it out, but back on the poly over 1000m he has a very good chance.”

Naidoo also felt Albert would be in the money in the first over 1400m on the poly, although he felt he was better over 1200m.

He was not bullish about his runner in the next, Ikati, who is close to the end of her career.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Colin Scott

VDJ betting now open: BiPot ONE Leg 1 starts in race 2 – estimated pool R700,000.

Sean Cormack, beaten only a quarter of a length on Run For It two years ago, reckons Futura is the classiest horse he has ever ridden in the great race and that the top weight is adaptable enough for him to keep out of trouble.

He said: “Futura is pretty versatile – you can ride him anywhere – and he has very good acceleration. Without a doubt, this is the best horse I have ridden in the July.”

Futura & Sean Cormack (Nkosi Hlophe)

The Queen’s Plate and Met winner is usually ridden from some way back and then asked to make the most of his speed. But with 18 runners and on a course significantly narrower than its pre-polytrack days that could present problems. Cormack expects to sit not so far back on Saturday.

He said: “Futura is drawn well (six) so I don’t think he is going to be at the back. Worst case scenario he will be midfield.

“He is not the sort you want to bounce out and be aggressive on in the early part, and it’s probably more beneficial to him to be given a chance, but if I found myself in the first group it wouldn’t worry me.”

But does the favourite worry him? “I don’t really know Legal Eagle – although obviously I have seen him race – and so it would be unfair of me to comment.

“But he looks very impressive and he has become a big player in the July. He has still to take on the big hard-hitters like Futura and Wylie Hall but he has earned his place so he is an obvious danger and a huge threat.”

Cormack can recall the Run For It ride as if it was yesterday. “He was drawn one and everybody said he wasn’t the style of a horse you want for that position because he had a tendency to be slow out of the gates.

“But he flew out and I was the third horse on the fence, probably the dream position for a race like the July. He quickened up beautifully. I remember chasing Jet Explorer, getting to him, taking it up, getting the better of Geoff Woodruff’s filly Do You Remember. Then, just when it looked like I was going to win, I got run out of it by Heavy Metal.”

By Michael Clower

VDJ betting now open: Jackpot ONE Leg 1 starts in race 5 – estimated pool R2,1million.