Category Archives: Gold Vase

The Conglomerate comes up trumps

Posted on by

Few saw it coming. Even trainer Joey Ramsden was sceptical beforehand, even more so after The Conglomerate drew the extreme outside gate. But under a superb tactical ride from Piere Strydom the 20-1 shot pulled off a memorable win in yesterday’s Gr1 Vodacom Durban July.

The Conglomerate (Nkosi Hlophe)

The Conglomerate (Nkosi Hlophe)

Always handy Strydom moved his mount through smoothly under hands and heels to hit the front 200m out and had the race in the bag in a matter of strides. The diminutive Marinaresco came from the rear of the field to finish a neck second.  There was a scramble for the minor placings with Mac De Lago getting up late for third to deny It’s My Turn with rank outsider Saratoga Dancer also running on well in fifth.

Favourite, the grey filly Bela-Bela, was finishing off her race but never threatened. With the tote paying six places she did just enough to save place punters.

It was a belated birthday present for an emotional Strydom who turned 50 last month. It was also a fourth win for Strydom in the country’s richest race and his second from the widest draw after getting home narrowly aboard Pomodoro in 2012.

Ever the professional Strydom was offered the ride on Rising Sun Gold Challenge winner Mac De Lago who looked a better proposition, but he had already committed to ride for the Jooste’s and their racing manager Derek Brugman even though retained rider Anton Marcus had the pick of the rides.

Joey Ramsden (Nkosi Hlophe)

Joey Ramsden (Nkosi Hlophe)

“It was an exceptional ride,” said Ramsden, “Although he should thank his compardres in the weighing room. They let him in so easily.”

“This is always a great day. I have been coming here for 18 years and it’s always great racing.”

He had a consoling word for the owners of second-placed Marinaresco. They must be sad an heartsore. Marsh (Shirtliff) and Bryn (Ressell) are good friends of mine and great owners.”

A win for Marinaresco would have signed off on a memorable career for trainer Mike Bass who retires at the end of the month.

There are no immediate plans for the winner with the eLan Gold Cup and the Mike and Carol Bass Champion Stakes coming up at month’s end. “There’s no reason why he shouldn’t stay (the Gold Cup trip) but he will be at the top of the handicap. It’s up to Derek to decide.”

Dubai is an unlikely option. “I’m not quite sure he’s good enough,” Ramsden said.

Marinaresco must now rate as the best three-year-old in the country as he came from last at the top of the straight. He showed a tremendous turn of foot and ran past all but The Conglomerate with ease although Ramsden was never worried. “I think Piere knew he had it in the bag.”

Weiho Marwing gave Mac De Lago the thumbs up. “He ran a great race.” Brother Weichong said French Navy had every chance even though he missed the break but was not suited to the slow pace.

There were some hard luck stories. Solid Speed returned with a nosebleed while both Triple Crown hero Abashiri and St Tropez, stable companion to the winner, returned lame.

Inara (Nkosi Hlophe)

Inara (Nkosi Hlophe)

Star filly Inara finally broke her KZN hoodoo and landed her fifth Gr1 with victory in the Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes.

Unplaced last year behind Same Jurisdiction, she put the record straight as she ground out a win from off a strong pace to keep Strydom at bay and a Gr1 double as Olma finished with a rattle but too late to make a difference to the result. Pacemaker Bichette stayed on for third.

“Things didn’t go right for her last year,” said Candice Robinson assistant to her father Mike Bass who hands over the reins his daughter come the end of the month.  This could well be Bass’s final Gr1 of his career and winning rider Grant van Niekerk was profuse in his praise as it was Bass who recognised his talent and gave a raw jockey, just recently out of his apprenticeship, the plum job of stable jockey.

What made the win more special is that Inara has now won in three different centres, having won the Laurie Jaffee Empress Club Stakes at Turffontein back in April and three others in her home town.

Punta Arenas (Nkosi Hlophe)

Punta Arenas (Nkosi Hlophe)

Second in the Vodacom Durban July last year when trained by now retired Stan Elley, Punta Arenas did not make this year’s final field but made up for it by winning the “July” consolation, the DELTA Air Lines 2200m. Now with Dennis Drier, Punta Arenas kept finding extra to deny the Mike de Kock pair of The Centenary and Alghadeer, the latter failing to reach his reserve when offered for auction last week.

Second and third in the DELTA Airlines, De Kock trumped that with a 1-2-3-4 in the SABC Gold Vase over 3000m.

Kingston Mines was sent out as the hare and opened a good few lengths on his rivals coming up the hill at the 800 m mark. He kept finding in the straight but was challenged by Smart Mart. These two looked to have the race to themselves before Enaad finished with a wet sail, running them both down in the shadow of the post with Kinaan finishing the best of the others to snatch fourth.

Leading all the way, Final Judgement pulled of a 25-1 surprise in the Gold Circle Golden Slipper, rallying under a strong ride from Stuart Randolph to narrowly hold off the attentions of Dawn Calling and Sail. Odds-on favourite Maleficent, prominent throughout surrendering tamely to finish unplaced.

Zodiac Ruler (Nkosi Hlophe)

Zodiac Ruler (Nkosi Hlophe)

Jumping from pole position, Randloph had no hesitation taking Final Judgement to the lead with Muzi Yeni slotting Dawn Calling perfectly into position behind the favourite.

Once in the straight Maleficent left Dawn Calling in the clear and she was left to chase home Final Judgement.

Two-year-old male form has been muddling but Zodiac Ruler put up his hand with a superb victory in the Durban Golden Horseshoe.  The imposing Justin Snaith-trained colt was again slow out of the gate and found himself at the tail end of the field.  “They went very fast. That suited me,” said rider Richard Fourie.

Duncan Howells was super confident of the chances of his filly Lunar Rush in the KZN Yearling Sale Million and so it proved. Anthony Delpech took the race by the scruff from the start and the result was never in doubt. This was the second win in the race for Howells who also scored with crack filly Same Jurisdiction two years back.

 

 

St Tropez (Nkosi Hlophe)

Ramsden happy with his duo

Posted on by

Joey Ramsden continues to be happy with his Vodacom Durban July pair St. Tropez and The Conglomerate.

The pair have a hard task on paper being 3,5kg and 2,5kg under sufferance respectively according to official merit ratings.

The Conglomerate has never quite recaptured the form which saw him running on strongly to win last season’s Gr 2 KRA Guineas off the back of a fast pace. However, in his last two starts over 1900m and 1800m at Greyville respectively, where he stayed on into the money, the potential effect of his finish was blunted by a pace which was not strong enough on either occasion.

St Tropez (Nkosi Hlophe)

St Tropez (Nkosi Hlophe)

Furthermore, the Australian-bred by Lonhro has always looked a sort who would relish the July trip. He was one of a number of unlucky horses in last year’s July when finding his path completely blocked on the outside rail at a stage where he looked to still have plenty in the tank.

Ramsden said at the July final field and draw ceremony The Conglomerate had been putting in tremendous work at home, so he was disappointed, to say the least, to draw the very outside barrier position of 20, which will come into 18 on Saturday in an 18 horse line up.

On the plus side brilliant jockey Piere Strydom will be aboard. In Strydom’s third July win in 2012, he won from the very outside berth of 20 on Pomodoro.

Strydom said about The Conglomerate’s draw yesterday (Wednesday): “It’s not nice at all. Number one you give away start. Number two I need to get lucky by either getting ahead or for there to be enough pace to enable me to slot in, otherwise I will be caught wide again.”

He said about his chances, “I can’t say I have a good chance. Anton had the pick of the Markus Jooste crop, but there is still a chance though, because on form they are very close to one another.”

Speaking about his last July win from the outside draw, he said: “I was worried about the draw on Pomodoro but he had ability, he was a good sort. Whether The Conglomerate is as good, I am not sure.”

St. Tropez is typical of a four-year-old Silvano gelding in that he is progressive and the best might not yet have been seen of him, so his relatively lowly 99 merit rating could well be misleading. His running on second in his last start, the Gr 2 Betting World 1900, followed a six month layoff and Anton Marcus has been pleased with his work since, so he should be spot on.

The Conglomerate (Liesl King)

The Conglomerate (Liesl King)

He has had three runs at Greyville for a win and two seconds. Last year he ran in the July consolation race, the Gr 3 tabGold 2200, and was left with too much to do by a rider with not much experience of the course, although he was staying on well and finished a 3,25 length second. He jumps from draw ten on Saturday, which might be a fair draw as it will give Marcus options.

Marcus is going for a record-breaking fifth July win, while Ramsden is seeking his first July winner.

Ramsden runs Gr 1-winner King Of Pain in the Gr 3 SABC Gold Vase over 3000m where he carries topweight of 60kg and has a plum draw of two with Bernard Fayd’Herbe up. Ramsden said this six-year-old Greys Inn gelding had missed a week of work recently due to a foot issue, so was not quite as fit as he would have liked him, but he added the horse could not be in a better place mentally.

King Of Pain’s biggest career win in the Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge over 1600m in 2014 followed a four month break. In his only attempt at 3000m or beyond he was an impressive winner of the Gr 3 CTS Chairman’s Cup over 3200m at Kenilworth In February this year under the rider who knows him best, Fayd’Herbe.

Ramsden was of the opinion the track was hard at Scottsville when six-year-old Captain Al gelding Disco Al was defending his crown in the Gr 3 Track And Ball Derby over 2400m two Sundays ago and it had not suited him. He has been freshened up to run in Saturday’s Gr 3 Delta Air Lines 2200 from a plum draw of five under Strydom off an unchanged merit rating of 101.

He has proved affective over this sort of trip before and won Port Elizabeth’s biggest race, the Gr 3 Betting World Algoa Cup over 2000m, in both 2013 and 2014.

By David Thiselton

Abashiri (Nkosi Hlophe)

Abashiri ‘a special horse’

Posted on by

Mike Azzie said if Triple Crown hero Abashiri was not at his peak on Saturday for the Vodacom Durban July he would be pretty close to it. He is also expecting a good run from Oomph in an earlier feature.

Azzie said he had to put out of his head everybody saying Abashiri had too much weight to carry in the July, “because this is not a normal horse, this is a special horse.”

Abashiri (Nkosi Hlophe)

Abashiri (Nkosi Hlophe)

The Go Deputy gelding with the giant stride carries 59kg, the biggest weight ever allotted to a three-year-old in the big race.

He has not run since winning the SA Derby on April 30, where he had to dig down deep.  However, Azzie said the big horse’s work had been very good. He said big race jockey Karl Zechner was confident.

Abashiri certainly caught the eye at the July gallops and the exceptional turn of foot he has shown in his last two races should make him suited to Greyville.

Oomph has the second run for the yard in the Gr 2 Durban Golden Horseshoe over 1400m.

The Tiger Ridge colt was the talk of the town in Port Elizabeth after three facile wins over 1200m and he was then purchased by Azzie’s chief clients Adriaan and Rika van Vuuren.

However, Azzie said the colt had been well in need of his run in the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion, as they had backed off him in PE before he had arrived at Summerveld. He said the horse had tightened up and improved since the Medallion.

Azzie’s runner in the first over 1400m on the poly on Saturday, Peep Show, runs off an 83 merit rating compared to her 97 sand rating. However, she hasn’t run since January.

Deputy Jud (Nkosi Hlophe)

Deputy Jud (Nkosi Hlophe)

Azzie said he had seen Peep Show brighter than she currently was, and he would have liked her to be a little more crisp, but he was hoping she wouldn’t need it. He said if the four-year-old Ideal World filly reproduced her best on the sand she would be a tough nut to crack as she was capable of galloping flat out for a mile.

Azzie has July reserve runner Deputy Jud in the Gr 3 Delta Air Lines 2200m where he jumps from draw nine. His recent runner up finish in the Track And Ball Derby proved he was in a good space and his merit rating is unchanged, so he must have a shout.

Black Minnaloushe gelding Greek Legend has been a touch disappointing in three runs in KZN, but being a half-brother to Gold Cup winner Wavin’ Flag makes him an interesting runner in the Gr 3 SABC Gold Vase over 3000m.

The yard run Lazer Star in the Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes. She was bought out of the Ormond Ferraris yard mainly for breeding purposes and on previous evidence the 1600m trip might stretch her, although she is drawn well and it is her third run for the yard.

Splendid Garden carries topweight in the eighth, the Compendium MR 103 handicap over 1000m on the poly, and has a tough draw of nine. However, he has come a point down in the merit ratings and this talented but temperamental sort can’t be ignored coming off two Gr 1s where he was not disgraced.

By David Thiselton

Marinaresco (Liesl King)

Marinaresco loves to win

Posted on by

Mike Bass’s assistant trainer Robert Fayd’Herbe is happy with the yard’s Vodacom Durban July day string at Summerveld.

He stuck his neck out and named Helderberg Blue as their best runner on the day and this in-form Gr 3 Delta Air Lines contender certainly looked a picture when putting in a slow canter on the beach sand at Summerveld yesterday (Tuesday).

Marinaresco (Liesl King)

Marinaresco (Liesl King)

Meanwhile, the yard continue to be happy with July contestant Marinaresco. This Silvano gelding is a three-parts brother to Bulsara, who finished a 2,2 length fifth to Igugu in the 2011 July, despite carrying roundabout 1,5kg overweight.

Marinaresco, like Bulsara, has an exceptional turn of foot. Fayd’Herbe added, “He is a fighter, he likes to win.”

Jockey Grant van Niekerk has declared he is no longer worried by Marinaresco’s wide draw.

The yard run all of Inara, Silver Mountain and Lanner Falcon in the Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes and Fayd’Herbe was reluctant to separate them. He said, “All is well and may the best one win.”

The yard were also bullish about Gr 3 SABC Gold Vase contestant Three Balloons. Fayd’Herbe said, “He is coming to hand and 3000m is his distance.”

He said Ernie had also been doing well ahead of the tabGold Sprint over 1200m, where he has a wide draw in his first race on the poly.

David Thiselton

Kannemeyer duo spot on

Posted on by

Three-times Vodacom Durban July-winning trainer Dean Kannemeyer said both of his candidates for this year’s race, five-year-old Solid Speed and three-year-old Mambo Mime, were “spot on.”

Asked on which one he preferred he said, “On their home work Mambo Mime, but Solid Speed has never been a good work horse. Solid Speed is a five-year-old and Mambo Mime is a three-year-old and they carry the same weight, so that’s a different ball game.”

Jockey Keagan de Melo said he had been very happy with Mambo Mime and based on the feel the horse gave him believed he would definitely stay the 2200m trip. He is drawn in 12 and should be running on like he was in the Gr 1 Daily News 2000. On Monday he worked with Dynastic on the beach sand at Summerveld and drew clear effortlessly.

Jockey Stuart Randolph is also happy with Solid Speed. The latter represents the same owner, trainer and jockey as last year’s winner, Power King, runs off the identical merit rating of 106 and is drawn in barrier 5 compared to Power King’s 6.

Solid Speed (left) & Mambo Mime at the VDJ Gallops (Nkosi Hlophe)

Solid Speed (left) & Mambo Mime at the July Gallops (Nkosi Hlophe)

Balance Sheet and Solar Star both looked well in their workouts on the beach sand this week ahead of their engagements in the Gr 3 SABC Gold Vase over 3000m.

Kannemeyer has always believed Solar Star would get this sort of trip. He pointed out the latter had stayed on well in the Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m, where he finished fifth, only 1,65 lengths behind the winner Balance Sheet. However, Solar Star will now be only 0,5kg better off with his stable companion, so won’t find it easy to reverse form, especially considering Balance Sheet is proven over the trip, having finished second in last year’s Gold Cup over 3200m.

Kannemeyer runs Impala Lily in the first over 1400m on the poly and believes she will appreciate the step back to 1400m. It looked that way in her work out on the beach sand on Monday as she is a robust sort with big hind quarters. Her pole position draw is a further plus.

Cape Laddie ran a fine race under Anthony Delpech last time when caught wide over 1400m on the poly and still managing to stay on for a one length second to the fair sort Irish Pride.

He is now drawn well over the same course and distance in Saturday’s second race, but he does have to deal with a one point merit rated raise and Delpech was concerned about it being his second run after a long break.

David Thiselton

july c

Huge entry for July day

Posted on by

With 180 entries received for the six feature races supporting the R4.25-million, Grade 1 Vodacom Durban July at Greyville Racecourse on July 2, one might believe there is not a single top horse from anywhere in the country that is not aimed at Africa’s Greatest Horseracing extravaganza.

With the announcement of the final field for the 2 200m blue ribbon event not due for nearly two weeks, the plans for some of the hopefuls are still in limbo resulting in the largest entry for the meeting being for the R500 000, Grade 3 Delta Airlines 2200 – the race normally targeted by horses that do not make the final cut for the premier event – and this year there are 48 of them.

The R1-million, Grade 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes over 1 600m has attracted 21 entries including super filly Bela-Bela as well as the likes of Inara, Silver Mountain, Entisaar and Negroamaro.

The two R600 000, Grade 2 juvenile races, the Durban Golden Horseshoe and the Zulu Kingdom Explorer Golden Slipper, have both drawn large nominations with 37 entered for the colts race and 28 for the fillies.

The R500 000, Grade 3 SABC Gold Vase over 3 000m has drawn the 29 best stayers in South Africa.

It all points to another bumper Vodacom Durban July meeting where about 50 000 will cram into the Greyville course and together with punters from around the country, wager hundreds of millions of rands on the meeting.

 

Heart Of A Lion (Nkosi Hlophe)

Lion shows heart

Posted on by

Silvano stole the show at Vodacom Durban July day but the feel good story might well have belonged to the lesser known stallion Seul Amour.

Silvano’s progeny, Power King, Punta Arenas and Tellina, finished first, second and third in the July and all of them were bred by Maine Chance Farms. A rare occurrence for a country’s premier race anywhere in the world.

Earlier Seul Amour’s progeny Just Ask Me and Heart Of A Lion, both trained by Gavin van Zyl, had won a MR 83 Handicap over 1400m on the poly track and the Gr 2 SABC Gold Vase over 3000m respectively. Seul Amour, a New Zealand-bred, has a superb pedigree being by Zabeel out of four-time Gr 1-winning mare Grand Archway (Archway). He was raced in Australasia by well known South African owner Larry Nestadt and won a Listed race.

He began his stud duties in Australia but was brought to South Africa by Brad van der Riet and Alf Dickerson in 2011 and stands at Van der Riet’s Vanree Stud. Dickerson, his nephew Dennis Fraser and breeder Terry Andrews, had earlier bought the Counter Action mare, Action Lady. They sent her to Lake Coniston and her first foal Dance Club won a race at Fairview, albeit in her 19th start.

Heart Of A Lion (Nkosi Hlophe)

Heart Of A Lion (Nkosi Hlophe)

However, her next visit was to Seul Amour.

The foal was born and the trio now had two Seul Amours and didn’t know which one to keep. They decided to sell Heart Of A Lion for a “give away” price. Nick van Veen bought 50% and another owner was supposed to take the other 50% but defaulted.

Dickerson and Fraser then took a share each and the Van Zyl yard agreed to take the remainding 25% and to train him.

Heart Of A Lion ran fifth in his first two starts on the Highveld over 1160m and 1400m respectively and then ran second over 1400m to the useful Judicial.

However, it was when he was stepped up to 1600m in the May of his two-year-old that he showed his potential, winning his maiden by eight lengths at Turffontein. It didn’t escape the notice of Seul Amour’s former owner Larry Nestadt who made an offer and bought half of Van der Veen’s share for an apparently sizeable sum. At the same time Edwin Foster’s Bold Moves 860 syndicate bought the Van Zyl yard’s share.

He won his next two races to record a hat trick and looked to have a bright future as a three-year-old when finishing a 3,15 length fifth in the Gr 1 Premier’s Champions Stakes over 1600m at Greyville in his final start as a juvenile.

However, it was only when stepped up to staying trips this season as a four-year-old that he has really begun to fulfil his potential.

He finished third in both the Gr 3 Caradoc Gold Cup over 2850m and the Gr 2 Gold Bowl over 3200m, both at Turffontein. Then in his penultimate start he caught many a pundit’s eye running on strongly in the Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m at Greyville.

His regular rider Muzi Yeni gave him a fine ride on Saturday, dropping him out from a wide draw, relaxing him beautifully and he then ran on strongly in the straight to just prevail over Wild Ash and Solid Speed.

The handicapper has only raised him one point to 96 and this augurs well for his chances in the Gr 1 eLan Property Group Gold Cup over 3200m at Greyville on the last Saturday of this month. Terry Andrews is the official breeder of both Heart Of A Lion and three-year-old gelding Just Ask Me so July day 2015 will always be a memorable one for him.

By David Thiselton

same jurisdiction

Where to next?

Posted on by

Dean Kannemeyer is to wait until Power King recovers from his exertions in Saturday’s Vodacom Durban July before making any plans about the four-year-old’s future. He said: “Power King was a little wobbly and exhausted straight after the race so we will let him get over this and then decide where we go.”

Kannemeyer, winning the great race for the third time, explained that the horse had not been straightforward to train:  “He had a few soundness problems as a young three-year-old. Then he was haemoconcentrating and so I said to Lady Christine Laidlaw that there was only one way to deal with that and we gelded him.

“But the July is the ultimate race for a trainer in South Africa and I am over the moon to win it again.”

Lady Laidlaw raised the interest levels of the foreign media contingent by reacting positively to overseas campaign suggestions but the horse seems far more likely to stay in this country.

Stuart Randolph had to shed almost four kilos in three weeks to do 53k – “It wasn’t a strict diet but I watched it and the weight slowly came off”- and he is now facing a fortnight’s suspension.

Nothing to do with the Punta Arenas bumping match but everything to do with the way he came across Legal Eagle, Gold Onyx and Halve The Deficit as he began his run. “He cleaned up half the field,” commented a brassed-off Sean Tarry who trains all three.

This was the second successive year that the historic race has been decided in the boardroom but, even more remarkably, the first three are all by Silvano and were all bred by Maine Chance.

Duncan Howells has already mapped out Same Jurisdiction’s future and, after the way she justified 17-10 favouritism under Anton Marcus in the Jonsson Workwear Garden Province, he was talking about her in the same breath as Via Africa. He said: “You cannot believe the improvement she has made in the last two months and not even Via Africa galloped the way she did last Tuesday. She won’t run again this season and next term we will go to Cape Town for the Paddock Stakes and the Klawervlei Majorca.”

Marcus has amazing talent at both ends of a race but even he excelled himself when getting up in the last stride on 12-10 favourite Seventh Plain in the Durban Golden Horseshoe. The superlatives flowed like champagne at a wedding but owner Markus Jooste remarked tongue-in-cheek: “With what Anton costs one expects that sort of ride!”

The former champion added: “This win was a testament to the horse’s courage. He had every opportunity to spit the dummy but instead he dug down deep.”

Trainer Dennis Drier, who initiated a notable Grade 1 double with 16-1 shot Chestnuts N Pearls in the Zulu Kingdom Explorer Golden Slipper, said: “You dream about Grade 1 winners but to have two in one day is unbelievable and I am blessed to have jockeys like Anton and Sean Cormack.”

Seventh Plain is to be put away for Cape Town and the Cape Guineas but the Thekwini on July 25 is a possibility for the filly. But it’s worth noting that Brazuca, beaten a short head in the Horseshoe, would almost certainly have won had he not been baulked 300m out and been switched to get a clear run.

Also with an eye to next time when the first three in the SABC Gold Vase meet again in the Gold Cup: Solid Speed, who started favourite and was beaten less than a length into third behind the Gavin van Zyl-trained Heart Of A Lion (Muzi Yeni), lost a front shoe.

Dynamic proved the July selection committee’s point when weakening close home in the TabGold 2200 won in all-the-way fashion by S’Manga Khumalo on stable companion Ultimate Dollar but Justin Snaith is still very much concerned about the pens. He said: “This trip was a little bit too far for Dynamic but we have always rated Ultimate Dollar highly. We were going to use the same tactics on him in the Daily News but he got injured at the start.

“These stalls come from Australia and there is too much of a gap between the back gates. We have complained but I feel that the guys are not taking us seriously.”

The stipes certainly took Warren Kennedy seriously when he used a few choice words to the starter – his mount Sun On Africa was injured in the pens and had to be withdrawn from this race. He was fined R1 000 for “abusive language.”

By Michael Clower

Picture: Same Jurisdiction (Nkosi Hlophe)

Same Jurisdiction (Nkosi Hlophe)

Same Jurisdiction to show her class

Posted on by

The Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes has attracted an ultra-strong field headed up by Same Jurisdiction who is full of class and is course and distance suited.

She has enjoyed a good preparation and the draw is the only concern. Alexis won the KRA Fillies Guineas in fine style and has been putting in fantastic work at home. Carry On Alice has landed a good draw and has gone close in a Gr 1 over course and distance before.

Hammie’s Hooker has drawn in pole and put up a likely career best run in this race last year, so has an outstanding chance. Smart Call is the dark horse because a change to hold up tactics paid dividends in the Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 and she is affective over this trip too. Inara wasn’t herself in the Woolavington and probably didn’t stay, but has as good a winning chance as any of the above. Jet Belle is versatile and would not be a shock winner. Red Flame is classy and is unfortunate that her career coincides with such top female milers. Jet Aglow could earn on best form. They are selected in the order mentioned for this and all other races. The classy Seventh Plain has landed a plum draw in the Gr 1 Durban Golden Horseshoe over 1400m and wasn’t stopping when winning the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion over 1200m. Arabian Beat relaxes well and is full of class, so will be right there if overcoming the draw.

Lineker is a classy individual suited to this trip and well drawn. Muwaary impressed over 1300m last time and being a relaxed type should help him overcome a wide draw to some extent. Redcarpet Captain has unfortunately drawn wide as he has enjoyed a better preparation than he did for the Gold Medallion and should enjoy this trip.

Main Submission should be running on well and is the dark horse. Mogok Master’s last run can be ignored as he was badly hampered. He would prefer further but has a place chance if overcoming the draw. Beat The Retreat, Hip Hop Dancer and Never Settle make most appeal of the rest. The Gr 1 Zulu Kingdom Explorer Golden Slipper does not have a vintage field and Princess Royal looks to be a good bet as one that has impressed in sprints and will relish the step up in trip. She is well drawn too. She has played up at the course before but behaved impeccably at the big Scottsville Sprint day.

Captain’s Song is unfortunately drawn wide but has class and with luck in running could be right there. Frosted Honey will relish the step up n trip and has some fair form. She has not had an ideal preparation but has been putting in exceptional work at home. Mella Maria should be running on strongly. Almashooqa ran around in the finish last time and could improve with blinkers but her formlines are suspect.

Ninefold improved in her work with pacifiers and could earn. Miracle Rising and Melliflora are improving types who could earn and Lauderdale could place too.

The tabGold 2200 could be won by the classy St. Tropez, who will enjoy the course and distance, and Ultimate Dollar, who has been working well, could follow him home. Dynamic, Mountain Master and Light The Lights could be next best. The SABC Gold Vase could be won by the big and classy staying type Wild Ash from Crime Victim, Heart Of A Lion, Solid Speed, Kolkata, J’s Outsider and Smart Mart. The Listed Canon Business Centre Handicap could be won by MLJet from Kochka, Bold Inspiration, Rampant Ice and Prince Of Orange.

The KZN Yearling Sale Million could be won by Hot August, who needed his last run and was bought and prepared especially for this race. Chosen Dash should be running on strongly. Natal was impressive on debut over 1000m, should appreciate the step up in trip and is well drawn.

Speedy Suzy has pace and from a good draw is a big runner if seeing out the trip. Royal Pleasure could overcome her draw with her gatespeed and is another who is a big runner if seeing out the trip. Var’s Dream will be running on strongly if seeing out the trip.

Master Sam, Trini’s Colateral, Shivering Sea, Cutting Edge, Just As I Said, Just Africa and Mayfair can’t be ignored in an open race.

Gumbi has some class and could win the first race from Firewood.

Resolution is primed for the second race and could beat Cathy Specific, Lertasha, Dashing Scarlet and Se Agabor. Rock Me Var could win the 10th from Bad Boy Buddy Boy, Mod Barley, Barborsa and Muscatt. Generalissimo could win the 11th from Equity Kicker, Triptique, Isphan and Belong To Me.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Same Jurisdiction (Nkosi Hlophe)

VDJ betting now open: PA Leg 1 starts in race 3  – estimated pool R 3.6 million.