Category Archives: July

French Navy (Nkosi Hlophe)

French Navy hiked three points

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The Sean Tarry-trained Count Dubois gelding French Navy has been raised three points for his Gr 1 Daily News 2000 win on Saturday and will go into the Vodacom Durban July with a merit rating of 113. This means, based on July favourite Futura’s current merit rating of 120, he would have to carry 54,5kg in the big race as things stand.

The 108 merit rated third-placed The Conglomerate was used as “the line horse” in the Daily News and his merit rating will remain unchanged, so as things stand he will go into the July 1kg under sufferance carrying the minimum weight for a three-year-old male of 53kg. Second-placed Ertijaal was raised four points to 110, meaning he will scrape into the July’s handicap with 53kg, while fourth-placed Rampant Ice was raised six points to 106 and it remains to be seen whether he will be supplemented for the big race.

The Alec Laird-trained Gr 1 Woolavington winner Smart Call was raised eight points to 109, based on her 2,25 length defeat of the 103 merit-rated line horse, third-placed Trophy Wife. However, Laird has said Smart Call will likely be rested for the remainder of the season.

Second-placed Pine Princess, beaten a quarter-of-a-length, remains on a 109 merit rating so will go into the July with 52,5kg as it stands. Fourth-placed Zante was the only other horse to be affected and her merit rating was raised nine points to 101, although she is not currently a July entry. The fifth-placed favourite Inara remains on 110, but she was scratched from the July yesterday (Monday) morning and will likely be aimed at the Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes over the more suitable 1600m distance.

By David Thiselton

Picture: French Navy (Nkosi Hlophe)

Inara (Liesl King)

Inara out of the July

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The Mike Bass-trained dual Gr 1-winning Trippi filly Inara was one of the most notable Vodacom Durban July scratchings at the second declaration stage yesterday (Monday) and this followed her disappointing fifth-place finish as favourite for Saturday’s Gr 1 Woolavington 2000.

Bass said Inara had been found to have “a nasty swelling” on her back leg on Sunday, having been run into from behind in the Woolavington at about the 1600m mark, but she was otherwise fine and he believed the chief reason for the below par effort was her stamina capacity.

He said, “There are not many Trippi fillies that can stay the 2000m but I thought beforehand that she would based on her Paddock Stakes win over 1800m.”

Inara also stayed on strongly from near the back of the field to finish runner up in the Gr 2 KRA Fillies Guineas, which suggested she would get the 2000m at the same  track.

However, Bass is now of the opinion that she is better over shorter, so duly scratched her from the July yesterday morning and is likely to  aim her at the Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes over 1600m, which is one of July day’s main supporting features.

By David Thiselton

French Navy (Nkosi Hlophe)

July betting movement

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French Navy has been slashed from 25-1 to 10-1 for the Vodacom Durban July following his Daily News triumph, the same price as runner-up Ertijaal (from 14-1) but third-placed The Conglomerate is still shorter than both of them, despite being eased from 6-1 to 8-1.

Betting World has also cut Woolavington runner-up Pine Princess from 50-1 to 33-1 but Siren’s Call has been marked out from 25-1 to twice that price and Inara (only fifth in the Woolavington) from 50-1 to 150-1.

Futura remains favourite, hardening from 33-10 to 3-1, but the temperature-sidelined Majmu has been eased from 4-1 to 5-1 and Wylie Hall has come in from 7-1 to 6-1 third favourite.

Micheal Clower Picture:French Navy (Nkosi Hlophe)

No more preps for Power King

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Dean Kannemeyer is thinking of sending Power King straight  into the Vodacom Durban July without another run following the four-year-old’s second in the Betting World 1900 12 days ago. He said: “Power King is a horse that I can bring out fresh and so I have my doubts that he will run again before the July. I was very impressed with his run in the 1900 and I would hope that he has done enough to get into the July on that. “He had never been to Greyville before, it was his first time under lights and he got lost. Turning for home he was two lengths behind the second last horse. His turn of foot from there was unbelievable and he was beaten less than a neck. “I’m not taking anything away from the winner, Dynastic Power, but my horse beat him in the Winter Guineas and Winter Classic, and was giving him 4kg in the 1900. If he gets in then Power King certainly should. Furthermore he has come through his race well and he will be a far better horse at Greyville next time.” Kannemeyer, who won the 2003 Durban July with Dynasty and repeated the feat with Eyeofthetiger three years later, also hopes to run last year’s Nokia Gold Vase winner Hot Ticket in the great race. He said: “Hot Ticket ran well behind Futura in the Pinnacle and I have entered him for the Track And Ball Derby on June 21. He won the corresponding race last year when it was run at Clairwood.” The Milnerton trainer’s 20-strong KZN team is in tremendous form and has won 16 races inside two months. He has a strike rate of 38% in Durban this season and, somewhat understandably, he is hugely impressed with the training tracks. He said: “Summerveld is what you call a proper training facility. You can bring horses back because you have all the different tracks, grass and sand, and those that climb, and you can really put work  into them. “They still need a race to bring them on but you don’t have to say to the owners ‘Your horse is going to be badly in need of a run.’” Kannemeyer intends using his now permanent satellite yard for his expansion plans and said: “I can bring more horses here to give owners more options and I can raid from here to Johannesburg.” Many of his recent winners have been ridden by Anthony Delpech  – “Anthony has been riding work for me every day as have Stuart Randolph and Donovan Dillon, and all three give me good feedback.” By Michael Clower Picture: Power King (Nkosi Hlophe)

Futura (Nkosi Hlophe)

Futura still joint favourite with Majmu

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Futura was left on an unchanged 7-2 when Betting World reopened its book on the Vodacom Durban July yesterday.

The country’s biggest bookmaker suspended betting shortly before the Queen’s Plate and J & B Met winner made a winning return in the mile Pinnacle at Greyville on Sunday. He had been backed on the day of that race at 9-2.

The four-year-old shares favouritism with Mike de Kock’s star Majmu while the supplemented Wylie Hall, first past the post in last year’s race, disputes 7-1 third favouritism with the Joey Ramsden-trained KRA Guineas winner The Conglomerate.

Dynastic Power has been the big mover in the last few days, being slashed from 150-1 to 25-1 following his triumph in last Friday’s Betting World 1900. Runner-up Power King was cut from 50-1 to 16-1 and third-placed Punta Arenas from 150-1 to 66-1. Stan Elley’s gelding has been backed at that price and is now 50-1.

Mac De Lago has been marked out from 40-1 to 100-1 and fellow supplementaries Mljet and It Is Written from 100-1 to 150-1. The 2013 July winner Heavy Metal is also on the drift, going out from 75-1 to twice that price.

By Michael Clower

Picture: Futura (Nkosi Hlophe)

gallica rose nh

Rose blooms in East Coast

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The Joey Ramsden-trained Silvano filly Gallica Rose has always been well regarded and earned bold black type at Greyville yesterday under a fine ride by Bernard Fayd’Herbe when winning the Listed East Coast Cup over 2 000m.

She jumped from a wide draw but travelled comfortably throughout three wide of the rail in the back half of the field and produced a strong finish to catch and overtake Bilateral, who was the only three-year-old in the field and was the winner of last season’s Gr 1 Golden Slipper over 1 400m at this course. Later the ruling Vodocam Durban July favourite Futura made his debut for the Justin Snaith yard in a Pinnacle Stakes race over 1 600m and won by 0,25 lengths under Sean Cormack without being hard ridden. He was turned out in fine condition and this was an eyecatching preparation for the Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge over the same course and distance on June 6.

Before the meeting the reigning July champion Legislate, also from the Snaith yard, had an easy gallop under Cormack and Snaith said he had done everything asked of him perfectly.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Gallica Rose (Nkosi Hlophe)

wylie hall cs site

Wylie Hall supplemented for the July

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Wylie Hall, winner of the Vodacom Durban July last year but relegated to second behind Legislate on an objection, will bid to win Africa’s Greatest Horseracing Event, the Vodacom Durban July, again this year with his name being put forward officially by trainer Weiho Marwing at the first supplementary entry stage today.

Winner in his last two starts of the Colorado King Stakes and the Premier’s Champion Challenge at Turffontein, the five-year-old Australian-bred entire was not nominated initially but was placed second on the first published July Log behind L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and J&B Met winner Futura.

Marwing has also supplemented his three-year-old Australian-bred colt Mac De Lago that ran second to The Conglomerate in the KRA Guineas at Greyville recently.

Also supplemented into the race is the three-year-old gelding MLjet from the Gavin van Zyl stable that finished third in the Selangor Cup and second in the Politician Stakes in the Cape and the four-year-old gelding It Is Written from the Dean Kannemeyer yard that was an easy winner of a MR94 handicap over 1 400m at Scottsville in his first race in KwaZulu-Natal.

It Is Written is carded to contest the R350 000, Grade 2 Betting World 1900 at Greyville on Friday.

There have also been 11 withdrawals from the race. They are Gogetthesheriff, Sabadell, Arion, Henry Higgins, Heartland, Greek Legend, Stormy Eclipse, Shea Devon, Rake’s Chestnut, Scotsnog and All The Bids.

The second declarations will be on Monday, June 1 with final supplementary entries closing on Monday, June 8 and the weights being published the following day.

By Richard McMillan

Picture: Wylie Hall (Nkosi Hlophe)

legislate and wylie hall

Entries: Vodacom Durban July 2015

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HORSE              A/S       M/R   TRAINER

FUTURA             (4C) 120   Justin Snaith

LEGISLATE          (4C) 117   Justin Snaith

*WYLIE HALL (AUS)   (5H) 116   Weiho Marwing

LOUIS THE KING     (4C) 114   Geoff Woodruff

MAJMU (AUS)        (3F) 114   Mike de Kock

ICE MACHINE        (6G) 113   Charles Laird

KING OF PAIN       (5G) 113 Joey Ramsden

HOT TICKET         (5G) 112 Dean Kannemeyer

LEGAL EAGLE        (3G) 112   Sean Tarry

NO WORRIES         (5G) 111 Gavin van Zyl

FRENCH NAVY        (3G) 110   Sean Tarry

GOLD ONYX (NZ)     (7G) 110   Sean Tarry

HELDERBERG BLUE    (4G) 110   Mike Bass

INARA              (3F) 110   Mike Bass

HALVE THE DEFICIT  (6G) 109   Sean Tarry

HEAVY METAL        (6G) 109   Sean Tarry

JET EXPLORER       (6G) 109   Justin Snaith

PINE PRINCESS      (3F) 109   Mike de Kock

SIREN’S CALL       (3F) 109   Sean Tarry

TELLINA            (5G) 109   Geoff Woodruff

AFRIKABURN         (3G) 108 Dean Kannemeyer

SAME JURISDICTION  (3F) 108   Duncan Howells

THE CONGLOMERATE (3C) 108   Joey Ramsden

  GOGETTHESHERIFF    (4G) 107   Jacques Strydom    (Scratched)

KILLUA CASTLE (AUS (5G) 107 Geoff Woodruff

WHITELINE FEVER    (6G) 107   Sean Tarry

ATHINA             (4F) 106   Joe Soma

DEPUTY JUD         (3C) 106   Mike Azzie

ERTIJAAL (AUS)     (3C) 106   Mike de Kock

POWER KING         (4G) 106 Dean Kannemeyer

PUNTA ARENAS       (6G) 106   Stan Elley

KOCHKA             (4G) 105   Alyson Wright

TAMAANEE (AUS)     (3F) 105   Sean Tarry

BOLD INSPIRATION   (4G) 104 Charles Laird

*MAC DE LAGO (AUS)  (3C) 104   Weiho Marwing

UNPARALLELED       (3G) 104   Johan Janse van Vuren

CAGIVA             (5G) 103   Sean Tarry

  SABADELL           (5G) 103   Kumaran Naidoo     (Scratched)

TROPHY WIFE        (3F) 103   Sean Tarry

LIGHT THE LIGHTS   (3C) 102   Glen Kotzen

*MLJET              (3G) 102   Gavin van Zyl

  ARION              (4C) 101   Justin Snaith      (Scratched)

  HENRY HIGGINS      (6G) 101 Paul Peter         (Scratched)

JAYYED             (3C) 101   Mike de Kock

JUDICIAL           (4G) 101 Tyrone Zackey

THE HANGMAN        (5G) 101   Sean Tarry

CANDY MOON         (5G) 100   Paul Gadsby

DYNAMIC            (5G) 100   Justin Snaith

KINGSTON MINES (GB)(4G) 100   Mike de Kock

DOUBLE CLUTCH      (4G)  99   Paul Lafferty

DE KOCK            (4G)  98   Brett Crawford

DYNASTIC POWER     (4G)  98   Stan Elley

MEISSA             (6G)  98   Gary Alexander

SOLAR STAR         (4G)  98   Dean Kannemeyer

BALANCE SHEET      (3G)  97 Dean Kannemeyer

  HEARTLAND          (3C)  97   Justin Snaith      (Scratched)

*IT IS WRITTEN      (4G)  96   Dean Kannemeyer

MOUNTAIN MASTER    (4G)  96 Mike Bass

  GREEK LEGEND       (3C)  94 Mike Azzie         (Scratched)

ULTIMATE DOLLAR    (3G)  94   Justin Snaith

RUN RHINO RUN      (3G)  92   Paul Lafferty

RUSHMORE RIVER     (4G)  91 Joe Soma

  STORMY ECLIPSE     (3G)  90   Charles Laird      (Scratched)

TRIP TO RIO        (3C)  90   Mike de Kock

AKII BUA (AUS)     (4G)  89   Mike de Kock

  SHEA DEVON (AUS)   (3G)  89   Geoff Woodruff     (Scratched)

DANTE’S LEGACY     (3G)  88   Gavin van Zyl

  RAKE’S CHESTNUT    (4G)  88 Geoff Woodruff     (Scratched)

  SCOTSNOG           (3C)  87   Mike de Kock       (Scratched)

  ALL THE BIDS       (3G)  62   Corne Spies        (Scratched)

AMSTERDAM          (3G) 108   Mike Azzie

(60)

 

IMPORTANT DATES TO DIARISE
Monday, 1 June 2015 – Second Declaration
Monday, 8 June 2015 – Final Supplementary Entries
Tuesday, 9 June 2015 – Weights Published
Monday, 22 June 2015 – Final Declaration
Tuesday, 23 June 2015 – Announcement of Final Field and Barrier Draw
Thursday, 25 June 2015 – Vodacom Durban July Gallops at Greyville Racecourse

 

Blinkers to get MLJet flying again

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One of the season’s most disappointing three-year-olds MLJet has joined the Summerveld yard of Gavin van Zyl, and will continue to run in the colours of owner Michael Leaf.

MLJet is not a Vodacom Durban July entry, but Van Zyl hinted that the big race could still be a consideration when saying that he would “see how it goes with him”.

Van Zyl also spoke about his July log top 20 incumbent No Worries and added that in his belief the country’s premier race would benefit from the added pressure for places now that the field had been reduced from the 20 strong of a couple of years ago.

MLJet was due to run at Greyville on Friday night in an Allowance Plate, but unfortunately the race has been scrapped due to only five horses accepting.

The Varsfontein Stud-bred Jet Master gelding put up a good gallop on the Summerveld grass with first-time blinkers yesterday (Monday) and will run in the headgear in his next race, which is likely to be the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 on May 30.

He looked set for big things after two impressive wins in Juvenile Plates at Clairwood last year were followed by an unlucky 0,25 length third to Equus Champion colt Harry’s Son in the Gr 1 Premier’s Champion Stakes over 1600m at Greyville.

He has not lived up to expectations, although some of his runs, such as his 0,5 second to The Conglomerate in the Gr 3 Julius Baer Politician Stakes over 1800m at Kenilworth when giving the latter 3kg, now look good on paper.

He joined Van Zyl’s yard after a disappointing run in the Gr 1 SA Classic over 1800m at Turffontein on March 28, although the very soft ground did probably go against him in that race.

Van Zyl’s five-year-old Kahal gelding No Worries is in position 16 on the July log. No Worries can still be considered a borderline case, despite the size of the field being increased from 16 last year to 18.

He was not concerned about “unqualifying” him by running him in the Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge and said, “There are three ways of getting into the July, through the front door (the top qualifiers like Futura, Legislate and Majmu), the side door (the mid-log incumbents who are relatively safe) and through the back door (the last minute feature race winners and placed horses who stake a late claim) and if you don’t make it you don’t deserve to be there.”

Van Zyl believed the current qualifying system would lead to the July developing into a truly great race packed with deserving participants. He added that the days of “moderates” qualifying could be over.

No Worries finished third in the Gr 1 President’s Champions Challenge over 2000m in his last start and Van Zyl said the strapping chestnut would be “ready” for both the Gold Challenge and the July.

He will continue to race in blinkers and Keagan de Melo will keep the ride for both races.

No Worries has become known as a handy to front-running type, oddly, because his two best runs, a short-head second to the top class Vercingetorix in the Daily News 2000 and a fourth place finish in the July, both came when producing flying finishes from way back in the running. He subsequently developed a bit of a headstrong habit down in his Cape Town campaign last season. However, he has settled nicely in the running since De Melo took over the reins and Van Zyl hoped that in his next two races the draw and factors like the pace would allow the versatile horse to employ the hold up tactics which brought his best results.

Van Zyl was pleased with his Horse Chestnut filly Banbury’s runner up finish over 1400m at Greyville on Sunday, which heralded a return to form, and said her next start would likely be in the Gr 1 Woolavington 2000.

By David Thiselton