Category Archives: VDJ

july c

Huge entry for July day

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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.

 

Mac De Lago (Nkosi Hlophe)

‘Big Mac’ delivers

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Speaking prophetically on Friday, Weiho Marwing said “Big Mac” was in good order after arriving from his Turffontein satellite yard the day before. “Those Jo’burg races, especially at Turffontein, may have been too far. He always looked dangerous but didn’t finish of his race. I think the 1600 might be his game. We’ll see.”

Well it was close! “Big Mac” didn’t get home first in the Gr1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge at Greyville yesterday, but it took an objection from Marwing to get him there.

Trip To Heaven came from well back in the field to hit the front two furlongs out but Mac De Lago stuck to him like a burr. Under pressure, replacement rider Grant van Niekerk allowed Trip To Heaven to shift ground onto Mac De Lago and with the winning margin a piece-of-paper most agreed that the stewards made the correct decision to reverse the result.

Not a great way to win a Gr1 but it was some consolation for Marwing who two years back was on the wrong end of a steward’ protest in the Vodacom Durban July with Wylie Hall relegated to second behind Legislate.

Mac De Lago (Nkosi Hlophe)

Mac De Lago (Nkosi Hlophe)

In spite of being suspect over the distance, Mac De Lago will take his chances in the July.

“I thought the objection was clear-cut,” said Marwing. “I don’t know why the stipes didn’t object. You will have to ask them.”

“It was a great prep for the July. I think he will spark from here.”

French Navy, having his final race before the July, was doing his best work late finishing third and Sean Tarry will be more than happy with his showing in his lead-up to the country’s big one.

The notorious ‘Cape Crawl’ has taken hold in KZN this winter and there appears to be no antidote as both the G3 Cup Trial and the Gr2 Tibouchina Stakes caught the virus and the recent Gr1 Daily News 2000 was also not immune.

That said, there is no substitute for experience and internationally experienced Weichong Marwing played the field on the brake in the Cup Trial. Controlling the pace on rank outsider Exit Here he spoilt the chances of a few Vodacom Durban July hopefuls and cemented the chances of his mount making the final field as he kept Exit Here finding extra to hold Dynamic, the heavily supported The Conglomerate and Saratoga Dancer with a blanket covering the rest of the finishers.

Setting a sedate gallop Exit Here, beaten out of sight by current July anti-post favourite Black Arthur in the G2 Canon Guineas, responded to Marwing’s urgings to hold off the attentions of Dynamic who battled to quicken past his rival after being in close attendance throughout.

Chares Laird, not complimentary of his previous jockey bookings for Exit Here, confirmed that pace was the key and was critical of the

Exit Here (Nkosi Hlophe)

Exit Here (Nkosi Hlophe)

colt’s last two rides. “He’s a very gutsy horse and went the right pace. Weichong was able to ease him up a little bit. At the top of the straight he gave him a kick and it’s actually nice to know that it’s not his fault that he had two bad runs.”

Behind the first two, Anton Marcus aboard favourite The Conglomerate and Muzi Yeni on Saratoga Dancer had a barging match resulting in a successful objection by trainer Duncan Howells against The Conglomerate on the grounds of interference and intimidation over the final 350m resulting in the placings being reversed.

With both runners in the running for a place in the final July field this could prove a costly dust-up for both runners who could be relegated to contesting the July consolation.

Last year’s KRA Fillies Guineas winner Alexis has a shine for Greyville and she added a third victory at the track from just four starts. Putting in a telling finish in the Gr2 Tibouchina Stakes, Brett Crawford’s filly got up close home under stable rider Corne Orffer to edge out Silver Mountain and a fast-finishing Sensible Lover, defying odds of 20-1.

Favourite Inara, caught wide early in a race run at a dismally slow early pace, loomed dangerous for a few strides but was caught for finishing speed and plodded into fourth.

Crawford said, “For me this was a race that we pin-pointed so it’s mission accomplished”. Next up will be the Gr1 Garden Province Stakes on July day.

It was also mission accomplished for Charles Laird and owner Alesh Naidoo when Palladium finished with a rattle to catch favourite Daffiq in the Gatecrasher Stakes. The race was marred by a false start but did not faze the R1,7 million yearling buy who came from last under Keagan De Melo.

“We have a plan for July day,” said Laird. “We’re three-quarters of the way there.”

Later, the Alec Laird-trained Maleficent booked her place in the Golden Slipper on July day in similar fashion in the Devon Air Stakes. Weichong Marwing was hard at work from the top of the straight and the filly only got rolling inside the final furlong to catch Querari Falcon to win going away with the balance well beaten.

Andrew Harrison

Olma (David Thiselton)

Olma in a good place

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The Frank Robinson-trained Dynasty filly Olma will be using Saturday’s Gr 2 Tibouchina Stakes over 1400m at Greyville as a stepping stone into either the Gr1 Vodacom Durban July or the Gr1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes and has been thriving at Summerveld, as can be seen in the picture of her taken yesterday morning (Tuesday).

Olma (David Thiselton)

Olma (David Thiselton)

However, she faces a tough field and there was also bullishness from the Mike Bass and Brett Crawford yards.

Frank Robinson said, “She is doing exceptionally well, I couldn’t hope to have her in a better place. She has a wide draw but Piere Strydom is up, so he could take care of it.”

Olma is drawn 12 out of 12. The four-year-old filly acts equally well on turf as she does on polytrack and in a total of nine starts at Greyville, from 1400m up to 2000m, has won six of them.

She has been in the winner’s enclosure in her last three starts at the city track and this included comfortably beating the boys in the Gr 3 King’s Cup over 1600m on the poly.

Her exceptional turn of foot is one of the reasons she loves the tight track and the fashion of her wins over 1600m this season suggests she should be equally suited to the 1400m trip.

Olma’s last run in the Gr 1 Laurie Jaffee Empress Club Stakes over 1600m at Turffontein was disappointing. However, this is a part of a trend because of the five below par runs she has had in her career, she needed one of them and the other four have been on the Highveld. The classy filly has otherwise been a model of consistency.

However, the favourite for Saturday’s race is likely to be the Mike Bass-trained four-year-old Trippi filly Inara.

Inara (Liesl King)

Inara (Liesl King)

After winning the Empress Club Stakes, Inara was back at Turffontein two weeks later for the Gr 1 Premier’s Champions Challenge over 2000m and ran well below her best.

She was given a deserved “little break” and assistant trainer Robert Fayd’Herbe said she had come back from it well. He added she does not take much work, so should be fit enough.

Three-year-old Silvano filly Silver Mountain is also in the Tibouchina, her first start since disappointing in the Gr 2 Daisy Fillies Guineas.

Fayd’Herbe said the yard had got the better of Silver Mountain’s feet issues and, although she was not wintering very well, she was doing a lot better than she had been.

However, In his opinion Inara is at this stage a “much better filly” than Silver Mountain.

Inara’s class is proven by her status as a four-time Gr 1-winner and she started this season with two good wins over 1400m at the tight Durbanville course, so the course and distance on Saturday should not pose a problem.

Silver Mountain, as a horse with plenty of speed and a fine turn of foot, should be ideally suited to the Greyville 1400m if bouncing back to the form which saw her winning the Gr 1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas by five lengths.

Alexis (John Lewis)

Alexis (John Lewis)

Inara is the highest merit rated horse in Saturday’s race on 111, while Silver Mountain and Olma are joint-second highest on 107.

Inara is drawn wide in nine with Grant van Niekerk up, while Silver Mountain is drawn two with Bernard Fayd’Herbe up.

Brett Crawford could not separate his pair of four-year-olds, Alexis (Dynasty) and Cuvee Brut (Count Dubois), and felt they both had good chances.

Crawford’s runners have needed their first starts in KZN this season.

However, Alexis won well second time out over the Greyville 1400m. She loves Greyville and 1400m is her optimum trip, so she should have every chance from a draw of six under stable jockey Corne Orffer. She will likely be cherry ripe, although on paper off a merit rating of 100 she has a bit to do at the weights in the weight for ager plus penalties event.

Cuvee Brut has come out of her race at Scottsville on Saturday well. She was far from disgraced in the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint, in which she was one of only two fillies, and finished a 3,4 length fifth to the brilliant Talktothestars.

She has proved to be equally good at 1400m and back in February won the Gr 3 Prix Du Cap over that trip at Kenilworth in fine style. She beat Alexis by 2,4 lengths that day, but was receiving 3kg and on Saturday she will only be receiving 1kg. She has a tricky draw of nine to overcome. However, she has the bonus of Anton Marcus up and this will be her third run of the SA Champions Season.

By David Thiselton

Bela-Bela (Nkosi Hlophe)

Hold fire on Bela

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A decision on Woolavington winner Bela-Bela running in the Vodacom Durban July will not be made before the end of the week and in the meantime the stable advises punters to hold fire.

Bela-Bela (Nkosi Hlophe)

Bela-Bela (Nkosi Hlophe)

Jonathan Snaith said yesterday: “She is going to run on July 2 in either the Jonsson Workwear Garden Province or the July and the owners (Varsfontein Stud) want to see the Garden Province nominations which come out on Friday. They want to see how she is drawn and what sort of field she would be up against before making a decision.”

The grey filly is fourth favourite for the July at 15-2 with Betting World and 9-1 with World Sports Betting.

Snaith said: “Punters should definitely hold on until a decision is made. In any case there is no reason to back her now. Her price is quite short and I don’t see it changing much if we decide to run.”

Canon Guineas winner Black Arthur (Anthony Delpech) and Cape Derby winner It’s My Turn (Richard Fourie) are the stable’s two confirmed runners at the moment and a decision will be taken on Dynamic and Master’s Eye after they run in the Cup Trial at Greyville on Saturday.

By Michael Clower

Legal Eagle (Liesl King)

Team decision to scratch Eagle

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Sean Tarry described it as a “team decision” to scratch Legal Eagle from this Saturday’s Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge and it was due to nothing more than the horse’s poor draw.

However, he added the crack gelding might still run in the Vodacom Durban July.

He said Legal Eagle would likely have had to run on from behind in the Gold Challenge at a course where the draw over a mile was usually all important. A potential blemish on his record was therefore averted by the scratching.

Legal Eagle (Liesl King)

Legal Eagle (Liesl King)

He said he was definitely fit and well enough at present to be able to take his place in the July: “He is not a big horse and does not require a lot of work.” However, he said the decision to run him in the big one might ultimately depend on the weights.

Owner Markus Jooste’s racing manager Derek Brugman will likely have the final say.

Tarry is coming off a tough week in which it was well documented he was concerned about a potential bacterial infection going around his Randjesfontein yard.

However, he believed this had nothing to do with brilliant sprinter Carry On Alice’s disappointing fifth place finish as odds-on favourite in the Gr 1 City Of Pietermaritzburg Fillies Sprint at Scottsville on Saturday.

He was firstly disappointed she had been loaded early despite her history of being restless in the gates. She had started badly and he then felt jockey S’Manga Khumalo had possibly found cover too early, and behind the wrong horses, meaning she was travelling too well in the early stages. The jockey had then been “undecided for about three or four seconds and you can’t do that in a sprint.”

By the time she was extracted from her snookered position the race was over. However, Tarry said she had not been blowing after the race and had pulled up well.

The majority of his runners on the day had run well and he said the two-year-old fillies, Visuality and Myfunnyvalentine (3rd and 4th in the Gr1 Allan Robertson Championship respectively), would likely line up in the Gr 2 Golden Slipper on July day.

He said he had pointed out last week Captain’s Causeway had only been his third choice runner in the Tsogo Sun Sprint and “you can’t win Gr 1s with your third choice.” He felt he had been vindicated in the belief Buckland should have been his first accepted runner as this horse had finished just 1,8 lengths behind Talktothestars in the Gr 2 Senor Santa Stakes and would have been considerably better off in the weights in the Tsogo Sun Sprint.

Tarry said it was impossible to tell with certainty which horses had been affected by the bacterial infection and which hadn’t. However, every declared runner is being tested before their respective races and if they pass the test they run, otherwise they are scratched.

French Navy, Trip To Heaven and Prospect Strike take their places in the Rising Sun Gold Challenge on Saturday.

French Navy (JC Photos)

French Navy (JC Photos)

Tarry said, “It is a preparation run for French Navy, we freshened him up after the Champions Challenge and the mile at Greyville is a touch sharp for him, but he will be running on strongly.

“Trip To Heaven (who will have his first run as a gelding) has put up a good gallop and has his final gallop tomorrow (Tuesday). It all depends on the break as he is a funny horse at the start, but if he breaks well he will lead.

“I thought Prospect Strike’s runs in the Canon Guineas and Daily News 2000 were both good ones from poor draws, now he gets a reasonable draw and is fit and well, so we will take our chances.”

Of his two Gr 2 Cup Trial runners (1800m) he was more pleased with Gold Onyx’s run in the Betting World 1900. Both horses had been too far back in a race where the front horses weren’t stopping.

He said Gold Onyx would improve further while Halve The Deficit would be placed more handily from a plum draw and the race would give a good indication of his well-being.

Bichette, who runs in the Gr 2 Tibouchina Stakes over 1400m, disappointed the yard in a Pinnacle over 1450m last time, but that was her second run after a rest and she will now be “cherry ripe and not without a chance.”

Tarry said it was unfortunate she was drawn eight out of 12 as she liked to run handy. However, he added this was probably her best trip and a positive showing would give the yard confidence to run her in the Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes on July day.

Tarry felt Side Show would be competitive in the Listed Gatecrasher Stakes over 1400m after having come from strong maiden form and jumping from pole position with a weight allowance.

David Thiselton

Marinaresco (Liesl King)

Final touches for Marinaresco

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Leading Vodacom Durban July fancy Marinaresco will stay in Cape Town for another fortnight as Mike Bass puts the final touches to his preparation.

Marinaresco (Liesl King)

Marinaresco (Liesl King)

The gelding is second favourite with some layers and Candice Robinson said: “The horse won’t travel to Durban until a week before the July gallops  (June 23).”

The Winter Guineas and Classic winner has worn blinkers in his last three races, starting with his third to Its My Turn in the Investec Cape Derby in January, and he will again wear them in the great race on July 2. Last year’s winner Power King was the first blinkered horse to land the July since Eyeofthetiger (also trained by Dean Kannemeyer) in 2006.

Most horses that wear blinkers do so to help them concentrate on the race and often because they have not been putting it all in. But the reason for fitting them to Marinaresco is slightly different – “Otherwise he wants to fight with other horses!” Mrs Robinson explained.

Ante-post betting for the Gr1 Vodacom Durban July courtesy of www.trackandball.co.za

4-1 Black Arthur; 13-2 Bela-Bela; 7-1 Marinaresco; 8-1 Its My Turn; 10-1 Abashiri; 11-1 Legal Eagle; 12-1 Solid Speed, Rabada, St Tropez; 13-1 French Navy; 15-1 Mac De Lago, Deo Juvente, The Conglomerate; 28-1 Mambo Mime; 30-1 Rocketball; 33-1 Paterfamilias, Negroamaro, Ten Gun Salute, Dynamic; 40-1 Master Sabina; 45-1 Samurai Blade, New Predator, Judicial; 50-1 Trophy Wife, Balance Sheet; 66-1 Prospect Strike; 80-1 The Centenary; 125-1 Punta Arenas; 150-1 Olma, Saratoga Dancer, Bankable Teddy, Romany Prince, Master Switch; 200/1 upwards the others

By Michael Clower

Fourie on It’s My Turn

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Richard Fourie, who won the 2014 Vodacom Durban July for Justin Snaith on Legislate, has been booked by his old boss for the plum ride on Cape Derby winner It’s My Turn.

Jonathan Snaith said: “Piere Strydom was originally booked but he is unable to ride anywhere close to the weight of 53kg. Justin is very excited to have Richard up.”

The Daily News runner-up will be Fourie’s sixth July ride. He had his first in 2007 and, bar Legislate, all his mounts so far have finished unplaced.

Michael Clower

vdj crowd

Vodacom Durban July log (May 30)

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Inara and Silver Mountain were amongst the scratchings at the second declaration stage for the 2016 Vodacom Durban July whilst the Tyrone Zackey trained Judicial was the only supplementary entry at 11:00 today.

Solid Speed and St Tropez who finished second and third in the recent Betting World 1900 have moved up the log into contention for a place amongst the final field of 18 runners for this year’s Vodacom Durban July but Legal Eagle retains his position at the top of the Log issued this afternoon by Gold Circle.

Top 25 are as follows:

No. Horse Mass MR B  A  T Trainer
1 LEGAL EAGLE 0 120 A  T Sean Tarry
2 ABASHIRI 0 117 A Mike Azzie
3 FRENCH NAVY 0 115 A Sean Tarry
4 RABADA 0 106 A Mike Azzie
5 BELA-BELA 0 107 A Justin Snaith
6 IT’S MY TURN 0 101 A Justin Snaith
7 MASTER SABINA 0 108 A  T Geoff Woodruff
8 BLACK ARTHUR 0 106 A Justin Snaith
9 SOLID SPEED 0 103 B  A Dean Kannemeyer
10 NEGROAMARO 0 102 A Johan Janse van Vuuren
11 MAMBO MIME 0 100 A Dean Kannemeyer
12 ROCKETBALL 0 105 A  T Gavin van Zyl
13 SAMURAI BLADE 0 108 A  T Sean Tarry
14 PATERFAMILIAS 0 110 B  A Mike Bass
15 DEO JUVENTE 0 106 A Geoff Woodruff
16 MAC DE LAGO 0 107 A  T Weiho Marwing
17 ST TROPEZ 0 99 A Joey Ramsden
18 MARINARESCO 0 97 B  A Mike Bass
19 TEN GUN SALUTE 0 101 A  T Duncan Howells
20 OLMA 0 107 A  T Frank Robinson
21 TROPHY WIFE 0 101 A Sean Tarry
22 DYNAMIC 0 98 A Justin Snaith
23 THE CONGLOMERATE 0 101 A Joey Ramsden
24 BALANCE SHEET 0 98 A Dean Kannemeyer
25 ROMANY PRINCE 0 102 A Ormond Ferraris

Ante-post betting for the Gr1 Vodacom Durban July to be run on Saturday, 2 July 2016, courtesy of www.trackandball.co.za: 

4-1 Black Arthur; 13-2 Bela-Bela; 7-1 Marinaresco; 8-1 Its My Turn; 10-1 Abashiri; 11-1 Legal Eagle; 12-1 Solid Speed, Rabada, St Tropez; 13-1 French Navy; 15-1 Mac De Lago, Deo Juvente, The Conglomerate; 28-1 Mambo Mime; 30-1 Rocketball; 33-1 Paterfamilias, Negroamaro, Ten Gun Salute, Dynamic; 40-1 Master Sabina; 45-1 Samurai Blade, New Predator, Judicial; 50-1 Trophy Wife, Balance Sheet; 66-1 Prospect Strike; 80-1 The Centenary; 125-1 Punta Arenas; 150-1 Olma, Saratoga Dancer, Bankable Teddy, Romany Prince, Master Switch; 200/1 upwards the others

 

 

Abashiri – July ‘here we come’

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Owner Adriaan van Vuuren was on course at Greyville on Saturday and said his beloved  Lammerskraal Stud-bred Mike Azzie-trained SA Triple Crown-winning hero Abashiri had recovered well from his grueling SA Derby victory and if things continued to go well he would definitely line up for the Vodacom Durban July.

Van Vuuren has won many fans due to both his passion for the Sport Of Kings and an obvious love of horses and he is already embracing the July with the same enthusiasm he brought to Turffontein for the Triple Crown bid.

In fact on Saturday he delivered a gift bag to the manager of Lammerskraal Stud, Sally Jourdan, which contained, all in his bright orange colours, an Abashiri theme scarf, cap, bottle of champagne, flash drive with all of his wins on it, a ‘King Abashiri’ saddle cloth, and a personalised T-Shirt for Jourdan with the words “Abashiri, Vodacom Durban July 2016 here we come” and on the back “Go Abba go.”

David Thiselton