Snaith Racing this morning announced their chief jockey bookings for the Vodacom Durban July.

Stable jockey Richard Fourie will be aboard Belgarion, meaning he will have to slim 1kg from his official minimum riding weight down to 53kg. 

Anton Marcus remains aboard Do It Again, whom he rode last time out to third place in the Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge. Marcus thus has the chance to win a second July on this son of Twice Over, having won on him in 2018, a victory which gave the top jockey a record-breaking fifth July triumph.

Grant van Niekerk will be riding Bunker Hunt.

Keagan de Melo rode Silvano’s Pride to victory in the Grade 2 Tibouchina on Sunday and he retains the ride. 

In other VDJ news the Mike De Kock-trained Queen Supreme was supplemented into the big race yesterday. 

By David Thiselton

Mike and Adam Azzie’s Grade 1 Computaform Sprint winner Rivarine will definitely be raiding Durban on Gold Cup day to take part in the Grade 1 Mercury Sprint over 1200m.

Rivarine is by Var out of the Grade 1 J&B Met winner River Jetez, who is a full-sister to the great Pocket Power.

Rivarine’s full-sister Delta Queen will be attempting to make it two Grade 1 wins in successive weekends for the Var and River Jetez  union as she runs in the Allan Robertson on Saturday. Both siblings were bred by Avontuur Thoroughbred Farm.

Mike Azzie said one of the keys to fulfilling the potential they always knew Rivarine had was they had found a jockey in Devin Habib who was listening to their instruction of holding the athletic horse up. 

The yard had also got on top of some of the now six-year-old gelding’s small niggles and Azzie said this had allowed them to “reach the bottom of him again.”

With his hold up and fast-finishing style he should be suited to running around the turn in the Mercury Sprint.

In fact as a juvenile he won over the Greyville course and distance in fine style, beating the subsequent Grade 1 winner Gunner among others.

In other Azzie yard news Mike said Wylie Wench’s unplaced effort in the Grade 1 Empress Club Stakes had been “all wrong” and the yard were awaiting results of blood tests before taking their next step.  

Meanwhile, the first son of Var to go to stud, Talk Of The Town, has arrived at Avontuur. 

Talk Of The Town was retired for health reasons from racing after just 5 runs, from which he registered three wins on the trot from his last three starts. He was favourite for the 2018 CTS Million Mile, but was withdrawn and never raced again.

By David Thiselton

St. John Gray is planning the next move for his classy filly Ronnie’s Candy, who deservedly earned Grade 1 status last Saturday when winning the HSH Princess Charlene Empress Club Stakes over 1600m, and the KZN Breeders Million Mile or the Grade 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes over 1600m are the most obvious targets.

Gray said she had come of Saturday’s race well.

The four-year-old King Of Kings filly was dropped out to last from a wide draw on Saturday and displayed her devastating turn of foot in the straight under Piere Strydom to beat a good field which included Grade 1 winner Queen Supreme and well performed sorts like Vistula, Saragon, Running Brave, In the Dance and Magic School.  

She is in line for the Equus Older Female Of The Year award now alongside the like of Queen Supreme, Celtic Sea and Clouds Unfold as she has also won the Grade 2 Ipi Tombe Stakes over 1600m this season.

Gray said that types like her who come from off the pace could often go further than their optimum distance, with a case in point being his own top class mare Dancewiththedevil, who won the Grade 1 Summer Cup over 2000m on top of her four Grade 1 mile victories.

Ronnie’s Candy looked to be going away at the line of Saturday. 

Gray also pointed out that in her only attempt at 1800m in the Grade 3 Yellowwood Handicap she had been beaten 4,25 lengths into second by Queen Supreme but had been giving the latter 7,5kg.

Gray races his own homebreds almost exclusively.

Many are mystified by how well he does with such obscurely bred horses as Dancewiththedevil and Ronnie’s Candy, who are by the uncommercial stallions Modus Vivendi and King Of Kings respectively.

He pointed out that he is a firm believer in nicks and patterns and said he would often avoid a commercial stallion if there was no nick.

He admitted though that the nicks and patterns did not always work.

However, they did work in the case of Ronnie’s Candy, whose Jet Master dam Bennie Andthe Jets had provided a “beautiful” mating for King Of Kings.

Looking at her pedigree from an amateur perspective some of the famed nicks which exist on both the male and female sides of the pedigree are Nasrullah/Princequillo and also Sir Gaylord exists on both male and female sides. The latter is an example of a genetic affinity that exists when combining his dam Something Royal, who is also dam of Secretariat, with Royal Charger.

Bennie Andthe Jets is currently in foal to Potala Palace. 

By David Thiselton

Ashley and Andrew Fortune’s Listed Gatecrasher Stakes winner Gold Season is now being targeted at either the Grade 2 Golden Horseshoe over 1400m on VDJ day or the Grade 1 Premier’s Champions Stake over 1600m on Gold Cup day. 

“He’s a very laid back horse and had always shown us that he was capable of going places,” said Andrew.

Ashley added, “You can only be so confident as he was a Maiden taking on winners. We were hoping for a place as his work showed he could run a place, but his win confirms what we think of him.”

The Gimmethegreenlight colt had only run in one previous race, finishing a 3,50 length fourth over 1200m, and that form was franked on Saturday when the fifth-placed horse, Nourbese, finished third in the Grade 2 SA Nursery. 

On Sunday Craig Zackey found the rail in midfield and Gold Season ran on steadily in the straight to beat the well regarded Paul Peter-trained Master Of Disguise by 1,70 lengths. He was receiving 4kg from Master Of Disguise. The latter cost himself by taking a strong hold in the running and should be watched as he oozes class. 

Gold Season arrived at Summerveld two days before Sunday’s race and will continue staying there until his next race, which will be his last outing of the season.

The Fortunes found this colt at the Cape Premier Yearling Sale together with owner Preggie Somasundrum and they clinched him for R375,000. 

Andrew said, “Preggie wanted to stop at R150,000 and I kept kicking him!” 

Andrew, Ashley and Preggie had all liked him in all respects, including his pedigree. Andrew recalled, “He had this thing about him that spoke to you.” 

Andrew won twice on his mother, the Joey Ramsden-trained sprinter Miss Gold Digger, who is by Rich Man’s Gold. 

Gold Season is a half-brother to Easy Lover (Right Approach), who won two Listed races over 1600m and finished second in the Grade 2 Victory Moon Stakes over 1800m, so he should stay further than 1400m.

Also in the Gatecrasher Stakes, Royal Exhibit caught the eye staying on strongly from way back for third. This Mike Miller-trained Oratorio colt has plenty of substance and looks to be one to follow.

The fancied Glen Kotzen-trained Fast Love is a nice looking type too and should be given another chance after his disappointing fourth. He had to overcome a tough draw so had an excuse for not building on his impressive debut win.

By David Thiselton

Got The Greenlight will be prepared out of his home base of Turffontein for the Vodacom Durban July and incumbent national champion jockey Lyle Hewitson has been booked for the ride.

Hewitson, whose minimum riding weight is 52kg, was booked some time ago and it has worked out perfectly as Got The Greenlight looks set to carry 53kg, meaning he will hardly carry any deadweight.

Under the current lockdown protocols the Joey Soma-trained Gimmethegreenlight colt will have to stay at Summerveld until Wednesday before traveling back to the Highveld.

He becomes unsettled in any stable away from home and relaxes as soon as he is back in his own stable at Turffontein.

Furthermore, Soma only has a small string so there are not many capable of working upside him. 

Soma thus needs to improvise and he feels being on tracks the horse is familiar with will help his cause. 

Got The Greenlight sauntered to his second Grade 1 victory at Hollywoodbets Greyville and third career Grade 1 when winning the Daily News 2000 under Bernard Fayd’Herbe yesterday.

It was the coming together of the Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban three-year-old form and Johannesburg well and truly put the others in their place.

Got The Greenlight was still cantering as they turned for home, while the favourite Golden Ducat and the fancied Sachdev were already being driven.

He had to veer around Padre Pio, who had set the pace well clear of the rest of the field, but he then exerted his authority.

He might have appeared to be tiring in the latter stages as Fayd’Herbe had to drive him out but Soma pointed out he was a “very intelligent horse” who only did what he needed to and tended to idle when in front. In fact, he did the same in the Grade 1 SA Classic but when challenged by Green Laser and Youcanthurrylove he simply changed gears and found the extra to repel them.

Soma added he was hardly blowing at all after yesterday’s race and said he had come of it sound and well.

The eventual 1,50 length runner up yesterday, the Dennis Bosch-trained Vercingetorix gelding Padre Pio, had appeared to be fading coming up the hill from the 800m mark but in actual fact Craig Zackey was just giving him a breather and he stayed on well in the straight.

However, Bosch’s immediate thoughts of a next target seemed to favour the Grade 1 Champions Cup over 1800m on Gold Cup day rather than the Vodacom Durban July. 

Philanthropist gelding Golden Ducat was attempting to earn a history-making third Grade 1 victory over the weekend for the reigning Equus Champion broodmare Halfway To Heaven, who is also dam of Hawwaam (Silvano) and Rainbow Bridge (Ideal World).

However, he took a long time to get going in the straight and was eventually beaten 1,55 lengths.

Shango was finishing fastest of all for a 3,05 length fourth in a run which was quite reminiscent of Pomodoro’s fifth pace Daily News finish in 2012. The Sean Tarry-trained Captain Of All colt runs in the same blue and red Chris van Niekerk silks carried to victory by Pomodoro and Heavy Metal in the 2012 and 2013 Julys respectively. 

Of all the preparation races, participants in the Daily News 2000 have produced the most July winners. By David Thiselton

Invincabelle can get punters off to a winning start in the opening Investing Made Easy Juvenile Plate at Kenilworth today.

This Querari colt ran against mostly fellow newcomers when scoring on debut just under three weeks ago but he made a good impression and his connections clearly hold him in good stead. “He is a very smart horse and we have always thought a lot of him,” enthused Corne Orffer while Brett Crawford confirmed: “He has always shown nice work at home.”

The ground that day was good to soft and it is going to be a lot more testing today, particularly after all that rain last week including the 80mm that put the kibosh on Saturday’s fixture – the four features (including Katak’s race) will now be run next Tuesday.

Invincabelle is understandably hot favourite but a possible danger at a decent price is 5-1 shot Tarantino who has already won on genuinely soft ground. Robert Khathi reported that day that his mount “had no speed and at one stage I wasn’t going anywhere” but his mount dug deep and is likely to do so again.

In terms of class, or potential class, this is one of the best races of the day. Matthew The King and Jet Dark, both good enough to win first time out, also pose serious threats.

Lady Warrior showed early speed when six lengths-fourth to Caya Coco on debut in good to soft 13 days ago and just might improve enough to take the Properties You’ll Fall in Love With Maiden. She has been nibbled at (from 11-2 to 9-2) but is still at a reasonable price. Spring Awakening is favourite and Aldo Domeyer’s mount has obvious claims after showing up well first time.

The Snaith newcomer Really Royal has eased from 8-10 to 11-10 in the Trade The Markets Juvenile Fillies but she will need to be good to get the better of previous winner Captain’s Flo whose third to Captain’s Ransom in the Perfect Promise was even better than it looked – she had to ease off the heels of the second horse at a crucial stage.

Sakura Trick showed promise on debut, despite hanging from the 300m, and the Brett Crawford filly looks best on form in the Don’t Call It A Dream Maiden. However don’t overlook the claims of 18-1 shot Apache Girl.

Cape Of Storms would be a topical tip for the last but he is hard to fancy after his six-month absence but Worlds Your Oyster has won three out of four and should handle the ground in the Bred In The Purple Handicap. Hammie’s Fan (race six) and Rosalie Runs (race seven) are others sure to act on the going.

SELECTIONS

Race 1: Invincabelle
Race 2: Lady Warrior
Race 3: Captain’s Flo
Race 4: Sakura Trick
Race 6: Hammie’s Fan
Race 7: Rosalie Runs
Race 8: Worlds Your Oyster

By Michael Clower

Given the rampant rise in Covid-19 infections, the chances of next month’s Vodacom Durban July being run in front of a full house are almost non-existent – such is the pity.

What the lock-down has necessitated is a revamped SA Champions Season programme and Hollywoodbets Greyville dished up a smorgasbord of potential VDJ winners today, giving students of form much to chew on before the big race.

Got The Greenlight was victorious in the Grade 1 Daily News 2000 with Joey Soma issuing a warning; “Don’t forget that there is a race coming up at the end of July,” his parting shot in his post-race interview after his charge had kept his clean sheet at the course with a thoroughly deserved win.

Rainbow Bridge turned in a smashing front-running performance to land the Grade 1 Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge and in doing so set himself up for another crack at the Vodacom Durban July.

Do It Again is showing signs of finding his best form in time to defend his VDJ title and although not quickening behind Rainbow Bridge he was staying on stoutly which augurs well for the big race.

Vardy turned in a tremendous performance, turning for home last and making up lengths in the straight, and Adam Marcus will be well please with what he saw.

Eric Sands has done a marvellous job with Rainbow Bridge although it was left to Peter Muscutt to put the finishing touches to the gelding with Sands marooned in Cape Town.

Cirillo, second in this race last year was the expected pacemaker but he was never able to get to the front as Rainbow Bridge took a hold. “It wasn’t our plan to go to the front,” said Sands, “but there is no use fighting them.”

Warren Kennedy, who was an early booking for this race and the VDJ, let Rainbow Bridge stride in front and although a little keen his mount was not over-doing it. Anton Marcus kept close tabs on Rainbow Bridge and had last year’s winner Do It Again in the box seat with Vardy bringing up the rear of the seven-horse field.

“It wasn’t by design (to go to the front) but to let him come out and be happy and no one really committed,” said Kennedy.

“I thought he would come out a bit fresh not having run for a while but he came out wanting to run a bit so I let him get there in his own time and he enjoyed it.

“He needed it and it was a bit of pace work.”

Got The Greenlight came from the clouds in the Grade 1 SA Derby over the testing Turffontein 2450m, but came up empty in the last 100m, so the 2000m of the Daily News was right up his alley. With the track running fast, Bernard Fayd’herbe, just recently returned from injury, had the front runners in his sights from the jump and was quick to challenge pacemaker Pardre Pio in the chase for home. It was always a given that Got The Greenlight would make up the ground although Fayd’herbe was never going to let him forget that he was in a race.

Golden Ducat travelled wide into the straight, making his run along with Got The Greenlight but it took a little time for him to start up his engine and only got going when the race for the lead was all but over, finishing a short-head behind Padre Pio who stayed on gamely for second.

“He’s a special horse, he’s such a professional,” said Fayd’herbe of Got The Greenlight. “Going through the 1400 I was smiling to myself. I saw Warren (Golden Ducat) moving up on my outside and I knew I had the race. It panned out just the way I thought it would.”

One who will not be contesting the VDJ is Summer Pudding who is destined for a well-deserved rest. She has had a testing three-year-old campaign, unbeaten in six starts and winning all three legs of the Triple Tiara, so one would have thought that the Grade 1 Woolavington may have been a bridge too far.

Paul Peter was also in two minds whether to run the filly but was prompted by Stephen Jell to let her take her chances if she came along the right way. “I was oohing and aahing but Stephen said if she was alright, to run her.”

Summer Pudding looked under pressure a long way from home but she rallied superbly in the straight to reel in arch rival Lady Of Steel and hold a challenge from Driving Miss Daisy.

Kennedy kept niggling at his mount throughout the race and when Lady Of Steel pinched a lead at the top of the straight she looked to have the race in the bag. But Kennedy switched out for a clear run to the line and Summer Pudding responded. “She never travelled with me the whole race and she does hit a flat spot,” said Kennedy. “But she always does that. At the 400 I thought maybe Bernard’s horse (Lady Of Steel) had me.

“But in a bun fight you can bet your life on her, she won’t get beat,” commented Kennedy, fresh from victory aboard Rainbow Bridge.

“She’s a special, lovely filly. She just doesn’t know how to get beaten,” confirmed Peter.

By Andrew Harrison

Paul Peter said the darling of the South African turf, Summer Pudding, would be on her way to the farm for a deserved holiday after her thrilling victory in the Grade 1 Woolavington 2000 at Hollywoodbets Greyville yesterday (Sunday).

Her unbeaten run looked in danger of ending when the other previously unbeaten filly Lady Of Steel shot away from her at the top of the straight.

Jockey Warren Kennedy admitted he was worried for a moment when he saw how much ground Lady Of Steel had stolen but he said as soon as Summer Pudding changed legs she took off and he then knew she would win.

As both trainer and jockey said afterwards this Silvano filly just does not know how to lose and will always give her all. 

In the end the last horse she had to fetch was Driving Miss Daisy, who had run on well from midfield.

Unfortunately, the stirring moment when Summer Pudding got to the front was witnessed only by the few who were allowed on course but the Peter yard grooms, dressed in their red Hyperpaint overalls, almost lifted off the grandstand roof on their own.

The vanquished magnanimously showered praise on Paul Peter and his team.

Meanwhile, Summer Pudding was hardly blowing out a candle such is the size of her engine. 

She has now won seven out of seven and yesterday passed one of the tests required to be great i.e. winning in another centre. 

All six of her previous wins had been at her home course of Turffontein. 

She still has a bit to do to be called great and Peter mentioned the Summer Cup as a possible next goal. 

The unbeaten record in South Africa is eleven races set by Home Guard in the late 1960s. 

That milestone will be talked about in racing circle but will certainly not sway the connections from their plans. 

By David Thiselton

Rainbow Bridge’s supporters in yesterday’s Grade 1 Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge over 1600m at Hollywoodbets Greyville could have begun counting their winnings by the time they reached the Drill Hall. 

On a day with a tailwind it seemed likely that the inside drawn horses would want to hold their positions as the leader in a small seven horse field was always going to attempt to dictate rather than set strong fractions. 

Instead Rainbow Bridge was allowed an easy lead from draw seven and when he began dictating there was no way a top horse like him was ever going to be caught. 

He duly skipped away at the top of the straight and the others could only chase in vain. 

Vardy, who had been the pick of the parade ring, ran on valiantly from last and did well to finish a 0,90 length second in a time two seconds slower than last year’s renewal which was won by Do It Again. 

Do It Again put up his best performance this season yesterday to run a 1,30 length third. 

However, it seems likely the handicappers will drop him a couple of points now and he might receive a little bit of weight from Rainbow Bridge in this year’s Vodacom Durban July, which he will be attempting to win for a record-breaking third time. 

Rainbow Bridge had a respiratory infection when first arriving at Summerveld this season so trainer Eric Sands has done a fine job getting him back to his magnificent best. 

He is never going to be a parade ring horse and a bit of sweat on him in the preliminaries, as he had yesterday, should never be of any concern. 

It is the race that counts and this now five-year-old Ideal World gelding’s career record now reads eight wins, including three Grade 1s, and eight places in 16 starts.

By David Thiselton

Stick with Katak – but don’t go in too deep or take too short a price. That is the sensible course of action with Piet Steyn’s star tackling ground far more testing than he has ever encountered before in the Abe Bloomberg Legal Eagle Stakes at Kenilworth today.

The going was officially soft this morning after a further 10 mm of rain during the night, followed by another 10 mm around 6.00am, and there is more to come before the 4.10pm off-time.

When Aldo Domeyer’s unbeaten mount won what used to be the Winter Guineas 18 days ago it was officially good to soft but this is a different ball game.

Steyn expressed his reservations early in the week – “My worry is that there is a lot of rain forecast and I don’t know how he is going to handle a wet course.” The way a horse works on sand can give some indication but the omens are not good (“He is a fair worker on it, not a great one”).

On the other hand the way the colt won last time he looked a Grade 1 horse and far superior to any of today’s opposition.  None of them are proven on this sort of ground either and you would feel pretty sick if you deserted him and he outclassed his rivals once again. Odds-on is too short considering the risks (and some bookmakers were quoting 13-20 this morning) but, if you can get odds against, they would be worth taking.

Certainly the statistics favour him. Five of the last seven Winter Guineas winners went on to win the Winter Classic which is the former name of today’s Cape Town highlight. Furthermore the favourite has won four of the last six Winter Classics.

Justin Snaith has the best recent record, winning four of the last 12 runnings, and Silver Host is his main hope. However second string Bayberry is one of the few in the field who has won when it was actually soft (as opposed to good to soft) and his dam was Irish-bred, a good sign if you are looking for horses that can go in today’s ground. At 35-1 he could be worth a few rand each way. Black Knap and Arctic Drift have place prospects.

Don’t be fooled by the name and Listed status of the Cordocelli Olympic Duel Stakes – the race is a handicap. Queen Of Quiet has won her last three and gets the vote although it is worth noting that stable companion Casino Queen has won in genuinely soft ground.

In the Casey Bloomberg Ladies Mile the weights are determined by merit rating bands – not quite the same thing as a handicap – and here the selection is Duchess Of Bourbon. She won last year’s Winter Oaks on yielding ground when stable companion Heaven’s Embrace (joint favourite here) was nearly four lengths back third. Cruise Along has won in the soft but only three ran in that race.

Sing Out Loud may be able to overcome her poor draw in the Winter Solstice Stormsvlei Stakes. Last time she fly-jumped at the start, came from the back and made up ten lengths in the straight. Note also Eva Eileen who had a rough passage that day and Flame Tree who is ridden by Greg Cheyne and runs in the same colours as Sing Out Loud.

By Michael Clower

Featured Image: Katak (Liesl King)