The four-year-old Australian-bred gelding Mac De Lago cemented his place in the final field for the R4.25-million Vodacom Durban July in three weeks’ time when declared the winner of the R1-million, Grade 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge over 1 600m at Greyville on Saturday.

Touched off by a whisker at the line by the Trippi gelding Trip To Heaven, the gutsy son of Encosta De Lago from the Weiho Marwing stable would have been hard done by if his place in the big race had been in question had the result stood, but Marwing was quick to object against Trip To Heaven on the grounds of interference in the closing stages and the success of the move removed any possibility of that.

Mac De Lago was 16^th on the latest July Log and in spite of his success being his first in 529 days, his fourth to Legal Eagle in the Grade 1 Premier’s Champion Challenge at Turffontein, where he stayed on at the end of the 2 000m trip, was strong enough form for the selection panel to consider him a possible inclusion. Saturday’s gutsy fight under Piere Strydom was evidence enough that he deserves his place in the field on July 2.

For racegoers, however, it might have been a very confusing race. Trainer Sean Tarry had reportedly stated that Trip To Heaven, that will be competing in the Grade 2 Post Merchants over 1 200m at Greyville this coming Friday, would go to the front if he broke well enough but in the race the four-year-old took station at the back of the field with stable companion Prospect Strike under Anthony Delpech going quickly to the front to set a good gallop.

In the straight, replacement rider Grant van Niekerk sent Trip To Heaven for home with a strong finish, joining issues with Mac De Lago. The two raced together in a bitter duel but Trip To Heaven shifted inwards onto Mac De Lago with the pair then racing neck and neck to the finish. There was just a whisker between them at the line but there had been contact and because of the close finish the stipes had little choice but to uphold the objection.

Tarry’s big race contender French Navy, that had raced midfield in the early stages, got fully into stride in the straight and ran on strongly for third place ahead of New Predator while Prospect Strike faded out to finish seventh.

The R250 000, Grade 3 Cup Trial was also not without incident and an objection was a feature of this result as well. All eyes had been on the two major July candidates The Conglomerate and Dynamic that both required a major showing to get a run in the country’s premier race. As it turned out, it was the outsider from the Charles Laird stable, Exit Here that stole the glory after a cunning ride by Weichong Marwing who dictated the pace at a slow tempo then fought off a challenge from Dynamic to take the honours.

The Conglomerate followed them across the line ahead of Saratoga Dancer but trainer Duncan Howells lodged an objection against The Conglomerate on the grounds of interference and intimidation in the closing stages and this objection was upheld reversing the order of third and fourth places.

The result of this race possibly put paid to the chances of The Conglomerate and Dynamic being considered for the Vodacom Durban July field.

The R400 000, Grade 2 Tibouchina Stakes over 1 400m was won by the Brett Crawford-trained Dynasty filly Alexis that gave credence to the racing saying of “horses for courses”. The filly under stable jockey Corne Orffer loves the Greyville track having won the KRA Fillies Guineas at the venue last year. Her record at Greyville now stands at three wins from four starts.

It was a race targeted by Crawford for the filly and she will now go for the Grade 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Strakes on July day.

In the slow-run race Alexis finished strongly to snatch victory from the Mike Bass-trained Silver Mountain with another fast-finished Sensible Lover taking third place ahead of Inara.

There was a close finish to the Listed Gatecrasher Stakes with Laird snatching his first feature win of the day with the Silvano colt Palladium that got up to beat favourite Daffiq by about a head. The race was marred by a false start but Keagan de Melo allowed Palladium to settle at the rear of the field before putting in his flying finish to snatch victory.

The Listed Devon Air Stakes saw Weichong Marwing at his best as he drove the Judpot filly Maleficent through with a powerful finish to swoop past favourite Querari Falcon to win going away by more than three lengths.

By Richard McMillan