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.

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.

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

Geoff Woodruff has the Sansui Summer Cup winner Master Sabina fit and well ahead of the Vodacom Durban July.

His big race jockey Gavin Lerena was happy with his final gallop at Randjesfontein yesterday (Wednesday). Lerena was released by the Hong Kong Jockey club about two weeks ago for compassionate leave after the passing of a relative of his, “Uncle George” Scott.

Master Sabina was due to travel down to Summerveld this morning and he will have a canter upon arrival.

Woodruff said his J&B Met run could be ignored. He said, “He was ridden back to front to try and overcome the draw and it didn’t work out.” He needed his last run, on May 21 at Turffontein Inside track, when 6,85 lengths back in a Pinnacle Stakes race over 1800m and it was “factored in as part of his preparation.”

That was his first run for four months. Interestingly, his Summer Cup win was his second run after a one year layoff and followed an unplaced run over the same Turffontein Inside track 1800m as his last run.

Summer Cup winners have a poor winning record in the July, but significantly the last horse to go on to achieve the double was the Woodruff-trained El Picha in the 1999/2000 season.

El Picha also became the second horse in history to defend his July crown.

Master Sabina has proved his liking for the July course and distance in the past as he was an impressive winner of the consolation race, the Gr 3 tabGold 2200, in 2014, although he did it off a 100 merit rating. He is now merit rated 108, meaning he is one of a mere five horses in the July who are not officially under sufferance.

He is drawn eight which should allow him to do it the way he likes it and that is to come from a midfield position.

Gavin Lerena won on him in the Summer Cup off a 105 merit rating from draw 7. He carries the identical weight on Saturday of 56,5kg and also face French Navy on the same terms despite having beaten him by 0,6 lengths.

On paper this relatively lightly raced six-year-old must have a big shout.

By David Thiselton

The Sean Tarry-trained filly Trophy Wife travelled down to Summerveld today for her Vodacom Durban July engagement on Saturday and looked fine upon exiting the float at about 2pm.

Tarry said, “I am happy with her and I don’t think the 2200m trip is a concern. It is a rough race and you need a heap of luck, but it won’t be a bother if she loses her usual one or two lengths at the start as she is drawn wide and we are going to come from off them anyway.”

S’Manga Khumalo rides Tropy Wife from draw 14.

Meanwhile, French Navy and Samurai Blade have both been doing well at Summerveld.

Jockey Weichong Marwing said he would have preferred a wider draw for French Navy, who is drawn in barrier four. However, Tarry did not envisage a problem. He said if the pace was slow French Navy could well find himself handier than usual, which would be fine. However, if they went hard he would be happy to see him well back. He said the big horse would simply be kept where he was comfortable.

Samurai Blade will be ridden by Andrew Fortune. However, Lyle Hewitson rides him regularly in work and said the July Gallop was the best he had ever felt him, so he could be a dark horse from a plum draw of six.

Tarry felt he had a strong chance with Visuality and Myfunnyvalentine in the Gr 2 Gold Circle Golden Slipper, but seemed more bullish about the former due to her draw of seven compared to the latter’s barrier position of ten. He felt Visuality could well be looking for the 1400m trip and it certainly looked that way when she finished strongly for a close third in the Gr 1 Allan Robertson over 1200m. Piere Strydom has stayed aboard.

David Thiselton

Twice Vodacom Durban July-winning trainer Justin Snaith has his own personal fancy among his four runners in the big race, but believed it would be unfair to name the horse because of the nature of the race.

“It all depends on how the race pans out and also if the best horse wins he or she would have to be a superstar because the weights are designed to give every one of the 18 horses a chance. If Abashiri won carrying 59kg or Bela-Bela won giving just 1kg to the three-year-olds males, you would have to say, wow superstar! But if the race was run five times in the same day you would probably get five different results.”

Snaith said a couple of weeks back he was not bothered by the pundits who were saying this year’s Vodacom Durban July could not be won by a three-year-old.

He said, “I don’t care if people are saying this is a weak three-year-old crop, because I know my three-year-olds are certainly good enough to win the race.”

Bela-Bela, Black Arthur and It’s My Turn are officially 2kg, 0,5kg and 2,5kg under sufferance respectively at the weights. Snaith had said, “In six months time they won’t have those ratings.” In his opinion the innate ability of all three is better than their merit ratings suggest.

He used the Cape Derby to emphasise the point, “They rated It’s My Turn after his two lengths Cape Derby win only 101, which was a surprise. They didn’t seem to rate the field and there is now a question whether they were right or not.” At the time the general feeling was the Million Dollar race had diluted the strength of the Cape Derby field. However, the form of the Cape Derby has now turned out to be exceptionally strong, with the like of Marinaresco (3rd), Black Arthur (4th) and Liege (9th) among the eight winners which have come out of the race.

Furthermore, whilst the form of both Black Arthur and It’s My Turn is now looking strong, Anthony Delpech has still opted to ride Bela-Bela, which says a lot about how good she must be.

Justin’s father, the former July-winning trainer Chris, digs at his son by saying he is the only trainer in history to have won two Julys without crossing the line in front once. He is referring to Dancer’s Daughter dead-heating in 2008 and Legislate winning the race in the boardroom in 2014.

Justin quipped, “Maybe I can win it and fill some of the places too, that will keep him quiet for a few years!”

Bela-Bela, like Dancer’s Daughter, is a grey filly, and like Legislate, was bred by Cheveley Stud and sired by Dynasty. Both Dancer’s Daughter and Legislate were three-year-olds when winning the July. It’s My Turn is also by Dynasty, whose progeny love Greyville due to their ability to turn it on so quickly.

Anthony Delpech has won three Graded features for Snaith this SA Champions Season, including doing the Canon Guineas and Daisy Fillies Guineas double on Black Arthur and Bela-Bela respectively. The twice South African Champion jockey holds the record of most wins in a South African season, an incredible 334, and is going for a record-breaking fifth July victory.

Delpech spoke highly of Black Arthur after the Canon Guineas. On the same night he called Bela-Bela “special”, but questioned whether she would stay the 2200m July trip.

However, his opinion on her stamina capacity changed emphatically after she had won the Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 easing up. Furthermore, upon climbing off, he described her as being second only to 2011 July-winner Igugu as the best filly he had ever ridden.

Later that day Delpech rode Investec Cape Derby-winner It’s My Turn to an unlucky second in the Gr 1 Daily New 2000. However, Black Arthur would likely have been his choice of the colts if Bela-Bela had not stood her ground.

In his days as stable jockey to Mike de Kock, Delpech seldom got his big race choices wrong and rode three July winners for the great trainer.

Douglas Whyte, an ex-patriot South African who has won the Hong Kong Championship thirteen times, will arrive on the morning of the race. He will be hoping Black Arthur gives him his first July winner.

Richard Fourie who won the big race on Legislate, albeit via the boardroom, is aboard It’s My Turn. He said, ““At Greyville if you have a Dynasty you have a big chance.”

The yard’s other runner Dynamic is also by Dynasty. He has a tougher task than the others as his official merit rating puts him 3kg under sufferance and as a six-year he is obviously more exposed than the three-year-olds. However, he is drawn in pole and his mere participation has made waves as he is the mount of eighteen-year-old apprentice sensation Lyle Hewitson, who joined the professional ranks just over three months ago.

Snaith said he could not have been happier with all of his contenders’ preparations.

He added on the day he looked strong in the last two races and among the few runners he gave chances in those races he mentioned Victoria Lavelle as having been badly weighted in her last race and she was now well weighted, while he said Baritone had been putting in outstanding work.

David Thiselton

Brett Crawford’s stable jockey Corné Orffer does not have a ride in Saturday’s Vodacom Durban July, but was bullish about two of his mounts for the yard on Saturday.

He said about the recent Gr 2 Tibouchina Stakes winner Alexis, “She is doing very, very well.” The small Dynasty filly loves Greyville, having won three of her five races there, but like last year has landed a tough draw of eleven for the Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes. She finished a 4,4 length fifth in the race last year from draw 9.

Her optimum trip is probably 1400m, but she did win last season’s Gr 2 KRA Fillies Guineas in fine style over the Garden Province 1600m course and distance, albeit from a good draw of five. Alexis will be 1kg worse off in weight for age terms with both Silver Mountain and Inara from the Tibouchina for respective 0,15 length and 0,9 length beatings. However, she will be 1kg better off with Sensible Lover despite a 0,65 length beating.

Orffer was particularly bullish about the three-year-old Silvano gelding Nebula, despite him having to jump from a wide draw of 12 in the last race of the meeting, the Listed Daisy Business Solutions Handicap over 1600m on the turf.

He said, “Nebula will be hard to beat.”

Nebula found a handy position from draw eleven over course and distance last time out under Anthony Delpech and quickened well in the straight to beat Danza by 1,75 lengths. It earned him a six point merit rated raise, but being by Silvano he is likely to be improving as he matures.

By David Thiselton