Varumba stands out in the Racing.It’s A Rush Conditions Plate at Kenilworth today when ability to handle testing conditions will be paramount.

The TAB sheet statistics say that the Vaughan Marshall filly has won twice in the soft but in fact both those victories were on yielding or good-to-soft which is nothing like what it will be today. However she has run well enough in Kenilworth soft in the past to suggest she will cope.

MJ Byleveld’s (pictured) mount also has form in the book. Last time she beat the smart Chevauchee over this trip and she comes out second only to Azarenka on adjusted merit ratings – and that filly has a 15-month absence to overcome.

The sahorseracing website computer predicts that she will win by a good two lengths and, while it might be inadvisable to risk your money on that alone, it is significant that World Sports Betting opened her a warm favourite at 14-10. Dixie Express comes next at 28-10 while Sails Set and Captain’s Dove are 4-1 chances.

Red Light Girl is taken to start the ball rolling in the opener even though she is out of a mare by Western Winter – not an influence for mudlarks. However Chris Snaith is confident she will handle the ground and she kept on encouragingly first time.

But don’t ignore Miss Malbec, who covered the same ground on the same day slightly faster when favourite on debut, and Smokey Affair whose first run was also packed with promise and who has been doing well.

“She has come on a lot since that first run,” says Mike Robinson. “She is a big filly and she should be able to handle the ground. She goes well in the sand.”

Oh Behave had Robinson’s Fire In The Belly (who had already had a run) over two lengths behind when third to the smart Table Bay and subsequent winner Dark Force on debut and looks a worthy 28-10 favourite for race two. “You don’t really know in advance but I expect he will be fine in the ground,” says Paul Reeves.

Billy Prestage believes the testing conditions will also hold no fears for Show Stealer who goes into race four as 22-10 favourite with four good runs behind him. He looks the one to beat even though 13-2 chance Auditorium is rated a kilo better and French Captain (33-10) also has strong claims.

Richard Fourie, who rides Oh Behave, can also take the mile maiden on Flying Ryan.

Michael Clower

One of the doyens of South African horseracing, Jack Ramsay, in Durban died yesterday at the age of 94.

Ramsay, who had not missed consecutive Vodacom Durban July’s since his first in 1936, rarely missed a racemeeting. His only break coming when serving in the British Navy as a seaman during World War II.  On his return from the war he was appointed racing editor on the Rand Daily Mail in Johannesburg before moving to The Natal Mercury until his retirement in 1986. He subsequently worked as racing correspondent for the South African Press Association.

Rodney will be campaigned in top sprints like the Cape Flying Championship next season after showing his true colours in the Racing. It’s A Rush Pinnacle Stakes at Kenilworth on Saturday.

True, the three-year-old only collared 14-10 favourite Search Party on the line but the runner-up is much improved and this was Rodney’s first appearance since Met day.

Candice Robinson said: “He had done a lot of work at home but he’d only had one gallop and that was a month ago. Grant van Niekerk (pictured) said he would have won a bit easier but he got in behind horses and he was getting kickback in his face. He is a sprinter and a very talented horse.”

Rain for much of the afternoon saw the going changed from good to good-to-soft after race three but the official descriptions are linked to penetrometer readings and the jockeys reckoned it was soft from the word go. Some of them said it had turned heavy by mid-afternoon when the divots were really flying.

Richard Fourie found his reins so slippery going down to the start on Studioli in race three that he rubbed sand into his hands to get a better grip. Even so he dropped a rein and his whip when driving out the Glen Kotzen-trained winner in the closing stages.

However the rain suited In Limine who finally came good under Heavelon van der Hoven in the last. Greg Ennion reckons to win again with her before the winter is out and he also struck with 50-1 shot Jeremy despite Robert Khathi putting up half a kilo overweight to beat better fancied stable companion Chrome Blue a head.

Justin Snaith flew back from Durban on Friday evening to supervise the work of next Saturday’s Winter Derby meeting runners and he was rewarded by Oceans Trip landing the odds under Bernard Fayd’Herbe in the first.

Derek Brugman, on hand to see Epona score 35 minutes later – “she is a half-sister to Jay Peg and she will be worth her weight in gold as a broodmare,” reported that Red Ray had one eye closed and puss coming out of it following his disappointing run when favourite for the Post Merchants the previous evening.

Michael Clower

Bela-Bela now heads the market for Saturday week’s Vodacom Durban July following Anthony Delpech’s shock decision to jump ship and get off the favourite Black Arthur in order to ride his stable companion.

World Sports Betting has cut the Woolavington winner from 15-2 to 11-2 clear favourite and Betting World has her 5-1 joint favourite with Black Arthur while Marinaresco comes next on 6-1 with French Navy a 13-2 chance.

Delpech, bidding for his fifth July win, has not got where he is today by picking the wrong one but Justin Snaith is not entirely convinced that the record-breaking former champion has made the right move.

He said: “Personally I think it’s too close to call. The weights are not in Bela-Bela’s favour and she only gets a kilo from the colts.

“But Anthony says that Bela-Bela has given him an unbelievable feel and he wants to stick with her regardless of the weights.”

When he heard that Mike Azzie had cancelled Dougie Whyte’s booking for Abashiri, and reinstated the gelding’s Triple Crown-winning partner Karl Zechner, Justin’s brother Jonathan moved quickly to secure the 13-time Hong Kong champion for Black Arthur even though Whyte will be riding at Sha Tin the night before and will not arrive in Durban until mid-morning.

Azzie, speaking at Greyville last Friday evening, explained: “We are going for the July with Abashiri and we are going to do our best to try and win it but we didn’t feel we needed the pressure of having to wait in case he doesn’t make his connecting flight. Adriaan van Vuuren has had a bit of a tense week with the press having a go at him about jocking off Dougie but it was a joint decision and this is the reason we took it.”

The Snaith camp, though, reckon the flight risk is worth taking and Justin said: “We had an opportunity to have a renowned international champion and I felt we should take it. Having him brings an extra spice to the race and I am very grateful to Alec and Gillian Foster (Black Arthur’s owner-breeders) for allowing this to happen. Without them it wouldn’t have been possible and I’m not worried about the flights – unless there is some world problem he should get to Durban on time.”

Snaith is bidding for a third July win following dead-heater Dancer’s Daughter in 2008 and the promoted Legislate two years ago (he jokes that he is the only trainer in the history of the race to have won it twice without having a horse passing the post with its head in front!) and he can hardly wait for the big day.

He said: “We have a serious chance and we have three runners – hopefully four with Dynamic – who are all doing well. We just have to get through the draws and the July gallops which are always a worry. But we are very excited and I wouldn’t swap the position I’m in with anyone.”

The final field and draws will be announced tomorrow and the July gallops are on Thursday.

Michael Clower

Trainer Dean Kannemeyer, jockey Anthony Delpech and owner Lady Christine Laidlaw of Khaya Stables added a fourth Graded success to their tally this SA Champions Season when the progressive Mauritzfontein Stud-bred Cape Speed won the Gr 3 Track And Ball Derby over 2400m at Scottsville yesterday in cosy fashion.

Delpech,

Cape Speed (Nkosi Hlophe)

who has now had an amazing seven Graded winners this Champions Season, rode an enterprising race from a tricky draw, taking his mount around runners to be handy. However, the progressive Ideal World three-year-old was still easily able to repel the challenge of runner up Deputy Jud and win by 0,25 lengths.  Three Balloons, Kitty’s Destiny and Storm Warning were next best.

This was Cape Speed’s third win in three outings since gelding.

Earlier, the Sean Tarry-trained Summerhill-bred Kahal filly Witchcraft had proved a point when winning the Gr 3 Track And Ball Oaks over 2400m by 1,5 lengths under S’Manga Khumalo from the Neil Bruss pair Flying Ice and Deputy Ryder. Witchcraft dictated in front and the odds-on favourite Nightingale was too far back but managed to finish fourth. Patchit Up Baby claimed the fifth place cheque.

The Vodacom Durban July supplementary entry The Centenary finished unplaced and her chances of making the final field look to be gone. Tarry had always regarded Witchcraft as an Oaks filly but in her chief target for the season, the Gr 1 SA Oaks, the race just did not pan out well and she finished unplaced.

David Thiselton