The galloping Blarney Bay makes considerable each way appeal at 12-1 in the Itsarush.co.za Handicap at Kenilworth today.

The Mike Robinson seven-year-old is at his best over 1 400m, when his searching pace will often last to the line, but the short straight here suits his game.

“He would have won last time had the race been on the winter course,” says his trainer. “He has come on a lot since and the short run-in will help.”

The top weight is an exciting horse to watch – and to bet on – as he always gives his all and, win or lose, he always looks as if he is going to come home in front. Indeed he was four lengths clear coming to the furlong marker last time. He was eventually beaten less than two lengths into fifth, not bad considering it was his first race for four months.

Heavalon Van Der Hoven (Liesl King)

Heavelon van der Hoven, who won on him last October, again takes 2.5kg off his back and he meets Star Chestnut (second) and Spirit Of Hamilton (third) on the same terms. Star Chestnut had to be switched inside the final furlong so it is understandable that World Sports Betting has him favourite at 7-2.

Nanna’s Rock has been backed from 5-1 to 33-10 favourite for the opening juvenile fillies after her debut third against older horses and she could well prove to be the one. However the Snaith pair Harakiri (4-1) and Laikipia (a huge price at 25-1) have both shown enough to suggest they can at least go close against Paddy Kruyer’s filly.

Lord Balmoral stands out in the Place Your Bets Maiden Juvenile and MJ Byleveld’s mount has already been nibbled at from evens to 9-10. He made his debut against older horses and was only beaten three-quarters of a length by fellow newcomer Our Mate Art who ran so well in Saturday’s Cape Nursery. William The Brave (10-1) was over five lengths behind Lord Balmoral.

So often in Kenilworth maidens there are a number of possibles who could upset the applecart but not this time and 35 minutes later 18-10 shot Hero Quest also looks a good thing. Corne Orffer’s mount has a length to find with Gyre (already backed from 4-1 to 5-2) on last time’s run but it was only his second start and he ran as green as grass, having to be ridden much of the way and turning for home almost last.

Mega Secret (7-2) will again have his supporters but he is costing them a fortune and there is a line of form that puts him behind Hero Quest.

The All To Come Maiden (race four) is far more complicated but Celtic Charm appeals at 11-2. She finished in front of Baqueira two races back and again ran well last time even though the stipes report says she was hanging in. “She got checked and had to switch in,” explains Mike Stewart, adding: “She will run a good race.”

La Flambee (4-1) is an obvious danger even though she has been off for nearly three months. “She has benefitted from her break and she worked better than I expected on Saturday,” reports Adam Marcus. “She runs well fresh and has definitely got to be in with a place chance.”

Prudence Prevails has a bad draw and Sabrina Fair has not raced since January while two-year-old Arctic Green meets the three-year-olds on terms 5kg worse than weight-for-age and that is worth about four and a half lengths. All three are quoted at 9-2.

Michael Clower

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:

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

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

Sergeant Hardy, a R450 000 sales disaster, could yet justify breeder Veronica Foulkes’s faith by becoming a decent sprinter on the evidence of Saturday’s Cape Of Good Hope Nursery when Francois Herholdt’s mount made most of the running to spring an 11-1 surprise.

The Normandy stud owner’s son Oscar related: “Sergeant Hardy failed the scope when we sold him at the CTS Premier Sale as he proved to have a paralysed right vocal cord. We put him in the Ready To Run in November but we knew he would fail again and we bought him back for R70 000.”

There was no fluke about Saturday’s Kenilworth win – the gelding had already won the Listed race on Met day – but the surprise was that his much more fancied stable companion Bishop’s Bounty was beaten into fourth.

Chris Snaith said: “That did surprise me but this is a sprinter and they let him go two lengths clear. Also he had a 3kg penalty in the Somerset last time and weight stops trains. Bishop’s Bounty wants further but Western Winters don’t normally like the wet and if it rains I would rather duck the Langerman (June 25) with him.”

Attenborough, who started favourite and was beaten a length and a half, was found to have mucus in his lungs when Joey Ramsden had him checked out but Aldo Domeyer came in convinced that third-placed Our Mate Art has a big future, saying: “He was the best horse in the race – watch the re-run, he was all over the place and he will want ten furlongs.”

Snaith Racing also took the Kenilworth Fillies Nursery with the outsider of their two runners when Robert Khathi saved 45-1 shot Nordic Breeze (again bred and part-owned by Mrs Foulkes) for the final 100m and held odds-on The Merry Widow by half a length.

Snaith snr said: “They are two beautiful fillies and I wouldn’t like to try and split them. The winner is a difficult filly with a temperament but she has loads of talent and she ran into a lot of trouble last time. She could go for the Irridescence (June 25).”

Gypsy Beauty, who finished last, made an abnormal respiratory noise and will now have an operation. Greg Ennion, who thinks highly of her, said she has a deformed palate and the op will be done by a specialist from Pretoria.

Mike Bass is only five short of his sixth successive century after Sublime Lady, yet another Normandy-bred and backed from 6-1 to 5-2 favourite, got up two strides from the post under Khathi in the mile handicap to make amends for last time’s flop in the Sweet Chestnut when she was found to be suffering from a stacked leg virus.

Francois Herholdt (Zimracing)

Francois Herholdt is beginning to catch the eye of the top Cape Town trainers and he initiated a long-priced double when Brett Crawford newcomer Argo Solo made a winning debut at 55-1 in impressive style in the maiden juvenile.

The talented lightweight, whose big race wins include the 1994 Daily News on Imperial Despatch for Mike Azzie, said: “I can ride at 52kg and Jo’burg has been tough for me recently with a lot of appies doing well – and I thought there was a big gap down here after Karl Neisius and Glen Hatt retired plus Greg Cheyne being out of action.”

Tribal Fusion, who made all under Richard Fourie in the Third Leg Maiden, is a tough customer as Shane Humby explained: “He bashed his head against the gates last year and broke several bones in his head. There was nothing to be done except rest him and allow the bones to heal.”

On a day of surprises the distinction – if that is the right word – for producing the biggest shock of the lot went to Billy Prestage whose Red Peril made much of the running under Craig du Plooy to win the last at 66-1.

Michael Clower