Attenborough and Bishop’s Bounty dominate the Cape Of Good Hope Nursery at Kenilworth tomorrow and the former gets only marginal preference.

The Joey Ramsden-trained colt easily won the Somerset 1200 over this course and distance three weeks ago but Bishop’s Bounty, long held in high regard at Snaith Racing, was good enough to be expected to make a winning debut in the Met-day Listed race and, while things didn’t go his way that day, he has won his last two in the manner of a decent horse.

Bernard Fayd’Herbe’s mount is a full brother to Ramsden sprinting stars Red Ray and Brutal Force but Justin Snaith seemed to suggest that this one might want further, saying after he won last time: “Is he a sprinter? He doesn’t look like it and I don’t think he is. I feel he needs to go round the turn.”

Stable companion Sergeant Hardy was having his first run for more than three months when a five-length fourth to Attenborough in the Somerset and he was conceding 3kg. “He needed it that day, the race will have brought him on and he will be a little bit fitter this time,”says Jonathan Snaith. “But Bishop’s Bounty is definitely the stable select and his gallop last week was good. He went with Le Harve and did it quite a bit easier.”

Andrew Fortune rides newcomer Copper Force who is closely related to Computaform Sprint winner Copper Parade but Eric Sands says: “He is a nice horse but he has no experience under his belt and I think he wants further.”

The Mike Bass stable think a lot of Our Mate Art who was good enough to make a winning debut but he will need to have come on quite considerably to follow up here.

Snaith’s The Merry Widow is the obvious one in the Kenilworth Fillies Nursery as she is unbeaten in three starts and is 3k better with Live Life, Felicity, Nordic Breeze and Chill Baby Chill who all finished behind her in the Perfect Promise three weeks ago. To be fair, Nordic Breeze lost a lot of ground at the start and was hampered while Chill Baby Chill received a bump and was not striding out freely after that.

But Fayd’Herbe’s mount probably has most to fear from Don’t Stop Dancing who comfortably won first time over the trip last month.

Michael Clower

> Michael Clower is on a roll – his last six selections have all won.

The two chief protagonists in the Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 at Greyville this Saturday, the Justin Snaith-trained Bela-Bela and the Mike Bass-trained Nightingale, are doing well ahead of the big race and so are Snaith’s two Gr 1 Daily News 2000 runners, It’s My Turn and Brooklyn Brawler.

Meanwhile, Snaith said the ruling Vodacom Durban July favourite Black Arthur, who is avoiding the Daily News and going straight into the big one, will have a gallop at Greyville before the first race on Saturday pending permission from the course manager.

Snaith said about his three Gr 1 runners for the Daily News meeting, “I couldn’t be happier with them, there have been no hiccups. It is now just down to luck in running.”

Snaith had been confident before Dynasty filly Bela-Bela’s Gr 2 Daisy Fillies Guineas victory three weeks ago, pointing out nothing had gone right for her when soundly beaten by Silver Mountain in the Gr 1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas, and she had subsequently proven her class by running third in the “strongest form race of the Cape season”, the Gr 1 Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes. She had also been putting in phenomenal work at Summerveld.

Summerveld (Supplied)

Bass assistant trainer Robert Fayd’Herbe said, “Nightingale is fit and well and the jockey is confident.”

Jockey Grant van Niekerk seemed quietly confident, but was fully aware of the toughness of the task.

Nightingale lost a bit of momentum in the straight of the Daisy Fillies Guineas when having to be switched outward off the heels of a slowing horse. Bela-Bela did not have a clear passage herself, but her momentum was unaffected and she passed Nightingale with a wet sail. However, the latter was coming back at her at the line to be beaten only 0,5 lengths.

After the race jockey Anthony Delpech had his doubts about the 2200m July trip for Bela-Bela, but added she would “get away with” 2000m against her own gender in the Woolavington.

Nightingale has already proven her liking for 2000m when finishing strongly to beat older horses in a MR68 handicap for fillies and mares at Kenilworth on L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate day in January. She did not have a perfect preparation into the Daisy Fillies Guineas, due to her intended preparation race on the Greyville turf having to be switched to the polytrack, although she did still win the latter race. She will now be having her third run after a layoff.

Bela-Bela is having her second run after a layoff, but judging by her Daisy Fillies Guineas win that shouldn’t pose a problem and, like Nightingale, she should also be more forward this time.

Dynasty gelding It’s My Turn looked a bit outpaced early in the Canon Guineas and was then kept wide to avoid the kickback, so did quite well to stay on for a 4,65 length tenth.

“He’s not a miler,” confirmed Snaith.

The form of his Gr 1 Investec Cape Derby victory, which is run over the Daily News 2000m distance, is looking strong, considering he had both the July favourite and second favourite, Black Arthur and Marinaresco respectively, comfortably beaten. Delpech will be aboard on Saturday from a tricky draw of eleven and he is the horse to beat.

Brooklyn Brawler won well over 1600m at Greyville recently and has apprentice Lyle Hewitson up. On his damside he is closely related to the like of Capetown Noir, who always had a slight stamina doubt beyond a mile despite winning the Cape Derby. However, his July-winning sire Dynasty gives him hope. Snaith added, “Dynasty at Greyville is the key, just look at the record of both himself and his progeny there.”

The Bass yard also run Helderberg Blue in the Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m. He will be 1kg worse off with No Worries despite being beaten 1,5 lengths by him last time out over this trip at Scottsville. This will now be his third run after a layoff. He remains a quirky sort whose temperament is his own worst enemy, but as such could not have found himself in a better yard. The outstanding horsemanship of the Bass team have allowed the Jet Master gelding to still be competitive everytime he lines up and he is now down to a competitive merit rating.

By David Thiselton

Triple Crown-winning trainer Mike Azzie believes Rabada is the horse to beat in the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 at Greyville on Saturday.

He said, “All things have been going well, I am very happy with him and have no reason to believe he won’t stay.”

Rabada (Nkosi Hlophe)

Jockey Anton Marcus was impressed by the Gr 1-winning Brave Tin Soldier colt’s last run in the Gr 2 Canon Guineas at Greyville, because after being taken to the front from a wide draw in a fast-paced race he was able to stay on and be beaten just a half-a-length, while the two in front of him faded out to the back.

Furthermore, Rabada stayed on well in the Gr 3 Cartier Politician Stakes over 1800m at Kenilworth on L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate day to finish a 2,25 length sixth with 62kg on his back. He was conceding 5kg to the winner Black Arthur and 6,5kg to third-placed Marinaresco, who are now respectively the top pair on the Vodacom Durban July betting boards.

Azzie added, “He was given a sympathetic ride in the Politician Stakes too, due to the weight and also his main mission was the Cape Derby.”

Rabada was unable to take his place in the Derby due to injury but proved his well-being when winning his comeback run over 1400m at Turffontein three weeks before his fine Canon Guineas effort. He is the joint 33/10 favourite for Saturday with Gr 2 IOS Drill Hall Stakes winner New Predator.

Azzie also runs the Toreador gelding Trading Profit, who is drawn well in three.

He was bought out of the Ormond Ferraris yard after downing the like of Judicial and French Navy when way out at the weights in a Pinnacle Stakes event over 1800m at Turffontein in February. However, he has run below par in two outing for his new yard in the SA Classic and Premier’s Champions Challenge respectively, and was headstrong in the latter race.

He is a good looking sort and has talent, but Azzie said, “He took a while to adjust and an improved run can be expected, but Rabada is superior to him.”

By David Thiselton

National Champion trainer Sean Tarry has three runners in the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 and two in the Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 and all of them are capable of upsetting the odds.

Heaps Of Fun (JC Photos)

His first choice rider S’Manga Khumalo is aboard SA Classic and SA Derby third-placed Samurai Blade in the Daily News 2000 and Tarry said, “He is doing well and all three runs for us have been good. He took a while to find top gear at Turffontein and if they go a canter-sprint in his first run at Greyville it could catch him out. He has a bad draw (16 out of 16) … It is all very well holding them back for the July, but he could end up being drawn badly there too and things can also go wrong in the July, so, being well now, he must take his chances.”

He said about Prospect Strike, “I think his run in the Canon Guineas was very good considering he worked so much harder than the rest out wide and still finished only 2,4 lengths back. I think he is probably looking for this trip.  A sprint-miler will normally be able to come back from a layoff and win comfortably when so well in at the weights as he was in his two comeback runs (over 1000m and 1200m) and when he was beaten in the first of them and then had to work hard to win the second it was the tell-tale sign that those trips were now way too sharp for him.”

Tarry’s decision to take the Toreador gelding back to Johannesburg after the Canon Guineas had been a “trade off.”

He said, “It means two journeys of eight hours, but he has had some serious issues and I would not want to be chopping and changing tracks with him. Obviously if he is going to run in another race in Durban he won’t travel a third time.”

Tarry confirmed Summerveld assistant Dishone Steyn’s upbeat reports about Dynasty colt Liege and said, “He was in fantastic shape when he went down to Durban and won impressively on the poly. Dishone said he has been ticking over nicely since.”

Liege (Nkosi Hlophe)

Prospect Strike also has a wide draw of 15, but has in form Grant van Niekerk aboard, while Liege is drawn nine and has SA Triple Crown-winning jockey Karl Zechner up.

Tarry revealed Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas winner Heaps Of Fun had pulled up with severely strained muscles after her disappointing SA Fillies Classic run.

He said, “Her ordinary run there had nothing to do with being caught wide or the trip being too far. I decided to bring her back from that run with a sprint (Gr 2 Camelia Stakes over 1160m) and she ran on very well for third. She is now in good shape and I think she will stay the trip.”

He continued, “Witchcraft’s SA Oaks run can have a line drawn through it, just nothing went right for her.” She was drawn wide and was then caught wide and the writing was on the wall from a long way out.

Before that she had won well over 2000m at Turffontein and was doing some good late work when running a 3,8 length fifth in the SA Fillies Classic, suggesting she would prefer further.

Khumalo rides Visionaire filly Heaps Of Fun from draw ten and Brandon Lerena is aboard Kahal filly Witchcraft from draw six.

Tarry runs Serissa in the Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m and said, “He’s a soldier, he didn’t go hard enough in the 1900 last weekend.” He is likely to lead this time and has proven his liking for the trip before.

Liege and Serissa have been prepared at Summerveld and all of the others will be travelling down from Randjesfontein.

By David Thiselton

Dean Kannemeyer is pleased with his Gr 1 Daily News 2000 contender Mambo Mime and believes if he stays the trip he has “as good a chance as any.”

He said, “He has been moving very well and has tightened up nicely. He came from last in the Canon Guineas and had no split so had to go to the outside while the winner Black Arthur went down the centre. He looked dangerous.”

Mambo Mime (Nkosi Hlophe)

He finished a decent 1,5 length third, having jumped from draw six. Stuart Randolph stays aboard, but now has a 13 draw to contend with.

Kannemeyer added, “Whether he stays, only the race will tell.”

His sire Mambo In Seattle was a narrow second in a Gr 1 over 2000m on the dirt and his USA-bred dam won over 1600m, but has produced mainly speedy types.

However, early in his career Mambo Mime pulled the whole way in a juvenile 1600m event at Greyville, yet still won, so as a much more relaxed type these days should just about stay 2000m at the same course.

Kannemeyer has two runners in the Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m and said, “Balance Sheet was runner up in the Gold Cup and is now fit and ready after two runs and is back to his correct distance. Solar Star over raced last time with blinkers on (but still finished a close second in his first attempt at 2400m) and the blinkers are now off.”

Balance Sheet has Anthony Delpech up and jumps from draw 14 and Solar Star has Randolph up and is drawn eight.

By David Thiselton