Black Arthur, the ruling favourite for the Vodacom Durban July, will not take part in Saturday’s R2-million Grade 1 Daily News 2000 at Greyville but trainer Justin Snaith still goes into the country’s premier classic event with a strong hand

The stable will, however, be going for the local “classic” double with the Dynasty filly Bela-Bela that won the Daisy Fillies Guineas at Greyville two weeks ago and, because of the manner in which she won, is likely to start odds-on favourite for the R1-million Grade 1 Woolavington 2000.

Snaith did not accept with Black Arthur and, according to reports, took the decision with owner Alec Foster to “protect” the horse and to ensure the Silvano colt would not be penalised in the weights for the blue ribbon event.

But he has accepted with two gelded sons of Dynasty, It’s My Turn that won the Investec Cape Derby and Brooklyn Brawler that won his last race over the Greyville mile in a time almost a second faster than Black Arthur’s winning time in the Canon Guineas.

It’s My Turn did not fare well in the Canon Guineas where the Mike Azzie-trained Brave Tin Soldier colt Rabada was just snaffled on the line by Black Arthur. Rabada lines up in the Daily News 2000 but has yet to be tested over the 2 000m trip which could give It’s My Turn the edge.

Rocketball from the Gavin van Zyl stable will have his followers after a brilliant performance in the SA Derby at Turffontein where he nearly upset Abashiri’s bid for Triple Crown glory.

Champion trainer Sean Tarry goes into the race with a four-horse team headed by the Australian-bred colt Samurai Blade that finished third to Abashiri in both the SA Classic and SA Derby and Dean Kannemeyer will be looking for a special performance from Mambo Mime that won the Byerley Turk and finished third by 1.5 lengths to Black Arthur in the Canon Guineas.

Bela-Bela will be all the rage to win the Woolavington 2000 not only because of her latest performance at Greyville, but also because of her third behind Smart Call in the Grade 1 Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes at Kenilworth in January.

She will, however, have to again contend with the attentions of the Mike Bass-trained Silvano filly Nightingale that flew through to finish half a length behind her in the Daisy Fillies Guineas and will most likely relish the extra 400m of this race.

Another that is likely to keep her honest is the Fort Wood filly Negroamara from the Johan Janse van Vuuren stable. She finished third in the 1 600m event and, having finished second in both the Gauteng Fillies Guineas and SA Fillies Classic before that, is another that could shine over the longer trip.

Adding to Bela-Bela’s troubles could also be the Fort Wood filly Fortissima from the Joe Soma yard. She finished second in the SA Derby and won both her starts over 2 000m before that while Tarry will not feel his Visionaire filly Heaps Of Fun is out of the picture having won the Gauteng Fillies Guineas.

The third of the graded races on Daily News 2000 day is the Grade 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2 400m. It has drawn a full field where the Bass stable stalwart Helderburg Blue will be one of the fancied runners having shown a return to his competitive form with a third behind No Worries in the Highland Night Cup.

No Worries from the Van Zyl stable will again be one of his opponents along with Solar Star from the Kannemeyer stable that beat him half a length in the Highland Night, Storm Warning that was third in the Gold Bowl and the gutsy six-year-old Coltrane that has placed in his last three starts over marathon trips including the J&B Stayers and the Chairmans Cup in the Cape.

Smart Mart, fourth in the Gold Bowl and Kingston Mines that was third in the J&B Stayers, are two of the three runners from the Mike de Kock stable in the race.

 

Final field and draws for the Gr1 Daily News 2000 to be run over 2000m at Greyville on Saturday May 28: 

SC DR HORSE              WGT  M/R     JOCKEY            TRAINER

1  5 NEW PREDATOR (AUS) 60.0 110   A  W Marwing         Johan Janse van Vuuren

2 16 SAMURAI BLADE (AUS 60.0 108 T A  S Khumalo         Sean Tarry

3  8 RABADA             60.0 106   A  A Marcus          Mike Azzie

4  1 ROCKETBALL         60.0 105 T A  W Kennedy         Gavin van Zyl

5 15 PROSPECT STRIKE    60.0 104 T A  G van Niekerk     Sean Tarry

6 11 IT’S MY TURN       60.0 101   A  A Delpech         Justin Snaith

7  7 TEN GUN SALUTE (AU 60.0 101 T A  B Lerena          Duncan Howell

8  6 CELTIC CAPTAIN     60.0 100  BA  K de Melo         Gavin van Zyl

9 13 MAMBO MIME         60.0 100   A  S Randolph        Dean Kannemeyer

10 12 REDCARPET CAPTAIN  60.0 100   A  R Danielson       Gavin van Zyl

11  2 STEBBINS           60.0  98 TBA  Wes Marwing       Weiho Marwing

12 14 SYLVESTER THE CAT  60.0  98   A  C Zackey          Duncan Howell

13  3 TRADING PROFIT     60.0  96   A *C Murray          Mike Azzie

14  9 LIEGE              60.0  93 T A  K Zechner         Sean Tarry

15 10 BROOKLYN BRAWLER   60.0  92   A *L Hewitson        Justin Snaith

16  4 BANKABLE TEDDY     60.0  89  BA  M Yeni            Brian Wiid

 

Final field and draws for the Gr1 Woolavington 2000 to be run over 2000m at Greyville on Saturday May 28: 

SC DR HORSE              WGT  M/R      JOCKEY            TRAINER

.1  7 BELA-BELA          60.0 107   A  A Delpech         Justin Snaith

2 10 HEAPS OF FUN       60.0 104 T A  S Khumalo         Sean Tarry

3  5 NEGROAMARO         60.0 102   A  W Marwing         Johan Janse van Vuuren

4  8 FLYING ICE         60.0  98  BA  R Danielson       Neil Bruss

5  6 WITCHCRAFT         60.0  94 T A  B Lerena          Sean Tarry

6  4 NIGHTINGALE        60.0  92   A  G van Niekerk     Mike Bass

7  1 POLYPHONIC         60.0  90   A  J P v’d Merwe     Alec Laird

8 12 ADORADA            60.0  86   A  M Byleveld        Vaughan Marshall

9 11 CHRISTMAS CAROL    60.0  83   A  C Maujean         Geoff Woodruff

10  9 FORTISSIMA         60.0  82 T A  A Marcus          Joe Soma

11  2 RULER OF THE SKY   60.0  76 T A  M Yeni            Luiz Cunha

12  3 ALL MINE           60.0  75   A  S Randolph        Glen Kotzen

13 13 TIDE IS TURNING    60.0  71  BA *C Habib           James Goodman

It has been a long wait to single out Dennis Drier’s chief Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion contender this season. But, yesterday’s first race winner at Scottsville, Horse Guards, could be the one.

Drier has won five of the last six runnings of the Medallion and the Horse Chestnut colt looked the real deal when powering home to win yesterday’s Juvenile Plate by 2,25 lengths under stable jockey Sean Veale despite carrying a 3kg penalty for his debut win.

The second race over 1200m was won in fine start-to finish style by the Duncan Howells-trained Muzi Yeni-ridden Toreador filly Blaze Of Mystery, who also carried a 3kg penalty for a win, and Howells said she was “underdone”, so should do even better in the Gr 1 Allan Robertson Championship, although she will face a strong field there.

However, the most eyecatching winner on the card was possibly the Alistair Gordon-trained Royal Life. The talented gelding fought most of the way on the quarters of the leader Mountain Master in the fifth over 1600m, but still bounded away to win easily under apprentice Eric Saziso Ngwane and is now one to follow.

The Garth Puller-trained Asstar later downed Guiness and Tar Heel in a 1000m Pinnacle event and it will be interesting to see whether he is supplemented for the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Horse Guards (Nkosi Hlophe)

The Durban July plunge on Marinaresco continues with a vengeance following his win – with scarcely believable ease – in the Winter Classic at Kenilworth on Saturday.

Eight days ago he was as big as 28-1 but now you will be lucky to get more than 10-1. Indeed Betting World slashed him from 18-1 to 8-1 joint second favourite with Abashiri on Saturday evening. Black Arthur still heads the market for the great Vodacom race, albeit easing from 7-2 to 9-2, while Friday night’s 1900 winner Solid Speed has been cut from 22-1 to 10-1 and runner-up St Tropez from 50-1 to 14-1.

Grant van Niekerk, beaten a short head on 55-1 shot Smanjemanje in the 2012 July, reckons this could be the one to put the record straight and said: “He gives me goose bumps. He is probably the best I’ve ridden, he is still maturing and he will be a big runner in the July.”

Mind you, it wasn’t all plain sailing. Marinaresco saw too much daylight early on and fought for his head with a race-losing intensity. “At one stage I was three wide and I panicked a bit,” said the jockey, echoing the nail-biting anxiety of those who backed the favourite down to 17-20. “But then I managed to get in and he switched off.”

Van Niekerk cruised up with a double handful a furlong out and never had to ask his mount any sort of question. Indeed he was easing up well before the line – doubtless mindful of what the handicappers will do when they discuss it in video conference today –  and put out his left hand, palm up, in a gesture that had the riders in the stands scratching their heads in bemusement.

“It was just a salute,” he said but the stipes took exception as well as R1 000 of his R14 000 percentage.

There are 40 above the Mauritzfontein-bred Silvano gelding in the July log but a five point increase – the official margin was less than half a length so it’s hard to see him getting more –  would take out 14 of them.  The selection panel have two wild cards at their disposal and Mike Bass’s last hurrah would surely present an impossible-to-ignore case, particularly carrying the famous Marsh Shirtliff colours.

 

“He’s got to get a run now and he comes in nicely (at the weights). He’s a little machine,” said the trainer who was winning his eighth Winter Classic.   “He’s only 15.1 or 15.2 but he has an amazing turn of foot,” added daughter Candice.

Captain’s Flame, who made much of the running in the Stormsvlei Mile, decisively regaining the lead briefly held by Goodtime Gal, will also skip the final leg of the Winter Series to go to Durban – in her case for the Garden Province.

Aldo Domeyer, who rode her with such confidence, said: “I thought it would be best to pick up the lead with the winter course having such a short straight and I let Richard Fourie on Goodtime Gal get first run rather going for the doctor. We had been travelling quickly and I knew mine was winding into another gear.”

Corne Orffer won the weightwatcher of the month award for shedding 4.5kg in ten days to ride Chevauchee at 52.5kg in the Olympic Duel Stakes. His drastic diet consisted of fruit for breakfast, salad for supper and nothing else at any other time.

He was rewarded with victory even though stable companion Beach Goddess came within a head of ruining his long-dreamed of dinner – “I hit the front a little bit too soon and that’s why mine stopped at the end.”

Brett Crawford will now try the Australian-bred round the turn and he will run Friday evening’s winner Alexis in the Tibouchina on June 11 before taking on all the talent in the Garden Province.

Second favourite Lohnromance finished plum last, much to the disappointment of Andre Nel who said: “We fancied her every bit as much as we did Captain’s Flame.”

MJ Byleveld, who reported to the stipes that he felt something was wrong with the mare, reached the 50-winner mark with a Vaughan Marshall double that included an impressive performance from R2.2 million purchase William Longsword. But this one won’t be going to Durban.

Derek Brugman said: “He is a big horse and it would be a futile exercise to send him down there on those tight tracks. We will probably nominate him for the Langerman but I’m not sure he has got it all together for a race like that and I don’t want to spoil him.”

By Michael Clower

Black Arthur, 14-10 favourite with World Sports Betting for Saturday’s Daily News, is not certain to run.

Justin Snaith said on Saturday: “It’s 50:50 and it’s a tough decision, one that Alec Foster has to make. Obviously I have my opinion – and I want to protect the horse.

“When Legislate won the Daily News two years ago he then had to carry 56k in the July and that is a big weight for a three-year-old. It also takes a lot out of a horse.”

Black Arthur has been favourite for the July since winning the Canon Guineas earlier this month. Snaith confirmed that his Cape Derby winner It’s My Turn is definite runner in Saturday’s Greyville Grade 1, adding: “He is doing very well.”

By Michael Clower