The Mike Bass-trained superstar filly Silver Mountain was given the thumbs up by jockey Bernard Fayd’Herbe after a workout on the sand at Summerveld yesterday and her big rival Bela-Bela has also been pleasing trainer Justin Snaith at Summerveld ahead of tomorrow night’s Gr 2 Daisy Guineas at Greyville.

However, another Cape horse, Flying Ice, “has as much chance as anything else” in the race and is at her peak according to trainer Neil Bruss.

Silver Mountain (Kenilworth Racing)

Assistant trainer Robert Fayd’Herbe said about Silver Mountain “She is doing very well at home. She won’t be quite at her peak but is fit enough to run a good race first time back.”

He said about his other two participants in the race, “Nightingale in this type of company might find the trip just a touch too sharp, but is doing very well at home. Tafferty Tart has a bad draw but if she can overcome it and get a nice position within striking distance she can put in a good effort. She has finished third to Silver Mountain twice and is up to it.”

Bela-Bela was scratched on course before the Umzimkhulu after a float incident but Snaith said, in retrospect, this had been a blessing. “That run would have come too soon. She is high quality and the Paddock Stakes, where she finished third, has turned out to be the best form race of the entire Cape season. If she can overcome the draw she will be in the money.” However, Snaith said it would be difficult to predict how well any of his three-year-olds on the night would do as they were running under lights for the first time on a course which is new to them.

Bruss said Flying Ice would definitely appreciate the step up to 1600m and gave her a big shout. He said, “She is doing really well and all we got to hope for is a clear run up the straight.”

The Geoff Woodruff-trained Alexa arrived at Summerveld on Tuesday and he said, “She is bright and fit. She ran well in both the Gauteng Fillies Guineas and SA Fillies Classic from hopeless positions.  She can make up four lengths, but she can’t make up twenty-four, and she now has a decent draw in a feature for the first time.”

Glen Kotzen runs WSB Cape Fillies Guineas runner up Our Destiny and said, “She is the type of filly who looks around a lot so I don’t blame the jockeys for wanting blinkers on, but she over raced with them on for the first time in her KZN debut and fell in a hole, so they are now off. She is a lovely filly and is fit and well but has a tough draw.”

Intergalactic (Nkosi Hlophe)

Dean Kannemeyer runs shock Umzimkhulu winner Fromafar and she put in eye catching work with her normal low head carriage on the beach sand with a companion yesterday. Kannemeyer said, “She was caught wide the whole way last time, so won a very good race. She is fit and well and we will take our chances from a wide draw, but it’s a strong field and we will be thrilled to run a place.”

The Mike Azzie-trained Shahtoosh left Johannesburg for Durban yesterday morning. She looks is a long-striding horse with a nice turn of foot and he said she was unlucky to not still be unbeaten. He added, “She has done very well in the last ten days.”

Sean Tarry said about Intergalactic, “Her run in the Empress Club was good enough for her to have a chance here (1,4 length third to Inara), but Silver Mountain looks impossible to beat from that draw.”

Doug Campbell said about Lala, “The 14 was too short, she’s looking for a mile to 1800m and is doing well, so I’m hoping for a big run. The draw is a worry, but she will be dropped out. We had to look for a jockey replacement, so Sean Veale rides her for the first time.”

Gareth Van Zyl spoke on behalf Bella Sonata’s team, “She is better than her form suggests, because things didn’t go well for her in Jo’burg. It is the strongest fillies Guineas at Greyville for many years, but a big run can be expected on the back of her Umzimkhulu run as she was running on strongly. She will appreciate this step up in trip and is doing well.”

By David Thiselton

A high class field headed by former Equus Champion Legislate and defending champion Ice Machine will line up in the Grade 2 Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes to be run at Greyville Racecourse this coming Friday evening.

Legislate, a former Vodacom Durban July winner, makes his Champions Season debut since finishing sixth in the J&B Met at Kenilworth back in January. Prior to that he was a close-up second to Legal Eagle in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate. Legal Eagle scored a good victory in the R4-million Premier’s Champion Challenge run at Turffontein this past Saturday.

Just how Legislate fares in the Drill Hall will likely determine whether Justin Snaith supplements his charge for the Vodacom Durban July as his name was significantly absent from the initial list of 65 entries unveiled at the launch of South Africa’s Champions Season a fortnight ago.

The gallant seven-year-old Ice Machine returns to his favourite course and distance to defend his crown. It has been up and down to the Highveld this season for him but there is little doubt that Charles Laird’s runner is a different proposition over the Greyville 1400m.

Whilst Anton Marcus has been Ice Machine’s regular pilot, the former champion will forgo the ride to partner The Conglomerate for leading owners Ingrid and Markus Jooste. It will be a year to the day of The Conglomerate’s last victory that came in the Grade 2 Canon Guineas, one of two supporting features on this Friday’s card, where Marcus will ride likely favourite Rabada for the Jooste’s and trainer Michael Azzie.

Also in the Canon Guineas field are Investec Derby winner It’s My Turn and Baritone both from the Justin Snaith stable and the exciting pair of Sylvester The Cat and Ten Gun Salute from the Duncan Howells yard.

Top class filly Silver Mountain will bid for a Fillies Guineas double when she lines up in the Grade 2 Daisy Fillies Guineas, the second supporting feature on the evening. Winner of the World Sports Betting Fillies Guineas, she was a close-up fourth in the colts equivalent and most recently second in South Africa’s first million dollar race.

The meeting kicks off the three months of South Africa’s Champion Season and Greyville patrons will be treated to some high class racing come Friday night.

ENTERTAINMENT FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY

Apart from the thrilling horseracing there is lot’s on offer at the course with the Galloping Gourmet Beer Festival and happy hour from 6 to 7:30 pm in the Lightning Shot Bar.  It is also a great chance to catch an early evening bite at the adjacent Braai Zone, where the thrill and excitement of the night can be enjoyed right alongside the racetrack – a great meeting place for friends who gather and relish the evening’s atmosphere on the lawns.

Live entertainment this Friday evening will be provided by The Gee Jays and the popular KidZone with full supervision, fun and entertainment will be in operation throughout the racing so be sure to bring the kids along.

Lots of parking available and entrance to Greyville Racecourse is FREE.

By Andrew Harrison

The popular Charity Turf Challenge offers punters the chance to win R100,000 as well as a R20,000 stand alone prize on Vodacom Durban July day and the deadline for entries is 17h30 this Friday.

This fun competition can be entered online at http://www.racingsa.com/ or manually at both Tote outlets and on the racecourse.

Rabada (Nkosi Hlophe)

Class prevails and points gathered in Gr 1 and Gr 2 races are the key to success. Furthermore, the winners of the Tsogo Sun Sprint, the Rising Sun Gold Challenge, the Vodacom Durban July and the eLan Gold Cup earn five bonus points each.

In the three-year-old colt division many will think of Triple Crown hero Abashiri as an automatic entry. However, he is likely to have only one race during the SA Champions Season, the July.

It might be wiser to look for horses who are going to run in all of the classic races. Rabada is an obvious example.

The three-year-old fillies, and older fillies, should be seriously considered to have a lot of weight in numbers, because there are many opportunities open to them. A versatile horse like Lanner Falcon, who is effective from sprints up to middle distances, could accumulate many place and possibly win points, while classic fillies like Bela-Bela and Silver Mountain should also do so.

A male sprinter is probably an important inclusion, but difficult to choose because the Tsogo Sprint is a handicap, meaning a light weight winner will battle to earn further points in the Gr 1 Mercury Sprint. Furthermore, the Mercury Sprint looks to be at the mercy of Carry On Alice, who should also win the SA Fillies Sprint.

Some stayers events have been downgraded this year, but it might still might be worth including a horse on the up like Solar Star.

Shrewdies will have a horse for the open Gr 2’s and the Gr 1 Champions Cup as points gatherer of this type could make the difference between winning and losing.

By David Thiselton

The Mike de Kock-trained Australian-bred Zaakhira stamped herself as a SA Champions Season horse to be reckoned with when slamming a Maiden Juvenile Plate for fillies in impressive style over 1200m at the Vaal yesterday on her debut.

The Redoute’s Choice filly is out of a Royal Academy mare and after showed high cruising speed pulled clear to win by 7,5 lengths under Callan Murray, despite racing green and changing legs.

Matthew de Kock said, “I’m sure she will be taking her place at some point in Durban.”

She joins the like of Cloth Of Cloud, Exquisite Touch and her stable mate Fursa as Highveld fillies who could make a big impact on the Gr 1 Allan Robertson Championship over 1200m at Scottsville’s Festival Of Speed meeting on June 4.

They will be up against the like of the Cape filly The Secret Is Out and KZN fillies like Mygirldownunder.

Interestingly, De Kock’s debut winner of the first race, the Australian-bred More Than Ready colt Act Of Loyalty, won his race under Weichong Marwing in a time 0,3 seconds quicker than Zaakhira and Marwing looked to still have some fuel reserves at the line.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Callan Murray

Met day Listed winner Sergeant Hardy will face only five opponents when Bernard Fayd’Herbe’s mount bids to give Justin Snaith his third Somerset 1200 success in seven seasons at Kenilworth on Sunday.

Joey Ramsden, who has won the last three runnings (with Red Ray, Kingvoldt and Tar Heel), is doubly represented with previous winners Attenborough (Donovan Dillon) and Gareth Wright’s mount Dancer.

Vaughan Marshall and Riaan van Reenen are the only other trainers represented. The National Racing Bureau rang the other trainers with entries shortly after declarations yesterday morning but found no takers. However the Somerset is no stranger to small fields and in 2011 only five went to post.

The unbeaten Miranda Frost (Dillon) is expected to start hot favourite for the Perfect Promise Sprint on the same card even though the Ramsden-trained filly is up against seven previous winners.

By Michael Clower

Picture: Bernard Fayd’Herbe (Nkosi Hlophe)