Alec Laird’s Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 winner Smart Call lines up in the Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes over 1600m on Vodacom Durban July day and could be the dark horse in a vintage field.

Neil Bruss also has a talented runner in this race in Red Flame.

Laird’s assistant trainer at Summerveld Julia Pringle said about Ideal World filly Smart Call, “She’s good and will be okay over the trip as long as they don’t go too slow. We’ve freshened her up. She’s a very sound, solid filly.”

The interesting point is that she won the Woolavington largely due to a change of tactics. After being held up off the pace she not only displayed a fine turn of foot but also a resolute finish. She beat the like of July contenders Pine Princess and Tamaanee as well as dual Gr 1-winner Inara, so having finished a two length third to Siren’s Call in the Gr 2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas with front-running tactics, it will be interesting to see how she goes over the same trip when employing the new tactics.

Bruss’s Jet Master filly Red Flame is not far off the best of a fine generation of milers. Her fine turn of foot makes her suited to Greyville. She moved up from a handy position and stayed on well in the Gr 2 Tibouchina over1400m last time out. She was only two lengths back at the line, although she will now be 1kg worse off with the winner Hammie’s Hooker. She will prefer this trip and, having her third run after a rest, Bruss confirmed she was “spot on.” He said the same about Tiger Tiger, who contests the tenth race.

By David Thiselton

VDJ betting now open: PA Leg 1 starts in race 3  – estimated pool R 3.6 million.

David Nieuwenhuizen has lively chances on Vodacom Durban July day and his confidence is enhanced by the 5000-winner jockey Piere Strydom being in the saddle for all three of his runners.

Lateral filly Sapsan runs in the Gr 1 Zulu Kingdom Explorer Golden Slipper over 1400m and he said, “Piere always said she was looking for 1400m. It was a pity about her wide draw (13) but she is very, very well and I think she will give a good showing.” It does not look a vintage Golden Slipper field and having finished a 4,6 length fourth in the Gr 2 Nursery over 1160m, she only has 2,1 lengths to find with the like of Frosted Honey.

He runs Just As Well colt Just As I Said in the KZN Yearling Sale Million over 1300m from a plum draw of 3 and said, “He has always been looking for further than sprints and the only reason he hasn’t tried them is because he always drew badly. This trip will definitely be right up his alley. Although he probably had to win that last start to get into this race, it was also a prep to put him right for this race and he is now tuned up.”

He has been close up to some good horses and looks to have a shout, especially considering Strydom has stayed aboard after he found another gear to just get up over 1160m last time in a competitive juvenile plate with the rest well beaten.

Nieuwenhuizen runs the three-year-old Way West filly Green Crest in the second over 1400m on the poly and said, “She’s well having bounced back to her previous form last time. We’re not sure how she will go on the poly. She usually prefers to run on from off them and they go fast on the poly so I’ve put the blinkers on to give her some pace.”

By David Thiselton

VDJ betting now open: PA Leg 1 starts in race 3 – estimated pool R 3.6 million.

Wylie Hall will be the sentimental favourite of many for this year’s Vodacom Durban July and trainer Weiho Marwing confirmed yesterday (Wednesday) that the good looking five-year-old bay had enjoyed a good preparation.

The Australian-bred Redoute’s Choice entire has not run since winning the Gr 1 President’s Champions Challenge over 2000m at Turffontein, in which he impressed jockey Bernard Fayd’Herbe. The Challenge was also the last run he had before last year’s July, which he controversially lost on objection, so he clearly enjoys running fresh. He appears to have really come into his own this year but that is also reflected in his merit rating and weight as he is now a 116 and carries 58kg compared to 109 and 57,5kg last year.

However, taking weight for age changes into account, he will effectively face Majmu on identical weight terms in the July as he did in the Challenge, when beating her by 1,25 lengths. He also has a draw of two compared to six last year and is likely to be up near the pace again. On the downside, his collateral form with July favourite Legal Eagle, through Killua Castle and Judicial, suggests on paper he has over four lengths to find on the crack three-year-old.

Marwing said Bilateral always did well in KZN so expected a good run from her in the Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes, but she does face a huge task against a vintage field.

Marwing described his progressive three-year-old Go Deputy gelding Rampant Ice as a versatile type and having run on in eyecatching fashion from well back in the Gr 2 KRA Guineas he is interesting in the Listed Canon Business Centre Handicap over the same course and distance, although he does have a tough task carrying topweight off a merit rating of 106

Marwing said Isobar was “fit and well” ahead of that race, despite returning from a six month layoff. He ran on well from a similar wide draw the last time he tried this course and distance in the Christmas Handicap, despite later having been found to be coughing.

Marwing felt the 1400m trip would be too sharp for Fulcrum in the first.

However, he expected the Australian-bred filly Lertasha to go well in the second race, provided she took well to the poly. She is a talented filly and should have grown into her tall frame by now, so should be coming into her own. She was right up there throughout when winning over 1450m on the Turffontein Inside track last time, so will be interesting on the Greyville poly, which often has true paced races.

By David Thiselton

VDJ betting now open: PA Leg 1 starts in race 3  – estimated pool R 3.6 million.

Geoff Woodruff’s Vodacom Durban July runner Tellina travelled from Randjesfontein to Summerveld yesterday and is quietly fancied by many for Saturday’s big race at Greyville.

“He’s been doing very well, doing great work at home, we’ve got a ticket and we’ll give it a bash.” The five-year-old Silvano gelding’s big race jockey Johnny Geroudis, who won the July on Teal in 1995, has galloped him a couple of times and was “very happy”. Woodruff agreed that at the weights Tellina had a chance, and hoped to get “a bit of luck in the running, unlike last year.” He felt Tellina was in even better shape now than he was for last year’s July, in which he finished a 1,85 length fourth. That is an interesting comments as he raced off a merit rating of 110 and carried a weight of 58kg last year, as opposed to 108 and 54kg this year. He added, “He’s definitely improved with the gelding, he’s much freer.”

He was gelded before finishing fifth in the L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate and fourth in the J&B Met. He is 4,5kg better off for a 3,1 length beating by Futura in the Met and this is why many rate him the best value horse in the race at odds of 25/1.

Woodruff regarded July favourite Legal Eagle’s win in the Gr 3 Jubilee over 1800m, in which he gave his own Killua Castle 1kg and a 5,1 length beating, as “a stunning run”. “They went a decent clip, carrying topweight like that as a three-year-old I thought it was super impressive. He actually surprised me by how well he won and there weren’t mugs behind him.” Woodruff regarded Legal Eagle as the one to beat, but added, “I don’t know how Anton (Marcus) is going to do 54kg.”

Woodruff runs the strapping Dylan Thomas filly Wild Ash in the Gr 2 SABC Gold Vase and said, “Her last run was just a come on run and she took it well. She’s nicely drawn and has a manageable weight, she’s quite useful and she will stay all day. I don’t consider her a filly, she’s a very masculine girl and she has a touch of class about her.” Woodruff “most definitely” gives her a winning chance. She has had the advantage of altitude training and was on the same float as Tellina yesterday. The Gr 1 eLan Property Group Gold Cup will be a consideration depending on how she goes here.

Killua Castle was also on yesterday’s float and will run in the Gr 3 tabGold 2200. Woodruff said, “He’s doing very well, he galloped with Tellina for the July gallop and they both galloped well. It’s a big weight but Bernard Fayd’Herbe’s a heavyweight jockey so he’s not carrying much dead weight. I certainly think he’s in with a shout. He hasn’t yet proved himself suited to Greyville, but in fairness he hasn’t been given much opportunity to.”

By David Thiselton

VDJ betting now open: PA Leg 1 starts in race 3  – estimated pool R3.6 million.

Charles Laird will represent a famous dynasty in this year’s Vodacom Durban July. His charge Ice Machine put in a fine gallop under big race jockey Donovan Dillon on the top sand track at Summerveld yesterday in his final bit of work for Saturday’s prestigious event.

Laird said, “He’s come through his prep very well. Always the downside is that he missed his last race (the Gold Challenge). We’ve tried to make it up, I hope we have.”

Consequently, the classy six-year-old Silvano gelding put in the fastest piece of work at the July gallops and impressed all and sundry.

Ice Machine has a reputation as an unsound type but Laird confirmed that he was “very, very sound” at present and added, “He’s always been sound with me, people say he’s unsound but he was scratched that last time only because he stood on a stone at the course.”

Laird admitted there would always be a stamina doubt and said, “You’ve just got to ride him very quietly, he has a tremendous turn of foot and I said to Donovan try and ride him to place and see how we go.” Furthermore, training measures have been taken to counteract his apparent lack of stamina.

Laird said about his chief Gr 1 Durban Golden Horseshoe (1400m) contender Main Submission, “He showed tremendous speed on debut, but I’ve always believed he is a miler plus. He’s very well, his prep’s gone good. It might be a little soon for him (this is only his second start), but I’m hoping not.” The Oracy colt has seen the Greyville turn, but only on the polytrack. He continued, “Red Hot Poker is an honest type, he’s drawn very wide and it’s not easy for him.”

Laird did not regard his Gr 1 Zulu Kingdom Explorer Golden Slipper contender Ninefold’s unplaced run in the Listed Devon Air Stakes over the 1400m course and distance as disappointing at all and said, “She’s a very green filly and she got absolutely lost around the turn. We’ve put a pair of pacifiers on her, we took her to the Greyville course proper last Wednesday and she galloped very, very well. If she doesn’t get lost early on she’s a big runner.”

“Resolution (race 2) is doing very well, she’s going to stud, we’ve prepped her, she likes the course and distance, I think she will run very well.”

“Bold Inspiration (race 8), we would love a bit of rain, he’s very, very well. In his last start Stuart (Randolph) said while he was on the bit he was very, very happy, but he does feel the going, so I’ve put special shoes on him. If it’s not too hard I think he will run well.”

“Admiral’s Eye (race 9) has a very tough task and it’s her last start before going to stud.”

“Chosen Dash (12^th) is very well, I don’t know if his grass performance is as good as his poly (easy winner on poly on Sunday), but at Scottsville he definitely showed that the 1000m was far too short, he’s taken the race very well, drawn a little bit wide but you can expect him to be competitive.”

Charles’ grandfather Alec got the Durban July ball rolling by riding the winner in 1911, his legendary Great Uncle Syd Garret followed up by riding two July winners and training three, his equally famous Uncle Syd holds the record of seven July winners as a trainer, his cousin Alec trained London News to victory in 1996 and Charles himself trained Hunting Tower to win the race in 2007.

Charles’ father Russell was a top trainer in his own right and once labelled the Laird’s ‘The Sob Mob’, “When we win we cry, when we lose we smile.”

A victory for the six-year-old Silvano gelding Ice Machine will likely be particularly emotional this year.

He is owned by one of Durban’s most passionate racing couples, Roy and Gladys Meaker. The Meaker’s became involved in racing in the 1970s through trainer Sonny Whiteford’s daughter-in-law. It wasn’t long before they tasted the adrenalin rush of big race success and in the 1976/1977 season they won the Holiday Inns with Gigantic and the J&B Met with Bahadur. Their first experience of “July Fever” was with those two horses, who ran in the big race as three-year-olds in 1976, finishing fifth and seventh respectively at odds of 7/1 and 6/1.   Gigantic ran in four July’s in total, without ever placing. The Meaker’s other July runner has been Secret Rites, who finished 10^th as a 6/1shot in 1993.

Ice Machine is currently a 40/1 shot with Betting World, but if he stays he has the class to give the Meaker’s a first July place, or even a dream win. The day will coincide with their granddaughter Mia’s birthday and Roy’s birthday is on Sunday. Ice Machine’s biggest fan is likely the Meaker’s son Shawn, who is awaiting Saturday with more than just keen anticipation.

By David Thiselton

VDJ betting now open: PA Leg 1 starts in race 3  – estimated pool R 3.6 million.