Mark Dixon has two lively chances on Vodacom Durban July day and the long wait between races one and twelve could be worthwhile.

He runs three-year-old Judpot gelding Gumbi in the first over 1400m on the polytrack from a fine draw of three under Keagan de Melo and said, “He has a very strong formline and he’s exceptionally well, this horse is still improving. Every race is competitive on July day but he has as good a chance as any. The poly 1400m is perfect for him.”

In the KZN Yearling Sale Million over 1300m on the turf he runs Miesque’s Approval colt Master Sam from a draw of nine under Richard Fourie and he also has quite a strong formline. He said, “He does need gelding and I can’t help but think he is a bit better than his last run. The two horses that beat him there came out and finished second and fourth in the Listed Gatecrasher Stakes. He is a nice horse, but it’s a competitive field, he has a good place chance I think.” Dixon believes Master Sam can put that last run behind him as they have freshened him up and he has been working very well.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Mark Dixon

VDJ betting now open: BiPot ONE Leg 1 starts in race 2 – estimated pool R700,000.

South African-born Australian jockey Chad Schofield can fill in a blank missing on his father’s CV when he partner’s The Conglomerate in Saturday’s R3,5 million Gr 1 Vodacom Durban July for Joey Ramsden. The KRA Guineas winner was yesterday quoted at 25-1 for the big race.

Ramsden said it was becoming increasingly difficult to find lightweight jockeys and the connections had decided to begin looking around when no phone calls for the ride were forthcoming. He added they had considered a number of options on who to bring in, so the decision had not been made lightly.

“Chad comes highly recommended. They were impressed with him in the UK and he’s got a contract to ride in Hong Kong so he’s obviously got something. He seems to be a bit of a maverick and I like that in a jockey.”

Father Glyn Schofield was one of the country’s leading jockeys before immigrating to Australia where he followed brother-in-law Jeff Lloyd in 2007 and quickly established himself as a leading rider in Sydney. He had seven rides in the July but never managed a place.

Young Schofield’s first winner was in September 2010 at Newcastle and he claimed the Sydney Apprentices’ Premiership under the guidance of top former South African trainer, David Payne.

Schofield became the first rider in history to land both Sydney and Melbourne Apprentices’ Premierships and will joined the likes of Malcolm Johnston, Wayne Harris and Darren Beadman as a winner of the Melbourne Apprentices’ Premiership in just his second year.

The 21-year-old Schofield really burst onto the scene when partnering Shamus Award to win one of Australia’s most prestigious races, the Gr1 Sportingbet Cox Plate in 2013.

He has since won three other Gr1’s in Australia where he has ridden 271 winners but is no stranger to controversy. In his relentless drive to win he has copped some lengthy suspensions for careless and improper riding, two suspensions totalling 59 meetings last year, and also through injury.

Recently he has been riding for leading English trainer Ed Dunlop in England during the Australian winter and partnered the David Hayes-trained Criterion to fifth in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot. He is due to start a contract in Hong Kong in September.

Of the July, Schofield tweeted: “Can’t wait to ride in the country I grew up in.”

By David Thiselton

VDJ betting now open: BiPot ONE Leg 1 starts in race 2 – estimated pool R700,000.

Colin Scott has three runners on Vodacom Durban July day and all take part in ultra competitive races.

He runs Caviar in the second, a polytrack handicap over 1400m, where she runs from draw 13. He said, “Not the best of draws but it will probably be her last run before she goes to stud and I think she will run a decent sort of race coming from off the pace and running on. It’s the right type of race for her and she enjoys Greyville, she gets the 1400 there.”

He runs Christmas Handicap winner Fourth Estate as well as Stolen Destiny in the Listed Canon Business Centre Handicap over 1600m and said, “Fourth Estate is another one who loves Greyville. He got a bit of a penalty for winning the Christmas handicap and his one run since then was at Scottsville, which he hates and he didn’t raise a gallop, but it just brought him on a little bit and he should be spot on. Stolen Destiny would probably be a little better over 1400m but this is the right type of race and we might get away with at Greyville. He is also well in himself and should run a good race.”

Kumaran Naidoo also has three runners and three reserves on Vodacom Durban July day and he made Royalsecuritypower his best runner.

The Rock Of Gibraltar gelding runs in the tenth, a MR 104 Handicap over 1000m on the poly, from a nice draw of seven and Naidoo said, “His last two starts were over 1200m, I don’t think he quite sees it out, but back on the poly over 1000m he has a very good chance.”

Naidoo also felt Albert would be in the money in the first over 1400m on the poly, although he felt he was better over 1200m.

He was not bullish about his runner in the next, Ikati, who is close to the end of her career.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Colin Scott

VDJ betting now open: BiPot ONE Leg 1 starts in race 2 – estimated pool R700,000.

Sean Cormack, beaten only a quarter of a length on Run For It two years ago, reckons Futura is the classiest horse he has ever ridden in the great race and that the top weight is adaptable enough for him to keep out of trouble.

He said: “Futura is pretty versatile – you can ride him anywhere – and he has very good acceleration. Without a doubt, this is the best horse I have ridden in the July.”

Futura & Sean Cormack (Nkosi Hlophe)

The Queen’s Plate and Met winner is usually ridden from some way back and then asked to make the most of his speed. But with 18 runners and on a course significantly narrower than its pre-polytrack days that could present problems. Cormack expects to sit not so far back on Saturday.

He said: “Futura is drawn well (six) so I don’t think he is going to be at the back. Worst case scenario he will be midfield.

“He is not the sort you want to bounce out and be aggressive on in the early part, and it’s probably more beneficial to him to be given a chance, but if I found myself in the first group it wouldn’t worry me.”

But does the favourite worry him? “I don’t really know Legal Eagle – although obviously I have seen him race – and so it would be unfair of me to comment.

“But he looks very impressive and he has become a big player in the July. He has still to take on the big hard-hitters like Futura and Wylie Hall but he has earned his place so he is an obvious danger and a huge threat.”

Cormack can recall the Run For It ride as if it was yesterday. “He was drawn one and everybody said he wasn’t the style of a horse you want for that position because he had a tendency to be slow out of the gates.

“But he flew out and I was the third horse on the fence, probably the dream position for a race like the July. He quickened up beautifully. I remember chasing Jet Explorer, getting to him, taking it up, getting the better of Geoff Woodruff’s filly Do You Remember. Then, just when it looked like I was going to win, I got run out of it by Heavy Metal.”

By Michael Clower

VDJ betting now open: Jackpot ONE Leg 1 starts in race 5 – estimated pool R2,1million.

Robbie Hill has two runners on Vodacom Durban July day, including the Gr 1 Zulu Kingdom Explorer Golden Slipper contender Queen Of Credit.

He said about the King Of Kings filly, who won her maiden second time out over 1400m at Greyville on May 2 and hasn’t run since, “She hasn’t run for a while but has had two nice gallops and has put in decent work. She has the worst of the draw (18) but she will be running on at the finish. She’s come on big time and we think quite highly of her.”

Var’s Dream (Nkosi Hlophe)

He runs the Var gelding Var’s Dream in the KZN Yearling Sale Million over 1300m. He took off to win at odds of 50-1 on debut over 1000m at Scottsville and Hill said, “He ran an absolutely cracking time first time out so obviously we have a bit of a concern about the 1300m, but if he sees out the trip he will have a good chance.”

He is drawn eleven under Bernard Fayd’Herbe and having come from off them in his first start the yard will be looking to tuck him in.

By David Thiselton

VDJ betting now open: Jackpot ONE Leg 1 starts in race 5 – estimated pool R2,1million.