Vodacom Durban July favourite Futura has been eased from 3-1 to 33-10 despite his eye-catching run behind stable companion Legislate in last Saturday’s Rising Sun Gold Challenge.

But Betting World has shortened Mike De Kock’s star filly Majmu from 5-1 and 4-1 as South Africa’s biggest bookmaker has digested the implications of the published weights for the great race –  and this despite the Cape Fillies Guineas winner being allotted 55kg, significantly more than any of the other three-year-olds.

Last year’s first-past-the-post Wylie Hall has been marked out from 6-1 to 7-1, the same price as Legal Eagle, but The Conglomerate continues to attract support and has been cut from 10-1 to 8-1.

Stan Elley’s Cup Trial winner Punta Arenas is the big mover, being slashed from 50-1 to 20-1, but the same trainer’s Betting World 1900 winner Dynastic Power has gone out from 25-1 to 55-1 after disappointing in last Saturday’s race.

Betting World’s leading prices: 33-10 Futura, 4-1 Majmu, 7-1 Legal Eagle, Wylie Hall, 8-1 The Conglomerate, 10-1 Ertijaal, French Navy, 20-1 and upwards others.

Hollywoodbets has the top horses slightly shorter and goes 3.03 Futura, 3.57 Majmu, 6.67 Legal Eagle and Wylie Hall.

Betting World has yet to open its book on the jockeys championship but S’Manga Khumalo was as short as 7-10 with Hollywoodbets going into yesterday’s Scottsville meeting on 164 winners, a lead of three over 11-10 second favourite Gavin Lerena.  Anthony Delpech (138) was a 10-1 chance and 33-1 shot Greg Cheyne (142) the only other priced below 50-1.

By Michael Clower

Picture: Majmu (JC Photo)

Blarney Bay, who won four races out of five in a constantly-improving 100 day spell last year, reappears after a six month absence in the Racing. It’s A Rush Pinnacle Stakes at Kenilworth on Saturday.

Mike Robinson said yesterday: “He hadn’t had a holiday for two or three years and the owners wanted to give him a break over the summer season before bringing bring him back for the winter, so we sent him to the farm.

“The handicapper has pretty much caught up with him now so we will just take it race by race and see how he goes but I think the break has done him good. He has come back fresh and happy.”

The six-year-old will again be ridden by Xavier Carstens who has won twice on him but the race has attracted some hot competition including the 2013 Winter Guineas and Winter Classic winner Readytogorightnow, the Geoff Woodruff-trained Lockheed Jetstar and Castlethorpe.

By Michael Clower

Picture: Michael Robinson

The Sean Tarry-trained Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge runner up Willow Magic is one of the best weighted runners in the Gr 2 Post Merchants, which will be run over 1200m at Greyville next Friday night.

The former Gr 1 SA Nursery (1160m) and Gr 2 Investec Dingaans (1600m) winner has lost some of his speed and is probably better over extended distances these days, but he did record an excellent time over 1000m in his comeback from a 14 month layoff in January and in his penultimate start he finished a decent fifth in the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint over 1200m. He will be freshened up for this race and his class could carry him close from a fair draw of seven under Piere Strydom.

The weights for the race were set before the Gold Challenge, for which he received a four point raise, so he carries 56kg instead of the 58kg he should be carrying off his 107 merit rating.

His three-year-old stablemate Bichette was favourably drawn when running fourth in the Tsogo Sun Sprint and has landed another good draw here of six. The weight conditions favour fillies, as they receive a 2,5kg allowance, and she will be ridden by champion jockey S’Manga Khumalo.

The Charles Laird-trained Normanz has landed a plum draw of five and his early speed coupled with his resolute finish will make him a huge runner under Anton Marcus. He is officially not very well treated at the weights, but won the Gr 1 Golden Horse Casino (Tsogo Sun) Sprint last season and this can’t be considered as tough a task.

Aurum Pot’s defeat of Sheik’s Brashee over 1160m in his penultimate start now reads well as the latter went on to finish third in the Tsogo Sun Sprint. Aurum Pot is drawn well in three and this speedy sort has to be considered from draw three for the in form Alec Laird yard.

In form Mike Azzie will be out to prove a point with Isphan, who was left out of the Tsogo Sun Sprint despite his 104 merit rating having been higher than one or two that were included. He ran the prolific winner Trip Tease to 0,3 lengths over 1000m in his penultimate start and then ran a decent fifth in the Gr 1 Computaformm Sprint over 1000m, beating the like of Willow Magic and Tevez. He is drawn fairly well in eight and championship chasing Gavin Lerena is aboard.

Daring Dave didn’t enjoy the best preparation going into the Tsogo Sun Sprint but ran a fair race. His trainer Justin Snaith won this race last year and he is drawn well over a suitable trip.

Brutal Force is drawn 13 but the early pace and resolute finish of this strong horse could see him in the shake up. Nothing went right for him in the Tsogo Sun Sprint but otherwise he would likely have confirmed that he had improved with gelding.

Tevez is known for his exceptional turn of foot from off the pace, which makes him ideally suited to Greyville. He finished a 1,85 length fourth in this race last year with joint topweight, but this year is sole topweight and faces a better field, although he is drawn two as opposed to nine last year.

Moofeed is an ultra consistent type and this is an ideal trip. He has a tough draw of 14 but is capable of a strong late run.

Kingston Boy has a fine turn of foot and ran second in this race last year from pole position, but he is now four points higher in the merit ratings and drawn wide in 15.

Sheik’s Brashee remained on a 103 merit rating despite his Tsogo Sun run, but Scottsville is his best track and he has to contend with the widest draw of 16.

Royal Zulu Warrior won over course and distance in March in a Pinnacle Stakes event but has a harder task here in a handicap and he is getting a bit long in the tooth.

Showmetheway benefitted from a change to hold up tactics last season and ran third in the Gr 1 Mercury Sprint, so having run a two length sixth in this race last season he can’t be discounted despite being ten points higher in the merit ratings and drawn a tough 12.

Diamond King faces a tough task at the weights on official merit ratings but has never fulfilled his considerable potential and could surprise.

Equity Kicker is another who might prove better than his current merit rating suggests and he could also be a dark horse.

Royalsecuritypower is largely kept to 1000m these days but has won over course and distance before. He is drawn in pole but has never faced a field as strong as this before.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Willow Magic (Nkosi Hlophe)

The Gr 3 Jubilee Handicap to be run over 1800m at Turffontein on Saturday provides a last gasp opportunity to qualify for the Vodacom Durban July and among the runners will be a previous July winner Heavy Metal as well as his two exciting Sean Tarry-trained stable companions Cagiva and Legal Eagle.

The July weights were set yesterday, meaning that the Jubilee winner and runner up could come into the race well handicapped on official merit rated terms.

Tarry said, “It’s a last chance to qualify Cagiva and Heavy Metal and they could come into the July brilliantly weighted. They are both doing very well. Cagiva has a few issues but I was very satisfied with his comeback races and think he might have been overlooked for the top 25 on the July log as he ran a two length third to Wylie Hall in the Gr 2 Colorado King Stakes over 1800m. He has the draw and has Piere Strydom aboard and I think if he runs in the first two or three he could get into the July. Heavy Metal could be the fittest of the three horses and it is now up to him. He has done nothing wrong and ran a good time coming back. He is back in form and S’Manga knows him well. All three have big chances but we have left a little bit in the tank for Legal Eagle (who was an impressive winner of the Gr 1 SA Derby).”

Tarry said Gold Onyx had overraced on Saturday in the Cup Trial and then moved too early, so it was not at all his run. However, the run should have brought him on for the July.

He was very pleased with Halve The Deficit’s 2,15 length sixth in the Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge. This horse will be interesting in the July receiving 5,5kg from Futura, who was only a length ahead of him on Saturday.

Tarry’s filly Tamaanee ran disappointingly the previous week in the Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 but was found to have lifted a shoe and the shoe was bent into her foot. That run can be ignored and on previous form she must be a runner in the July.

Meanwhile, the yard’s dual Gr 1 classic winner French Navy is doing well after his Daily News 2000 victory and clearly loves Greyville, so is another who could give Tarry a third July victory.

The yard’s star filly Siren’s Call ran way below par in the Daily News and will now deservedly be given a holiday. She went within a stride of landing the Triple Tiara and will be targeted at next season’s Cape Summer Of Champions Season.

Tarry’s top class sprint-miler Willow Magic ran a cracking second in Saturday’s Gold Challenge and is consequently well weighted for the Post Merchants, which is to be run on 19 June, as the weights were set before he was given a four point merit rated raise. Bichette, also a sprint-miler type, is also well weighted in the Post Merchants, because fillies receive a 2,5kg weight allowance. However, the Post Merchants field was announced 11 days in advance and Tarry is still monitoring Willow Magic to see whether he is ready to race again, while the draws for the Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes could have a bearing on whether Bichette takes her place.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Legal Eagle

The Alyson Wright yard revealed that their champion gelding Kochka had pulled up sound after his fifth place finish in the Gr 3 Cup Trial over 1800m on Saturday, but his Vodacom Durban July dream was over for at least another year.

Kochka looked potentially well weighted on Saturday off a merit rating of 103 and produced his usual good turn of foot at the top of the straight. He joined the leader at the 150m mark but his stride was already beginning to shorten and his lack of an ideal preparation showed as he faded to be beaten three lengths.

The big four-year-old Black Minnaloushe gelding, who won the Gr 1 Premier’s Champion Stakes over 1600m at Greyville as a two-year-old, had been laid low by a virus at a crucial stage of the season and only returned to serious work at the beginning of May. The yard confirmed that it had just been too much of a rushed preparation and will now target him at the Listed Thukela Handicap over 1600m on July day. The handicapper has lowered him to a 101 merit rating after Saturday’s run, so he will be hard to beat in the Thukela.

By: David Thiselton 

Picture: Kochka (Nkosi Hlophe)