It is tough to look past the brilliant Futura for the Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge at Greyville on Saturday, but the Gr 3 Cup Trial, which provides a last gasp opportunity for horses to qualify for the Vodacom Durban July, is conversely a very open affair.

Sean Cormack rode Futura for the first time last month and interestingly he also first rode the brilliant Beach Beauty in the May of her four-year-old season. Futura and Beach Beauty are both by Dynasty and have many similarities, including fantastic temperament and tremendous acceleration, so it is easy to envision another great partnership developing.

Legislate at his best will be a serious threat. He is another progeny of Dynasty that has class and acceleration and he loves Greyville. Only the race will tell whether the serious lung infection that blighted his L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate chances has had any long term affect, but otherwise the layoff should not be a disadvantage as he has run well fresh before.

Willow Magic runs over 1600m for the first time since his commanding victory in the Investec Dingaans 19 months ago. He has class, will be suited to Greyville due to his speed and turn of foot, and has a plum draw of three.

Ice Machine beat the best when winning the Green Point over 1600m last season and he was equally brilliant when winning the Gr 2 IOS Drill Hall Stakes over 1400m at Greyville last time out. He is not the soundest but is said to be moving well at present and at best will be finishing like a train.

King Of Pain also has the ability to put in a winning performance on his day, although he is none to reliable. He defends his crown here and the yard are hopeful that he has turned the corner as he has been doing well at Summerveld.

Bouclette Top has been given a new lease on life with blinkers and will have come on from his Drill Hall second. He could be the most dangerous outsider over a suitable trip especially if he settles better than he did in the Drill Hall. Trainer Alec Laird and jockey Weichong Marwing will be looking for a second Gr 1 surprise at Greyville in the space of a week.

The rest of the field , No Worries, Night Trip, Ze Kaiser, Ashton Park, Halve The Deficit and Bezanova, will not be disgraced in what should be a humdinger.

Futura is tipped to beat Legislate, Willow Magic, Ice Machine and Bouclette Top.

Kochka is the class act in the Gr 3 Cup Trial over 1800m and looks well weighted, so from a good draw over a suitable trip he can use his powerful finish to mow them down and book his place in the Vodacom.

Whiteline Fever only ran out of steam late in the Gr 2 Betting Word 1900 and is now better drawn over a slightly shorter trip and has come down two points in the merit ratings.

Dynamic ran a cracker in the Betting World 1900 and can do the same here in his third run after a rest.

Punta Arenas is a resolute galloper and is used to wide draws over this sort of trip.

Dynastic Power showed his class when winning the 1900 and it would be no surprise to see him follow up as that was his first run after a layoff.

Helderberg Blue can be a contender here if able to find a handy position, although he does look a touch high in the merit ratings.

Athina is a talented Gr 1 winner over this distance but has not had an ideal preparation.

Bold Inspiration can do better than he did in the 1900 if able to stride out at a decent gallop.

The Hangman’s has shown that he can be effective over middle distances, but finding necessary cover from draw nine will be tricky.

It Is Written could surprise if enjoying a more trouble free run than he did in the 1900.

Gold Onyx, Beewithme and Wild One are likely to need their runs.

They are selected in the order mentioned.

Same Jurisdicton sauntered home when running fresh in the Flamboyant Stakes over 1600m at Greyville and could do the same in the Gr 2 Tibouchina Stakes over 1400m. This is a lot tougher field, but she oozes class and can put the bad luck of her Highveld campaign behind her. One Fine Day is drawn in pole and if she jumps well her blistering turn of foot could carry her close. Hammie’s Hooker put up a career best performance in last season’s Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes over 1600m at Greyvillle and should run a cracker in preparation for the defence of her crown, although she hasn’t enjoyed as good a preparation as last year. Jet Aglow has been livened up by blinkers and it would be no surprise to see her winning. Maybe Yes loves to get on with it and won’t be easy to catch over her probable favourite trip. Red Flame has the class to feature and Ataab and Banbury can’t be written off either.

Lineker looks the one to beat in the Listed Gatecrasher Stakes over 1400m after his impressive display on debut over 1200 and he has drawn well in three.

Ninefold could get the better of Flying Fiona and Flying Ice in the Listed Devon Air Stakes over 1400m.

Afrikaburn has had two grass gallops so should be fit enough to win the Non-Black Type Durban Dash over 1100 on the polytrack.

The third race over 1200m on the poly could be won by Grey Light, who appears to love this surface and would have come on from her eyecatching last start.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Futura (Nkosi Hlophe)

Cape trainer Stan Elley will be hoping to cement the July places of Dynastic Power and Punta Arenas at the big Rising Sun Meeting at Greyville on Saturday. Both are top 18 incumbents in the July log and both run in the Gr 3 Cup Trial over 1800m.

Elley was confident of a good Champions Season for Dynastic Power, as he had managed to run some good races during the Cape Summer without the yard ever having had him “quite right.” The classy gelding duly won the Gr 2 betting World 1900 in his first KZN outing when given his head rounding the final bend and sustaining a strong finish throughout the straight. Punta Arenas ran on strongly for third in the same race, which was also his Champions Season opening salvo.

Elley said, “They have both come through their preparations very well and I can’t fault either. We had to give Dynastic Power a little bit of a break after the 1900, he had an abscess on one hoof, but it hasn’t set him back because both of his serious workouts in the last ten days have been very good. Punta Arenas doesn’t take as much work and is looking really nice. They should get into the July as long as they don’t run shockers. All they need is luck in running.”

Dynastic Power is drawn ten as opposed to 12 in the 1900 and Greg Cheyne remains aboard.

Punta Arenas seldom draws well and this time has to contend with draw 12 in the thirteen horse field. Ian Sturgeon keeps the ride.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Punta Arenas (Nkosi Hlophe)

Cape Guineas winner Act Of War looks like having a two-month Durban holiday following the decision not to declare him for Saturday’s Rising Sun Gold Challenge.

Racing manager Derek Brugman said: “Unless something pops up, and he is doing exceptionally well, the plan is to give him a break in Durban until next season.”

Joey Ramsden brought the colt back to win the Tekkie Town Winter Guineas as a prep for the Gold Challenge but only on condition he had a decent draw. He was taken to Durban but was then drawn 22 out of 22.

By Michael Clower

Act Of War (Liesl King)

Cape trainers Dean Kannemeyer and Neil Bruss have chances of feature race success at the Rising Sun meeting at Greyville on Saturday, while Justin Snaith reiterated the well-being of his star quality competitors.

Kannemeyer runs the improving Dynasty gelding It Is Written in the Gr 3 Cup Trial and said, “It’s a tough race but he’s exceptionally well. The Betting World 1900 was a rough race and there was a lot of bumping and checking near the fence but he still ran a fair race. The 1800m is fine for him but he will have to win to prove he deserves a place in the July.”

Kannemeyer regards his Listed Gatecrasher contender Whiskey Joe as a horse who is on the up and one that will make a nice three-year-old. He wasn’t sure how good the field he beat on debut was but added that he had come on in leaps and bounds since, although he felt the Greyville 1400m might be on the sharp side for him.

He brings Gr 1 winner Afrikaburn back in the Non-Black Type Durban Dash over 1100m on the polytrack after a lengthy break. He has had two grass gallops and Kannemeyer felt this was a good starting point, although he added it would be on the sharp side for him.

Bruss runs the talented Red Flame in the Gr 2 Tibouchina Stakes over 1400m and said she was “fine”. He added it was a tough field but she was drawn well and was effective from 1200-1800m so should run a good race from a plum draw. Her good turn of foot makes her suited to the tight Greyville circuit.

He described Go Deputy filly Flying Ice, a winner on debut over 1400m at Scottsville two week ago, as a “nice horse”. She is entered in the Listed Devon Air Stakes and took her debut win well. She should be running on strongly, judging from the telling late kick she found on debut.

Snaith said “everything is fine” with Futura and Legislate ahead of the Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge as well as with Dynamic ahead of the Cup Trial. His impressive two-year-old Australian-bred colt Lineker should be a big runner in the Gatecrasher and Bianzino is an interesting runner in the tenth over a suitable 1800m trip on the polytrack.

By David Thiselton

Picture: It Is Written (Nkosi Hlophe)

Joey Soma said a line could be drawn through Athina’s last run over 1200m and believed she was coming back to her best and peaking at the right time ahead of Saturday’s Gr 3 Cup Trial over 1800m at the big Rising Sun Meeting at Greyville.

Soma said about the classy four-year-old Fort Wood mare Athina, “She is doing very well. I thought she was an unlucky second in the Paddock Stakes. We had been aiming her at the President’s Champions Challenge but at the end of March she developed a hoof abscess which took longer to clear up than we had predicted.

“She was out of work for two-and-a-half weeks so we put her in the sprint on Champions day instead. It was maybe the wrong thing to do in restrospect but we couldn’t have predicted how cut up the ground was going to be and both her eyes were closed the next day, she must have been hit by clods. The run can be completely ignored.

“She has done a lot of work since. We were going to go for the Gold Challenge but she drew badly and the 1600m might be a touch sharp for her now. She’s looking for the ground and she is drawn well with a good jockey aboard (Richard Fourie). We will decide after the race whether she goes for the July or the Garden Province. We’re expecting a big run.”

Athina is the only female in the Cup Trial and has to carry 58kg off her 106 merit rating.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Athina (Nkosi Hlophe)