Mike Bass had a fine feature day down in Cape Town last Sunday and will be hoping to repeat the dose at Greyville on Saturday where he has plenty of big race runners at the Rising Sun meeting.

In the weight for age Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge over 1600m he runs Ashton Park, Night Trip and Ze Kaiser, none of whom are entered in the Vodacom Durban July so they will be at their peaks and, unlike a few others, will not be viewing this as a preparation outing.

Assistant trainer Robert Fayd’Herbe said, “They are all doing well. It’s tough to split them, but if I had to choose one it would probably be Night Trip.”

Ashton Park had little hope from a high draw in the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint over 1200m last time out but before that ran on well from the back over his probable favourite trip of 1400m in the Gr 2 IOS Drill Hall Stakes. His decent efforts in both the Gr 2 Lanzerac Le General Green Point Stakes and the Gr 1 L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate showed that he is also effective over 1600m. He is drawn five with astute jockey Greg Cheyne aboard.

Night Trip flew up last time out over course and distance to finish just 0,25 lengths behind Futura. The latter still needed it and will be 1,5kg better off here, but Night Trip is now having his third run after a rest. He has the advantage of Anthony Delpech up as well as a fine draw of two.

Ze Kaiser is the lowest rated horse in the race, but has come into his own since the yard farrier solved his foot problems. He flew last time out to be only 0,5 lengths behind Futura, but is now 3kg worse off.

Bass runs the J&B Met third-placed Helderberg Blue in the Gr 3 Cup Trial over 1800m and he will need a big run to get into the July. A line can be drawn through his unplaced run in the Gr 2 Betting World 1900 as he was shuffled back in a slow run race and then couldn’t get a run down the outside rail. Anton Marcus is now aboard from pole position, so he could find the handy position he likes. He was lowered  one point for his last run but still has to lug second topweight of 59,5kg. Fayd’Herbe said, “He was well before that last run.  He is just as well now and is obviously a fitter horse.”

The yard run the top mare Hammie’s Hooker in the Gr 2 Tibouchina Stakes over 1400m, which she won comfortably over 1450m at Clairwood last year, having thrived during her KZN stint. This will be her fist run since finishing a respectable fourth to Majmu in the Gr1 Empress Club Stakes over 1600m at Turffontein on April 11. She is the highest rated horse in the race and has always given the impression that 1400m is her optimum trip.

She put up a career best performance in her only start at Greyville to date, when running the brilliant Beach Beauty to 0,75 lengths in last season’s Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes over 1600m. Jockey Bernard Fayd’Herbe thinks highly of her and is aboard from a plum draw of three. Robert Fayd’Herbe said, “She put up a good gallop and her work is good, she is doing well and is ready, so can win the race again.”

Bass runs the Visionaire colt Jet Air in the Listed Gatecrasher Stakes over 1400m He was well beaten in the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion over 1200m at Scottsville two weeks ago, but before that won his maiden over 1400m at Kenilworth in good style and will likely appreciate the step back to that trip. Fayd’Herbe said, “It’s tough for a young horse from that draw as he will have to make up a lot of ground.”

The yard’s sprinting  type Equity Kicker runs in an earlier race and it will be a preparation outing for the Gr 2 Post Merchants.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Night Trip (Nkosi Hlophe)

Cape trainer Joey Ramsden’s star grey gelding King Of Pain defends his Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge crown at Greyville on Saturday and will need to run a big race to book his place in the Vodacom Durban July.

King Of Pain is the highest rated July entry not in the top 25 on the log, but this can only be a reflection of his last two runs, because on top of his Gold Challenge win last season he also ran second to Futura on final weekend of last season in the Gr 1 Champions Cup over 1800m at Greyville

He lacked zest in his first KZN run this season in the Gr 2 IOS Drill Hal Stakes over 1400m and then didn’t enjoy the sprint for home next time out in a Pinnacle Stakes event over 1600m at Greyville.

However, Ramsden is bullish about him bouncing back.

He is away in the UK for the Epsom Derby but said on his blog, “Hopefully he has turned the corner. He looks magnificent and is loving his work, his ears are pricked and he looks to be having a good time. I hope he translates that into a really good and competitive run, I am sure he will.”

He is drawn well in six with regular pilot Bernard Fayd’Herbe up.

By David Thiselton

Picture: King Of Pain (Nkosi Hlophe)

Mike de Kock had a frustrating day by his standards at Greyville last weekend, running second in two Gr 1s after the disappointing scratching of Majmu from the Woolavington, but he has a couple of chances to make amends in feature races at the Rising Sun meeting on Saturday.

The yard run Ataab and One Fine Day in the Gr 2 Tibouchina Stakes over 1400m. They finished third and fourth respectively in the Gr 2 KRA Fillies Guineas last time out but it would be no surprise to see the roles reversed because Ataab  dictated in that race at a slow gallop while One Fine Day was dropped out after dwelling at the start and had too much ground to make up in the straight.

On Saturday One Fine Day, who has a fantastic turn of foot, is drawn in pole over the course and distance of her career best performance, a one length second against the boys in last season’s Gr 1 Golden Horseshoe. The Australian-bred Flying Spur filly Ataab is drawn seven and over this shorter trip might battle to get to the front and dictate as she did last time, but she is still effective over this distance and can’t be ignored.

De Kock’s Summerveld assistant Nathan Kotzen revealed that the pair had put up good work together on the Summerveld grass this week. He added, “One Fine Day often misses the break, but when she jumps well she wins.”

The yard run the Australian-bred Bernadini filly Almashooqa in the Listed Devon Air Stakes over 1400m. She won her debut by four lengths over 1200m at Scottsville, but was green when starting favourite first time around the turn over 1400m at Scottsville. However, she was doing good work late in that last race and has scope for improvement so is one to consider from draw three with Antony Delpech up. Kotzen confirmed, “She was still dum last time, she is a nice filly who will get better as she gets older and will also go further.”

Wild One makes his seasonal reappearance for the yard in the Gr 3 Cup Trial over 1800m, his first run since his excellent 0,5 length second in the Gr 1 eLan Property Group Gold Cup over 3200m last July. Kotzen said, “It is too short and is a preparation run.”

Meanwhile, Majmu is fine but was still only trotting yesterday (Wednesday) and will start normal work again today (Thursday). Ertijaal and Pine Princess have come out of their respective seconds in the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 and Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 well.

By David Thiselton

Picture: One Fine Day (Nkosi Hlophe)

Sean Tarry’s yard can do little wrong in their first championship winning season, so it would be no surprise to see him walk away with more trophies at Saturday’s important Rising Sun meeting at Greyville.

He runs Halve The Deficit and Willow Magic in the weight for age Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge over 1600m.

He said about the four-year-old Australian-bred Dubawi colt Willow Magic, “He is well and I’ve been waiting to go this type of distance. He recorded a good time when winning his comeback over 1000m and the Horse Chestnut was coming a bit soon so we elected to keep him to sprints to see if he could pick up one or two features. But I think he is clearly looking for this ground. I think Greyville could be his best course from the good draw he has. He is way out at the weights with the top two but over his right distance he may not only be a 104 (merit rating).”

Willow Magic won the Investec Dingaans over the tough Turffontein 1600m in commanding fashion as a young three-year-old and will be at his peak on Saturday, unlike a few other runners who are having preparations for the July. Furthermore, there will be no concerns about his merit rating being raised, because as a sprint-miler his future largely lies in weight for age races. Piere Strydom aboard from draw three is a further plus.

Tarry said about the six-year-old Right Approach gelding Halve The Deficit, “He is very well, I’m very happy with him.”

Halve The Deficit was overlooked in the first Vodacom Durban July log, despite finishing a decent fourth in the Gr 1 President’s Champions Challenge over 2000m, but was promoted to 14^th place on the second log due to a decent win in a Pinnacle Stakes event over 1600m on the Turffontein Inside track. He quickened well from a handy position in that race and not only displayed his liking for tight courses like Greyville but also beat another top 18 July log incumbent, Tellina, by 1,15 lengths at level weights. He is drawn well in four on Saturday and will be ridden by Raymond Danielson, who is fresh from his Gr 1 Daily News 2000 victory on the Tarry-trained French Navy.

Tarry runs Gold Onyx, Whiteline Fever and The Hangman in in the Gr 3 Cup Trial over 1800m.

He said, “Gold Onyx is a small horse who doesn’t take a lot of work, so I was reluctant to get him ready for this race, because we will need something to work with going into the July. He will only be 80% fit and if he finishes five or six lengths back I will be satisfied, anything better I will be upbeat. I could have avoided this race to ensure his place in the July, but the right thing to do in order to get him spot on for the July is to run him here.”

The seven-year-old Black Minnaloushe gelding has enjoyed a new lease of life since being partnered by Grant Behr and earned his lofty position of tenth on the July log through his excellent L’Ormarins’s Queen’s Plate and J&B Met runs.

Tarry said that the six-year-old Right Approach gelding Whiteline Fever could be excused for running out of steam in the last 100m of the Gr 2 Betting World 1900 as he had run wide throughout and then made up a lot of ground in the straight.

He said, “He is doing well and has a nice weight and good jockey (Strydom). From this better draw he will be able to follow them in and pounce in the last 300m, that’s the way that suits him best. It’s very open but he has a chance.”

Whiteline Fever will need a big run to get into the July and could well do so having been lowered two merit rated points after that last run.

The five-year-old Jallad gelding The Hangman was also a Dingaans winner, but subsequently fractured a cannon bone and had to be laid off for over a year.

Tarry said, “His prep has gone well and his last run in the Pinnacle Plate (1600m at Greyville) was very good. I don’t think the distance will be a problem provided he gets the right positon early on.” Danielson, rides The Hangman from a tricky draw of nine.

Halve The Deficit was due to travel from Randjesfontein to Summerveld today (Thursday). The rest of the runners have all been prepared out of Summerveld.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Halve The Deficit (Nkosi Hlophe)

Dennis Drier has a good chance in the Gr 2 Tibouchina over 1400m at Greyville on Saturday with Jet Aglow, while the connections of the Paul Lafferty-trained Goldie Coast will be hoping for some rain before that same event.

Jet Aglow finished a 2,25 length second to her perennial rival Hammie’s Hooker in last year’s Tibouchina over 1450m at Clairwood, but is particularly interesting this year as the first time blinkers made her noticeably sharper last time out when running a cracker in the Gr 1 City Of Pietermaritzburg Fillies Sprint over 1200m at Scottsville.

Drier said, “She took us a bit by surprise with the first time blinkers but we expect her to settle better this time.” He added that she had come out of that last race a hundred percent and was currently in fine shape.

The 1200m is too sharp for her, so it was a surprise to see her showing such good pace in the City Of Pietermaritzburg Fillies Sprint and setting the gallop. She was outpaced late but still managed a fine 2,65 length fifth to one of the best sprinters in the country, Carry On Alice, to add to her third place finish in that same race last year.

The five-year-old Jet Master mare will now be having her third run after a rest, but does have a tricky draw of nine in the twelve horse field. Regular pilot Sean Cormack is aboard.

Goldie Coast is the joint lowest rated horse in this race, but is ideally suited to the Greyville 1400m as she has an exceptional turn of foot provided she finds cover.

Lafferty’s assistant trainer Roy Waugh said, “It’s a very tough race, but she’s been running reasonably well. She doesn’t have the best of draws, but she does come from off them. She is definitely better with a bit of cut in the ground.”

By David Thiselton

Picture: Jet Aglow (Liesl King)