Liquid Mercury is officially the best horse in the field but in the Winter Guineas over a furlong less four weeks ago Brandon Morgenrood’s mount was less than two lengths behind him after being squeezed and forced to ease in the closing stages.

“That cost Catkin a lot of ground and he would have finished a whole lot closer,” Ramsden recalls. “He is a nice horse and he could well reverse the form.”

The operative word is could because there are reasons for believing that Liquid Mercury ran below his best last time. On his previous start, admittedly over 200m less, he gave Winter Guineas runner-up Sail For Gold 7kg and finished only half a length behind him. Before that he was third in the Cape Derby with Catkin over three lengths away.

Sail For Gold had Royal Dreamer less than half a length back when second to Act Of War and the handicappers have raised the pair the equivalent of six lengths for that performance, rating them only just behind Liquid Mercury.

“This race is on the Winter Course and so the extra 200m will probably suit Sail For Gold better,” says Mike Bass who has won four of the last 12 runnings. “Royal Dreamer tends to come from off them and so he will have to be a bit handier.”

Bass also runs Seven Oceans and No Resistance, both rated much lower, but he makes the point that the quartet were rated similarly until the handicappers gave the other two that big hike.

“Seven Oceans is a staying type but he sometimes lets me down and doesn’t finish off his races,” says the Milnerton trainer.” No Resistance maybe has a bit to find but when I work him at home he is doing as well as the others. Maybe he is a bit weaker in the finish.”

Fire Master, despite Justin Snaith winning two of the last three Winter Classics, is hard to fancy – likewise Parachute Man – but Night In Seattle is a different story and he is favourite (at 5-2) in the Betting World forecast..

“I’m expecting a good run,” enthuses Brett Crawford. “His last race was a stepping stone for this, he has a decent draw and I don’t see a problem with the trip.”

So what will win?  Maybe Liquid Mercury and Bernard Fayd’Herbe who, like the gelding’s trainer, is overdue a Winter Classic. He hasn’t won it since Pocket Power in 2006.

One other to note: Chisanyama made a huge impression on debut and the 3kg she receives from the winners in race two makes her an attractive each way proposition.

By Michael Clower

Picture: Joey Ramsden

Mike Azzie has three runners in the Gr 1 Daily News 2000, Deputy Jud, Amsterdam and Prince Of Orange, and all of them have been prepared out of his Champions Season yard at Summerveld.

His Judpot colt Deputy Jud was third in the Gr 1 SA Classic over 1800m in very soft going and second in the Gr 1 SA Derby in slightly soft going.

Azzie said, “He took a while to adjust to Summerveld but has settled nicely in the last couple of days. I would have liked another week to get him to his peak but I am not unhappy with him, he is looking good, moving well and eating well.”

Deputy Jud is a big galloping type and, regarding his suitability to Greyville, Azzie said, “It’s always a worry with a tight track, but he did finish a close second to Ertijaal on the Turffontein Inside track. That’s a tight track, although not as tight as Greyville, and he did handle it reasonably well. I always say a good horse can handle any track.”

The Windrush gelding Amsterdam was bought into the yard after finishing a 0,75 length second in the SA Classic but was then beaten by a long way in the SA Derby. Azzie said, “It was a shocking run and the jockey got off and blamed himself but I don’t think he did anything wrong, I just think it was a pretty flat run.I think we will only see the best of this horse in six months time, he is tall and needs to furnish into his frame and build some muscle.”

His third contender, the Indigo Magic colt Prince Of Orange, has also just been bought into the yard and looks to have a bit to do on form having been beaten 4,5 lengths, eight lengths and 14,5 lengths respectively in the Gr 2 Betting World Gauteng Guineas, the SA Classic and the SA Derby. However, Azzie was upbeat about him and said, “He has done well since arriving in our yard and has blossomed. I think he could be the surprise of the race.”

Azzie runs the Go Deputy first-timer colt Abashiri in race 1, a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1600m, and the Querari filly Melliflora in the second race, a Maiden Juvenile Plate for fillies over 1600m. He said, “Meillflora should be in the shake up. Abashiri is a really smart colt but is big and burly and we need to get on the road to see where to go with him.”

By David Thiselton

Picture: Mike Azzie

Dean Kannemeyer is thinking of sending Power King straight  into the Vodacom Durban July without another run following the four-year-old’s second in the Betting World 1900 12 days ago. He said: “Power King is a horse that I can bring out fresh and so I have my doubts that he will run again before the July. I was very impressed with his run in the 1900 and I would hope that he has done enough to get into the July on that. “He had never been to Greyville before, it was his first time under lights and he got lost. Turning for home he was two lengths behind the second last horse. His turn of foot from there was unbelievable and he was beaten less than a neck. “I’m not taking anything away from the winner, Dynastic Power, but my horse beat him in the Winter Guineas and Winter Classic, and was giving him 4kg in the 1900. If he gets in then Power King certainly should. Furthermore he has come through his race well and he will be a far better horse at Greyville next time.” Kannemeyer, who won the 2003 Durban July with Dynasty and repeated the feat with Eyeofthetiger three years later, also hopes to run last year’s Nokia Gold Vase winner Hot Ticket in the great race. He said: “Hot Ticket ran well behind Futura in the Pinnacle and I have entered him for the Track And Ball Derby on June 21. He won the corresponding race last year when it was run at Clairwood.” The Milnerton trainer’s 20-strong KZN team is in tremendous form and has won 16 races inside two months. He has a strike rate of 38% in Durban this season and, somewhat understandably, he is hugely impressed with the training tracks. He said: “Summerveld is what you call a proper training facility. You can bring horses back because you have all the different tracks, grass and sand, and those that climb, and you can really put work  into them. “They still need a race to bring them on but you don’t have to say to the owners ‘Your horse is going to be badly in need of a run.’” Kannemeyer intends using his now permanent satellite yard for his expansion plans and said: “I can bring more horses here to give owners more options and I can raid from here to Johannesburg.” Many of his recent winners have been ridden by Anthony Delpech  – “Anthony has been riding work for me every day as have Stuart Randolph and Donovan Dillon, and all three give me good feedback.” By Michael Clower Picture: Power King (Nkosi Hlophe)

Trainer Mike de Kock’s Belmont Stakes hopeful Mubtaahij continued to keep busy Wednesday morning with his fourth timed workout since arriving at Belmont Park on May 15.

Ridden for the first time by Irad Ortiz Jr., who has been named to ride on June 6, Mubtaahij visited the main track shortly after the renovation break, where the Irish-bred son of Dubawi worked an easy half-mile as planned, picking up the pace at the three-eighths pole, according to de Kock’s assistant trainer, Trevor Brown.

“He went well,” said Brown. “He basically did exactly what we wanted him to. The important thing was just getting the jockey on him to give him a chance to get accustomed to the horse and get to know him. Irad was pretty happy with the horse. He said he’s ready.”

Mubtaahij got an official time of 38.05 seconds for three furlongs, the fifth-fastest of seven at the distance. The UAE Derby winner will very likely make another appearance on the worktab in the remaining ten days until the Belmont Stakes.

“I speak to Mike every day and he tells me what he wants from the horse, obviously gauging from his well-being and how he’s eating,” Brown said. “And [Mubtaahij] doesn’t stop eating. If they’re eating, they’ll work. Mike isn’t shy to work horses.”

Mubtaahij’s Australian-bred stablemate Umgiyo also took to the track on Wednesday for a little light training. “He just had a jog around the track today so it was an easy day for him,” said Brown. “He’s doing very good. He’ll probably work sometime this weekend.”

The Danehill Dancer gelding is in consideration for either the Grade 1 Knob Creek Manhattan Stakes or the Belmont Gold Cup Invitational during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.
– NYRA Press Office 

The Conglomerate, as short as 7-1 for the Vodacom Durban July, bids to become the third consecutive KRA Guineas winner to land the Daily News at Greyville on Saturday and Joey Ramsden believes his horse will be ideally suited to the trip.

He said yesterday: “The Conglomerate is bred to get ten furlongs and this is what he has been crying out for. He should run well but whether he is good enough is another question.”

Dual Grade 1 winner Inara is a 50-1 chance in the July betting and Mike Bass reports her in fine form for the Woolavington but he is understandably afraid of Majmu.

Bass, successful with Sun Classique eight years ago, said: “Inara ran second to Majmu  in the Avontuur Cape Fillies Guineas and whether she can do any better over this longer trip I don’t know. She is in good shape but if she again ran second I would probably be happy enough.”

By Michael Clower

Picture: The Conglomerate (John Lewis)