The Gr 1 Daily News 2000 and Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 to be run at Greyville tomorrow have become the two biggest pointers to the Vodacom Durban July. The country’s premier race has been dominated by three-year-olds in recent years and there is always a mad scramble for the line in both races knowing that a place in the July is the reward for a prominent finishing position.

This year is one of the few times in history that the Woolavington is being seen as a pointer of equal importance to the Daily News. There are no fewer than six three-year-old fillies in the top 20 of the July log at present and four of them will be running in the Woolavington, while one of them runs in the Daily News. There are five three-year-old males in the top 20 on the log and four of them will be running in the Daily News.

Majmu will be the star attraction on the day and will be hard to beat in the Woolavington. The other two-time Gr 1 winner in the race Inara has 2,5 lengths to make up on her from the Avontuur Estate Fillies Guineas. Majmu proved she stayed 2000 last time out when second in the Gr 1 President’s Champions Challenge against the boys and as she carried a Gr 1 penalty her performance was of at least equal merit to that of the winner Wylie Hall. That was her second run after a layoff and she might do even better on Saturday. She is drawn seven and considering the number of gears she has it will take a world class horse to get the better of her down the straight.

Inara has the advantage of previous course experience. She has improved from her last outing, which she needed, and this agile filly will likely be looking to use her pole position draw coupled with her fine turn of foot to steal a march on Majmu. She should enjoy this trip having got home in the Gr 1 Paddock Stakes over 1800m despite running quite wide and having to be eased and switched in the straight.

Tamaanee won impressively last time out when stepped up to this distance for the first time in the Gr 2 Gerald Rosenberg Stakes and her time was actually 0,43 seconds quicker than Majmu’s on the same day, despite the fact that she was carrying 2,5kg more. On that performance she will be in the first three here.

Pine Princess showed both a fine turn of foot in her Gr 1 SA Oaks win and courage as she fought back after being headed. She looks to have improved and although she would prefer further she can’t be discounted as she really looked to be enjoying herself in the latter win. She does have a tough draw of eleven and will likely go handy.

Zante will relish this step up in trip and will be doing her best work late. She has an outside place chance.

Trophy Wife has a big heart and has improved into a fair sort. She was making late progress in the KRA Fillies Guineas and is said by the Tarry yard to be at her peak for this race.

Olma has been impressive over this trip on the Greyville polytrack and there is nothing to stop her from doing just as well on the turf.

Smart Call and Silver Class should enjoy this trip on pedigree.

Sensible Lover, Indaba and Mamsita will need a lot of improvement to feature.

The Daily News 2000 is very open and any of the 16 runners could win it.

Ertijaal will relish the trip as well as a return to firmer ground and displayed a fine turn of foot in the SA Derby so should enjoy Greyville.

Siren’s Call is one of the best of a vintage three-year-old fillies crop. She has a huge heart and an outside draw might not necessarily be a disadvantage as she will be away from the scrimmaging.

Mljet has been disappointing but blinkers and a change of environment in a new yard could reignite him. He has a fine chance on collateral form with The Congolmerate.

The Conglomerate won the KRA Guineas easily and will relish the step up in trip.

Mac De Lago should not be underestimated as he possesses plenty of class and has a fine turn of foot, while on pedigree he should enjoy the trip.

Light The Lights finished third in the KRA Guineas and has been looking for this trip.

Jayyed is another classy sort who could be reignited by blinkers.

Run Rhino Run has also been looking for this trip and should be finishing fast and the same can be said of Rampant Ice.

French Navy possesses a strong finish when getting going. Ultimate Dollar will relish the trip and also finishes well, although he takes a bit of time to wind up.

Deputy Jud is in the top 20 on the July log but does strike as a staying type who might not be suited to Greyville which is best suited to horses that can quicken instantaneously. However, he could possibly set a good pace.

Amsterdam also looks likely to prefer a more galloping track. Unparalleled is yet another who will be finishing well.

Prince of Orange has been consistently found out at this level.

Ertijaal is taken to get the better of Siren’s Call and Mljet in the Daily News while Majmu will be hard to beat in the Woolavington and is taken to finish ahead of Inara and Tamaanee.

The Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m could be won by the ever improving Solid Speed from Sun On Africa with Kingston Mines, Gone Baby Gone and Coltrane next best.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Majmu (JC Photo)

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