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)

Frank Robinson runs the Dynasty filly Olma in the Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 and said she was back to her best, while Neil Bruss and the Alec Laird yard were pleased with their runners in that race, Zante and Smart Call respectively.

Olma has an outstanding record at Greyville, albeit on the polytrack but there is no reason for her not to do just as well on turf.

Robinson pointed out, “Her only bad runs have all been at Turffontein and at altitude in soft going it was very hard. You will see a much better horse this time and she has never let us down at Greyville before. She has been doing very well  since returning from Johannesburg and I hope to see her back to her best but it’s a tough field.”

The 2000m trip looks to be her optimum trip. Not only was her most impressive poly win over this distance, but she was also a bit keen early last time out over 2450m in the Gr 1 Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks, suggesting that was a touch far for her. Ian Sturgeon rides from a plum draw of five.

Ideal World filly Zante is drawn well in three with Gavin Lerena up and will relish this trip. Bruss said from Summerveld on Tuesday, “She raced a bit handy last time trying to overcome a bad draw. The 2000m is her game and she will be doing her best work at the finish. It’s a tough field but she is absolutely fine and looking very good. We are just keeping her ticking over, she has done all of her hard work. I am very happy with her.”

Gr 2 Gauteng Fillies Guineas third-placed Smart Call should enjoy this trip as she is also by Ideal World and is out of a Horse Chestnut mare. She is drawn six with Weichong Marwing up and has been at Summerveld since last week. Alec Laird’s assistant trainer Julia Pringle said, “She has been doing well and working well.”

By David Thiselton

Picture: Olma (Nkosi Hlophe)

Former top Gauteng-based jockey Gavin van Zyl has only had his trainer’s license for eight years at Summerveld but already has a fine record in the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 and has two more chances of adding to that record on Saturday.

He won the race with The Apache in 2011, finished third with Shogunnar in 2012 and second with No Worries in 2013. His chief hope in the R2 million race this year will be a newcomer to the yard, MLJet, which is pronounced [Mil-yet] and is the name of one of the Adriatic Islands of the Dalmatia region of Croatia.

Van Zyl has decided to fit this talented Jet Master gelding with first-time blinkers.

He said, “He is in good shape. His sand work is not as good as his grass work, but he put up very exciting work on the grass at Summerveld with blinkers on a week ago. He is drawn second widest but is a 102 merit rating, which he has earned somewhere along the way, so we expect him to run a very competitive race and if he brings his grass work and the form of his second to The Conglomerate in the Politician Stakes to the course he is in with a shout.”

MLJet’s 0,5 length runner up finish to The Conglomerate in the Gr 3 Politician Stakes over 1800m at Kenilworth on January 10 was viewed as yet another disappointing run at the time, but now looks very good on paper. He was giving The Conglomerate 3kg that day and the latter is currently the joint Vodacom Durban July third favourite after his impressive win in the Gr 2 KRA Guineas.

Overall MLJet has been one of the most disappointing three-year-olds of the season. He looked set for big things after two impressive wins in Juvenile Plates at Clairwood last year were followed by an unlucky 0,25 length third to Equus Champion colt Harry’s Son in the Gr 1 Premier’s Champion Stakes over 1600m at Greyville.

He has not lived up to expectations, and joined Van Zyl’s yard after a disappointing run in the Gr 1 SA Classic over 1800m at Turffontein on March 28, his second after gelding, although the very soft ground probably went against him in that race.

He has not raced since then as an intended preparation in an Allowance Plate at Greyville on May 8 had to be scrapped due to a lack of entries.

Warren Kennedy rides from draw 15 in the 16 horse field and it should be remembered that in the recent Gr 2 Betting World 1900 the first five were drawn in double figures, partly because they avoided the scrimmaging on the inside around the first turn.

The yard also run the Silvano gelding Dante’s Legacy, who will be wearing blinkers for the first time since he tried them against MLJet as a two-year-old over 1500m at Clairwood, a race he was beaten in by 10,65 lengths.

No Worries came in unheralded two years ago and Dante’s Legacy has a similar profile. His only run over this trip was in the Listed Derby Trial and looks good on paper as he finished 2,85 lengths behind the subsequent Gr 1 SA Derby winner Legal Eagle and was giving the latter 2,5kg. He finished a decent fifth in the SA Derby, beaten 10,25 lengths, but he was only 3,25 lengths behind Gr 1 Investec Cape Derby winner Ertijaal.

Dante’s Legacy has been at Summerveld for about a month and Gavin’s son and assistant trainer Gareth said, “He is doing well and we are looking for him to be a bit sharper with the blinkers on. We are hoping for a first four finish.”

Van Zyl also runs two horses in the Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup, Heart Of A Lion and Sun Of Africa.

He said, “  Heart of a Lion is well and if he repeats his last two runs he is in with a chance (third in both the Gr 3 Caradoc Gold Cup over 2850m and the Gr 2 Gold Bowl over 3200m). Sun Of Africa is well weighted if he can repeat the form of his second behind Bezanova (that was over 1600m but he won well over 1900m at Greyville as a two-year-old) and he is not without a winning chance. He has been working very well.”

Both horses are taking in this race on route to the Gr 2 Track and Ball Derby over 2400m on June 21 and the Gr 1 eLan Property Group Gold Cup over 3200m on July 25.

By David Thiselton

Picture: MLJet (Nkosi Hlophe)

Cape trainer Mike Bass and KZN’s Paul Lafferty both have chances of Gr 1 glory at Greyville on Saturday and their respective contenders Inara and Run Rhino Run are in fine shape ahead of their runs in the Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 and Gr 1 Daily News 2000 respectively.

Bass’s assistant Robert Fayd’Herbe is looking after the yard’s Champions Season string at Summerveld and said about the Trippi filly Inara, “She has come on nicely from the KRA Fillies Guineas and has a good draw.”

Inara ran second in the best form race of the season, the Gr 1 Avontuur Estate Cape Fillies Guineas, and has 2,5 lengths to find on Majmu from that run. However, her subsequent wins in both the Gr 1 Maine Chance Paddock Stakes over 1800m and the Gr 1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes over 1600m showed that she had improved.

She didn’t enjoy the best of luck in running in the Paddock Stakes before running on well and holding on late, so she should stay the 2000m trip. On pedigree her dam Trippi was a twice Gr 1 winner over 1400m, but Inara herself is a half-sister to Mountain Master, a middle distance to staying gelding by Jet Master who runs in the Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m on Saturday. Inara showed a fine turn of foot in the Gr 2 KRA Guineas last time out and weaved her way through, but had no reply to Alexis on her outside and could only stay on for  a two length second, which suggested she needed the run.

Fayd’Herbe said Mountain Master had improved from his good effort in the Gr 2 Betting World 1900 two weeks ago when running from the front and staying on nicely for a 2,65 length fifth. He reckoned he was looking for this 2400m trip and off a 96 merit rating the yard will be hoping for a big run in order to book his place in the Gr 1 eLan Property Group Gold Cup, although it is not a certainty he will stay that arduous 3200m journey.

Meanwhile, Lafferty recently said about the talented Silvano gelding Run Rhino Run, “He has only been running over his minimum trip (1400-1600m) and all he wants is a bit of ground. Wait until he gets that because he is a really good horse.”

Lafferty’s assistant Roy Waugh was pleased with Run Rhino Run’s gallop over a mile at Greyville last Wednesday in which he was given a lead and “left his companion for dust” in the straight. He had his final serious workout yesterday and did well. Waugh said, “It is just a matter of getting him over from that draw (15). I think they will go in this race and he has a bit of tactical speed (meaning jockey Keagan de Melo will be able to have him handy or drop him out according to how it pans out).

By David Thiselton

Picture: Inara (Liesl King)