Gavin van Zyl runs three-year-old Rocketball in the Vodacom Durban July on Saturday and has a number of other runners at the meeting.

The horse the yard seem most bullish about on the day is the KZN Yearling Million contender Poster Girl, while Sunday’s KZN Million Mile winner No Worries will likely be scratched from the SABC Gold Vase.

Jockey Warren Kennedy described Rocketball as a “very strong horse”, so was not concerned by his antics at the July gallops when keen as they set off.

He said they had gone a very slow pace, so he had not surprisingly taken a “tug”, but he added the main thing was “he did not overdo it.”

Kennedy pointed to the Judpot gelding’s recorded 22,9 second 400m to finish time at the gallops as proof he had the necessary finishing speed for the tight Greyville track.

The timing system on the day is done through a flag drop, so the accuracy has to be questioned, but Rocketball did quicken well in the Gr 1 SA Derby.

In the Gr 1 Daily News the pace had been too slow and Kennedy said, “He had too much ground to make up, but ran all the way to the line.”

He concluded, “He is in a good place, his prep has been good. I am happy with the draw (seven).”

Rocketball worked on the beach sand at Summerveld yesterday (Tuesday) and showed off his giant action. If he can come into the straight with momentum on Saturday that action could carry him close.

Kennedy’s best July finish has been third on the 100/1 shot Forest Path in 2009.

Kennedy said about first race contender Brown Sugar, who carries topweight of  62kg minus the 2,5kg claim of Eric Saziso Ngwane, “It’s her favourite course and distance (1400m), she won well last time, and has the claimer aboard.” The form of that last race is hard to assess, but the field were well spread out which usually indicates a good performance and the handicappers gave the four-year-old a four point raise in the merit ratings.

The yard have two runners in the Middle Stakes over 1400m and Kennedy said, “Bagger Vance (drawn 14 with Brandon Lerena up) has become consistent and is in a good space at the moment. Tipo Tinto is a funny horse, he is seven-years-old, and hard to predict.” If Tipo Tinto repeats his last run over course and distance, when most unlucky, he could earn from a draw in which he should be able to drop in as there is plenty of pace on his inside.

Gavin van Zyl said about Isca, who runs in the Compendium MR 103 handicap over 1000m on the poly, “He is quick, so this could be his right trip and he drawn next to the right horse (Harry Lime).” The grey Var gelding has been dropped three points, but is 0,5kg under sufferance. He put in a flying bit of work on the beach sand yesterday (Tuesday) and is looking in tip, top shape. He jumps from draw two under Kennedy and has a chance provided he behaves in the pens. Just Ask Me runs here too and Gavin said he had been doing nicely, but would find it too short.

Poster Girl is next up and Anton Marcus rides from a plum draw of two in the lucrative 1300m event. Kennedy emphasised, “She is doing very, very well at the moment.” He pointed out she was the only horse in the field with Gr 1 form.

Assistant trainer Gareth van Zyl said about the yard’s runners in the eleventh race, the tabGold Sprint over 1200m on the polytrack, “Budapest is doing well, it might be a bit sharp, but it’s worth a shot. Redcarpet Captain has been gelded, but it is not easy from the draw (eleven).” He said Redcarpet Captain had improved in his work since gelding. The pair worked together on the beach sand yesterday (Tuesday) and Redcarpet Captain showed a lot of speed and had to be reined in by Kennedy, but it was the reverse in their grass gallop the other day, where Budapest had the better of it.

Kennedy said Celtic Captain would be alright returning to the mile in the Listed Daisy Business Solutions Handicap on the turf and did not expect him to repeat his antic of looking at the big TV screen,   which had proved costly after he had quickened into the lead in the Gr 2 Canon Guineas. He added the horse’s run in the Daily News 2000 had not panned out well, so it was not necessarily due to him not staying the trip. Gavin Lerena will be aboard Celtic Captain from draw eight, while Kennedy will ride the honest Silver Spring from draw five. The latter has dropped back to the 90 merit rated mark off which he finished a narrow second in the Listed Michael Roberts Handicap, although he is known to have a few soundness issues.

By David Thiselton