Geoff Woodruff’s Vodacom Durban July runner Tellina travelled from Randjesfontein to Summerveld yesterday and is quietly fancied by many for Saturday’s big race at Greyville.
Tellina (JC Photos)
“He’s been doing very well, doing great work at home, we’ve got a ticket and we’ll give it a bash.” The five-year-old Silvano gelding’s big race jockey Johnny Geroudis, who won the July on Teal in 1995, has galloped him a couple of times and was “very happy”. Woodruff agreed that at the weights Tellina had a chance, and hoped to get “a bit of luck in the running, unlike last year.” He felt Tellina was in even better shape now than he was for last year’s July, in which he finished a 1,85 length fourth. That is an interesting comments as he raced off a merit rating of 110 and carried a weight of 58kg last year, as opposed to 108 and 54kg this year. He added, “He’s definitely improved with the gelding, he’s much freer.”
He was gelded before finishing fifth in the L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate and fourth in the J&B Met. He is 4,5kg better off for a 3,1 length beating by Futura in the Met and this is why many rate him the best value horse in the race at odds of 25/1.
Woodruff regarded July favourite Legal Eagle’s win in the Gr 3 Jubilee over 1800m, in which he gave his own Killua Castle 1kg and a 5,1 length beating, as “a stunning run”. “They went a decent clip, carrying topweight like that as a three-year-old I thought it was super impressive. He actually surprised me by how well he won and there weren’t mugs behind him.” Woodruff regarded Legal Eagle as the one to beat, but added, “I don’t know how Anton (Marcus) is going to do 54kg.”
Killua Castle (Liesl King)
Woodruff runs the strapping Dylan Thomas filly Wild Ash in the Gr 2 SABC Gold Vase and said, “Her last run was just a come on run and she took it well. She’s nicely drawn and has a manageable weight, she’s quite useful and she will stay all day. I don’t consider her a filly, she’s a very masculine girl and she has a touch of class about her.” Woodruff “most definitely” gives her a winning chance. She has had the advantage of altitude training and was on the same float as Tellina yesterday. The Gr 1 eLan Property Group Gold Cup will be a consideration depending on how she goes here.
Killua Castle was also on yesterday’s float and will run in the Gr 3 tabGold 2200. Woodruff said, “He’s doing very well, he galloped with Tellina for the July gallop and they both galloped well. It’s a big weight but Bernard Fayd’Herbe’s a heavyweight jockey so he’s not carrying much dead weight. I certainly think he’s in with a shout. He hasn’t yet proved himself suited to Greyville, but in fairness he hasn’t been given much opportunity to.”
By David Thiselton
VDJ betting now open: PA Leg 1 starts in race 3 – estimated pool R3.6 million.
