Trainer Comments from No Worries to Run For It to weekend features

Astro News put up good work at Clairwood on Tuesday in his preparation for the Grade 3 Cup Trial over 1800m at Clairwood on Saturday, where he will bid to impress the Vodacom Durban July final field selection panel.



Trainer Charles Laird said, “He’s basically got to win the race to get in.”



Laird said that the four-year-old Silvano gelding had needed his last run in a Graduation Plate over 1400m at Scottsville, where he got going late under Karl Neisius to win by a length, and that he would prefer this trip.



He was very well in at the weights in that race, but it was a meritorious effort considering he beat a horse that loves Scottsville, the three-year-old Act Fast.



Kevin Shea rides Astro News on Saturday and rode him on Clairwood’s inside sand track on Tuesday.



He said, “I was very happy with his work. He’s an old campaigner, so knows what to do, and we need to win, so will be giving 110%.”



Astro News will carry second top-weight of 57,5kg and is drawn in barrier eight.



Laird runs Purrrveyor in the Winter Challenge 1200m final.



This three-year-old by Black Minnaloushe has turned the corner since being gelded and has won his last two over 1200m and 1400m respectively.



Laird said, “He used to get very uptight before gelding and I think he was hurting. He is looking more for 1400m now, but is a galloping type and has won a Clairwood 1200m before.”





In his penultimate start he achieved the rare feat of bursting through the stall gate, being reloaded and then still winning and that was over Saturday’s course and distance from a similar draw.



Laird was going to see how well Lindeman Legacy worked before deciding to accept him for the Winter Challenge 2000m final, so the fact that the three-year-old Albert Hall gelding lines up suggests he is in good shape.

Garth Puller is taking care of the Stan Elley-trained Punta Arenas, who could go into the Vodacom Durban July well handicapped if he makes the final field, and the latter fate could depend on how he runs in Saturday’s Grade 3 Cup Trial over 1800m at Clairwood.



Puller reckoned the four-year-old Silvano gelding had already done enough to earn his place and deserved to have the luxury of “fluffing his lines” on Saturday in what will be his second run in KZN.



He said, “I’m not saying he will fluff his lines, he won’t, but he has a bad draw and the Cape horses normally need their second runs in KZN.”



He pointed out that J&B Met runner-up Hill Fifty Four was prominent in the top twenty on the Vodacom Durban July log and Punta Arenas had very close up form to this horse.



“Punta Arenas is a (Grade 3) Winter Derby winner and finished second to Hill Fifty Four in the Grade 3 Algoa Cup over 2400m at Fairview and then finished second to Hill Fifty Four in the Grade 2 Peninsula Handicap over 1800m (albeit when receiving 2kg). Then in his comeback from a rest in April he wins a 1400m race and then he arrives in Durban and runs third to Variety Club and Pomodoro at level weights over 1400m without having had a gallop.”



He concluded, “The panel will be shooting themselves in the foot if they don’t put him in the July, as he could end up being one of the best handicapped horses.”



Punta Arenas certainly appears to be progressing rapidly and has been looking a picture at Clairwood in the mornings.



The 1800m trip will be much more to his liking than his last two excellent efforts over 1400m, so he appears to have come into his own and will be a very interesting contender.



However, Puller said the race would bring him “spot on” for the July.



Puller also made a case for his own four-year-old Silvano gelding Ice Machine to earn a Vodacom Durban July berth.



He contests the Grade 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge over 1600m, where he takes on a star-studded field.



Garth Puller said, “He finished second to Beach Beauty in the Drill Hall and the handicapper raised him four points to 109, so clearly rates him a superstar, yet he is not in the top twenty on the July log. He’s only had one run over 2000m and finished seven lengths back in the J&B Met beating Slumdogmillionaire off a bad prep.”



He said about Ice Machine, “He’s doing very well, although it’s also his second run. I decided to go up against Variety Club, because he would have had to carry top-weight in the Cup Trial. He’s coming along nicely and I expect him to run a big race.”



Puller also runs the promising three-year-old Trippi gelding Wind Trip in the Cup Trial, where he has snuck into the handicap with bottom weight.



He said, “We putting him in the deep end and he’s drawn wide. He disappointed in the KRA Guineas, but redeemed himself at Scottsville (May 25) when running a neck third carrying 62kg. He’s a nice type, but it’s very competitive and I hope it doesn’t come too soon for him.”



Sean Cormack rides Punta Arenas, MJ Odendaal rides Ice Machine and Athandiwe Mgudlwa rides Wind Trip.

Justin Snaith was bullish about his Australian-bred colt Playingtheenemy, who runs in the Listed Looklocal Gatecrasher Stakes for two-year-olds over 1450m at Clairwood on Saturday.



He said, “He’s a very nice colt and you can draw a line through his last start at Scottsville (in the Umkhomazi Stakes over 1200m). It was too short and he just didn’t handle Scottsville. His gallop at Clairwood was very good.”



He felt that Forest Panther, a strapping chestnut by Var who runs in the same race, would “still be a bit green and is maybe looking for a mile.”



However, the latter should not be ignored as he is an impressive specimen, is well drawn and has good form, including when just 2,95 lengths back in the Listed Sumer Juvenile Stakes over 1000m on J&B Met day.



He is owned in partnership by David Raphael, the well-known Australian racing presenter and commentator.



Piere Strydom rides Playingtheenemy from draw eleven and Muzi Yeni rides Forest Panther from draw three.



Snaith runs two horses in the Grade 2 Tibouchina over 1450m, which has attracted a good field.



Strydom rides Earth’s Orbit, a promising Captain Al filly, who has done well in features and who won a Graduation Plate over 1200m easily last time out.



“She could be in the money, although it’s a strong field,” he said.



He also runs Comtesse Du Bois, a four-year-old Count Dubois filly, who is also a capable sort and ran a cracking third in the weight-for-age Poinsettia over 1200m last time out behind last season’s Equus Champion two-year-old filly All Is Secret.



“She’ll run a race,” said Snaith.



Comtesse Du Bois will be ridden by Muzi Yeni.