Gold Cup day Trainer comments By David Thiselton

Mike Azzie has three runners on Super Saturday at Greyville this weekend, including a former Grade 1 winner at this meeting Potala Palace, as well as the out and out stayer Masai Warrior, who contests the main race, the R1,25 million Grade 1 Gold Cup over 3200m.



Masai Warrior ran a disappointing 4,35 length fifth in the Grade 2 Mercedes-Benz Gold Vase over 2400m on Vodacom Durban July day, but Azzie believed he had valid excuses.



“It became a different race when they changed it from 3000m to 2400m and Nooresh (Juglall), who is a good jockey and can usually be relied on to ride a decent race, rode a funny race. He was caught wide and then seemed to have an aberration when he rushed him to the front. The 3200m will be much more in Masai Warrior’s favour. He is very, very well and will definitely be in the shake-up. He is one of the few in the field, together with Kolkata and Seal, who are proven over the distance. He has a tricky draw (16), but we will try and place him where he is comfortable. I’ll leave it up to Karl (Zechner).”



Potala Palace, who won the Grade 1 Premier’s Champion Stakes for two-year-olds at this meeting two years ago, takes part in the Grade 1 Champions Cup over 1800m.



He made his comeback from chip surgery to two fetlock joints on Saturday at Turffontein in a MR 96 Handicap over 1400m and finished a 5,5 length fifth.



Azzie was pleased with the run and said, “We gave him one grass gallop and instead of giving him more we decided to give him a race, which was worth three grass gallops. There were comments that his run was disappointing, but if they expected me to have him wound up for that race they must know nothing about racing, because what would we then have for the Champions Cup? That run was just to get him back, to experience the crowd and the trip to the course, and Robbie (Fradd) looked after him nicely. The main thing is that he pulled up sound, has been moving well and has tightened up in the right places. His prep hasn’t been ideal because there were no races for him, but I think he could be in the shake-up. I have healthy respect for Whiteline Fever and think he is the horse to beat.”



Fradd rides again from draw 13.



Azzie also runs Emperor Augustus, who ran a decent third in the Listed Thukela Handicap over 1600m from pole position, and has now drawn in pole again.



He said, “He was a little bit out of his ground and finished strongly. He is drawn well again and I think he could be a big runner as he is in good shape.”



Juglall has retained the ride.

Mike Stewart travelled his Gold Cup contender Paddy O’Reilly from Noordhoek Beach to Durban on Sunday night, arriving on Monday, and in true Irish style was holding thumbs for a good run from the six-year-old Dynasty gelding.



“He travelled well. If a horse is stuck inside a truck for 20 hours it will be affected by a long journey, but I let him out for an hour every time I stopped for diesel. He’s a cocky old horse and was only off his feed for Monday and there were a few leavings on Tuesday, but he is now eating it all up again. I have taken him to Isipingo Beach everyday. We walk him in the sea to keep his tendon cool and he has done some slow cantering. He did all his work for the race in Cape Town and now just needs a final sprint up.”



It is not surprising that Paddy O’Reilly ended up in the therapeutic environment of Stewart’s Noordhoek Beach training establishment, for he has suffered many problems, including a knee chip, a joint and a tendon.



The horse was off for six months in 2011 and Stewart then received a phone call after his comeback run in Christmas of that year as it was proving too difficult to keep him sound.



Stewart often takes over unsound types that would benefit from walking in the sea.



He gave him a break from the racecourse for a year and has slowly brought him back, culminating in an impressive 4,25 length victory in the Listed Glenair Trophy over 3200m at Arlington at the end of May.



He said, “If he had been here from the beginning he would be a top, top horse. Well, he has been a top horse anyway. In the Gold Cup they usually go hell for leather until the first bend and then slow it up, so he should have a chance of overcoming his draw (14). He is back to himself and is a true stayer. A lot of the horses in the field haven’t gone beyond a mile and a half.”



When Stewart took over Paddy O’Reilly, the aim was always to run him in the Gold Cup for owner Jack Ward.



He concluded by saying that if there was any concern that his niggles wouldn’t stand up to the race, he wouldn’t have undertaken the journey of over 1000km from Cape Town.

The Mike Bass yard were concerned about their Gold Cup contender River Crossing and his participation is in doubt, but they are confident of a good run from their classy Captain Al filly Alascan Maiden in the Grade 1 Thekwini.



Assistant trainer Robert Fayd’Herbe said on Bass’ website, “There is something worrying River Crossing at the moment but I will see how he handles his work tomorrow and make a decision from there as to whether or not we will run him.”



Sean Cormack said earlier in the week that the four-year-old Caesour gelding had not travelled well throughout in his disappointing last start in the Grade 2 Mercedes-Benz Gold Vase and might not have handled the going.



The yard said that his work had not been up to scratch since then.



Bass said, “The Gold Cup is a gruelling and competitive race and if he is not spot on we will have to scratch him. Being drawn out at 18 is also not ideal.”



The yard also runs the five-year-old Jallad gelding Jeppe’s Reef in the Gold Cup.



Bass wondered whether he was too high in the handicap and said on his website, “Jeppe’s Reef has been doing nicely at home and has come quite well in Durban this season as he usually does. Historically he has always run very well in this race placing 5th and 6th in the last two respective outings. It’s always a competitive race and this year is no exception. He jumps from a reasonable draw of eight this time with Robbie Fradd up who knows him well, and we would be happy if he can find the placing’s this time.”



Bass said about Alascan Maiden ahead of the 1600m Thekwini for two-year-old fillies.



“Her work has been excellent. She is lightly raced and still improving. She has just had the one start in Durban this season in the Devon Air stakes at Clairwood (1450m). She was caught wide and had to run around the field and then she only gets nailed on the line by Mohave Princess. We have galloped her a few times since and she has been fit and well within herself this week. I have always rated her highly and I think we are yet to see the best of her. Nobody knows how strong the field is and there are also others who think they have good fillies. But, she is well drawn and I must give her a big winning chance. She is good enough.”



Bernard Fayd’Herbe keeps the ride and she will jump from draw two.



Bass said about his two other runners on the day, Grasp Your Destiny, who runs in the Listed Darley Arabian over 1600m, and Enchanting Cathy, who runs in an MR 86 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1000m, “Grasp Your Destiny hasn’t enjoyed the tracks or going in Durban. This will probably be Enchanting Cathy’s last run and it’s always tough from a wide draw over 1000m at Greyville.”

Vaughan Marshall said his Gold Cup contender Dubai Gina had been “doing alright” at Clairwood and gave the thumbs up for his other Grade 1 runner on the day, Exelero.



Dubai Gina hasn’t really fired during the Champions Season, but can’t be written off as the Gold Cup always looked to be her chief target.



Furthermore, the blinkers are off after she ran well below par when tried for the first time last time out in the Grade 3 Mango 2200.



The Australian-bred four-year-old filly by Dubai Destination proved that she has a good stamina capacity when runner up in the Grade 2 J&B Reserve Stayers over 2800m at Kenilworth on Met day.



She has a plum draw of four on Saturday and stable jockey MJ Byleveld rides.



Exelero has been a much talked about horse and is priced up as 33-10 favourite for the Grade 1 Premier’s Champion Stakes over 1600m.



The Western Winter colt beat Forest Indigo by 1,5 lengths when making his debut over 1400m at Clairwood in a Listed feature and the form was franked when the latter went on to win the Grade 1 Durban Golden Horseshoe over 1400m next time out.



However, he will now be 2kg worse off with Forest Indigo.



Not much can be read into Exelero’s Maiden win at Scottsville against older horses over 1400m in his last start on July 10.



He did it in exercise gallop-like fashion, but it was a weak field.



Marshall runs Europe To Africa in the Grade 2 Gold Bracelet over 2000m and also said she had been doing well, although admitting she faced a tough field.



The four-year-old Australian-bred filly by Rock Of Gibraltar will relish this trip and is only 2kg under sufferance with the highest rated horse, Thunder Dance.



She has thrived since joining the Marshall yard and must be a contender, although the wide draw is against her.

Kumaran Naidoo has been happy with his Gold Cup contender Scoop The Pool’s preparation for the country’s premier staying event on Saturday.



“He’s fit and well and his work has been good,” said Naidoo. “There are no worries about him staying the trip.”



The four-year-old Opera King gelding has been targeted at this race from a long way out and earned his place with a second place against River Crossing in a Non-Black Type Handicap over 2500m at Clairwood.



He does have to improve on his Grade 2 Mercedes-Benz Gold Vase run though, when beaten 7,9 lengths by Kolkata, although he is now 3kg better off.



Under compressed handicap conditions the bottom weights don’t have it easy, but on the other hand Scoop The Pool is drawn in pole position.



Alec Forbes rides him for the third time in succession.



Naidoo also has two horses in the Grade 1 Thekwini for two-year-old fillies over 1600m.



It is interesting to see Glen Hatt aboard Royalsecuritybaby as he was impressed with this small horse’s action when working her out before the Zulu Kingdom Explorer Golden Slipper over 1400m on July day.



The Australian-bred Choisir filly finished third last in that race, but is slightly better drawn here and will relish the step up in trip.



The yard’s Horse Chestnut filly Lady Chestnut looks up against it as she is drawn very wide and only beat a weak maiden field last time over this trip at Scottsville, but she does look to be improving and did have that field well strung out.