Greyville Saturday 6th June...

Futura will beat Legislate over any distance without breaking a sweat :woohoo:

With Legislate in the race I think 8/10 Futura is expensive.

Mac wrote: With Legislate in the race I think 8/10 Futura is expensive.

I am also of the same view because whilst Futura is without doubt, the best horse in training in South Africa, Saturday's race is not his main mission, again I say, I don't believe that they will cut this horse in half to win this race, as it is not the long term plan/aim with this horse. No doubt it would be a nice race to win, but not a must win. I think they want this horse to peak come July day. Having said all this, he does have the ability to pull this off, but the price is skinny.

Conversely, whilst Legislate has already qualified for the July, having missed the comeback race, they may well have a full tilt with this one to blow the cobwebs away, and he has proven last KZN season and the past Cape summer season, he can run well fresh. Whether he has overcome the Cape setback as well as the starting stall problem, only the race will tell.

I would rather take the 7/2 about Legislate than the 8/10 about Futura for the above reasons.

All depends on which Legislate comes to the track on Sat. Memories are short of how it fell out of the sponsors Queens Plate.
Then the bloods agent say don't forget it will need a run in the Drill Hall!!

All is forgotten too quick in the scheme of things, my dear Watson.

mikesack wrote: All depends on which Legislate comes to the track on Sat. Memories are short of how it fell out of the sponsors Queens Plate.
Then the bloods agent say don't forget it will need a run in the Drill Hall!!

All is forgotten too quick in the scheme of things, my dear Watson.

There was two stories doing the rounds, 1 minute it will need the run , then the next minute " it's a pointer " and the price collapses

Are we forgetting how impressive Ice Machine was last run?

Duncan Howell’s top class Mambo In Seattle filly Same Jurisdiction makes her comeback from a taxing Highveld campaign in the Gr 2 Tibouchina Stakes over 1400m at Greyville on Saturday.

The Gr 1 winning three-year-old was declared a non-runner in her last start in the Gr 1 Laurie Jaffee Empress Club Stakes at Turffontein after a faulty gate swung back and hit her in the face.

Howells said, “She had to miss the early Champions Season events because she took that last run very hard. But we have reconditioned her, and she is now very well in herself. She has only had one grass gallop as this is a preparation for the Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes, so she may just need it but she is still capable of a good showing.”

Interestingly, her last visit to Greyville followed a five month layoff and she put up a scintillating display to annihilate them in the Gr 3 Flamboyant Stakes over 1600m, so she clearly enjoys running fresh.

She does have a tough draw of 12 to overcome, but the peerless Anton Marcus has retained the ride.

Howells runs the staying type Beewithme in the Gr 3 Cup Trial over 1800m. He is aiming him at the Gr 2 SABC Gold Vase on Vodacom Durban July day.

He said, “He went slightly off form, but everything is on song again. He is up against a strong field and will need it.”

The yard run the Elusive Fort filly Lauderdale in the Listed Devon Air Stakes over 1400m and he said, “We will see where she stands after this run but I expect a bold showing. She is consistent and honest. I think she can run in the first four, although she will be looking for further in the future.”

By David Thiselton

The Brett Crawford-trained Tiger Ridge filly Maybe Yes proved her liking for Greyville last time out in a Conditions Plate for fillies and mares over 1400m when waltzing in by four lengths and she will be a big runner over the same course and distance in Saturday’s Gr 2 Tibouchina Stakes for fillies and mares.

Meanwhile, the yard’s stalwart three-year-old Dynasty filly Alexis, who impressed when winning the Gr 2 KRA Fillies Guineas, had a slight recent setback, so they couldn’t take a chance with her in either the Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 or the Tibouchina, but she is back in full work and is on track for the Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes on Vodacom Durban July day.

Crawford said about the strongly built Maybe Yes, “She is fine, doing well and working well, we’re very happy with her.”

Maybe Yes relaxed well after being taken to the front from a wide draw in that last race over 1400m and found just as good a kick in the straight as she did when winning the Gr 2 KRA Fillies Guineas last season.

She has plenty of class and a fine turn of foot and 1400m could well be her best trip, considering her tendency to want to get on with it in the early stages.

A point worth noting is that she appeared to be sweating on the way to the start last time out but that had no effect on her performance.

Champion jockey S’Manga Khumalo will ride Maybe Yes for the third successive time.

By David Thiselton

Dennis Drier has a good chance in the Gr 2 Tibouchina over 1400m at Greyville on Saturday with Jet Aglow, while the connections of the Paul Lafferty-trained Goldie Coast will be hoping for some rain before that same event.

Jet Aglow finished a 2,25 length second to her perennial rival Hammie’s Hooker in last year’s Tibouchina over 1450m at Clairwood, but is particularly interesting this year as the first time blinkers made her noticeably sharper last time out when running a cracker in the Gr 1 City Of Pietermaritzburg Fillies Sprint over 1200m at Scottsville.

Drier said, “She took us a bit by surprise with the first time blinkers but we expect her to settle better this time.”

He added that she had come out of that last race a hundred percent and was currently in fine shape.

The 1200m is too sharp for her, so it was a surprise to see her showing such good pace in the City Of Pietermaritzburg Fillies Sprint and setting the gallop. She was outpaced late but still managed a fine 2,65 length fifth to one of the best sprinters in

the country, Carry On Alice, to add to her third place finish in that same race last year.

The five-year-old Jet Master mare will now be having her third run after a rest, but does have a tricky draw of nine in the twelve horse field. Regular pilot Sean Cormack is aboard.

Goldie Coast is the joint lowest rated horse in this race, but is ideally suited to the Greyville 1400m as she has an exceptional turn of foot provided she finds cover.

Lafferty’s assistant trainer Roy Waugh said, “It’s a very tough race, but she’s been running reasonably well. She doesn’t have the best of draws, but she does come from off them. She is definitely better with a bit of cut in the ground.”

by David Thiselton

Alec Laird has two runners in the Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge over 1600m at Greyville on Saturday, Bouclette Top and Bezanova. He was hoping that the two big guns in the race Futura and Legislate would be below their peaks, thereby giving him a chance of landing a second Gr 1 at Greyville in the space of a week.

Laird won the Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 last Saturday with the Ideal World filly Smart Call, whom he is now likely to rest until next season. He has prepared both Bouclette Top and Bezanova from Randjesfontein. They will travel to Summerveld on Thursday.

He said, “Bouclette Top has been bursting for a run since his Drill Hall second, so he will be ready for this. Bezanova has had a nice little prep and ran very well at Greyville last year.”

The Argentinian-bred Giant’s Causeway gelding Bouclette Top had struck as a middle distance to staying type after running on well last season for fourth in both the Gr 2 Gauteng Guineas and the Gr 1 SA Classic over 1600m and 1800m respectively. However, Laird believes now that a mile is his best trip, although he did win the Listed Drum Star Handicap over 1800m in March. The Drum Star was his first start with blinkers and the headgear appears to have brought a new lease of life as he followed up by running a decent third in the Gr 1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes over 1600m. He then ran a three length second in the Gr 2 Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes over 1400m at Greyville, when staying on well despite being keen in the running. The bay four-year-old deserves his 107 merit rating.

The four-year-old Bezrin gelding Bezanova has filled into his big frame this season and showed his class when winning the Gr 2 Peermont Emperor’s Palace Charity Mile at Turffontein last November. The latter is a handicap race and was raised from a 104 merit rating to 107. He probably found the 2000m of the SANSUI Summer Cup too far and he was then rested for three months before running unplaced in the Gr 2 Hawaii Stakes over 1400m and fourth in a Conditions Plate over 1450m. Last time out he ran on well over the more suitable 1600m trip to finish a 3,8 length fifth to Halve The Deficit at level weights. The factor that augurs well for this good looking chestnut on Saturday is that he ran a three length second to Equus Horse Of The Year Legislate in last season’s Gr 2 KRA Guineas over the course and distance of Saturday’s Rising Sun Gold Challenge. He followed that with a 1,65 length fifth to Legislate in the Gr 1 Daily News 2000, so appears to enjoy the tight Greyville circuit.

Bouclette Top is drawn seven with Woolavington-winning jockey Weichong Marwing up and Bezanova is drawn eleven with Gavin Lerena aboard.

by David Thiselton

It is seven years since a Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge winner went on to win the Vodacom Durban July, but the double could possibly be done again this year as the ruling favourite for the country’s biggest horseracing event, Futura, will be lining up in the Rising Sun Gold Challenge at Greyville on Saturday.

However, this will be the Justin Snaith-trained superstar’s return bout with his new stablemate Legislate, having stolen the latter’s limelight when winning the Gr 1 L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate in early January.

Snaith said about Saturday’s big clash, “Futura has come on lengths from his last run and has put up a very good gallop on the Summerveld grass since. He couldn’t be better and I’m very happy. He’s a very nice natured horse and is a pleasure to train. Legislate also galloped on the grass at Summerveld on Monday. He was blowing a little bit and that’s what we wanted as we hope he comes on from that. It’s hard to be sure whether he will be back to his best, but he’s doing well enough and he likes to run fresh. They are both well and I wouldn’t want to change anything.”

Legislate was thought to be virtually unbeatable in the Queen’s Plate, having broken the Kenilworth 1600m Old Course record when winning the Gr 2 Green Point Stakes in his seasonal reappearance. However, he finished last and was subsequently found to have serious lung infection, so has not been seen out again since.

Meanwhile, Futura, still conditioned at that stage by his original trainer Brett Crawford, stamped himself as the best horse in the country by winning the J&B Met.
Later, in one of the shocks of the season, the three-time Gr 1 winning Dynasty colt left the Crawford yard due to a dispute among the ownership syndicate and joined Snaith.

Crawford had also nurtured Futura to a win in the Gr 1 Champions Cup over 1800m at Greyville in his final start as a three-year-old and that was after some had felt he had been unlucky in the July, having been caught in behind a slow pace.

Futura has everything a top class racehorse needs from a laid back temperament, the ability to relax in the running, a fantastic turn of foot as well as plenty of speed but also the stamina to stay the 2200m of the Vodacom Durban July. Furthermore, he announced his well-being on May 17 by winning his Champions Season pipe opener over 1600m at Greyville in cosy fashion under his new jockey Sean Cormack. 

Legislate, who is also a four-year-old colt by Dynasty, has proved he has all of those credentials himself, having won all of the Gr 1 Investec Cape Derby, the Gr 2 KRA Guineas, the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 and the July last year. The latter three wins proved his liking for Greyville. He won the July last year only after a controversial objection, but he was deservedly named Equus Horse Of The Year. His class, exemplified by his tremendous turn of foot, was then seen at its maximum in the Green Point, where he put up a truly world class performance. However, the Queen’s Plate run put a dampener on his future. Furthermore, in his intended comeback recently, in the Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes, he had to be scratched after kicking the pens. This misfortune and the subsequent trip from the start back to the parade ring apparently took a lot out of him and a couple of days later the Snaith yard declared him a doubtful runner in the July. Snaith said over the weekend that his July participation was still up in the air and advised punters to keep their ante-post betting money in their pockets for now.

The International Federation of Horseracing Authorities had the Rising Sun Gold Challenge as the only South African horseracing event in its world 100 top races recently. The ratings are calculated by averaging the merit of the first four finishers as accorded by the Longines Worlds Best Racehorse Rankings.

Snaith in fact trained the last horse to do the Gold Challenge-July double in the same season. In 2008 his superstar grey filly Dancer’s Daughter quickened superbly off a slow pace to win the Gold Challenge at Clairwood under Weichong Marwing and then ran on strongly under Kevin Shea to dead-heat with the great Pocket Power in one of the most exciting July’s of all time.

Saturday will tell whether Legislate is the same horse he was before the Queen’s Plate. If he is this clash of the Snaith-trained titans could well be the highlight of the season, although it is by no means a two horse race.


By David Thiselton

The Gr 3 Cup Trial, to be run over  1800m at Greyville on Saturday, has always been viewed as a last chance saloon for borderline horses wishing to qualify for the Vodacom Durban July, but one horse that doesn’t really fit into the normal profile of a Cup Trial candidate is the Alyson Wright-trained Kochka.

This Black Minnaloushe gelding was an Equus Champion as a two-year-old, but a minor tendon injury forced him on to the side-lines for his entire three-year-old season.

Recent evidence suggests that the big horse has lost none of his ability and Wright said ahead of Saturday’s important engagement, “That last outing was an amazing run considering how much work he had done. He needed it badly as he had only started strong cantering two weeks earlier, although later he did also have one grass gallop. We have been very pleased with his progress since that last run. We put him in the Cup Trial because it’s a handicap and it would have been very hard for the handicapper to assess him in the Gold Challenge with the like of Futura and Legislate involved. I think he will need this one run to get back to his best, but it is up to him now to run well enough to get into the July.”

Gavin Lerena has kept the ride.

Kochka was laid off work in April due to a virus and that was the reason he still needed that last outing, when facing the July favourite Futura in a Pinnacle Stakes race over 1600m at Greyville. It didn’t stop him and getting within 1,75 lengths of Futura at level weights after showing a fantastic turn of foot off a slow pace before staying on strongly. Futura also needed that run but he did get first run and at this stage will face Kochka on 7kg worse terms in the July.

Kochka showed a tremendous turn of foot in both of his Gr 1 outings as a two-year-old at Greyville. In the Golden Horseshoe over 1400m he took off late and the judge took an age to award the race to Forest Indigo ahead of him. However, he exacted revenge in the Gr 1 Premier’s Champions Stakes over 1600m when coming from the back with a powerful finish and beating the latter by 0,75 lengths.

He made his comeback from a 19 month layoff in February this year, finishing second at Scottsville over 1200m in a Graduation Plate and then winning a Graduation Plate over 1200m at Greyville in March.

On top of his workouts he receives regular therapy in the new Hydra Spa at Summerveld and should be in the mint of condition on Saturday.  

By David Thiselton