PP tunes up for the July

from racingpost


Clairwood: Gold Challenge (Grade 1) 1m, turf

THE mighty Pocket Power, hot favourite for the Durban July in three weeks' time, warms up for the big one in the Gold Challenge over 1m at Clairwood on Saturday.

Fascinatingly, he is opposed by his year-younger full-sister River Jetez, also his main market rival in the July after finishing fourth to him in last year's big race.

She was also third to Pocket Power in the J & B Met in January, but the weights on this occasion are much in favour of Pocket Power.

The champion meets his sibling on 9lb better terms than he will next month, and he is 4lb better with her than he was in the Met.

Mike Bass, who trains both horses, said:"Pocket Power will run well - he always does - and he has come through his preps well.

"By rights he should win again but all sorts of things can happen and he has been beaten here before. Hopefully, however, itagain goes his way."

The trainer made it clear that he holds River Jetez in increasingly high esteem.

"All along I hadn't given her much chance of beating Pocket Power in the July but I am now beginning to doubt that view," said Bass.

"I was impressed with her last run and it will be very interesting to see how she fares against him here."

Pocket Power was 3-5 for the Gold Challenge in the localante-post lists on Friday with Our Giant at 9-2 and River Jetez 11-2.

Kapil, a length-and-a-half third to Pocket Power in the Queen's Plate over this trip five months ago, is a 12-1 shot but trainer Stan Elley expects him to run better than his price would suggest.

Elley said: "Kapil thrives in Durban. He's a really happy horse now and when he's happy he runs well."

Cheyne to ride Big City Life in Durban July


South Africa: Greg Cheyne has picked up the plum ride on Big City Life in South Africa's greatest race, the Vodacom Durban July, at Greyville on July 4.

The Glen Kotzen-trained Cape Derby winner has gone from strength to strength in recent weeks, adding the KRA Guineas and the Daily News 2000 to his Pattern-race haul.

He will be 3lb out of the handicap but he is 5-1 third favourite with most layers.

Cheyne said: "He is an improving horse and I give him a big chance - for me, Pocket Power is definitely beatable.

"This will be the first time I have ridden Big City Life in a race but I ride him work a lot."

The closest Cheyne,33, has come to winning the July so far was last year when he finished fifth on the subsequent Gold Cup winner Desert Links.

He is enjoying his best season with over 125 winners and he has also landed a six-moth contract to ride in Hong Kong for the first time, starting in August.

Glen Hatt has been booked for second favourite River Jetez.

Jeff Lloyd flew from Australia to ride the mare when she was fourth in last year's race but Hatt took over when she was third to Pocket Power in the J & B Met in January.

Five time-champion Piere Strydom will partner Kapil, on whom he was a fast-finishing second to Pocket Power in last Saturday's Gold Challenge.

Trainer Stan Elley said: "Piere will have to waste a bit to get down to 52 ½ kilos (8st 3lb) but he's got nearly three weeks to do it and he doesn't think it will be a problem."

Strydom was successful on London News in 1996 and on Trademark in 2001.

Felix Coetzee, who scored the first of his three July wins 25 years ago, partners Buy And Sell for Sean Tarry.

Bernard Fayd'herbe, rider of hot favourite Pocket Power, is a grandson of Tiger Wright who won the race four times.