Azzie not bullish about Isphan

places.”

IKE Azzie was not

bullish about the

Mchances

in 9 in the 11 horse field.

now back aboard.

A few of

of

over the course and distance.

Alice are also now in play.

his

three-year-old Tiger

Ridge gelding Isphan ahead of

the Gr 1 Mercury Sprint over

1 200m at Greyville on Saturday.

He said: “He’s very well and in

good shape but it’s a very strong

field and I will be happy if he

Isphan was caught wide early

when running a decent 2,6 length

fifth in the Gr 2 Post Merchants

However, he faces all three of

the horses that finished over two

lengths ahead of him, Daring

Dave, Moofeed and Willow Magic,

on only 0,5kg better terms, while

other even classier sorts like

Captain Of All and Carry On

Furthermore he is drawn wide

Last time out he was well beat-

en over 1 200m on the poly on

Vodacom Durban July day, but

his regular rider Gavin Lerena is

Azzie’s runners

appeared to run a bit below par

on July day, but they all returned

normal.

Included among them was

Frosted Honey, who now runs in

the Gr 2 Debutante over 1 200m

on Saturday and will then go for

the Gr 1 Thekwini Stakes over

1600m a week later.

Azzie said: “I was a little disap-

pointed with Frosted Honey’s

run (4,8 length 12th in the Gr 1

Zulu Kingdom Explorer Golden

Slipper over 1 400m). I would

have expected her to run better,

but in saying that she did have a

setback when she got to KZN and

I think we were chasing the eight

ball with her all the time. She has

come on a lot from that run and

will be in better shape for her

next start.”

He said: “Deputy Jud wasn’t

given the best ride, it was proba-

bly one of Corne’s (Orffer) worst

rides ever, to go that pace in a

July handicap is ridiculous, you

can’t set those fractions and

expect a horse to find, so his July

run can be written off. He’s a

much better horse than that and

I’m sure he’s going to bounce

back. He’s definitely going to run

in the Champions Cup, but in

saying that the weights don’t suit

Sales Million and said: “He might

have to be gelded later on, I’m

going to take him home and have

a look at him and see where we

are with him. That run is not

what he shows us on the track.”

Rock Me Var was another dis-

appointment on July day and will

be taken home to the Highveld

and given his African Horse

Sickness vaccinations.

Azzie will have a strong hand

in the Gr 1 Premier’s Champions

Stakes over 1 600m on Super

Saturday (July 25) with the out-

standing prospect Rabada and

the exciting Abashiri, as well as

High Game, who improved to win

his fourth start, over 1400m at

Scottsville, by seven lengths.

inaugural Interprov Rider Cup at

Greyville on Saturday, July 18.

Van Niekerk declined to fulfil

his commitment at the eleventh

hour and has been replaced by

Donovan Dillon.

Karl Niesius and Bernard

Fayd’Herbe were approached but

had prior riding engagements

and Dillon was selected in light of

his pending relocation to Cape

Town at the end of the month.

the chances of his Gr 1 Mercury

Sprint contender African Dream

and admitted this run would

partly be used to show exactly

how good she was.

He said: “She’s exceptionally

well after that last win (in which

she defended her crown in the

KZN Breeders 1200). It’s a mas-

sive step up in class, but she’s

going to have a break anyway so

our theory was we’ve got nothing

to lose. She’s drawn 11 of 11

which is obviously not great, but

one of her greatest assets is her

gate speed. She’s out the stalls

Greyville patrons will be in for

a treat of world class riding and

topping the bill will be the R750

000 Gr 1 Mercury Sprint to be run

at Greyville for the first time

since the sale of Clairwood.

Included in this field are Horse

of the Year, Legislate and Tsogo

Sun Sprint winner Captain Of

All.

“The intention is to make this

an

annual

she won’t.”

“horse

Redgrave.

start again.

Interprovincial

The four-year-old Mogok filly

has always had an aversion to the

starting stalls but behaved her-

self well last time having been

accompanied by Dixon’s wife and

assistant trainer Hayley and the

whisperer”

Glyn

The pair will be with her at the

Dixon continued: “Then we can

get across and sit nice and handy,

that’s her style of racing. We will

learn an awful lot and see where

we are at, because we’re taking

thing we have wanted to do for a

while now.”

The final teams are:

Cheyne;

Anthony

Donovan

Delpech;

Marcus; Muzi Yeni.

more competitive.”

Melo will be aboard.

Greg

Dillon;

Richard Fourie; Corne Orffer

Raymond

Danielson; S’Manga Khumalo;

Gavin Lerena; Piere Strydom

Sean Cormack;

Anton

Showmetheway and felt he was a

touch unlucky not to have won it

having been drawn badly, but he

admitted it had been a “sub-stan-

dard Gr 1 and this year’s is a lot

African Dream’s six wins (in 12

starts) have all been over this dis-

tance, but she is merit rated 101,

which leaves her with a moun-

tain to climb against the like of

120 merit rated Captain Of All

under the weight for age condi-

tions. Regular rider Keagan de