Durban July entries to feature at Greyville
BOOKMAKERS have priced up two Vodacom Durban July fancies, Capetown Noir and Vercingetorix, as the 4-1 cofavourites for the R1.5m Daily News 2000 at Greyville.
Saturday’s race will shed plenty of light on the Durban July picture as several other entries for the big race on July 6 — notably Yorker and Tellina — will be in the Grade 1 field.
Yorker is quoted 9-2 third favourite for the race with the layers taking no chances about Geoff Woodruff’s progressive three-year-old. As reported in Business Day on Tuesday, Piere Strydom will ride the colt if Anton Marcus is ruled out following an operation on his hand on Monday. Interestingly, Robbie Fradd, who rides 14-1 chance Tellina, feels his mount could fair best of the Woodruff duo.
“While Yorker is obviously a very good horse, I feel mine will be better suited to the tight Greyville track than him,” said Fradd after winning on Aces High at the Vaal on Tuesday.
Mike de Kock saddles three runners in the Daily News and while Vercingetorix shares favouritism, he feels Rock Cocktail could be competitive following his second in the Betting World 1900. Bookmakers have this one at 8-1 in the ante-post market.
If Tellina does run well, then his price of 18-1 for the July will shorten dramatically. Woodruff has indicated that Fradd would have the choice of mounts, Yorker or Tellina, should both horses be accepted for the R3.5m race.
De Kock has a number of runners at the Vaal today and the pick could be four-year-old Chill Factor in the first leg of the jackpot. The gelding finished third over this course and distance on his most recent outing.
There are a number of dangers to Chill Factor including Vulcan, Flag of France and the three yearold Gemmayze Street. The latter is a year younger than Chill Factor and may battle to concede 1.5kg to De Kock’s runner.
Ormond Ferraris is having a season to remember and Bridget Oppenheimer’s colours could be at the fore again when Money Grubber takes on nine rivals in the sixth race.
The five-year-old encountered traffic problems last time out, but granted a clear passage this time may prove too smart for Zanzibar Man and National Key.
Lightly-raced Zanzibar Man looks the right horse for the swinger with Money Grubber.
Trainer Diane Stenger’s threeyear-old should be cherry ripe in his third run after a break and he will carry just 49.5kg in this 1,700m contest.
Fradd’s best chance of a winner at the meeting could be another De Kock inmate, Dark Reign, who can exit the maiden ranks by winning the third race. The three-year-old returns to the fray after a 10-week absence, but he ran third over 2,500m at Clairwood so today’s 2,400m trip will hold no fears for him.
For those who worry about only putting one horse in the first leg of the place accumulator, it may be worth including another member of Ormond Ferraris’ stable Golden Ring.