WIDE OPEN BETTING WORLD 1900

R350,000 BETTING WORLD 1900 (Grade 2)
Greyville, Turf, 1900m
21 May 2010

David ThiseltonThe Grade 2 Betting World 1900 to be run at Greyville tonight (Friday May 21) is a traditional Vodacom Durban July pointer, although it has latterly been a race used either for borderline horses to try and qualify or as a preparation run for those who are just behind the big guns. The only winners in the last ten runnings of the race to have gone on to place in the July have been River Jetez in 2008 and Tytola in 2001.

River Jetez is probably the classiest runner to have lined up for this race in the last few years and following her example the winner could be Fort Vogue, who finished just a length back in the J&B Met and is also trained by Mike Bass. Bass said, “Fort Vogue galloped very well two weeks back with Pocket Power. He has not raced since the Met, and it has been difficult for me to pick and find the right races for him. He is working very well but I suspect he may just need this race a little bit, however on his current work I expect him to run very well.” The Bass horses have been in magnificent form in Durban so far this Champions Season.

The Sean Tarry-trained Silvano gelding, Aslan, has only had one run since since his Summer Cup win and finished a 3,25 length fourth to subsequent Champions Challenge winner, Regal Ransom, and in front of subsequent SA Derby winner Irish Flame. He is a courageous sort who fights on resolutely in the straight and will be improving as a four-year-old. He is drawn well and his Summer Cup rider, Felix Coetzee, is aboard. Tarry said, “He won’t be fully fit but a lot of the runners will be in the same boat.”

Speed For Gold from the flying Dennis Drier yard is over the niggles that kept him off the course for over a year and is working like a bomb at home, although he is quite widely drawn. He was a fast finishing 0,75 length second in the Listed Sledgehammer last time from a wide draw and is now 1kg better off with Robinson Crusoe. Drier said, “If it wasn’t for his draw I would make him a huge runner, but I still make him a big runner.”

The Paul Lafferty-trained Goat is a small filly with a big heart and has become a KZN favourite. She has a good turn of foot and stays further than this and Lafferty was hoping that his front-running reserve runner Sports Factor would get in. “We don’t want to be caught in behind them going at a canter,” he said.

Stuart Randolph followed Glen Kotzen’s instructions perfectly on Robinson Crusoe in the Sledgehammer by rousting him early to get into a position as he likes to drop himself out from where he can lose interest. So the key to his best form has been found and he should be a big runner from a nice draw.

Caymen Island surprised the Yogas Govender yard in the Sledgehammer when needing the run from a wide draw and finishing third. Byron Forster said, “That is encouraging unless he is a sort who prefers running fresh. He’s doing well but this is his biggest test to date.”

Mike de Kock said that Bold Silvano had been “showing him nothing at home. Apparently he’s always been a bad workhorse, but I don’t know what to expect although he is looking good,” said De Kock.

The Gavin van Zyl-trained Bouquet-Garni ran a fine race in his penultimate start when beating Aslan over 1600m. Van Zyl said, “He’s a funny horse whose been in and out, but the key is to get him relaxed in behind horses.”

Thandolwami was cut into in the Sledgehammer and didn’t find his normal acceleration. Craig Eudey said he’d been freshened up for this race and was expecting a good run.

Frank Robinson said that Strategic News is not at his peak and would come on from the run. The selection is Fort Vogue to win it from Aslan, Speed For Gold, Goat and Robinson Crusoe.

FINAL FIELD

#	Horse	Kg	MR	Dr	Jockey	Trainer
1	IVORY TRAIL	60.0	112	8	A Fortune	Joey Ramsden
3	FORT VOGUE	58.5	109	4	B Fayd’Herbe	Mike Bass
4	OMAHA BEACH	58.0	108	6	B Lerena	Joey Ramsden
5	STRATEGIC NEWS (AUS)	57.0	106	1	*J Jordaan	Herman Brown
6	ASLAN	56.0	104	2	F Coetzee	Sean Tarry
7	THANDOLWAMI	56.0	104	13	R Danielson	Craig Eudey
9	GOAT	54.5	101	11	A Marcus	Paul Lafferty
10	NOBLEWOOD	54.0	100	14	G Schlechter	Stephen Page
11	SPEED FOR GOLD	54.0	100	12	A Forbes	Dennis Drier
12	BOLD SILVANO	53.5	104	9	A Delpech	Mike de Kock
13	BOUQUET-GARNI	53.5	99	17	G Lerena	Gavin van Zyl
14	CAYMEN ISLAND	53.5	99	15	D David	Yogas Govender
15	ROBINSON CRUSOE	53.5	99	7	S Randolph	Glen Kotzen
16	DANISH SILVER	52.0	94	16	D Daniels	Yogas Govender
17	GRISHAM	52.0	90	10	M Yeni	Mike Bass
18	SPORTS FACTOR	52.0	89	18	*A Domeyer	Paul Lafferty
	Late Scratchings
2	MOKARO	60.0	112	5	*A Domeyer	Stephen Page
8	HAVASHA	54.5	106	3	K Shea	Mike de Kock

Al Rashidiya and Casthouse fall to South Africa

Silver Mist
(Photo : Dubai Racing Club)

Last night’s running of the Dubal sponsored $200,000 Al Rashidiya (Gr3) over 1777m, the first grass feature of the 2009 Dubai International Racing Carnival, was once again dominated by South Africa who have now won four of the last six renewals.

Mike de Kock, Champion trainer of South Africa, won the Al Rashidiya for his third time when stable jockey, Kevin Shea, drove Silver Mist to victory, ironically as the mist descended upon Nad Al Sheba racecourse. This was Kevin Shea’s first victory in the Al Rashidiya.

With three runners in the feature race; Hunting Tower, Royal Vintage and Silver Mist, the Mike de Kock stable always held a strong hand. Kevin Shea took Silver Mist to the front with about 200m to run, leaving Third Set and Kirklees to chase him home.

“They did not go very quick but we were always travelling well and he (Silver Mist) has picked up nicely and really stuck his head out,” said Kevin Shea.

Mike de Kock has no lofty aspirations with regards to the six-year-old son of Western Winter: “That was very pleasing and he has done it nicely. It is his second run in three weeks and we may give him a break. We have plenty more horses left to run and hopefully a lot more winners left to saddle.”

Herman Brown joined the party in the Dubal Casthouse turf handicap with Strategic News who was perfectly produced to the lead in the dying strides by jockey Ryan Moore.

This victory by Strategic News was Herman Brown’s first for the 2009 Dubai International Racing Carnival. “We thought he (Strategic News) would go close and Ryan has timed that perfectly,” said Herman Brown.