While dual Grade 1 winner Puerto Manzano puts the finishing touches to his Hollywoodbets Durban July preparations in this weekend’s Jubilee Stakes, others will be pulling out all the stops in Sunday’s Grade 3 in the hope of cementing their places in the final field for South Africa’s racing showpiece event on 1 July.
Johan Janse van Vuuren-trained Puerto Manzano is the highest-rated runner at 123, and despite shouldering a hefty 62kg is the best-weighted runner in Race 7 over 1800m on Turffontein’s Standside track.
He showed his class and fighting spirit when thwarting former stablemate Second Base to win the 2000m Grade 1 Premier’s Champion Challenge in his last start six weeks ago and will be a tough nut to crack on the strength of that form, coupled with the favourable conditions of the race.
Sean Tarry, on the hand, after winning three of last Saturday’s four Grade 1 sprints, is looking to get well-bred Pyromaniac into the Durban July field. This Silvano gelding (out of Oaks winning Captain Al mare Pine Princess) made an encouraging comeback last month when returning from a break with a fast-finishing second under 61kg in a Progress Plate over the course and distance and would’ve tightened up for that run so should enhance his July claims with a forward showing.
Smart three-year-old colts Jimmy Don and Rule By Force have a bit to find on these terms with those rivals but should be competitive nonetheless. The latter finished 3.75 lengths behind Puerto Manzano last time but is 4.5kg better off so, on paper, is weighted to turn the tables. Joe Soma’s charge also finished 3.75 lengths adrift of Jimmy Don in their Grade 1 SA Classic meeting over the track and trip but also renews rivalry with the Erico Verdonese-trained Pathfork colt on 4kg better terms.
Whafeef has turned a corner after he was gelded and adds further intrigue to this year’s Jubilee Stakes. He does not have a July entry but could upstage those who do. He has won his last two starts and given the manner of his most recent success over 1600m, may have even more to offer going 1800m for the first time off a career-high mark after a five-point penalty.
There are also two valuable juvenile contests over 1400m and a fascinating fillies and mares Pinnacle Stakes event over 1600m on the card for bettors and racing enthusiasts to sink their teeth into.
Mike de Kock holds a strong hand in Race 5, the Highveld Winter Juvenile Stakes for two-year-old fillies, with last-start winners White Pearl and Platina Princess. Both daughters of Danon Platina built on the promise of their debuts by winning over 1450m on the Inside track last time. They look likely to take another step forward in their development switching to the Standside track with its longer run-in.
The same, however, could be said of recent winners Betula, Colorado Creek and That’s My Bay, as well as Queen Of Camelot on 3kg better terms for a 0.25-length beating by White Pearl almost three weeks ago. Including these runners in Trifecta and Quartet bets could be the way to go.
Race 6, the colts and geldings’ equivalent, is just as competitive. While the winner is most likely to come from top-weights Fire ‘N Flames, Max The Magician or Pure Predator, there are no fewer than five other last-start winners in the line-up (excluding Bom Bom, who has a prior engagement).
Of that quintet, though, Rafeef colt Real Relief, debut winner Main Defender and Robbie Sage-trained French Impact make the most appeal and must be included in exotic-bet perms as well as Quartet bets, in which Max The Magician and Pure Predator could be used as double-floating bankers.
Bless My Stars and Feather Boa renew their rivalry in Race 4 with the Tarry-trained former expected to confirm her superiority over the consistent latter on favourable weight terms.
Clive Robinson
