Contenders for the July are out in force this weekend as many of the more doubtful starters among the 61 entrants try to force their way into the final field of 18.
The top pair in the July betting, three-year-olds Badger’s Drift and Hoeberg, are also in action in different races.
The seemingly unstoppable Hoeberg has won eight of her nine races and should have bagged the other too, as anyone who remembers her short-head defeat will attest. She did everything but win. We probably have yet to see the best of the David Payne-trained filly, who tackles 2 000m for the first time in the Grade 2 Woolavington Stakes at Greyville on Saturday. She won the Paddock Stakes over 1 800m at Kenilworth in January and looks likely to stay the extra furlong.
While Badger’s Drift also has an excellent chance in the Grade 1 Daily News 2000, it is nowhere near as clear-cut as Hoeberg’s. A number of pretenders will fancy their chances of dethroning the expensive son of Badger Land.
Charles Laird’s Nhlavini has in three attempts failed to get his nose in front of Badger’s Drift’s but is enjoying a purple patch of form at present. After finishing runner-up to his rival in March he won the Mondi Sprint over 1 200m at Turffontein and was second to Celtic Grove in the Guineas over a mile at Greyville. No distance seems to pose any difficulty for the versatile son of National Emblem and it could be his day.
Addictive, who came within a neck of Badger’s Drift last time, has an obvious chance too, as do Mike de Kock’s improving pair of Fort Woods, East Wind and Sonic Boom. Johnny B Goode has been beaten just once in his past five runs by Hoeberg and could also surprise. He too tries 2 000m for the first time but is out of a staying mare and could improve!
American Badger, another son of Badger Land, impressed before his poor last run in the Derby. The 2 450m that day was possibly too far and he is not without a chance with Jeff Lloyd in the saddle.
No fewer than 13 of the 16 in the Grade 2 Greyville 1900 are bidding for July spots and it is not easy to find the winner.
Bunter Barlow and Trademark, the Mike Bass stablemates who finished 1-2 in the Met in February, look competitive, but the race promises to be a close thing.
Another half-dozen July hopefuls contest the Grade 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2 400m. Reef Road, another member of De Kock’s Fort Wood batallion, could just be the one here. The five-year-old gelding is game and consistent and seems handily weighted on 51,5kg.
Levi Strauss and Cheerful Chef, second and third in the Gold Bowl at Turffontein, stay well and are big threats.
In the ninth, an allowance plate over a mile, Velvet Green looks a pick six banker after her fourth to Hoeberg last time.
Lloyd could triumph on Silent Tribute in the third, a maiden plate over 2 400m.
At Turffontein Gerrit Schlechter comes up from the Cape for another go at riding for Ferraris. His first attempt was disastrous, but Queen of Dance in the first could get the hapless Capie into the winner’s enclosure. Sherman Brown on Belfast in the eighth could give Ferraris a nicely priced winner.