Trainer comments -Rising Sun Gold Challenge

By David Thiselton

The Gavin van Zyl yard are on a high after their Grade 1 Daily News win with The Apache over the weekend and they are bullish about the chances of Bulsara in the Grade 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge to be run over 1600m at Clairwood Racecourse this Saturday.



Van Zyl took Bulsara to Clairwood for a gallop last Tuesday and said, “Raymond (Danielson) felt that he had never worked better. “



He said that the Silvano four-year-old gelding was very well indeed and added, “However good he is, that is how well he will run.”



He concluded, “He loves Clairwood and is drawn very well. I will be very disappointed if he doesn’t finish in the first three.”



Glen Kotzen probably left Greyville on Saturday night on the other end of the emotional scale to van Zyl after the disappointing run of his fancied Daily News runner M’Lord’s Throat, but is happy with his contenders for Clairwood’s features on Saturday.



Big City Life is in good shape ahead of his defence of his Rising Sun Gold Challenge crown.



Kotzen declared himself “delighted” straight after his last run when a 3,75 lengths third at level weights to the impressive Bravura over the Clairwood 1500m.



Jockey Andrew Fortune has also said more than once this season that Big City Life still gives the feel of a top horse.



The yard is not concerned about the sprained ligament that kept him out of last season’s Vodacom Durban July and the entire Sizzling Summer Season. It has completely recovered and although horses can favour a leg after such an injury this should not be the case with Big City Life as the injury was noticed very early and he never had the chance to experience any pain from it. In fact Kotzen pointed out that this horse has never pulled up lame from a race or a workout in his entire career.



Kotzen said, “He has had two lovely comeback runs. We’ve gone a bit soft on him. He is tightening up and is at the right weight now.”



The Mike de Kock yard run Captain’s Wild and the enigmatic Kavanagh in the Rising Sun Gold Challenge.



Antony Delpech has been pleased with Captain’s Wild’s work and said he was very well but added that it would be a preparation run.



With a merit rating of 108 he is ninth on the Vodacom Durban July log and his place looks secure.



The Captain Al four-year-old gelding is effective over a mile, with two wins over the trip, but probably prefers further.



Kavanagh usually puts in awesome work, as he did before his run in the Golden Horse Casino Sprint on May 28.



However, he has become known as Graded race bridesmaid and in races around the turn has been caught late when looking the winner on more than one occasion.



In the Golden Horse he was prominent, but found nothing in the closing stages, finishing second last.



However, it was only the second time in a 12 race career that he had finished out of the first four.



The mile is his stamina limit and he is drawn wide.



There is no doubt that he has plenty of ability and in his only previous start at Clairwood, when a two-year-old, he crossed the line first in the Grade 1 Golden Horseshoe over 1450m only to lose the race to Copper Parade in the boardroom.

GO BULSARA..PLEEEZ

Rising Sun Gold Circle Raceday - Trainer Comments 1

Journalist – David Thiselton : Gold Circle Publishing


Bravura is in good shape ahead of the Rising Sun Gold Challenge on Saturday and this big horse is many people’s idea of a major Vodacom Durban July contender so his run will be closely monitored, while his stablemate in the Joey Ramsden yard, Lion In Winter, has had an excellent preparation into Saturday’s race and can’t be discounted.



Bravura, a four-year-old Silvano gelding, won his first five starts including the Investec Cape Derby in which he came from a wide draw and beat a top class field.

He unfortunately then had to be laid off after suffering a hind leg injury.



In his second run after being off the course for ten months he stayed on for a 0,75 length third to Cask in the Grade 2 Midmar Premier’s Trophy over 1800m at Kenilworth and consequently looked to be a big runner in the J&B Met, so was a touch disappointing when outpaced in the straight and finishing a 4,55 length seventh to Past Master having shared the lead in a slow run race.

.

However, he signalled in his next start four months later over 1500m at Clairwood that he much prefers a quicker pace and looked to be back to his best.



He came from about eight lengths off the strong pace set by Blue Tiger and went clear to win by three lengths without appearing to extend himself.



His Investec Cape Derby partner Anton Marcus was back aboard for that race and will partner him again on Saturday from the same pole position draw.



Ramsden said, “It’s a rarity for me to crack a good draw in a KZN feature, so I will take it. He wasn’t short of match fitness in that last race and there have been no problems since.”



The Ramsden team have achieved a fine feat in getting him to his peak as he is a horse who doesn’t put much effort into his homework.



He usually has companions towing him along and it is difficult to gauge how well he is doing.



Ramsden thinks a lot of his four-year-old Western Winter gelding Lion In Winter and was quick to put down any suggestion that he could have been lucky to have a wide draw when winning the Grade 2 Peninsula Handicap over 1800m at Kenilworth in early January when the field made a bee line for the outside.



“He won right down the inside anyway,” he reminded. “He came from stone last and scythed his way past the field.”



Indeed he is a horse who switches off very well in the running and in the J&B Met, off a very slow pace, he was continually baulked for a run before finishing strongest of all for an eye catching 3,25 length fifth.



That run suggested we haven’t seen the best of him yet and having run a satisfactory staying on 4,3 length fifth to Bravura in the 1500m event at Clairwood on May 22, Ramsden said, “His preparation has gone very well, in fact almost too smoothly. You can normally expect one or two minor problems in preparing for a feature but he hasn’t had any.”



Lion In Winter, who will be ridden by his Peninsula Handicap partner Glen Hatt, is out of the Pas De Quoi three-time winner over 1000-1200m Lady Curator, so has the speed to be competitive over a mile. In fact the Peninsula was the first time he had run beyond that trip.



Ramsden makes Big City Life and Past Master the ones to beat in the Rising Sun Gold Challenge and said about the latter, “He was very impressive when winning the Drill Hall and is a seriously good horse.”

Dancewiththedevil is the only filly in Saturday’s Grade 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge over 1600m at Clairwood and is likely to start as one of the top three in the betting after her two facile Grade 1 mile victories at Turffontein, one of which was against the boys.



St. John Gray gave the Modus Vivendi four-year-old filly a deserved break after her Champions Challenge run over 2000m when the slow pace didn’t suit her and she failed to convert favouritism, finishing a 4,25 length sixth.



He said yesterday that she was fine and her preparation for the Rising Sun had gone well.



He was concerned about it being her first run around a left hand turn and also whether she would get the strong pace that she needed.



However, the weather forecast, with some 70mm of rain predicted before Saturday is in her favour.



“She loves the wet,” said Gray.



Both of her Grade 1 mile wins came with the sting out of the ground and it is not so much her action that is suited to these conditions, but her style of running.



She usually relaxes near the back and her rare ability to produce a sustained finish for some 600 metres meant that in her two Grade 1 wins she was able to start her final run earlier than the opposition did.



The impact was enhanced by the rain softened ground on the day, as the others were all being held up for longer than usual .



She gained five lengths in this way and the opposition were unable to catch her once they were given their heads.

It is not only the weather forecast that is in her favour for Saturday, but she should also get the strong pace she needs with Blue Tiger in the field.



Blue Tiger set a blistering pace last year and nearly stole the race, although the going was quick that day, so it’s not a given that he will employ the same tactics.



Dancewiththedevil beat a number of her opponents in Saturday’s weight for age event in the Grade 1 weight for age Horse Chestnut Stakes over 1600m, the runner up Earl Of Surrey by 5,5 lengths, Bulsara by 13 lengths and Kavanagh by 21,50 lengths, while Buy And Sell was tailed off.



Earl Of Surrey missed the break quite badly that day, losing two to three lengths, and could have got closer.



Gray makes him the one to beat, although he added that it is always a very exciting race because it brings the best horses from around the country together.

hi all

Huge highlight has to be race 3
some impressive sprinters with current form have accepted.

Well watching the replays from yesterday, one can't help but wonder if the decision to race (and keep on racing in the wet) yesterday was a clever move - I can't see how they can get the track to what it should be after the hammering it took yesterday; pity that one of the best race days on the calendar is probably going to be affected by shall we say 'uneven going' - I wonder how the connections of the 'big' horses feel about this?:S

oscar Wrote:

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> GO BULSARA..PLEEEZ


Oscar
Marshalls offering 5500/1 for Bulsara to win the double.

Excellent price methinks , worth a R100.00 sentimental bet. R550 000/100

Mike Bass has the most runners of any trainer in the three features at Clairwood’s Rising Sun Gold Challenge Racing Carnival on Saturday and said that all of them are doing well.



Bass runs Vodacom Durban July entries Super Storm, Fort Vogue, Hammie’s Boy and Brown Penny in the Grade 3 Cup Trial over 1800m.


“There are a lot of horses trying to qualify for the July and not enough races so unfortunately we have to run them together,” he said. “Super Storm is doing very well and will be at his peak. I think he is my best chance in the July this year so he will need to run well to qualify.”


With a total of 70mm of rain forecast up until Friday, the going might be soft on Saturday and Bass said of Super Storm’s chances of handling the going, “There is no reason why he shouldn’t go in it.”


Super Storm, who stayed on well in the Grade 2 Drill Hall in his Champions Season pipe opener over 1400m at Greyville, will prefer this trip and should be suited to Clairwood’s long straight as he is capable of producing a resolute finish.


Hammie’s Boy should also prefer Clairwood to Greyville where he was outpaced in the shorter straight when starting favourite for the Betting World Greyville 1900 and finishing unplaced. This horse has showed a touch of class before and looks to be a typical Bass-trained four-year-old coming into his own.


Fort Vogue was bitten by a spider just when looking to be going into the Champions Challenge in Johannesburg in fine form and had to endure swelling and severe pain for some three weeks.


He has recovered and Bass has battled against time to get him ready but he predicted he would run a good race, although it would “bring him on.”


He said Brown Penny was doing very well having needed his first start in Durban when running 2,3 lengths behind Paraguayito in a 1400m MR 96 Handicap at Greyville. He has proved before that he enjoys this trip.


Bass’s star filly Covenant is likely to start favourite for the Grade 2 Tibouchina Stakes over 1450m,despite drawing 11 out of 12.


The trip looks ideal for this sprint-miler and Bass said, “She took her run in the SA Fillies Sprint very well. If it’s wet the draw will be hard to overcome but she has class.”


He warned, “I’m not sure how she will go in the wet, she hasn’t raced in it before and she might not like it.”


He said Croc Valley was very well, although she might find the trip a bit on the sharp side.



In the Rising Sun Gold Challenge Bass runs last year’s runner up Blue Tiger as well as Castlethorpe, who has improved with gelding, and the versatile Rushing Wind.

He said, “Blue Tiger went a bit hard last time in the 1500m race against Bravura and wasn’t given much chance. This race suited him well last year, but in possible wet going this year it might be a bit difficult to repeat those front running tactics.”



Castlethorpe won his Champions Season debut via an objection when top weight over 1600m at Greyville in a MR95 Handicap.


He was hung on to by Ice Axe and this might have prevented him from changing gear late on, but Bass added, “He also needed the run. He will go very well, but this is a big ask of him and it’s hard to tell how well he will do.”


He concluded, “Rushing Wind didn’t enjoy Scottsville last time. He had a tough draw and after meeting interference he returned with a niggle in his back. He is honest and should run better this time.”


Bass makes Past Master the horse to beat in the Rising Sun Gold Challenge with Bravura his next choice. He said his own horses and Galileo’s Destiny are the ones to beat in the Cup Trial, while he made Headstrong the danger in the Tibouchina over a suitable trip for her.



ends

Darryl Hodgson said that his J&B Met winner Past Master, the favourite for Saturday's Rising Sun Gold Challenge at Clairwood, was in good shape but that the Vodacom Durban July was his chief mission.



“It is Hassen Adam’s dream to win the July, so he has been prepared with that race in mind. He will not be at 100% and this race will bring him to his peak. If something has been specifically conditioned and tuned up for this race he might get beaten.”



However, Past Master has surprised Hodgson before when not at his peak and actually missed two or three days of work with a problem before winning his Champions Season pipe opener, the Grade 2 Drill Hall over 1400m at Greyville, despite being pushed along for much of the journey.



“He loves to win,” said Hodgson.



He was not concerned about rain, pointing out that he won with the sting out of the ground in the Drill Hall.



His draw of nine was also of no concern as he said there was time in the back straight to overcome it coupled with a long run in.



Stephen Page runs Cask and Saluki in the Grade 3 Cup Trial over 1800m and he prefers the chances of Cask.



“They are both doing well. Cask has had one run in Durban (unplaced in the Betting World Greyville 1900) and has come on from that run. Saluki didn’t travel well from Cape Town, so missed his first intended run, but we have given him a gallop.”



Page said the July might still be an option for Cask if he runs well enough to qualify here, although he added that there were plenty of other races for him.



He didn’t foresee either of them having any problem handling soft going.



Paul Lafferty runs Goat in the Cup Trial and said, “We’re hoping she runs in the first three to cement her July place. We freshened her up after her Johannesburg campaign and she is doing very well. We gave her a grass gallop recently and she worked very well. There is rain forecast and she loves the wet. She has also won two features at this course before.”