Saturday is D-Day for Justin Snaith’s one-time boom Silvano gelding Black Arthur. There is no question that the Gr3 Cup Trial is a Vodacom Durban July make or break race for the 4yo.
Last chance? The classy Black Arthur
The lightly raced gelding couldn’t find a berth on the first July log, although the bookmakers sided with their ‘friend’ and marked him as one of their fancied runners;
Justin Snaith – popular pose
While the winner of this race will be guaranteed a run in the Champions Cup on Saturday, 29 July, it will be the July ‘preferred inclusion’ clause that Justin Snaith and his owners will be keen to secure.
The Cup Trial includes six July hopefuls.
A boom 3yo, Black Arthur has not won since his KZN Guineas success over Rabada in May 2016.
While he has only run four times since, the Cup Trial topweight has looked a shadow of his early self and never showed in the Drill Hall Stakes when tenth of fourteen.
Anthony Delpech is in the saddle again.
The SP top-rated Trophy Wife is a hard knocking mare, capable of delivering a big effort.
Trophy Wife – SP top-rated
She has not won in a year but has been on the fringes of her own-sex features at her last three starts and will strip fit.
The Michaelmas Handicap winner Celtic Captain is a decent 4yo and returns from a failed attempt on the Gr1 Premier’s Champions Challenge, when beaten 7,25 lengths by Deo Juvente.
Celtic Captain – likes this track
He will be far more comfortable in this handicap back at home base and deserves inclusion in bigger perms.
Adam Marcus’ good stayer Royal Badge finished an eyecatching fourth (beaten 2,40 lengths) over a mile behind Nebula last time and meets the Crawford runner on 3kgs better terms here.
He ran third behind Marinaresco in the Winter Classic last term and looks a possible quartet inclusion at best.
The Gr3 Algoa Cup winner Nebula hails from the in-form Brett Crawford string and won a cracker on the poly in his first start here, this season.
Nebula – won well last time
That was a fair prep beating Baritone easily and on his best Cape summer form, comes into the equation.
Anton Marcus rides the first of the Geoff Woodruff runners, Master Switch.
The Jet Master gelding has never won a feature race and needs a major performance to play himself back into a July berth.
His stablemate Go Direct is a half kilo worse off for a neck beating at his penultimate start and there should be little between them here.
Crowd Pleaser impressed on the Greyville polytrack last time when beating subsequent Daily News 2000 winner Edict Of Nantes by 1,75 lengths in receipt of 6kgs.
He has failed at two feature bids but the handicap conditions give him a big chance here with a handy galloping weight of 53kgs.
Elusive Silva – could be a runner
The Winter Derby winner Elusive Silva returned after a ten month break to win the Listed Sledgehammer at his first start in KZN.
He was earmarked as a July dark horse, but then ran below his best in the Gr2 Betting World 1900 when beaten 3,25 lengths by Ten Gun Salute, in receipt of 2kgs.
This should be a hotly contested handicap.
If Black Arthur puts his best foot forward, he must rate a great chance – but the likes of Trophy Wife, Nebula and his stablemate Elusive Silva won’t be far off.
