Just on 50 quality horses have been nominated for the two stamina races to be run over 2 400m under the Track And Ball banner as the Derby and Oaks in KwaZulu-Natal at Scottsville in Pietermaritzburg on June 22. View the latest betting from Hollywoodbets below.
Picture: Liege
Originally run as the traditional classic events, the Track And Ball Derby and Track And Ball Oaks were converted to open weight-for-age contests with runners carrying penalties for winning Graded races.
When nominations fell due on Monday, 25 entries were received for the Track And Ball Derby and 24 for the Track And Ball Oaks and both included a number of accomplished middle distance and staying runners that will ensure very competitive races on the day.
The “Derby” entries include the likes of Charles from the Brett Crawford stable, the R6-million Trippi colt that ran up to expectations when just going down by about a neck to Atyaab in the Investec Cape Derby. The colt is an entry for the Vodacom Durban July and is on the outside looking in for selection.
Liege, the six-year-old Dynasty gelding that caused an upset when running out an easy winner of the Lonsdale Stirrup Cup, has been entered along with Gimme One Night and Silver Rose that followed him home while The Sledgehammer runner-up, Roy Had Enough, that is also a Vodacom Durban July hopeful, has been nominated.
The entries for the Track And Ball Oaks include the smart three-year-old Silvano filly Blossom from the Mike de Kock stable that finished in the first three in each of the SA Classic, Gauteng Oaks and Grade 1 Woolavington 2000 and Geoff Woodruff’s classy four-year-old Silvano filly Sunshine Silk that thrashed the opposition in both the Caradoc Gold Cup and the Gold Bowl at Turffontein.
Woodruff has also nominated his Elusive Fort filly Secret Potion that ran a good third to Return Flight in the Gerald Rosenberg at the Highveld venue.
Justin Snaith has entered The Scarlet Lady winner Miyabi Gold, the stable hoping she will hold her place in the Vodacom Durban July field being 18th on the official July Log. Also among the entries is the Duke Of Marmalade filly Seville Orange that was third in the Gauteng Oaks and fourth in the Grade 1 Woolavington 2000.
Supplementary entries for the two races close at 11am on Friday, June 14, with final declarations on Monday, June 17.
Journalist: Richard McMillan (Gold Circle).
Ante-Post Fields
TRACK AND BALL DERBY (Grade 3)
| Horse | Odds | Trainer | MR |
| Ancestry | 20/1 | Joey Ramsden | 81 |
| Ballad Of The Sea (AUS) |
66/1 | Candice Bass-Robinson | 79 |
| Banjo On My Knee |
100/1 | Dean Kannemeyer | 72 |
| Cedar Man |
25/1 | Greg Ennion | 92 |
| Charles | 6/1 | Brett Crawford | 104 |
| Dawn Assault |
8/1 | St John Gray | 106 |
| Elusive Silva |
14/1 | Justin Snaith | 103 |
| Gimme One Night |
10/1 | Brett Crawford | 92 |
| Insignis | 10/1 | Geoff Woodruff | 102 |
| Liege | 13/2 | Sean Tarry | 100 |
| Major Return |
33/1 | M G Azzie/A A Azzie | 80 |
| Mangrove | 33/1 | Yvette Bremner | 92 |
| Mr Winsome |
25/1 | Dean Kannemeyer | 84 |
| Pacific Chestnut |
33/1 | Candice Bass-Robinson | 91 |
| Paths Of Victory |
33/1 | Gareth van Zyl | 89 |
| Roy Had Enough (AUS) |
7/1 | Frank Robinson | 108 |
| Seattle Force |
16/1 | Stuart Pettigrew | 89 |
| Secret Potion |
25/2 | Geoff Woodruff | 102 |
| Silva’s Bullet |
14/1 | Dean Kannemeyer | 91 |
| Silver Rose |
25/2 | Andre Nel | 97 |
| Strathdon | 7/1 | Justin Snaith | 101 |
| The Sultans Bazaar |
14/1 | Dean Kannemeyer | 90 |
| Top Classman |
33/1 | Paul Lafferty | 84 |
| Walter Smoothie |
20/1 | Stuart Pettigrew | 95 |
| White Lightning |
33/1 | Paul Lafferty | 80 |
Prices are subject to change. E&OE.
TRACK AND BALL OAKS (Grade 3)
| Horse | Odds | Trainer | MR |
| Blossom | 33/10 | Mike de Kock | 104 |
| Bondiblu | 40/1 | Weiho Marwing | 82 |
| Chariot Of Gold |
33/1 | Sean Tarry | 82 |
| Dynasty’s Blossom |
25/2 | Joey Ramsden | 93 |
| Expedite | 25/1 | Glen Kotzen | 86 |
| Factor Fifty |
50/1 | Louis Goosen | 86 |
| Flichity By Farr |
14/1 | Alyson Wright | 93 |
| Fresnaye | 10/1 | Joey Ramsden | 104 |
| Gottalottaluv | 25/1 | Stuart Pettigrew | 81 |
| Insignis | 8/1 | Geoff Woodruff | 102 |
| Just One More |
150/1 | Jeff Freedman | 67 |
| Miyabi Gold |
11/2 | Justin Snaith | 105 |
| Orient Express |
125/1 | Dean Kannemeyer | 63 |
| Parisienne Chic |
66/1 | St John Gray | 78 |
| Princess Irene |
16/1 | Brett Crawford | 95 |
| Pumpkin Queen |
66/1 | Dean Kannemeyer | 79 |
| Roy’s Riviera (AUS) |
8/1 | Frank Robinson | 97 |
| Sabina’s Dynasty |
13/2 | Brett Crawford | 105 |
| Secret Potion |
25/2 | Geoff Woodruff | 102 |
| Seville Orange |
25/2 | Lucky Houdalakis | 102 |
| Sister Soozie |
75/1 | Andre Nel | 71 |
| Snapscan | 50/1 | Glen Kotzen | 89 |
| Sunshine Silk |
7/1 | Geoff Woodruff | 95 |
| Woodstock Fairy |
66/1 | Candice Bass-Robinson | 70 |
Prices are subject to change. E&OE.
