Alastor, winner of the J&B Met in Cape Town earlier this year and looking for another “big three” win at Greyville on Saturday, is in top condition and, “with a bit of luck in running”, will be right there at the finish of the R2-million Vodacom Durban July.

Trainer Sean Tarry was calm and collected today when discussing the chances of the six-year-old Al Mufti gelding who, in spite of his J&B Met win, is on offer at 40-1 in a very open-looking race.

Alastor needs to win Saturday’s Grade 1 race at Greyville and then the R2.5-million Gommagomma Summer Cup later in the year to win the R2-million bonus in the SA Champion Of Champions Series.

The gelding has come through his preparation for Saturday’s 2 200 metre clash at Greyville in perfect condition and “everything is on track” for the gelding who followed up his J&B Met success with another comfortable win in the Hawaii Stakes at Turffontein.

Since coming to Durban, Alastor ran third by half a length to Winter Solstice in the Drill Hall Stakes then finished less than two lengths behind Winter Solstice in the Gold Challenge at Clairwood after having to ease at the 200 metre mark.

“He has not got a good draw for the Vodacom Durban July so we will have to drop him out. We did that with him in the Gold Challenge and he ran on well so I am not worried about that.”

Tarry said he was quite confident Alastor will get the 2 200 metres of the big race comfortably.

In veteran jockey Garth Puller, who rode him to victory in the J&B Met, Alastor has probably the best rider in the country in the art of playing the waiting game and bringing a horse home from off the pace.