Cape trainer Joey Ramsden said this week that his Vodacom
Durban July contender Silver Mist is thriving in Durban and
his current work has been superb in preparation for Africa’s
Greatest Horseracing Event at Greyville Racecourse on 7 July
2007.
Ramsden was not too happy with Silver Mist’s draw of 12
saying that one would always want to be in the top 10.
However the pace of the race is irrelevant to him.
Silver Mist came with a late burst to finish third, just
1,5 lengths behind the winner Succesful Bidder, in the Grade
II Drill Hall Stakes over 1400m in his first Durban start
in early May. This showed that the four-year-old grey by
Western Winter can match strides with the best of them over
an extended sprint trip but, equally, he has form over 2400m,
finishing second to Pocket Power in last season’s Grade
III Winter Derby at Kenilworth.
Neither is Ramsden concerned about the going on the day
as Silver Mist has done equally well in both wet and firm
conditions.
His chief concern is “which Silver Mist pitches up on the
day”. Ramsden said that Silver Mist is a very good horse
when the mood strikes him but has disappointed on occasion.
He said that, although he had left a little bit to work
on for the July, he certainly wasn’t using the recent Gold
Challenge as a preparation run for his charge. He wanted
to win that 1600m Grade I race at Clairwood and was disappointed
with the grey’s effort in which he failed to make much impression
in the straight, finishing 4,15 lengths behind the winner,
who was once again Succesful Bidder, after turning for home
about seven lengths back. Silver Mist carries the same weight
of 55kg as Succesful Bidder in the Vodacom Durban July so
will have his work cut out to reverse the form.
Ramsden did point out that Silver Mist has excellent form
on tight racetracks. The gelding has won his last four starts
at Durbanville and his run in the Drill Hall Stakes proved
that he handles a tight right-hand track just as well.
He should therefore be ideally suited to Greyville.
However Ramsden is under no illusions as to the position
of Silver Mist on the contender’s log, as it were, and was
consequently reluctant to refer to any other horses as “dangers”.
Instead he said that he fancied the Sean Tarry pair of
Succesful Bidder and Buy and Sell whom he said have both
had excellent preparations. He also has respect for the
Geoff Woodruff-trained Ravishing whom he reckons is an unknown
quantity and for Pocket Power whom he regards as the best
horse in the country.
