VERY impressive is all that can be said about the winning performance of South Africa's top three-year-old, Dynasty, when he strode out smoothly to easily win the Grade 1, Daily News 2000 at Greyville Racecourse on Sunday.

Starting at 1-5, Dean Kannemeyer's beautiful son of Fort Wood left no one in any doubt that he is a worthy favourite for the Vodacom Durban July and that the main challenger among his peers, Yard-Arm, is going to have to be very good to match him in the country's biggest race on July 5.

His victory brought to a close a weekend of top-class racing at Greyville which began on Friday night with the running of the Grade 2, Astrapak Greyville 1900. As expected, it was a superb race with Geoff Woodruff's Badger Land gelding, Monet, quickening impressively through the field down the inside rail to win impressively.

The four-year-old was not phased by the slow pace and Mark Khan settled him nicely as Justin Snaith's Mambo dictated a very slow pace at the head of the field. He was tracked by Bianconi, Coastal News and Red Badge with the pace far too slow for the likes of Wolf Whistle.

The pace quickened up smartly in the home straight and as Mambo was overhauled Red Badge looked a candidate for honours with Delaware Park giving a lot of cheek. Wolf Whistle ran on well but nothing could match the finishing burst unleashed by Monet who flew through them to win from Delaware Park, Red Badge and Wolf Whistle.

Geoff Woodruff was patently very pleased with the gelding's performance, which will ensure him of a run in the Vodacom Durban July.

Sunday saw three feature events and punters had a winning bonanza. Favourites won in many of the races and Vodacom Durban July candidates performed well.

Brett Crawford's L'Esperance won the B Division Handicap where he beat Grim Tours and Princely Heir and, while it was a run full of merit, it was not likely to improve his big race chances that much other than he might hop up into the top 30 on the log.

The R110 000, Grade 3, Lonsdale Stirrup Cup was the first of the features and Mike de Kock's Oratory confirmed his status as one of the top handicappers in the country. Oratory and Amphitheatre confirmed the fact that there is not a great deal between them in taking first and second and Fantastic Horse ran on well for third place ahead of Almah and Highland Night. African Grey and Full Press failed to turn heads and their chances of a big race run could have slipped further away.

Apart from the performance of Dynasty, the winning run by Gary Alexander's Icy Air in the R250 000, Grade 2, Woolavington Stakes, was probably the most impressive of the day. Not that well placed in the early stages with MJ Odendaal racing her four wide, she moved into the home straight with Bacci and Tawny Run having got first run. Then as she began to make her challenge Tawny Run and Bacci had her well clamped between them and it was only determination and character that saw her fight her way to win by a long head.

Then the Daily News 2000, the race that was surrounded by controversy with only six runners standing their ground. In the end it was a good race and, even had the full 16 nominations taken their places in the race, it would be hard to see anything having beaten the star from Cape Town.

Dean Kannemeyer said after the race that it was the colt's final prep run for the Vodacom Durban July and he had "backed off" him slightly after his win in the Sunday Tribune South African Guineas. He said he could not have the colt stripped for a 2 000 metre race four weeks before the big race on July 5 and he had left something to work on. He was extremely pleased with the run.

He said he would have been happier with a stronger pace but that what really mattered was Dynasty had come through the race well and won impressively.

David Ferraris was pretty bullish before the race that Surveyor would make Dynasty work hard but alas, Dynasty showed the Western Winter gelding a clean pair of heels.

The question now is, how will Yard-Arm rate against Dynasty in the R1,5-million Vodacom Durban July? On a line through the SA Classic, there cannot be much between Surveyor and Yard-Arm so, can Dynasty give Yard-Arm 2kg over the though 2 200 metres? Only July 5 will tell. 

Issued by:  Gill Simpkins
Communications Officer
Gold Circle (Pty) Ltd