Cruise Control won eleven races in Gqeberha and made a cracking KZN debut in the Gr 1 Golden Horse Sprint (Pauline Herman Photography)
Duncan Howell has two runners with lively chances on Hollywoodbets Durban July day, the Gr 2 Post Merchants favourite Cruise Control and the Gr 1 Ridgemont Garden Province outsider Asiye Phambili.
He said, “They’re both exceptionally well. Obviously, they are competitive races, but I do believe both will still give very, very good accounts of themselves.”
He said about the four-year-old Querari gelding Cruise Cointrol, who was only given a one point raise for his excellent 0,30 length fourth in the Gr 1 Golden Horse Sprint, “He arrived three weeks before that race, then he had a little bit of colic, and I think if he’d been here another two weeks he would probably have found that little bit more in the finish.”
Cruise Control showed excellent natural pace in the Golden Horse and looked the winner at the 100m mark before finding no extra and being caught by Lucky Lad, At My Command and I Am Giant, all of whom have speed and class. He was only receiving half-akilogram from Lucky Lad and At My Command and ran at level weight with I Am Giant.
Ducan added, “He has improved lengths since that last run. I think we all had our doubts when he came from the East Cape. But what I’ve seen from the horse, he is well above average. Obviously, it is a handicap so you have to respect the other horses, but I think he is a decent sprinter.”
Cruise Control has been around the turn before on the Fairview poly and he has a good draw of five here with Sean Veale staying aboard.
Duncan expects him to stay all the way to the line this time.
Cruise Control has shortened from 7/1 into 5/1 favourite.
Duncan said about the What A Winter filly Asiye Phambili, “I can’t believe the price about her (20/1). I think it’s a very open race and my personal opinion on the horse, and this is only my personal opinion, I don’t believe she’s a horse that does well on the left-hand turn. At Kenilworth (where she ran around the turn in the Gr 1 Majorca Stakes over 1600m and the Gr 2 Prix du Cap over 1400m) she never seems to be balanced coming into the straight. If you look at her running up the straight at Kenilworth, when she ran second in the Gr 2 Cartier Sceptre Stakes, she produced a hell of a good turn of foot. Whereas when she swings into the straight at Kenilworth, it’s almost like she’s leading on the wrong leg, and she doesn’t get comfortable up the straight and stays at the same pace.”
Asiye Phambili won three in a row over 1600m in KZN, all on right hand tracks, before departing for Cape Town, one at Hollywoodbets Scottsville, one on the poly and one on the Hollywoodbets Greyville turf.
Duncan believes she does have a stamina doubt, but he believes she just gets the mile at Hollywoodbets Greyville.
He said, “I don’t think a longer run suits her. Greyville has a nice short straight and she’s got a hell of a turn of foot.”
What augurs well is that the last time she won over course and distance was in soft going, suggesting she does have enough stamina for the trip.
She has draw seven and Rachel Vennniker is aboard.
Rachel was aboard in the Gr 1 SA Fillies Sprint when the filly pecked badly just after the start and she had no chance of staying aboard. That was a pity because Duncan had fancied her strongly that day.
