Mike de Kock has scratched his three-year-old gelding Silver Flyer from the race after the son of Silvano failed to feature in the Grade 3 Cup Trial over 1 800m at Clairwood on Saturday. The gelding, that had been one of the runners expected to feature strongly in the race, could only finish in 11th place with just two runners behind him. De Kock also scratched all of Main Dane, Safwan, Right Beauty, Mozart's Giovanni, Red Barrel, Empenoso Henn, Flirtation, Checcetti and Berry Blaze.
Also taken out yesterday was the Joey Ramsden-trained Bravura with both horses having been in the top 20 on the Vodacom Durban July Log. No reason was given for either withdrawal.
The day also saw De Kock supplementing the three-year-old Jet Master filly Viva Maria into the race which came as no surprise after the filly thrashed the opposition in the R500 000, Grade 1 Woolavington 2000 at Greyville on June 2.
Also supplemented into the race was the Gavin van Zyl-trained three-year-old Eton Square that won the Grade 2 Betting World Jubilee Handicap over 1 800m at Turffontein on Sunday. The Miesque’s Approval gelding bred by Scott Bros had only run three times before the race for two seconds and a first and in winning the Betting World Jubilee Handicap he beat a number of Vodacom Durban July candidates.
His merit rating has been boosted from an 88 to 101 and as an improving three-year-old with obvious talent, he could challenge for a place in the final field.
