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Trainer Mike Bass may send English Garden straight to the G1 Durban July without another start after his impressive Progress Plate win at Greyville last Friday night.

Bass said: “I wasn't going to run English Garden on Friday but when I saw that he was drawn 27 in the Betting World 1900 on May 22, I decided to let him take his chance.

“Chesalon runs in the 1900 and, while I could also run English Garden, they might not let him into the July if he runs badly from that draw.

"Therefore I may just leave it at that. He will have to get into the July now because he didn't just beat the opposition, he thrashed them."

English Garden was third in last year's Durban July but such are the conditions that current form has a big bearing on the final field.

Bass confirmed that last year's Cape Flying Championship winner What A Winter will run in the Golden Horse Casino Sprint at Scottsville on May 26 despite a certain big weight.

“Where else would I go with him?” Bass said

Dean Kannemeyer's flying two-year-old Cape Royal arrived in Durban eight days ago and is being primed for the Tsogo Sun Medallion on the same day.

Kannemeyer said: “It would have been ideal to get another race under his belt before he left but he had a slight setback – with mucus in his lungs – and couldn't run.

"However he travelled well and assuming all goes according to plan he will run at Scottsville.”

Stable companion Divine Jet had a successful operation last Tuesday and will make a return to racing next season.

Kannemeyer reported: “He jarred his near-fore knee and chipped a bone in his final sprint two days before the KRA Guineas.

"It was a big blow as Divine Jet is a very exciting horse. The chip came out clean and we will leave the colt to recover in the Durban sunshine.”

J & B Met winner Past Master is now with Mike Stewart at Noordhoek so that the former Darryl Hodgson-trained gelding can benefit from sea water treatment on his tendons after two break downs.

Stewart said: “He will come right but it is going to take some time.”

Three Durban July entries – Tribal Dance, Vettel and Castlethorpe - won at Clairwood and Arlington on Sunday.

At Arlington In Port Elizabeth the Vaughan Marshall-trained three-year-old Tribal Dance continued his improvement with a comfortable victory in the G3 East Cape Derby over 2400m.

He looks likely to stay further so he might be a prospect for the G1 Ladbrokes Gold Cup over 3200m on July 28 on Super Saturday at Greyville in prerfence to the 2000m of the Durban July.

At Clairwood the Highland Night Cup over 2500m saw the Mike de Kock-trained Vettel win in good style and could also be a contender for the Gold Cup.

Castlethorpe showed he is coming into his own as a four-year-old like many Mike Bass-trained horses when waltzing away to win a competitive Pinnacle Stakes event over 1200m.

He suffered bad interference in last year's July and has now won his last two races over 1200m following a six month layoff.

Castlethorpe has many options open to him now as he is entered in the Golden Horse Casino Sprint at Scottsville on May 26 as well as the Rising Sun Gold Challenge over 1600m on June 9 at Clairwood.

Black Wing, now trained by Brett Crawford, will be arriving in KZN three weeks before the R1 million KZN Breeders over 1600m at Greyville on July 1. He will also target the G1 Champions Cup over 1800m at Greyville on Super Saturday July 28.

Sean Tarry says his SA Derby dead-heater Pomodoro had “freshened up” nicely since arriving at Clairwood a week ago and the G1 Daily News 2000 on June 2 would be his likely target.

Trainer Wendy Whitehead has G2 KRA Fillies Guineas runner up Reason To Believe set for the G2 Tibouchina over 1400m at Clairwood on June 9.