Millionaires in a Material World

Good news and a welcome measure of innovation accompanied the announcement of the 71 entries for the Gr1 Vodacom Durban July to be run for a stake of R3 million at Greyville Racecourse on 7 July.

Opportune timing by Gold Circle at a Champions Season function to celebrate the launch of South Africa’s premier horseracing season, saw Chairman Robert Mauvis announce a stake increase of 8% for minor races and the reinstatement of the fifth place stake. While stagnant prize purses have fallen into a one-placed also-ran behind the cost of racing horses, the gesture is a long overdue step in the right direction. And is 8% better than nothing at all.

Reserve Runners

Of great interest is also the welcome introduction of two reserve runners to accompany the final Vodacom Durban July field of twenty horses. The scratching of the Sean Tarry runner Vertical Takeoff after the final field was announced for the 2011 running of Africa’s greatest horserace, caused much debate amongst owners and trainers.

Imagine Slumdogmillionaire - priced up second favourite- winning the July against the background of the fashion theme for this year’s event ‘A Material World’

It makes no sense to deny the next in line a run, when they are literally queing up to get a slice of the action. Reduced field sizes also impact negatively, albeit marginally, on betting turnover. The two reserve runners will replace any horse withdrawn on or before 12h00 on Tuesday, 26 June 2012.

The big surprise at the announcement was the absence amongst Mike De Kock’s record 21 strong draft of July possibles of last year’s brilliant winner and our Equus Horse Of The Year, Igugu. The Dubai-bound Galileo filly, a winner of the 2011 Sascoc Triple Tiara and the 2012 J&B Met, will be holed up for extended periods in quarantine facilities courtesy of archaic bureaucratically scarred export protocols.

Igugu enters the Kenilworth quarantine station on 6 May and on 25 May will fly to Mauritius for a further three months quarantine. She then flies to Britain, where she will spend a month before she can be flown to Dubai. Do the calculations yourself– it borders on the ridiculous.

Point To Prove

The fast-rising Rock Of Gibraltar star Europa Point is the most fancied De Kock entrant as an early third favourite and her run in Saturday’s R2 million Gr1 President’s Champions Challenge will be watched with great interest. She bumps Bravura in that one and Joey Ramsden’s son of Silvano is also a July entrant.

Phillipi based Brett Crawford has the distinction and undoubted pressure of training the early favourite Jackson. The three year old son of former July winner Dynasty won the Investec Cape Derby in facile fashion and he takes his next step on his July climb to glory in the KRA Guineas at Greyville next Saturday.

While there is plenty of water still to flow under the bridge, the young star will carry a minimum of a hefty 57kgs in the first week of July. He would be the fourth consecutive three year old to win the July. The Bookies have not donned their Father Christmas suits either by pricing him at what seems a trifle thrifty 3-1.

Champagne

The brilliant Summerhill Stud-bred son of Parade leader Pierre Jourdan will be aiming to return to Greyville to improve on his second placing behind Igugu last year. A colourful character of a horse, he changed hands recently at an auction to dissolve a partnership and his new ownership will be looking to justify and recoup the R1,6 million that they paid for him. That is a far cry from his original R60 000 price tag. He remains with the Gary Alexander yard and he will be a big factor.

Gavin Van Zyl’s exciting SA Classic winner Slumdogmillionaire is priced up second favourite behind Jackson at 8-1 and looks the sort that should be well suited to the Greyville circuit. He is the horse that has everything going for him in looks and natural athletic ability. He is also ready to grab the public imagination and is the stuff of media dreams. One can only imagine Slumdogmillionaire winning it against the background of the fashion theme for this year’s event- ‘A Material World?’

Logistics

Dates to note: First supplementary entries close on 15 May and final supplementary entries on 11 June. Weights will be published on 12 June.

The announcement of the final field and the barrier draw will take place on Thursday, 21 June at a function usually held in the Stewards Dining Room at Greyville Racecourse. The compulsory public gallops will be held at Greyville on Thursday 28 June

FIRST ENTRIES for the Gr1 Vodacom Durban July

 HORSE               A/S  WGT  M/R   TRAINER

BRAVURA            (5G)  0.0 116 B Joey Ramsden

DANCEWITHTHEDEVIL  (5M)  0.0 116   St John Gray

JACKSON            (3C)  0.0 116   Brett Crawford

PIERRE JOURDAN     (5G)  0.0 114 B Gary Alexander

TALES OF BRAVERY   (5G)  0.0 113   Vaughan Marshall

ILSANPIETRO (BRZ)  (5G)  0.0 111 C Mike de Kock

CHESALON           (4G)  0.0 110   Mike Bass

SEAL               (4G)  0.0 110 B Gavin van Zyl

SILVER FLYER       (3C)  0.0 109 B Mike de Kock

SLUMDOGMILLIONAIRE (3C)  0.0 109   Gavin van Zyl

CASTLETHORPE (AUS) (4G)  0.0 108   Mike Bass

ENGLISH GARDEN     (4G)  0.0 108   Mike Bass

EUROPA POINT (IRE) (5M)  0.0 108 B Mike de Kock

LION IN WINTER     (5G)  0.0 108   Joey Ramsden

POMODORO           (3C)  0.0 108   Sean Tarry

SMANJEMANJE        (5G)  0.0 108 B Tyrone Zackey

ASTRO NEWS         (3G)  0.0 107   Greg Ennion

BEACH BEAUTY       (4F)  0.0 107   Dennis Drier

EBONY FLYER        (4F)  0.0 107   Justin Snaith

JET JAMBOREE       (4C)  0.0 106   Dominic Zaki

SOLO TRAVELLER     (4G)  0.0 106   Mike de Kock

TOP SELLER         (4C)  0.0 106 B Vaughan Marshall

EMERALD COVE       (4F)  0.0 105   Justin Snaith

EMPENOSO HENN (ARG (4G)  0.0 105   Mike de Kock

GALANTHUS          (5G)  0.0 105   Tyrone Zackey

TRIBAL DANCE       (3C)  0.0 105   Vaughan Marshall

BERRY BLAZE (IRE)  (4F)  0.0 104   Mike de Kock

BULSARA            (5G)  0.0 104 B Gavin van Zyl

E-JET              (3C)  0.0 104   Sean Tarry

GALILEO'S DESTINY  (4C)  0.0 104   Mike de Kock

THUNDER DANCE      (3F)  0.0 104   Brett Crawford

CAPTAIN'S WILD     (5G)  0.0 103   Mike de Kock

FLIRTATION         (5M)  0.0 103   Mike de Kock

SAFWAN (AUS)       (5G)  0.0 103   Mike de Kock

WITHOUT MALICE     (4F)  0.0 103   George Scott

CAYMEN ISLAND      (6G)  0.0 102   Yogas Govender

GOLDEN CHARIOT     (7G)  0.0 102   Sean Tarry

GOLDEN CHATEAU (AU (3C)  0.0 102 B Mike de Kock

WHITELINE FEVER    (3G)  0.0 102   Sean Tarry

BUY AND SELL       (8G)  0.0 101   Sean Tarry

BAY ROUTE          (5G)  0.0 100   Deon Visser

HOUSE OF WAX       (4G)  0.0 100 B Geoff Woodruff

ILHA BELA          (3F)  0.0 100   Mike de Kock

POLAR BOUND        (4G)  0.0 100   Brett Crawford

PRINCESS OF LIGHT  (4F)  0.0 100   Geoff Woodruff

SOUL MASTER        (4G)  0.0 100   Geoff Woodruff

GOLD ONYX (NZ)     (4G)  0.0  99   Sean Tarry

ATLANTIC OAK (GB)  (5M)  0.0  98   Mike de Kock

CHECCETTI          (4F)  0.0  97 B Mike de Kock

RIGHT BEAUTY       (3G)  0.0  97   Mike de Kock

NORTHERN EMPEROR ( (3G)  0.0  96   Charles Laird

RED BARREL         (3G)  0.0  96   Mike de Kock

RIO CARNIVAL (AUS) (3C)  0.0  96   Charles Laird

SAGE THRONE        (4G)  0.0  96   Colin Scott

ZAMBUCCA           (3C)  0.0  96   Saeed Mohideen

HEAVY METAL        (3G)  0.0  95   Sean Tarry

ROYAL BENCHER      (3G)  0.0  95   Alec Laird

GORONGOSA (IRE)    (5M)  0.0  94 B Mike de Kock

TAIPAN             (3C)  0.0  94   Dean Kannemeyer

BARACAH            (3C)  0.0  93 B Sean Tarry

MASTER PLAN        (3G)  0.0  93   Greg Ennion

GREY COSSACK       (5G)  0.0  91   Herman Brown/Frank Robinson

ICE DIAMOND        (5G)  0.0  88   Glen Puller

STORM SAGAZ (ARG)  (5G)  0.0  88 B Yogas Govender

EXTRA COVER        (5G)  0.0  86   Alec Laird

IRON GREY          (4G)  0.0  86   Mike de Kock

PREMIUM WOOD       (3G)  0.0  85   Yogas Govender

CANTERBURY TALE    (3G)  0.0  83   Mike de Kock

MAIN DANE (AUS)    (3G)  0.0  83   Mike de Kock

VETTEL (ARG)       (3C)  0.0  83   Mike de Kock

MOZART'S GIOVANNI  (3C)  0.0  82   Mike de Kock       

71 entries