The weekend feature race action centres around Hollywoodbets Greyville today where a Vodacom Durban July stepping stone, the R175 000 Gr2 World Sports Betting 1900, heads a triple feature attraction on the Durban City track’s turf course.
With the unique ‘ghost’ Vodacom Durban July a matter of just over five weeks away, the tussle for one of the eighteen likely starting positions in a race – even with a substantially watered down stake – that every owner wants to just be a part of, never mind win, is well under way.
Snaith’s 2013 1900 winner Jet Explorer (Pic – Gold Circle)
Weighted on merit rating bands, the World Sports Betting 1900 is an important July prep race and while not a golden ticket event, the winner gets a ‘preferred entry’ sticker from the VDJ selection panel
History shows that a few smart sorts have achieved the diamond double.
The 2019 victor Eyes Wide Open went on to finish fourth behind Do It Again, and the 2018 winner Elusive Silva was third.
The 2015 and 2016 July winners both ran in the 1900. Dean Kannemeyer’s Power King finished second, while the Joey Ramsden Australian-bred The Conglomerate ran fourth in his prep.
But one of the fairytales was the feat of the late Dessie Rich, a trainer and dairy farmer from the Natal Midlands, who caused a turn-up for the books with outsider Lightning Shot winning under Dennis Mustard in 1977.
The shock winner has had his name engraved into the history books, with a popular watering hole at Hollywoodbets Greyville named in his honour.
To add to the big-race drama, there was an upheaval in the winner’s enclosure after Lightning Shot was led in‚ when a visitor in a transparent silver outfit embraced the horse and had to be led away. She was later taken to Addington Hospital with a severe rash as she was allergic to these beautiful animals.
The stewards invited the winning trainer to the committee lounge for a drink, but he had to decline as he was in a rush to get home to milk the cows.
1995 Gr2 Greyville 1900 is won by Zelator
Although not the last chance saloon for the July hopefuls, victory in the WSB 1900 will almost certainly ensure a watertight argument for entry into the country’s biggest race. A dozen of the 13 carded runners on Saturday hold July tickets – so there is a lot to play.
The Snaith Strategy team have kept Anton Marcus’ mount Belgarion wrapped up in cotton-wool and well out of reach of the handicappers’ paws this term in order to bring him into the July off a fighting weight. He is currently at tenth on the big-race log.
Big July plans – Belgarion runs well fresh (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
A winner of 5 of his 7 starts, the lightly-raced Dynasty gelding hasn’t seen action since winning the Gr2 Peninsula Handicap at Kenilworth on 11 January.
Belgarion only beat Herodotus and Majestic Mozart there but won that with authority off a 15 week break – and can repeat.
He did gallop with stablemate Do It Again over a mile on the Drill Hall Stakes raceday on 7 June, so shouldn’t be too rusty.
Another contender capable of, and certainly needing a big run on Saturday, is the Highlands-bred Born To Perform – a fellow with some ground to make up but a grey with a July pedigree if there ever was one!
Born To Perform – had a prep run (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
His multiple SA Champion sire Silvano produced the trifecta in the 2015 Vodacom Durban July, and has four July winners to his name – Bold Silvano, Heavy Metal, Power King and the 2017 hero, Marinaresco.
The Dennis Bosch-trained Born To Perform’s dam Dancer’s Daughter, by Shadwell stallion Act One, dead-heated with the Jet Master champion Pocket Power in the 2008 renewal of the July.
So Born To Perform has no excuses to go all the way. He has had the benefit of a run under the belt – and goes well at Hollywoodbets Greyville.
The other features on Saturday are the R125 000 Gr3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup and the R85 000 Listed East Coast Cup (F&M).
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