Months of blood, sweat and tears will climax in just over two minutes of competition at Greyville today where an eclectic cocktail of luck, genius, class and ability will decide the winner of a prized trophy that everybody wants to lift.
Vodacom Durban July winners enjoy an automatic passport into South African horseracing’s history books – who will wear the coveted crown in 2018?
Jamaican Music – won the July in 1976 under the late Bert Abercrombie
First run in 1897, the race is weighted on handicap terms over the 2200m track, and while the barrier gate must play a role, the right horse can often win from anywhere.
One of three runners for our reigning SA champion trainer in the field, Sean Tarry’s perennial slow starter Matador Man is the Sporting Post top-rated runner and comes in off an eyecatching third place behind Elusive Silva in the Betting World 1900, where he got into all kinds of trouble, yet still found a good finish and respectable placing.
Matador Man -stamina doubts
He has stamina doubts at 2200m. His wide draw won’t bother his experienced July winning rider S’manga Khumalo, and if the pace isn’t on, his stamina worries have no consequence as he can turn on the pace if it develops into a rush for home.
African Night Sky – deserving favourite
The current – and deserving – race favourite is the Justin Snaith trained African Night Sky, a 4yo who has enjoyed a near perfect prep. His on the fringe performance in the Sun Met six months ago has had him in the fancied ranks of the July ever since. The son of the 2003 winner Dynasty was only the second horse in history to lift the Cape Winter Series Trophy in 2017 and won the Cup Trial – after a host of obstacles – at his last start. This race has been his target all season and there are many people in the know who suggest that this magnificent physical specimen will produce the goods.
Majestic Mambo – headed for Dubai
The Gr1 Daily News 2000 runner-up Majestic Mambo has his last start here before heading for Dubai and the classy Gauteng raider will only have benefitted from his big last showing at the track. While he has drawn wide, the magnificent son of Mambo In Seattle must be right in the action if he enjoys some luck in running – something that has eluded him often and compounded by his relaxed dawdle and dash style of racing.
A revitalised character since gelding, Sean Tarry’s Tilbury Fort comes in just a half kilo under sufferance and has been carded the widest draw. He finished 6 lengths behind Marinaresco in this race last year as a 3yo, but is a different proposition this time. With Lyle Hewitson headed for a rare SA championship title as an apprentice, a win for a fit and ready Tilbury Fort would crown a dream season for the young man.
.Gold Standard – much better than his form suggests
Glen Kotzen, who won the race in 2009 with Big City Life, saddles Gold Standard, a talented son of Trippi who is yet to find his best 3yo form. He was beaten into fourth in the Green Point Stakes in early December behind Legal Eagle and his three subsequent starts in Gr1’s – the Queen’s Plate, the Sun Met and the Gold Challenge have not been bad efforts – but he just hasn’t shown the sparkle of old.
SA Triple Crown winner Abashiri has been down this road before, but looks a stronger and more well-rounded athlete from the 3yo that was thrown in the deep end. While he has not won in ages, he ran on well for second behind Coral Fever in the Premier’s Champions Challenge and then stayed on solidly over a 1400m pipe-opener last time. From a 2 draw and with the master Piere Strydom in the saddle, he looks to have been prepped for a big run and has plenty in his favour.
Guineas winner Do It Again – worth another chance
Daisy Guineas winner Do It Again was slightly disappointing last time when lacking spark and running fourth (1.25 lengths) behind Surcharge in the Daily News. That slightly flat effort has been put down to a second run after a rest and the Investec Derby runner-up can confirm his ability with Anton Marcus in the irons. His wide draw can ensure he stays out of trouble – in the words of his trainer.
Two-time winning son of Trippi White River was placed in the Byerley Turk and the Daisy Guineas before running under two lengths fifth to Surcharge in the Gr1 Daily News 2000. A horse with behavioural issues which don’t help his cause, he really needs to find his better Cape summer form to have any chance of featuring.
Summer Cup winner Liege
The 2017 Gr1 Summer Cup winner Liege had his intended Gold Challenge prep interrupted through a Barrier Trial certification misunderstanding and subsequently stretched in a 1400m event at Turffontein. The son of Dynasty has drawn very wide and his limited racing exposure raises fitness concerns.
Star Express comes in off a smart second to The Secret Is Out in the Gr2 Tibouchina Stakes last time after beating African Night Sky (in receipt of 2,5kgs) at her penultimate start. Fit and in good form, she has stamina limitations, which could be exposed in this race – but the pace has a question mark hanging over it.
Daisy Fillies Guineas winner Fiorella came to prominence with a great win over Cape champion Snowdance in the KZN classic and then proved that she was no one-hit wonder when pressurising Sun Met winner Oh Susanna to be beaten only a half length in the Gr1 Woolavington 2000. With a decent draw and Mark Khan in the irons, the daughter of Captain Al looks a serious quartet kicker possibility.
Coral Fever carries 60kgs
The Gr1 Premier’s Champions Challenge winner Coral Fever carries top weight of 60kgs and comes in 9 weeks after his career peak victory when disposing of SA Triple Crown winner Abashiri by a quarter length over the Turffontein 2000m. The Highveld Horse Of The Season is not guaranteed to suit the Greyville circuit with his style of racing, but is well drawn at 4 and is the class act – as his weight impost suggests. A slow pace won’t suit him.
The 5yo ‘comeback kid’ Elusive Silva has had two runs since being outgunned in the Sun Met. He showed the necessary improvement at his last start when getting the better of Dark Moon Rising by a half length to win the Betting World 1900. He was expected to go close in the July last year but was injured and looks to be reaching his peak at 5. Bernard Fayd’herbe, who won the race last year (and in 2008), will take the reins.
De Kock’s 3yo Yakeen
Mike de Kock last won this race in 2011 with the star filly Igugu and is represented by the Teofilo 3yo Yakeen, who is the least experienced runner in the field, having only his seventh start. The recent narrow Gr3 Jubilee Handicap winner is 2.5kgs under sufferance and will need to up his game again to hold Tilbury Fort on his last run. Bloodstock expert Jehan Malherbe, who purchased the colt for Sheikh Mohammed in Australia, feels he will get the 2200m – a distance he sees for the first time on Saturday.
Paul Lafferty’s Dark Moon Rising can probably consider himself a fairly fortunate inclusion in the final field.
The son of Ideal World is yet to win at feature level and is the officially lowest rated horse in the line-up. While he is a 4yo with a çome on look about him, he is 1.5kgs under sufferance and will need to lift his game and improve on his Cup Trial defeat behind Elusive Silva.
SA Oaks winner Secret Potion is the third of a trio representing the fairer sex. Geoff Woodruff’s daughter of Elusive Fort is as much as 2kgs under sufferance but stays well and deserves the chance to show that R100 000 can buy a July winner.
Made To Conquer – could make the pace
It is now well documented that multiple past champion jockey Jeff Lloyd will partner the in-form Made To Conquer in his 26th and likely final bid to win the July.
The son of Dynasty comes in 1kg under sufferance but has scope to show that the handicapper hasn’t quite caught up with him yet. A winner of 6 of his last 7 starts, including an impressive victory in the Gr3 Lonsdale when hampered by stablemate Strathdon, he has been described by his champion trainer as ‘the kind of horse that wins the July.’
Selangor Cup winner Rocket Countdown (Pic-Chase Liebenberg Photography)
Candice Bass-Robinson saddles the well-drawn Gr2 Selangor Cup winner Rocket Countdown who comes in 3kgs under sufferance. The son of Alado has run two fair runner-up finishes behind the unbeaten boom 3yo Rainbow Bridge in the first two legs of the Cape Winter Series. He beat White River a half length in his peak win in the Selangor late last year. He meets the Crawford runner on the same weight terms – but has plenty to do here.
Pace, or the lack of it, and luck from the draw can play the leading roles in the outcome. It often pays to side with the experienced jockeys and the winning stables.
That will give one a few combinations. African Night Sky will be a popular winner, and he is the pick to beat Majestic Mambo, Abashiri and Matador Man. But it’s a handicap and the fancied horses often play second fiddle.
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The Vodacom Durban July will be broadcast on Tellytrack (Dstv 239), Supersport 4 (Dstv 204) and also on the Tab_za Betting World Facebook page
