David Thiselton
Peter Muscutt spoke about the draws of one and fourteen for his two Hollywoodbets Durban July runners, Isivivane and I Salute You respectively, at Summerveld yesterday morning. He also gave feedback on his Gr 2 Durban Golden Horseshoe runner St. Harry.
Isivivane jumped well from draw two last time out in the Gr 3 WSB 1900. Sean Veale managed to settle him in the box seat behind the pacemaker Trust. From there he ran on well down the inside to win the race by 0,60 lengths from Regulation.
Peter said about his pole position July draw, “It is probably a very good draw for him. It can be a bit of an awkward barrier if they miss the break or don’t manage to hold their position early, but he’s pretty sharp out of the gates. We would have to be positive on him and he should get a very cosy run in transit from that barrier.”
Isivivane is by Erupt (Dubawi), who won two Gr 1s over 2400m. He is out of a mare by Casey Tibbs, a Sadler’s Wells stallion who won two Listed races over 2000m. Furthermore, Isivivane’s dam Rodeo Sioux’s three wins included two over 2600m, one of them a Non-Black Type feature.
Peter said, “I have no doubt that 2200m is well within his compass.”
In I Salute You’s last race in the Gr 3 Betgames Cup Trial over 1800m he was drawn in pole position and after dwelling slightly at the break he sat on the rail but only had two horses behind him in the ten horse field. He moved outward coming around the final turn and ran on well to be a 0,70 length second giving the winner Zeitz 2,5kg.
He is 1kg better off with Zeitz from that run in the July, but this time has drawn wide in 14.
Peter said, “It’s a little bit awkward, but he is quite a versatile horse. He can sit with them or off them and he has got a turn of foot.
I Salute You is by Soqrat, whose three Gr 1 wins were over 1600m, but he did finish a narrow second with topweight in the Gr 1 Summer Cup over the tough Turffontein Standside 2000m trip and he finished third in the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 and a not disgraced 4,45 length 8th in the July carrying second topweight of 59kg. I Salute You is out of a mare by speed influence Var and her two wins were over 1000m and 1200m, but both I Salute You and Taegan’s Champ have won over 1700m to 1750m trips.
Peter said, “With him too I have no doubt that the 2200 is going to be within his distance range.”
I Salute You’s big race rider Mark du Plessis lands in South Africa on Wednesday night next week.
Peter said, “Mark will get to sit on I Salute You on the Thursday morning and then basically his work is done.”
Tristan Godden will likely be riding I Salute You at the official Hollywoodbets Durban July Gallops on Thursday morning this week.
Peter has one other runner on July day, the exciting Australian-bred St. Harry, who is a son of Harry Angel (Acclamation).
He runs in the Gr 2 Durban Golden Horseshoe over 1400m.
Peter said, “He is drawn eleven, but he is a very good horse. He hasn’t run since Cape Town. I have given him as much time to mature as possible. He has got a devastating turn of foot, so we can ride him conservatively from the eleven barrier. He’s an exciting horse for the future, so we don’t want to overdo things with him as a two-year-old, but he has developed and furnished very well since his last race and if he runs to his work he should be a factor on July day.”
