The Vodacom Durban July day Pick pool is estimated to reach R15 million and the first leg, the Grade 3 DSTv Gold Vase over 3000m is the first hurdle punters face.

The race is run under merit rated band conditions, which favours females as they also receive a 2,5kg allowance.

The order from best to worst weighted horses according to official merit ratings is as follows and the number of kgs they are under sufferance is in brackets: Sunshine Silk, Dynasty’s Blossom (1kg), Flichity By Farr (1kg), Strathdon (2kg), Walter Smoothie (2,5kg), Mangrove (3,5kg), Wealthy (3,5kg), Pacific Chestnut (4,5kg), Run Rhino Run (4,5kg), Wonderous Climber (5kg), Warfarer (5,5kg), Paths Of Victory (5,5kg), Ballad Of The Sea (6kg), Multi Gold (6kg), Evolver (6,5kg), Major Return (7,5kg).

However, staying races have often made fools of handicappers as some horses are still establishing themselves over marathon trips. Horses at the bottom of the weights can never be ignored in these events.  

The best weighted horse Sunshine Silk has developed into an exciting stayer and comes off a prep run over 1400m that followed a hattrick of staying wins from 2400m to 3200m including the Gold Bowl. Being by Silvano she should enjoy Greyville and although she has a wide draw she is capable of running on from behind. 

Topweight Strathdon looks to have enjoyed a fine preparation and will be a big runner if running to his best. From his wide draw the jockey will have to play it by ear. He is capable of running on from behind if dropped out and that is the likely tactic as he did not appear to enjoy leading last time. He hasn’t won for 567 days but is classy and always has a shout.

Flichity By Farr comes off a good second in the Track And Ball Oaks and finished second in this race last year when running on strongly from off the pace. She is a tough filly and the two week gap from her last run will suit her. She will need a fast pace to be at her best although in the Oaks last time she was closer to the pace than usual turning for home from a good draw, so they might try and slot her in here from her wide draw. 

Dynasty’s Blossom raced a bit strongly in the Track And Ball Oaks and can do better if settling well from a good draw of seven. She has gone close over 2800m before and has done well over 3200m. She should be cherry ripe and is one of the dark horses.    

The lightweight Major Return is an interesting runner and his form has been working out well. He is by Vodacom Durban July winner Bold Silvano out of a Sadler’s Wells mare so should stay the trip with that combination. On the other hand his half-brother is the useful sprinter Pacific Spirit, but he does run like stayer and when sent over 2400m in his penultimate start he burst clear and was then only caught by the exciting staying prospect Horace. He is drawn well in two.

Walter Smoothie has a good draw and the last time he had such a draw he finished 2,10 lengths behind Sunshine Silk. He has some class and is 3kg better off with her from that run so must have a chance.

Paths Of Victory should relish this trip judging on his running on third over 2400m at Scottsville three runs ago in April. He was beaten just 0,25 lengths by Strathdon in that race and faces him on the same terms, which will be in his favour as he should have made 1kg of improvement since then according to the weight for age scale if the distances are taken into account. 

Warfarer was running on over 2400m three runs ago at Scottsville and he was beaten just 2,45 lengths by Strathdon in that race and is now half-a-kilogram better off. He is a dark horse as a big staying type who should enjoy this trip, although he does have a wide draw.

Wonderous Climber took to staying races well but after five wins from 2200m to 2400m the handicapper might have caught up with him, although he does have a good draw and should be staying on in the straight.

Pacific Chestnut has his third run since winning the Kenilworth Cup over 3200m but didn’t inspire confidence last time when never dangerous in the Lonsdale Stirrup Cup where he was beaten eight lengths.

Wealthy has won over 2400m before and is capable of running on from behind so is interesting stepped up to this trip.

Mangrove looks like an out and out stayer but he has been one paced in the finish in his two 2400m efforts and will need dramatic improvement.

Run Rhino Run won a race over course and distance by 21 lengths in October 2017 so has ability but is quirky and in his first run after layoff last time he was beaten 31 lengths and was not striding out. 

Evolver has hard knocking staying form in Port Elizabeth and Yvette Bremner has had a fantastic season raiding other centres. He can’t be written off.

Ballad Of The Sea is 3kg better off with Evolver for a four length beating over 3200m at Fairview so there is not much in it.

Multi Gold is half-a-kilogram better off with Evolver for a 0,8 length beating over 3600m at Fairview, so there is also not much between those two.

However, there is not much between Ballad Of The Sea and Pacific Chestnut which casts doubt on the strength of that PE formline.

By David Thiselton

This looks like being Joey Ramsden’s final Vodacom Durban July with next year’s race seeing him watching it on TV from Singapore.

“We are definitely going and we are looking to open up there in October or November,” he says. “It depends when all the paperwork goes through.”

“Also I am waiting to see what happens with the export protocol. I am hearing lots of good things about this so I could wait for a few months, certainly until Christmas. But I am not going to wait for ever. If there is no action, and it proves to be a lot of bollocks, then we close up here before Christmas.”

There has been talk on the local grapevine that Ramsden will keep a satellite yard here, with the anticipated opening up of the protocol playing a big part in the way he runs (and fills) the Singapore operation. “I can’t answer for what the future might be,” he says when this is put to him.

Ramsden is speaking in his second floor box at Kenilworth last Saturday. His July prospects are the intended subject of the interview. “Twist of Fate?” he repeats the question. “He is doing good, doing brilliant in fact. He has worked very well.”

So what chance does he give the 12-1 shot on Saturday? “Not as good a chance as I gave him before last Tuesday,” is the immediate and unsmiling reply. His disgust at being landed with a 17 draw was pretty evident at the Gateway function and seemingly nothing has changed since.

“The trouble is that you are not in charge of your own destiny with a draw like that,” he explains. “If those drawn low decide not to make use of their draws then you have got a chance. But, if they do take advantage, your outside draw automatically becomes a huge handicap.”

The Conglomerate was drawn 20 and started at 20-1 when he won for Ramsden three years ago – an occasion that the trainer described at the time as “the best day of my life”. Had Ramsden given him much chance considering the draw? ”Yea, I did,” he recalls. “You always go there with a bit of hope.”

So what chance does he give Fresnaye? Better than the current 80-1?  “She is probably back to her right trip. The July is a rough race and I have the human bowling ball Greg Cheyne on top so I have got the right man.”

I’m not sure that Cheyne (in the art of jockeyship something of a craftsman) will appreciate the bowling ball analogy but what Ramsden probably means is that, if there is any argy-bargy, Cheyne is more than  capable of holding his own.

Is it always a rough race? “Always,” is the unhesitating reply. “People are invariably trying to get in from the outside and the fellow in front is usually easing back so there is a terrible concertina effect – and, if you get involved in the middle of the bait ball and you are going no pace, then you are in trouble.”

Bait ball? “Have you never watched National Geographic?” Ramsden makes the omission sound as if you have never heard of sliced bread. “Let me educate you.” He takes out his phone, goes into Google and comes up with a picture of a huge ball of sardines trying to protect themselves against hungry dolphins. Not quite like the July but you get the message.

The Mauritian-owned Twist Of Fate will be the third July ride for Nooresh Juglall but Cheyne, successful on Big City Life in 2009, is an old hand. He rode in the great race for the first time back in 1996 (London News’ year) on the Mike de Kock-trained Stride Head on whom he had already won the Greyville 1900.

By Michael Clower

If the Vodacom Durban July has a parallel on the world stage then it must be the Melbourne Cup. As author Les Carlyon wrote, the “Cup mocks good order because it’s a handicap. This gets rid of the preordained factor: just about any runner can win. It’s the best sporting idea anyone has ever had in this town.”

Like the Cup, the July is a cross between a horse race, a fashion parade and a folk festival. For racing people, the July is the high point of the calendar. Ask anyone intermittently involved which race they most want to win; it will always be the July.

It also has a lot to do with the fact that the public is allowed to join in for the crowd scenes.

It starts early with a fashion parade of outfits that normal people would not be seen dead in. The classier outfits are scattered among the crowd, the more daring hoping to make it onto television or the front page of the Sunday press.

Those in for the party and corporate invitees, mostly inhabit the infield tent town where they may or may not see a horse in the flesh for the entire day.

Picnic sites start out jealously guarded, each with their own space, but by the time the sun sets as the day races into the dark, the boundaries are blurred and the free-for-alls begin, often resulting in a few pugilistic contests with security playing referee.

Those that inhabit the grandstand are there for the horses. Often accosting trainers and jockeys for tips, they revel in the once-a-year opportunity of viewing many of the county’s best horses in the flesh and hopefully cashing in on inflated betting pools with their ‘inside information’.

On your way home, the trek to your car in the infield parking is an experience in itself. Booming music, as one marquee DJ tries to drown out his neighbour, is deafening as you step over bottles, broken glass and bodies at the same time sidestepping revellers way over the limit of the ‘blaas orkes’ awaiting them outside should they dare get behind the wheel. The words of Hunter S Thompson in his classic piece, ‘The Kentucky Derby is decadent and depraved’, coming to mind.

And the racing die-hards – they mostly hate July day.

By Andrew Harrison

The Andrews family combined forces with Lucinda Woodruff to bring off the biggest Winter Derby shock this century with Dharma at Kenilworth on Saturday.

The 50-1 Royal Air Force gelding was the rank outsider of the 11-strong field while owners Terry and Annabel Andrews bred both the horse and the jockey who greeted his parents with high fives.

“I was always travelling well,” Anthony reported. “In the straight I wasn’t worried about my horse – it was just a matter of how much those in front of me had left.”

Not enough was the answer and Geoff Woodruff’s daughter added: “This is my first feature win in Cape Town. Dharma had been running on at the end over 1 800m but I had a question mark about the 2 400m. Now it looks like the further the better.”

The jury is still out on whether Helen’s Ideal stays as far as the 2 200m of the Winter Oaks. Donovan Dillon had no doubt after coming in a well-beaten fifth on the 2-1 favourite – “In the straight she gave it to me until the 200m mark and then she was completely empty. It wasn’t the ground, she just doesn’t stay.”

But the NHA vet put a very different complexion on things, reporting to the stipes that the filly was lame on her left hind and, understandably perhaps, was abnormally fatigued. “I would have said that the distance was too far for her but equally it could have been the lameness,” said trainer Paul Reeves. “There will be another day for her although it would have been nice to make history (as the first to win the fillies’ winter series).”

The race was won by Duchess of Bourbon well handled by Richard Fourie who was completing a treble and who earlier on Alsflamingbeauty reached 100 Cape Town winners for the season. Less satisfactory was the seven-day suspension (July 7-13) he received for failing to keep straight on runner-up Nexus in the Winter Derby.

This was also the final leg of a Snaith Racing treble and Jono said: “The Winter Oaks was always our goal for Duchess Of Bourbon and I think she will get better and better. The Paddock Stakes might be a bit short for her but I expect she will have a go at it.”

Candice Bass-Robinson is optimistic that Langerman winner Snow Report will make a Guineas horse and said: “He is a bit headstrong and mentally he needs to settle, but hopefully that will come with time and racing.”

Runner-up Silver Operator only went under a by a short head and would have won in another two strides. He looks just as good a prospect and M.J. Byleveld reported: “I thought he was going to get up but he was a bit green – he had only had one run before – and the ground was holding.”

Glen Kotzen has Fillies Guineas ambitions for the Morne Winnaar-ridden Third Runway, his second successive Irridescence winner, saying: “She had only had one gallop, she is still growing and I didn’t think she would be suited by the sticky ground.”

Greg Cheyne, booked by Joey Ramsden for Fresnaye in the big one on Saturday, donned Gaynor Rupert’s colours to win the Ladies Mile on Platinum Class and said: “I had three rides in these colours today and I need to get comfortable in them as I’ve got a big job to do this week!”

By Michael Clower

The injury to the unbeaten Captain Of Stealth – most people’s idea of the best two-year-old in Cape Town – has proved to be more serious than first thought and Vaughan Marshall, having received the scan results, reported on Saturday: “He will be out for ten months.”

The Captain Al colt wrapped himself below the joint and just above the coronet in a freak accident. Marshall and stable jockey M.J. Byleveld have long since learned the hard way of the painful vicissitudes that somehow seem to go hand-in-hand with racehorses but the extent of the setback is a cruel blow to owners Pat Freestone and John Habib who had been dreaming of Guineas glory.

Magnificent Seven, scratched from the final field for Saturday’s Vodacom Durban July last Wednesday, is out for the season.

Jono Snaith said: “He strained a tendon on the morning before the gallops. It’s not bad but the vets were of the opinion that if he went on grass he could do damage. It is disappointing but we didn’t want to take a chance. We will put him away for the Cape season when he will go for the same sort of races that he did this time including the New Turf Carriers Stayers on Sun Met day that he won.”

The Kenilworth stipes have finally completed their inquiry into the riding of Kingston Rock, fourth in the 1 000m maiden at Kenilworth on May 18. Corne Orffer, who pleaded guilty to failing to ride out his mount to the end of the race, has been suspended for a fortnight.

By Michael Clower

Totalisator betting for the 12 races being run at the 2019 Vodacom Durban July race meeting on Saturday, 6 July opens at all Tabgold outlets – and on all Tabgold online platforms – tomorrow, Monday 1 July,  and racing fans have many huge exotic pools to look forward to on the big day.

The Pick 6, which starts with Race 4, kicks off with a carry-over of R5-million and the pool is expected to reach a mammoth R15-million before the 1^st Leg jumps at 13:35 on Saturday. Finding Pick 6 bankers in a very competitive environment is not easy but the Justin Snaith trained pair of Strathdon (Leg 1) and last season’s horse of the year Oh Susanna in the final leg, will be popular options.

The Quartet Pool on the Vodacom Durban July, Race 7 on the programme due off at 16:20, is expected to reach R16-million. The Quartet requires punters to pick the first four runners past the post and in the Vodacom Durban July most will be relying on the three leading contenders Do It Again, Rainbow Bridge and ruling favourite Hawwaam to help solve the puzzle. Over the years many an outsider has boosted the pay-out by finding its way into the Quartet and notable runners in this category include Twist of Fate, Doublemint, Eyes Wide Open and last year’s runner-up Made to Conquer. But, the Pick 6 and main race Quartet apart, there are many different bet types available – catering for both the seasoned punter and the “once-a-year” racegoer. Gold Circle is expecting turnover for the day to top the R60-million mark as “July Fever” kicks into top gear over the final week.

Prolific owner Hugo Hattingh is the type of racing personality this country needs more of as he loves horses and has a desire to grow the sport. Few would begrudge him and his family a win with the Glen Kotzen-trained Eyes Wide Open in the Vodacom Durban July on Saturday.

Hugo regards Eyes Wide Open as the best horse he has ever owned, better even than the like of Light The Lights and Gold Standard, although he admits to possibly being a touch biased.

The family race under the name Chrigor Stud and the Kotzen-trained Gold Standard was their first July runner last year.

Hugo said, “He also drew on the outside, but Eyes is suited to Greyville and Gold was probably not.”

Eyes Wide Open has run five times on the Greyville turf, including a win in the Grade 1 Premier’s Champion Stakes over 1600m as a two-year-old, a third in the Grade 1 Champions Cup as a three-year-old last year, and this season he has won the Grade 2 WSB 1900 and finished second in the Grade 3 Cup Trial. 

Kotzen was philosophical after he drew wide in barrier 18 and said at least he would be able to stay out of trouble, while there also looked to be a lot of pace around him.    

The Dynasty colt will sport the most colourful silks in the July.

Hattingh used to race under the name Triple H Trust, whose colours were royal blue with a yellow band and red sleeves and cap.

These three colours were the company colours of a business he owned called Anchorpharm.

Later when forming a set of silks for his wife Suzanne he used the same three colours but because of her love of diamonds the body is now alternate blue and yellow diamonds, the sleeves and cap are red and there is a blue diamond on the cap.

These are now the colours of Chrigor Stud. 

Hugo formed the name of the stud operation during a flight overseas by combining the names of his daughter Christil and son Gordon.

Hugo grew up on a farm in the Hartebeespoort area and hence his love of horses. His first experience of horseracing was as a jockey in bush meetings, where they raced on dirt tracks. That was in the 1960s and he said, “Very pleasant … those were the days!”

When he became too heavy he switched to gymkhana events and later took part in dressage.

He ventured into thoroughbred racehorse ownership in the late 1980s and said, “The breeding part to me has always been attractive, the bloodlines, the stallions and the broodmares and that’s also why we’ve registered Chrigor Stud now. I think we have more fillies and mares now than colts and geldings. At one stage Glen said we should call it Chrigor stallions but I don’t think that’s the drive going forward. At the end of the day it’s all about passion. We are trying to get the horseracing industry to grow and this is why I have my children very excited and involved.”

Christil is 27-years-old and Gordon 25. The enthusiasm of young racegoers like themselves has a knock on effect which will be vital for the future of the sport.

Suzanne has also become an avid horseracing fan.

Hugo and Suzanne live in Pretoria but Gordon lives in the Cape and that’s where the family keeps their horses.

He said, “I believe the Cape develops stronger horses through the South-Easter wind (the Cape Doctor), which cleans the air. The KZN season is also very close to our hearts. The pinnacle, as I see it, is the Cape and KZN seasons combined. I have the odd horse in Jo’burg with our first trainer Alec Laird, but obviously we have come a long way with Glen. Funnily enough Glen won the July ten years ago with Big City Life in 2009 and we met that year at a pre-J&B Met function. His Woodhill Racing Estate farm is a very relaxed environment and with me growing up on a farm the penny dropped.”

As an indication of the Hattingh family’s love of horses they departed the game for about five years due to the trauma they experienced when one of their best horses The Eiger Sanction broke a leg a week before the Gold Cup in 2004.

However, they have had many highs since their comeback. 

He continued “To win a big race is the pinnacle but a big motivation behind our operation is to breed a Group 1 winner. I think that is even more of a challenge.”

Gold Standard, who stands at Drakenstein Stud, became the Hattingh’s first stallion. Chrigor Stud has a ten percent share in him,

He added, “Obviously we would like Eyes to go to stud, but we are going to race him another year because he’s come so well.”

Hugo was on a hunting trip when Eyes Wide Open won the WSB 1900 and watching on TV recalls saying to his colleagues, “This is the first time in a very long time I have seen him go down so well.”

Eyes Wide Open is a big horse who takes a lot of racing, so will be at his peak on Saturday having had one more run in the Cup Trial and then rounding off his preparation with a fine July gallop last Thursday.

The former Cape Derby winner will be attempting to add a third Grade 1 to his CV and a July win will obviously increase his stud value.

He has a realistic chance under top jockey Warren Kennedy and if he does pull it off there are sure to be many joyous family embraces in the winner’s enclosure. 

By David Thiselton

The Turffontein Standside course has a low key eight race meeting and the highlight will be the appearance of the promising Al Mutakawel is the fifth over 1600m.

This full brother to the SA Derby winner Al Sahem has impressed in two starts over 1200m and 1400m and will be hard to beat over a step up in trip he will very much appreciate. The wide draw of six out of seven should not pose a problem as he will likely be dropped out. In a small field and with plenty of time to unwind in to his big action down the long Turffontein straight he should mow them down. Apache Too is progressive and can fight out second place with The Rising Legend, who is usually dropped out and is capable of producing a resolute finish from off the pace.

The first race over 1160m is competitive but El Patron has good pace and the ability to stay on and his experience will count in his favour too.

Arabian Air is given the nod in the second over 1600m as he is having his third run on the Highveld so should have come on from his good win over 1450m last time. Approach Control is the best weighted horse and also has talent so it should be a humdinger.

The first leg of the P6 over 1400m is tough. Full Force should relish the step up in trip but a few will have to be included.

The first leg of the Jackpot could fall to the hard-knocking Captain Flynt, although his wide draw means one or two others might have to be considered.

The sixth over 1000m could be fought by Tripod and Brigtnumberten.

The consistent Kings Cup and the improving Lemon Drop Shot are the main protagonists in the seventh as both will enjoy the 2000m trip.

Final Occasion will enjoy the step up to 2000m in the eighth but he has a very wide draw so the professional maiden Smart Deal can be included from a good draw and Mr Cuddles is course and distance suited to.

Image: Lyle Hewitson rides Al Mutakawel at Turffontein this Sunday.

By David Thiselton

The progressive St Vladimir can give Brett Crawford and Corne Orffer their first Winter Derby successes at Kenilworth tomorrow.

The Fort Wood colt won the East Cape Derby in convincing style and could well be going into this as the winner of five races on the bounce had he not been badly hampered when starting favourite at Durbanville.

The two concerns are his rating and the ground. He is officially 5kg inferior to Majestic Mozart and 4.5kg behind Herodotus who have both raced in better company. It was good to soft here on Tuesday and 3mm of rain was forecast for last night and today. The selection’s only run on anything softer than good was last August when he finished halfway down the field on yielding going – but it was his debut.

He was second favourite yesterday at around 3-1 with Majestic Mozart heading the market at 28-10. The latter is ridden by Bernard Fayd’Herbe who has won two of the last four runnings of this race while the favourite has won three of the last four.

Justin Snaith has won the last three – with horses of the calibre of Elusive Silver, African Night Sky and Doublemint. Nexus (11-2) has not been further than a mile yet the stable had no hesitation about nominating him for this race after his win 11 days ago.

Herodotus (33-10) was third in the Cape Derby and, as the betting suggests, is quite close with Majestic Mozart. Retro Effect is the only one of the 11 runners to have won on ground softer than good but he is rated 10kg behind the selection. At 16-1, though, he might be worth considering for a place.

Helen’s Ideal looks good to complete the fillies’ winter series in the Winter Oaks and is an understandable 17-10 favourite. She carries plenty of stable confidence with Paul Reeves reporting: “I don’t think I could have her any better and I don’t have a problem with the trip – she is bred for it, and in any case I don’t think they are going to go that fast because none of the others has been this far before.”

Star Fighter is the obvious danger at 22-10 as she was only a neck behind in the Stormsvlei Mile but Silver Operator stands out in the Langerman and he is one for whom there are no going concerns. It was yielding when he made that immensely impressive debut over the 1 400m trip three weeks ago.

By Michael Clower

Sean Tarry is a valued customer when it comes to KZN-bred horses and he often reaps the rewards on KZN Breeder’s day where his runners generally excel. Tarry targets this day of inflated stakes and won six of the nine races, including the Million Mile with Matador Man, back in 2017.

Matador Man is back over his favourite course and distance at Hollywoodbets Greyville tomorrow in an effort to regain his crown, and along with stable companion Africa Rising, gives Tarry a strong hand in the race.

With Do It Again playing up in the start of the Gr1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge, Matador Man was forced to stand in his gate for some time, Tarry commenting along the lines, “That will do for Matador Man. He will be slow to go.”

They were prophetic words as Matador Man ‘walked’ out of the gate and was never in the hunt.

The Million Mile field does not stack up to the strength of the Gold Challenge field and with Lyle Hewitson back in the irons, a reproduction of his penultimate start when comfortably accounting for Vodacom Durban July hopeful Head Honcho in a Pinnacle Stakes, he should take some beating.

Africa Rising comes off a tremendous effort behind stable companion Chimichuri Run in the Gr1 Tsogo Sun Sprint where he was beaten less than a length. The majority of his recent form has been over sprints but from a good draw he will give Matador Man a run for his money.

Camphoratus, was first reserve for next week’s Vodacom Durban July and with the scratching of Magnificent Seven, she has made it into the 18-horse field. As a result Robbie Hill has been given permission to scratch from the Mile.

Of the balance, evergreen Unagi pops up on occasion and with Marcus in the saddle must be respected along with Wynkelder who is an accomplished sprinter stepping up to a mile for just the second time.

Given the nature of the meeting, many of the runners are under sufferance in the handicap that should give punters an edge over the ‘Olde enemy’.

The first of the plums could come in the fourth, opening lg of the Pick 6 where top weight Vision To Kill should have the wood on her rivals. Paul Gadsby’s mare does not have the best of legs but she can get along a bit. She was a good third in the Gr1 SA Fillies Sprint behind Celtic Sea and Snowdance, either of which would be odds-on should they have been in this line-up.

Cumulus and Hard To Play are weighted to fight out the fifth, Hard To Play is marginally better off at the handicap but Cumulus is in receipt of 6kg from his rival and goes very well over course and distance. Hard To Play has earned his weight with some consistent form in useful company. These two look set to fight it out.

By Andrew Harrison

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