Established Champions in all sports have the capacity to take success in their stride and eighteen-year-old apprentice sensation Lyle Hewitson is on the right path in this regard.

Hewitson stood by jockey Richard Fourie at Summerveld yesterday and it would have been difficult to tell who between them was on the cusp of his first Vodacom Durban July ride and who had already won the race before, such was the relaxed demeanour of both.

Hewitson said, “I am just going about life as normal at the moment as I am riding in races this week. But there is a great vibe around the July, the press have been great, it’s very exciting.”

Lyle Hewitson (Nkosi Hlophe)

He learnt about a month ago he would have a July ride, but did not know which horse he would be on. He added it was only when his name was revealed at the draw ceremony next to the Justin Snaith-trained contestant Dynamic it hit him and he described it as a “surreal” moment.

The reaction from his alma mata Kearsney College emphasised the feat as he received a barrage of sms’s and social media messages from pupils, Old Boys and teachers alike.

A lot of his friends attend the July every year, but are especially looking forward to Saturday’s renewal as they will have somebody to cheer home.

Hewitson admitted he had never dreamed he would be in this position just over three months ago when making his professional debut on March 6 at Scottsville.

He has already added 53 winners to the 22 he achieved as a workrider and will almost certainly lose his claim in record-breaking time. He said, “I couldn’t have mapped anything I have done so far.” Dynamic, a six-year-old gelding by Dynasty, is drawn in pole.

However, Hewitson is yet to plan his race. He said, “We have a meeting on Wednesday to discuss the race.” Dynamic has a tough task, being 3kg under sufferance according to official merit ratings, and he is rated a 33/1 chance by bookmakers. However, Hewitson has been happy with the horse’s preparation.

Dynamic finished a four length third in last season’s July  consolation race, the Gr 3 tabGold 2200, in his only attempt at the July trip. However, he was staying on strongly when runner up as a three-year-old in the Gr 1 Investec Cape Derby, so looks to have the necessary stamina reserves.

Meanwhile, Fourie was quietly confident about his mount, the Snaith-trained Investec Cape Derby winner It’s My Turn.

He was happy with the Dynasty gelding’s July gallop and said, “He was on the wrong leg but I wasn’t worried because we were going slow. When I picked it up he quickened instantly.” On his chances he said, “At Greyville if you have a Dynasty you have a big chance.”

It’s My Turn, who is coming off a possibly unlucky second in the Gr 1 Daily News 2000, is officially 2,5kg under sufferance and has a tough draw of 14 to overcome. He is 13/1 with most bookmakers.

By David Thiselton

Jockeys Anthony Delpech and Anton Marcus will both be attempting to land a record-breaking fifth win in South Africa’s biggest horse race, the Vodacom Durban July, at Greyville on Saturday.

Anthony Delpech (Liesl King)

Delpech looks to have the better chance of achieving the milestone this year, at least as far as the betting odds go.

He is aboard the ruling favourite Bela-Bela, who was as eyecatching as usual when working on the top sand track at Summerveld yesterday morning (Monday).

The power in her stride is evident even at an easy pace.

Some say a low draw of three will make it tough for the three-year-old filly in her first ever race against males, especially as the July is renowned for being a rough race.

However, Delpech disagrees.

He said, “I would prefer to be drawn three than 20. She has good gate speed and is a simple horse to ride.”

Bela-Bela is only 0,5kg under sufferance according to official merit ratings. Furthermore, trainer Justin Snaith pointed out she had not yet proved how good she was. In his opinion all three of his three-year-olds in the race will have considerably higher merit ratings in six months time.

The grey Dynasty filly is out of the amazing 20-year-old broodmare Mystic Spring, who has also produced the like of Rabiya, Secret Of Victoria, Spring Lilac and Rafiya.

Bela-Bela’s breeder Vaughan Koster of Cheveley Stud was there to see her at Summerveld yesterday morning.

Anton Marcus

Vaughan bred the Snaith-trained July winner of 2014, Legislate, who was also by the great 2002 July winner Dynasty.

Anton Marcus said he would have preferred to be closer to the fence than draw eleven, especially considering he was on a horse which he was not sure was good enough to win the race. However, he said his mount, the Joey Ramsden-trained four-year-old Silvano gelding St. Tropez, had been doing very well in his preparation.

St. Tropez is 3,5kg under sufferance according to official merit ratings.

Marcus believed another Markus Jooste-owned July candidate Rabada had put in a “great run” in Sunday’s KZN Breeder’s Million Mile. The Brave Tin Soldier colt, with Marcus up, was beaten only 1,5 lengths and the top jockey pointed out he was weighted to have only run fourth.

Trainer Mike Azzie and connections were due to monitor how Rabada had pulled up out of Sunday’s race before deciding whether to run him in the July or not.

By David Thiselton

Grant van Niekerk now believes that Marinaresco’s 19 draw holds no fears for either him or the horse. He initially considered it to be the worst draw of the lot – and indeed so did punters and bookmakers, and the three-year-old’s price went out from 6-1 to 9-1.

Marinaresco (Liesl King)

But Van Niekerk said: “The draw doesn’t really bother me that much because I now think the best going is probably three or four horses off the rails as there are patches on the track.

“In any case I was always going to give him a chance. It will be his first time racing at Greyville and I don’t want to make it hard for him. But I think he will suit the course and I know he will make up the ground. He is a very good horse, probably up there with the best I’ve ridden.”

Mike Bass’s final July runner hasn’t always been easy to handle. “He used to be very naughty in a race, fighting other horses, and if he worked alongside something he would have his ears flat back as he tried to have a go at the horse and it’s rider.”

Gelding and blinkers have channelled this in the required direction – “He is now all heart in a race and he fights to the line. I just have to find luck in running.”

This will be the fourth Vodacom July ride for Van Niekerk who will be 25 on Thursday and who is hoping to gain compensation for being robbed on 55-1 shot Smanjemanje four years ago.

He recalled: “It was my first ride in the race and I can remember every single bit of it. I went into it with no pressure. I knew the horse had ability but maybe not up to that class.

“However he surprised me. I got bumped twice (by the Jeff Lloyd-ridden Chesalon) in the straight and I still believe today that this cost me the race. I was pushed from the outside to the middle and I was only beaten a short head.”

Joey Ramsden, whose St Tropez (Anton Marcus) is sixth in the betting at 12-1, also runs 20-1 shot The Conglomerate (Piere Strydom).

He said: “I think it’s a very open race. It is going to take a nice horse to win but you are going to have to have a fair bit of fortune – I don’t see a lot of pace. However I’m spoilt in that I have two of the best riders in the country, if not the world.”

Justin Snaith, bidding for a third July win, also believes luck in running will be important – “Any one of my four can win, it’s a question of how the race pans out for them. At the moment I think I won’t even want to watch – I will go there and close my eyes!”

By Michael Clower

Well known KZN-racing couple Rodney and Jane Trotter had a dream come true when the horse they spelled and own, the Duncan Howells-trained Saratoga Dancer, was included in the Vodacom Durban July final field. It was also a momentous occasion for two other part-owners, passionate KZN-based racing fans Rick and Thora Nidd.

The four-year-old Mambo In Seattle gelding will provide a third July runner for prominent owner Gary Westwater, while Chris Winter as well as Howells himself also own a share each.

Jane Trotter bought the Gary Player Stud-bred Saratoga Dancer at the National Yearling Sales for R95,000 with the aim of selling him on at the Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run Sale. Jane is one of the country’s most respected pre-trainers and backed and prepared him for the latter sale from the Trotter’s Ambleway Thoroughbred Stables farm near Pietermaritzburg.

However, there was not much interest and Howells ended up buying him on behalf of the Trotters for R140,000. The probable reason for the lack of interest was his one knee being offset. However, Jane revealed the horse had not had a single day of unsoundness in his entire life to date. The only reason there have been a couple of gaps in his racing career was due to Howells always believing he would make a better four-year-old.

Saratoga Dancer

This year’s July falls exactly 40 years after part-owner Rick Nidd’s equine favourite Jamaican Music won the big race.

Rick recalled standing to win a lot of money on this popular Ralph Rixon-trained grey in 1974 and was so confident he had asked a motor car company to have the car he intended buying with the winnings polished and ready for him to collect the following Monday. In those days Rick and his family used to huddle around the radio to listen to the July and he could not believe what he was hearing when commentator Ernie Duffield broke the news shortly after the start that Jamaican Music had dislodged his jockey.

However, Rick continued to support the courageous grey and had R100 on him in the 1976 July.

The same year of Jamaican Music’s July win, Chris Winter was playing rugby for Natal U20. Chris had followed horseracing since his junior school days and he and his friends often found ways to get their Place Accumulators on. He began buying horses as soon as he could afford them. He had a break from owning for some time, but since coming back ten years ago Howells has always been his trainer.

Rodney Trotter has served for many years on the board of the National Horseracing Authority. Neither Rodney nor Jane were able to assess how good Saratoga Dancer would be on the race track during his spelling period.  However, Rodney recalled commentator Sheldon Peters calling Saratoga Dancer “the talk of the town” when he appeared for his second start over 2016 at Scottsville in September 2014.

He duly won by a comfortable two lengths and a subsequent third in a handicap on the poly was enough to qualify him for the R3,85 million Emperors Palace Ready To Run Cup, which was at that stage the richest race even run in South Africa. He finished a decent 1,5 length sixth, but had a tough race and returned to Ambleway for a rest.

In his second come back run, in a 1600m event on the Greyville turf, he announced himself as a horse who could go to the top as his long stride carried him to an eyecatching victory. He duly won three of his next five starts and was strongly fancied for the Gr 2 Peermont Emperor’s Palace Charity Mile at Turffontein. However, much to the disappointment of connections, he was made first reserve and didn’t get a run.

After another win and a decent third from a wide draw in the Gr 3 Christmas Handicap over 1600m on the Greyville turf, he returned to Ambleway for another rest. In his latest comeback he finished a decent 3,75 length fourth against top class sorts in the Gr 2 Drill Hall Stakes over 1400m. His beautiful stride caught the eye when he cantered down to post for his next start in the Gr 3 Cup Trial over 1800m, where he had another wide draw to overcome.

However, at a crucial stage, just as he was winding up into that big stride, he was bumped by a shifting The Conglomerate and was interfered with by the latter for much of the remainder of the straight. An objection saw him promoted from fourth to third, but Howells was downcast, believing his chances of making the July field now to be forlorn.

However, thanks to a few scratching he snuck into the field, although not without some controversy.

Jane Trotter’s intuition at those sales a few years ago had paid dividends beyond her wildest dreams. She has spelled a number of July runners, including narrow runner up Young Rake, but this will be the first July runner she and Rodney have owned.

Saratoga Dancer has won over 2000m before, but Howells does admit the 2200m trip of the July might “stretch him.” He is the lowest rated horse in the race on 95 and has once again had bad luck with the draw, so is not surprisingly the biggest outsider with Betting World at 66/1.

Howells, who also has Ten Gun Salute in the race, has only had one previous July runner. He was happy with Saratoga Dancer’s July gallop and his overall preparation. The best of this horse has likely not been seen and he could surprise a few people. Chris Winter concluded, “Just remember Leicester City won the league!”

By David Thiselton

Leading in Saratoga Dancer (left to right) are: James Rich (assistant trainer to Duncan Howells) / James Winter / Warren Lenferna / Chris Winter / Rick Nidd / Thora Nidd / Jane Trotter / Rodney Trotter