David Thiselton
Summerveld was abuzz yesterday morning on the week of the Hollywoodbets Durban July and three jockeys, Tristan Godden, Sean Veale and Andrew Fortune, were able to comment between work rides on their July mounts Mocha Blend, Isivivane and Wish List respectively.
All three will be out to score their first Hollywoodbets Durban July wins.
Tristan said about the Frank Robinson-trained four-year-old filly Mocha Blend, “We are very happy with her. She has had the ideal prep going into the race. Frank will do the final touches, but she is doing really well and I am looking forward to the big race and I am very confident of a big run from her.”
Tristan showed in last year’s race he has the necessary BMT for the country’s premier race. No quarter is asked for or given in the July, which makes it the toughest of races to ride in.
Tristan rode 100/1 shot Native Ruler to a 3,95 length sixth from draw 18 of 18 last year and it could have been better as he had to find his way through a crowd of horses coming from near the back. That forced him to switch way inward and he had to then switch outward late when the horses in front of him hung inward.
Tristan has another tricky draw of 13 to negotiate this year and he said, “Obviously it is not ideal, but I am not too worried about it. She is a pretty straight forward filly and if things go to plan I think we will be in the right place.”
Mocha Blend will be out to give the most successful family in Hollywoodbets Durban July history, the Oppenheimer family, a tenth win in the big race. The family has won it six times with homebreds, one with a part-owned horse and they bred a further two winners.
Mocha Blend was officially bred by Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein. Mary Slack, the daughter of Mauritzfontein’s founders Harry and Bridget Oppenheimer, founded Wilgerbosdrift Stud and her daughter Jessica Jell (nee Slack) now owns Mauritzfontein together with her husband Steven.
Mocha Blend runs in the famous black colours with the yellow sash, sleeves and cap of Mauritzfontein and she will be out to become the seventh Oppenheimer family homebred to win it and the seventh to win the race in those famous black and yellow silks.
Sean Veale rides the Peter Muscutt-trained Isivivane and he said about the pole position-drawn four-year-old Erupt gelding, “He is doing very well, his gallop was very good. Obviously it is a competitive race, but it’s an open July and with that weight I have got to have some sort of a chance. He’s drawn one and is quite a straight forward horse, he does everything I want him to do, he pings the gates and is a horse who can hold his position for that first 200m. So, I will probably be in the box seat for the first few hundred metres. His preparation couldn’t have gone better. He is in a very good space and it’s now just up to the race to tell.”
A bullish Andrew Fortune kept it short and sweet about the twice Gr 1-winning three-year-old filly Wish List, “Why do you think I chose her? She is the best of the Justin Snaith yard’s runners, I don’t care what they say.”
Wish List is one of three Hollywoodbets Durban July runners who are by the former July winner Legislate. History will likely be made as any of this trio could become a third generation winner from the same sire line, because Legislate himself was by former July winner Dynasty.
