David Thiselton
The all important Hollywoodbets Durban July Final Field Announcement and Draw Ceremony will happen at Hollywoodbets Greyville today.
The final field panellists, consisting of chairman Raf Sheik (Race Coast), Lennon Maharaj (NHA Chief Handicapper), Aveen Sewpersad (Race Coast), Kurt Felix (Race Coast), Gabriel Soma (4Racing) and Luciano Passerini (4Racing), will have had the unenviable task yesterday (Monday) of choosing 18 runners plus two reserves from the 25 horses still standing their ground.
They would have been helped by the late scratching yesterday of the fancied Happy Verse as he was a top 18 on the log incumbent.
The scratchings of Tenpenny and Shoot The Rapids yesterday would not have been of much help as they were outside the top 20 on the last Hollywoodbets Durban July log and at most the only impact they would likely have had on the final field selection process would have been consideration for one of the two reserve positions.
The anomaly this year is that one of the most fancied runners in the betting market is the Justin Snaith-trained Regulation, despite him only having been 20th on the final Hollywoodbets Durban July log and having a lowly merit rating of 106, which would mean he would be 1kg under sufferance carrying 52kg if he is a runner in the big race.
The Legislate gelding was fancied to book his place in the July by winning the Gr 3 WSB 1900, but he was caught wide from a wide draw and could only manage a 0,60 length second.
He was then fancied to make amends in the Gr 3 Betgames Cup Trial, but he was once again caught wide and he then reportedly choked up. His unplaced run there dented his chances of a place in the final field.
In his favour is that when winning the Gr 3 Ownpay Peninsula Handicap over 1800m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth in December he beat top 18 on the July log incumbent Zeitz by 3,20 lengths when receiving only 1kg and then when finishing an unlucky third in the Gr 2 Anthonij Rupert Premier Trophy over 1800m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth in January he beat Zeitz at level weights by 1,55 lengths and beat another top 18 July log incumbent, Native Ruler, by 2,35 lengths at level weights.
Furthermore, he beat top 18 incumbents The Ultimate King and Native Ruler in the WSB 1900, although he was receiving 6kg from The Ultimate King and 8kg from Native Ruler and only beat them by a quarter of a length and 1,35 lengths respectively.
Zeitz reversed form with Regulation when winning the Cup Trial and Regulation was also beaten by Listed Sledgehamnmer winner Field Marshal in the Cup Trial. The latter still stands his ground in the July.
The problem is which horse would Regulation leapfrog if it was decided to put him in?
The 19th position on the last log was the Gr 3 Jubilee winner Aladdin’s Lamp and he deserves a place as the winner of a traditional July pointer race and he is also in the handicap off his 110 rating carrying 53kg.
The next horse above Regulation on the log in 18th position was Minogue, who has placed a narrow second in her last two races, which were both Gr 2s over 2000m.
However, Regulation has won a stakes race this season, while Minogue has never won a black type race in her career, although she has many stakes places to her name including a Gr 1 runner up finish.
Other horses who have not had stakes wins this season despite some good placed efforts are Choisaanada (17th on the log), I Salute You (15th), Olivia’s Way (14th), Viva’s Liberte (11th), King Pelles (9th), Note To Self (7th) and Gladatorian (6th).
If winning a stakes race is a key criteria then Regulation must have a chance.
It is always a tough decision for the final field panellists and there are always those who either feel disappointed or aggrieved.
However, the Hollywoodbets Durban July Final Field Announcement and Draw ceremony is when the famous “July Fever” really kicks into overdrive.
It is a hugely anticipated event by the South African racing community and trainers, owners, jockeys, breeders, grooms, punters and bookmakers will be on tenterhooks when the ceremony starts at 11 a.m. tomorrow morning, with the final field tension being followed by the barrier draw tension.
