The Drakenstein Stud-owned and Justin Snaith-trained pair Legislate and Oh Susanna will not take part in the 2018 Vodacom Durban July.

Kevin Sommerville, the racing manager for Drakenstein Stud said, “Oh Susanna will stay in training and will definitely be racing in South Africa again, There are no plans to take her overseas. The plan in Durban was always the Woolavington, although we would have loved to have been able to have a preparation run going in. If she had won stretching away very comfortably, we would have considered the July. But the weight conditions are just not in her favour. We will aim her again at the Paddock Stakes and Met. She seems very happy in herself.”

Oh Susanna’s win in Saturday’s Woolavington 2000 at Greyville was her first run since her wins in the Cartier Paddock Stakes and Sun Met in January. Those three successive Grade 1 victories have made her the favourite to be the first female Equus Horse Of The Year since Igugu in the 2010/2011 season. The Australian-bred daughter of Street Cry gave her supporters a few anxious moments on Saturday when over-racing as they reached the first turn. However, such is her class she still managed to keep Fiorella and Lady In Black at bay in the straight and her giant stride carried her to a half-a-length victory under Grant van Niekerk.

The Snaith yard sent out a press release to announce the July scratchings and said the seven-year-old Dynasty entire Legislate would take his place in the Grade 2 Post Merchants over 1200m at Greyville on January 15 with Bernard Fayd’Herbe up.

Sommerville said, “”Legislate is very well but just needs more mileage. The Post Merchants should do him a world of good and won’t do him any harm. It will be a learning curve and will tell us whether he is able to take part in another big race.”

Sommerville named the Grade 1 Champions Cup as a possibility.

Legislate won the 2014 July and was named Equus Horse Of The Year for that 2013/2014 season.

Legislate proved to have a below average fertility rate at stud due to a low sperm count. Sommerville said his rate of getting mares in foal per cover was about 32% and his rate based on three covers was 58%. The accepted rate for the latter is 60% and above.

Sommerville said, “Every season a mare misses is costly for the breeder and he might have lost support due to that risk so it was decided to see how he would go back in training.”

The Grade 1 Daily News 2000 winner Surcharge has been scratched from the Vodacom Durban July.

This was not a surprising decision by the connections of the Stuart Pettigrew-owned Gimmethegreenlight colt as he has had an ultra-tough season.

He was asked to overcome wide draws in the Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run Cup and in all three legs of the Triple Crown.

He still managed to finish second in all three legs of the Triple Crown and before that won both the Listed Secretariat Stakes and Grade 3 Tony Ruffel Stakes, both over 1400m, when giving weight all around.

On Saturday he finally landed a good draw and duly won the prestigious R2 million classic event under Gunther Wrogemann.

Surcharge was quoted at 9/1 in Betting World’s July market at the time of his scratching.

By David Thiselton