Every serious punter in the country sat up and took note when Mike de Kock indicated on Winning Ways 17 days ago that Barahin had a better chance of winning this year’s Vodacom Durban July than the favourite.

Yet Hawwaam still heads the market at around 18-10 and, surprisingly, Barahin has hardly come down from the 7-1 at which he was available at the time of the James Goodman interview – but Muzi Yeni shares De Kock’s view about the horse’s chance and that he (Yeni) is the right man for the job.

“I’m at a prime age for a jockey (32) and over the years I have gained good experience of the July,” he says. “I know the dos and don’ts of the race, I can read the pace and how to understand how the track is running. Also I know my way round Greyville and all this will allow me to ride the horse accordingly and to the horse’s strengths.”

Greyville, apparently, is difficult and the July makes it more so: “It’s tight and in the July they tend to go fast early before slowing it down and then turning it into more of a sprint.”

Yeni has had a long association with De Kock, starting with his first winner Storm King and including Solo Traveller who finished fifth in Mike Rattray’s colours – less than a length and a half behind Pomodoro, seven years ago.

Yeni believes he could have won that year. “Solo Traveller was the best chance I’ve had so far but listening to other jockeys who had ridden him gave me the wrong idea and may well have cost me the race. Mine was the fastest 400m to the finish and, if I’d had him closer and in a better position, he would have gone very near.”

He has yet to ride Barahin in a race but this time he has put a lot of concentration into sussing the horse out for himself rather than consulting those who have partnered him in public. “I have worked him and I found him a bit of a lazy horse, the sort who will do better and give you more on a raceday.”

Yeni has also studied the horse’s racecourse performances – “He is reasonably straightforward. He doesn’t show a lot of pace in the early stages and I don’t think he is a horse that likes to be bustled so I am going to allow him to find his feet and get into the race at his own rhythm.

“My draw (6) will help as I am with fancied horses who run similar to the way he does which is coming from mid-field, or a little bit further back, so I will have my dangers around me.”

Yeni has had six previous July rides and did best on his first, Thundering Jet, who finished fourth to Big City Life in 2009. Happy Valley was fifth to Bold Silvano 12 months later but eighth is the closest he has come in three subsequent rides. 

He has put a phenomenal amount of effort into trying to win the championship this season. Which would he rather win, that or the July? He grins and shakes his head. “I am not fussed – just one of them would be fantastic.”

You have to go back to Hunting Tower in 2007 to find the winner starting from gate six and, curiously, the high numbers have proved best in recent runnings. Indeed in the last nine years the winner has only twice come from a single figure pen. The winners were drawn 10 (2009), 2, 10,20,11,11,18,8, 15 (2018).

During this nine-year period four-year-olds won the race three times and three-year-olds on all the other six occasions thus supporting the long-held view that the one to go for is an improving three-year-old – like Hawwaam or Barahin.

By Michael Clower

Stuart Pettigrew seldom leaves for home without drawing some blood and it was no different at Hollywoodbets Greyville yesterday as American Indian continued his good form with a fluent victory in the fifth.

Apprentice Luke Ferraris – who unfortunately will miss out on the Vodacom Durban July with his mount Magnificent Seven being scratched yesterday – had something of an armchair ride as he went clear a long way out. He was chased home by the luckless Silva’s Bullet who must surely have a change of luck soon.

The scratching of Magnificent Seven left the way clear for the filly Camphorates. Robbie Hill has her entered for the KZN Million Mile this Saturday and it will be interesting to see whether he scratches from this Saturday or next Saturday or races the Gr1 Empress Club winner in both.

Hill was in the winner’s box as Hey Jude motored home in the fourth. Bernard Fayd’Herbe was hard at work on favourite Isikhwami Sami a long way out and just when it looked as if his vigorous efforts had paid off, Anton Marcus arrived with a wet sail, Hey Jude rattling home under hands and heels.

Point Of Sale looked to be the right horse in the opening leg of the Pick 6 but she found one too good for her in Jack’s Bird. Well handled by apprentice Ashton Arries, Jack’s Bird flew home to collar Point Of Sale with the balance well beaten.

Michael Roberts has high hopes for the filly that was part of the groom’s cooperative at Cheveley Stud and bought for R175k.

Apprentice Jason Gates rounded off the day with a double and will next step out claiming 1.5kg. It was a welcome change for Lowan Denysschen as Eternal Words put plenty of daylight between herself and favourite Kilvington.

Gates was on the mark again, this time for Brett Crawford with Oloye revelling in the switch back to poly.

Dons Assembly, an entry for the Super Sale at Greyville next week, scored a timely win in the second for Dean Kannemeyer. Badly hampered at his last start, Dons Assembly made short work of his opposition. “He’s on the market,” concluded Kannemeyer.

By Andrew Harrison

Muzi Yeni was delighted to find, soon after his arrival at Kenilworth yesterday, that Barahin had collected one of the plum draws.

He said: “Six is a very good draw and I appreciate getting it, particularly as I am drawn among the fancied horses like Rainbow Bridge (4) and Hawwaam (3) while I have Richard Fourie on Do It Again on my outside at ten.”

Barahin will be Yeni’s seventh July ride whereas Keagan de Melo on Head Honcho will be riding in the great race for only the second time. He had mixed views about picking up slot 19 and said: “It’s not a good thing but on a front-runner it’s not a bad one either. I am just going to have to make my own luck.”

Doublemint, one of Justin Snaith’s five-strong armada, will be July ride number six for Corne Orffer who said: “Twelve is better than 18 but I would have preferred eight (the draw of Magnificent Seven) but I am going to make the best of it.”

Last year’s winner Do It Again is the ninth in the July for Richard Fourie who won on Legislate (drawn 11) five years ago. “Ten is brilliant,” he said. “I prefer being drawn out a little because the inside is a big tussle.”

Lesedi La Rona, for whom great hopes were held this season after she won her only two starts last term including the Perfect Promise, finally returned to form with a comfortable success under Lyle Hewitson in the Pinnacle Stakes and looks set to stay in training as a four-year-old.

Mark Bass, representing sister, Candice, said: “We thought very highly of her but she injured herself in the Diana Stakes when she pulled muscles quite badly. We sent her back to Drakenstein but in her last start she choked so we fitted a tongue tie here.”

Kevin Sommerville, Gaynor Rupert’s racing manager, said: “We will sit down and discuss things but it’s likely that she will stay in training. There are some nice black type races for four-year-olds over today’s sort of trip.”

By Michael Clower

There were no real surprises in the announcement of the Vodacom Durban July final field at Gateway yesterday and later most of the top contenders landed draws which the connections were happy with.

The last July log reflected the final field except for Grade 3 Track and Ball Derby winner Roy Had Enough coming from outside the top 20, leapfrogging Camphoratus and Zillzaal, and filling the berth vacated by the scratched Hero’s Honour.

The connections of Camphoratus might have felt unlucky not to get in ahead of four-year-old fillies Miyabi Gold and Fresnaye as she won the Grade 1 Empress Club Stakes, where she beat Fresnaye comfortably, as opposed to the latter pair’s respective Grade 3 and Grade 2 wins. However, what likely worked against her was she was beaten by Fresnaye in the Grade 2 WSB 1900 in May by 0,60 lengths. They ran at level weights in that race and will run at level weights in the July.

There is very little separating Miyabi Gold and Fresnaye with latter winning the Grade 3 Victress Stakes over 1800m in December by 1,50 lengths from Miyabi Gold, from whom she was receiving 2kg.

Some would argue that Bunker Hunt, merit rated 112 and a strong-finishing third in the KRA Guineas, 1,65 lengths behind the fancied July horse Twist Of Fate, could have been included ahead of his stablemate Miyabi Gold. The latter is 2kg under sufferance carrying 52kg, whereas Bunker Hunt would have been only 1,5kg under sufferance carrying 53kg. Bunker Hunt is also a progressive three-year-old who should be starting to come into his own, whereas Miyabi Gold, merit rated 105, is quite an exposed four-year-old. On the other hand Miyabi Gold did win the Grade 2 Gold Bracelet over 2000m at Greyville and the Listed Scarlet Lady over 1750m, whereas Bunker Hunt is yet to win a stakes race.

However, all in all there won’t be too many gripes.

The favourite Hawwaam drew three and his Mike de Kock-trained stablemate Barahin also drew well in six.

The defending champion Do It Again drew ten and his Justin Snaith-trained stablemate Made To Conquer, runner up last year drew one outside of him in eleven. Another Snaith-trained horse Doublemint drew one outside of them in 12 and the other two stablemates Magnificent Seven and Miyabi Gold drew eight and five respectively.

Eric Sands was very happy with his draw of four for third favourite Rainbow Bridge.

The Sun Met third-placed Head Honcho, trained by Andre Nel drew badly in 19.

Joey Ramsden has in the past seen the funny side of the perennial wide draws he tends to land at the VDJ final field and draw ceremony but yet another couple of bad draws was too much for him this time and he was clearly unhappy. His charges Twist Of Fate and Fresnaye landed draws 17 and 13 respectively.

Dennis Drier was hoping to land a draw from one to ten so was thrilled with draw nine for his filly Lady In Black.

Sean Tarry’s charges Tilbury Fort and Return Flight landed draws one and two respectively and stablemate Legal Eagle draw seven.

The Frank Robinson-trained Roy Had Enough landed draw 15 and the Johan Janse van Vuuren-trained Divine Odyssey is drawn 16.

Glen Kotzen, winning trainer ten years ago with Big City Life, watched on as Eyes Wide Open drew wide in 18. However, he was philosophical and said at least he could stay out of trouble and added there also appeared to be a lot of pace around him.

The reserve runners, the Robbie Hill-trained Camphoratus and the Sean Tarry-trained Zillzaal, drew 14 and 20 respectively.

By David Thiselton

Most of the top horses in the betting for the 2019 Vodacom Durban July drew well when the final field for the R4.25-million, Grade 1 event was announced at a public function at the Gateway Theatre Of Shopping at Umhlanga on the North Coast just outside Durban at midday today.

Africa’s greatest racing event will be run over 2 200m at Greyville in Durban on Saturday, July 6 and the annual betting frenzy on the iconic race will now move into top gear heading the betting splurge across Southern Africa that will see more than R200 million being wagered on the special day.

There were no real surprises among the 18 horses named to contest the race and the inclusion of the Frank Robinson-trained Australian-bred colt Roy Had Enough was expected after his impressive victory in the Grade 3 Track & Ball Derby at Scottsville on Saturday. However, having made the final field, he did not fare well when it came to the draw and he will have to jump from at best the 14 barrier position.

Justin Snaith, who has five runners in the race, showed satisfaction with the 10 draw position for defending Vodacom Durban July champion Do It Again when he personally did the draw for his runners with the other four members of his team set to start from positions 5 for Miyabi Gold, 8 for Magnificent Seven, 11 for Made To Conquer and 12 for Doublemint.

Mike de Kock, who will saddle favourite Hawwaam, drew three for his star performer and big race favourite and six for his other three-year-old colt Barahin while Joey Ramsden was physically unimpressed with the 13 and 17 draws which he made for his two runners Fresnaye and Twist Of Fate.

Sean Tarry pulled top draws for three of his four horses with Tilbury Fort to jump from the inside pen with stable companion Return Flight alongside of him. The seven-year-old Legal Eagle got the seven draw while the three-year-old colt Zillzaal drew 20 which matched his carded number as the second reserve runner.

Journalist: Richard McMillan.

The latest betting on the Vodacom Durban July as posted by Track & Ball is: 1.7-1 Hawwaam; 4-1 Do It Again; 4.5-1 Rainbow Bridge; 6-1 Barahin; 16-1 Twist Of Fate; 20-1 Legal Eagle; 25-1 Doublemint, Magnificent Seven; 28-1 Head Honcho, Eyes Wide Open, Made To Conquer; 40-1 Tilbury Fort; 50-1 Divine Odyssey, Return Flight; 55-1 Lady In Black, Miyabi Gold; 66-1 Fresnaye; 75-1 Roy Had Enough.