Joey Ramsden consolidated himself as a top echelon trainer on Saturday when adding the Vodacom Durban July to his glittering CV with the Australian-bred The Conglomerate, while Piere Strydom showed once again why he is regarded as one of South Africa’s greatest ever jockeys.

That it takes a top trainer to win the country’s premier race is evident in the winner’s roll. In fact, Ramsden became only the ninth trainer this century to have won the July.

Pundits are always experts afterwards, but a look at last year’s July ultimately provided the best clue to The Conglomerate’s chances.

He jumped from the widest draw of all in last year’s race as a three-year-old and connections were left wondering what might have been. His inexperienced jockey had panicked coming up the hill and from last place on the rail had soon found himself widest of all entering the straight, but still last. Yet, the horse still managed to move up strongly on the standside rail and looked to have a ton in hand when faced with a wall of horses and nowhere to go. In retrospect, had the jockey remained patient at the back and made his run down the centre or inside, he could have threatened the winner, or at least the placed horses.

This year, The Conglomerate jumped from the same barrier position, but significantly had one of the all-time great jockeys in world history aboard. However, what had likely led to him being largely ignored by pundits was his form since last year’s July. Furthermore, Strydom had only been given second choice of the Markus Jooste-owned horses behind retained jockey Anton Marcus, who had plumped for St. Tropez.

Joey Ramsden (Nkosi Hlophe)

The Conglomerate’s two best performances in seven outings this season had been fourth place finishes in both the Gr 2 Betting World 1900 and Gr 3 Cup Trial over 1800m. He had lacked zip in the finish in the 1900, but in his defence it was his second run after a four month layoff and gelding. His Cup Trial run was difficult to analyse as he was involved in a bumping match with Saratoga Dancer on the outside which led to him being demoted from third to fourth.

The four-year-old son of Lonhro duly ran in this year’s race off a merit rating of only 101, seven points lower than a year ago, and from being 1kg under sufferance last year, he was now 2,5kg under sufferance.

Furthermore, as the Cup Trial was a handicap and the Betting World 1900 a merit-rated bands conditions race, he was going to have improve a number of lengths from those last two runs.

Ramsden thus pulled off a magnificent training feat on Saturday. He had spoken beforehand of the tremendous work The Conglomerate had been putting in at Summerveld and of a faultless preparation. Strydom then came to the party and rode a fantastic race, managing to slot the bay into a handy position from the wide draw.

The final factor was the trip, only the horse’s second attempt beyond 2000m. He once again relished it and quickened well before staying on resolutely.

Ironically, The Conglomerate was one of the many horses in the race affected by the much talked about “manipulation” of the weights. Had Legal Eagle been scratched before the setting of the weights, The Conglomerate would have been perfectly handicapped i.e. scraping into the handicap with the minimum weight for an older horse of 53kg. Instead, he carried 55,5kg and was 2,5kg under sufferance.

The charismatic Ramsden provided entertainment in the build up to the July with his antics at the draw ceremony and was also at his best on Saturday, bowing ceremoniously to President Zuma with hands out-stretched before receiving the trophy.

David Thiselton

The handicappers have used the fourth-placed It’s My Turn as the line horse to assess Saturday’s Vodacom Durban July and this has spared the winner and placed horses from receiving big raises in their merit ratings.

The Conglomerate, who was in the race 2,5kg under sufferance, has been raised from 101 to 106 for his victory, the impressive runner up Marinaresco, who was 4,5kg under sufferance, has been raised from 101 to 109, and fifth-placed Saratoga Dancer, who was 5,5kg under sufferance, has been raised from 95 to 101.

It’s My Turn, who was 2,5kg under sufferance, remains on 105.

Had third-placed Mac De Lago been used as the line horse it would have been a different story and they would have all received considerably bigger raises.

However, the handicappers look to have done the right thing in the overall context of the race, considering the only five horses which were actually in the handicap finished third (Mac de Lago), ninth (Master Sabina), eleventh (French Navy), thirteenth (Abashiri) and last (Solid Speed) respectively.

Overall these five have clearly run below their ratings, so it would have been unfair to assess the winner and placed horses against one of them.

David Thiselton

Gold Circle’s commercial executive Patrick Loker was ebullient after the Vodacom Durban July totalisator figures showed an upturn from last year in every department despite the budgeted for amounts having predicted a downturn.

He said, “We are exceptionally pleased to have achieved this in the current economic climate and I would like to thank everybody who contributed.”

Gold Circle’s totalisators turned over R28,116,818 on the July alone compared to R27,728,586 last year, an up turn of 1,4%, and this was 9,62% higher than their budgeted for figure of only R25,648,994.

SAFTOTE turnovers showed a 5,16% increase on the July, going up from R56,095,080 to R58,987,753.

Gold Circle’s totalisators turned over R58,867,624 on the Greyville meeting on Saturday, which was 0,2% higher than last year and 8,32% higher than their budgeted for figure.

SAFTOTE turned over R127,960,447 on the Greyville meeting, which was 7,71% higher than last year.

Gold Circle’s turnovers for all venues on the day was R62,803,905, which was 1,01% higher than last year and 8,94% higher than their budgeted for figure.

SAFTOTE’s turnover for all venues was R144,992,274, which was 7,34% higher than last year.

David Thiselton

Met winner Smart Call is to take on some of the best fillies in Europe before leaving for America for the Breeders’ Cup meeting.

Alec Laird said: “She arrived in Newmarket last Wednesday  and doesn’t have to do any further quarantine in Britain as the European authorities accepted that what she did in Mauritius was enough. The place she stayed at was half an hour from any other horse.

Smart Call (Liesl King)

“She is based at Abington Place (Mary’s Slack’s establishment) and you couldn’t find a better place to train from. We are aiming to run her in the Group 1 Sun Chariot Stakes over a mile at Newmarket on October 1. She will probably need that run –  all the quarantine has put us under a bit of pressure.”

The $2 million Filly & Mare Turf over ten furlongs at Santa Anita in California on November 5 is the Breeders’ Cup race for which Smart Call has received the invitation and Laird confirmed that is the one she is being aimed at.

The Mauritzfontein four-year-old, who also won the Maine Chance Paddock Stakes, had a gruelling journey from Mauritius last week, flying via Nairobi to Liege in Belgium. She then travelled to Amsterdam and from there by road – and ferry across the English Channel – to Newmarket.

The Sun Chariot invariably attracts a high class field and has been won by fillies from France and Ireland as well as Britain in recent years.

Michael Clower

Al Wahed, roughly translated as The Chosen One, is an appropriate choice for the Itsarush.co.za Handicap at Kenilworth today and he is attractively priced at 7-2.

“He is going to love the soft ground and I think he has a big chance even though Captain Bagg is a good horse,” says Mike Stewart. “We have a huge weight advantage.”

The gelding came to the Noordhoek trainer from Duncan Howells because he was born with an offset knee and Stewart is able to send him out into the sea morning and afternoon, keeping the knee cool and comfortable.

Mike Stewart

The four-year-old won over this 1 000m in April and repeated the performance five weeks later but last time he disappointed and managed only sixth behind Captain Bagg. However there were valid excuses.

“He jumped badly, he was bumped by the horse drawn alongside him and then by the horse the other side – and by that stage he was five lengths behind,” Stewart explains. “His rider chased him up and 500m out he was in front but the horse had basically blown his bolt.”

Brandon May, who rode him in those two wins, is now back on board but Captain Bagg, installed evens favourite by World Sports Betting, could again be a big danger even though he is 2kg worse this time. When the pair met in April, and Al Wahed beat Captain Bagg a length and a half, the Eric Sands horse was conceding 5kg. Now the difference is 4.5kg.

But what really counts with Grant Behr’s mount is the pace. Normally they don’t go fast enough and he pulls his way to the front. When he won last time there was a decent gallop and Behr was able to hold him up.

Another to bear in mind is the Andre Nel-trained 7-2 chance Ovar who is a consistent sort and good in sprints.

Rock On Wood is fractionally odds-on for the opening Maiden Juvenile Fillies and deservedly so. She lost valuable ground at the off when hot favourite on her most recent start but she ran on strongly in the final furlong and would have won in another 20m. The one worry is that she is developing seconditis – that was her third runner-up position in as many starts.

Race three is wide open and 3-1 favourite Kenny Trix gets only marginal preference. Mount Keith (4-1) has similar credentials while 11-2 chance Summer Sky had Edict Of Nantes (9-2) two lengths behind when both were making their debuts.

Two-year-olds Drop The Pilot and Possibly Me are 15-10 equal favourites for race four and preference is for Greg Ennion’s runner who was taking on a big field when beating all except Reine Tonnerre.

Michael Clower