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Durban - There were no real surprises when the final Vodacom Durban July field was announced at Greyville.
According to Gold Circle's David Thiselton, the Mike de Kock-trained Safwan and the Mike Bass-trained Super Storm were both borderline horses, but it would have been a dangerous precedent to exclude horses that had won traditional July pointers, namely the Grade 2 Betting World 1900 and the Grade 3 Cup Trial, the latter being run on Monday at the Rising Sun Gold Challenge Carnival raceday.
The Cape Derby runner up Il Saggiatore and the Daily News fifth-placed Gold Onyx were the probable two horses that lost out at their expense.
Safwan is a very unlikely winner but could be one of the most important horses in the race, as Red Rake was last year, because many reckon he will be sacrificed to set a good pace. However, Gavin van Zyl, who has two runners in the race, warned connections to be wary of a “sucker punch” whereby Safwan could be sent to the front and then slow it down to favour his stable companion and race favourite Igugu, who is usually right up with the pace.
Igugu was the subject of a nerve-wracking moment for the De Kock yard as draws were done per trainer and only draws eight, 10, 18, 19 and 20 were left when De Kock was drawn out of the hat last.
Fortunately assistant trainer John Buckler drew 10 for Igugu and eight for the yard’s second highest in the betting, Galileo’s Destiny, while Captain’s Wild, Safwan and Flirtation drew 18,19 and 20 respectively.
The progressive Super Storm will be a big runner as his eyecatching Cup Trial win came after the weights were set, meaning he is 0,5kg better off than he would be in a handicap, and he also drew well in nine.
Bass said that he would “probably be ridden by MJ Odendaal”.
The best handicapped horses in the race are Bravura, Bulsara and Castlethorpe who are 1,5kg better off than they would be in a handicap.
Castlethorpe will be ridden by Karis Teetan.
Joey Ramsden wasn’t happy with second favourite Bravura’s draw of eleven, saying he was hoping for a single figure draw. He also drew wide with his other runner Lion In Winter at 16. They will be ridden by Anton Marcus and Glen Hatt respectively. Gavin van Zyl was very lucky with his draws, claiming pole position for Bulsara and barrier six for Daily News winner The Apache.
Mike Bass was also lucky, getting three single figure draws, with his three-year-olds Castlethorpe and English garden drawing three and five respectively.
Paul Gadsby was in dreamland, having sat at the same function two years ago as a Riding Master representing the South African Jockeys Academy and it never crossing his mind that he would be there as a July trainer just two years later.
He was very happy with Black Wing’s draw of twelve especially seeing he was close to Igugu. Justin Snaith had poor luck with the draws yet again with Emerald Cove in stall 13 and the third favourite Run For It in 14.
The joint-owner of Big City Life, Paula Deacon, was thrilled to draw barrier two for the 2009 July winner. The “people’s horse”, Pierre Jourdan, was represented by Vodacom’s Alberts Breedt and drew an excellent position of four.
Two other Gauteng horses, Vertical Takeoff and Happy Landing, were not as lucky drawing 15 and 17 respectively.
The R3 million Vodacom Durban July will be run over 2 200m at Greyville racecourse on Saturday, July 2 and the July gallops, also at Greyville, will be held on Thursday, June 23.
Final field and draws:
Under number, draw, horse, weight, merit rating, jockey, trainer
1 7 PAST MASTER 60.0 115 BA Gerrit Schlechter Darryl Hodgson
2 2 BIG CITY LIFE 59.5 112 A Andrew Fortune Glen Kotzen
3 11 BRAVURA 57.5 113 A - Joey Ramsden
4 4 PIERRE JOURDAN 57.5 110 A Dougie Whyte Gary Alexander
5 18 CAPTAIN'S WILD 56.5 108 A Randall Simons Mike de Kock
6 16 LION IN WINTER 56.5 108 A - Joey Ramsden
7 17 HAPPY LANDING 56.0 107 BA Muzi Yeni Joe Soma
8 15 VERTICAL TAKEOFF 55.5 106 A - Sean Tarry
9 10 IGUGU (AUS) 55.0 109 A Anthony Delpech Mike de Kock
10 14 RUN FOR IT 55.0 109 A Felix Coetzee Justin Snaith
11 6 THE APACHE 55.0 109 A Raymond Danielson Gavin van Zyl
12 1 BULSARA 55.0 108 BA Bernard Fayd'Herbe Gavin van Zyl
13 5 ENGLISH GARDEN 54.5 108 A Karl Neisius Mike Bass
14 20 FLIRTATION 54.5 104 A Gavin Lerena Mike de Kock
15 12 BLACK WING 54.0 107 A Ian Sturgeon Paul Gadsby
16 19 SAFWAN (AUS) 54.0 103 A Billy Jacobson Mike de Kock
17 3 CASTLETHORPE (AUS) 53.0 108 A - Mike Bass
18 13 EMERALD COVE 53.0 105 A Richard Fourie Justin Snaith
19 8 GALILEO'S DESTINY 53.0 104 A Kevin Shea Mike de Kock
20 9 SUPER STORM 53.0 102 A - Mike Bass
Couplings: (3,6) (5,9,14,16,19) (10,18) (11,12) (13,17,20)
According to Gold Circle's David Thiselton, the Mike de Kock-trained Safwan and the Mike Bass-trained Super Storm were both borderline horses, but it would have been a dangerous precedent to exclude horses that had won traditional July pointers, namely the Grade 2 Betting World 1900 and the Grade 3 Cup Trial, the latter being run on Monday at the Rising Sun Gold Challenge Carnival raceday.
The Cape Derby runner up Il Saggiatore and the Daily News fifth-placed Gold Onyx were the probable two horses that lost out at their expense.
Safwan is a very unlikely winner but could be one of the most important horses in the race, as Red Rake was last year, because many reckon he will be sacrificed to set a good pace. However, Gavin van Zyl, who has two runners in the race, warned connections to be wary of a “sucker punch” whereby Safwan could be sent to the front and then slow it down to favour his stable companion and race favourite Igugu, who is usually right up with the pace.
Igugu was the subject of a nerve-wracking moment for the De Kock yard as draws were done per trainer and only draws eight, 10, 18, 19 and 20 were left when De Kock was drawn out of the hat last.
Fortunately assistant trainer John Buckler drew 10 for Igugu and eight for the yard’s second highest in the betting, Galileo’s Destiny, while Captain’s Wild, Safwan and Flirtation drew 18,19 and 20 respectively.
The progressive Super Storm will be a big runner as his eyecatching Cup Trial win came after the weights were set, meaning he is 0,5kg better off than he would be in a handicap, and he also drew well in nine.
Bass said that he would “probably be ridden by MJ Odendaal”.
The best handicapped horses in the race are Bravura, Bulsara and Castlethorpe who are 1,5kg better off than they would be in a handicap.
Castlethorpe will be ridden by Karis Teetan.
Joey Ramsden wasn’t happy with second favourite Bravura’s draw of eleven, saying he was hoping for a single figure draw. He also drew wide with his other runner Lion In Winter at 16. They will be ridden by Anton Marcus and Glen Hatt respectively. Gavin van Zyl was very lucky with his draws, claiming pole position for Bulsara and barrier six for Daily News winner The Apache.
Mike Bass was also lucky, getting three single figure draws, with his three-year-olds Castlethorpe and English garden drawing three and five respectively.
Paul Gadsby was in dreamland, having sat at the same function two years ago as a Riding Master representing the South African Jockeys Academy and it never crossing his mind that he would be there as a July trainer just two years later.
He was very happy with Black Wing’s draw of twelve especially seeing he was close to Igugu. Justin Snaith had poor luck with the draws yet again with Emerald Cove in stall 13 and the third favourite Run For It in 14.
The joint-owner of Big City Life, Paula Deacon, was thrilled to draw barrier two for the 2009 July winner. The “people’s horse”, Pierre Jourdan, was represented by Vodacom’s Alberts Breedt and drew an excellent position of four.
Two other Gauteng horses, Vertical Takeoff and Happy Landing, were not as lucky drawing 15 and 17 respectively.
The R3 million Vodacom Durban July will be run over 2 200m at Greyville racecourse on Saturday, July 2 and the July gallops, also at Greyville, will be held on Thursday, June 23.
Final field and draws:
Under number, draw, horse, weight, merit rating, jockey, trainer
1 7 PAST MASTER 60.0 115 BA Gerrit Schlechter Darryl Hodgson
2 2 BIG CITY LIFE 59.5 112 A Andrew Fortune Glen Kotzen
3 11 BRAVURA 57.5 113 A - Joey Ramsden
4 4 PIERRE JOURDAN 57.5 110 A Dougie Whyte Gary Alexander
5 18 CAPTAIN'S WILD 56.5 108 A Randall Simons Mike de Kock
6 16 LION IN WINTER 56.5 108 A - Joey Ramsden
7 17 HAPPY LANDING 56.0 107 BA Muzi Yeni Joe Soma
8 15 VERTICAL TAKEOFF 55.5 106 A - Sean Tarry
9 10 IGUGU (AUS) 55.0 109 A Anthony Delpech Mike de Kock
10 14 RUN FOR IT 55.0 109 A Felix Coetzee Justin Snaith
11 6 THE APACHE 55.0 109 A Raymond Danielson Gavin van Zyl
12 1 BULSARA 55.0 108 BA Bernard Fayd'Herbe Gavin van Zyl
13 5 ENGLISH GARDEN 54.5 108 A Karl Neisius Mike Bass
14 20 FLIRTATION 54.5 104 A Gavin Lerena Mike de Kock
15 12 BLACK WING 54.0 107 A Ian Sturgeon Paul Gadsby
16 19 SAFWAN (AUS) 54.0 103 A Billy Jacobson Mike de Kock
17 3 CASTLETHORPE (AUS) 53.0 108 A - Mike Bass
18 13 EMERALD COVE 53.0 105 A Richard Fourie Justin Snaith
19 8 GALILEO'S DESTINY 53.0 104 A Kevin Shea Mike de Kock
20 9 SUPER STORM 53.0 102 A - Mike Bass
Couplings: (3,6) (5,9,14,16,19) (10,18) (11,12) (13,17,20)
