Durban July field’s winners and losers

Jack Milner

The final field for the R10-million Hollywoodbets Durban July was revealed on Tuesday and as is always the case, there are winners and losers.

The trainers who walked away from the announcement function during which the draws for barrier positions were made with smiles on their faces include Justin Snaith, James Crawford, Candice Bass, Tony Peter and Peter Muscutt as all their horses got in and the draws generally went in their favour.

Snaith has five runners – Note To Self, Wish List, Regulation, Native Ruler and Legal Counsel – and they landed barrier Nos 2, 11, 7, 10 and 5 respectively.

Star Major, the current 7-2 favourite trained by Crawford, landed barrier No 4, Isivivane (Muscutt) will jump from pole position, The Ultimate King (Peter) is drawn No 3 while Bass-trained Viva’s Liberte made the final field, is drawn No 9 and will have Craig Zackey in the irons.

The ‘losers’ who landed wide draws are Aladdin’s Lamp (Mike and Mathew de Kock), King Pelles (Gareth van Zyl), Minogue (Candice and Tammy Dawson) and Olivia’s Way (Roy Magner) who drew Nos 18, 17, 16, and 15 respectively.

Perhaps the most unfortunate of them all were the connections of Choisaanada who on the final log was listed higher than both Aladdin’s Lamp and Regulation, is rated way higher (15 and 11 points) than both those runners but has ended up as first reserve.

De Kock-trained Curious Girl is the second reserve.

The two reserves have not been allotted draw numbers and if there is a scratching they will be given the barrier position of the runner they will be replacing.

There are a number of firsts in this race and two of them are about the fairer sex. There are five fillies or mares in the top 18 and if reserve runner Curious Girl gets in, that will make it six.

Even more relevant is that there are two female jockeys riding in the race, Mickaëlle Michel and Rachel Venniker, and the former is on favourite Star Major.

This is a great opportunity for the French jockey who only came to South Africa to avoid the French Winter and could land up winning the country’s premier race.

Michel is one of four international riders in the race, the others being Zac Lloyd (Regulation), son of former champion jockey Jeff Lloyd, Chad Schofield (King Pelles), son of Glyn Schofield, and former Zimbabwean Mark du Plessis (I Salute You).

The other Grade 1 race on the card is the R1.5-million Ridgemont Garden Province Stakes for fillies and mares over 1600m.

This race is headed up by Snaith-trained Double Grand Slam who will be looking for a double in this race as she won it last year.

There are 12 races on the card and the exotics will include three Jackpots (Races 1 to 4, Races 5 to 8 and Races 7 to 12) and two BiPots (Races 2 to 7 and Races 7 to 12).

It has already been announced that there will be two carryovers on the card, one of R2-million kicking off the Pick 6 with a likely pool of R15 million, and R1 million going to the Quartet on the Durban July (Race 7), with a likely to pool of R10 million.

 

CURRENT BETTING

7-2 Star Major

4-1 Note To Self

11-2 Wish List

13-2 Regulation

14-1 Viva’s Liberte

15-1 Native Ruler

18-1 Gladatorian

20-1 Mocha Blend, Zeitz

22-1 Legal Counsel

30-1 King Pelles

33-1 Isivivane

45-1 I Salute You, The Ultimate King, Aladdin’s Lamp, Hazy Dazy

50-1 Olivia’s Way, Minogue

 

Final field for the R10-million Hollywoodbets Durban July (Grade 1) over 2200m at Hollywoodbets Greyville on 4 July.

1 – 1 ISIVIVANE (P B Muscutt) S Veale 52.0 – 108

2 – 2 REGULATION (J S Snaith) Z Lloyd 52.0 – 106

3 – 3 THE ULTIMATE KING (A P Peter) K Matsunyane 56.5 – 117

4 – 4 STAR MAJOR (J Crawford) M Michel 57.0 – 122

5 – 5 LEGAL COUNSEL (J S Snaith) C Murray 62.0 – 128

6 – 6 HAZY DAZY (C Spies) T Mayhew 54.5 – 117

7 – 7 WISH LIST (J S Snaith) A Fortune 54.5 – 117

8 – 8 GLADATORIAN (S H Ferrie) M Yeni 61.5 – 127

9 – 9 VIVA’S LIBERTE (C Bass) C Zackey 53.0 – 114

10 – 10 NATIVE RULER (J S Snaith) K de Melo 58.5 – 121

11 – 11 NOTE TO SELF (J S Snaith) R Fourie 55.0 – 118

12 – 12 ZEITZ (W A Nel) S Moodley 53.0 – 110

13 – 13 MOCHA BLEND (F Robinson) T Godden 56.5 – 117

14 – 14 I SALUTE YOU (P B Muscutt) M Du Plessis 54.5 – 113

15 – 15 OLIVIA’S WAY (R R Magner) J P v’d Merwe 55.0 – 114

16 – 16 MINOGUE (C/T Dawson) G Lerena 56.0 – 116

17 – 17 KING PELLES (G van Zyl (Jnr)) C Schofield 59.0 – 122

18 – 18 ALADDIN’S LAMP (M/M de Kock) C Habib 53.0 – 110

Reserve Runners

19 – 0 CHOISAANADA (E Verdonese) Reserve 1 58.5 – 121

20 – 0 CURIOUS GIRL (M/M de Kock) Reserve 2 52.0 – 100

Same Trainer: (1,14) (2,5,7,10,11) (18,20)

 

Final field for the R1.5-million Ridgemont Garden Province Stakes (Grade 1) (F&M) over 1600m

1 – 1 LOU LOU (M L Roberts) S Hlengwa 59.0 – 73

2 – 2 CALLMEGETRIX (S G Tarry) M Yeni 60.0 – 115

3 – 3 RAINBOW LORIKEET (C Bass) A Domeyer 60.0 – 113

4 – 4 WHISTLE THE TUNE (C/T Dawson) G Lerena 60.0 – 115

5 – 5 RODEO DRIVE (S G Tarry) P Mxoli 60.0 – 113

6 – 6 MON PETIT CHERIE (J Crawford) R Fourie 60.0 – 117

7 – 7 QUICKSTEPGAL (M N Prinsloo) K de Melo 59.0 – 120

8 – 8 KEUKENHOF (D Kannemeyer) C Zackey 59.0 – 115

9 – 9 SCARLET MACAW (C Bass) A Mgudlwa 60.0 – 104

10 – 10 DOUBLE GRAND SLAM (J S Snaith) A Fortune 60.0 – 125

11 – 11 KISSHOTEN (A P Peter) K Matsunyane 60.0 – 109

Same Trainer: (2,5) (3,9)