July Day Trainer comments

By David Thiselton unless stated

In form Ashburton trainer Duncan Howells has a big team on Vodacom Durban July day and said that all of them had enjoyed good preparations.



He has the Judpot filly Just Lucky and the Black Minnaloushe filly Littleblacknumber in the Gr 1 Zulu Kingdom Explorer Golden Slipper over 1400m where they have drawn wide in 14 and 17 and will be ridden by stable jockey Kevin Shea and Gavin Lerena respectively. Howells said, “Just Lucky is a very good filly, but this is maybe a bit sharp for her. The Ethekwini is probably her main goal. Littleblacknumber hasn’t got a great draw but the extra distance will suit and she could run into the money.”



He has the Right Approach colt Easy Lover in the Gr 1 Durban Golden Horseshoe over 1400m, where he is drawn eleven and will be ridden by Kevin Shea. He said, “He is quite precocious and is doing very well. The step up to this trip suited him well last time and if he can reproduce that last run he can run into the first three.”



In the first race over 1400m on the polytrack he has Cup Of Rubies from draw 6 with Muzi Yeni up and said, “I think she will be suited to the polytrack and I’m expecting a good run.”



In the second race over 1400m on the polytrack he has Tuscan and said, “He put up a very good gallop in the polytrack trials. He is drawn quite wide but is very well in himself and if reproducing that gallop on the polytrack he will have a first three chance.”



Howells runs the twice Gold Cup-placed Knight To Remember in the Gr 3 tabGold 2200 over 2200m and said, “He ran a good race last year on July day when they reduced the Gold Vase to 2400m. He is not quite at full fitness yet and this is more a preparation for the Gold Cup, but looking at the quality of the field he could run into the first four.”



He runs Gr 3 Cup Trial winner One Cool Dude in the Listed Thukela Handicap over 1600m and isn’t concerned about the step down in trip. “I pulled him out of the July because I felt the 2200m could be too far. He is coming through his preparations well and is drawn well so can run in the first three, but you have to respect the lighter weights in this race.”



He runs Louvre in the Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes and said, “She is probably near retirement and has lost her form a bit, but I’m hoping she can run into the money.”



He has Zestful in the tenth over 1000m on the polytrack and Guantanamera is the first reserve here. He said, “Zestful went such a quick pace last time over 1600m and he’s sprinted well before so we’re experimenting here although I would have preferred it if it was 1200m. Guantanamera has given the impression that he has been loafing so we’re trying him in blinkers. I have always thought he is better over 1200m, but the blinkers could sharpen him up and if they go quick he can sit just off them.”



He has Same Jurisdiction in the Non Black Type KZN Yearling Million over 1300m and Eltons Apostle is the first reserve. He said, “Same Jurisdiction won well last time and is well above average. We haven’t had time to take her to see Greyville so it depends on how green she is, but if she runs to her best she can be in the first three. Eltons Apostle is a progressive horse and I still think it’s a bit short for him, but for a million stake we will take our chances.”

I hope Duncan has a winner on July day

Garth Wrote:

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> I hope Duncan has a winner on July day

Gonna be difficult... best could be OCD

Garth Wrote:

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> I hope Duncan has a winner on July day


Tuscan / One Cool Dude....

K. Shea / D C Howells.... Perfect combination. (tu)(tu)(tu)

That makes two of us bud and a few places

The Paul Lafferty-trained Harry’s Son had no sort of luck in the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Medallion last time out, but still managed to run third and he and the yard’s other runner on Vodacom Durban July day, Goldie Coast, are both doing very well at Summerveld.



Harry’s Son, an Australian-bred colt by Haradasun was jostled between runners after they had jumped in the Medallion, forcing him to drop back, and he was then scrubbed along in last place for the first half of the race. Jockey Stuart Randolph then elected to take him down the inside rail, but he was stopped in his tracks by a horse that suddenly ducked in front of him. Randolph had to switch him out again and he then ran on strongly for a 3,5 length third.



Lafferty said, “That was an excellent run. He is in a very good place and we have taken him down to Greyville to have a look at the course.”



Harry’s Son will definitely appreciate the step up in trip and is drawn well in five with Piere Strydom up.



Lafferty had offered the ride to Randolph, but the latter was booked on the possible runner Light The Lights for his regular stable Glen Kotzen. Therefore Lafferty could not take the risk of being stuck without a jockey in the case where Light The Lights made it into the final field, so he instead put Piere Strydom aboard. As it happened Light The Lights is only the second reserve.



Lafferty said that three-year-old Goldie Coast, an Australian-bred filly by Choisir whom he has always held in good regard, was also “in a very good place.”



She has a tough task at the weights in the Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes over 1600m, but impressed when winning over 1400m at Greyville in her penultimate start, showing a fantastic turn of foot and going from last to first. She unfortunately pulled when running wide from a high draw in the Gr 2 KRA Fillies Guineas last time out and was then carried out, so found little in the straight.



Lafferty said she would have no problem with the 1600m trip and said, “She needs to be dropped in and then she settles beautifully and has that fantastic turn of foot.”



Strydom is now up, so will be given every chance to settle in behind them from another tricky draw of eight out of eleven. If everything goes according to plan she will be running on strongly and could be good value for a place in a field where the like of Beach Beauty and Hammies Hooker will be very hard to beat.

Glen Kotzen has no doubts about his Vodacom Durban July runner Jet Belle staying the 2200m trip and he was happy with the wellbeing of her and all of his other runners on the day.



He said about the four-year-old Jet Master filly, “She finished third in the SA Oaks over 2450m at Turffontein and was touched off in the Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 last year. She has been waiting to go over this trip and she only does so well at sprints because she is so good. The wide draw might be a blessing in disguise because she does sometimes start slowly and imagine being drawn one and missing the break.”



The four-year-old Jet Master filly is drawn widest of all in the 16 horse field and will be ridden by Muzi Yeni.



The yard run the two-year-old Kildonan filly Rosier in the Gr 1 Golden Slipper and Kotzen believes she is among the top three in the field, “He said there are two Gr 1 winners and she is the only Gr 2 winner. She has been looking to go around the turn and is drawn very well in two. In the Allan Robertson when running fourth she kept on hitting bad patches and changing legs so never got going.”



In the Gr 3 tabGold 2200 they run the four-year-old Dynasty gelding Alexander, the three-year-old Silvano filly Omaticaya and the former Mike de Kock-trained Gone Baby Gone, who was bought into the yard at a dispersal sale after the July gallops last Thursday. Kotzen said, “We’ve always had the Gold Cup in mind for Alexander but it’s tough to run the 3000m Gold Vase and the 3200m Gold Cup 21 days apart, so we opted for this race. It won’t be too sharp for him, as we actually fancied him over 1200m on debut and he just got touched off. He is doing very well and has got a chance. The Betting World Oaks was just a touch far for Omaticaya last time and this trip will be perfect. But for a three-year-old filly over this ground it will still be tough. Gone Baby Gone has shown that he can run and is sound. He galloped with the July horse Espumanti last Thursday and came out of it very well.”



The yard run the two-year-old Rebel King filly Garden Treasure in the KZN Yearling Sale Million and give her a “big shout”. He said, “We wanted to tuck her in last time when stepping her up to 1450m and she took a while to get cover but once she did she settled beautifully. She kicked well and then showed that she just needed it as she didn’t find extra. There was a question over the 1450m but this is now 1300m, which is an extended sprint, and she is drawn three and I think she will go well on the polytrack.”



The yard run the three-year-old Casey Tibbs filly Masked Lady in the first race on the polytrack over 1600m, where she is drawn well in five, and Kotzen said, “She was Gr 1 placed as a two-year-old and works so phenomenally well that you would never think she is only a two-time winner. I think she will enjoy the poly and Antony Delpech is on as he rode her two starts ago when she ran a good second. She has a chance as she is doing so well.”



The yard’s promising two-year-old Western Winter colt Light The Lights is second reserve for the Gr 1 Durban Golden Horseshoe over 1400m and looks unlikely to get in, but they do rate him highly.

I see glen kotzen comment regarding garden treasure saying she should go well on the polytrack...my computaform says she is running on grass:S

hibernia Wrote:

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> The Paul Lafferty-trained Harry’s Son had no
> sort of luck in the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Medallion last
> time out, but still managed to run third and he
> and the yard’s other runner on Vodacom Durban
> July day, Goldie Coast, are both doing very well
> at Summerveld.
>
>
>
> Harry’s Son, an Australian-bred colt by
> Haradasun was jostled between runners after they
> had jumped in the Medallion, forcing him to drop
> back, and he was then scrubbed along in last place
> for the first half of the race. Jockey Stuart
> Randolph then elected to take him down the inside
> rail, but he was stopped in his tracks by a horse
> that suddenly ducked in front of him. Randolph had
> to switch him out again and he then ran on
> strongly for a 3,5 length third.
>
>
>
> Lafferty said, “That was an excellent run. He is
> in a very good place and we have taken him down to
> Greyville to have a look at the course.”
>
>
>
> Harry’s Son will definitely appreciate the step
> up in trip and is drawn well in five with Piere
> Strydom up.
>
>
>
> Lafferty had offered the ride to Randolph, but the
> latter was booked on the possible runner Light The
> Lights for his regular stable Glen Kotzen.
> Therefore Lafferty could not take the risk of
> being stuck without a jockey in the case where
> Light The Lights made it into the final field, so
> he instead put Piere Strydom aboard. As it
> happened Light The Lights is only the second
> reserve.
>
>
>
> Lafferty said that three-year-old Goldie Coast, an
> Australian-bred filly by Choisir whom he has
> always held in good regard, was also “in a very
> good place.”
>
>
>
> She has a tough task at the weights in the Gr 1
> Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes over
> 1600m, but impressed when winning over 1400m at
> Greyville in her penultimate start, showing a
> fantastic turn of foot and going from last to
> first. She unfortunately pulled when running wide
> from a high draw in the Gr 2 KRA Fillies Guineas
> last time out and was then carried out, so found
> little in the straight.
>
>
>
> Lafferty said she would have no problem with the
> 1600m trip and said, “She needs to be dropped in
> and then she settles beautifully and has that
> fantastic turn of foot.”
>
>
>
> Strydom is now up, so will be given every chance
> to settle in behind them from another tricky draw
> of eight out of eleven. If everything goes
> according to plan she will be running on strongly
> and could be good value for a place in a field
> where the like of Beach Beauty and Hammies Hooker
> will be very hard to beat.


I see Laff says his horses are in a "good place" - does that mean they have moved to the Good man Yard? First time I've ever heard a trainer say something like this

My Yard??? Full:)-D

the good Wrote:

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> My Yard??? Full:)-D


That's great James so I presume the Laff horses have now all found some "spiritual enlightenment" and I expect yoga and "Om" chants now form part of the reason the have reached "a good place". ()

Summerveld trainer Alyson Wright has two runners on Vodacom Durban July day, although the one they are most confident with is a first reserve.

They have debut winner Flash McQueen, a filly by Black Minnaloushe in the Non-Black Type KZN Yearling Million, and her husband and assistant trainer Kevin said, “We’re struggling to get her ready in time because she pulled a muscle in her win. She has had a bad prep but I think she will make it into the race.”

They run Flying Fellow in the second race over 1400m on the polytrack. Kevin said, “I think he will be hard to beat if he gets in. I think he will love the poly and has got plenty of speed so will sit up second.”