The Vodacom Durban July Log as at 31 May 2021

Sorry big guy was hoping you would have managed a Crack at big one 😪👎

Sylvester wrote: if i was Zietsman and the Viljoens i would be pissed off and disappointed. at very least Attie should have been in the reserves.

The jockeys were pretty much as expected.

good field

Last run in PE when weighted to win comfortably might have swayed the board.
Yet apart from that run he has won and placed in some big races.

Justin Snaith is going all out to add to his Vodacom Durban July winning tally with four entries among the 18 runners carded to face starter Solly Ngcobo at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday, July 3.
Snaith goes into next Saturday’s race off a hat-trick of wins, having saddled Belgarion to win last year and prior to that Do It Again to back-to-back victories.
Both horses are in the line-up and will spear-head Snaith’s sixth winning bid in Africa’s greatest horse race, chasing the seven successes of the legendary Syd Laird and the six of Terrance Millard.
S’Manga Khumalo, successful on Heavy Metal for Sean Tarry in 2013, will partner last year’s winner Belgarion with stable rider Richard Fourie, who is contracted to ride for leading owner Nick Jonsson, aboard Do It Again who will be out to make history as the only horse to have won the race three times. Both have drawn wide at 11 and 16 respectively.
Other Snaith runners are supplementary entry Nexus with Craig Zackey booked, and Crown Towers who will see Louis Mxothwa having his first ride in the big race.
Muzi Yeni will have been mightily relieved to see Gr1 Woolavington 2000 and Triple Tiara champion War Of Athena defect to the Gr1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes otherwise he would have had to choose between the filly and current ante-post favourite Got The Greenlight.
Joey Soma has had the Vodacom Durban July in his sights since Got The Greenlight’s runner-up to Belgarion last year and the colt does appear to have had the ideal preparation and looks well in at the weights. He has drawn a little wide at 14 so should be able to avoid any early scrimmaging for position.
Three-year-olds have an outstanding record in this race in recent years and this season’s crop has proved to be outstanding. In their favour is that all will carry the minimum weight for their age group.
Vaughan Marshall launches a two-pronged assault with Linebacker and Rascallion who drew alongside each other at 7 and 6 respectively.
Linebacker has reeled off three big races in succession, the Gr1 Jonsson Workwear Cape Derby, the Gr2 WSB Guineas and the Gr1 Daily News 2000 and goes into the contest on the back of an ideal preparation that harks back to one of the best winners of this race, Illustrador, who followed a similar path into the race.
Rascallion finished runner-up to Linebacker in both the Daily News 2000 and the Jonsson Workwear Cape Derby with little more than a length between the stable companions at the line.
Kommetdieding has had to play second fiddle to Linebacker in both the WSB Guineas and the Daily News 2000 and the casualty has been regular jockey Sihle Cele who has been replaced by Gavin Lerena. Kommetdieding was a short-priced favourite for the Jonsson Workwear Cape Derby before side-lined by injury. He comfortably beat Rascallion in the Gr3 Politician Stakes and although beaten in both recent outings, he is far from a spent force. He pulled the widest gate at 18 but wide draws have been more to the fore in recent running’s with Golden Ducat, fourth last year, jumping from gate 18.
Top weight Rainbow Bridge has it all to do, giving lumps of weight to all and it may well prove to be a bridge too far at his third attempt. However, the gelding has struck up a good rapport with rider Luke Ferraris and a change of running tactics has seen him unbeaten in his last three, the Gr1 Cape Met, the Gr3 Drill Hall Stakes and the Gr1 Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge. Weight will be an issue but Ferraris will need to avoid traffic in a notoriously rough race from his pole position draw but he could still pull it off for owner Mike Rattray who has been trying to win the race for over four decades.
Gareth van Zyl saddles the progressive filly She’s A Keeper who may still not have shown her full potential. She was a smart winner of the WSB 1900 and she carries bottom weight from a mid-field draw of 10. This is a major step up in class but her record speaks for itself and off a light weight she is far from a hopeful entry.
Running Brave is a class mare but has been off her game in recent outings which is a concern.
Johnny Hero was supplemented after winning the Gr3 Jubilee Handicap where he carried bottom weight of 52kg. However, trainer Tyrone Zackey almost pulled off a major upset with Samanjemanje in 2012 so Jonny Hero is not one to write of lightly.
Sean Tarry saddled back-to-back wins with Heavy Metal and Pomodoro and sends out two runners in Cirillo and Shah Akbar.
Cirillo is ever game but has not won beyond 1400m although finishing third behind Got The Greenlight in the Gr1 Champion’s Challenge over 2000m on the tough Turffontein track.
Shah Akbar finished fourth to Linebacker in the Daily News 2000 with both Rascallion and Kommetdieding also ahead of him but he could still prove competitive from a stable that has a knack of getting horses to peak on the day. Journalist: Andrew Harrison

Yes hard luck to Ziets, I know 'they' would maintain that it is stated that MR is not the deciding factor in deciding the final field, but it is supposed to be a Handicap after all and I would have thought that a rating of 114 would be good enough to get him in - Tristful is at 113, Matterhorn a dismal 101 and even the Reserves are rated lower than Atyaab

At the risk of getting that yellow stuff all over my face, I think there are quite a few no-hopers - ExpressfromtheUS does not even stay 1800, Cirillo, stamina doubts, Johnny Hero 7 kgs out at the weighs, Matterhorn and She's a Keeper respectively 9.5 and 11 kgs under sufferance (although their ratings are restricted by the race conditions of 1900 - still I think also quite a few kgs under sufferance); Tristful should be held by Nexus and Crown Towers, who is probably in the race to set the pace

Still think Got the Greenlight is a worthy favorite and I still think Sovereign Spirit should be much shorter in the betting - he is now 6 kgs better off with Rainbow Bridge for a 4 length beating in the Met, 3.5 kgs better off with Do It Again for a 3,45 length beating in the Pinnacle ran over 1600 in May, and also 4 kgs better off with Belgarion for a 2.5 length beating in the Gold Challenge, where he was beaten 5.45 lengths by Rainbow Bridge - 3rd run after a rest and his prep has gone well imo - winner of the Campanajo last year, so the trip is ideal - fair draw - what is not to like ?

No complaints with this field.
Top of my list of no hopers is Sovereign Spirit. No matter which way you spin it, he is not in the same hemisphere as Rainbow Bridge. One fluke run in the Met. Yes he is “weighted” favorably, but this is toughest and roughest race win. Each to his own I suppose.
Kommetdieding for me.

If she is a keeper runs in the first 4 I will never punt 1c on horse racing again that's a statement. Hard luck to ziets they have been robbed

Mossel wrote: If she is a keeper runs in the first 4 I will never punt 1c on horse racing again that's a statement. Hard luck to ziets they have been robbed

They would have had the wrath of SANTA on them if Tristful ETC had not got a run

The reality is that there were not 18 horses left at final acceptances that deserve a place in the field. The following 4 are definitely not up to it:
Tristful - not good enough-only there because it is owned and trained in KZN
Running Brave - not good enough on current form
Matterhorn- not good enough
Johnny Hero- not good enough

Doubtful/ lucky
Nexus- has a gr 2 win to his name, but prep coming into this race questionable and under sufferance
Crown Towers- under sufferance, could still be improving
She's a Keeper- probably better than rated, but still too far under sufferance

Reserves
Silver Host- may still be improving, but too much under sufferance
Shango- was a useful 3 yo, but current form nowhere near good enough

Tristful is also a no hoper so good luck to them. They only wasting their money and robbing the once a year punter of something that has a chance

alterego wrote: No complaints with this field.
Top of my list of no hopers is Sovereign Spirit. No matter which way you spin it, he is not in the same hemisphere as Rainbow Bridge. One fluke run in the Met. Yes he is “weighted” favorably, but this is toughest and roughest race win. Each to his own I suppose.
Kommetdieding for me.

I think you nailed it. Tristful did beat SS at level weights in the Champion Stakes at Greyville.
The run before over the July C/D saw Tristful going down by .80 l to SS giving 4.50 kg.
Tristful now 5.50kg better off and IMHO the owner Mary Liley has been supporting Kzn racing for well over 50 years and deserves to have her horse in the race.

Horses 2,4,5,8,9,10,12,13,15,17,18 won't win this year July don't think they will finish in the top 4 but it's only my opinion