FINAL FIELD HOLLYWOODBETS DURBAN JULY

WITHOUT QUESTION - may be in the mix but cannot see him ahead of SIA
WINCHESTER MANSION - real come on look after gelding, right weight but 3rd run in 7 weeks and third time travelling
DO IT AGAIN - times have been slower and slower, sentimental, maybe in the first 6
SEE IT AGAIN - the further they go the more he will win by, luck in running needed, his race to lose
DAVE THE KING - come on look, distance question mark, dark horse
PUERTO MANZANO - I don't think he is suited to Greyville
PACAYA - good weight, good comeback run, must have improved, don't know if he is good enough to beat SIA even at the weights
SAFE PASSAGE - 4th run in 8 weeks, prep seems rushed, first 4 or off the boards type of proposition
RASCALLION - come on look, right weight, must be ahead of PACAYA at the weights, 3rd run after rest, peak effort
RAIN IN HOLLAND - ultra consistent but cannot have at the weights, maybe a quartet prospect
POMP AND POWER - plenty ability but bi-polar, this horse needs to settle and run on down the outside. If he fights the first 400m then his race will be over, dark horse

Quartet
7 / 4,15,10,12 / 2,4,10,12,14,15,17,18 / 2,4,10,12,14,15,17,18

MIKE DE KOCK OUT TO RETAIN HOLLYWOODBETS DURBAN JULY CROWN

David Thiselton


Mike de Kock is not concerned about Christophe Soumillon’s lack of experience of the tight Hollywoodbets Greyville raceourse.

When asked the question, he replied, “If it was his first ride in Hong Kong or at the Breeders Cup or the Dubai World Cup would you be asking me that question. There is no concern.”

Belgian-born and France-based Soumillon would become the first foreign rider in history to win the July, at least in the known history of the big race.

However, he is no ordinary rider and could well be the world’s most naturally gifted jockey.

De Kock was asked at the final field announcement and draw ceremony on Tuesday whether he was happy with the draws for Dave The King and Safe Passage respectively and replied, “I was hoping for anything between 8 and 12 and I got 10 and 14, so no complaints. I like to stay a little bit out of the scrum. I prefer that for the July. It can get a little bit hectic depending on what your tactics are on the inside and I see there are a few fancied horses around each other on the inside, so it will be interesting to see what sort of tactics will be employed. Justin’s got five in the race, maybe there is something there as a pacemaker, but I have a feeling he wants to run 1,2,3,4,5 and 6th!”

De Kock was asked whether Soumillon being on Safe Passage meant the latter was the stable elect and he replied, “You know, this horse Dave The King has improved a helluva lot. He is absolutely flying at home. He’s come on from his last start, he’s definitely improved on at least what he was beaten.”

The big Global View gelding was the 0,70 lengths runner up to See It Again in the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 and is now 1kg better off, although the latter did win easing up.

De Kock continued, “However, I have a big question mark over the 2200m with Dave The King because he has a tremendous amount of pace and he has a massive, massive action.”

Dave The King has given the impression of being a bit one-paced in the straight in his last two starts at Hollywoodbets Greyville, but this might have been an illusion created by the combination of his huge stride and having had to come from a handy position over 1600m and then from the front over 2000m.

De Kock was asked this question and replied, “Well if he is one-paced it’s a very fast pace!”

The Gary Player Stud-bred Dave The King’s sire Global View has not shone, but this does not worry De Kock who said such a sire often produced one good one and he pointed to him being out of a Jet Master mare.

He moved on to Soumillon’s mount, who finished third in the July last year.

“Safe Passage last year caught me unawares in the Daily News. He gives away nothing at the track. Last year I thought he needed the run, didn’t think he could run well, he goes and wins the Daily News. He’s a funny horse, he gives away nothing when it comes to work. But he is as sound and as well as I’ve ever seen him and moving probably the best I’ve seen him move ever.”

The pair reflected exactly De Kock's revelations at the official HDJ Gallops as Dave The King appeared to toy with Safe Passage and beat him easily.

Safe Passage is by the most successful July sire in history, the late great Silvano, who has had five individual winners of the big race. De Kock has trained the first and last of Silvano’s July winners to date, Bold Silvano in 2010 and Sparkling Water last year.

De Kock has won the July five times and asked which was the most satisfying he replied, “It’s always the first one (Ipi Tombe 2002), no doubt. Every single one of them is massively satisfying, I must be honest, and last year’s was also right up there because it was for Mary. For what she’s done for my personal life and racing. I thought it was fitting she got a July under the belt. She has won a lot of other races, but the July’s a race that has eluded her and I think it was a very special moment for all of us who are involved with her. She imported the mother and bred the horse (Sparkling Water) and owned her, that was extra special for her.”

On the big day on July 1 De Kock will not be “tying his jockeys down too much with instructions.”

He said, “I really believe when you employ a jockey you have got to also allow him to think. A lot happens in 400m out the gates and the best plans are often buried there and then.”

Both Safe Passage and Dave The King have been prepared out of Summerveld.

Craig Zackey has ridden Dave The King in all three of the starts the horse has had for De Kock and he retains the ride.

Picture: Mike de Kock said last year’s Hollywoodbets Durban July win was right up there with his most satisfying victories in South Africa’s premier horse race (Candiese Lenferna Photography).

HALL-OF-FAMER ROBERTS ON THE CUSP OF HISTORY
David Thiselton

See It Again won the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 from draw seven and has landed the same draw for the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Durban July.
Trainer Michael Roberts said the big Twice Over colt would not have to "burn up the turf" at the official HDJ Gallops.
He duly impressed with an effortless display befitting of a July favourite.
He remains the firm favourite at 33/10 with the sponsor
.
Seven was the draw owner Nick Jonsson had predicted for the big race favourite.
Roberts revealed, “I must say I was stressing a bit about the draw. But Nick (who was overseas at the time of the ceremony) ensured me it was out of my control and to just enjoy it. He actually predicted he would get draw seven and explained to me, ‘Seven was my Dad’s (much loved racing owner and administrator Benji Jonsson’s) lucky number.’”
Roberts continued, “My life was made easy because I didn’t have to do anything. (There was only one draw left when Roberts’ name was drawn out of the hat.) As the big draws were coming up I was relieved and near the end there was only 5, 7 and 11 left and I wasn’t really concerned. I wanted to be 8 or under and we got 7 which was fantastic.”
He was asked how the Twice Over colt had been doing and replied, “Very well. Up to this morning (Tuesday) I’m very happy with him. He’s in a good space, we’ve had no hiccups with him, so we are hoping for the best.”
Michael revealed, “The Daily News was a very important race for me as a trainer and for this big horse’s stallion career.”
He said philosophically, “Favourites don’t have a good record in the July and also it is a rough race and he’s still a young horse. I’ve ridden many good horses in the July and they didn’t come through to win the July, so you are going to need lady luck on your side.”
On Tuesday at the final field announcement and draw ceremony he said about his recent work program, “Rachel (Venniker) has ridden him in his work everyday. She knows the horse very well and she knows the way I like to work my horses. She’s a great help for my yard, we’re a team and she will ride him in his July gallop too.”
He added about the official gallop, “My horse is ready, I don’t have to go and burn the turf up.”
See It Again’s big race rider Piere Strydom had initially said he would not ride in the July below 57kg, but Roberts said he would not have a problem slimming the half-a-kilogram necessary to get down to the set weight of 56.5kg. He added, “Especially if you have got that weight on your body, which he has got I can promise you!”
Roberts revealed how the weighing in process works and the different ways jockeys approach it.
He said jockeys usually have a number of saddles ranging from one that weighs a few ounces right up to a “five pound” saddle. If they are still below the weight they then have to put a lead bag on.
He said it was usually considered better to ride with a heavier saddle than to have lead but he admitted, “When I was riding I liked to use just one saddle most of the time, except when I was riding very light, because you are more comfortable in the saddle you are used to rather than changing every five minutes.”
He said about the potential honour of joining Syd Garrett, David Payne and Bert Abercrombie as July-winning jockeys to have trained a July winner, “This is our premier race. In England you have the Epsom Derby, in Australia the Melbourne Cup and in America the Run For The Roses, the Kentucky Derby, so to be honest it would be a dream come true. I don’t really think about it, but I have been looking for a horse of this calibre for such a long time now and suddenly he just arrived and you could see from day one he’s going to be something special.”
He did mention the added pressure of training a July horses as opposed to riding one and said, “It’s a big difference because training a horse who has a chance in the July there is pressure to keep your horse in good health and managing him and taking every precaution so the horse can turn up on the day fit and well. As a rider you go and excercise your horse everyday and look after him and go through the motions, but it’s much easier really.”
See It Again will be Michael’s first July runner as a trainer, but he did not think his lack of experience in preparing a July horse was a disadvantage.
He explained, “I just treat it normally. All my horses get the same treatment, we love them all and we treat them the same.”
He revealed, “To be honest training a small horse who is struggling to win a race I have found to be more challenging than training this horse.”
Michael regards his yard as “a medium” sized yard and he was not perturbed by July history which shows big yards to have generally dominated.
He said, “It’s numbers … well … it is just a numbers game to get that calibre of horse.”
Big yard trainers are generally perceived to be capable of giving a July horse a superior preparation and to have the ability to get a horse to his or her absolute peak on the day.
However, Roberts pointed out, “I knew a trainer many years ago called Pat Antelme, I think he had three horses and he won the July.”
There was also the recent example of Kommetdieding from the small yard of Harold Crawford and his daughter Michelle Rix.
Michael added, “It’s about the calibre of horse you buy at the Sales. Every owner and trainer is looking for that special one and they are hard to find, so obviously the more numbers you get the easier to find it … and you need a bit of luck.”
Michael’s luckiest career moment probably came when he happened to be walking past just after Nick Jonsson had successfully bid for See It Again. Benji and Nick had both been supporters of the Roberts yard and that rang a bell with Nick as Michael walked past. So he handed him the ticket and said, “Here, I’ve just bought you a horse.”
See It Again is a three-parts brother to Nick’s twice July-winner Do It Again, being by the same sire and out of a half-sister to Do It Again. The pair will make some history on Saturday being such close relatives with a five year difference in age, one being the three-year-old race favourite and the other being the first to run in the race six times (and possibly the first to win it three times).
Picture: Michael Roberts thrilled with his number 7 draw (Candiese Lenferna Photography).

There was a July panel discussion yesterday, where can one watch it if uploaded, thanks.