The Vodacom Durban July Post-Mortems Have Been Filed. The
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
SPORTING POST DIGEST • THURSDAY 12 jUlY 2018 1 Thursday 12 july 2018 Tuesday - 17 July FAIRVIEW poly Friday Best Roving Banker: R5-(11) Meritocracy (5/2) TURFFONTEIN Saturday Best Roving Banker: R3-(10) Alyaasaat (15/10) KENILWORTH Saturday Best Roving Banker: R6-(1) Fresnaye (1/1) SCOTTSVILLE Sunday Best Roving Banker: R1-(4) Blackbeard (7/1) Saturday 7 July Turffontein - race 2 Sporting Post Best Handicapped The Vodacom Durban July post-mortems have been filed. The 2018 running of Africa’s greatest will go down as Dagmar something of a bizarre extended 1200m sprint – and that is without detracting in any way from the historic WON 8/1 recordbreaking achievements of Anton Marcus and the Snaith Racing Team on the back of a very classy 3yo. Top jockeys Garth Puller and jeff lloyd were of emotion or gut feel – call it what you like. Irrespective unequivocal in their belief that there would be of the pace, the marginal inclusions ended up confirming some kind of a pace on when we chatted to them a their status and the likes of last year’s july Consolation few days before the race last week. little did lloyd winner Crowd Pleaser, who ran a great second in the realise that the topic of our conversation would same race on Saturday, and Dean Kannemeyer’s Gold contribute as materially as it did to him flying out Vase winner It’s My Turn, confirmed that on well-being of South Africa this week, a disappointed man and and class they both deserved to be included in the july.” with the july never to be included on his dazzling CV. Puller said that the omission of Crowd Pleaser particu- Never a personality to mince his words, Puller larly had come back to bite. said that the great race was probably the victim of “We are all professors in hindsight, but Crowd Pleaser a cocktail of realities – ‘some avoidable, some not’. would have been a candidate as a pacemaker and could “The condition that it is an invitation race needs have prevented it from turning into a farce in the first to be thrown out of the window. We are not going half. It’s My Turn’s exclusion may have worked in the to retain the status or race credibility forever by not connections favour as he is showing nice staying ability including the best horses. Or just acting on a whim and the Gold Cup looks the obvious next step after his SPORTING POST DIGEST • THURSDAY 12 jUlY 2018 2 THE DURBAN DAWDLE WEEKEND RACING impressive 3000m win. Good luck to them!” As for the race itself, Puller said that jeff lloyd had ridden a calculat- Twice Over The Moon ed race on Made To Conquer and made the running in the end, where Gr3 Winter Derby Kenilworth he had looked dangerous close to home. “Races are not run according to a script. I think that the prevalence The Snaith Racing Team will still be on a high after their of 3yo’s with stamina doubts contributed to the reluctance to go, stunning performance in the Vodacom Durban July last Sat- together with the older horses who are not suited or had excuses on urday. They could make it a hat-trick of R250 000 Gr3 Win- the day. For example, Abashiri was slow out and never got into any pos- ter Derby victories with the smart Doublemint on Saturday. The absence of boom 3yo Rainbow Bridge takes some of sible position to lead. White River was there under protest. jeff (lloyd) the sparkle out of the R1 million Highlands Cape Winter Series did as he said he would – he could not have gone much earlier than third leg at Kenilworth on Saturday. he did and he looked strong into the final stages. I personally don’t feel It was hoped by many that Eric Grant van Niekerk covered himself in glory on African Night Sky. But the Sands’ emerging star would bid to winner is a smart progressive 3yo – he came from 5 or 6 lengths off. A emulate Pocket Power and Afri- great ride in the circumstances by Anton (Marcus).” can Night Sky and make it a clean Do It Again’s next target is likely to be the l’Ormarins Queen’s Plate sweep by winning the Gr3 Winter and the Sun Met in the Cape summer. Derby. Runner-up Made To Conquer could carry topweight in the 3200m That won’t be the case but it Gr3 Gold Cup on 28 july. His connections are reportedly keen to have a leaves the door open for one of nine crack at our premier stamina event – a win in which could seal him the up-and-coming young stayers of to- Equus Champion Stayer title. Rock My Soul | Gold Circle morrow to register a first Gr3 victory. Third-placed Elusive Silva, who has overcome two tendon setbacks, Topping the SP ratings, the Gr3 Politician Stakes winner will run in the Champions Cup at the Greyville Track on Saturday 28 july. Doublemint placed in both of the first two legs of the Winter Trainer Paul Peter told Sporting Post that he had ‘no excuses’ and Series and carries top weight as the only stakes winner in the was proud of Majestic Mambo’s run into fourth. This was his first field. The son of Twice Over – who sired last Saturday’s july runner in the race. “The pace did not suit us. The jockey did nothing winner Do It Again - should relish the step up in trip and is sure wrong. Our boy acquitted himself with distinction. I’m proud to have to go very close at his third run after a rest. been a part of it all. Majestic Mambo emptied the manger on Sunday joey Ramsden’s Rock My Soul – yet another Twice Over - is and looked as if he hadn’t raced. He goes into quarantine for Dubai in one of only two winners over 2400m in the field. Bang in ten days. He is an exciting prospect,” he said. form, he has won two of his last three starts and looks set for a big run. Rating It Spring Man was beaten 1,25 lengths by Doublemint in the Winter Classic and has not quite lived up to expectations The Official Handicapper treated the july result with some cau- after an eyecatching fifth behind Eyes Wide Open in the Gr1 tion. Elusive Silva (5,50 lengths back in third) was used as their line Investec Cape Derby. horse. Winner Do It Again went from a 110 to a 117, while sec- On the subject of unrealised potential, the talented Ancestry ond-placed Made To Conquer was pushed from 102 to 108. has written the text book! The son of Oratorio had two near For mathematical assessment purposes, the distance between miss serious stakes experiences as a 2yo but has battled to find second and third was reduced from 4,25 lengths to 3 lengths by his feet as a 3yo. He has not earned in six runs this term but is the NHA Handicappers. To put Saturday’s finish into perspective, just too classy to write off yet. here is a flashback to show actual distance (in lengths) between The nicely bred love 3rd place and winner since 2000: Gr3 Winter Derby Happens – a stablemate to 01/07/2000 Free My Heart 1.55 past winners Doublemint – ran a 1,55 length 07/07/2001 Double Reef 1.75 2015 1 Liquid Mercury 59.0 (10) 7/2 third in the Winter Guineas but 06/07/2002 Tytola 0.20 2 Master's Eye 59.0 ( 2) 6/1 was a bit one-paced when fin- 05/07/2003 Red Badge 1.75 3 Royal Dreamer 60.0 ( 9) 9/2 2016 ishing just behind Doublemint 03/07/2004 Red Badge 2.55 1 Elusive Silva 59.0 ( 6) 6/1 2 Eighth Wonder 60.0 ( 7) 20/1 and Spring Man in the Classic. 02/07/2005 Eventuail 1.00 3 Roman Discent 59.0 ( 2) 66/1 He is another who could put it 01/07/2006 Equal Image 4.25 2017 1 African Night Sky 60.0 ( 6) 14/10 all together over the extra. 07/07/2007 Jagged Ice 0.30 2 Paddington 59.0 ( 8) 30/1 3 Ollivander 59.0 ( 1) 12/1 Pacific Chestnut, the first of 05/07/2008 Bound By Honour 1.00 the Bass-Robinson trio, was 04/07/2009 Forest Path 2.00 beat- 31/07/2010 Orbison 4.50 en 6 02/07/2011 English Garden 2.00 START PA5/PICK SIX4/JACKPOT3 4:00PM GR3 WINTER DERBY (3YO’S) - 2400M lengths 07/07/2012 Chesalon 1.05 KENILWORTH SAME TRAINER:(1-5)(2-3)(6-8-9) 7 in the 06/07/2013 Do You Remember 0.40 Twice Over 1 DOUBLEMINT(J Snaith) G v Niekerk ................ 6 60.0 Winter 05/07/2014 Futura 0.60 Oratorio 2 ANCESTRY(J Ramsden) B Fayd’herbe .............. 5 59.0 Twice Over 3 ROCK MY SOUL(J Ramsden) D Dillon ............. 7 59.0 Classic 04/07/2015 Tellina 1.25 Marchfield 4 SPRING MAN(BJ Crawford) C Orffer ................ 2 59.0 Silvano 5 LOVE HAPPENS(J Snaith) R Fourie ................. 9 59.0 but 02/07/2016 Mac de lago 2.25 Horse Chestnut 6 PacIFIC CHESTNUT(C Bass-Robinson) R Munger .... 4 59.0 could 01/07/2017 Edict Of Nantes 0.35 Gitano Hernando 7 MAN ABOUT TOWN(ELP Steyn) G Cheyne .....