Veil lifted on first 58 entries for Durban July
Big-striding chestnut colt See It Again galloped clear of his rivals at the top of the Hollywoodbets Durban July betting when first entries for Africa’s greatest race were announced on Wednesday.
The race sponsor had the 2023 runner-up at odds of 7/2 shortly after the veil was lifted on 58 hopefuls for the 2024 Durban July – though other pencillers had him as short as 15/4.
Michael Roberts-trained See It Again has been up with the punting pace ever since Hollywoodbets opened their July book in early February.
But other contenders barrelled their way up to the bar as the weeks went by. Notable was Mucho Dinero, with talk among punters being that he was champion trainer’s Justin Snaith’s prime candidate.
But Mucho Dinero ran last in a less-than-stellar Greyville Pinnacle Stakes at the weekend, starting his KwaZulu-Natal winter campaign on a low note and immediately blowing out in the July betting – from 4/1 to 8/1.
Nonetheless, January’s Premier Trophy winner is among Snaith’s eight July entries – the others being: Royal Aussie, Without Question, Triple Time, Hluhluwe, The Grey King, Future Swing and Get Impressed.
Few of those horses can be entirely discounted 72 days out from the R5-million Grade 1 showpiece on 6 July.
Former champion trainer Sean Tarry outdid everyone in the aspiration stakes, with 10 nominations. Those from his yard catch
ing the eye were three-year-olds Lucky Lad and Mid Winter Wind, stayer Future Pearl and enigmatic Cousin Casey.
Tarry’s Highveld neighbour Mike de Kock, bidding for a sixth July, entered seven horses, including three-year-old wonder filly Gimme A Nother, who is unbeaten in seven starts.
It can only be concerns about her tender age and gender – and
a lack of exposure to male competition – that keep this one at an inviting 7/1 in the betting.
Winchester Mansion is up for the job of defending his 2023 July title, with a cracking second place in the recent Champions Challenge in Joburg seeing his price chopped to 10-1.
A notable absence from the first entry list is three-yearold colt Sandringham Summit,
whose new owners believe success in the 2200m July might harm his breeding prospects, with elite mile victories apparently considered superior in the stud book.
Also missing is any candidate from the stable of ace Cape Town trainer Candice Bass-Robinson, whose Cape Guineas 1-2 of Snow Pilot and Red Palace might have been considerations.