Punters in line for big winnings at Durban July

As Greyville gears up for its most important day of the year with the running of the Vodacom Durban July a week from Saturday, Gold Circle marketing manager Graeme Hawkins has announced two enticing attractions for punters on the big day.

There will be a guaranteed pool of R10m for the Pick 6, which Hawkins expects to gross more than R11m. The quartet pool will kick off with a guaranteed R13m. His prediction is that this pool will end up with more than R15m in the kitty.

However, many once-a-year punters love to make a place bet and they have got a chance of ending up in the payout queue with the tote announcing they will pay on the first six horses home in the 18-runner field.

The draw for the big race has not been kind to trainer Justin Snaith, who will saddle four runners. His quartet are 2016 Investec Cape Derby winner It’s My Turn, Krambambuli, Elusive Silva and Black Arthur.

Piere Strydom, who won this race 12 months ago on The Conglomerate, will need all his expertise to overcome a wide gate of 17 on It’s My Turn.

Although Black Arthur has fared reasonably well at barrier eight, Snaith was dismayed when Elusive Silva, winner in the Cup Trial, drew gate 15 and stablemate Krambambuli is even worse off in stall 19.

Snaith will take some consolation that bad draws are not always the kiss of death in the July and, indeed, The Conglomerate was drawn wide when successful a year ago.

Muzi Yeni’s mount, Ten Gun Salute, landed the perfect draw of five and there has been sustained support for the horse in the ante-post market. The 14-1 has been snapped up, leaving 12-1 the best price

It has to be in Ten Gun Salute’s favour that his trainer, Duncan Howells, has had the July as the horse’s target for the past six months. He decided to give both the Cape and Highveld seasons a miss and this means his charge goes into the race a fresher horse than many.

The victory by Ten Gun Salute in the Betting World 1900 ensured the gelding of a place in the final line-up and Howells will be hoping to upset the stables of Snaith, Sean Tarry and Candice Bass-Robinson.

Saratoga Dancer, the mount of Craig Zackey, has retreated in the ante-post market after his no-show in the Cup Trial.

One horse who has had a busy year is joint favourite Al Sahem, but he is trained by Tarry, who is bidding to land this prize for the third time. He has won with Pomodoro and Heavy Metal and Al Sahem’s rider, S’manga Khumalo, became the first black jockey to win the race when scoring on the latter.

Like Ten Gun Salute, Nightingale has drawn well and Anthony Delpech will be more than satisfied to be jumping from stall six. One has to feel that — of the outsiders — this talented filly has most appeal as far as finding a horse to finish in the first six is concerned.

Smart Call, winner of the 2016 Met, finished fourth in the grade 2 Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot on Wednesday.