2018 Vodacom Durban July weights
THE weights for the Vodacom Durban July were released yesterday and the handicappers published them strictly according to the official merit ratings and with compulsory regard for the conditions of the race.
The race has the potential to be a true handic ap because there are 19 horses in the handicap (i.e not under sufferance according to official merit ratings).
The older horse Coral Fever is topweight off a 118 merit rating and the first horse under sufferance is the 107 merit-rated three-year-old Roy Had Enough, who has been the allotted the minimum weight for a three-year-old male of 53kg but in a true handicap would be carrying 52,5kg.
However, the race is unlikely to end up as a true handicap considering the 12-1 fourth favourite with Betting World, Made To Conquer, is 3kg under sufferance off his 102 merit rating and it would be a shock if he were to be excluded from the final field.
Furthermore, a prominent horse on the last July log, the SA Oaks winner Secret Potion, is 2kg under sufferance carrying 52kg off her 102 merit rating.
Tilbury Fort
The 20-1 chance older pair Tilbury Fort and Dark Moon Rising are half-a-kilogram and 1,5kg under sufferance respectively carrying 53kg off their 103 and 101 merit ratings.
Unofficially the best weighted horse has to be the favourite African Night Sky, considering he escaped any merit rating raise when running a close sixth in the Sun Met.
He arguably ran to about 122 that day and appeared to escape lightly in his recent easy win in the Cup Trial, where he was raised four points to 112. He has been set to carry 57kg.
Coral Fever will be attempting to emulate Marinaresco, who won with top weight last year.
The three-year-olds look to have an easier task than they have had in recent years with the top-weighted pair being Do It Again and Majestic Mambo, who both carry 54kg.
Legislate carried 56kg to victory in 2014, the highest weight a three-year-old has ever carried to victory in the July.
Fiorella
The most prominent three-year-old filly in the race is Fiorella, who is 45-1 in the betting and she has a tough task carrying 53kg, just 1kg less than the best sophomore males.
It should be taken into account there was a six point merit rating raise across the board for all horses in major centres in South Africa in March, so the overall higher merit rating average of this year's race compared to last year's does not necessarily mean an increase in class. However, a classy field will nevertheless be lining up and July fever is now rising as rapidly as usual.