Who will lead the pack?
COMPETITION for places in this year’s Vodacom Durban July starts in earnest at Greyville today, the meeting has been switched from Scottsville because the ‘Maritzburg track was still too wet to race after heavy unseasonal rains.
But the three feature races, The Sledgehammer, The Scarlet Lady and the Highland Night Cup will be run on the turf with the balance of the meeting switched to the poly track.
Two of today’s feature events are laced with July hopefuls and although The Scarlet Lady and The Sledgehammer are only listed features, victory, or at least a strong showing, will add some weight to any July hopeful’s CV.
Eight of the eleven carded runners in The Sledgehammer hold July entries but with the race brought to you by Khayelihle Funeral Services there will always be a few mourners after the race.
Eyes Wide Open
Somewhat surprisingly, the name of Investec Cape Derby winner, Eyes Wide Open does not appear among the initial July entries but he runs in the same colours of Derby third, Pack Leader.
This year’s sophomore crop appears to be a touch above the average so the Derby form may work out quite well and tomorrow Pack Leader can go some way in confirming that view.
That said, the Gr1 Daily News 2000 is also likely to be on Glen Kotzen’s agenda for the colt and the trainer may be testing the waters here.
At New Year, Dean Kannemeyer was not overly optimistic about the prospects of his winter season string but with each passing week he seems to step out another feature race contender and currently The Slade has the hallmarks of a potential July runner.
The lightly raced gelding has not been out since January when beaten by subsequent Derby winner Eyes Wide Open in the Peninsula Handicap and while not a Met entry, Kannemeyer may instead have been eying the July with a light weight.
The Slade
The Slade has only missed the money twice in his career of ten starts and appears to be getting better with time.
Duncan Howells has entered both Wild Wicket and Legend for the July but both will need to prove themselves in the coming weeks.
The Stipendiary Stewards called in the vet to check over Wild Wicket after his showing in the King’s Cup at Greyville, probably in light of his spectacular win in the Michael Roberts at Scottsville where he came from the clouds to nail another July hopeful, Red Chestnut Road, on the line.
The ‘mile’ of the King’s Cup may possibly have been on the short side and the step up in trip will be more in his favour.
Dark Moon Rising is out of the very much in form Paul Lafferty yard and comes off two wins on the bounce.
The son of Ideal World is coming into his own now and took the recent rise in class in his stride.
Head Honcho is another to have enjoyed a step up in trip and made nearly all to win a small feature last time out for Andre Nel who could be in for a feature double as he saddles another July entry in Ngaga in The Scarlet Lady.
The Australian-bred daughter of Fastnet Rock has yet to finish out of the money in seven starts, only once further back than third.
She has had one run back since a smart barrier trial and was palpably in need of the outing behind the smart Dawn Calling over 1400m giving the winner 4kg.
She will much prefer this trip and should prove too smart for a useful field of the fairer sex.
Kannemeyer has another feature race contender on the day, this time for the staying races, in Kapen Pride who steps up to 2400m in the Natal Carbineers Highland Night Cup.
He is an improving threeyear-old and although he takes on some hard-knocking older horses, he could have too much class for his older rivals.
Following persistent rain in Pietermaritzburg the race meeting scheduled for Scottsville today was switched to Greyville.
The three feature races – The Highland Night Cup, The Scarlet Lady and The Sledgehammer – will be run on Turf (weather permitting) and the balance of races run on the Polytrack.
Times will remain as carded. Races 6 and 7, distance changed to 1800 and Race 8 distance changed to 2000m.