Justin Snaith was breathing a lot easier after top weight Futura drew 6 in the draw for next Saturday’s R3,5million Gr 1 Vodacom Durban July. The 18-horse field with two reserve runners was announced and the draw made at a function at Greyville yesterday.

Snaith was left in suspense as his name was one of the last to be pulled from the hat to make the draw for Futura with only one single figure gate left.

A visibly relieved Snaith comments, “I’m extremely happy with the draw. I couldn’t have asked for better. The horse is working like a train and although 60kg is a worry I’m very happy the way things are going.”

However, his other entry Dynamic was made first reserve. “I’m a bit disappointed that he did not get in. I think he deserved a place ahead of a few that did make the field. But you never know. Things can change.”

Not so lucky was Joey Ramsden who pulled 20 for The Conglomerate who will be ridden by crack Australian apprentice Chad Schofield, son of former top South African jockey Glyn.

Joey Ramsden was understandably disappointed with his 20 draw. “What can I say? I’m disappointed with the draw; yes. Is the horse working well; yes? What will be, will be!

“Chad comes highly recommended. They were impressed with him in the UK and he’s got a contract to ride in Hong Kong so he’s obviously got something. He seems to be a bit of a maverick and I like that in a jockey.”

Mike de Kock, after a string of wide draws in the last couple of years, pulled 1 and 5 for his two fillies Majmu and Pine Princess although he was none to confident.

“Majmu is going to have to run out of her skin to win at the weights and let’s be honest she has a mountain to climb. She only raced to her rating of 114 when she was two! However, she is a very good filly and very honest. Barring her missing her last run she has had a good prep.”

Of Pine Princess he said, “With that draw and at the weights she has to be very good each way value.”

Assistant trainer Deshone Steyn stood in for Sean Tarry he said Legal Eagle was still in Jo’burg. “He is doing very well. I’m not worried about the draw (11) as he comes from off the pace and it must be mentioned that this is his peak run.”

“French Navy is also still in Jo’burg and Sean says he is doing very well and is a big runner based on his Daily News run.” He drew alongside Legal Eagle in 10.

The traditional July gallops take place at Greyville on Thursday morning starting at 7am and will be televised live on Dstv channel 239.

By Andrew Harrison

Picture: Futura (Nkosi Hlophe)

The Vodacom Durban July Final Field and Draw ceremony took place at Greyville today and most of the fancied runners landed pleasing barrier positions.

The unlucky horse to be left out of the field of 18 was Dynamic, who at 25/1 in the ante-post market was quietly fancied by many, although he is the first reserve. He looked to be one of a few horses contesting three places left open by the scratchings of Legislate, Ertijaal and No Worries.

Helderberg Blue was another of these and although Dynamic has beaten him three times from four meetings, the 3,5kg swing Helderberg Blue will get in his favour for a 0,75 length beating by Dynamic in the Cup Trial last time, together with the fact that Helderberg Blue placed third in one of the country’s premier races, the J&B Met, probably swung it in Helderberg Blue’s favour. Tamaanee had genuine excuses for her below par Gr 1 Woolavington run and will be only 1,5kg under sufferance in the July, compared to Dynamic’s 2,5kg, while both Ice Machine and Hot Ticket have high merit ratings and will be in the handicap. Dynamic is the first reserve and second reserve is KRA Guineas runner up and Daily News 2000 fifth-placed Mac De Lago, who is 3kg under sufferance.

The popular grey filly Majmu drew one of the loudest cheers of the ceremony when her four-times July-winning trainer Mike de Kock drew pole position.

Next up was the part-owner of Punta Arenas, Mike Fullard, and this horse drew badly in a big race for the umpteenth time in 19.

Weiho Marwing’s Wylie Hall will have plenty of sentimental support, due to the controversial objection last year which saw him demoted from first to second, and there was spontaneous applause when he drew two.

The fancied The Conglomerate drew wide out in 20.

By the time the original favourite Futura’s chance arrived there were not many single figure draws left and trainer Justin Snaith must have feared the worst. However, he drew perfectly in six and Snaith returned to the table highly relieved. Earlier, he had been most disappointed at the omission of Dynamic.

The new ruling favourite Legal Eagle’s draw was also keenly anticipated and jockey Anton Marcus was happy with barrier position eleven.

The fancied French Navy landed a nice draw of ten.

The two reserves Dynamic and Mac De Lago drew 17 and four respectively, so horses above them in the draw will come in a position or two, unless there are any scratchings.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Majmu (JC Photo)

Young riding superstar Chad Schofield will return to the country of his birth to have his first ride in the Vodacom Durban July aboard the fancied Joey Ramsden-trained The Conglomerate.

It will be the first time the Australian-based Chad has ridden in South Africa. However, he is sure to receive plenty of valuable advice on the ins and outs of the tight Greyville circuit from his father Glyn, a top South African jockey who was based in Durban before relocating to Australia in December 2007. Furthermore, Glyn’s former riding agent Blane Hamilton has been attempting to secure more rides on the big day for Chad, so he should have had some feel of the course by the time the July starts. Hamilton confirmed Chad was very excited in anticipation of this opportunity.

Ramsden said these days it was becoming increasingly difficult to find lightweight jockeys and the connections had decided to begin looking around when no phone calls for the ride were forthcoming. He added they had considered a number of options on who to bring in, so the decision had not been made lightly. Ramsden said The Conglomerate had been doing very well at Summerveld. The three-year-old Australian-bred Lohnro colt is back in full fast work after being given a bit of a lighter schedule for a couple of weeks after his third place in the Daily News on May 30. The astute trainer should thereby have him peaking at exactly the right time. The Conglomerate was as short as 7/1 for the July after his impressive win in the Gr 2 KRA Guineas, but has drifted out to 14/1 in the face of support for the like of Legal Eagle and French Navy.

Glyn has ridden in seven Julys and his best finish was sixth on The Sheik in 2001. He benefitted enormously from a stint in Hong Kong about ten years ago and it was clear upon his return to South Africa that he had progressed into a world class jockey. In the next couple of seasons in South Africa he often outrode his colleagues simply through his peerless judgement of pace.

He has clearly been an inspiration to Chad, who took the Australian racing scene by storm after making his debut in 2010. Chad is the only jockey to win the apprentice title in both Melbourne and Sydney, a feat that is unlikely to ever be repeated. Still in his early 20s, he has already notched up a number of important wins, most notably aboard Shamus Award in the 2013 Cox Plate which provided him with his first Gr 1 success.

He added three more Gr 1s to his CV in 2014, the Newmarket Handicap on Lankan Rupee, the Champagne Stakes on Go Indy Go and the Queensland Derby on Sonntag. Injuries and suspensions have curtailed Chad’s time in the saddle but he is still very much in demand.  Last week he travelled to ride Australian trainer David Hayes’ New Zealand-bred raider Criterion in the Gr 1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at the Royal Ascot meeting. They finished a respectable 3,75 length fifth. He was also recently granted a six month license to ride next season in Hong Kong, one of the world’s biggest racing stages.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Chad Schofield

The Vodacom Durban July Final Field and Draw ceremony will be held in the Classic Room at Greyville tomorrow (Tuesday) and the panelists tasked with choosing the final 18 runners with two reserves only look to have one tough decision to make this year. However, it will likely have the usual repercussions and being on this panel must be one of the most unenviable positions in racing.  

Their job this year has been made easier by the important scratchings of Legislate, Ertijaal and No Worries, who were all in the top 18 on the last July log.

However, realistically there are only five horses with claims to fill those three places.

The Equus Champion Stayer Hot Ticket is one of them, but he likely needed to win the Gr 2 Track And Ball Derby on Sunday to ensure his place. Instead he finished a narrow second. However, running in a 2400m event just less than two weeks before the July is not an ideal preparation anyway and this horse’s chief target is undoubtedly the Gr 1 eLan Property Group Gold Cup on Super Saturday. However, Hot Ticket could well be announced as one of the two reserve runners.

That leaves Ice Machine, Dynamic, Helderberg Blue and Mac De Lago and it is likely that the final berth will be fought out by the last three mentioned.

Ice Machine, who won the Gr 2 Drill Hall Stakes, was fancied for the Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge before unfortunately going lame somewhere between Summerveld and Greyville.  However, he was 19^th on the last July log and has done nothing wrong since, so should be an automatic to fill one of the three places. Some will claim he won’t stay the 2200m July trip, but he has won over 1800m and in his second attempt at the J&B Met over 2000m last year he ran on well for a 3,4 length sixth, beating the like of a No Worries, Wylie Hall and Hot Ticket, who all appeared on the last July log.

Dynamic, Helderberg Blue, Mac De Lago and Hot Ticket were all among the five horses listed in alphabetical order just outside the top 20 in that last log. They will all leapfrog the log’s 20^th placed horse Athina, who finished a tailed off last in the Gr 3 Cup Trial last time out and has duly been scratched. The fifth horse in the list just outside the top 20 was Unparalleled, who has also been scratched.

Dynamic was close up placed in all of the Listed Sledgehammer, the Gr 2 Betting World 1900 and the Gr 3 Cup Trial and beat Helderberg Blue in the latter two races. However, Helderberg Blue will be 3,5kg better off with Dynamic in the July for a mere 0,75 length beating in the Cup Trial (Dynamic carried 0,5kg overweight in that race). Helderberg Blue also comfortably beat Dynamic when finishing third in the Gr 1 J&B Met, although the latter was below par that day. Therefore, Helderberg Blue has just as strong a claim as Dynamic to make the final field.

The three-year-old Mac De Lago ran on very well for second in the Gr 2 KRA Guineas before staying on well for 5^th in the Gr 1 Daily News 2000. He is merit rated 104, three points higher than Dynamic and three points lower than Helderberg Blue. However, he is set to carry the same weight as Dynamic in the July of 53kg. Three-year-olds should receive 2kg in a true handicap over 2200m in July from older horses according to the weight for age scale. This means that while Mac De Lago will officially be 3kg under sufferance in the July, Dynamic will only be 2,5kg under sufferance, so it would be difficult to favour one over the other based on merit ratings.

Finding two places for those three horses is likely to cause much debate among the panelists and, despite there looking likely to be only one unlucky horse, the decision making process will probably bring on as many headaches as usual.

By David Thiselton

The new Vodacom Durban July favourite Legal Eagle will almost certainly be the best weighted horse on paper that the Vodacom Durban July has seen since merit ratings were introduced to South African in 1999, as the handicappers have raised him eight points to 120 for his 4,3 length romp in the Gr 3 Jubilee Handicap over 1800m on Sunday, and on form he looks to be worth every one of those points.

His July weight will remain unaltered on 54kg, because the weights were published in the week before the Jubilee Handicap. This means he will be 4kg better off than he should be in a true handicap. He will be 3kg better off than he would be if the weights had been set after the Jubilee, because the maximum weight for a three-year-old in the July is 57kg.

Anton Marcus warned straight after Sunday’s race that there should not be a “knee jerk”  reaction to Legal Eagle’s easy victory.

However, whichever way it is looked at, the form does not support his caution.

Legal Eagle beat Judicial by 4,3 lengths and Killua Castle by 5,1 lengths when giving them 3,5kg and 1kg respectively. In the month of June three-year-olds receive an allowance of 2kg from older horses over a distance of 1800m, meaning Legal Eagle’s performance was about 20 merit rated points superior to Judicial’s and 16 merit rated points superior to Killua Castle’s.

Wylie Hall beat Judicial by 9,2 lengths in the President’s Champions Challenge over 2000m at level weights and beat Killua Castle by 6,6 lengths in that race when giving him 1kg. His performance was therefore about 16 merit rated points superior to Judicial’s and 13 merit rated points superior to Killua Castle’s.

Wylie Hall now has to give Legal Eagle 4kg in the Vodacom. That amount of weight would be worth four merit rated points considering three-year-olds should receive an allowance of 2kg from older horses in the month of July over a distance of 2200m.

Therefore, on a line through Killua Castle, Legal Eagle should beat  Wylie Hall by 4,75 lengths in the July and on a line through Judicial he should beat Wylie Hall by 4,1 lengths.

The above calculations were made by using the official handicapping factor of 2.0, that is the drag effect measured in 0,5kg units of races from 1300-1800m, and the official factor of 1,7, the drag effect measured in 0,5kg of races from 1801-2200m. It also used the official allocation of one merit rated point per 0,5kg of weight.

It can get become very confusing but amateur handicapping can give punters an edge and the website http://www.nhra.co.za/pubs/docs/handicapping/Handicapping_Guidelines.pdf is well worth studying.

The bookmakers  initially shortened Legal Eagle to 4/1 after his Jubilee run, but have been now forced to cramp the odds even further to 5/2.

Previous favourite Futura, who is also merit rated 120 and has to carry 60kg, has drifted out to 7/2 and Majmu has gone right out to 6/1. Wylie Hall on 7/1 and French Navy on 10/1 are next best in the betting.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Legal Eagle (JC Photos)

Freeman Stallions has secured the syndication and management rights to Wylie Hall. Michael Leaf’s star son of the Australian legend Redoute’s Choice will stand at Vaughan Koster’s Cheveley Stud Farm in Ceres after the 2015 renewal of the Gr1 Vodacom Durban July.

Having won the Gr1 SA Derby in fine style, Wylie Hall grabbed international attention in last year’s Vodacom Durban July and then lowered the top performing Grade 1 filly Majmu’s (Redoute’s Choice) flag in the star studded Gr1 President’s Champions Challenge earlier this year. Wylie Hall has been first past the post in three Gr1 races with career earnings of over R3.6million, 6 wins from 1400m to 2450m and 9 places. He earned a cheque in 10 black type races – 6 of them at Gr1 level. He is being aimed at the Vodacom Durban July (Saturday, July 4) again this year and will then retire.

Wylie Hall was the Racing Association’s Champion 3yo Of The Feature Season in 2013 and he was Horse Of The Season, Champion Middle Distance Horse and Champion Older Horse in 2015.

Wylie Hall’s owner Michael Leaf was recognised by the Racing Association and Gold Circle as Owner Of The Month in May this year. Leaf grew up in a family that loved racing and now, with a string of over 40 horses, he is well known as a gentleman of the game, successful racehorse owner and breeder with a growing broodmare band.

By Freeman Stallions