The annual Vodacom Durban July three-year-old versus older horse debate will begin in earnest this week as the countdown to the final field announcement next Tuesday begins.

The three-year-old fillies crop was for a long time seen as a vintage one and they duly had an unprecedented six representatives on the first July log. However, their reputation was dented on Gr1 Daily News day.

Firstly, in the Gr 1 Woolavington 2000, Smart Call’s upset victory in which she narrowly beat the SA Oaks winner and staying type, Pine Princess, put a slight question mark on the Johannesburg form, where her best feature race finish was two length third in the Gr 2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Guineas. Furthermore, the Gr 1 Laurie Jaffee Empress Club third-placed Tamaanee, who was an impressive winner of the Gr 2 Gerald Rosenberg over 2000m, could only manage a well beaten ninth, while the dual Gr 1-winning Inara’s fifth place also put a question mark on the Cape sophomore form.

The best of the crop Majmu, had meanwhile been scratched from the Woolavington in the morning due to a spiked temperature. Later, Siren’s Call, who went within a stride of landing the Triple Tiara, was beaten before she had turned for home in the Daily News. This was the second time she had been beaten by three-year-old males, who have spent most of the season being criticised as a below par crop.

However, there were some genuine excuses. Smart Call relished a change in tactics. Inara was run into from behind and trainer Mike Bass also believed she didn’t quite  stay the trip. Tamaanee lifted a shoe which was then found to be bent into her foot. Furthermore, the perennial Triple Tiara bridesmaid in Johannesburg, Trophy Wife, ran third without any excuses, which provided some confirmation of the Johannesburg form.

Siren’s Call was caught wide and rushed up the hill, so not surprisingly found little extra, and she was also coming off an ultra tough Highveld campaign.

Nevertheless, there are now only three sophomore fillies still involved in the July, Majmu, Pine Princess and Tamaanee.

The three-year-old colts were given a boost in the Daily News 2000 when the Gr 1 SA Classic winner and SA Derby third-placed French Navy stormed home impressively to beat the Gr 1 Investec Cape Derby winner Ertijaal. Third-placed The Conglomerate also came from classic form, having won the Gr 2 KRA Guineas in comfortable fashion. Furthermore, the unlucky horse was Deputy Jud, who had finished third in the SA Classic and runner up in the SA Derby.

The impressive SA Derby winner Legal Eagle then gave the three-year-old males a further boost on Sunday when slamming a field of older horses in the Gr 3 Jubilee Handicap over 1800m despite carrying topweight.

Suddenly, the three-year-old males have become the talk of the town.

The criticism of the three-year-old male crop was largely based on them not having fared well in open company, as well as by facile Investec Cape Derby winner Ertijaal’s failure in both the SA Classic and SA Derby. However, Unparalleled and Kingvoldt were the only two that had really been tested against older horses in features and the latter’s class is questionable, considering his Investec Dingaans victory was achieved in boggy ground, while Kingvoldt was already having coltish issues when running below par in the L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate. The like of French Navy were beaten in ordinary handicaps in the early season, but that is not unusual, even for the best three-year-olds.

Legal Eagle’s defeat in an ordinary 1700m handicap in March off a merit rating of a mere 74 was his first time out the maidens and just his third career start. Lastly, Ertijaal’s dislike of soft ground was confirmed by his good Daily News run, although he has unfortunately been scratched from the July.

Legal Eagle’s demolition job on Sunday came off a merit rating of 112 and showed just how much he has blossomed. However, there are still question marks because second-placed Judicial and third-placed Killua Castle were well beaten by Wylie Hall in the President’s Champions Challenge.

The most fancied older horse is ruling July favourite Futura, who is viewed by some as invincible at his peak, even considering the 60kg he has to carry.

Wylie Hall also looks top class. An upside for the older horses is that Wylie Hall defeated one of the most fancied three-year-olds in the July betting, Majmu, by 1,25 lengths in the Gr 1 President’s Champions Challenge over 2000m and, taking the weight for age scale into account, the pair will face each other on identical terms in the July. The question mark is whether Majmu ran a bit of a flat race in the Challenge, it being her second run after a layoff.

Majmu’s class is beyond question. However, although she will carry the same weight of 55kg that Igugu carried to July victory in 2011, she does have a harder task as she will run off a 114 merit rating compared to Igugu’s 109.

Other older horses with chances are Punta Arenas, who is clearly thriving at Summerveld, and Halve The Deficit who looks quite well weighted on recent form. Helderberg Blue and Tellina will be fairly well weighted in comparison to Futura from the Met, while the best might not yet have been seen from Dynamic, who is officially 2,5kg under sufferance.

The downside for the older horses is that the Met form has not been convincingly stamped by the placed horses Helderberg Blue, Gold Onyx and Tellina.

Furthermore, No Worries let the form of the Gr 1 President’s Champions Challenge down.

Virtually every year these days the older July analysts make the same mistake of saying “a three-year-old can never win with that weight”, without stopping to think of the class dilution that each older crop has suffered in the last decade or two due to the export of many of the best overseas. They usually end up with egg on their faces, but this year they perhaps have a higher chance than normal of being right.

By David Thiselton

With the withdrawal of last year’s Vodacom Durban July winner, Legislate, Justin Snaith has set his focus on his two contenders – Futura and Dynamic.

Futura, the current favourite, has it all to do with top weight as he bids to become the first horse in history to win this Premier race with 60 kilos – a mammoth task.

Justin Snaith remained upbeat at his Summerveld yard this weekend “Futura has impressed me enormously and this horse is a real superstar – I’ve trained champions and this horse is as good as they get anywhere in the world. I do however feel the handicapper has done everything he can to stop Futura from winning this race – as the saying goes – weight stops trains. Futura has to give the likes of Heavy Metal, who won this race two years ago, seven kilos. I will however have him at his very best and whether he can make history and give the entire South Africa tons of weight, remains to be seen.”

Snaith’s other runner, Dynamic, needs serious consideration at the weights. This gelding has produced three eye-catching performances in all of his Durban starts – each from wide draws.

Dynamic beat Helderberg Blue earlier this season when winning the Gr 2 Premier Trophy (Power King 3^rd) and is now 1kg better off than Helderberg Blue (in the July) for that run.

Justin was very confident about his chances “Dynamic is currently 13^th favourite but he will finish far closer than that and he will be right in the firing line with Richard Fourie up. I have not had him this well since he took Capetown Noir to a short-head in the Gr 1 Derby. At 40-1 he is dark horse and I give him an outstanding chance at the weights.”

Dynamic is lightly raced and has only been unplaced in one start when he pulled up coughing in the J&B Met earlier this year with the same virus that saw Legislate finish last in the Queen’s Plate.

By Snaith Racing

Craig “Eagle Eye” Peters proved himself one of the world’s best racing commentators in the 1980s and 1990s and will be calling a record 30^th Vodacom Durban July this year.

Efficiency makes a good commentator but “the voice” is what separates the greats from the rest of the pack and in the days when there were no off course visuals Peters’ unique  tones and commentary style generated an electrically charged atmosphere into the packed betting rooms. The crowd hung on his every word and those that had, for arguments sake, backed Illustrador, would be hoping to hear his tone reach a crescendo at the 300m mark with the words “BUT ILL-USSS-TRADORRRR!!”. The emphasised pronunciation would immediately be followed by a roar. Peters was rarely wrong when he put his opinion on the line. He was also known for his ability to separate horses in a tight finish and KZN’s on course disseminator, Roy Parker, began calling him “Eagle Eye”.

Craig’s son Sheldon, who became the youngest to call a July in 2002, has followed in his footsteps and non-regular racegoers can hardly tell their voices apart. The pair became the world’s first father-son combination to call a big race simultaneously in 2004, one being the on course commentator and the other for the SABC. Sheldon will be calling his 14^th July this year.

July week for a broadcaster is always hectic due to panel discussions and functions, but in his earlier days Craig didn’t mind a late pre-July Friday night, knowing that he would not be able to sleep anyway.

Pouring over the form is also important on the eve of the race. He said, “A commentator needs to be an all rounder. You need to know colours, which horses jump slowly, the betting, the merit ratings, well handicapped and badly handicapped horses, the breeders, owners, trainers and jockeys. Today the eyes of the world are on you before, during and after the race.”

Peters lack of sleep before Julys had no adverse affects. The phone rings off the hook in the commentary box, the day goes by in a “blur”, and the mind is kept alert by the pumping adrenalin.

The nerves settle during the July canter past. It is here that the commentator first feels an indescribable connection to the crowd. With just a slight change of tone, he can spark a huge cheer.

Peters confirmed, “The crowd are with you all the time.”

Peters’ normal pre-race routine is to take note of the colours as the jockeys mount and then, when they canter past, he will call the horse’s name publically once but also many times over in his head. As they are circling at the start he will go through all of the horses over and over again and imagine them in a race situation. Even then there is invariably a voice in the back of the head saying, “Have I done enough homework?”

The commentaries themselves are instinctive and only when listening to the replay will he know what he had said.

No great commentator will ever plan a commentary, but Peters never forgets to mention the sponsors name at the off and provide excitement throughout with his changes in tone and pitch. Being aware of the listeners is paramount and if commentating for TV he will call off the TV, as long as the camerawork is good enough, in order to have the same perspective as the viewer.

He also invariably throws in one or two of the phrases that he has become famous for and which many latter day commentators have copied. He first noticed their impact the day he said spontaneously of the brilliant but ill-fated juvenile Delectable  Day “And he’s breathing fire, this one is every inch a racehorse!” Roget’s Thesaurus has helped him compile hundreds of these phrases. Sayings like “And Its tickets and tax!” serve to break the tension for punters and are much appreciated.

Craig regards his first July commentary in 1984, won by Devon Air, as a memorable one, despite his nerves. He remembers emphasising her name as she moved forward and for the same reason he regards Illustrador’s win in 1990 as one of his best July commentaries. He also recalls that in 2000 he correctly called El Picha the winner, despite the judges taking close to ten minutes to announce the result,  while in 2008 he didn’t attempt to split the dead-heaters Pocket Power and Dancer’s Daughter.

His least memorable July was 1989, won by Right Prerogative, when heavy overnight rain forced the scrapping of the earlier races. The July was the first race run and the on course atmosphere was affected.

Peters arrived in Durban in 1982 to be assistant commentator to Trevor Denman, having earlier been junior commentator to Peter Duffield and Wolfie and Francois Wolfaardt in Johannesburg. He made his debut as a fifteen-year-old, when becoming the first to broadcast on radio from the old Bloemfontein track. However, he was actually quite an old hand by then. In his primary school days he stood on the bonnet of his father’s car outside the old Newmarket racecourse in Alberton and commentated through his binoculars. As a thirteen-year-old he was granted permission by Turffontein manager Sandy Christie to sit upstairs at Turffontein and commentate into a tape recorder. It was on one such day that he had his best ever lesson, from the great Australian commentator Bill Collins who had come over to commentate on the Holiday Inns, and he still carries the latter’s many points of advice with him today.

Peters’s attitude was influenced by Collins, Trevor Denman and SABC sports presenter Kim Shippey, whom he regards as the most professional of media personalities.

However, he remains humble despite being on the verge of breaking the legendary Ernie Duffield’s record of 29 July commentaries and concludes by saying, “Painting a picture is the most important duty of a commentator. Raising your voice doesn’t mean you have backed the winner, it means you are enthusiastic and love the game.”

The Sean Tarry-trained three-year-old Greys Inn gelding Legal Eagle will almost certainly be the best handicapped horse in the Vodacom Durban July after his 4,5 length romp in yesterday’s Gr 3 Jubilee Handicap over 1800m at Turffontein Standside and he could give Anton Marcus a record-breaking fifth July victory.

Betting World reacted by shortening Legal Eagle to 4/1 second favourite. Futura remained 3/1 favourite, Majmu is at 9/2, Wylie Hall is 6/1 and French Navy and The Conglomerate are both 10/1.

The weights were set for the July last week so Legal Eagle’s weight of 54kg will not change despite the handicapper being expected to raise his 112 merit rating today.

The leggy gelding impressed Marcus even more than he had when winning the Gr 1 SA Derby over 2450m in his previous start. Marcus warned about there being a knee jerk reaction to yesterday’s win and pointed out that the tight Greyville circuit was a completely different course to the galloping Turffontein Standside track. However, he quickly added that if he could choose any horse to ride in the July it would be him. Marcus also revealed there was not much between Legal Eagle and another horse he could choose to ride, The Conglomerate, but added that he would battle to make the latter’s 53kg weight.

Tarry will be going for his third July win in the space of four years and gave Legal Eagle fans even more reason to be confident in yesterday’s post-race interview when saying that he had “taken his foot off the gas” with the horse since the Derby. He said he would now have a good idea how to add the finishing touches for the July.

Marcus’s four July winners to date is the joint-record with Antony Delpech and Harold “Tiger” Wright. Delpech will have a fine chance of breaking the record too as he will be aboard Majmu.

The great six-time July-winning trainer Terrance Millard believed that a July winner needed to be able to stay the mile-and-a-half Derby distance and Legal Eagle could become the second Tarry-trained horse after Pomodoro to do the SA Derby/July double. Legal Eagle’s sire Greys Inn did the SA Derby/July double himself and could become the fifth July winner to sire a July winner.

Yesterday Legal Eagle ambled along at a comfortable gait in the running and after moving up from near the tail of the small eight horse field he showed a telling turn of foot at the business end. He returned generous odds of 2/1. The Tyrone Zackey-trained 25/1 shot Judicial found his usual strong finish after his normal sluggish start and pipped Killua Castle for second. Tarry’s former July winner Heavy Metal finished a well-beaten fourth while the Tarry-trained 15/10 favourite Cagiva found nothing in the straight from a perfect position and trailed in last.

Tarry said he would scratch both Heavy Metal and Cagiva from the July and target them at the Gr 1 Sansui Summer Cup.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Legal Eagle (JC Photos)

Leading Vodacom Durban July fancy The Conglomerate is having a few days rest and relaxation as Joey Ramsden carefully gears the colt’s preparation towards the big day.

Ramsden, who has yet to win the historic race, said: “The Conglomerate is doing fab and at the moment he is having a bit of a break – there is quite a big space between the Daily News and the July. He still has to do the July gallops and I feel you are better off leaving them a bit underdone rather than killing them.”

The Conglomerate, now generally available at 10-1, is one of the best backed horses in the race. He was shrewdly supported at 33-1 on the morning of his KRA Guineas win and he was backed again before finishing third in the Daily News.

However stable companion Flying Fiona, who made such a big impression when comfortably landing the odds on her Greyville debut, has had a setback and has been ruled out for the rest of the season.

Ramsden said: “She has had a hiccup but hopefully I will bring her back for the Cape season. I think she is quite useful.”

The Dynasty filly was to have gone for the Devon Air Stakes nine days ago but was scratched the previous day after going lame on her left fore.

By Michael Clower

Picture: The Conglomerate (John Lewis)

Vodacom Durban July favourite Futura has been eased from 3-1 to 33-10 despite his eye-catching run behind stable companion Legislate in last Saturday’s Rising Sun Gold Challenge.

But Betting World has shortened Mike De Kock’s star filly Majmu from 5-1 and 4-1 as South Africa’s biggest bookmaker has digested the implications of the published weights for the great race –  and this despite the Cape Fillies Guineas winner being allotted 55kg, significantly more than any of the other three-year-olds.

Last year’s first-past-the-post Wylie Hall has been marked out from 6-1 to 7-1, the same price as Legal Eagle, but The Conglomerate continues to attract support and has been cut from 10-1 to 8-1.

Stan Elley’s Cup Trial winner Punta Arenas is the big mover, being slashed from 50-1 to 20-1, but the same trainer’s Betting World 1900 winner Dynastic Power has gone out from 25-1 to 55-1 after disappointing in last Saturday’s race.

Betting World’s leading prices: 33-10 Futura, 4-1 Majmu, 7-1 Legal Eagle, Wylie Hall, 8-1 The Conglomerate, 10-1 Ertijaal, French Navy, 20-1 and upwards others.

Hollywoodbets has the top horses slightly shorter and goes 3.03 Futura, 3.57 Majmu, 6.67 Legal Eagle and Wylie Hall.

Betting World has yet to open its book on the jockeys championship but S’Manga Khumalo was as short as 7-10 with Hollywoodbets going into yesterday’s Scottsville meeting on 164 winners, a lead of three over 11-10 second favourite Gavin Lerena.  Anthony Delpech (138) was a 10-1 chance and 33-1 shot Greg Cheyne (142) the only other priced below 50-1.

By Michael Clower

Picture: Majmu (JC Photo)

The Gr 3 Jubilee Handicap to be run over 1800m at Turffontein on Saturday provides a last gasp opportunity to qualify for the Vodacom Durban July and among the runners will be a previous July winner Heavy Metal as well as his two exciting Sean Tarry-trained stable companions Cagiva and Legal Eagle.

The July weights were set yesterday, meaning that the Jubilee winner and runner up could come into the race well handicapped on official merit rated terms.

Tarry said, “It’s a last chance to qualify Cagiva and Heavy Metal and they could come into the July brilliantly weighted. They are both doing very well. Cagiva has a few issues but I was very satisfied with his comeback races and think he might have been overlooked for the top 25 on the July log as he ran a two length third to Wylie Hall in the Gr 2 Colorado King Stakes over 1800m. He has the draw and has Piere Strydom aboard and I think if he runs in the first two or three he could get into the July. Heavy Metal could be the fittest of the three horses and it is now up to him. He has done nothing wrong and ran a good time coming back. He is back in form and S’Manga knows him well. All three have big chances but we have left a little bit in the tank for Legal Eagle (who was an impressive winner of the Gr 1 SA Derby).”

Tarry said Gold Onyx had overraced on Saturday in the Cup Trial and then moved too early, so it was not at all his run. However, the run should have brought him on for the July.

He was very pleased with Halve The Deficit’s 2,15 length sixth in the Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge. This horse will be interesting in the July receiving 5,5kg from Futura, who was only a length ahead of him on Saturday.

Tarry’s filly Tamaanee ran disappointingly the previous week in the Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 but was found to have lifted a shoe and the shoe was bent into her foot. That run can be ignored and on previous form she must be a runner in the July.

Meanwhile, the yard’s dual Gr 1 classic winner French Navy is doing well after his Daily News 2000 victory and clearly loves Greyville, so is another who could give Tarry a third July victory.

The yard’s star filly Siren’s Call ran way below par in the Daily News and will now deservedly be given a holiday. She went within a stride of landing the Triple Tiara and will be targeted at next season’s Cape Summer Of Champions Season.

Tarry’s top class sprint-miler Willow Magic ran a cracking second in Saturday’s Gold Challenge and is consequently well weighted for the Post Merchants, which is to be run on 19 June, as the weights were set before he was given a four point merit rated raise. Bichette, also a sprint-miler type, is also well weighted in the Post Merchants, because fillies receive a 2,5kg weight allowance. However, the Post Merchants field was announced 11 days in advance and Tarry is still monitoring Willow Magic to see whether he is ready to race again, while the draws for the Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes could have a bearing on whether Bichette takes her place.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Legal Eagle