Vodacom Durban July fever is building and with just 19 days until the big race the general public will be attempting to either match their dreams to the names of July runners or match the latter to current events.

One old July myth is that a good sardine run leads to the favourite winning.

Do It Again is likely the most topical name in the field as he will be attempting to “do it again” by winning the race for a history-making third time in succession. 

This year sees the 50th anniversary of the July being run over the distance of 2200m and as a 50th anniversary is called a “golden anniversary” the mare Miyabi Gold and the three-year-old gelding Golden Ducat fit that bill.

It is the 25th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke Of Edinburgh visiting the Greyville racecourse and names which relate to royalty among the entries are the fancied Belgarion, who is a mythical king, and Sovereign Spirit and Crown Towers, both of whom are unlikely to make the final field.

A 25th anniversary is known as a “silver anniversary” so Bunker Hunt is the most appropriate horse relating to the royal visit. Nelson Bunker Hunt and his brothers attempted to corner the world’s silver market in the 1970s and had nearly done so by 1980 before government intervention saw their empire collapsing. 

Got The Greenlight could be a topical name at a stretch as many businesses await the government greenlight to reopen.

Tristful means sad and this year’s July being run behind closed doors will be a sad reality.

A pandemic that can be matched to the COVID-19 was the Spanish flu which raged about 100 years ago between 1918 and 1920 and a hero of that time was Padre Pio, who due to a shortage of doctors used to administer vaccines himself and it might have been the reason he contracted the deadly disease himself although he did survive it. Padre Pio is currently twelfth on the July log.

In 1520, exactly 500 years ago, the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan sailed past an archipelago off the southernmost tip of the South American mainland and saw many fires flicking in the darkness. He thus called it Tierra Del Fuego (“land of fire”). Tierra Del Fuego was 15th on the last July log.

There have been many topical winners of the July and three examples are described below.

In June 1960 the Springboks beat the All Blacks 13-0 and both tries were scored by the left wing, Hennie van Zyl, who wore jersey no. 13. A week later the July was won by a horse called Left Wing who carried saddle cloth no 13, so it has ever since been known as “The Rugby July.”

In 1981, shortly before the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Dianne Spencer, the July was won by a horse called Big Charles.

In 2004 the number ten horse Greys Inn carried the South African flag on his saddle cloth to symbolize ten years of democracy, he duly won the race.

In the comments section below please mention any topical names you are able to spot among the current entries.

By David Thiselton

Hawwaam has been scratched from the Vodacom Durban July.

Two other horses who were in the top 20 on the last July log, Snapscan and Lady Of Steel, have also been scratched. 

Magnificent Seven and Roy Had Enough, who were both in the five horses just outside of the top twenty on the log, have also been scratched, and so has the former’s stablemate Nexus, who finished second in the Grade 3 Cup Trial on Saturday.

There have been a lot of other less significant scratchings and only 26 horses have been left standing.

There are two more traditional qualifying races, the Grade 3 Track And Ball Derby and the Grade 2 Track And Ball Oaks, both to be run over 2400m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Saturday.

Top 18 July log incumbent Eyes Wide Open runs in the Derby and so do It’s My Turn and Duke Of Spin, who will be hoping to force their way into the VDJ final field.

Roy’s Riviera is the only horse still among the July entries who is running in the Oaks. It is the third successive weekend she will be running, but she is tough and trainer Frank Robinson will be hoping she has more luck than she had in the Cup Trial, where she was caught outside of horses without cover.   

Hawwaam’s scratching was not a surprise at all as trainer Mike de Kock had said a long time ago he would be departing for an overseas campaign at the earliest feasible date and that date was always likely to fall in this month before the July. 

Nevertheless, it will be a disappointment for his myriad fans.

By David Thiselton

The Grade 3 World Sports Betting Cup Trial run at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Saturday failed to have much impact on the race for a place in the Vodacom Durban July final field although the much talked about Nexus did make a bold bid to land the win he needed and it remains to be seen whether the triumphant Andre Nel-trained Capoeira will be supplemented.

Nexus is unlikely to be considered for the final field unless it cuts up badly as he was running off just a 105 merit rating and was beaten 1,80 lengths into second despite receiving 2,5kg from the 110 rated Capoeira.

All of Sovereign Spirit (third), Pack Leader (fourth), Cat Daddy (fifth), More Magic (sixth), Born To Perform (seventh), G G’s Dynasty (ninth), Herodotus (tenth), Magnificent Seven (eleventh) and Roy’s Riviera (last) are also July entries and none of them did enough to advance their cause.

Ironically, of the July entries who ran, only the pair who finished at the back, Magnificent Seven and Roy’s Riviera, appeared anywhere on the second log and both were among the five horses who were just outside of the top 20.

Capoeira, a gelding by Oratorio, finished third in last year’s Grade 1 Daily News 2000 and has now proved that was no fluke.

Gavin Lerena slotted him in beautifully behind the pacemaker Herodotus after breaking well from draw ten.

Lerena skipped for home at the top of the straight on the back of just a steady pace and try as they might Nexus, Sovereign Spirit and Pack Leader, who all ran on well, were unable to catch him.

Capoeira, who jumped at generous odds of 16/1, was bred by Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein Stud.

By David Thiselton

The Johan Janse van Vuuren-trained Divine Odyssey produced a storming late run under Raymond Danielson to win yesterday’s Grade 3 Jubilee Handicap over 1800m at Turffontein and thus put up his hand for a place in the Vodacom Durban July final field.

The five-year-old Oratorio gelding ran a 2,80 length eighth in last year’s July and is listed among the five horses just outside of the top 20 on the current July log.

Divine Odyssey caught the favourite Marshall Foch, who set the pace, and Full Mast close to home and won going away by one length.

The only other runner holding a July entry, D’Arrivee, could only manage fourth so his chances of making the final field are gone.

Last year’s Jubilee winner Barahin finished a five length tenth in the July.

The previous year the pair that fought out the Jubilee finish, Yakeen and Tilbury Fort, were both included in the final July field and finished 14th and eighth respectively.

In 2017 the Jubilee winner Coral Fever was supplemented into the July but was then eliminated by the final field selection panel.

The likely reason for the latter decision was that Coral Fever would have been way under sufferance in the July off a relatively low merit rating.

Divine Odyssey ran off a 114 rating yesterday and will likely be raised a point or two but he will still likely be under sufferance in the July. However, this year there are currently only nine horses out of the 47 remaining entries who are in the handicap as it stands, so Divine Odyssey will definitely be seriously considered for a berth.

By David Thiselton

Dennis Drier won his eighth career Grade 1 Golden Horse Medallion on Saturday and this was his eleventh Grade 1 victory at Hollywoodbets Scottsville overall, so he deserves to be given the freedom of Pietermaritzburg, but the feats of Sean Tarry at this course are not as well documented and he in fact surpassed Drier and made it twelve Grade 1 triumphs at the city track.

It was an equally memorable day for Gareth van Zyl, who landed the first Grade 1 of his career. 

Tarry’s filly Celtic Sea put up the equal most remarkable performance on the day to retain her Grade 1 SA Fillies Sprint crown. 

This was the seventh time Tarry had won this race and Celtic Sea followed Carry On Alice as his second dual winner. 

On a day when those coming from off the pace were finding it difficult to make up the deficit, the Captain Al filly was nurtured through a flat spot at the 500m mark by Gavin Lerena before powering home on the inside rail to catch her market rival Run Fox Run and the 16/1 shot Singforafa in a three-way head bobbing finish. 

That made it eleven Hollywoodbets Scottsville Grade 1s for Tarry and he then made it twelve when his big horse Warrior’s Rest won the Golden Horse Sprint by the narrowest of margins from Ultra Magnus, meaning Brett Crawford had been denied by a shorthead for the second race in succession. 

It was Tarry’s second successive win of this race and his third in your years. 

Warrior’s Rest, who is by What A Winter, in retrospect was a suitable type for the conditions on the day as he is able to maintain a strong gallop from start to finish and the 18/1 shot did just that under a light weight of 52,5kg and an intelligent ride by Callan Murray. 

The reigning Equus Champion Sprinter Kasimir finished third carrying top weight. 

Tarry had only just failed in the first Grade 1 of the day, the Allan Robertson, when his filly Ecstatic Green joined the Van Zyl-trained Vernichey in front. However, the latter, by Vercingetorix, fought back bravely and only just prevailed under Warren Kennedy. War Of Athena flew up for third. 

Drier then dominated the Golden Horse Medallion. His charge Pray For Rain showed exceptional natural pace and was still going well through the 400m mark. However, Drier’s Master Of My Fate colt Tempting Fate looks something special and reeled his stablemate in to win by a comfortable 1,50 lengths under Sean Veale in a performance which matched Celtic Sea’s. No Laying Up stayed on well for third ahead of the favourite Erik The Red and the fancied Joseph Barry. 

Drier has won seven of the last eleven renewals of the Medallion having first won it way back in 1990.

Avontuur Stud also have an enviable Hollywoodbets Scottsville record and bred both Tempting Fate and Pray For Rain. 

Klawervlei Stud increased their fine Hollywoodbets Scottsville record with Vernichey’s win. 

Celtic Sea was bred by Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfonrein Stud and Warrior’s Rest was bred by Lammerskraal Stud. 

By David Thiselton