Justin Snaith yesterday dismissed suggestions that second favourite Futura will have problems staying the trip under 60kg in a true-run Vodacom Durban July.

He said: “I have no doubts whatsoever about the horse’s stamina. Indeed if he wasn’t so good that he is in the July he would be running in the Gold Cup.”

The doubts were raised by Sporting Post editor Karel Miedema in last week’s paper when he said: “If I had to take a guess from the pedigree, and also considering Futura’s efforts to date, I’d say he could have a problem with stamina in a true-run 2 200m July carrying top weight.”

Miedema, one of the most knowledgeable people in South African racing, also made the point that Futura’s 120 merit rating has been gained in a succession of slow run races, adding: “Horses just do not improve as much as Futura’s jump from 106 to 120 suggests.

“Last year’s July was the second slowest in the last 20 years, this year’s Queen’s Plate the slowest and this year’s Met the third slowest.”

Snaith also has doubts about the ratings but not just concerning Futura, saying: “The ratings of horses in this country are so elevated it’s frightening. The handicappers seem to think we produce champion after champion every year.

“But I don’t think Futura is the only badly handicapped horse in the race. Majmu, off 55k and giving a Derby winner a kilo, is a big ask – indeed just as much of a big ask as Futura with 60kg.”

By Michael Clower

Picture: Futura (Nkosi Hlophe) 

See all the stars in action at the annual Vodacom Durban July gallops at Greyville from 07:00 on Thursday morning, June 25.

A condition or entry for South Africa’s premier horserace is participation in the July Gallops where the big race contenders will gallop on their own or with a companion for the public to view their action and state of well-being. The gallops will be timed and a commentary given of each performance with the performance times broadcast on course.

After the gallops a discussion panel will be held at the course featuring prominent racing personalities and to counter the early morning chill buns and hot coffee will be served free of charge for those attending.

For those unable to attend the gallops it will be televised live on Tellytrack DSTV 239 from 7am.

For those wishing to watch the gallops in more comfort, a special breakfast at R65 per head will be available in the Durban View Room on the morning.

Contact Gail on 031 3141780 for more information.

Picture: Futura (Nkosi Hlophe)

Dennis Drier has a Vodacom Durban July day string of ten horses and two reserves and the master trainer is likely to turn them out in tip top condition.

His Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes contender Jet Aglow put is some decent work on the beach sand on Tuesday under stable jockey Sean Cormack and if repeating her best runs could be in the shake up, despite the race being packed with class. The yard were caught off guard by the blinkers sharpening her up so much in the Gr 1 City Of Pietermartzburg Sprint that she led them over a too sharp 1200m, before finishing a respectable fifth.

However, she then duly over raced in the Gr 2 Tibouchina over 1400m last time out and the blinkers have now been removed. She was an unlucky two length third in the Gr 1 Laurie Jaffe Empress Club Stakes over 1600m last season, when forced to go for home too early, and if repeating that sort of form could be a contender, although she does not have an easy draw of ten.

The jury are out on whether Drier’s  ultra impressive Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion winner Seventh Plain will stay the 1400m trip in the Gr 1 Golden Horseshoe, but they believe he will due to his very relaxed manner of running. He certainly wasn’t stopping at the line in the Medallion and from a plum draw of four he will be the horse to beat.

The yard are expecting their Horse Chestnut filly Chestnuts and Pearls to appreciate the step up in trip from 1200m to 1400m in the Gr 1 Zulu Kingdom Explorer Golden Slipper. She was disadvantaged by a high draw in the Gr 1 Allan Roberston over 1200m at Scottsville last time, but will still have to show plenty of improvement to feature here, although there is always that possibility for two-year-olds. She is drawn well in seven.

The yard run Firewood in the first race on the poly over a suitable 1400m. They describe him as a “nice little horse who has to be competitive here.”  The form of his last race when a one length third to the promising Master James over 1600m on turf has worked out well and he could appreciate a return to the course and distance of his last win from a plum draw.

Their newly acquired stayer J’s Outsider had to come around horses from last in the Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m last time and didn’t go through with, but the yard said he had needed that run and had definitely improved since then. He won the Gr 2 Gold Bowl over 3200m at Turffontein before that so will appreciate the 3000m trip of the Gr 2 SABC Gold Vase on July day and is well drawn in three. However, he is 4,5kg worse off for a 2,5 length beating of Heart Of A Lion from the Gold Bowl, so will have a tougher task and the latter also proved his liking for Greyville last time when running on well for third in the Lonsdale.

Drier runs Barbosa and Balkan in the tenth race, a MR 104 handicap over 1000m on the polytrack and the yard are bullish about the chances of Barbosa, despite him having to carry topweight. Assistant trainer Stuart Ferrie said, “He ran a cracker last time (sixth in the Tsogo Sun Sprint) and has a big shout. He likes to race handy and should enjoy the poly.”

Balkan doesn’t have it easy up against the boys in her second run after a layoff. However, she was raised only two points for her win over 1000m on J&B Met day and the form of that race has worked out well.

Drier runs Generalissimo, Triptique and Beckedorf in the Non-Black Type Ethekwini Sprint over 1200m on the poly. Generalissimo put in some eyecatching work on the beach sand on Tuesday and should be spot on for this race.

He had to stand for an age in the stalls before the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint, which blunted his normally excellent gate speed, and before that he won in facile fashion over this course and distance. He is now six points higher in the merit ratings, but is the yard elect and Cormack rides from a fair draw.

Triptique is an imposing and impressive individual and was a touch unlucky last time out over 1000m on the poly, which was his first outing since winning three Kenilworth 1200m events in succession.

Ian Sturgeon rides from a tricky draw, but despite being six points higher since his last win he is not fully exposed and has a definite chance. Beckedorf is ten points lower in the merit ratings after two below par runs in Cape Town, so is quite an interesting contender. This is his first outing since, but the yard describe him as a “nice horse who is fit and well.”

By David Thiselton

Picture: Dennis Drier (Nkosi Hlophe)

Brett Crawford has a small but strong team for Vodacom Durban July day and some of them put in eyecatching workouts at Summerveld yesterday, particularly the classy Gr 2 KRA Fillies Guineas-winning Dynasty filly Alexis, who will run in the Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes over 1600m on turf.

Crawford’s assistant Barry Donnelly is back at Summerveld looking after the string and said about Alexis, “She is small but very well made. I have always called her our little Beach Beauty and people used to laugh at me but now she has come out and won the Guineas.”

Alexis has plenty of speed but proved she stayed the mile in the KRA Fillies Guineas, in which she once again displayed her superb turn of foot. Yesterday one of Crawford’s best workrider’s Subusiso Paca put her through her paces on the Summerveld beach sand. She showed plenty of zest and strode out nicely and Paca returned to the ring excited, exclaiming that after 400m she had wanted to change up a gear.

Donnelly believes the yard have her even better now than she was before the KRA Fillies Guineas, so will ease off her next week in the lead up to the race. She faces a particularly strong field but will be one of the main protagonists, despite a tricky draw of nine as opposed to her draw of five in the KRA Fillies Guineas.

Stable jockey Corné Orffer has chosen her ahead of last year’s KRA Fillies Guineas winner Maybe Yes, who won a 1400m event at Greyville in her penultimate start by four lengths when leading from start to finish, although she was well weighted there. She then ran another cracker in the Gr 2 Tobouchina over 1400m, finishing a 1,25 length third to the classy mare Hammie’s Hooker.

Donnelly was happy with her workout yesterday on the beach sand, although he said that she is not a very good workhorse on that surface. She has landed a plum draw of two in the Garden Province and Piere Strydom aboard is another bonus.

Sail South worked particularly well yesterday and was looking lean and in mint condition. He settled nicely in yesterday’s bit of work, which was a positive sign as this is sometimes his undoing on the racecourse. He could be a runner in the Listed Canon Business Centre Handicap over 1600m on the turf. He has a wide draw to overcome, but Orffer has chosen to ride him ahead of the former Gr 2 Seangor Cup winner De Kock.

De Kock over-raced in the Gr 2 Betting World 1900 last time out and duly faded right out of it in the straight. However, he has responded very well to the application of a new bit and has settled well in work. He has been working well and from draw nine under Sean Veale over this much more suitable trip he could be a runner.

The yard’s other runner on the day is the three-year-old gelding Valerin, who finished a 1,25 length second to Saratoga dancer over 1400m at Scottsville last time, despite being squeezed in the latter stages. The form of that race has been franked and he now runs over the same trip on the polytrack on July day. He has been doing well, but looks likely to be drawn quite wide.

He is by Lateral out of the Gr 1 Garden Province and Gr 1 Majorca winner Donatella (Fine Edge), so is a well bred sort. He has run some decent races against good sorts in Cape Town, including finishing a 1,25 length second to fancied July runner The Conglomerate over 1300m as a two-year-old. Donnelly foresees no problem with hi handling the poly and he will work on the Summerveld poly this morning (Wednesday).

By David Thiselton

Picture: Alexis (John Lewis)

Horses flying under the radar often do well on Vodacom Durban July day, especially in the two-year-old events,  and one such individual is the Alistair Gordon-trained Argonaut colt Beat The Retreat, who has landed a plum draw of seven in the Gr 1 Golden Horseshoe over 1400m.

Gordon said, “Alec (Forbes) thought he had a big chance in the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion, but he pulled up shin sore and that must have affected him.”

Shin soreness is a common condition for young horses and Beat The Retreat did some swimming in Gordon’s pool at Summerveld after that last run and is now “fine”. He put up a good gallop on the Summerveld grass on Monday.

Argonaut has proved to be disappointing as a stallion and some will claim that his progeny tend to be temperamental. However, Beat The Retreat not only has “a magic temperament”, but he also comes from a fantastic family. His dam Spring Lilac by Joshua Dancer won the Gr 3 Fillies Nursery over 1200m at Kenilworth by four lengths and she is a half-sister to the like of Rabiya (Equus champion three-year-old male), Secret Of Victoria (dual Gr 2-winning sprinter and dam of Equus champion two-year-old filly All Is Secret), Touch The Sky (dual Listed winner) and Rafiya (Listed winner).

Argonaut won both the Gr 1 Golden Horseshoe and the Gr 1 Premier’s Champion Stakes and in the latter he went start to finish and won by five lengths, so on pedigree Beat The Retreat should get a mile.

Gordon described him as a “useful horse” and pointed at his formline. Before the Medallion he had finished just 1,5 lengths behind Seventh Plain in the Gr 3 Godolphin Barb Stakes over 1100m at level weights and on that occasion had pulled up well. No horse got within 2,5 lengths of Seventh Plain in the Medallion and Beat The Retreat was 8,9 lengths back, so it was clearly not his run.

Forbes will be back aboard on July day and although up against a strong field Beat The Retreat should not be ignored.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Beat The Retreat (Nkosi Hlophe)