Joey Ramsden consolidated himself as a top echelon trainer on Saturday when adding the Vodacom Durban July to his glittering CV with the Australian-bred The Conglomerate, while Piere Strydom showed once again why he is regarded as one of South Africa’s greatest ever jockeys.

That it takes a top trainer to win the country’s premier race is evident in the winner’s roll. In fact, Ramsden became only the ninth trainer this century to have won the July.

Pundits are always experts afterwards, but a look at last year’s July ultimately provided the best clue to The Conglomerate’s chances.

He jumped from the widest draw of all in last year’s race as a three-year-old and connections were left wondering what might have been. His inexperienced jockey had panicked coming up the hill and from last place on the rail had soon found himself widest of all entering the straight, but still last. Yet, the horse still managed to move up strongly on the standside rail and looked to have a ton in hand when faced with a wall of horses and nowhere to go. In retrospect, had the jockey remained patient at the back and made his run down the centre or inside, he could have threatened the winner, or at least the placed horses.

This year, The Conglomerate jumped from the same barrier position, but significantly had one of the all-time great jockeys in world history aboard. However, what had likely led to him being largely ignored by pundits was his form since last year’s July. Furthermore, Strydom had only been given second choice of the Markus Jooste-owned horses behind retained jockey Anton Marcus, who had plumped for St. Tropez.

Joey Ramsden (Nkosi Hlophe)

The Conglomerate’s two best performances in seven outings this season had been fourth place finishes in both the Gr 2 Betting World 1900 and Gr 3 Cup Trial over 1800m. He had lacked zip in the finish in the 1900, but in his defence it was his second run after a four month layoff and gelding. His Cup Trial run was difficult to analyse as he was involved in a bumping match with Saratoga Dancer on the outside which led to him being demoted from third to fourth.

The four-year-old son of Lonhro duly ran in this year’s race off a merit rating of only 101, seven points lower than a year ago, and from being 1kg under sufferance last year, he was now 2,5kg under sufferance.

Furthermore, as the Cup Trial was a handicap and the Betting World 1900 a merit-rated bands conditions race, he was going to have improve a number of lengths from those last two runs.

Ramsden thus pulled off a magnificent training feat on Saturday. He had spoken beforehand of the tremendous work The Conglomerate had been putting in at Summerveld and of a faultless preparation. Strydom then came to the party and rode a fantastic race, managing to slot the bay into a handy position from the wide draw.

The final factor was the trip, only the horse’s second attempt beyond 2000m. He once again relished it and quickened well before staying on resolutely.

Ironically, The Conglomerate was one of the many horses in the race affected by the much talked about “manipulation” of the weights. Had Legal Eagle been scratched before the setting of the weights, The Conglomerate would have been perfectly handicapped i.e. scraping into the handicap with the minimum weight for an older horse of 53kg. Instead, he carried 55,5kg and was 2,5kg under sufferance.

The charismatic Ramsden provided entertainment in the build up to the July with his antics at the draw ceremony and was also at his best on Saturday, bowing ceremoniously to President Zuma with hands out-stretched before receiving the trophy.

David Thiselton