2024 Durban July: 58 first entries unveiled

Big-striding chestnut colt See It Again galloped clear of his rivals at the top of the Hollywoodbets Durban July betting when first entries for Africa’s greatest race were announced on Wednesday.

The race sponsor had the 2023 runner-up at odds of 7-2 shortly after the veil was lifted on 58 hopefuls for the 2024 July – though other pencillers had him as short as 15-4.

Michael Roberts-trained See It Again has been up with the punting pace ever since Hollywoodbets opened their July book in early February. But other contenders barreled their way up to the bar as the weeks went by. Notable among these was Mucho Dinero, with talk among punters being that he was champion trainer Justin Snaith’s prime candidate.

But Mucho Dinero ran last in a less-than-stellar Greyville Pinnacle Stakes at the weekend, starting his KwaZulu-Natal winter campaign on a low note and immediately blowing out in the July betting – from 4-1 to 8-1.

Tarry and De Kock picks

Nonetheless, January’s Premier Trophy winner is among Snaith’s eight July entries, the others being Royal Aussie, Without Question, Triple Time, Hluhluwe, The Grey King, Future Swing and Get Impressed. Few of those horses can be entirely discounted 72 days out from the R5-million Grade 1 showpiece on 6 July.

Former champion trainer Sean Tarry outdid everyone in the aspiration stakes, with 10 nominations. Those from his yard catching the eye were three-year-olds Lucky Lad and Mid Winter Wind, stayer Future Pearl and enigmatic Cousin Casey.

Tarry’s Highveld neighbour Mike de Kock, bidding for a sixth July, entered seven horses including three-year-old wonder filly Gimme A Nother, who is unbeaten in seven starts. It can only be concerns about her tender age and gender – and a lack of exposure to male competition – that keep this one at an inviting 7-1 in the betting.

Winchester Mansion is up for the job of defending his 2023 July title, with a cracking second place in the recent Champions Challenge in Joburg seeing his price chopped to 10-1.

A notable absence from the first entry list is three-year-old colt Sandringham Summit, whose new owners believe success in the 2200m July might harm his breeding prospects, with elite mile victories apparently considered superior in the stud book.

Also missing is any candidate from the stable of ace Cape Town trainer Candice Bass-Robinson, whose Cape Guineas 1-2 of Snow Pilot and Red Palace might have been considerations.

The entries, in order of merit rating, are:
(name, age/gender, MR, trainer)

SEE IT AGAIN (4C) 132 Michael Roberts
MAIN DEFENDER (3G) 131 Tony Peter
DAVE THE KING (4G) 126 Mike de Kock
GIMME A NOTHER (3F) 125 Mike de Kock
ROYAL VICTORY (4G) 125 Nathan Kotzen
ROYAL AUSSIE (4G) 124 Justin Snaith
WINCHESTER MANSION (5G) 124 Brett Crawford
COUSIN CASEY (4C) 123 Sean Tarry
PURPLE PITCHER (3C) 120 Robyn Klaasen
WITHOUT QUESTION (4G) 120 Justin Snaith
GREEN WITH ENVY (3C) 119 Dean Kannemeyer
LUCKY LAD (3C) 119 Sean Tarry
SON OF RAJ (4G) 119 Tony Peter
ARAGOSTA (5G) 118 Mike de Kock
FRANCES ETHEL (3F) 118 Brett Crawford
WILLIAM IRON ARM (3C) 117 Tony Peter
FUTURE PEARL (4G) 116 Sean Tarry
MONTIEN (4G) 116 Piet Botha
PURE PREDATOR (3G) 116 Fanie Bronkhorst
SILVER SANCTUARY (3F) 116 Mike de Kock
MONDIAL (3G) 115 M G Azzie/A A Azzie
MY SOUL MATE (3F) 115 Candice Dawson
SAFE PASSAGE (5G) 115 Mike de Kock
HOTARUBI (3G) 114 Sean Tarry
LET’S GO NOW (3F) 114 Sean Tarry
MID WINTER WIND (3G) 114 Sean Tarry
MASTER REDOUTE (5G) 113 Andre Nel
ORIENTAL CHARM (3C) 113 Brett Crawford
TRIPLE TIME (4G) 112 Justin Snaith
ATTICUS FINCH (4G) 111 Alec Laird
HLUHLUWE (3G) 111 Justin Snaith
NEBRAAS (7G) 111 Sean Tarry
MUCHO DINERO (4G) 110 Justin Snaith
SAARTJIE (4F) 110 Andre Nel
SHOEMAKER (4G) 110 Mike de Kock
BARBARESCO (3G) 109 J A Janse van Vuuren
SECOND BASE (6G) 107 Robyn Klaasen
FORMAGEAR (4G) 106 Peter Muscutt
CAPE EAGLE (6G) 105 Andre Nel
IMILENZEYOKUDUDUMA (5G) 105 Gareth van Zyl
PERFECT WITNESS (5M) 105 Candice Dawson
FUTURE SWING (4G) 103 Justin Snaith
NAVAJO NATION (3G) 103 Robbie Hill
PONTE PIETRA (4G) 103 Dean Kannemeyer
RIVER ROMEO (4G) 101 Lorenzo Karriem
NARINA TROGON (4G) 100 Michael Miller
PYROMANIAC (5G) 100 Sean Tarry
BARATHEON (5G) 98 Piet Botha
GET IMPRESSED (3G) 96 Justin Snaith
MARAUDING HORDE (3C) 96 Mike de Kock
THE GREY KING (3G) 96 Justin Snaith
CELTIC BEAUTY (3F) 94 Tony Rivalland
POMODORO’S JET (5G) 93 Brett Crawford
ANCIENT WORLD (3G) 92 Michael Miller
CELESTIAL CITY (5H) 92 Sean Tarry
JORDAN (3G) 91 Sean Tarry
INDIAN OCEAN (4F) 90 Lorenzo Karriem
DANSE MILORD (5M) 89 M J Odendaal

BETTING

7-2 See It Again
7-1 Royal Victory, Gimme A Nother, Green With Envy
8-1 Mucho Dinero
10-1 Winchester Mansion
16-1 Purple Pitcher
25-1 Main Defender, Safe Passage, Future Swing, Without Question
33-1 Lucky Lad, Pure Predator, William Iron Arm
40-1 Aragosta, Shoemaker, Cousin Casey
25-1 to 250-1 the others.