Durban July battle lines drawn

There is no crowd to cheer it on but the field for the 2021 Vodacom Durban July at Greyville today is one of the strongest in many years. Or, rather, half of it is.

The 18-strong line-up can be divided into a “magnificent” nine and a “no-hoper” nine. Of course, sometimes outsiders do win South Africa’s premier horse race, but there is not usually the creaminess in the cream of the crop as there is this year.

The nine elite athletes are Rainbow Bridge, Rascallion, Linebacker, Sovereign Spirit, Belgarion, Nexus, Got The Greenlight, Do It Again and Kommetdieding.

Some nervous pundits might want to include on their shortlists the filly, She’s A Keeper, who is an unknown quantity, not having participated at this level before.

The favourite is Got The Greenlight, who was runner-up last year and is favourably weighted against most of his closest rivals this time around.

Trainer Joey Soma and jockey Muzi Yeni are confident of a big effort from the four-year-old colt, who they insist is stronger than he was in 2020. The No 14 draw holds no fears for the duo as they believe the “new”, narrower Greyville turf track has reduced any draw advantage.

The question of a 63-day break since his last run – a brilliant victory in the Grade 1 Champions Challenge at Turffontein – has been raised as a possible negative. But the positive factor of a fresh horse raiding from the Highveld can be cited, too.

Barring mishap in the running – which is common in the heat of July battle – Johannesburg’s big hope will be in the shake-up at the end of the 2 200m journey.

The most heavily backed horse in the past two weeks has been dual July winner Do It Again. That
weight of money signifies plenty – as does trainer Justin Snaith, noting that his sometime champ
“has got the fight back in his eye”.

Do It Again won the July in 2018 and 2019, but missed out to stablemate Belgarion in 2020, with Snaith saying he faced an impossible task in that race.

“This time it’s a completely different story, with him being 3kg better off at the weights than with all the others, bar Got The Greenlight,” said the Cape maestro.

Leading three-year-old Linebacker is second favourite on the bookmakers’ boards – unsurprisingly, as he has reeled off a succession of top-class victories over the past few months. The Cape Derby
the KwaZulu-Natal Guineas and the Daily News 2000 have been overwhelmed by Vaughan Marshall’s rising star.

No one would be surprised if he were to add the Durban July to that list.

Another popular three year old from the Cape is Kommetdieding, from the small, unheralded Harold Crawford-Michelle Rix stable. This guy is having his third run after short rest, making him “cherry-ripe”, as they say.

Top jockey Gavin Lerena is wasting like mad to make the light weight, which could be the masterstroke in overcoming the widest draw. It’s worth remembering that Belgarion won from No 18 draw last year.

For anyone in search of an outsider for a place bet or to prop up the end of a quartet or trifecta, you could do a lot worse than go for Nexus. Snaith has been pretty bullish about this “lurker”.

The other five are serious contenders and could easily pull it off. The Grade 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes sees the long-awaited showdown between War Of Athena and Captain’s
Ransom – brilliant fillies, both.

Moon’s top picks

• Race 1: 12 Big Burn, 2 Winter Renegade, 1 Supreme Quest, 4 Fearless Lady
• Race 2: 6 Bard Of Avon, 8 Captain Lannister, 3 Gaudis Masterpiece, 4 Team Gold
• Race 3: 10 Silver Host, 9 Black Knap, 7 The Gatekeeper, 1 Divine Odyssey
• Race 4: 10 Atyaab, 16 Bayberry, 5 Dream Destiny, 7 Smoking Hot
• Race 5: 8 Desert Miracle, 3 Kailene, 1 Maryah, 7 There She Goes
• Race 6: 2 Cavalier King, 12 Good Traveller, 4 Castletown, 8 Waterberry Lane
• Race 7: 14 Got The Greenlight, 16 Do It Again, 7 Linebacker, 18 Kommetdieding, 12 Nexus (NB: TAB is paying out FIVE places in the July)
• Race 8: 1 War Of Athena, 13 Captain’s Ransom, 9 Princess Calla, 10 Lady Of Steel
• Race 9: 3 MK’s Pride, 4 Chantyman, 9 Captain Tatters, 13 Kasimir
• Race 10: 12 Native Tongue, 8 Silver Operator, 10 Pinkerton, 9 Approach Control
• Pick 6: 1,5,7,10,13,16 x 1 x 1,2,3,4,8,12 x 1,7,11,12,14,16,18 x 1,13 x 3,4,9,13 (R216)
• PA: 7,9,10 x 5,10,16 x 8 x 2,4,12 x 7,14,16 x 1 x 3 (R81)

– news@citizen.co.za