Eyes Wide Open at 12/1 can spring a surprise

While Mike de Kock-trained Hawwaam is drawing the bulk of the attention – and the money – ahead of today’s Vodacom Durban July, there are a number of other runners who could, on any given July Day, spring a surprise.

First on the list is Eyes Wide Open, trained by Glen Kotzen.

“I have never had him any better,” said Kotzen, adding that the weight advantage is now solidly in his favour.

“Do the maths. In last year’s Cape Derby, he beat Do It Again by a length and three-quarters at levels and now he is 7kg better.

“That equates to about 10 lengths and I do not believe Do It Again is 10 lengths better than my horse at the moment. In fact, I know he is not.”

Eyes Wide Open has come tumbling down the betting. In mid-May you could get 75-1 on him but he is now as short as 12-1 with only four horses – Hawwaam, Do It Again, Rainbow Bridge and Barahin – considered to have a better chance in today’s Vodacom Durban July.

“By the way, Eyes Wide Open’s father [Dynasty] won from a bad draw, too,” said Kotzen.

Leading trainer Sean Tarry believes his seven-year-old Legal Eagle is another with surprise potential.

“Legal Eagle is certainly the best handicapped of my trio and has had a good prep. He is in a good space. Lyle [Hewitson] does get on well with Tilbury Fort but he also gets on well with Legal, and this is the first time he has had a good draw with Legal,” said Tarry.

Tarry’s trio is completed by dual Grade 1 winner Return Flight. Tarry was thrilled when Tilbury Fort landed pole position when the draw was done last week.

“He needs a draw because he needs a smooth run. If you go forward with him and try and slot in, it doesn’t work, he needs to find a position immediately and then sit.”

Raymond Danielson is aboard Tilbury Fort. “He has ridden him a few times and gets a reasonable tune out of him. He has had a good prep,” said Tarry.

Trainer Andre Nel reckons Head Honcho offers very good value at 25-1, a sentiment echoed by jockey Keagan de Melo, who said he was pleased with Head Honcho’s demeanour in the pull up area after the July gallop.

According to De Melo, he had a good bounce in his step all the way back to the parade ring, suggesting he had recovered well from the workout.

Nel said because Head Honcho was now an older horse, he had been able to look back on his career and see what had worked with him and what hadn’t.

He said the type of gaps they had given him into this race, seven weeks from his last race which followed a layoff since the Sun Met, had seemed to have worked well for him, so that was how they had planned to take him into the July.

“He’s feeling good, he’s a sound horse, we’re happy with where we have him at the moment,” said Nel

– Phumelela Publishing/Gold Circle

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.