Favourites draw well for the Durban July

All the well-fancied runners in the Hollywoodbets Durban July have drawn favourably for South Africa’s premier horse race on 2 July.

Ruling 7-2 favourite Safe Passage was drawn in gate No 10 – personally by his trainer Mike de Kock at a televised event at Greyville Racecourse on Wednesday.

De Kock drew pole position for his SA Derby winner Aragosta (16-1), gate No 12 for the only filly in the race Sparkling Water (6-1) and No 16 for recent Gold Challenge winner Al Muthana (16-1).

Trainer Vaughan Marshall landed stall 4 for his 11-2 second favourite Linebacker.

Kommetdieding (12-1), who won the 2021 July from the widest draw, 18, will start in the No 13 gate this time.

Justin Snaith did well by his five runners, pulling numbers 2 and 3 for Do It Again (12-1) and Hoedspruit (14-1) respectively, numbers 8 and 9 for Pomp And Power (6-1) and Jet Dark (12-1) and number 11 for Belgarion (33-1).

The widest starting stalls of 17 and 18 will be filled by 50-1 long-shots Astrix and Flying Carpet.

There were no major surprises when the final field was announced at Greyville Racecourse on Tuesday.

Two horses who were in the top 20 on the July log of “probables” – Marina and Zillzaal – failed to get the nod and their connections might be slightly aggrieved. They have merit ratings of 118 and 117 respectively, whereas Hoedspruit and Flying Carpet, both on an MR of 116, were given starting slots.

The two reserve runners are Airways Law and Nebraas, who will “inherit” the draws of horses they might replace.

DURBAN JULY: THE FINAL FIELD

1 Aragosta (Mike de Kock) Warren Kennedy 53kg

2 Do It Again (Justin Snaith) Aldo Domeyer 58.5kg

3 Hoedspruit (Justin Snaith) Craig Zackey 53.5kg

4 Linebacker (Vaughan Marshall) Grant van Niekerk 58.5kg

5 Puerto Manzano (Johan Janse van Vuuren) Raymond Danielson 55.5kg

6 Zapatillas (Brett Crawford) Luyolo Mxothwa 53kg

7 Waterberry Lane (Dean Kannemeyer) Keagan de Melo 53kg

8 Pomp And Power (Justin Snaith) Richard Fourie 53kg

9 Jet Dark (Justin Snaith) Bernard Fayd’Herbe 60kg

10 Safe Passage (Mike de Kock) Muzi Yeni 54.5kg

11 Belgarion (Justin Snaith) Piere Strydom 59.5kg

12 Sparkling Water (Mike de Kock) S’Manga Khumalo 53.5kg

13 Kommetdieding (Harold Crawford/Michelle Rix) Gavin Lerena 60kg

14 Red Saxon (Joe Soma) Rachel Venniker 53kg

15 Second Base (Johan Janse van Vuuren) Kabelo Matsunyane 54.5kg

16 Al Muthana (Mike de Kock) Callan Murray 58kg

17 Astrix (Paul Peter) JP van der Merwe 56.5kg

18 Flying Carpet (Sean Tarry) Calvin Habib 53.5kg

RESERVES:

Airways Law (Andre Nel) Gareth Wright 53kg

Nebraas (Sean Tarry) …… 54.5kg