Horses racing at last year's Durban July at Greyville racecourse. Picture: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images
Well-backed runners in the Hollywoodbets Durban July drew favourable barrier positions when the final field of 18 for Africa’s biggest horse race was unveiled on Tuesday.
Trainer Dean Kannemeyer was at the announcement ceremony to personally draw the No 5 gate for his 7-2 favourite, three-year-old colt Green With Envy. Asked if he was happy with that, Kannemeyer said he’d
hoped for anything between 6 and 10, so was quite satisfied.
Michael Roberts was similarly pleased with gate 10 for his local hero See It Again. The 2023 July runner-up is currently second on the bookmakers’ boards at 9-2.
Record-breaking jockey championship leader Richard Fourie will steer third favourite Future Swing (11-2) into the No 4 stall at the start of the R5-million Grade 1 contest at Greyville racecourse on 6 July.
KwaZulu-Natal-based Royal Victory (14-1), from the Nathan Kotzen stable, drew pole position, while Future Pearl, trained on the Highveld by Sean Tarry, got the extreme outside slot of 18.
Five-time July winning trainer Mike de Kock drew Nos 6 and 7 for his pair of runners, Shoemaker and Aragosta, who are both at 50-1 in the betting.
A notable feature of the 2024 July field is the absence of females. Most years there are at least a couple of fillies or mares – and there have been memorable female winners in recent decades.
Filly Frances Ethel, winner of the SA Oaks, was scratched at the final declaration stage after being diagnosed with pneumonia. Owned by the Team Valor syndicate, she is due to be exported to the US at some stage.
De Kock opted for the main supporting feature on July day, the Garden Province Stakes for fillies and mares, for his sometime big-race candidate Silver Sanctuary.
There were no surprises when the final July line-up was announced.
Interestingly, though, Mucho Dinero, who at one stage topped the ante-post July betting, did not make the 18 or one of the two reserve runner slots.
[Draw and no, name, age & gender, weight, MR, trainer, jockey]
10 See It Again (4C) 60 131 Michael Roberts (Piere Strydom)
1 Royal Victory (4G) 57 125 Nathan Kotzen (Muzi Yeni)
16 Double Superlative (5H) 57 Justin Snaith (Daniel Muscutt)
9 Winchester Mansion (5G) 56.5 124 Brett Crawford (Kabelo Matsunyane)
5 Green With Envy (3C) 56 127 Dean Kannemeyer (Craig Zackey)
15 Cousin Casey (4C) 56 123 Sean Tarry (S’Manga Khumalo)
17 Flag Man (3G) 55.5 126 Gareth van Zyl (Serino Moodley)
3 Without Question (4G) 54.5 120 Justin Snaith (Rachel Venniker)
12 Son Of Raj (4G) 54 119 Tony Peter (Calvin Habib)
7 Aragosta (5G) 54 116 Mike de Kock (Marco van Rensburg)
18 Future Pearl (4G) 54 117 Sean Tarry (Grant van Niekerk)
14 Master Redoute (5G) 54 115 Andre Nel (Corne Orffer)
13 Meridius (4G) 54 113 (Athandiwe Mgudlwa)
6 Shoemaker 54 (4G) 111 Mike de Kock (Diego de Gouveia)
4 Future Swing (4G) 54 110 Justin Snaith (Richard Fourie)
2 Barbaresco (3G) 53.5 122 JA Janse van Vuuren (Gavin Lerena)
11 Oriental Charm (3G) 53 121 Brett Crawford (JP van der Merwe)
8 Purple Pitcher (3C) 53 120 Robyn Klaasen (Philasande Mxoli)
Reserve runners:
Hluhluwe (3G) 53 116 Justin Snaith
Hotarubi (3G) 53 116 Sean Tarry
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