Greyville racecourse will host the July Day meeting next month. Picture: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images
There’s little in the sporting world to beat horse racing for its mix of thrills, colour, spectacle, prestige and glamour. That’s why so many people love a day at the races, particularly when it’s a big meeting.
Witness this week’s Royal Ascot, a gathering of turf’s elite that dazzled television viewers around the world.
If you can personally hob-nob among the great and the good in the pre-race parade ring, it’s even more special. So, it’s no surprise to see long lists of entries for the supporting races on Hollywoodbets Durban July day, Africa’s greatest annual racing event which will be staged once again at Greyville in two weeks’ time.
Just about every racehorse owner in the land wants to be there.
Arguments about, and betting on, the Durban July itself has been rumbling on for months, but now some attention is turning to the rest of the day’s card.
Early entries for the full meeting were published this week and the heft of hope and aspiration became clear.
About 400 entries were received for the 11 races outside the July, but – given restrictions on numbers of starters at the tight city track – only just over a quarter of these will crack the nod for the final line-ups.
There are, of course, a few duplications as owners and trainers maximise their chances of making it onto the programme and into that parade ring.
Several of the 28 remaining July hopefuls – those on the fringes of selection for the final field of 18 – have their names down for other races on the day.
The traditional “Hard Luck July”, the Campanajo 2200, is a popular choice – including for several of the 40-odd horses that have already been scratched from the July for one reason or another.
The main supporting feature is the Ridgemont Garden Province Stakes, a Grade 1 1600m contest for fillies and mares on weight-for-age terms.
Among the entries for it is Silver Sanctuary, a filly who is on the official July Log of “probables” released 10 days ago but who might be squeezed out of the big race in the selection panel’s final reckoning on Tuesday next week.
If the Mike de Kock-trained filly does drop down to the Garden Province, she might not find things a great deal easier than in the July. For there she could find herself galloping alongside crack fellow three-year-olds Double Grand Slam and Rascova, who have developed an intense rivalry and will rival her in betting support.
Also among the Garden Province nominations is another De Kock star in Humdinger, while Sean Tarry has three standouts in contention in Mrs Browning, Mrs Geriatrix, Winter Greeting and Celtic Rumours.
And there are a few more hotshots in there, too.
The aforementioned rivalry between Double Grand Slam, trained by Justin Snaith, and Rascova, from the Glen Kotzen stable, will make for a fascinating clash if they stand their ground at the declarations stage.
The former has had five wins from 11 starts; the latter four from 14. Remarkably, though both still youngsters, these two have already met seven times: Rascova finishing in front on four occasions.
Nonetheless, Double Grand Slam is likely to be more favoured among punters as she appears to be improving quickly – as evidenced by a smashing win in the Grade 2 Tibouchina Stakes at Greyville earlier this month.
In that race, Double Grand Slam – who was led into the winner’s circle by co-owner Gary Player, which is a clue to her naming – left Humdinger, Bavarian Beauty and Happy Chance trailing. Those three are all in the mix for another crack at the daughter of top sire Vercingetorix.
* Mrs Browning is a supplementary entry for the Garden Province and hasn’t yet been allocated a draw or weight.
[provisional draw, name, (weight in kgs), MR, trainer]
? Mrs Browning (Pending) 118 Sean Tarry
1 Happy Chance (60) 112 Brett Crawford
2 Saartjie (60) 110 Andre Nel
3 Double Grand Slam (59) 118 Justin Snaith
4 Bavarian Beauty (59) 116 Tony Peter
5 Red Palace (59) 108 Candice Bass-Robinson
6 Silver Sanctuary (59) 116 Mike de Kock
7 Shantastic (60) 109 Dean Kannemeyer
8 Lady Heist (60) 98 Glen Kotzen
9 Mary’s Greenlight (59) 103 Mike de Kock
10 Winter Greeting (60) 111 Sean Tarry
11 Lady Of Power (60) 101 MG Azzie/AA Azzie
12 Mrs Geriatrix (59) 112 Sean Tarry
13 Asiye Phambili (60) 111 Duncan Howells
14 Humdinger (60) 116 Mike de Kock
15 Hold My Hand (60) 114 Glen Kotzen
16 Rascova (59) 119 Glen Kotzen
17 Celtic Rumours (60) 106 Sean Tarry
Download our app and read this and other great stories on the move. Available for Android and iOS.
