When the final fields are announced later this morning for Saturday’s Gr1 Daily News 2000, the recent Gr2 WSB Guineas winner Zapatillas will not be in the line-up.
The Brett Crawford-trained Master Of My Fate colt will not take his place in the Gr1 Daily News 2000 on Saturday, and will instead go straight into the Gr1 Hollywoodbets Durban July on 2 July.
He is currently quoted at 16-1 for the big race.
David Thiselton reports on www.goldcircle.co.za that the smart colt travelled back to Crawford’s Johannesburg satellite yard after winning the Gr 2 WSB Guineas last time out on May 7 at Hollywoodbets Greyville.
Crawford’s son and assistant trainer James said the chief reason for not running Zapatillas in the Daily News 2000 was because a journey down to the July would then entail a third road trip from Johannesburg to Durban within a space of two months.
Zapatillas went into the WSB Guineas on May 7 having not had a run since finishing an 0,80 length third in the Gr 3 Politician Stakes over 1800m on WSB Met day January 29.
James said he had gone into the Guineas run ‘well’ but had ‘come on’ from the run.
He had thus proved himself capable of performing at the highest level when coming in without a recent run.
He came into the WSB Guineas off a 98 day layoff and will go into the Hollywoodbets Durban July having not raced for 56 days.
Last year the Highveld-based Got The Greenlight went into the July off a 63 day layoff and ran a 0,70 length third without enjoying the run of the race.
Zapatillas in winning action down at Kenilworth (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
Zapatillas’ current merit rating is 118, meaning that in the July, as things stand, he will carry the minimum weight for a three-year-old male of 53kg and be 1kg under sufferance. Jet Dark and Belgarion are rated 130 and the weight for age allowance for a three-year-old over 2200m at the time of the July is 2kg.
The horse will have the theoretical advantage of altitude training.
James pointed out that the one-two in the WSB Guineas had both travelled down from Johannesburg.
- Second declarations for the Hollywoodbets Durban July are due by 11h00 on Monday 30 May.
