Justin Snaith may have identified a likely stable pacemaker in his bid to win the Vodacom Durban July for the fourth consecutive year after the Australian-bred Crown Towers went all the way to win the R100 000 World Sports Betting Listed The Sledgehammer at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday.
Paying tribute to the Hollywoodbets Scottsville track as being in the ‘best shape’ he has seen it, Snaith said that his charge enjoys KZN and had not returned to the Cape after last year on the East Coast.
Crown Towers (Richard Fourie) beats Black Knap (Sean Veale) in a thriller (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
Having his second start since an unsuccessful raid on the Summer Cup in Gauteng, Crown Towers was out of the gates quickly under Richard Fourie and kept on all the way around to hold off a great effort from the recently gelded Black Knap (30-1) to win by just under a length in 106 secs – a time slower than She’s A Keeper carrying 6 kgs less in the fillies feature.
Lumping bottom weight of 50kgs, MJ Odendaal’s rated 3yo Shavout (40-1) stayed on into third.
“He has really upped his game. He is our best locally-based horse. At the outset he was a nightmare in starting stalls but Mike Shaw has done a great job with him. I’d love to see him out front setting the pace in the Durban July in a dream world,”said Justin.
The July entries will be announced on Wednesday after the first race at Hollywoodbets Greyville. Crown Towers’ name will be there.
He hails from a high-class classic family with his relatives including Irish Oaks winner Shawanda and her ill-fated St Leger winning son Encke, and Shawanda’s three-quarter sister and Gr1 Yorkshire Oaks winner Shareta
Originally knocked down to Mayfair Speculators for A$280 000 at the 2017 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale from the draft of Mill Park Stud, 80% shares in Crown Towers were later re-sold for R1,7 million at the Central Route Trading Sale Durbanville Mixed and Horses In Training Sale in July 2018.
A winner of 7 races with 4 places from 19 starts for stakes of R472 500, the son of Montjeu stallion Camelot was produced by the smart Galileo mare Miss With Attitude – a five time winner up to 1600m and placed in the Gr2 Bill Stutt Stakes.
Watch the race here
