The late Charlie Cairoli
Monday morning dawns after the most glorious day, weather wise, here in the Cape. I was lucky enough to pop home for two days to see the family, having not seen them for a couple of weeks. During that period, my youngest daughter, Biz Zee, has leaned to ride her bike without stabilizers, a fantastic achievement and a milestone in any young person’s life, writes Joey Ramsden.
It is wonderful to watch her cycling around where she looks like a miniature Charlie Cairoli (a world famous clown) riding on our complex roads without a care in the world. A beautiful sight indeed.
It promises to be a busy week in Natal. Not only do we have the world-famous Vodacom Durban July on the weekend but also the Natal Yearling Sales. My landlords, Peter and Val Fenix, are down so it will be lovely to have some company in the flat (some lively debating) and most importantly of all, some fantastic food for me! Where have they been all year?
I hope the weather holds out here in Natal and whilst a sprinkling of rain would be nice for the track, the main grass track does not look as if it will take much more. It looks to be a case of where less is more regarding the rain. That certainly won’t be the case regarding the fashions where less will certainly be an awful lot more.
We will have a quiet July day with only 3 runners but they are 3 good ones. I am hoping to perform better with these 3 than in past July’s where my form has been left wanting.
We have had a lovely season in Durban where everything has run well and I have no reason to expect anything else on Saturday. King of Pain put up a lovely gallop. He had a quiet weekend and will do his final serious piece of work on Tuesday and wind down from there on.
Beranrd Fayd’herbe in a race to get fit for July
It was worrying to see Bernard get off on Saturday with a sore wrist but let’s hope it is on the mend and he is as strong as ever by next weekend.
Sadly, our runners in the Cape ran like badly blocked drains. Often there is no reason for it and one just has to plod on.
Kenilworth is looking magnificent but it is a different course to race on when they have had a large quantity of rain and then a break of a few days. The course then becomes extremely sticky and tough going. When there is a downpour the night before and the going is heavy, the horses seem to handle it much easier and run truer to form. Again, this is only my opinion.
I have had some interesting letters written to me regarding the July selection process and I really now have probably had enough of it.
I know what I truly think in my heart of hearts and while it doesn’t affect me (as I can do so little about it) I put it to the back of my mind and just got on with it.
What I will say is that in all the many committee’s I have sat on (and that is hundreds of hours) the word transparency comes up many, many times, more often than not.
Our alleged biggest race of the year should not have come down in effect to it being a lottery – not a lottery where people put their hands in a drum and pull out a number – but one which involves an awful lot of the human element, opinion, feelings and dare I say it, financial interest ante-post.
Why is it so hard not to have a pre race field of 16 runners and stick with it? If they thought the draw was a big surprise, when it came to the final horse being announced, I did not hear too much surprise in the room.
Personally I think Futura is an extremely lively Durban July runner and would have had no problem with him being included, under regular terms, in the final 16 on their log list.
Why he wasn’t, I do not know. I like the owners, I like the horse and am extremely fond of his trainer. Personally I think this is the 3 yo to beat and I do wish them well.
I really am just not in favour of the whole cloak and dagger element which can be open to manipulation, though I am certainly not saying that is the case. I just want to see an honest, open approach for all.
www.joeyramsden.com
