Last year’s Vodacom Durban July winner Do It Again now has Durban on his agenda for a second time following his three-quarter length defeat in the Sun Met but at the moment he looks unlikely to attempt to win South Africa’s most famous race for a second time.
The Met finish – Do t Again sneaks in down the inside (Pic – Chase Liebenbeg Photography)
Jono Snaith told Michael Clower: “We are discussing it with the owners (Nic Jonsson, Bernard Kantor and Jack Mitchell) but he will most likely not run in the July because of the handicap. He will instead go for the Rising Sun Gold Challenge and the Champions Cup.”
No horse has won the July in successive years since El Picha at the turn of the century and as things stand at the moment Do It Again could be expected to be given top weight. Since Pocket Power dead-heated with the Justin Snaith-trained Dancer’s Daughter in 2008 only Marinaresco (2017) has won with top weight.
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A week ago the handicappers put Do It Again one point above his Met conqueror Rainbow Bridge.
Little went right for the favourite in the Met. He lost significant ground at the start and was shuffled back to second last.
Three furlongs out he was last of all and, although he then made good progress, he hung badly right away from the whip and did so again when Richard Fourie changed his stick to his right hand. There now appears to be a jinx on favourites in the Met – Do It Again was the seventh in a row to meet with defeat.
Jono Snaith said: “We thought he was unlucky but that’s racing and, in any case, I wouldn’t want to take anything away from the winner.”
- www.goldcircle.co.za
