Following his fifth-placed finish behind Winchester Mansion in Saturday’s Hollywoodbets Dolphins Gr3 Cup Trial, the Justin Snaith trained Rockpool was scratched from the Hollywoodbets Durban July just after 15h00 on Monday.
Half of the 60 original entries have now been taken out, including East Coast, Shoemaker, Litigation, Pyromaniac, Reny and local hope Quasiforsure, who was not disgraced when running second in the Hollywoodbets Cup Trial.
A vibrant Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
The Snaith yard still have 5 entrants in the running for the big race on 1 July.
These include dual Hollywoodbets Durban July winner Do It Again, who only had the enigmatic and newly-blinkered Cousin Casey behind him in the Hollywoodbets Gr1 Gold Challenge.
Jono Snaith told the Sporting Post that Do It Again was 100% on track for 1 July. It seems likely that he will be dropped a point or two on his previous runs.
“He jumped awkwardly and then found trouble on Saturday,” observed Snaith.
The official Stipes Report notes that at the 200m, Bingwa and Do It Again raced in restricted room between Safe Passage and Cousin Casey, which tired quickly after it raced prominently and rolled outward.
The Veterinary Surgeon was requested to examine Cousin Casey and Do It Again. Nothing obvious was detected with either.
The Sporting Post was unable to obtain a comment from the Kotzen yard on Cousin Casey.
The CEO of the National Horseracing Authority Vee Moodley told the Sporting Post after 16h00 on Monday that the revised merit ratings following the multiple feature weekend would be published within a matter of hours.
The final supplementary opportunity for the Hollywoodbets Durban July closes at 11h00 on Tuesday, whereafter the weights will be published.
The final field of 20, including 2 reserves, will be announced on Tuesday 20 June.
