The big race sponsors have the 4yo Mucho Dinero priced up at 50-1 for the Hollywoodbets Durban July after his puzzlingly lacklustre effort when finishing 7,20 lengths behind Oriental Charm in the Hollywoodbets Dolphins Gr2 Cup Trial on Saturday.
Jonathan Snaith told the Sporting Post on Sunday that Mucho Dinero, who spread a shoe on the way to the start and had his left front shoe replaced by the course farrier, didn’t seem comfortable throughout the running of the Cup Trial.
“Justin will assess him on Monday and plot the way forward. The plan would definitely still be to run him in the Hollywoodbets Durban July,” added Jono.
Mucho Dinero – still a dark horse for 6 July? (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
The 4yo son of Twice Over (Observatory) was labelled a 2024 Hollywoodbets Durban July target horse by the astute Snaith team back in January, after he stepped up off his 99 rating to finish powerfully and beat a decent field on tough terms in the Anthonij Rupert Wine Gr2 Premier Trophy on L’Ormarins King’s Plate day to make it four on the trot.
After a season pipe-opener on the East Coast, he stayed on steadily for fifth in the WSB Gr2 1900 behind Future Swing at his penultimate start, and decent things were expected of him on Saturday.
It may be too early to write him off and the 50-1 almost looks worth a nibble.
Sean Tarry’s star 3yo Lucky Lad has been scratched from the Hollywoodbets Durban July after failing to produce his best in Saturday’s Hollywoodbets Gr1 Gold Challenge.
The final Hollywoodbets Durban July log is expected to be published on Tuesday 11 June, and final supplementay entries need to be in on 18 June, whereafter the weights will be published.
Final declarations are due on Monday 24 June.
