Many pundits believed the Vodacom Durban July picture would be a lot clearer after Saturday’s meeting at Greyville with the running of the R2-million Daily News 2000 (Grade 1), the R1-million Woolavington 2000 (Grade 1) and the R250,000 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup (Grade 3) over 2400m.
Unfortunately, they were wrong. If anything, it is even more confusing than before.
Cape Derby winner It’s My Turn – Piere Strydom to ride in July
There are many who are looking to the three-year-olds to win the July but they did not strengthen their case on Saturday. Rabada won the Daily News, holding off It’s My Turn by a neck, but the race was run at such a crawl that it gave no indication as to whether the son of Brave Tin Soldier will stay 2200m.
“The jury is still out,” commented jockey Anton Marcus yesterday. “On what I saw on Saturday I am not sure. They went so slowly early on that it negated any doubts we may have had about the distance.”
To make matters worse Marcus dropped his crop shortly after the field came for home. “I wasn’t really riding out, I was just flicking the rein so it was a gutsy win,” remarked Marcus.
Anton Marcus – clever ride on Rabada
It’s My Turn would not have been suited to the slow pace and jockey Anthony Delpech had to have him closer up than he probably wanted to. In the straight he looked as if he would sweep past Rabada but the Mike Azzie-trained runner would not lie down and fought him off all the way to the line. “He is not an easy horse to get past,” remarked Azzie. “He fought off everybody in the Guineas but was caught close home by Black Arthur who came out wide. It would have been interesting to see what would have happened had Black Arthur come up alongside him.”
So what about the Woolavington 2000? Many people were raving about Bela-Bela’s victory as the Justin Snaith-trained runner ran on from off the pace to beat Negroamaro by 1.75 lengths with Nightingale a head back in third.
Now there are those who are touting Bela-Bela is the Durban July winner, but did they look at the times? Despite the pedestrian pace of the Daily News Rabada still completed the 2000m in 0.32secs faster than Bela-Bela. That hardly points to her as a likely winner.
Piere Strydom – stunned by Saturday’s pace
Piere Strydom, depending on the weight allocated, could be aboard It’s My Turn in the Durban July and he admitted to be stunned by last Saturday’s slow-run race. “You have some of the best jockeys in the country riding in the race. I can understand Anton’s ride because the slow pace suited Rabada but the others could not have been favoured by the crawl.
“I thought under the circumstances It’s My Turn had a very good run and Anthony (Delpech) did well to get him as closely positioned as he did.”
The Lonsdale went the way of well-supported Balance Sheet who could be a July entry after his neck victory over Helderberg Blue. It was a great race for owners Marsh Shirtliff and Bryn Ressell as they own the first two past the post.
