A festive early morning crowd endorsed the undeniable public relations value of the official Vodacom Durban July gallops held at the big race venue on Thursday. Free sticky buns, hot coffee and some of our best horses once again proved to be a winning trifecta. But with the understandably varying levels of commitment from the trainers, we really learnt very little when it came to finding a likely winner.
The public gallops are a condition of acceptance for Africa’s greatest horseracing event and if nothing else, we were given the opportunity to debate and, at the same time, gaze our eyes upon the physical external well-being of seventeen horses – with the obvious choices in good order, and the likes of Ice Machine and The Conglomerate putting their hands up from the back row.
The out-of-province trio of Tellina, Legal Eagle and French Navy were shown on a recording – and a bit of a worthless exercise that was, with the combination of the morning glare and a limited zoom lens limiting our options.
But see the majority of the stars, we certainly did.
Wylie Hall (Bernard Fayd’herbe) enjoys his gallop as he draws ahead of Isobar (Chris Taylor)
Last term’s major hardluck story on four legs, Wylie Hall, is a different horse this time round and he galloped under jockey Bernard Fayd’herbe with the seasoned hardknocker Isobar (Chris Taylor) from the 800m on the turf.
Beaten in the boardroom in 2014, Wylie Hall looked magnificent and stretched clear to head his companion by four lengths.
Fayd’herbe summed things up, confirming that he was pleased and announced that “we’re confident.” That’s fighting talk – and so they should be – he has won his last two feature appearances in succession and nothing would please owner Michael Leaf more than for his soon-to-be Cheveley stallion to go out in a hat-trick blaze of glory.
He ran the 800m to finish in 54,08 secs and the final stretch at a relaxed 24,25 secs. Certainly, if karma and want has anything to do with it, Wylie Hall must go close.
Ironically, the horse least likely to run at this stage, in second reserve Mac De Lago, clocked the fastest 400m to finish of the entire gallops.
The son of Encosta De Lago was ridden by Fayd’herbe and worked with the well-performed Fulcrum (Chris Taylor) over 1400m on the polytrack. He registered 43,70 secs for the 800m to 400m and a snappy 21,34 seconds for the final 400m.
If the gallops are to prove any value in terms of statistical comparatives, then the fact that eight runners opted for the polytrack rather than the turf, would also have helped no definitive conclusions being reached. And the times will also be in some doubt as hand-held stopwatches with flag drops, where some horses commence with a canter, are inaccurate by their very nature.
Futura stretched well under Sean Cormack
Topweight Futura was the first out and the son of Dynasty stretched well under big-race jockey Sean Cormack on the turf over 1600m.
The 9-2 chance, an impressive specimen, changed legs late in the gallop, only to be eased down late.
“He didn’t overdo it and stretched beautifully. He has had a phenomenal prep,” quipped Cormack.
SA champion trainer Justin Snaith, bidding for a July double and a third win in the race, didn’t mince his words about the portion of the track that had been assigned to the gallops.
“I am disappointed as these are Gr1 horses and we are right out on the outside fence. We couldn’t be closer to the road if they tried. I am checking Futura’s soundness now,” he said.
Futura completed the 800m to finish in 50,70 secs and the 400m to finish in 25,16 secs.
Tarry Power
Sean Tarry, who is going for his third win in four years, has an extraordinarily powerful hand this year with five runners. Three were at Greyville.
First off his was the 66-1 filly Tamaanee (S’manga Khumalo) who paced it with her Gold Vase candidate stablemate Kolkata (Keagan De Melo) and worked at a decent gallop from the 1600m.
Kolkata led by 2 lengths into the straight and Tamaanee (with her head twisted) joined him at the 400m as they went to the line together. One seasoned commentator suggested Kolkata’s gallop was the most impressive of the day to that point!
Tamaanee’s 800m to finish time was 49,90 secs, while she ran the 400m to finish in 23,09 secs.
Donovan Dillon pressed the buttons on Ice Machine, who impressed onlookers
Gold Onyx (Grant Behr) worked from the 1400m with KZN Yearling Sale Million hope Rikitikitana on the polytrack. Gold Onyx glided by and clocked fractions of 45,60 secs and 22,19 secs for the 400m to finish.
Kevin Shea suggested he wouldn’t mind to have been riding the 7yo next Saturday.
Piere Strydom’s mount Halve The Deficit worked on the polytrack 1400m with Golden High and stretched with authority to finish like a horse in good heart.
Enthusiasm
The 50-1 Ice Machine (Donovan Dillon) worked on his own from the 1400m and was one of the few to really stretch and exert himself. Shea said that it was ‘the best I have seen him move.’
Another horse who was pushed and stretched out beautifully was Joey Ramsden’s 20-1 shot The Conglomerate, who worked over about 1400m on the polytrack, with Anton Marcus in the irons.
“That was a mindblowing gallop,” suggested the vastly experienced Kevin Shea, who announced his retirement earlier this week after 37 years in the irons.
Young Chad Schofield will have his first July ride on The Conglomerate.
The Conglomerate – enthusiastic performance and Joey Ramsden says his 20 draw is not an issue
Trainer Joey Ramsden, in something of an about turn from his disappointment at the July Draw ceremony on Tuesday, where he pulled the rank outside 20 barrier gate, said that he was ‘not worried’ about The Conglomerate’s draw. “We have a top jockey engaged – and the draw is in our favour,” he suggested.
Shea did not agree with Ramsden’s fighting talk and gamesmanship :”That’s a bad draw. Whichever way you look at it,” he said.
The Conglomerate clocked the 800m to finish in 44,95 secs and the final 400m in 21,99 secs.
Both of the Mike de Kock runners worked well on the poly, with the grey flyer Majmu impressing when disposing of Anjaal.
“If that doesn’t give you goosebumps, nothing will,” said Kevin Shea. And he should know.
As for the suggestions that an opportunity was lost with the Tote windows not opening, and no Bookmakers operating during the gallops, it should be noted that the tote only opens for betting on the July on Monday 29 June – so what would the point be?
And the bookmakers privilege issued by the Gambling Board is very specific in that it only allows them to operate on race days. The racecourse is not classed as a normal betting shop.
Roll on 4 July!
Pics – by kind courtesy of Andrew Harrison and Nkosi Hlope – Gold Circle
