-goldcircle.co.za

All the top guns were among the first entries for this year’s R1.5 million Grade 1 Vodacom Durban July when nominations closed today.

The 52 horses nominated for the showpiece at Hollywoodbets Greyville, included two-time winner of the race Do It Again, who, if he triumphs on Saturday, July 25, will become the first horse in the 123-year history of South African’s most famous race to achieve the treble.

But Justin Snaith’s champion will not be short of opposition should all pan out with Hawwaam, Rainbow Bridge and Vardy also amongst the nominations.

Do It Again has not been out since a disappointing effort in the Sun Met at Kenilworth but put in a pleasing gallop at Hollywoodbets Greyville last Sunday and looks on track for a tilt at his third victory in the race.

A somewhat surprising omission was Sunday’s Grade 2 Wold Sport’s Betting Guineas winner, Wild Coast, but with two further entry dates, Snaith still has opportunity.

Hawwaam, the disappointment last year when scratched at the start, was back in business at Turffontein last Saturday with a convincing win in the Grade 1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes. There are export issues to navigate before the race and his participation is not assured. If the European Union protocols are approved, Hawwaam will take his place but if the colt is to be exported via Mauritius he will need to be in quarantine before the race.

Rainbow Bridge, second last year, and second in the Sun Met, has not been seen out since the Met but will be out for revenge and give stalwart owner Mike Rattray the victory in a race he so desperately wants to win.

Stable companion to Rainbow Bridge and Grade 1 Cape Derby winner Golden Ducat, was an eye-catching third in last Sunday’s World Sport’s Betting Guineas and has also been nominated by trainer Eric Sands.

Vardy, a touch disappointing when third in the Grade 2 Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes last Sunday, was a cracking winner of the Grade 1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and will surely come on from that race after a four-month break from the track.

Marcus has also entered Twist Of Fate, third last year for Joey Ramsden who has since moved to Australia.

An interesting nomination by Dean Kannemeyer who has won this race twice, is KZN Derby winner It’s My Turn, off the track with injury for over a year.

Other notable entries are impressive Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes winner Bunker Hunt and Soqrat.

*5 #kznbreds are entered, highlighted in bold.

First entries for the R 1,500,000  2200m

VODACOM DURBAN JULY (Grade 1) to be

0 ALIBI GUY          Mike de Kock     101     

0 AZORES             Dean Kannemeyer   99     

0 BELGARION          Justin Snaith    113     

0 BORN TO PERFORM    Dennis Bosch      98     

0 BUNKER HUNT        Justin Snaith    124     

0 CAMPHORATUS        R A Hill/S R Hi  111     

0 CAT DADDY          Glen Kotzen      101     

0 CHIJMES            Gary Alexander   120     

0 CORNISH POMODORO   Sean Tarry       102     

0 CROWN TOWERS (AUS) Justin Snaith    109     

0 D’ ARRIVEE         Candice Dawson   106     

0 DIVINE ODYSSEY     J A Janse van V  114     

0 DO IT AGAIN        Justin Snaith    135     

0 DUKE OF SPIN       Mike de Kock     101     

0 EYES WIDE OPEN     Glen Kotzen      116     

0 G G’S DYNASTY      Brett Crawford   103     

0 GOLDEN DUCAT       Eric Sands       110     

0 GOT THE GREENLIGHT Joe Soma         116     

0 HAWWAAM            Mike de Kock     131     

0 HERO’S HONOUR      Gary Alexander   117     

0 HERODOTUS          Glen Kotzen      110     

0 IT’S MY TURN       Dean Kannemeyer  118     

0 LADY OF STEEL      J A Janse van V  111     

0 LEOPOLD            J A Janse van V  108     

0 LIBERTY HALL       Dean Kannemeyer  101     

0 MAGNIFICENT SEVEN  Justin Snaith    114     

0 MAJESTIC MOZART    Candice Bass-Ro  107     

0 MIYABI GOLD        Justin Snaith    115     

0 MORE MAGIC         Candice Bass-Ro  102     

0 NEXUS              Justin Snaith    102     

0 PACK LEADER        Glen Kotzen      114     

0 PADRE PIO          Dennis Bosch     110     

0 PROMISEOFAMASTER   Candice Dawson   104     

0 RAINBOW BRIDGE     Eric Sands       134     

0 RETURN FLIGHT      Sean Tarry       108     

0 ROY HAD ENOUGH (AU Frank Robinson   115     

0 ROY’S RIVIERA (AUS Frank Robinson   111     

0 SACHDEV            Justin Snaith    108     

0 SHANGO             Sean Tarry       118     

0 SILVANO’S PRIDE    Justin Snaith    115     

0 SILVER HOST        Justin Snaith    102     

0 SNAPSCAN           Glen Kotzen      118     

0 SOQRAT (AUS)       Mike de Kock     133     

0 SOVEREIGN SPIRIT   Candice Bass-Ro   95     

0 TIERRA DEL FUEGO   Sean Tarry       124     

0 TREE TUMBO         Sean Tarry        91     

0 TRISTFUL           Tony Rivalland   109     

0 TWIST OF FATE      Adam Marcus      129     

0 VARDY              Adam Marcus      134     

0 VICTORIA PAIGE     Sean Tarry       112     

0 VIKRAM             Andre Nel        100     

0 WESTERN FORT       Paul Peter       108     

   (52)

The diminutive Rathmor-bred Captain Al filly Missisippi Burning, gave young trainer Adam Marcus his maiden Gr1 win in December last year and she produced the magic again as she bounced back off a 25 week break to score a dramatic last gasp victory in the R150 000 World Sports Betting Gr2 Fillies Guineas at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday.

“Her temperament almost got to her behind the stalls. I thought we would be scratched. Then between the 300m to 100m I could see the front-runner wasn’t stopping. The nerves were there! But she personifies the ‘dynamite in small packages’ tag and she delivered when I asked,” said a clearly relieved jockey Craig Zackey.

With the pace sedate early as nobody was keen to go , Gareth Wright was a reluctant Pied Piper on Lady Legend as Driving Miss Daisy and Mary O tracked  her into the home run.

Serino Moodley slipped his field at the 300m as Mary O looked to cause the upset at 50-1.

At the 200m Mary O held a solid lead and wasn’t stopping as Missisippi Burning dashed for the inside and went for a narrow gap on the rail.

The Cape Fillies Guineas winner caught the Lezeanne Forbes galloper on the line to win by a short head in a time 98,70 secs.

Interbet-sponsored Adam Marcus described his special filly as having a heart of gold.

“I was very impressed. She loves a fight and she got one today. Thanks to Mario Ferreira and Des Gonsalves for their support. And to Craig Zackey – a great ride.”

Bred by Rathmor Stud, Missisippi Burning is by champion sire Captain Al (Al Mufti) out of the multiple stakes-placed Hussonet mare Spitfire Lady, who won four times in Australasia.

Missisippi Burning, a R380 000 National Yearling Sale graduate, has won 5 races with 2 places from 8 starts for stakes of R887 802.

It was just about a Guineas double for KZN, as Drakenstein-bred Wild Coast ran a cracker to nab the World Sports Betting Guineas. He is out of a previous KZN Breeders Horse Of The Year, Beach Beauty.

Congratulations to all concerned.

-extract sportingpost.co.za

KZN Breeders proudly sponsored the first race on the card of the day to support the Coastal Horse Care Unit, based at Cato Ridge.

Pierre Jourdan (Parade Leader – Vin Fizz) sold for just R60,000 at the 2008 Emperors Palace Ready To Run Sale and retired with a bankroll of R4,598,175.

A nine-time winner, his career had been somewhat chequered due to soundness issues forcing long periods of rest. Most experts believed he had the world at his mercy when he won the Gr1 SA Classic in 2010 but he only won three more races. It has been said, however, that the gelding’s most gallant efforts came in defeat – in the 2450m Gr1 SA Derby in 2010 when he found the distance too far in heavy going and finished second to Irish Flame and in the 2011 Vodacom Durban July in which he got closest to winner Igugu – “a great run,” commented his trainer.

After that he won two races after that effort, including the 1600m Gr2 Charity Mile in 2011.

Imbongi was unsold at the 2006 Ready To Run Sale, a son of Russian Revival out of Garden Verse by Foveros,
was gelded after ‘throwing away’ the Emperor’s Palace Ready to Run Cup and the Dingaans due to coltishness. He then came back to win the Gr2 Gauteng Guineas, the Gr2 KZN Guineas and became the first 3YO to win the Gr2 Drill Hall in 40 years, beating the likes of Pocket Power, Bold Ellinore and Rebel King.

Having stamped himself the best 3YO in the country, international challenges beckoned. He won the John Bovington Memorial Criterion Stakes at Newmarket in 2009 and was the highest earner at the 2010 Dubai World Carnival, winning the Gr1 Zabeel Mile and earning the victor ludorum.

Christophe Soumillon got off one day and said “This horse is prepared to burst his lungs to win.” He doesn’t know when he’s beaten and doesn’t know there’s anything he can’t do. Everything he does, he does like a champion. Despite passing through the sale ring without a bid, he came back and showed the world that he was an unbelievable champion. He held his own and more.

Sheik Mohammed was so impressed with part racehorse owner Michael Fleischer’s dedication to Imbongi who wanted to keep him after retirement, that he paid for the horse’s return trip to South Africa and Imbongi had been at top show jumper Bill Johnson’s Ascot Equitation Centre until his retirement to Summerhill Stud very recently.

Images: Candiese Marnewick
Extracts from sportingpost.co.za and Summerhill.co.za