Future Pearl makes it a fourth career Graded staying race win when landing the Gr 3 Tabgold Derby over 2400m at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday (Candiese Lenferna Photography)
The Sean Tarry-trained Future Pearl and the Mike de Kock-trained Aragosta threw a spanner into the Hollywoodbets Durban July works when finishing one-two in the Gr 3 Tabgold Derby over 2400m at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday, although the task of the final field panelists was alleviated to some extent when Dave The King was scratched today (Tuesday).
The minds of racing fans around the country are starting to turn towards the Hollywoodbets Durban July final field announcement on June 25.
Both Future Pearl and Aragosta are July entries and neither was in the top 20 on the final July log.
Dave The King is now one of three top 20 final log incumbents who have been scratched from the big race, joining Main Defender and Royal Aussie.
Future Pearl was not even in the five outside horses looking in on the final log after finishing unplaced in his first four starts this season. However, he won the unofficial stayers triple crown last season and finished strongly from off the pace to win by a length on Saturday, despite giving 1kg to his contemporaries and 4kg to the two three-year-olds.
He made a good case for himself to be put into the top 18.
Aragosta was in the five horses looking in on the final log and if Future Pearl indeed goes into the top 18, that will leave him needing to leapfrog at least one horse in the top 20 on the log to get into the top 18.
The 19th and 20th places in the final field are the first and second reserves and are unwanted positions, as they have to rely on a scratching before 8 a.m on the Friday before the big race.
Aragosta won a Listed race over 2500m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth earlier this season and was recently a 3,75 length third in the Gr 1 wfa Premier’s Champions Challenge. He was beaten 2,40 lengths by Future Swing in the Gr 3 Glorious Goodwood Chairman’s Cup over 2500m when giving the latter 10kg, but he was beaten 3,30 lengths on weight for age terms by Hotarubi in the Colorado King Stakes over 2000m and finished last in the Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m. He was earlier also well beaten by Shoemaker in a Pinnacle over 1800m.
Cape Eagle and Without Question, both July entries, started joint bookmaker favourites at 28/10 in the Tabgold Derby, but were short-heads apart in 6th and 7th, beaten close to five lengths, after finding nothing in the straight.
Cape Eagle’s chances of making the July field look to be gone unless there are a lot of scratchings.
At the time of writing there were 28 horses standing their ground.
Without Question was caught without cover one out and one back on Saturday and after quickening at the top of the straight had soon cried enough. He either didn’t stay or the effect of not having cover took its toll.
The problem with his form is that he was beaten 11,65 lengths into 16th in last year’s July and his Gr 1 wfa WSB Met third place finish is his only place in six runs this season.
In his favour is that he was 16th on the final July log
Meridius, who was also in the five outsiders looking in, won a traditional July pointer, the Gr 3 Jubilee Stakes over 1800m at Turffontein Standside. His connections will be hoping he squeezes into the top 18 after the scratchings of Royal Aussie, Main Defender and Dave The King. Against him is his only run to date over further than 1800m was below par i.e. a 19,25 length tenth in the Gr 1 wfa Premiers Champions Challenge over 2000m.
Meridius’ 1800m form is at least on a par with Shoemaker.
However, in Shoemaker’s favour is he ran a four length fifth in the Gr 1 Betway Summer Cup over 2000m at level weights with the winner Royal Victory.
Shoemaker was 19th on the final log and in 20th was Son Of Raj, who was a one length third in the Jubilee, but he was giving 4kg to Meridius, which is likely why he ended up ahead of him on the log. Furthermore, Son Of Raj finished a decent fifth in the Gr 1 Wilgerbosdrift HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes over 1600m. He was beaten 27 lengths in the Premiers Champions Challenge, but on the other hand is a former SA Derby winner, so has no stamina doubt over the July trip.
Silver Sanctuary and Frances Ethel were 17th and 18th on the final log and as the respective Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 and Gr 2 Wilgerbosdrift Bridget Oppenheimer SA Oaks winners they should get into the top 18 as things stand.
Hluhluwe, who was among the five horses looking in, won the Gr 2 Cape Punters Cup over 1600m, but failed to shine when stepped up to 2000m in both the Gr 1 Splashout Cape Derby and Gr 1 Daily News 2000, despite it being believed he was looking for that step up in trip.
Hotarubi, also among the five outsiders looking in on the last log, was narrowly behind Hluhluwe in the Daily News, when suffering a nightmare wide trip. However, he had earlier finished a three length fifth and a 2,5 length fourth in the Gr 1 SA Classic over 1800m and Gr 1 SA Derby over 2450m respectively and followed that with a narrow second in the Gr 2 Colorado King Stakes over 2000m. He was also third in a Gr 3 over 1400m and second in the Gr 2 Gauteng Guineas.
Mucho Dinero, also among the five looking in, was one of the most fancied horses in the early July betting after four wins on the trot in Cape Town, including a Listed event over 2400m and a Gr 2 over 1800m. However, he has run unplaced in all three of his subsequent KZN starts, and this saw him dropping out of the top 20 on the log.
See It Again, Royal Victory, Winchester Mansion, Double Superlative, Green With Envy, Flag Man, Cousin Casey, Oriental Charm, Purple Pitcher, Barbaresco, Future Swing, Master Redoute, Silver Sanctuary and Frances Ethel look to be 14 solid choices for final field positions.
That leaves four places to be fought out by Future Pearl, Aragosta, Without Question, Shoemaker, Son Of Raj, Hotarubi, Mucho Dinero, Meridius and Hluhluwe.
The other five entries still standing, Cape Eagle (merit rated 105), Imilenzeyokududuma (105), Narina Trogon (100), Indian Ocean (95), Pomodoro’s Jet (93) would be way under sufferance in the big race and have not done enough to warrant inclusion in the final field.
There could still be scratchings though.
The final supplementary stage closed today (18 June) and there were no further supplementary entries.
