James Crawford looks thrilled as he pulls out draw eleven for Oriental Charm (Candiese Lenferna Photography)
James Crawford drew barrier positions nine and eleven for the Brett Crawford yards two Hollywoodbets Durban July charges Winchester Mansion and Oriental Charm and he is bullish about both, but appears to marginally prefer the reigning July champion, Winchester Mansion.
The Drakenstein Stud-homebred Trippi gelding will have to defy 90 years of history because not since the 1934 winner Sun Tor has a horse come off as long a layoff as Winchester Mansion’s to win the big race.
James said, “He’s doing very well back at home (at Randjesfontein). His prep’s been flawless. People say they’re a little bit worried since he hasn’t had a prep run, but a lot of that’s got to do with the kind of weight that he’s going to carry in the July. For us it’s all tactical (i.e. the yard decided to protect his weight rather than give him another run). I couldn’t have him in a better space, to be very honest. I think he’s doing better than he did when he won the July last year. I’m exceptionally happy. His draw’s good. I think there is enough speed around him for him to find his place and put himself in a good position. I think it also keeps him away from the bunch. I’m satisfied with the draw. I think we’ve got a good chance of defending our title this year.”
He said about Winchester Mansion’s weight of 56,5kg, “I’m very happy with that weight. For See It Again to be giving us three and a half kilos again this year, it could be history in the making again. I think for the other stronger three-year-olds, Green With Envy and Flag Man, I will only be giving them half a kilo and a kilo. I really do make him a massive runner.”
He said about Oriental Charm, “He’s absolutely flying. He’s coming in with a nice bottom weight of 53kg. I think draw 11 is also going to suit him well. Like I say, it keeps you away from the mess a little bit. He does look to be a horse that enjoys going to the front and enjoys dictating the race on his terms. So I think that draw’s going to suit him quite nicely. JP is going to be able to put him in a place where he’s comfortable and where he can keep him happy, but also without having to burn up too much horse to do that. His preps have been flawless. He’s had the exact same prep that Winchester did last year into the July, which a lot of people haven’t noticed, but are starting to notice now. I couldn’t be happier with him either. His prep’s been flawless. I think with 53kg and the kind of running style he has, I think he must be a respected.”
At this point it was put to James that he seemed to prefer Winchester Mansion and he replied, “I do think Winchester is the better horse. I think only getting three and a half kilos from Winchester, I think Oriental’s going to have a lot to do against that kind of horse. But, I wouldn’t take anything away from him. He won a very gutsy race last time out. He had to carry top weight and he had to do it the hard way. He went to the front giving all the horses a lot of weight. It looked like they were pegging him back at one stage, but when JP finally squeezed him, he went and found again. For me, it wasn’t the best of fields that he beat, but to do it the way he did it with the weight that he was carrying was very impressive. I also make him a big runner.”
Oriental Charm was beaten 3,25 lengths by Green With Envy in the Gr 1 Splashout Cape Derby, but he is now 3kg bettter off.
James said, “He’s exactly on the spot with Green With Envy. We also tried to be tactical with his rating. We knew after the 1900, we had so many pounds to spare coming into the July. Obviously, a little bit of it changed around with See it again coming down the weights and Green with Envy obviously going up. I think it suited us quite nicely because Oriental is exactly on his mark. I really do make him to be a big runner. Green with Envy also has it, of course there is healthy respect for some other horses in the race, but I think with a three-kilo swing, I think Oriental is very capable of turning it around.”
Kabelo Matsunyane will be out to make July history on Winchester Mansion. Not one of the previous six dual winners of the July had the same jockey aboard for both wins.
The 1934 winner Sun Tor came back from a 161 day layoff (23 weeks) to win the July (he was trained by Jackie Angles and ridden to July glory by fourteen-year-old Albert Rugg, who is the late Uncle of current East Cape trainer Duncan McKenzie and the grandfather of another former East Cape-based trainer Jarett Rugg.)
Winchester Mansion will be coming off a 91 day layoff (13 weeks) which will be the longest layoff a winner has come off since Sun Tor.
JP van der Merwe will be going for his first July win on Oriental Charm.
The Crawfords will have two chances to land their second July victory.
