Grand Empire is only number 20 on the Hollywoodbets Durban July log, despite having won a race that used to be an automatic qualifier, the Gr 1 HKJC World Pool SA Classic (JC Photos)
The first Hollywoodbets Durban July log was published today and there were one or two debatable points.
The winners of the Gr 1 SA Classic and Gr 1 SA Derby used to be automatic qualifiers.
It was also said by some that the decision to do away with the automatic qualifiers would not make much difference because the horses that won those races would qualify anyway.
So it could be seen as a surprise that two Gr 1 winners i.e. SA Classic winner Grand Empire and SA Derby winner Curious Girl are number 20 on the log and on the outside of the log looking in respectively, although the SA Derby is now a Gr 2.
The justification for their relatively lowly positions would be their merit ratings with Grand Empire’s 111 rating leaving him at 1,5kg under sufferance as things stand and Curious Girl’s 100 rating leaving her a whopping 7kg under sufferance.
The WSB 1900 has never been a race that gave automatic qualifying to the winner, but it was a race in which the winner was in the past given preferential consideration for the final field.
Last year’s WSB 1900 winner was placed 14th on the first log, despite his 111 merit rating being lower than every single other horse on the log and it put him 2kg under sufferance at the time under the conditions of last year’s race, which were of course different to the conditions this year.
It is therefore somewhat of a surprise to see this year’s WSB 1900 winner Isivivane in the outside looking in horses.
He is merit rated only 108, but under this year’s conditions he is only 1kg under sufferance off that rating as things stand.
Trust is also among the outside looking in horses, despite having won the Gr 2 Jackpot City Diingaans and finished a head second in the Gr 1 SA Classic.
He is only rated 111, but his credentials would often be considered superior to the like of The Ultimate King, Choisaanada and Olivia’s Way.
The 117-rated The Ultimate King won the Gr 3 Victory Moon Stakes and was third in the Gr 1 Betway Summer Cup, a handicap Gr 1, although he did also have places in two Gr 3s and a Gr 2.
Choisaanada has not won a stakes race this season, although he did win the winter Triple Crown last year and he was second in the recent Gr 2 TAB Colorado King Stakes. His 121 merit rating is in his favour.
Olivia’s Way has not won a race of any type this season, but has a 114 rating after a second in the Gr 1 Betway Summer Cup and a third in the Gr 1 Premier’s Champions Challenge, plus two other Graded places.
See It Again is at he top of the log with last years’s July winner The Real Prince in second and last year’s runner up Eight On Eighteen in third.
The log is shown below:
