The racing fraternity will find out whether hot ante-post favourite Eight On Eighteen is a runner in the Hollywoodbets Durban July shortly after 11H00 on Tuesday morning. (Picture: Wayne Marks)
The South African racing community is on tenterhooks waiting for the Hollywoodbets Durban July Final Field Announcement and Draw ceremony as they wait to hear whether the hot ante-post favourite Eight On Eighteen is a runner of not.
He was said to have a 50/50 chance of running by the Justin Snaith team and they and the owners, Nick Jonsson and Johann Rupert, would likely have left their decision until as late as possible.
The final field announcement will be broadcast live on Gallop TV and Racing240 at 11H00 on Tuesday morning.
There is likely to be cheer of approval from around the country if Eight On Eighteen’s name is announced in the top 18.
The horses will be announced in weight order, from top to bottom, so if Eight On Eighteen’s name does not appear in the first seven announced horses there is likely to be murmurs from the live audience and groans of disappointment among the country’s television audience around the country.
If Eight On Eighteen is among the runners the certanties to join him would be Oriental Charm, See It Again, Royal Victory, Confederate, Gladatorian and Atticus Finch.
The horses who will also likely be in the top 18 are: Purple Pitcher, Selukwe, The Real Prince, Okavango, Native Ruler, Immediate Edge, Madison Valley, On My Honour and My Best Shot.
If Eight On Eighteen is a runner there will likely only be two more places in the top 18 to be fought out by twelve horses and if he is not a runner there will be three places.
The twelve horses to fight out the last precious places will be Underworld, Future Swing, Pomodoro’s Jet, Beating Wings, Holding Thumbs, Litigation, Magic Verse, Rainbow Lorikeet, Son Of Raj, The Equator and Thunee Playa.
Future Swing and Pomodoro’s Jet were the only two of those to be in the top 20 on the last July log.
Future Swing might have blotted his copybook by being unplaced in both the Gr 2 WSB 1900 and Gr 3 Tote Derby, but he finished close up in the Gr 1 WSB Met and was second in the Listed Lonsdale Stirrup Cup.
Pomodoro’s Jet has not run for a while and is unproven at the top level over ground, but he has won his last two starts in convincing fashion.
Underworld was a 0,30 length second in the Gr 3 Hollywoodbets Dolphins Cup Trial over 1800m, beaten by Madison Valley and beating On My Honour and Litigation. However, at the weights all three of those other mentioned horses performed better than him. Underworld had earlier run third in the Gr 3 WSB 1900, beating all of Okavango, Thunee Player, Future Swing, Native Ruler, Holding Thumbs and Madison Valley, so his two top three finishes in traditional July pointers could well earn him a place.
Litigation was a 0,35 length third in the Gr 2 Anthonij Rupert Premier Wyne Premier Trophy, beating Future Swing by 0,75 lengths, although he was receiving 1kg and was subsequently well beaten by Future Swing in the WSB Met. Litigation was a 1,75 length fourth in the Cup Trial, beaten by Madison Valley, Underworld and On My Honour and of those he only performd better at the weights than Underworld.
Rainbow Lorikeet could be a candidate to leapfrog Future Swing and Pomodoro’s Jet and make it into the top 18. She has won two Gr 3s over 1800m and 2000m respectively this season and finished a far from disgraced 4,25 length fourth in the Gr 1 Cartier Paddock Stakes behind the top class trio of Double Grand Slam, Red Palace and Rascova and she was also a most unlucky 1,70 length fourth in the Gr 2 Woolavington 2000.
Holding Thumbs beat Future Swing by 7,20 lengths in the Gr 3 Tote Derby over 2400m on June 14 at Hollywoodbets Scottsville, but earlier lost to him by 0,35 lengths in the Listed Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m at Hollywoodbets Greyville despite receiving 5kg.
Son Of Raj, who is out to make the final field for the third time in succession, won the Gr 3 Betway London News Stakes over 1800m back in February, beating Purple Pitcher by 1,90 lengths, although he was receiving 3kg. However, he was eased out of the race next time out and then ran a 3,75 length seventh in the Gr 3 4Racing Jubilee Stakes over 1800m, which would not have done his chances much good as he was not in the top 20 on the log at the time.
Magic Verse was a shorthead second in the Premier Trophy, beating Litigation and Future Swing, although the latter pair performed marginally better than him at the weights, and he has recently been fourth in the Gr 3 Legal Eagle Stakes, third in the Listed Pocket Power Stakes and a good second at level weights to 118-rated Sugar Mountain in the Winter Mile and he beat 118-rated Seeking The Stars comfortably at level weights.
Beating Wings’ best three performances this season were fifth in the Gr 1 Empress Club Stakes, third in the Gr 2 Igugu Stakes, a race she won last year, and fifth in the Gr 2 Woolavington 2000. She actually performed better than Rainbow Lorikeet at the weights in the latter race, although the latter was hampered and unlucky.
Thunee Playa’s finished fifth in the WSB 1900, but that would not normally warrant a July berth.
The Equator won once in Ireland and was fourth in a Gr 2 there before running a decent fifth in the Gr 2 Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot. However, he has not had a run in South Africa so would not have been able to advance his position outside of the top 20 on the final July log.
Who would want to be a final field panelist?!
