Gimme A Nother, unbeaten in seven starts (JC Photos)
Some would regard the Mike de Kock-trained superstar filly Gimme A Nother as an unlikely participant in the Hollywoodbets Durban July, considering the gates to international Gr 1 racing have been opened by the lifting of the ban on direct flights to Europe.
On the other hand De Kock has won the big race five times, three times with fillies and twice with three-year-old fillies, and one of the latter pair, the 2002 July winner Ipi Tombe, still managed to go on to international Gr 1 glory.
Furthermore, it was unlikely to have been the July that caused another of his greats, the 2011 three-year-old July winner Igugu, to run below par in her short-lived international career.
Igugu did the impossible in the Met of 2012, where she not only had to play catch up in her training after illness, but she also had to endure vector protected quarantine conditions in the days before the race. She lifted herself from a beaten looking position in the race itself and then had to endure a long journey to get overseas. She was never herself overseas, but it was more likely the Met and the journey that took their toll rather than the July.
De Kock and connections might prefer to look to the example of Ipi Tombe before deciding whether to run Gimme A Nother in this year’s Hollywoodbets Durban July.
The July has nevertheless always had a reputation for being a “rough” race, so the decision to run her won’t be taken lightly.
There are six past winning trainers represented among this year’s 58 entries.
Mike de Kock and Justin Snaith are both going for a sixth July win, Dean Kannemeyer goes for a fourth, Sean Tarry a third, Brett Crawford will try and win it two years in succession after breaking his July duck last year and Alec Laird goes for a second July win 28 years after winning his first.
Candice Bass-Robinson, Michelle Rix and Glen Kotzen are the still active July-winning trainers who do not have representation at this stage.
Nathan Kotzen, Michael Roberts, Peter Muscutt, Robbie Hill, Gareth van Zyl, Lorenzo Karriem, Michael Miller, MJ Odendaal and Tony Rivalland have entries and all will be attempting to become the first KZN-domiciled trainer to win the July since Ricky Maingard did it with Space Walk 30 years ago.
Sean Tarry has the most entries, ten, Justin Snaith has eight and Mike de Kock has seven.
Four females have won the July this millenium, Ipi Tombe in 2002, Dancer’s Daughter in 2008, Igugu in 2011 and Sparkling Water in 2022.
Ten fillies and mares are among the entries this year.
Last year’s one-two Winchester Mansion and See It Again are among the entries.
There are no notable absentees among the entries.
The connections of the crack three-year-old Sandringham Summit have not been tempted to enter him after earlier saying they had doubts about his stamina capacity.
Vaughan Marshall had already said weeks ago there would be no third attempt at the big race for this year’s WSB Met runner up Rascallion.
Marshall has not entered his progressive Gr 1 Splashout Cape Derby fourth-placed Coastal Commander either and the concern might be the trip, espcially considering he easily beat a good field today (Tuesday) over 1400m.
Snaith racing appear to have given up on Pacaya and One Way Traffic, whom they have rated as potential July horses over the past couple of seasons and they are both absent.
The Ricky Maingard-trained Al Muthana has stamina limitations and is not among the entries.
The two possible biggest surprise absentees then are Litigation, whom Sean Tarry has been disappointed not to get into the race for the last couple of seasons, and the Fabian Habib-trained Zeus, who is a top stayer but he was also fourth in the Betway Summer Cup.
The dual Gr 1 winner over 2000m Puerto Manzano is usually an entry, but he looks to be in decline and he is not suited to the tight Hollywoodbets Greyville track anyway.
There are one or two entries who will raise an eyebrow or two.
Will Main Defender stay the trip?
Royal Aussie failed to stay the Met trip, so it is a bit surprising to see him entered here.
The number of entries compares favourably to recent years, with 60 received in 2023, 68 in 2022, 53 in 2021, 52 in 2020, 49 in 2019, and 69 in 2018.
The 2024 Hollywoodbets Durban July first entries are listed below:
SEE IT AGAIN (4C) 132 Michael Roberts
MAIN DEFENDER (3G) 131 Tony Peter
DAVE THE KING (4G) 126 Mike de Kock
GIMME A NOTHER (3F) 125 Mike de Kock
ROYAL VICTORY (4G) 125 Nathan Kotzen
ROYAL AUSSIE (4G) 124 Justin Snaith
WINCHESTER MANSION (5G) 124 Brett Crawford
COUSIN CASEY (4C) 123 Sean Tarry
PURPLE PITCHER (3C) 120 Robyn Klaasen
WITHOUT QUESTION (4G) 120 Justin Snaith
GREEN WITH ENVY (3C) 119 Dean Kannemeyer
LUCKY LAD (3C) 119 Sean Tarry
SON OF RAJ (4G) 119 Tony Peter
ARAGOSTA (5G) 118 Mike de Kock
FRANCES ETHEL (3F) 118 Brett Crawford
WILLIAM IRON ARM (3C) 117 Tony Peter
FUTURE PEARL (4G) 116 Sean Tarry
MONTIEN (4G) 116 Piet Botha
PURE PREDATOR (3G) 116 Fanie Bronkhorst
SILVER SANCTUARY (3F) 116 Mike de Kock
MONDIAL (3G) 115 M G Azzie/A A Azzie
MY SOUL MATE (3F) 115 Candice Dawson
SAFE PASSAGE (5G) 115 Mike de Kock
HOTARUBI (3G) 114 Sean Tarry
LET’S GO NOW (3F) 114 Sean Tarry
MID WINTER WIND (3G) 114 Sean Tarry
MASTER REDOUTE (5G) 113 Andre Nel
ORIENTAL CHARM (3C) 113 Brett Crawford
TRIPLE TIME (4G) 112 Justin Snaith
ATTICUS FINCH (4G) 111 Alec Laird
HLUHLUWE (3G) 111 Justin Snaith
NEBRAAS (7G) 111 Sean Tarry
MUCHO DINERO (4G) 110 Justin Snaith
SAARTJIE (4F) 110 Andre Nel
SHOEMAKER (4G) 110 Mike de Kock
BARBARESCO (3G) 109 J A Janse van Vuuren
SECOND BASE (6G) 107 Robyn Klaasen
FORMAGEAR (4G) 106 Peter Muscutt
CAPE EAGLE (6G) 105 Andre Nel
IMILENZEYOKUDUDUMA (5G) 105 Gareth van Zyl
PERFECT WITNESS (5M) 105 Candice Dawson
FUTURE SWING (4G) 103 Justin Snaith
NAVAJO NATION (3G) 103 Robbie Hill
PONTE PIETRA (4G) 103 Dean Kannemeyer
RIVER ROMEO (4G) 101 Lorenzo Karriem
NARINA TROGON (4G) 100 Michael Miller
PYROMANIAC (5G) 100 Sean Tarry
BARATHEON (5G) 98 Piet Botha
GET IMPRESSED (3G) 96 Justin Snaith
MARAUDING HORDE (3C) 96 Mike de Kock
THE GREY KING (3G) 96 Justin Snaith
CELTIC BEAUTY (3F) 94 Tony Rivalland
POMODORO’S JET (5G) 93 Brett Crawford
ANCIENT WORLD (3G) 92 Michael Miller
CELESTIAL CITY (5H) 92 Sean Tarry
JORDAN (3G) 91 Sean Tarry
INDIAN OCEAN (4F) 90 Lorenzo Karriem
DANSE MILORD (5M) 89 M J Odendaal
58
Hollywoodbets Durban July timeline:.
First declarations close at 11h00 on Monday 13 May.
First supplementary entries close at 11h00 on Tuesday 14 May.
Second declarations close at 11h00 on Monday 3 June.
Final supplementary entries close at 11h00 on Tuesday 18 June.
Weights will be published on Tuesday 18 June.
Final declarations close at 11h00 on Monday 24 June.
Final Field and Draw – announcement of the Final Field and Barrier Draws will be on Tuesday 25 June.
Only 20 horses will be carded – 18 + 2 Reserves. The reserves will be scratched by 08h15 on Friday 5 July.
Elimination will be at the sole and unfettered discretion of Gold Circle.
