Note To Self is looking pleased to be home having accomplished his chief assignment in Durban, winning the R10 million Hollywoodbets Durban July (Picture Supplied)
Part-owner Jonathan Bloch was at Futura Park on Sunday the 12th to greet his home-coming Hollywoodbets Durban July winner and runner-up, Note To Self and Wish List, as they arrived at their home in Cape Town after the long journey from Summerveld.
Both horses were looking in fine fettle as they got off the New Turf Carriers float and surveyed the familiar surrounds of the immaculately kept smallholding where Justin Snaith stables his horses.
They enjoyed some fresh cut, scrumptious-looking green snacks in their respective stables, while being fed carrots by Jonathan.
Jonathan said all of the yard’s horses enjoyed carrots, especially Note To Self.
After they had finished their snacks the victorious pair were each given a turn to enjoy a roll in the sand paddock.
Note To Self, like most progeny of Futura, took time to come to hand and had only had five starts for two wins before being thrown into the deep end in the Gr 1 Lucky Fish Cape Derby on February 28, where he finished a 0,75 length second to Wish List.
That was Wish List’s second Gr 1 win and she went on to land two Gr 2s in Durban.
She was 2kg worse off with Note To Self in the July compared to the Cape Derby as she did not receive a gender allowance and she was duly beaten by a quarter of a length.
The Cape Derby had once again proved to be a reliable pointer to the country’s most iconic race.
Note To Self and Wish List are the first and third highest earning horses of the season having accumulated stakes winnings of R6,382,850 and R3,749362.50 respectively with their stablemate See It Again splitting them with earnings of R4,795,750.
Note To Self’s home Futura Park will have more meaning now as he is in fact the first son of Futura to win a Gr 1.
Jonathan Bloch heaped praise on trainer Justin Snaith, saying, “Justin is the ultimate professional horseman. For an owner who loves his horses it’s so nice to see that the horse always comes first. The level of professionalism out of that yard, the attention to detail to the horses and their mental and physical well-being puts Justin in a class of his own.”
