Two jockey legends with seven July wins between them, Kevin Shea on the left chatting to Anton Marcus, whose five July wins is a record. (Candiese Lenferna)
Kevin Shea was interviewed at the Hollywoodbets Durban July Final Field and Draw ceremony and the twice July-winning jockey gave a perspective of the big race from a jockey’s point of view.
He was asked what draw he would ideally like to have landed and replied, “Having been a jockey I think most of the guys would like to draw between five and ten and I think Green With Envy has a very good draw of five, it will help him I think. He is my fancy for the race, I think he’s the best horse, although he’s got the 56kg,it’s a little bit of a problem, but given a good ride I think he’s the horse to beat, but he has to be given a good ride.”
He was asked why he would like to have between draw five and ten and replied, “It doesn’t necessitate you to commit too much out the gates and you can still keep the outside horses from coming in. You don’t really have to worry too much about the inside horses because they are going to keep their positions early on.”
He was asked what he thought of the pole position draw and answered, “Draw 1 for me was always a tricky draw because you have to commit out the pens and you have to shake your horse up out the gates. I never liked to draw 1 in the July, I prefer a little bit of a wider draw.”
He was asked his opinion of the ideal position to be in approaching the straight and said. “On the fence or one off the fence, preferably one off but not more than one off and I would wait. I know everybody likes to swoop in the July and go on the outside, I would wait and go on the inside.”
He confirmed that being on the fence brought about the possibility of being trapped and elaborated, “You can be trapped if there is a horse coming back on you, But in this July I have seen there is quite a bit of pace in the race, so jockeys will just have to be aware of those horses coming back on them.”
Kevin’s first July win was on the great Mike de Kock-trained Ipi Tombe . He dropped her out from draw 15 and secured a position on the rail near the back. The filly was at least a dozen lengths off the pace as they began climbing the hill towards the straight. Kevin remained patient but despite a little bit of a concertina effect he still had a mountain to climb turning for home. However, his split second decision making from then onward as the filly weaved her way through the traffic was a master class. “Ipi Tombe is flying from nowhere!” were commentator Sheldon Peters memorable words in the closing stages of the race as the filly burst through late in the day to triumph by a head from the Sabine Plattner-owned Angus.
If that was not one of the all time great July rides then Kevin’s one on Dancer’s Daughter in 2008 was. The filly was coming off a win in the Gr 1 Gold Challenge over 1600m, but she had pulled hard throughout that race, despite going on to win it. The Justin Snaith team needed a jockey who would be able to settle her and Kevin Shea, with the reputation of having the best hands in the business, was identified as the man for the job. In the race she jumped from draw 13 and came out slowly, probably by design, and Kevin brought her across and tucked he in near the back behind the pack. She took a keen hold but he had her covered up throughout, despite being off the fence. He had her further inward approaching the straight and patiently kept her there as the scrambling began. In the straight his split second decision making was once again impeccable. She ranged up on the outside of the great Pocket Power at the 200m mark and then in one of July history’s most thrilling duels the two favourites gave their all to the line. A dead-heat was a fitting result.
Asked on which was his most memorable win, Kevin replied, “Your first one is always the best, Ipi Tombe, everybody knows her, but the dead-heater was very special as well, any July victory is very special.”
When put to him that he had executed one of the all time great July ride’s on Dancing Daughter by settling a horse who everybody believed would not settle over the 2200m trip, he replied modestly, “Well, we done our best. She didn’t really settle- settle, but she did settle better than normal and she was a good one.”
The final question was whether the roar of the crowd coud be heard in a July finish and he replied, “As a jockey, no … unless you are at the back of the field!”
