Twice Durban July-winning owner Marsh Shirtliff correctly predicted the draw of eight his horse Pomp And Power landed for the Hollywoodbets sponsored event this year.
He said at the ceremony on Tuesday, “I had a feeling we were going to draw eight, it is a lucky number in the Chinese language, and then after we had sat down for breakfast at the Mug And Bean in the morning I looked up and saw we were at table eight so I said to the boys ‘we’re definitely going to draw eight.”
Marsh has in fact won the July from draw eight before.
His second July-winner, the Candice Bass-Robinson-trained Marinaresco (Silvano), won from draw eight under Bernard Fayd’herbe in 2017.
His first July winner also involved the number eight as it happened in the year 2008. That was of course the Mike Bass-trained legend Pocket Power (Jet Master), who dead-heated with Dancer’s Daughter, also under Fayd’Herbe. Pocket Power jumped from draw three that year.
Shirtliff, who is one of SA racing’s most popular characters, owns Pomp And Power (Vercingetorix) in partnership with Greg Bortz and Etienne Braun.
Having pulled most of the way in the Grade 1 Daily News 2000 and still managing to finish a close second, there are some pundits who believe Pomp And Power just needs to settle to win the July.
The Hollywoodbets Durban July Gallops watchers were thus going to take note of his behaviour and it was not good.
He went down with a pony but gave Richard Fourie a hard time.
He took quite a strong hold in the gallop after he had eventually cooperated. However, he did stride out well behind his work companion and accelerated nicely when switched out in the straight.
However, there is no obvious pacemaker in the July which is a concern for his supporters.
Marsh had two horses in the reckoning for the July, the other one being Marinaresco’s full-sister Marina.
He said, “I was a bit disappointed she didn’t get in but I didn’t expect her to get in after her path to the July, so we will have to wait until next year. She’s good enough, that we do know.”
Marina will run in the Grade 1 Brentford CC Garden Province Stakes
Picture: Pomp And Power And Richard Fourie Before Yesterday’s Gallop, in which the talented horse’s headstrong antics got the better of him again. (Candiese Lenferna).
