Mike de Kock said last year’s Hollywoodbets Durban July win was right up there with his most satisfying victories in South Africa’s premier horse race (Candiese Lenferna Photography).

MDK Out To Retain July Crown

Mike de Kock is not concerned about Christophe Soumillon’s lack of experience of the tight Hollywoodbets Greyville raceourse.

When asked the question, he replied, “If it was his first ride in Hong Kong or at the Breeders Cup or the Dubai World Cup would you be asking me that question. There is no concern.”

Belgian-born and France-based Soumillon would become the first foreign rider in history to win the July, at least in the known history of the big race.

However, he is no ordinary rider and could well be the world’s most naturally gifted jockey.

De Kock was asked if he was happy with the draws for Dave The King and Safe Passage respectively and replied, “I was hoping for anything between 8 and 12 and I got 10 and 14, so no complaints. I like to stay a little bit out of the scrum. I prefer that for the July. It can get a little bit hectic depending on what your tactics are on the inside and I see there are a few fancied horses around each other on the inside, so it will be interesting to see what sort of tactics will be employed. Justin’s got five in the race, maybe there is something there as a pacemaker, but I have a feeling he wants to run 1,2,3,4,5 and 6th!”

De Kock was asked whether Soumillon being on Safe Passage meant the latter was the stable elect and he replied, “You know, this horse Dave The King has improved a helluva lot. He is absolutely flying at home. He’s come on from his last start, he’s definitely improved on at least what he was beaten.”

The big Global View gelding was the 0,70 lengths runner up to See It Again in the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 and is now 1kg better off, although the latter did win easing up.

De Kock continued, “However, I have a big question mark over the 2200m with Dave The King because he has a tremendous amount of pace and he has a massive, massive action.”

Dave The King has given the impression of being a bit one-paced in the straight in his last two starts at Hollywoodbets Greyville, but this might have been an illusion created by the combination of his huge stride and having had to come from a handy position over 1600m and then from the front over 2000m.

De Kock was asked this question and replied, “Well if he is one-paced it’s a very fast pace!”

The Gary Player Stud-bred Dave The King’s sire Global View has not shone, but this does not worry De Kock who said such a sire often produced one good one and he pointed to him being out of a Jet Master mare.

He moved on to Soumillon’s mount, who finished third in the July last year.

“Safe Passage last year caught me unawares in the Daily News. He gives away nothing at the track. Last year I thought he needed the run, didn’t think he could run well, he goes and wins the Daily News. He’s a funny horse, he gives away nothing when it comes to work. But he is as sound and as well as I’ve ever seen him and moving probably the best I’ve seen him move ever.”

Safe Passage is by the most successful July sire in history, the late great Silvano, who has had five individual winners of the big race. De Kock has trained the first and last of Silvano’s July winners to date, Bold Silvano in 2010 and Sparkling Water last year.

De Kock has won the July five times and asked which was the most satisfying he replied, “It’s always the first one (Ipi Tombe 2002), no doubt. Every single one of them is massively satisfying, I must be honest, and last year’s was also right up there because it was for Mary. For what she’s done for my personal life and racing. I thought it was fitting she got a July under the belt. She has won a lot of other races, but the July’s a race that has eluded her and I think it was a very special moment for all of us who are involved with her. She imported the mother and bred the horse (Sparkling Water) and owned her, that was extra special for her.”

On the big day on July 1 De Kock will not be “tying his jockeys down too much with instructions.”

He said, “I really believe when you employ a jockey you have got to also allow him to think. A lot happens in 400m out the gates and the best plans are often buried there and then.”

Both Safe Passage and Dave The King have been prepared out of Summerveld.

Craig Zackey has ridden Dave The King in all three of the starts the horse has had for De Kock and he retains the ride.

Michael Roberts thrilled with his number 7 draw (Candiese Lenferna Photography).

Roberts Relieved After HWB Durban July Favourite Lands Good Draw

See It Again won the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 from draw seven and has landed the same draw for the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Durban July.

It was the draw owner Nick Jonsson had predicted for the big race favourite.

Trainer Michael Roberts revealed, “I must say I was stressing a bit about the draw. But Nick (who was overseas at the time of the ceremony) ensured me it was out of my control and to just enjoy it. He actually predicted he would get draw seven and explained to me, ‘Seven was my Dad’s (much loved racing owner and administrator Benji Jonsson’s) lucky number.’”

Roberts continued, “My life was made easy because I didn’t have to do anything. (There was only one draw left when Roberts’ name was drawn out of the hat.) As the big draws were coming up I was relieved and near the end there was only 5, 7 and 11 left and I wasn’t really concerned. I wanted to be 8 or under and we got 7 which was fantastic.”

He was asked how the Twice Over colt had been doing and replied, “Very well. Up to this morning (Tuesday) I’m very happy with him. He’s in a good space, we’ve had no hiccups with him, so we are hoping for the best.”

Michael revealed, “The Daily News was a very important race for me as a trainer and for this big horse’s stallion career.”

He said philosophically, “Favourites don’t have a good record in the July and also it is a rough race and he’s still a young horse. I’ve ridden many good horses in the July and they didn’t come through to win the July, so you are going to need lady luck on your side.”

He said about his recent work program, “Rachel (Venniker) has ridden him in his work everyday. She knows the horse very well and she knows the way I like to work my horses. She’s a great help for my yard, we’re a team and she will ride him in his July gallop too.”

He added about the official gallop, “My horse is ready, I don’t have to go and burn the turf up.”

See It Again’s big race rider Piere Strydom had initially said he would not ride in the July below 57kg, but Roberts said he would not have a problem slimming the half-a-kilogram necessary to get down to the set weight of 56.5kg. He added, “Especially if you have got that weight on your body, which he has got I can promise you!”

Roberts revealed how the weighing in process works and the different ways jockeys approach it.

He said jockeys usually have a number of saddles ranging from one that weigh a few ounces right up to a “five pound” saddle. If they are still below the weight they then have to put a lead bag on.

He said it was usually considered better to ride with a heavier saddle than to have lead but he admitted, “When I was riding I liked to use just one saddle most of the time, except when I was riding very light, because you more comfortable in the saddle you are used to rather than changing every five minutes.”

He said about the potential honour of joining Syd Garrett, David Payne and Bert Abercrombie as July-winning jockeys to have trained a July winner, “This is our premier race. In England you have the Epsom Derby, in Australia the Melbourne Cup and in America the Run For The Roses, the Kentucky Derby, so to be honest it would be a dream come true. I don’t really think about it, but I have been looking for a horse of this calibre for such a long time now and suddenly he just arrived and you could see from day one he’s going to be something special.”

He did mention the added pressure of training a July horses as opposed to riding one and said, “It’s a big difference because training a horse who has a chance in the July there is pressure to keep your horse in good health and managing him and taking every precaution so the course can turn up on the day fit and well. As a rider you go and excercise your horse everyday and look after him and go through the motions, but it’s much easier really.”

See It Again will be Michael’s first July runner as a trainer, but he did not think his lack of experience in preparing a July horse was a disadvantage.

He explained, “I just treat it normally. All my horses get the same treatment, we love them all and we treat them the same.”

He revealed, “To be honest training a small horse who is struggling to win a race I have found to be more challenging than training this horse.”

Michael regards his yard as “a medium” sized yard and he was not perturbed by July history which shows big yards to have generally dominated.

He said, “It’s numbers … well … it is just a numbers game to get that calibre of horse.”

Big yard trainers are generally perceived to be capable of giving a July horse a superior preparation and to have the ability to get a horse to his or her absolute peak on the day.

However, Roberts point out, “I knew a trainer many years ago called Pat Antelme, I think he had three horses and he won the July.”

There was also the recent example of Kommetdieding from the small yard of Harold Crawford and his daughter Michelle Rix.

Michael added, “It’s about the calibre of horse you buy at the Sales. Every owner and trainer is looking for that special one and they are hard to find, so obviously the more numbers you get the easier to find it … and you need a bit of luck.”

Michael’s luckiest career moment probably came when he happened to be walking past just after Nick Jonsson had successfully bid for See It Again. Benji and Nick had both had horses with the Roberts yard before and that rang a bell with Nick as Michael walked past. So he handed him the ticket and said, “Here, I’ve just bought you a horse.”

See It Again is a three-parts brother to Nick’s twice July-winner Do It Again, being by the same sire and out of a half-sister to Do It Again. The pair will make some history on Saturday being such close relatives with a five year difference in age, one being the three-year-old race favourite and the other being the first to run in the race six times (and possibly the first to win it three times).

Steven Chetty reckoned draw 9 would give Muzi Yeni options aboard Son Of Raj (Picture: Candiese Lenferna)

Steven Chetty Reveling In “July Fever”

The most excited person in Durban right now could well be Steven Chetty, owner and breeder of Hollywoodbets Durban July runner Son Of Raj.

Steven and his family experienced a surreal moment when the three-year-old Weiho Marwing-trained Duke Of Marmalade gelding won the Gr 1 WSB SA Derby and he then had to pinch himself a little while later when he saw his charge’s name among the July entries.

Son Of Raj got an automatic ticket into the big race through his SA Derby win and Steven, asked whether he was happy with his horse’s draw, replied, “I am very happy with the draw. Nine is near the middle, so we have options to do whatever we want to do.”

Asked whether he envisaged Son Of Raj going to the front, he replied, “I will have to speak to Weiho and Muzi but judging from his previous races he’s obviously won from the front or placed second or third or fourth. In a big race like this, you don’t want to be too far back.”

Son Of Raj was a touch disappointing in his last start when a 6,55 length eighth in the Gr 1 Daily News 2000, where he was ridden by Muzi Yeni for the first time.

Steven said, “He had obviously come down from Jo’Burg and it was his first run after that long break up in Jo’Burg. It was his first time on the grass here at Hollywoodbets Greyville as well (his first two career runs were on the Hollywoodbets Greyville poly). We will just put it into the past as experience. Obviously Muzi got to know him better. He wasn’t 100% ready and our main mission is obviously the July.”

Steven said about the match which produced Son Of Raj, “I chose Duke Of Marmalade for Freudiana (his only mare) through some intensive studying. Duke Of Marmalade won a lot of races from two-years old onwards. He’s a distance horse and I wanted a distance classic horse in terms of my breeding methods. That was one of the main reasons I chose Duke Of Marmalade. I also consulted with Frank Robinson, he is a very good friend of mine and he advised me accordingly.”

Eugene Freeman of Boland Stud where Freudiana stands also gave Steven plenty of good breeding advice.

Steven was asked how high the excitement levels had reached shortly after the HDJ final field announcement and draw ceremony at the Hollywoodbets offices in Umhlanga.

“They are ‘Out Of This World’!!”, he replied, playing with the words of this year’s July theme.

“I am glad to be here, to experience all of these moments. We have owned horses before, but we were never privileged to be in a position to experience all this excitement and all of these functions. We have watched it on TV over the years, but its good to actually be here and to experience it personally.

Steven will have a big entourage with him on July day and they will all be family members.

He said, “What is racing and all of this excitement if we don’t have the people that we love and our family around us to experience it and to witness all of these magical moments.”

Steven has been a fan of racing from a punting point of year from about the year 2000 and he has been in ownership for about ten years.

Son Of Raj’s Highveld form has worked out quite well and there has been some interest in him in the market, because he is as short as 14/1 with the sponsor.

Anthony Delpech felt draw 3 was “perfect” for the Hollywood Syndicate’s progressive filly Time Flies (Candiese Lenferna Photography)

Anthony Delpech: “We Have A Progressive Filly”

The four-year-old Brett Crawford-trained Dynasty filly Time Flies, whom the Hollywood Syndicate lease from Ridgemont, made it into the Hollywoodbets Durban July field through her runner up finish in the Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 and she then drew three.

Hollywood Syndicate’s racing manager Anthony Delpech said, “I think it a perfect draw for her. She’s got speed and she’s a filly who will most probably race just behind the speed and I’m really, really happy. She comes out of the gates well, so I’m not too concerned about the draw.”

He added, “She’s a very progressive filly, she’s just getting better and better all the time. Obviously the Dynasty’s do tend to get better, so you don’t know where she is at. Everytime we’ve thrown something at her, she’s given it to us. That last run was an incredible run. She cornered into the straight about four wide and she just got collared at the end and she got collared by the best filly around at the moment. If you give Rain In Holland a chance you’ve got to give Time Flies a chance. She is better off at the weights this time around (1,5kg for a 1,30 length beating). But the best thing I can say about her is she is progressing, she’s getting better. I don’t know whether Rain In Holland is at her best now, but our filly has got more to come.”

He added, “She is a very small filly and very light-framed, you don’t want to end up being bumped around early on, so she’s got to be on her bicycle early on and get into a good position.”

However, on the other hand, he said, “She’s pretty versatile. She can be forward, she can be middle.”

Dynasty’s generally love Hollywoodbets Greyville because they tend to have a fine turn of foot and, as Anthony kept reiterating, they are progressive horses.

Antony said, “This is our first July runner which is exciting and we are sponsoring the race which makes it even more exciting.”

He concluded, ‘We’ve got a good draw, we’ve got a good jockey on (Luyolo Mxothwa), we’ve just got to hope for the best.”

Marsh Shirtliff fishes out draw 15 for Rascallion, which he was unhappy with for a horse “who needs a good draw.” (Picture: Candiese Lenferna).

Marsh Has Two Chances To Land a Third July

Marsh Shirtliff burst into prominence as an owner in South Africa during a halcyon few years in which he had shares in the greats Pocket Power, River Jetez, Jay Peg and What A Winter and a number of other class horses.

The legendary Mike Bass-trained Pocket Power (Jet Master) won Marsh his first Hollywoodbets Durban July when dead-heating with Dancer’s Daughter and Mike’s daughter Candice Bass-Robinson trained his second July winner, Marinaresco (Silvano), who produced a flying finish to get up in 2017.

Both horses carried his familiar blue, white and pink colours.

Bernard Fayd’Herbe was aboard for both Pocket Power’s and Marinaresco’s July wins and the Shirtliff/Fayd’Herber partnership now team up with the Justin Snaith-trained Pomp And Power, who is part-owned by Cape Racing’s much appreciated leader Greg Bortz as well as Etienne Braun.

Marsh also has a share in the Vaughan Marshall-trained Rascallion, who was a touch unlucky when fifth in the July two years ago as a three-year-old.

Rascallion looks to be back to his best after an injury-enforced layoff from December 2021 until November last year.

Rascallion is a 16/1 shot but on paper has the 7/1 shot Winchester Mansion and the 10/1 shot Pacaya beaten. He will be 3,5kg better off with Pacaya for a one length beating in the Gr 2 WSB 1900 and he will be 5,5kg better off with Winchester Mansion for a 0,70 length beating.

Both Pomp And Power and Rascallion were unlucky in a messy WSB Met and could have got closer than a 1,20 length third and a 1,80 length sixth respectively.

Pomp And Power is an enigmatic sort capable of producing a world class performance, but he is his own worst enemy and often wastes too much energy before or during the race.

Both horses are geldings by boom sire Vercingetorix.

Pomp And Power is drawn widest of all in 18 and Rascallion is drawn 15.

Marsh said on Tuesday at the HDJ final field announcement and draw ceremony, “In true Hollywood fashion I thought it was a great event. For myself I got up very early this morning and flew in to get the worst draw (18), but in saying that the horse is capable of running from there and maybe it’s a blessing in disguise. I’m sure Greg and Eteinne aren’t happy with it, but that’s the way it is and you can’t always have a great draw. As for Rascallion, he needed a better draw than 15. Look, wherever he is drawn he will do his best. We’ve got good jocks on both horses. Bernie is flying in for Pomp And Power and he’s won this race twice for us before. So I have every confidence in both him and in Pomp And Power, he’s in great shape. Rascallion is also certainly in great shape, I wouldn’t judge him on his run in the HWB Gold Challenge, the mile is a distance short of his best. I think he will run a top race, but he could have had a better draw.”

He added, “I’m not concerned about the weights on our horses (Pomp And Power 58kg, Rascallion 57.5kg), it’s always better to have less, but I think we are fairly treated. We’ll just take our chances on the day and hope we get the breaks in the running.”

Marsh added about Pomp And Power, ‘We got badly done in the Met, so that’s why we are hoping for more here. He’s used to the scuffles, so let’s see how it goes. Bernie likes to bring them from off the pace. He produced a masterful ride on Marinaresco six years ago, it was the ride of the season here in Durban (He came from way back). I expect the best from Bernie, he is a class act.”

He concluded, “Corne Orffer was booked to ride Rascallion a long while back. I have every confidence in him. He knows the horse and has won good races on him (including the Gr 2 Anthonij Rupert Wyne Premier Trophy over 1800m on l’Ormarins King’s Plate day).”

Mostahdaf and Jim Crowley win the Prince of Wales’s Stakes from Luxembourg (Credit: Edward Whitaker).

Mostahdaf Dazzles In Prince Of Wales’s Stakes

‘I wasn’t expecting him to make them look like they were standing still’

Scott Burton (Racing Post)

The first ten races of the 2023 royal meeting had produced their usual share of tight finishes and well-backed winners. With an honourable mention to Paddington and Vauban on Tuesday, it had not, before the Prince of Wales’s Stakes, produced a performance that genuinely took the collective breath away.

Sent off at 10-1 in a field stacked with established quality including a Derby hero and a Champion Stakes winner, Mostahdaf was the one to produce audible gasps as he burst clear of his rivals to stamp himself a genuine elite performer over ten furlongs.

The clues have been there in a number of his performances, although two runs at a mile and a half and a deluge in Paris had arguably helped mask the level of his talent.

Even the man who knows Mostahdaf better than anyone, joint-trainer John Gosden, admitted to be surprised at quite how emphatically the son of Frankel took the race out of the reach of Luxembourg and Adayar.

“I was expecting him to pick up well in the straight but not make them look like they were standing still,” said Gosden. “He did it in Riyadh. He won the Neom Cup in that style; he just flew away and when the ground dries up he’s a brilliant horse. The amount he quickened past the others on that ground did surprise me but the fact that he loved the ground and was in top form [didn’t].”

After his barnstorming performance in Saudi Arabia, it was entirely natural Mostahdaf should run on Dubai World Cup night in front of Shadwell principal Sheikha Hissa. But on top of a trip that stretches his own brilliance, he faced the horse who is 5lb clear of every other thoroughbred on the planet, the Japanese phenomenon that is Equinox.

“We were going to run him in the Brigadier Gerard but he hadn’t quite recovered from his Middle Eastern campaign,” said Gosden. “And if you check the formbook, he took on a certain Japanese horse in the Sheema Classic, and a mile and a half is beyond him, he’s a mile and a quarter horse. But he was the one that put it up to them and gave it his best go.”

Asked where Mostahdaf would go next, Gosden gave the clearest indication of just how much pleasure this victory – with Sheikha Hissa once again in attendance – had given him.

He said: “What’s the plan? That might have been the plan.”

Jim Crowley hadn’t hidden his belief in Mostahdaf after the Neom Cup, albeit that was a Group 3, and he was also firmly of the opinion putting it up to Equinox had cost him in the Sheema Classic.

“He’s a bit of a handful in the preliminaries but once he gets his mind on the job, he’s a class horse,” said Crowley. “We saw that in Saudi. He probably didn’t quite get home in Dubai against Equinox. I tried to chase him down that day and sort of cut my own throat in doing so.

“But coming back to a mile and a quarter was the key. The horse was so well before and I knew he was in great form. It’s a great race to win.

“They do an amazing job with him. I think he’d come back from Dubai a bit quiet and probably that trip to Saudi and Dubai probably took more out of him than expected. They’ve waited with him, been patient, targeted this race and it’s come to fruition.”

There had looked to be a glut of older talent at ten furlongs at the start of the year but, at the midpoint of the summer, Mostahdaf has forced a reshuffle in that particular pack.

He covered the two furlongs from the entrance to the home straight to the furlong pole in 23.43 seconds and, if the sun continues to shine this European summer, he will take some catching.

Gosden seemed to put a line through a quick turnaround for the Eclipse and is likely to wait for the Juddmonte International at York.

A year on from Baaeed, Sheikha Hissa now has another wonderful reason to return to the Knavesmire.

Jack Milner has tipped the Mike and Adam Azzie-trained Coldhardstare to win the last race at Turffontein Inside on Thusrday (JC Photos).

Vaal Moved To Turffontein Inside Track

Jack Milner

As a result of a major mechanical problem with the OB (outside broadcast) van which is unable to move at the moment and sorting out the issue cannot be guaranteed, it has been decided to move Thursday’s Vaal Classic track meeting to the Turffontein Inside track.

Race times and distances remain as carded.

Obviously, this move will have different effects on various runners but should definitely improve the chances of Escape Artist in Race 5, a MR 90 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1600m.

The Sean Tarry-trained runner has proven form at the course, having run there five times for two wins a second and two fourths. Three of those runs have been over 1600m and they include one of the wins, the second place and a fourth place.

The one concern is the weight she has been carrying because last time, with 56.5kg (that takes into account the 2.5kg apprentice allowance) on her back she failed to get the better of Cape Lights who carried 1kg less. The handicappers have penalized her 2kg for that second place and despite running in stronger company will carry the same weight.

Apprentice Donald Geerthsen rides her again and he will be looking to notch up a third victory on this daughter of Pomodoro.

The obvious danger is Joe Soma-trained Avoontoast who has been a little disappointing of late but one does get the impression this lightly raced daughter of Twice Over is still learning what racing is all about.

Once the penny eventually drops we are sure to witness some fireworks from this three-year-old filly.

Jack Milner’s selections

Race 1: 3 Mocha Macaroon, 6 Rose Greenhow, 5 One Religion, 1 Khateera

Race 2: 5 Longsword, 10 Storm Ahead, 9 Scarlett Pimpernel, 1 Nazare

Race 3: 9 Lady Elliot, 8 Fairy Circle, 1 Green Bubbles, 10 Little Miz Swagger

Race 4: 10 Total Surrender, 9 Silvano’s Song, 4 Ryan’s Dream, 5 Battleground

Race 5: 3 Escape Artist, 4 Avoontoast, 6 Trentino, 1 Crimson Princess

Race 6: 2 Say Yes, 10 Mamaquera, 1 October Fair, 4 Lunar Ballade

Race 7: 8 What A Tiger, 5 Iron Sky, 2 Axel Collins, 3 Dancing Dora

Race 8: 1 Coldhardstare, 8 Rozara, 2 Big Eyed Girl, 3 Celtic Rumours

BEST BET

Race 3 No 9 Lady Elliot

VALUE BET

Race 7 No 8 What A Tiger

BEST SWINGER

Race 3 8×9

BIPOT

R243

Leg 1: 3, 5, 6

Leg 2: 5, 9, 10

Leg 3: 9

Leg 4: 4, 9, 10

Leg 5: 3, 4, 6

Leg 6: 1, 2, 10

PLACE ACCUMULATOR

R216

Leg 1: 5, 9, 10

Leg 2: 9

Leg 3: 9, 10

Leg 4: 3, 4

Leg 5: 1, 2, 10

Leg 6: 2, 5, 8

Leg 7: 1, 8

PICK 6

R1024

Leg 1: 9

Leg 2: 4, 5, 9, 10

Leg 3: 1, 3, 4, 6

Leg 4: 1, 2, 4, 10

Leg 5: 2, 3, 5, 8

Leg 6: 1, 2, 3, 8

JACKPOT 1

R256

Leg 1: 4, 5, 9, 10

Leg 2: 1, 3, 4, 6

Leg 3: 1, 2, 4, 10

Leg 4: 2, 3, 5, 8

JACKPOT 2

R256

Leg 1: 1, 3, 4, 6

Leg 2: 1, 2, 4, 10

Leg 3: 2, 3, 5, 8

Leg 4: 1, 2, 3, 8

Former jockey Timothy Pretorius leads in his first winner as a trainer, the courageous one-eyed horse Shot Of Courage, and it was also a first win for apprentice Kobeli Lihaba (Candiese Lenferna Photography).

Timothy Pretorius And Kobeli Lihaba Combine For First Respective Wins

Timothy Pretorius had his first win as a trainer today on the Hollywoodbets Greyville polytrack and ironically his charge, Willow Magic gelding Shot Of Courage, also gave apprentice Kobeli Lihaba a first career win.

Watch the replay of the race and interview below.