Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 winner Silver Sanctuary is one of two Drakenstein Stud homebreds running in the Gr 1 Ridgemont Garden Province Stakes (Candiese Lenferna Photography)

Drakenstein Stud had a memorable record-breaking week last week and now look determined to add the Gr 1 Ridgemont Garden Province Stakes to their long list of stakes winners for the season.

On Saturday they reached 21 individual stakes winners for the season when the Justin Snaith-trained Eight On Eighteen won the Gr 3 Langerman and that beat their record set last season of 20, which in turn had beaten their record set in the previous season of 18.

Also on Saturday their resident freshman sire One World beat the freshman record of his father Captain Al by having a 23rd individual winner.

The scratching of the Mike de Kock-trained Drakenstein homebred Silver Sanctuary from the Hollywoodbets Durban July on Monday signalled the intention to run her in the Garden Province.

Another Drakesnstein homebred, the Glen Kotzen-trained Hold My Hand is also in the Garden Province.

Silver Sanctuary got rid of her bridesmaid tag when winning the Gr 1 Woolavington 2000.

However, the Silvano filly is also effective over a mile.

This season the now 116-rated filly has also won the Listed Summer Pudding Handicap against older hores over 1600m off a 96 merit rating, she finished a 0,30 length second to Beach Bomb in the Gr 1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas, finished a 1,75 length second to Gimme A Nother in the Gr 2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas, a 4,25 length second to Gimme A Nother in the Gr 1 Wilgerbosdrift SA Classic over 1800m and a 3,25 length third to Frances Ethel in the Gr 2 Wilgerbosdrift Bridget Oppenheimer Oaks over 2450m.

Hold My Hand finished a narrow 0,70 length second to Silver Sanctuary in the Woolavington 2000, which was a fine run considering she had to come from the back and came wide into the straight.

The last time she ran over as short as a mile was in last year’s Gr 2 WSB Fillies Guineas where she finished a one length third.

Silver Sanctuary has drawn six out of the 11 runners in the Garden Province.

Hold My Hand has drawn nine.

Hold My Hand can be dropped out considering the way she ran in the Garden Province, although the shorter trip will make it tougher to make up the ground.

Glen Kotzen also has the crack Gr 2 WSB Fillies Guineas-winning filly Rascova in the Garden Province and she has unfortunately drawn wide in 10.

She will clash with her arch rival Double Grand Slam for the eighth time.

Rascova has faced the Justin Snaith-trained Double Grand Slam in all of her last seven races and has beaten her four times and lost to her three times.

Last time she beat her in the Gr 2 WSB Fillies Guineas, although Double Grand Slam was tightened up against the outside fence and seemed reluctant to go through the gap.

Double Grand Slam has the opportunity for revenge and has won the first battle bacause this time she has the better of the draw, having landed draw three.

The Sean Tarry-trained Mrs Browning is drawn two. She has fine recent sprint form but has won over 1450m before and this Rafeef filly should get a mile considering she is out of a Galileo mare.

The Brett Crawford-trained Dynasty filly Happy Chance has been beaten just over five lengths in her last two starts by Double Grand Slam, both over 1400m. She was well beaten in the Gr 1 Majorca Stakes over this trip, but was a 0,60 length third in the Gr 1 Cartier Paddock Stakes over 1800m, so can do better than that Majorca run.

The Tony Peter-trained Bavarian Beauty won the Gr 1 Douglas Whyte Thekwini Stakes over course and distance last season but has 2,60 lengths to make up on Double Grand Slam from the Gr 2 East Coast Radio Tibouchina Stakes, where they were third and first respectively last time out. Bavarian Beauty has drawn well in four.

The Candice Bass-Robinson-trained Red Palace was a good 0,75 lengths second in the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas and she won her last start in a Listed race over 1800m in fine style, so is a dark horse from draw five.

The Duncan Howells-trained Asiye Phambili has proven speed and class over 1200m in Graded events, so considering she won three in a row over this trip earlier in her career she is a fascinating runner. She jumps from draw seven.

The Mike de Kock-trained Humdinger is at her best over 1400m but she was just a 1,50 lengths second behind Gimme A Nother in the Gr 1 Empress Club Stakes, beating Bavarian Beauty by more than ten lengths, so she is an interesting runner, although she has a wide draw of eight.

The Sean Tarry-trained Celtic Rumours was beaten just 3,25 lengths by Sandringham Summit in the Gr 2 Hawaii Stakes over 1400m and this Vercingetorix filly’s dam by Dupont won over 1600m, so she should stay the trip. However, she does have the widest draw of all to overcome.

Double Grand Slam looks the one to side with and she can beat Silver Sanctuary, Rascova, Asiye Phambili and Mrs Browning home in that order.

Twice July-winning trainer Sean Tarry greets Hollywoodbets Brand And Communications manager Devin Heffer at the HDJ Final Field And Draw Ceremony on Tuesday. Tarry’s smile tuned to a grimace when he drew 15 for Cousin Casey and 18 for Future Pearl but in typical style he had soon bounced back and was planning for the task at hand. (Candiese Lenferna Photography) 

Sean Tarry said his two Hollywoodbets Durban July runners Cousin Casey and Future Pearl were completly different types and so would not work together at the July gallops on Thursday.

His first response to a question about their well-being was that they had both had “exceptional preps.”

He added, “They will gallop this week and if all goes well they will be ready for action.”

Tarry did not look happy when drawing 15 for Cousin Casey and 18 for Future Pearl.

He said, “I would have really liked a lower draw for Cousin Casey. But Future Pearl, I think, will cope with it. It might even be in his favour.”

Cousin Casey has been headstrong on a few occsions recently, but Sean said, “We’ve done a lot of longer work with him, and he’s learned to settle very nicely. He’s had two perfect prep runs. I don’t think he could have asked for a better preparation.”

Future Pearl’s last run proved he had overcome the couple of issues he had earlier in the season and he is back to his best.

Interestingly, a Hollywoodbets manager on the bookmaking side of the business said their worst result would be a win for Future Pearl, who was backed at long odds.

He is now at 17/1 and Cousin Casey is 20/1.

Cousin Casey carries 56kg off his 123 merit rating and Future Pearl, carrying 54kg, is 1kg under sufferance off his 117 rating.

Cousin Casey will be ridden by S’Manga Khumalo and Future Pearl by Grant van Niekerk.

Van Niekerk will be going for his first July win, although he went close as an apprentice in 2012 when his rank outsider Smanjemanje was denied by the Tarry-trained Pomodoro, who was ridden by Piere Strydom.

Both Tarry and Khumalo will be going for their third July wins and one of those was together, with Heavy Metal in 2013.

Khumalo’s other win was with the Mike de Kock-trained Sparkling Water in 2022, which was the first year in which Hollywoodbets Sponsored the country’s premier horseracing event.

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!”

Hall of Fame jockey the star turn at Naas.

Ndaka powers to an easy victory under Tristan Godden to give Lola Crawford a double on the day. It was the fourth career victory for the Willow Magic gelding, who runs for a passionate group of friends, Brendan Gaillard, Chad Britz, Jarred Eady and Kyle Storkey. (Candiese Lenferna Photography)

Rachel Venniker, Lola Crawford, Andre Nel and Louis Goosen all had indivudual doubles on the Holllywoodbets Greyille poly on Wednesday.

Rachel Venniker goes to 69 wins for the season achieved at a strike rate of 10.76%.

Lola Crawford is on 6 wins for the season at 8.96%.

Andre Nel is on 55 wons at 15.67%.

Louis Goosen is on 26 wins at 10.97%.

Peppers Pride holds the North American record of 19 races unbeaten.

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