Rascallion is one of the Hollywoodbets Durban July entries who is running in Saturday’s Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge (Candiese Lenferna Photography).
Durban July entries under spotlight in Gold Challenge
Racing enthusiasts will watch contenders Cousin Casey, Rascallion, Safe Passage and Zapatillas
10th Race: (6) Mister Lincoln (1) Master Josh (8) Give Us A Smile (9) Majestic Reign
Al Muthana, who is now trained by Ricky Maingard, is pictured winning the Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge last year for Mike de Kock (Candiese Lenferna Photography).
What Are The Chances Of July Horses Copping Big MR Increases After Running In The Gold Challenge?
The question has been raised of an upheaval to the Hollywoodbets Durban July weight structure if a July horse or two finishes close to either Charles Dickens or Al Muthana in Saturday’s Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge.
Both of those horses are merit rated 132 and they can both be viewed as consistent over this trip, the one never having finished further back than second in his entire career and the other being a twice Gr 1 weight for age (wfa) mile winner.
Piere Strydom might not even be able to make the weight on See It Again if an older July horse is given a hefty raise.
However, the one important point that was overlooked when raising these fears was a previous case where there was a wide margin between the highest merit rated horses and the rest of the field in a big Gr 1 wfa race.
It happened this year in the WSB Met.
Al Muthana, Jet Dark and Kommetdieding were merit rated 133, 130 and 129 respectively, while there was also Do It Again on 126 and Make It Snappy on 125.
However, the rest of the field were merit rated between 122 and 104.
This is proportionately similar to Saturday where Charles Dickens and Al Muthana are merit rated 132, Trip Of Fortune is merit rated 127 and the rest of the field are rated between 124 and 116.
Jet Dark and Kommetdieding duly finished first and second in the WSB Met.
They are ultra consistent horses and 2000m distance suited, so surely they should have been used as line horses.
If Kommet, for example had been used as the line horse, Pomp And Power would been raised to 127 or more, considering the bad luck he had in the race, and not 124, while Nexus would have been raised to around 126, not 122, and Cousin Casey would have also been raised to around 126 and not 122.
One can surmise the reason the handicapper did not use Kommetdieding or the winner Jet Dark as line horses was because the field finished on top of each other and they must have thus decided that the horses with superior ratings did not run to their best form.
So, Piere Strydom can probably sleep easier tonight in the knowledge that with consistency in mind the handicappers will only use Jet Dark or Al Muthana as line horses if they are ahead of the rest by a wide margin, which they should be according to their merit ratings.
At Hollywoodbets Greyville there is a good chance of the rest of the field getting close to this pair.
This is seen time and time again in races on this course due to its nature as a tight course with a short straight and the tendency in South African racing to go at a steady pace and then sprint for home.
But the handicappers are likely to take a lenient view and look for a line horse other than Charles Fortune or Al Muthana if the field gets close to them. This is clearly the way the tackled the WSB Met.
The one problem could be if a July entry comes out and wins the Gold Challenge.
This can be seen in the case of Al Muthana winning the L’Ormarins King’s Plate.
It would have been unfair for him as the winner of the race to be rated lower than those he beat. The 130-rated Jet Dark was duly used as the line horse, meaning Al Muthana was given an eight point raise to 133.
So Striker and other interested parties must simply hope for Charles Dickens and Al Muthana to finish ahead of the rest, or for at least one of them to win the race. The July weight structure should not be subject to a major upheaval with either of those eventualities.
Eden Roc after winning the Gr1 Gold Medallion in his second start. Image: Candiese Lenferna
Eden Roc To Clifton Stud
The KZN Breeders Club have purchased Gr1 winning son of Var, Eden Roc, to stand at stud in KZN.
HWB Gold Challenge Trainer Comments
Michele Wing and the Gold Circle team put together this informative package ahead of Saturday’s prestigious Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge over 1600m, which has attracted a vintage field.
HWB Greyville Saturday Formguides And Selections
1 11:35 AM – Netball South Africa Maiden Plate
Watch out for: REEFWAY (3)
Watch out for: DOWN BY THE RIVER (7)
The Belmont Stakes (Getty Images).
Belmont Stakes Will Be Canceled If Air Quality Standard Is Not Met
Gov. Kathy Hochul introduced enhanced safety measures for the Belmont Stakes as smoke from Canadian wildfires affects New York
Meanwhile, values of 175 and above are cause for restricting activity at the track, including but not limited to canceling live racing (if applicable); canceling official workouts; and prohibiting galloping, breezing or anything more strenuous than a jog.
Man O’ War’s Barn Is In Its Immaculate Original State 80 Years On From His Retirement
Man O’ War was retired from stud duties 80 years ago in 1943.
But his barn is still in immaculate condition.
Faraway property was bought by Greg Goodman in 2002.
Goodman embarked on a restoration project of the farm’s buildings and houses, including the original four-stall stallion barn where Man O’ War once slept.
Today, the building looks almost exactly as it did in the 1930s and 1940s, complete with a brass fire bell Riddle purchased from the Lexington fire department and rang whenever the stallion had a stakes winner.
This portion of Faraway is now called Man O’ War Farm.
The barn where the great Man O’ War and other stallions stood (allabouttherace.com)
Man O’ War’s name plate on his barn door (Bloodhorse.com).
Richard Fourie and Alan Greeff after winning today with Blonde Act (Act Of War). This combination have been in lethal form lately and today’s treble took them to seven wins together in the last two Fairview meetings and nine in the last three. (Pauline Herman Photography).
Fourie/Greeff Treble, Khumalo/Smith Double, Sharon Kotzen Double
The battle for the East Cape Trainers Championship continued today.
Alan Greeff edged closer to leader Gavin Smith as Richard Fourie rode a treble for him compared to the double S’Manga Khumalo rode for Smith.
Sharon Kotzen also saddled a double.
Greeff goes to 106 wins for the season, achieved at a strike rate of 13.05%.
He is now just three wins behind Smith.
Smith’s 109 wins have come at a strike rate of 10.16%.
Fourie goes to 218 wins for the season at a strike rate of 22.68%.
Khumalo reached the 150 winner mark and has done it at a strike rate of 16.45%.
Kotzen goes to 49 wins at a strike rate of 12.34%.
The subject of the question is shown above (Candiese Lenferna Photography)
Today’s Question
Who was the last horse to do the Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge/Hollywoodbets Durban July double in one season? Who are the other horses in history to have done that double?
Do It Again shows off his huge stride at the July gallops (Gold Circle).
Others to have achieved this feat are:
The Justin Snaith-trained Dancer’s Daughter in 2008.
The Chris Snaith-trained Flaming Rock in 1991.
The Terrance Millard-trained Royal Chalice in 1988.
The Peter Kannemeyer-trained Over The Air in 1979.
The Syd Laird-trained Politician in 1978.
The race was run at the Clairwood until that racecourse’s last year of existence in 2014.
