Pacaya completes his first mission in the SA Champions Season by winning the Grade 2 WSB 1900 under Richard Fourie. (Candiese Lenferna Photography).
The Grade 2 WSB 1900 winner Pacaya has followed a route into the Hollywoodbets Durban July that has a number of parallels with the Justin Snaith-trained 2020 July winner Belgarion.
The Snaith-trained Pacaya was awarded a merit rating of 110 after being raised six points for winning Saturday’s WSB 1900 at Hollywoodbets Greyville. He thus sneaks into the handicap for the July with the minimum weight of 53kg.
Belgarion was also raised six points for his WSB 1900 win, although that was only due to a condition which restricted the winner to a maximum six pint raise. He won the WSB 1900 by an easy three lengths so came into the July regarded by the handicappers and most pundits as well weighted, despite officially being half-kilogram under sufferance.
Both horses were well regarded in their thgree-year-old seasons but had curtailed seasons and did not travel to KZN.
They have both come into their own as four-year-olds.
They both have stout pedigrees, Belgarion being by
Dynasty out of a German-bred mare who was by middle distance horse Acatenango.
Pacaya is by Trippi out of Grade 1 SA Oaks winner Ash Cloud.
They are both trained by Justin Snaith and it remains to be seen whether Richard Fourie, who rode Belgarion to July victory in 2020, will be aboard Pacaya this year.
Jonathan Snaith commenting on Pacaya’s similar route into the July to Belgarion’s and his similar credentials said, “Never change a winning formula they say.”
Pacaya is only 20th on the first log, but the WSB 1900 winners are given preferential consideration for inclusion i in the final field and the log usually cuts up a bit too as the season goes along.
