See It Again going down to the start of the Hollywoodbets Durban July (Candiese Lenferna Photography)
Mike Moon (The Citizen)
Punters have regrouped behind See It Again, after abandoning the star chestnut in the late Hollywoodbets Durban July betting.
This week, as soon as nominations came out for the Grade 1 Hong Kong Jockey Club Champions Cup on 28 July, See It Again was made the bookmakers’ favourite for the prestigious season-closer over 1800m at Greyville.
The colt immediately drew betting support and his price was crimped to 28-10.
Michael Roberts’s charge had been on or near top of the betting boards for months before Saturday’s running of the Durban July. However, as the start time for South Africa’s biggest race neared, he drifted alarmingly – from 9-2 to as much as 12-1.
But See It Again – along with Roberts and regular rider Piere Strydom – is nothing if not high class and he ran a commendable July under the top weight of 60kg.
A less-than-perfect passage culminated in Strydom having to snatch up his mount in the closing strides as eventual race winner Oriental Charm cut him off on the inside rail – for which misdeed victorious jockey JP van der Merwe copped a 16-day riding suspension.
See It Again still managed fifth place, less than two lengths behind Oriental Charm.
The latter won’t be present in the Champions Cup, though 10 of the Cup’s 14 early entrants did do battle in the July. Among them are the second, third and fourth finishers – Cousin Casey, Royal Victory and Flag Man.
Apart from a drop in distance from 2200m to 1800m, the big difference this time will be the weight-for-age conditions – very different from the July’s handicap format and generally favouring pure ability.
The Champions Cup forms part of Gold Cup Day, a designated World Pools event that allows TV-watching punters around the globe to bet into gargantuan comingled pools.
Multiple other graded races make up the card.
The World Pool Gold Cup itself, South Africa’s premier long-distance race, has been dropped to Grade 3 status in recent years – thanks to breeders and owners leaning towards sprinters, milers and classic horses – but it remains a treasured part of the racing calendar.
Future Pearl, who finished just behind See It Again in sixth place in the July, was priced up a hot 14-10 in the ante-post market.
