The Gr 1 Cartier Paddock Stakes and Gr 1 Lucky Fish Cape Derby winner Wish List can make July history (Picture: Wayne Marks)
If any of the Justin Snaith-trained trio Wish List, Legal Counsel or Regulation win the Hollywoodbets Durban July this year it will be the first time a July winner by a July winner extends to three generations.
Wish List, Legal Counsel and Regulation’s sire is the 2014 July winner Legislate and Legislate’s sire was the 2003 winner Dynasty.
It will also be the first time a July winner by a July winner is trained by the same trainer as the relevant parent as Justin Snaith trained Legislate and is trainer of all of Wish List, Legal Counsel and Regulation.
Furthermore, Legislate was part-owned by the late Jack Mitchell and Wish List is part-owned by his daughter Nancy Hossack.
Legislate absolutely loved Hollywoodbets Greyville and won all of the Gr 2 KRA Guineas, Gr 1 Daily News 2000, The July and the Gr 1 Gold Challenge there.
Wish List has a fine, uncomplicated action and a terrific turn of foot, just like her father and she should also relish the course and distance of the July.
She is merit rated 117, so as things stand she will carry a nice galloping weight of 53,5kg.
Some will have been put off by her antics at the start of the Lucky Fish Cape Derby, where she was stubborn loading and had to be hooded.
However, Jonathan Snaith said today after the July’s first entries were announced, “She’s actually very well behaved most of the time. But the top fillies Justin has trained all had a bit of spark: Dancer’s Daughter, Ebony Flyer, Captain’s Ransom, Snowdance, Oh Susanna and Double Grand Slam all had that bit of attitude. They’ve got presence, and they’re not shy about reminding you who’s in charge.”
Wish List is quoted at 25/2 in Hollywoodbets Durban July ante-post market.
Legal Counsel is a different type to Wish List and is more of a “grinder”, but he proved when second in the WSB Met he can keep up a relentless gallop, so could make a bold bid, although off a merit rating of 128 he will have to carry a welter 61kg as things stand.
Regulation has a good turn of foot like his father and is one of the talking horses of the July, because although officially rated 105 he was most unlucky when beaten 2,75 lengths by Okavango in the Gr 2 Anthonij Rupert Premier Trophy over 1800m. He has no merit rating to protect, because he would not qualify for the big race as things stand, so he can have a full go at races like the WSB 1900 and the Cup Trial. He won the Gr 3 Ownpay Peninsula Handicap over 1800m before his Premier Trophy run and in fact has a remarkably similar profile coming into the Champions Season that the 2023 July winner Winchester Mansion had, with an added bonus being he has won at Hollywoodbets Greyville before.
The first winner of the July to produce a July winner was the the mare Peerless, who won in 1903 and produced the 1911 winner Nobleman, who is the only ever two-year-old to win the race.
Other July winners to have produced July winners are:
The 1940 winner Kipling who produced the 1952 winner Mowgli;
The 1941 winner Sadri II, who produced 1951 winner Gay Jane and 1954 winner C’est Si Bon;
The 1987 winner Bush Telegraph, who produced the 1996 winner London News.
