Jack Milner: Justin Snaith has eight horses nominated to run in the Vodacom Durban July on Saturday 3 July and four of them were due to be in action at Greyville on Sunday.
But, as Scottish poet Robbie Burns once wrote, “the best laid schemes of mice and men oft go awry”. The Durban July plans for defending champion Belgarion have undoubtedly hit a snag after the five-year-old son of Dynasty had to be withdrawn from the Grade 2 World Sports Betting 1900 after having returned an abnormal blood count.
Snaith still has time to give his charge a preparation run before the Durban July but this has to be something of a setback.
He still does have Crown Towers and Doublemint in the line-up and they, along with unexposed filly She’s A Keeper.
Snaith appeared to be lining up prospective jockeys for the Durban July as he had booked S’manga Khumalo to ride Belgarion with stable rider Richard Fourie aboard stable companion Crown Towers.
The latter stands out as the most likely winner as he has notched up two wins in KwaZulu-Natal already this year and has racing fitness on his side.
Doublemint missed out on a trip to KZN last season but he was in town in 2019 when he went off favourite for this event. He finished seventh, but was just 1.15 length behind winner Eyes Wide Open.
The six-year-old son of Twice Over seems to have found a second win and has place prospects from No 5 draw with Keagan de Melo up.
She’s A Keeper appears to be above average and has been cleverly placed as far as her merit rating goes. She has a light weight and although slightly under sufferance according to official ratings she could be better than her rating. A good performance could see trainer Gareth van Zyl’s charge book her place in the Durban July.
She has won four of her five starts and will be ridden by Warren Kennedy.
Dual Durban July champion Do It Again makes is appearance in a Pinnacle Stales over 1600m. He loves this track, and is so well weighted, he looks impossible to oppose in what is a pretty moderate line-up.
Johan Janse van Vuuren sends down Lady Of Steel to run in the Listed KRA East Coast Cup for fillies and mares over 2000. Her last run was against Summer Pudding in the Grade 1 HSH Princess Charlene Empress Club Stakes over 1600m where she finished third
Her only run at Greyville came last year in the Grade 1 Woolavington 2000 where she finished third to the same filly.
She is also the best handicapped runner by at least 4kg and as long as she sees out the distance, Lady Of Steel looks the one they all have to beat.
She jumps from No 1 draw and has Gavin Lerena in the irons.