Snaith’s mission impossible

That’s the question after trainer Justin Snaith, winner of the last three editions of South Africa’s most prestigious race, on Sunday said his yard has been given “an impossible task… to compete in this year’s Vodacom Durban July”.

Snaith went on to declare either Got The Greenlight or Linebacker the July champion elect, saying “something’s got to go wrong for them to get beat”.

He was speaking after Do It Again, July-winner in 2018 and 2019, eked out an eighth career victory in a Pinnacle Stakes over 1600m at Greyville lugging 62kg.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do,” said Snaith.

“This is going to be an impossible task, I think.

“We’ve got to hide our horses to keep them away from the handicappers in the hope of doing the impossible.

“I can’t even run Do It Again in the 1600, the Gold Challenge, because any more weight we put to our horses gives us absolutely no chance in the Vodacom Durban July.

“It’s a strange year. We have our work cut out.”

Despite Snaith’s weight-fears, he does remain optimistic about Do It Again.

“I’m so happy to pick up the win here,” he added. “He hasn’t been to Greyville since the July, he’s just short of a run and he was very soft coming into this.

“He’s got a lot to come, plenty.”

Snaith also had a message for punters: “I can tell punters there’s a lot more to come from Do It Again. Don’t worry about the distance.

“The fact that he fought and got there – he hasn’t won a race in like two years. I like to think we are on the right path.”

Defending July champion Belgarion, also trained by Snaith, was scratched from Sunday’s Grade 2 World Sports Betting 1900 with the trainer citing “abnormal blood count” as the reason.

Snaith explained: “There’s a little bug in the yard, I’m not going to lie… A lot of the trainers at Summerveld are bringing in two-year-olds which is the norm. It’s not any different from any other year. But, so come bugs.

“Unfortunately, Belgarion’s blood tests just kept shooting up a bit ahead of the race.

“There was a lot of expectation on him. I’d rather save him.

“What we’ll probably do is reprogramme and head him into the Gold Challenge. On the handicapping terms he’s got nothing to lose.

“It’s nothing too drastic and funnily enough, it will probably work out in his favour come July Day.”

Belgarion was carded to carry 62kg in this year’s renewal of the World Sports Betting 1900, a race he won last year carrying 58kg.

Snaiths comments about his yard’s “impossible task” follows barely four days after the National Horseracing Authority issued a statement explaining that Got The Greenlight has escaped a four-point rise in merit rating after an appeal by his trainer, Joe Soma.

Got The Greenlight’s merit rating was upped to 128 after his recent victory in the Grade 1 4Racing Premier’s Champions Challenge Over 2000m – a race in which be beat Malmoos and Summer Pudding.

An independent Appeal Panel, however, was of the opinion that Got The Greenlight’s adjusted rating was incorrect and consequently upheld the Appeal.

One of the reasons for the appeal being upheld, was that both Summer Pudding and Malmoos ran below their pre-race ratings.

Muzi Yeni, who is likely to ride Got The Greenlight in he July, wrote in his column in The Citizen on Saturday: “After hearing the reasoning behind the appeal, there is no doubt this was the correct decision, and it makes the Vodacom Durban July even more interesting, considering a horse of his quality will carry 55kg.

“I am certainly looking forward to the occasion.”

Subsequently, the latest Vodacom Durban July log was also released.

In the accompanying media release, it is stated that South Africa’s highest rated racehorse, Rainbow Bridge, heads the 2021 log.

The next three positions are occupied by automatic qualifiers Linebacker, War of Athena and Got The Greenlight by virtue of their respective victories in the Grade 1 Cape Derby, Grade 1 SA Fillies Classic, and Grade 1 Premier’s Champions Challenge.

Belgarion and Do It Again occupy the next two spots on the log.

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