Jack Milner
Trainer Candice Bass-Robinson set the cat among the pigeons on Tuesday when Trip Of Fortune was added to field for the Hollywoodbets Durban July at the final supplementary stage.
With the scratching of Cousin Casey, Rockpool, East Coast, Litigation, Pyromaniac, Quasiforsure, Shoemaker, Airways Law, Flying Bull, King Regent and Cape Eagle over the past few days, it leaves 26 horses in contention for 20 berths for the Grade 1 race over 2200m at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday 1 July.
The addition of Trip Of Fortune has already had an impact on the race because with a merit rating of 127, he will now come in as the top weight and will push all the other runners down by 0.5kg.
The son of Trippi has come on well since having been gelded but it will be interesting to see whether he will see out 2200m.
The Glen Kotzen stable announced Cousin Casey was taken out of the race after his disappointing performance in the Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge and will now be given a break.
While declarations only take place on Monday, it is interesting to note that Mike de Kock has named two of his jockeys for the big race, and what has attracted loads of attention is that he has engaged Belgian Christophe Soumillon to ride Safe Passage.
Craig Zackey will be riding Dave The King, runner-up to current race favourite in the Grade 1 Daily News 2000. After winning Race 1 at the Vaal on Tuesday Zackey confirmed he will be riding the three-year-old son of Global View.
“He could be anything. His run in the Daily News was a cracker, I thought, and now that Trip Of Fortune is a late entry it keeps the weights a little lower, which helps,” he said.
Zapatillas would have been top weight without Trip Of Fortune and Brett Crawford’s charge will now have 59.5kg on his back.
Michael Roberts-trained See It Again, the current 3-1 favourite, has been allotted 56.5kg which means Piere Strydom will have to lose a little weight to make the ride.
The other early jockey confirmation is that current log-leader Keagan de Melo will be aboard Puerto Manzano, who showed his wellbeing with an emphatic victory last Sunday in the Grade 3 Jubilee Stakes over 1800m at Turffontein.
The Betway Summer Cup winner has been allotted 58kg which looks a decent weight for Johan Janse van Vuuren’s charge.
The announcement of the final field at which the draws for barrier positions will be made, will take place at 11am on Tuesday 20 June.
Current betting
3-1 See It Again
8-1 Without Question, Winchester Mansion
10-1 Safe Passage, Pacaya
12-1 Rascallion
13-1 Zapatillas
14-1 Rain In Holland, Dave The King
15-1 Puerto Manzano
16-1 Pomp And Power
20-1 Son Of Raj, Trip Of Fortune
22-1 Bless My Stars
25-1 Cousin Casey
28-1 Billy Bowlegs
30-1 Do It Again
35-1 Silver Darling, Aragosta
40-1 Time Flies
50-1 and upwards others
Weights for the R5-million Hollywoodbets Durban July (Grade 1) over 2200m
TRIP OF FORTUNE (C Bass-Robinson) 60.0
ZAPATILLAS (B Crawford) 59.5
POMP AND POWER (J S Snaith) 58.0
PUERTO MANZANO (J J van Vuuren) 58.0
SAFE PASSAGE (M F De Kock) 58.0
RASCALLION (V H Marshall) 57.5
DO IT AGAIN (J S Snaith) 57.0
RAIN IN HOLLAND (S G Tarry) 56.5
SECOND BASE (R Klaasen) 56.5
SEE IT AGAIN (M L Roberts) 56.5
DAVE THE KING (M F De Kock) 55.5
NEBRAAS (S G Tarry) 55.0
SILVER DARLING (J S Snaith) 55.0
TIME FLIES (B Crawford) 55.0
WITHOUT QUESTION (J S Snaith) 54.5
ARAGOSTA (M F De Kock) 53.5
BILLY BOWLEGS (A G Laird) 53.5
ELECTRIC GOLD (A P Peter) 53.0
FUTURE PRINCE (B Crawford) 53.0
JIMMY DON (E Verdonese) 53.0
PACAYA (J S Snaith) 53.0
RAISEAHALLELUJAH (C Dawson) 53.0
SON OF RAJ (W H Marwing) 53.0
UNION SQUARE (M F De Kock) 53.0
WINCHESTER MANSION (B Crawford) 53.0
BLESS MY STARS (S G Tarry) 52.0