whipping boy
If the Durban July is to retain its position as South Africa’s premier horseracing event, the organisers will have to take a long, hard look at the flesh on display.
It’s not a pleasant job, but someone has to do it.
One expert at the July opined bitterly that, with the cigarette makers having stubbed out their backing, Gold Circle should have approached the SPCA for sponsorship.
Certainly, some of the desperadoes trotting around the track looked as if they’d been hauled in from chasing cars.
For next year’s event perhaps Cape Town and Johannesburg will dispatch a contingent to Greyville to give the locals a couple of pointers on the form required for such auspicious an occasion as July Day.
Mooning innocent visitors with a sea of bare buttocks is all very well as far as practical jokes go, but it’s a bummer in the style stakes. Cape Town’s Met and Johannesburg’s Summer Handicap are definitely leading this race.
It’s just not good enough, Durbs.
On the track it was a different story. Odds-on favourite Park Lane arrived under Piere Strydom in the first and set the trend for a succession of well-fancied runners coming in on what had appeared to be a tricky card.
Key of Destiny (3-1), Whacky Lad (7-2), Skeem Team (7-2), Reef Road (4-1) and Palace Line (22-10) all obliged before Trademark, also with Striker up, took the big one in his stride. This one had certainly looked the best bet in the race for a first-three finish.
Unfortunately, my tentative selection, Nhlavini, was given every chance but patently failed to see out the trip. Watch him up to a mile.
Celtic Grove’s game second place in a race run in record time proved that he is much more than a miler and his connections will be anticipating the rich features ahead with a gleam in their eyes.
Bridal Path (evens) and Velvet Green (33-10) continued the stream of fancied winners before Air Force One (14-1) and Gentle Princess (20-1) provided the inevitable jolts on the 12-race card.
Brett Smith, beaten on favourite Badger’s Drift in the feature, had the consolation of a runaway win on Prince of Saba (6-1) in the final event. Smith had earlier also brought home Reef Road in the Gold Vase.
Strydom weighed in with four winners, Mark Khan two, Weichong Mawing two and Rene Bonham and apprentice Chad Little one each.
The action this weekend is rather more down to earth, with the listed Queen Palm Handicap heading the Clairwood Park card on Sunday.
Trainer Mike de Kock has entered three here, with Fort Wood filly Cork Wood appearing to be the choice of Mawing. To The Tops has Jeff Lloyd up and could easily upstage her stablemate, as could topweight Cyber Cento (Bonham), who seems to be coming back to her formidable best. Outside of this trio, Quest for Success, Big Dipper and improving Fire Water have chances.
In the fourth, a fillies novice plate, Florrie’s Flier ran below best last time after a break but recorded the best time for the last 400m.
Island Guest in the third looks a good bet, as does Ambiguous in the second.
In the R85 000 Cape Breeder’s Stakes at Kenilworth on Saturday Roman Charger will be out for revenge over Steiger, who came home at 12-1 in the prestigious Langerman last time.
Gosforth Park best bets: King’s Claret (race 1), Assimilator (race 8).
Kenilworth best bets: Barada (race 1), Go for Broke (race 2).