Trainer Dean Kannemeyer has warned that Capetown Noir, likely favourite for the Vodacom Durban July, would only line up in the big race if he was reasonably handicapped.
Photo by Liesl King
Kannemeyer has recalled the days when it was considered virtually impossible for a three-year-old to win the July with a weight bigger than 52kg and reckons it has become harder for them.
The 52kg of the “old days” translates to 54kg today in relative terms, considering the minimum and maximum weights have been raised.
With many of the best older horses out of the country these days, three-year-olds have come to dominate the July, winning eight of the last 11 runnings.
However, the handicappers have responded and the top three-year-old weight appears to be getting higher each year.
Jackson was an example last year when he was unable to convert favouritism under 57kg from a wide draw.
The lure of the July might prove too much for the connections of Capetown Noir although his stamina capacity has been questioned as he appeared to be under pressure in the closing stages of the Investec Cape Derby.
However Kannemeyer pointed out that Capetown Noir’s electric burst when given some rein at the top of the straight in the Derby had caught jockey Karl Neisius by surprise, meaning he hit the front far earlier than he had wanted.
Kannemeyer reckoned the fact that he was able to keep finding when Dynamic challenged had proved that he had stayed the 2000m trip.
Kannemeyer revealed that he had never in his career trained a horse with such a quick recovery rate .
He also pointed out that Capetown Noir would be a much stronger and better horse by the time of the July and reckoned he would be well suited to the tight Greyville course considering his outstanding turn of foot.
Dave Lavarack, spokesman for KZN bookmakers at the Champions Season launch, estimated that Capetown Noir would be priced up at around 5/1 for the July.
Kannemeyer reckoned the price would be reasonable considering it took “an exceptional horse” to do the Cape Guineas and Derby double.
Kannemeyer’s Liancourt Rock and Geoff Woodruff’s Yorker are the other two names that have popped up most regularly in conversation since the July nominations.
Liancourt Rock made his comeback from more than a year off at Clairwood in March and ran an eye-catching second in a Pinnacle Stakes event over 1450m.
The Australian-bred Fastnet Rock four-year-old was laid off due to a knee injury and was gelded in that period.
Kannemeyer took veterinarian advice to give Liancourt Rock six months longer to recover than normal due to the very high regard he had for the horse.
“He’s a top, top horse,” said Kannemeyer, who has long regarded him as a horse that would be suited to the July.
Yorker caught the eye with his amazing turn of foot, not to mention his powerful conformation, when winning a recent MR 82 Handicap over 1700m at The Vaal by six lengths.
Lavarack singled out the three-year-old Jet Master colt as one he would be reluctant to lay at too big a price.
Last year’s winner Pomodoro and his stablemate Whiteline Fever will have plenty of supporters while the recently gelded Run For It and the new Mike de Kock acquisition Sanshaawes will be interesting contenders.
DURBAN JULY NOMINATIONS (Ratings Order)
HORSE AGE M/R TRAINER
JACKSON (4C) 113 Brett Crawford
POMODORO (4C) 113 Sean Tarry
BEACH BEAUTY (5M) 112 Dennis Drier
HILL FIFTY FOUR (4G) 112 Vaughan Marshall
MASTER PLAN (4G) 111 Alec Laird
CAPETOWN NOIR (3C) 110 Dean Kannemeyer
WHITELINE FEVER (4G) 109 Sean Tarry
BRAVURA (6G) 108 Joey Ramsden
MUJAARIB (AUS) (4C) 108 Mike de Kock
SEAL (5G) 108 Gavin van Zyl
GALILEO’S DESTINY (5G) 107 Mike de Kock
TAIPAN (4G) 107 Dean Kannemeyer
ZAMBUCCA (4C) 107 Saeed Mohideen
KING OF PAIN (3C) 106 Joey Ramsden
RUN FOR IT (5G) 106 Justin Snaith
THUNDER DANCE (4F) 106 Brett Crawford
ICE MACHINE (4G) 105 Garth Puller
TRIBAL DANCE (4C) 105 Vaughan Marshall
GOLD ONYX (NZ) (5G) 104 Sean Tarry
SMANJEMANJE (6G) 104 Tyrone Zackey
LOVE STRUCK (3G) 103 Paul Lafferty
PESSOA (4G) 103 Alec Laird
PIERRE JOURDAN (6G) 103 Gary Alexander
TELLINA (3C) 103 Geoff Woodruff
VIVA MARIA (4F) 103 Mike de Kock
ASTRO NEWS (4G) 102 Charles Laird
BULSARA (6G) 102 Gavin van Zyl
E-JET (4G) 102 Sean Tarry
JET AGLOW (3F) 102 Glen Kotzen
LIANCOURT ROCK (AU (4G) 102 Dean Kannemeyer
GOLDEN CHATEAU (AU (4C) 101 Duncan Howells
DO YOU REMEMBER (3F) 100 Geoff Woodruff
ENCHANTED KINGDOM (5M) 100 Paul Peter
HEAVY METAL (4G) 100 Sean Tarry
POTALA PALACE (4C) 100 Mike Azzie
PUNTA ARENAS (4G) 100 Stan Elley
GLORIOUS JET (4G) 99 St John Gray
SANSHAAWES (3G) 99 Mike de Kock
SHOGUNNAR (4G) 99 Gavin van Zyl
WAGNER (4G) 99 Joe Soma
CAYMEN ISLAND (7G) 98 Yogas Govender
ILHA BELA (4F) 98 Mike de Kock
RED FORT (4G) 98 Geoff Woodruff
WAR HORSE (3C) 98 Corne Spies
AMERICAN STORM (3G) 97 Spike Lerena
PENHALIGON (4C) 97 Alyson Wright
PUTNEY FLYER (4G) 97 Weiho Marwing
BARACAH (4G) 96 Sean Tarry
LOCKHEED JETSTAR (4C) 95 Geoff Woodruff
PATRIOTIC REBEL (3G) 95 Mike de Kock
YER-MAAN (4G) 95 St John Gray
ABERCROMBIE (3C) 94 Mike Bass
CHERRY ON THE CAKE (5M) 94 Gavin van Zyl
SABADELL (3G) 94 Geoff Woodruff
SILENT PARTNER (5G) 94 Mike de Kock
YORKER (3C) 94 Geoff Woodruff
GENERAL SHERMAN (4G) 93 Sean Tarry
ALEXANDRA PALACE (3C) 92 Mike de Kock
FOURTH ESTATE (5G) 92 Colin Scott
HAMMIE’S DYNASTY (4G) 92 Mike Bass
MEISSA (4G) 91 Gary Alexander
SAFE HOUSE (3G) 91 Mike Azzie
TERRITORIAL WATERS (4G) 90 Tony Rivalland
TRUE MASTER (3C) 90 Justin Snaith
BIG CITY ANGEL (5G) 89 Gavin van Zyl
IZORA (3F) 89 Mike de Kock
WILD ONE (3G) 88 Jeff Freedman
PRICELESS JEWEL (3F) 86 Adam Marcus
TEQUILA SUNRISE (3G) 86 Mike de Kock
WYLIE HALL (AUS) (3C) 86 Weiho Marwing
TIME OF SONG (3G) 80 Deon Visser
SILVER SPRING (4C) 77 Gavin van Zyl
DREAMBYTHEMASTER (3G) 76 Charles Laird
VERTICAL TAKEOFF (7G) 101 Sean Tarry
TOTAL ENTRIES: 74
Important dates:
Tuesday, 14 May 2013 - First Supplementary Entries
Monday, 10 June 2013 - Final Supplementary Entries
Tuesday, 11 June 2013 - Weights Published
Monday, 24 June 2013 - Declarations close
Tuesday, 25 June 2013 - Announcement of Final Field and Barrier Draw
Thursday, 27 June 2013 - Vodacom Durban July Gallops at Greyville Racecourse
