The Agony and Ecstasy of the July

THE AGONY AND ECSTASY OF THE JULY 
As South Africa’s premier race, the G1 Vodacom Durban July is firmly in the spotlight. It is the one race every trainer, owner and jockey wants to win. Yet the race is never without controversy and drama. Usually the selection of the final field, which rests, according to the race rules, in the hands of a panel, is enough to make grown men cry when their star is left out of the final 16. For every horse that makes the final field, there is a hard luck story of one who didn’t. 
Then we get to the race itself. A tight bend, followed by a cutaway rail and a short 450 meter run-in is by itself a recipe for potential disaster. Now add a slow pace or a wide draw, and you are beginning to get the picture. Dominant horses in the July are few and far between, and a start to finish winner almost unheard of. Dead heats? Well, we have had two of those. A win from barrier 20? Superstar sire Dynasty did that as a 3-year-old. The one thing the Vodacom Durban July hasn’t had in recent times, though, was a winner by objection, the last upheld objection being 20 years ago. Was it likely to happen again? Of course! One just rather hoped that it never did. 
Sadly, the saying ‘never say never’ rang true today, as an objection was announced before the field had even returned to the paddock. Gone was the victory lap and the standing in the stirrups celebrations as the crowd of 50,000 scream their approval. Instead, the winner was sent back to the paddock to await the outcome, while the runner-up’s furious jockey headed for the boardroom. One never wants to lose a race in the boardroom, and one definitely does not want to lose the biggest race of the year in the boardroom. Yet, rules are rules, and while blissfully ignorant press around the world posted the results of the 2014 Vodacom Durban July on their websites, proclaiming Wylie Hall (Aus) (Redoute’s Choice {Aus}) as the victor, the on-course crowd watched the drama play out in real life. 
Down on the hallowed turf waited South Africa’s President, Jacob Zuma, ready to hand out the silver salvers, bottles of bubbly and roses to the winning connections–except there weren’t any. No trainer had come bounding down the steps three at a time. No jockey had tried to imitate Frankie Dettori by leaping exuberantly off his trusty steed’s back in the winner’s circle to the roar of the crowd. Instead, we had silence. Silence as the President waited, the dignitaries waited, the media waited and the crowd waited. 
When the announcement finally came, it was almost an anticlimax. The objection had been upheld. Legislate (SAf) (Dynasty({SAf}), the G1 Derby, G2 KRA Guineas and G1 Daily News 2000 winner, had added the R3.5 million G1 Vodacom Durban July to his already impressive list of victories, thus delivering jockey Richard Fourie his first July victory and the 2013/14 trainers’ championship to his trainer, Justin Snaith. 
The photographers gathered quickly, hopeful that a victory parade was now on the cards, but yet again, fate stepped in. And as the sunny day turned dark with an approaching storm, the announcement came that Legislate had pulled up lame in his near fore and would not be returning for his victory sash and celebratory lap of honor. In the end, his owners, trainer and jockey donned the silver, red and blue sashes as they shook hands with the President. 
Fact: Legislate and Wylie Hall had bumped each other in the desperate battle for the line. Fact: Legislate had come off worst from the encounter and was carried out slightly by Wylie Hall, yet the two finished with noses touching. Would Legislate have won without the interference? We will never know. What we do know is that somehow we were all left with the overwhelming feeling that while we now had an official winner, it just wasn’t the same. Fortunately, the somber mood did not last very long, as up next was the last of the Grade 1 races, the Garden Province S. 
The 6-year-old mare Beach Beauty (SAf) (Dynasty {SAf}) was out to defend her crown in one last glorious race before retiring to stud. As she made her move under regular jockey and old friend Sean Cormack, the announcer called her home. “And here comes Beach Beauty!” The mare reached the lead, cruising past her rivals, and it seemed as if it was race over. Then out of the chasing pack charged her old enemy Hammie’s Hooker (SAf) (Trippi). The younger mare was catching Beach Beauty with every stride, and an upset looked inevitable. 
However, this is Beach Beauty we are talking about, the small mare with the heart of a lion and an extraordinary will to win. Suddenly, Hammie’s Hooker was no longer gaining, and at Beach Beauty’s quarters she stayed. Cormack started celebrating a long way before the line, gaining himself a hefty fine, but he simply didn’t care. He was going to make the most of this oh so special victory. Beach Beauty crossed the line 3/4 of a length in front, with Cormack still celebrating. The replay showed that, thankfully, I wasn’t the only photographer jumping up and down like a lunatic, screaming her home. In fact, the entire contingent of photographers, as well as the watching crowd, had their arms in the air, celebrating her magnificent victory. Vodacom Durban July Day 2014 will go down in history as the race where the winner wasn’t the winner and another took his place. As with all things in life, however, things are never upside down for long. All it took was a gutsy mare and a glorious victory to put the world right again.