The Countdown Begins

THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS 
By Liesl King
As the sky changed from a murky blue to a pale pink, the contenders for the G1 Vodacom Durban July stretched their legs at Clairwood Racecourse for the last time yesterday, in more ways than one. Clairwood has been sold, and next year the white paddocks, where impatient Thoroughbreds are now circling, will no longer exist. Clairwood does not have the vistas that the Summerveld training center offers, but it has a charm all its own; from the tiny hut, where copious amounts of coffee and rusks were dispensed every morning, to the pair of blue cranes majestically strutting up and down the grass hoping to catch some insects in the wake of the passing horses. 
Dawn brought the tractors out onto the sand track, and behind them came a steady procession of top contenders for the Durban July, all vying to be the first to etch their footprints onto the pristine sand. Karl Neisius isn’t a veteran jockey for nothing; hence, it came as no surprise to see the familiar white blaze of Capetown Noir (SAf) (Western Winter) stealing a march on his rivals. The black colt moved easily under Neisius, going at a steady canter while hard-held. Capetown Noir certainly has the credentials to greet the judge in the premier race, but in the past the short run in at Greyville has been his nemesis. The long-striding colt prefers around 600 meters to build up steadily to top speed, and the 450 meter home stretch of Greyville has seen him caught short before. Neisius was confident the addition of blinkers for the first time will make a difference, and the colt certainly looked a picture of health. Geoff Woodruff’s string were out next, withMaster Sabina (SAf) (Jet Master {SAf}), his runner in the G3 The tabGOLD 2200 on the July undercard, leading the way under assistant Thomas van Rensburg. Thomas was next entrusted with July favorite Louis The King (SAf) (Black Minnaloushe), who he expertly guided around the track at a steady half-pace. The Triple Crown winner was pulling hard and flew over the track, ears pricked. Being entrusted with the final workout of the ruling favorite is serious business, and the look of fierce concentration on Van Rensburg’s face was priceless. Louis The King ticks all the boxes and deserves to be favorite. He may, however, be hampered 
by the lack of pace in the race, forcing jockey Kevin Shea to change tactics. He could, though, be helped by the reduction in field size from 20 to 16. This lessens the impact of Louis The King’s draw in barrier 10, and as long as Shea has the colt well positioned as the field swings for home, the race could be his. 
Stiff competition is likely to come from pro-tem champion trainer Justin Snaith’s two 3-year-olds, Legislate (SAf) (Dynasty {SAf}) and In The Fast Lane (SAf) (Jet Master {SAf}). Legislate won the G1 Investec Cape Derby and the G1 Daily News 2000 with consummate ease. He is good enough to win the July, but a slowly run race would not count in his favor. Richard Fourie, Snaith’s stable jockey, has chosen to ride Legislate, but In The Fast Lane cannot be discounted. The filly has a light weight of 119 pounds and the services of Grant van Niekerk, one of South Africa’s most exciting young riders. 
Woodruff also sends out Rake’s Chestnut (SAf) (Horse Chestnut {SAf}), second in the G1 Daily News to Legislate. The chestnut, however, is still gangly, and has yet to learn how to settle, fighting race rider Anton Marcus all the way down the track. He should be in the thick of things at the business end of the race, but is more likely to be a very dangerous contender next year. Tellina (SAf) (Silvano {Ger}) rounded off Woodruff’s trio of Vodacom Durban July contenders as the sun rose above the blue gums trees. 
All that is left is to remember that last year, trainer Sean Tarry shipped in the day before with a lightly weighted horse called Heavy Metal (SAf) (Silvano {Ger}). Tarry prefers to fly under the radar, and Heavy Metal had skirted the popular lead-up races, coming into the Vodacom Durban July on a light weight and without anybody taking notice. Heavy Metal duly won the Durban July under S’Manga Khumalo. 
This year, Tarry’s Halve The Deficit (SAf) (Right Approach {GB}) has followed the same pattern, and was still on the float down as the morning’s trackwork came to an end. Tarry has ensured that Halve The Deficit has done just enough to qualify without catching the handicapper’s or the public’s attention. The 5-year-old gelding, who was last seen finishing second in the G3 Jubilee H. June 14, prefers a slow pace, and while he is not quite in the league of Legislate or Louis The King, he may just surprise us all and deliver Tarry’s third straight victory. 
Racing is a fickle game, where large reputations are often dented. There is no such thing as a dead cert (well, unless its Frankel or Black Caviar), and all that I can say for certain is that at 4:23 p.m. today a new Vodacom Durban July winner will be crowned!