2010 DURBAN JULY WEIGHTS ANNOUNCED
Wednesday, July 7, 2010 at 07:18AM 
Pocket Power - “His Exploits are Legendary”
(Photo - Gold Circle)
VODACOM DURBAN JULY
31 July 2010
Pocket Power has been allocated top weight of 60kg for “Africa’s Greatest Horserace”, the Vodacom Durban July, to be staged this year on 31 July at Greyville Racecourse.
Nicci Garner writes that Pocket Power’s rating has come down three points in the last month positioning South Africa’s ruling champion with a seemingly open run at an event he has already contested three times notching up a win, a fourth and a fifth placing.
The weights for the country’s premier event were announced yesterday and there were few surprises, although trainer Mike de Kock, who has won the race twice before - with Ipi Tombe in 2002 and Greys Inn in 2004 - will not be too thrilled with the 56kg his ruling favourite Irish Flame has been allotted.
Three-year-olds may have managed to win 10 of the last 20 renewals of this Grade 1 race, but none have succeeded in winning under weights in excess of 53kg. Even taking into account the across-the-board 2kg raise, Irish Flame will need to be exceptional to win under that impost.
Irish Flame will be piloted by Kevin Shea, who has now won the SA Derby and Gold Circle Derby as well as the Daily News 2000 on the son of Dynasty. He believes he is on the best horse : “The July is not easy. I’ve got a good ride and I think I’m on the best three-year-old at the moment.”
“I think my stable companions are the horses to beat. I respect horses like Pocket Power and River Jetez but I think our stable is going to have a very strong hand in the July - and if they’re all well on the day, I think they’re going to fight it out,” said Shea earlier this week.
Mike de Kock’s other big hopes in the Durban July are Greyville 1900 winner Bold Silvano (55.5kg), Gold Cup winner Ancestral Fore (55kg), Happy Valley (54kg) and new recruit Lizarre (53.5kg).
All four of them, as well as Rudra who will receive just 0.5kg from Pocket Power, are nearly guaranteed runs in the race and De Kock said on his website earlier this week : “The handicappers have not been lenient on the three-year-olds. They’re lumping the weight on them as if they don’t want them to win.” He also admitted that they had been on the boil for a long time. “But these horses are fit. They have to go out there and the best horse on the day will win.”
Herman Brown’s progressive and highly regarded Orbison galloped into the July picture last Saturday with his impressive win in the Champions Cup when Galileo’s Galaxy (who will be 2.5kg better off if he runs in the July and has attracted big money subsequently) finished second with Pocket Power (1.5kg better off) third and De Kock’s Bold Silvano (1.5kg better off) 3.75 lengths back in fourth. On the bare evidence, Orbison must be fancied to beat his conquests again.
Herman Brown, who will be taking Orbison to Dubai for the 2011 Dubai International Racing Carnival, said yesterday: “He’s a good horse and the way he won last Saturday was promising. He did it with some authority. Plus, he’s still improving. I believe he’ll be better at four and five than he is at three because he’s a tall, leggy horse who hasn’t developed his full strength yet.”
“But the Durban July under 55.5kg? The three-year-olds have become the heavy-weights in this race. It wasn’t long ago that the three-year-olds got 50 and 51kg - and maybe the handicappers are going overboard.”
“The three-year-olds are a decent bunch, though, and seem to be doing quite well,” he continued before suggesting a lack of depth in the older generations was the reason the three-year-olds looked so good.
Brown continued : “As it stands, the draw will be very important. If Orbison can draw in the first five or six it’ll make all the difference. Then I’ll say he’s one of three horses with a big chance in the July.”
Pocket Power’s stable companion Fort Vogue is currently the second favourite for the big race. The four-year-old will meet Irish Flame at level weights, while the Bass champion’s full-sister to Pocket Power, River Jetez, who has also been well backed in ante-post betting, is set to carry 1kg less.
Sean Tarry’s Summer Cup winner, Aslan, who was only pipped by Bold Silvano in the Greyville 1900 (often considered a good pointer to the July), has also attracted a good deal of money and, with 54.5kg. His supporters will be thrilled with their investment.
Important dates to note :
8 July 2010 : First Declaration
15 July 2010 : Final Field to be announced on Tellytrack
22 July 2010 : Public Gallops at Greyville Racecourse
31 July 2010 : Vodacom Durban July at Greyville Racecourse
VODACOM DURBAN JULY WEIGHTS
| Horse | Age | Kg | MR | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| POCKET POWER | 7 G | 60.0 | 117 | Mike Bass |
| RUDRA | 5 H | 59.5 | 116 | Mike de Kock |
| FABIANI | 4 G | 56.5 | 110 | Glen Kotzen |
| IRISH FLAME | 3 C | 56.0 | 113 | Mike de Kock |
| FORT VOGUE | 4 G | 56.0 | 109 | Mike Bass |
| BOLD SILVANO | 3 C | 55.5 | 112 | Mike de Kock |
| ORBISON | 3 G | 55.5 | 112 | Herman Brown |
| RED RAKE | 5 G | 55.5 | 108 | Michael De Beer |
| ANCESTRAL FORE | 3 G | 55.0 | 111 | Mike de Kock |
| RIVER JETEZ | 6 M | 55.0 | 107 | Mike Bass |
| ASLAN | 4 G | 54.5 | 106 | Sean Tarry |
| FOREST PATH | 4 G | 54.5 | 106 | Stephen Page |
| LOVE IS IN THE AIR | 4 F | 54.5 | 106 | Mike Bass |
| HAPPY VALLEY (ARG) | 3 G | 54.0 | 109 | Mike de Kock |
| CAPTAIN SCOTT | 4 G | 54.0 | 105 | Alec Laird |
| LIZARRE | 3 C | 53.5 | 108 | Mike de Kock |
| GRAFTON STREET | 8 G | 53.5 | 104 | Mike Stewart |
| RUSSIAN SAGE | 5 H | 53.5 | 104 | Justin Snaith |
| BULSARA | 3 G | 53.0 | 106 | Gavin van Zyl |
| ECHOHAWK | 3 G | 53.0 | 106 | Dominic Zaki |
| GALILEO’S GALAXY (AUS) | 3 C | 53.0 | 106 | Charles Laird |
| TALES OF BRAVERY | 3 G | 53.0 | 106 | Vaughan Marshall |
| AL’S DEPUTY | 3 G | 53.0 | 105 | Kumaran Naidoo |
| FLYING TRISTRAM | 3 G | 53.0 | 105 | Charles Laird |
| EXHILIRATION | 3 C | 53.0 | 104 | Dominic Zaki |
| SERVICE ACE | 3 G | 53.0 | 104 | Mike Bass |
| STRAIGHT FORWARD | 3 G | 53.0 | 102 | Mike de Kock |
| VERTICAL TAKEOFF | 4 G | 53.0 | 101 | Sean Tarry |
| GALANTHUS | 3C | 53.0 | 100 | Tyrone Zackey |
| KILLARIDGE (ZIM) | 5 G | 53.0 | 100 | Weiho Marwing |
| NOBLEWOOD | 5G | 53.0 | 100 | Stephen Page |
| STRATEGIC NEWS (AUS) | 6 H | 53.0 | 100 | Herman Brown |
| WINTER’S NIGHT | 3 G | 53.0 | 100 | Neil Bruss |
| DELLOTTO | 3 C | 53.0 | 99 | Kumaran Naidoo |
| SPEED FOR GOLD | 5 G | 53.0 | 99 | Dennis Drier |
| BOUQUET-GARNI | 4 G | 53.0 | 98 | Gavin van Zyl |
| FORT PETERSBERG | 3 G | 53.0 | 97 | Dominic Zaki |
| KING FERNANDO | 3 G | 53.0 | 96 | Doug Campbell |
| SUPERFEDERATION | 4 G | 53.0 | 94 | Gary Alexander |
| CALL TO COMBAT | 4 C | 53.0 | 91 | St John Gray |
| SALUKI (GB) | 4 G | 53.0 | 91 | Michael de Beer |
| WITTENBERG | 3 C | 53.0 | 90 | Gavin van Zyl |
| CITIZEN DANTE (AUS) | 5 G | 53.0 | 87 | Glen Kotzen |
| ROYAL ROCKER (AUS) | 3 G | 53.0 | 82 | Tony Rivalland |
| TOP MARK (BRZ) | 3 C | 53.0 | 0 | Mike de Kock |
| HERE TO WIN (BRZ) | 3 F | 52.0 | 102 | Mike de Kock |
| GOAT | 4 F | 52.0 | 101 | Paul Lafferty |
| IMPERIOUS STAR | 3 F | 52.0 | 99 | Glen Kotzen |
| SANGRIA GIRL | 5 M | 52.0 | 98 | Greg Ennion |
| FLIRTATION | 3 F | 52.0 | 97 | Mike de Kock |
| EQUIPARADA (ARG) | 3 F | 52.0 | 94 | Mike de Kock |
Gold Circle 6 July 2010
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