JULY FINAL FIELD PANELISTS FACE A TOUGH TASK
David Thiselton
The Hollywoodbets Durban July final field panelists will have breathed a sigh of relief that Puerto Manzano won the Gr 3 Jubilee Stakes, because that made their task of selecting the final field a touch easier.
However, this morning the Candice Bass-Robinson-trained 127 merit rated Trip Of Fortune was supplemented, which will make him the new topweight, half-a-kilogram above previously incumbent topweight Zapatillas.
The final field panelists then looked to have an impossible task.
However, it was made a bit easier by a scratching of a July final log incumbent.
Cousin Casey has been scratched by Glen Kotzen simply on the grounds of him not having matched his earlier sparkling form since arriving in KZN.
Winning certain Gr 1 races brings with it automatic qualification for the July final field.
The five automatic qualifiers still standing are See It Again, Puerto Manzano, Bless My Stars, Rain In Holland and Son Of Raj.
The two horses who won the races that give the winner preferential consideration for inclusion in the final field are Pacaya and Winchester Mansion.
However, last year a winner of one of those races, Airways Law, was only made first reserve before being included among the 18 starters due to a late scratching.
This years Gr 2 WSB 1900 winner Pacaya finds himself in a precarious situation.
He was only number 20 on the final July log and a place still has to be found in that top 20 for Gr 3 Hollywoodbets Dolphins Cup Trial winner Winchester Mansion and for the supplementary entry Trip Of Fortune.
A horse fancied by a few to run a big race in the July, Jimmy Don, only managed fifth in the Gr 3 Jubilee on Sunday.
He was number 18 on the final log, but will it be fair to drop him on the grounds of finishing fifth in what was clearly a preparation outing?
Ironically, he would be harder to drop if he had not run. His time in the Gr 1 SA Classic was about 1,2 seconds quicker than it was on Sunday and he also beat Billy Bowlegs, who is number 16 on the log, in the SA Classic, so Sunday's outing was not up to his best performance.
So who can be dropped from the log's top 20?
Nebraas was one position ahead of Pacaya in the final log, but neither horse has run since it was published.
Furthermore, Pacaya gave Winchester Mansion 2kg and a beating in the WSB 1900.
That was Winchester Mansion's first run after a layoff, but it was also Pacaya's even if it was a two-and-a-bit layoff versus a four month one.
However, most would like to see both Pacaya and Winchester Mansion in the final field.
However, to make the all important final 18 they will have to leapfrog three horses above them in the qualifying process, which includes Trip Of Fortune.
They will have to leapfrog three of these horses: Trip Of Fortune, Do It Again, Safe Passage, Pomp And Power, Dave The King, Rascallion, Zapatillas, Second Base, Without Question, Billy Bowlegs, Time Flies, Silver Darling, Jimmy Don, Nebraas.
The difficulty is in Pacaya's case how can they justify him doing the leapfrogging if he has not run since being placed number 20 on the log ... and how can they justify Winchester Mansion going above Pacaya if he was given 2kg and a beating in the WSB 1900?
Mike de Kock commented last week that the qualifying process needs to be looked into.
The final field panelists will probably be praying for two or three scratchings this week.
That is unlikely and the only thing that is probably cast in stone is that after the final field is announced next Tuesday, June 20, there are going to be some disgruntled connections.
However, Pacaya and Winchester Mansion are among four horses who are currently joint second favourite for the July with the sponsor.
If they do not make the final field a number of punters will likely be more than disgruntled.
Picture: The Candice Bass-Robinson-trained Trip Of Fortune became the new incumbent Hollywoodbets Durban July topweight when supplemented for the big race this morning.
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