Bookmakers wasted no time slashing Star Major’s odds for the Hollywoodbets Durban July after the three-year-old’s smashing victory in the Daily News 2000 at Greyville at the weekend.
On Monday morning, the big-race sponsor had Star Major quoted at 3.57 for a win and 0.64 for a place in the R10-million showpiece to be contested over 2200m at Greyville next month.
Last week, James Crawford’s charge could be backed at double-figure odds – and even as long as 25-1 when Hollywoodbets opened its book in mid-February.
The way Star Major came from a wide draw under the guidance of cool and calm French jockey Mickaele Michel – and from the rear of the field entering the short straight – to spreadeagle highly rated opposition in the Daily News 2000 saw a few eyebrows ascending.
The colt started as a 3-1 second favourite for Saturday’s event – behind 28-10 shot Note To Self, who ended up finishing third, 3.00 lengths back, after sitting handy in the running. On the face of it, the latter ran a decent race, but the way the winner sped past him had punters immediately recalibrating their July views.
Changes on betting boards
Note To Self, trained by national champion Jusin Snaith, had been the ante-post July favourite at about 4-1 – jointly with stable companions Wish List and See It Again. But his seeming one-paced effort on the Greyville turf saw him relegated to 5.56 on the betting boards, alongside Wish List, who prevailed in the Lucky Fish Woolavington 2000 for fillies and mares on Saturday’s card – albeit finding it a tougher task than her 46-100 starting price might have indicated.
Cape Town Met champion See It Again has been drifted out to 7.14 – onto the same rung as the popular Eight On Eighteen.
Another of Snaith’s galaxy of July entries, Happy Verse, was trimmed to 10.00 (from 16s) after a rather unacclaimed second place in the Daily News.
Had it not been for Star Major’s irresistible acceleration, Happy Verse would have been a laudable winner of the famous race.
Horses scratched from Durban July
Saturday’s action answered questions hanging over a few July candidates. Cape Guineas winner Jan Van Goyen clearly did not pass top trainer Mike de Kock’s stamina examination in the Daily News, finishing in midfield, and was summarily scratched from the July.
Joburg conditioner Sean Tarry pulled Master Spy and Callmegetrix from the big race after disappointing efforts in Durban.
While Rainbow Lorikeet finished just 3.50 lengths behind Wish List in the Woolavington, trainer Candice Bass was not convinced enough of the mare’s prospects to persevere with her July ambitions.
Other notable July entries to have fallen by the wayside in recent days include Trust, Okavango and Splittheeights.
Durban July second declarations are due on Monday 8 June – after the running of the 1600m Gold Challenge at Greyville and the 1800m Jubilee Handicap at Turffontein, which boast a number of horses completing July preparations.
The all-important big-race weights will be unveiled on Monday 15 June and the final field and draws on Tuesday 23 June.
JULY BETTING (Hollywoodbets, 1.6.26)
3.57 Star Major
5.56 Note To Self, Wish List
7.14 See It Again, Eight On Eighteen
10.00 Happy Verse
12.50 Regulation
14.29 The Real Prince
20.00 Mocha Blend
25.00 Gladatorian, Isivivane, Native Ruler, King Pelles
33.33 Legal Counsel, The Ultimate King
40.00 Fire Attack, Hazy Dazy, Choisaanada, La Pulga
50.00 and upwards the others.
