Sean Trivass: Eight on Eighteen could be the one in the Durban July

Well as mentioned elsewhere I am currently in South Africa for the Continent’s biggest race on Saturday afternoon – the Durban July.

My bigger article will be a review after the day which I promise will be fun and full of colour (the racegoers at Greville know how to dress up and party, it’s like Ladies Day at Royal Ascot on steroids), but before then I had the chance this morning to chat with top trainer Justin Snaith, firstly at Summerveld training centre and later at his stables in Durban, and as he has won the Durban July five times, the latest with Belgarion in 2020, his views are well worth listening to.

Naturally, as I don’t know too much about South African form, I threw in a few curve balls for the supporting card, and if he has it right (did you see how I passed the buck there?), he could have three winners on Saturday afternoon and we could back every one – fingers crossed that turns out to be true!

Race 7 Grade One Durban July 3.00pm UK time

Africa’s biggest race is an ultra-competitive handicap and trust me, it can get a bit rough as the track narrows up the home straight, so don’t be surprised if luck in running plays it’s part.

Tactics and trouble in running will always remain unknown quantities, so we can only assume all horses get a fair crack of the whip, and in that case Eight On Eighteen could be the one.

Make no mistake, he will need a new personal best to take this off nine stone which I believe would be a record for a three-year-old, but he was described as “520kg of solid muscle” by his handler, yet looked chilled out and relaxed back at the stable.

An easy winner here over a furlong shorter last time out there is a school of thought that this three-year-old crop are very poor this year and that is why he dominates, but Justin thinks otherwise and in a stable where all the horses looked genuinely happy and relaxed, I can see him running a huge race for jockey Richard Fourie.

Eight On Eighteen having a pick of grass with his groom

Race Six – Grade Two Golden Horseshoe 

Although Justin has a runner (or more than one) in pretty much all 12 races on the marathon card, when I asked him what other horses he felt had strong chances he chose two with no pressure whatsoever from yours truly. 

Malmesbury Missilewas the first he mentioned (outside of the big race which was obviously the main topic of conversation).

A two-year-old colt by Gimmethegreenlight, he ran on powerfully to win by a length over this trip last time out, and with a fast run race pretty much assured, he will have every chance of following up here on what could well end up as a very good day for popular jockey Richard Fourie.

Trainer Justin Snaith

Race Eight – Grade One Garden Province Stakes

A mile (or 1600 metres) for our last suggestion at Greyville, and this time my money will be on Double Grand Slam, perhaps an appropriate winner in the middle of Wimbledon fortnight.

I’ll be having more than strawberries and cream and a glass of Pimms if the four-year-old Vercingetorix filly should somehow be our third winner on the card (unlikely but we can all dream), but as she was nominated by her trainer, who am I to argue?  

She was caught close home in January and had no luck in running when sixth to Mia Moo in May, which reminds us all we need a bit of luck to find a winner, but if Andrew Fortune can steer the right path this afternoon (and that will obviously depend on her rivals too), then she could come home alone – though if I am honest, I’ll take one winner out of the three on such a difficult card.

Please keep an eye-out for my full-colour raceday review – the Durban July meeting is an amazing experience that I cannot recommend strongly enough.  

By Sean Trivass