The Track and Ball Derby didn’t live up to the hype around it, as we saw Durban July hopeful Aragosta running only second as the odds-on favourite. Will he be in the final field? Will his Grade 1 win from over a year ago in the World Sports Betting SA Derby give him the golden ticket to the Durban July? We’re just one day away from finding out now.
Tuesday is the day that everyone’s guesses and theories get put to bed as the final field for the 2023 Hollywoodbets Durban July gets released, and we finally get to know whether the panelists go with historical form or current form.
The problem in South African horse racing is that once you win a Grade 1 event, your handicap skyrockets, and it takes extremely long for it to deteriorate and that is why certain horses who are performing poorly at the moment, such as Do It Again and Pomp And Power whose last wins have come over a year ago will get in ahead of the up and coming horses who have been performing well over the past couple of months.
Aside from the Durban July Main race, we know there will be another 11 spectacular races on the day. The entries for these races have seen some stellar sorts entered; without a doubt, the other race that will have punters drooling will be the Garden Province Stakes. This race will see a rematch between Princess Calla and Desert Miracle; the betting currently favours Princess Calla but Christophe Soumillion, the Belgian jockey who is set to ride Safe Passage in the Durban July, will ride Desert Miracle, the horse which he partnered to Grade 1 success on WSB Met day earlier this year.
We wish the panel the best of luck in making their decisions, and we do know that the field they choose for 2023 Durban July will be even better than Durban July 2022. We hope your wardrobe is ready because after the field is out, we here at WSB will have you covered on everything you need to know about the horses running in the 2023 Durban July and provide you with great insight throughout the day.
Written by: TheSportsCaster
Image: Aragosta winning the World Sports Betting SA Derby
Final Declaration: Close 11:00 Monday, 19 June – R44,656 (Refunded if not selected to run).
Entry and Declaration fees must be fully paid by Monday, 26 June.
Final Field and Draw: Announcement of the Final Field and Barrier Draws will take place on Tuesday, 20 June
