14/05/2024
Herewith the first Hollywoodbets Durban July Log as issued today by Gold Circle. The Log was determined by Messrs Lennon Maharaj (Senior Handicapper), Raf Sheik and Graeme Hawkins and their deliberation was overseen by Manfred Rohwer, Chairman of the Gold Circle Racing Committee.
The panel considered Merit Ratings, Current Form and Graded Race performances in arriving at their decision and the issuing of the Log is to provide a clear indication to all stakeholders and racing fans as to where each horse fits into the pecking order with just 53 days to go before the running of the R5-million Hollywoodbets Durban July at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday 6 July.
In a genuine effort to be as transparent as possible, the Log is issued on the basis that if the HDJ was run today, these are the horses that would make up the final field. But there are still a number of key races scheduled in the coming weeks, presenting an opportunity for horses to improve their chances of being considered for the final field at the time of final declarations at 11:00 on Monday 24 June.
Forty-five horses stood their ground at the first acceptance stage yesterday with the second declaration stage set for Monday 3 June. A notable scratching was the unbeaten 3-year-old filly, Gimme A Nother who is destined to continue her racing career in America. Flag Man was the only additional supplementary entry after his eye-catching win on Saturday, but he will need to perform well in the Daily News 2000 to get into the final HDJ field. There is a final supplementary entry stage which closes at 11:00 on Tuesday 18 June. The Log reflects the top twenty horses in order of preference and the next six in alphabetical order.
