Vodacom Durban July Final Field Selection Process

Why could their reasoning not be publicized after the final field announcement? It would save a lot of speculation. :S

gg Wrote:

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> July should be made up of G1 and G2 winner
> /placed horses ONLY ! When all will -D


the july is a HANDICAP not a weight for age race so the best handicaped horses that have been well placed by the trainer and not the best horse will win the july...in europe there are no group one races run as handicaps ....the best horses in south africa for example horse chestnut and variety club have given the july a miss ...as great a race the july is it is NOT ALWAYS WON BY THE BEST HORSE ...the group one two or three or listed race is a term that is used for stud book purposes and the european system is the best and most reliable as they run all their races at group one level at weight for age unlike sa where we have group one races at handicap level....in my opinion the july should become like the met has become in order to attract the best horses into the race and there would be no ducking and diving by trainers and invariably the best horses would win...each year the july is becoming an absolute farce and the whole nominations stages supplementary entries is way to long and drawn out and just costs owners and punters money...our horses trainers breeders and jockeys are first world but our racing administrators and operators are third world and how mdk puts up with this shit is beyond me after racing in dubai and the europe......

Maybe less is better sometimes, have a max of 12 horses??

shrek Wrote:

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> Why could their reasoning not be publicized after
> the final field announcement? It would save a lot
> of speculation. :S


Why indeed? I would suggest 'they' needed some time to come up with a 'reasonable' explanation.

And I agree with TH - contradictions apparent in the 'explanation' - if somebody completely unobjective analyse this issue, I'm sure a few questions remain:

Looking at Love Struck's run in the Daily News, how could he be an 'unanimous selection' ?

If the reason for Wagner getting in is NOT because he was the Summer Cup winner, how on earth can his inclusion be justified?

How can Rock Coctail be left out after soundly beating both Love Struck and Wild One?

If Do You Remember is 'over-rated' did she get in on being the Woolavington winner - if not why no Jet Belle?

imo south african racing has been going backwards for many years now and even a die hard punter like me has become disillusioned with the game and i rather play online poker everyday to satisfy my gambling habit.too many things abt our racing bugs me at the moment and i hv serious suspicions of certain trainers doping their horses to achieve the results they are getting,another big problem is kzn trying to rule the roost in racing,when imo they hv the weakest horses,trainers and tracks in sa barring pe and kimberley.my biggest turn off is that no policing is visible and no questions are asked abt inconsistent running and how certain donkeys can win so often with no questins even being asked by stipes.
the july is becoming a joke with the fields becoming poorer and poorer year by year and how so many kzn trained no hope horses make the field is beyond me.g hawkins can give explanations and his theories as to the make up of the field, but i know that kzn trainers are very weak and many dont deserve a place in the line up.at the rate the operators are going in kzn they will ruin the july and make it just another handicap like the summer cup has become in jhb.just give them time and they will self destruct with all the problems like electrocuting starting gates,unfit tracks,delays in loading almost every race its only a matter of time b4 they lose more and more punters to other forms of gambling.

The NHA is aware of and concerned over the controversy and debate in the media and various public forums which has arisen subsequent to the selection of the final field for the 2013 Vodacom Durban July and in relation to the conditions of the race.

In the best interests of both the sport of horseracing and the Vodacom Durban July, The National Horseracing Authority has decided to open an Inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the selection of this year’s final field and to review both the selection criteria and the conditions of the race which will be applied in the future.