When the July was the July

Just watched winning ways - wow hard to imagine The likes of Jamaican Music, Sabre, Majestic Crown, Gigantic, Bahadur ,Archangel etc. all in one race!

The July was the July from the early 70's until a few years ago.In the past 40 odd years ago,plans were already being made by some of the shrewder trainers to place horses very carefully with the intention of getting a runner into the July firstly at the lowest possible weight,the best draw,top jockey and luck in running.About February the cape season would end with the Cape Guineas,Derby and Met and the whole lot would move up to Durban.
Nominations for the July were done by the middle of April,no buy ins and then with the KZN Guineas on the first week of may,the nominations were given,plus the draws and on some occasion an early jockey booking.Now the fun would start.DOUBLES TIME!!! All of the really big punters then spent the next 2 months taking doubles into their fancies for the july.As the races ran some horses hardened others drifted,every headline in the news was about the july.Put the word COUGH on the front page and sell 50000 copies,The result was their were no buy in's.jockeys declared,weights set,Town done up to the nines,July Ball,Golf Day,It was a party week of note.Gold Circle had their biggest taxation pay day as everyone got paid,people discussed the race for weeks after.Bookies took a holiday,some took on extra work driving cabs at night to earn to pay out winning tickets.It was a fantastic time for all in racing.SOUTH AFRICA CAME TO A STOP FOR 3 TO 4 MINUTES TO LISTEN AND WATCH THE RACE.
Today,Nominations are later,buy in's are accepted,the draw is like a lottery ,the public have lost interest,west street is not decorated,july parties are gone,The big money and coups are a thing of the past.If we returned to the old way of doing it it would work,bring back the hype.Early draw,Jockeys declared,Betting out,no massive weight adjustments etcGood true racing,no manipulation to get a lower weight etc.The last great july i believe was LONDON NEWS.THAT WAS THE YEAR A RUMOUR STARTED
THAT IF HE WON THE BOOKIES COULDNT PAY,THE AUTHORITIES WERE RUNNING AROUND CHECKING THE LIBILITY AND WERE TOLD BY THE BOOKIES DONT WORRY WE WILL PAY EVERYONE SHOULD THE FAVOURITE WIN,AS YOU ALL KNOW HE WON,SOUTH AFRICA WENT MAD THE OPERATORS GOT A BUNDLE OF TAX FROM BOOKMAKERS AND RACING WENT ON
Today the hype has gone,i don't even remember who won last years july or the trainer or jockey.SO SAD

im afraid if the last couple of winners had to compete with the horses mentioned earlier we would know exactly the calibre we are with now,and it wont be a pretty picture

Could the same not be said about the Summer Cup and Met?

Does all racing not go through stages ?

Look at the golden patch that is happening in the UK with 3yo's

Yet their sprinters are shocking

Or maybe there is too many poor trainers or poor mares or poor owners?

Bob Dylan told us that the times are a changin. He was right.

maybe its about the diminishing stamina in the pool
they want to breed them for speed regardless

colors wrote: maybe its about the diminishing stamina in the pool
they want to breed them for speed regardless

All the new sires have stamina to offer

and the present mares perhaps the product of that quest

Things have changed forever IMO.................every one of those horses named would be competing in Dubai instead of the July if they were around today.............they were all top horses!

Of the ones mentioned i particularly liked Bahadur and if im not mistaken you would not find stamina doubts in any over the trip