Panel explain Durban July selection rationale MyZA

Following the announcement of the final field for the 2013 Vodacom Durban July, Gold Circle, with the approval of the panel tasked with selecting the final field, wishes to make public the following summary of the panel’s deliberations.

Of the 32 acceptors, the following 16 horses were unanimously selected:

Pomodoro, Heavy Metal, Hill Fifty Four, Seal, Jet Explorer, Tribal Dance, Shogunnar, Whiteline Fever, E-Jet, Astro News, Cape Town Noir, Wylie Hall, No Worries, Love Struck, Gothic and Do You Remember.

The following six horses were unanimously eliminated:

Master Plan, Bravura, Zambucca, River Crossing, Penhaligon and Abercrombie.

That left four places to be filled from among the following horses:

Wagner, Run For It, Punta Arenas, Wild One, Jet Belle, Tellina, Rock Cocktail, Gold Onyx, Ice Machine and Bulsara.

For the panel, this was quite obviously the most difficult part of the exercise but following a lengthy and detailed analysis of the various contenders, the panel agreed that the next three to be selected would be Wagner, Run For It and Punta Arenas.

That then left one placing to be filled from among Wild One, Jet Belle, Tellina, Rock Cocktail, Gold Onyx, Ice Machine and Bulsara and the panel came to the unanimous conclusion that the final slot became a toss-up between Wild One and Jet Belle.

On revised ratings there was very little to choose between Wild One’s third in the SA Derby and Jet Belle’s third in the SA Oaks but Gold Circle and the panel agreed that the Derby form might hold up the better and thus included Wild One as the final choice at the expense of Jet Belle.

Gold Circle conceded that this was a close call and clearly a subjective view but one that was shared by all members of the panel.

Tellina was excluded as, in the opinion of the panel, he was well held on both the form of the SA Derby and the Daily News 2000.

Rock Cocktail was excluded as he has yet to win a Stakes race and has yet to be Grade 1 placed, his sole Graded Stakes performance being 2nd in a Grade two.

Rock Cocktail’s head to head form with Wild One is 1-1. Wild One beat him convincingly in the Derby Trial, following which Rock Cocktail finished ahead of Wild One in the Daily News 2000. However, the panel took note of the fact that Wild One was finishing very strongly after not enjoying the run of the race and ultimately Wild One has a Grade 1 placing to his credit as opposed to Rock Cocktail’s Grade two placing.

Gold Onyx and Bulsara were excluded as the panel believed that, although they obviously had some grounds for inclusion on current form, they both have had their chances and it has been some time since their last win.

Although rated 109, the panel excluded Ice Machine on the grounds that he had yet to prove his effectiveness and ability to run to that rating over further than 1600 metres.”

The panel included representatives of Gold Circle together with the senior handicappers employed by the National Horseracing Authority.