Big City Life: trainer Glen Kotzen said win was the highlight of his career

  PICTURE: goldcirle.co.za  

Big City Life lands punt to win Durban July

Report: South Africa, Saturday

Greyville: Vodacom Durban July (Grade 1) 1m3f, turf

BIG CITY LIFE, heavily backed by his connections, gave Glen Kotzen what he described as the highlight of his 18-year training career, when landing the Vodacom Durban July at Greyville on Saturday.

Pocket Power was backed down to 6-5 favourite but he was almost last, andin an impossible position, for much of the race. He flew home in the final two furlongs but fifth was the closest he could get.

Big City Life (11-2), on the other hand, was always handily placed in third as Warren Kennedy cut out the running on Mike de Kock's Forest Path. Kennedy then made the favourite's task even more difficult by slowing the pace.

Greg Cheyne kicked on Big City Life just under a furlong out and the three-year-old shot clear. He had enough in reserve to hold de Kock's 55-1 shot Zirconeum by three-parts of a length. Forest Path was third and Thundering Jet fourth

Cheyne, 33, who goes to Hong Kong for six months in five weeks' time, said: "I knew I would win at the furlong marker. I still hadn't asked him for his kick and his acceleration is unbelievable."

The winner is a son of the former Dermot Weld-trained Ballysax Stakes winner Casey Tibbs and was bred by Kotzen's mother-in-law, Judy Wintle.

Kotzen, 42, said: "People kept saying the three-year-olds were not good enough to win the July this year but I said this one is. We started backing him at 25-1 and I had a lot on.

"Winning this race means everything. It's the highlight of any South African trainer's career. The horse won't go to Dubai. He will stay here but he will have a nice long holiday before he runs again."

Mike Bass blamed a slow start for Pocket Power’s defeat and said: “The plan was to settle him handy but he loaded awkwardly and jumped awkwardly, and Bernard Fayd’herbe had no choice but to drop him in.

“But they went no pace and he had no chance from where he was even though he ran a great race.”

Also on Saturday

Mercedes-Benz Golden Slipper (Grade 1) 7f, turf, 2yo fillies

ALL AFIRE sprang a 15-1 surprise in the Golden Slipper with the strongly fancied Give Me Five struggling from a long way out and finishing a bitterly disappointing tenth.

Johnny Geroudis took it up just overa furlong from home on All Afire and held the determined challenge of My Kazzie by a length.

Trainer Alec Laird said: "She is in the Thekwini Fillies Stakes at Clairwood at the end of the month but she is badly drawn. Also I'm not sure about the mile. If she doesn't run, I will take her back to Joahnnesburg for the season there."

Mike Azzie reported the runner-up a definite starter in the Thekwini, adding "the trip will suit her."

ZuluKingdomExplorer Golden Horseshoe (Grade 1) 7f, turf,2yo

MUSIR produced a devastating turn of foot in the Golden Horseshoe.

The 22-10 favourite looked in trouble when Anthony Delpech started pushing early in the straight but with over a furlong to run the Australian-bred took off. The effect was electrifying. He stormed into the lead and strode clear to beat Straightforward by and impressive three and a half lengths.

Delpech said: "He rather lost his way when I had to pull him out to get off the fence. Possibly it was because he saw the crowd.

"But once he got going he really took off. I haven't ridden one this good for a long time."

Mike de Kock: Dubai target

  PICTURE: Mark Cranham  

Mike de Kock, who also had the fourth - Solid Choice, added: "Musir is a top horse. I don't think he will run in the Premier's Champion Stakes at Clairwood now. He's got no more to prove here. He's earned his ticket to Dubai."

The former Andrew Balding-trained Diamond Quest readily justified 9-2 favouritism in the Grade 2 Schweppes Gold Vase.

The seven-year-old is now back with his original trainer, Mike Bass.

Garden Province Stakes (Grade 1) 1m,turf, fillies and mares

Glen Kotzen and Greg Cheyne rounded off their memorable day when Lady Windermere thwarted Sparkling Gem’s brave attempt to gallop the opposition into the ground in the Garden Province Stakes.

Felix Coetzee swept into an almost immediate lead on the Cape Fillies Guineas winner Sparkling Gem and set a fast pace. Early in the straight he kicked, went three lengths clear and appeared to have the race won.

But his mount faltered in the last 50 yards and was collared by Cheyne on Kotzen’s Lady Windermere who passed the post half a length in front.

Cheyne said: “I never thought I was going to catch the leader and, when she went clear in the straight, she built up a big margin.

“But she had gone hard so I felt there was always a chance and my filly is so gutsy.”

Justin Snaith, trainer of Sparkling Gem, added: “Everything was against our filly including night racing - she doesn’t like the lights – and she will now go into a paddock with Dancer’s Daughter.”