Nicci Garner put forward two likely candidates yesterday in Marsh Shirtliff and Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, and they'd certainly be the favourites if our bookies were offering some interesting side bets on SA's most famous race, like a Mike de Kock winner or a Mike Bass, as they have 11 of the 20 runners between them.

Punters looking to back any July horse currently in single figures for a win or place might well be best advised to wait till they see what the tote is paying. In the past I've often taken an ante-post price only to find the tote offering double the odds as the field makes its way to post.

Checking the early tote July payouts at noon yesterday, showed 4-1 favourite Irish Flame paying 8-1 on the tote. ``Early doors’’, certainly, but punters should shop around for the best odds.

The Trifecta is another great bet to take on the July as - because there are a lot of silly wagers on ``roughies’’ from once-a-year backers who ``like the name’’ - the payout is usually far better than anyone expects.

Now the pundits are having their say every day and - for my money - the two most interesting observations have come from Justin Snaith and ever-entertaining Andrew Fortune. Justin voiced the opinion that ``10 of the horses shouldn't even be in the field’’ while Andrew said on Tellytrack that the ``J&B Met form doesn't look up to much’’.

Justin should have been pressed to name the 10 - that would have got some fur flying. Personally, I think his runner, Russian Sage, was lucky to get the nod from the panel. I know Sheldon Peters is sweet on the five year-old's chance, but he failed to beat Fort Petersburg at Greyville last month. In contrast, Winter's Night has won his last four starts in Zim and would certainly have had his supporters north of the Limpopo.

The beauty about Winter Night's exclusion is that the three-year-old will be in action at Greyville on Saturday in a race that is a sort of July consolation - the Schweppes 2200 (Race 3). Anthony Delpech will be at the controls on the son of Western Winter and - if you're looking to build your bank before the July - I recommend you couple Neil Bruss' runner in the Swinger with Joey Ramsden's Predestination.

The likely favourite in this G3 event is Mrs O's four year-old Saluki and victory would be a pointer to Happy Valley (to whom he finished second to at Clairwood last month).

For some reason (probably due to his good Gold Circle Derby run), I've a feeling young Muzi Yeni might well finish in the first four. Don't leave the white horse with the black jockey out of the Trifecta or Quartet.

One horse on the drift in the ante-post market is Fort Vogue, the mount of Anton Marcus, the jockey who is bidding for a fifth July win. Here's another interesting bet: will Anton make it to 200 wins on the final day of the season?

Anton confirmed to me yesterday that he needs another four to reach his double century and he's surely in with a shout with attractive mounts like Sports Coach (in my book a penalty kick in the opener), Rulerofthedesert (Race 2), Rudi Rocks (Race 3), Happy Archer (Race 5), Fort Vogue (July) and juvenile, Allagain, in the last.

``I guess Sports Coach would be my best, but I really haven't set a target of 200. I'll settle for 197,’’ he said. He didn't add ``also another July’’, but that's a given.

We humans get ourselves into quite a tizzy in July week and I've always wondered if the horses also know what time of year it is. If they do, then it might be worth a dip on Lance's 12-10 Mike Bass. Two of his trio, Pocket Power and River Jetez, have seen it all before.

Finally, count your lucky stars that horseracing is a cleaner sport than motor-racing. In Germany on Sunday, Ferrari driver Felipe Massa was told to move over in favour of Fernando Alonso because the latter ``is faster than you’’.

Imagine - using one of the sponsors new gadgets - Mike de Kock getting through to Anthony Delpech at Greyville and saying: ``Move over for Kev, he's on your inside’’ followed by ``Karl - you're running on empty, let Muzi through - we want the Trifecta.’’

No, thankfully there's too much history - not to mention a first prize of over R1.8 million - up for grabs in the July for there to be any skulduggery. If you backed Massa to win on Sunday you did your money in cold blood. That won't be the case on Saturday with Messrs Marcus, Shea, Lloyd and Strydom behind the controls.