There are a few hopefuls but barring Legal Eagle and overseas-bound Whisky Baron, most of the country’s top middle distance gallopers are among the first entries for the Gr1 R4,25 million Vodacom Durban July to be run over 2200m at Greyville on Saturday, 1 July 2017.
Entries closed at 11am on Wednesday, 12 April 2017 and Gold Circle received 58 entries for Africa’s Greatest Horseracing Event.
Legal Eagle may not be an entry but Champion Trainer Sean Tarry has loaded his gun with 16 entries that include the promising Al Sahem, filly Smiling Blue Eyes and recent Gr3 Byerley Turk winner Africa Rising who put his field to bed in impressive fashion in spite of still wearing a brushing boot that had not been removed at the start.
Justin Snaith, not to be out-done, has entered nine horses including the smart filly Bela-Bela, Byerley Turk runner-up Copper Force and dark horse, Black Arthur.
Candice Bass-Robinson will be pinning her hopes on last year’s runner-up Marinaresco while Captain America, French Navy, Mac de Lago and Heavenly Blue are other notable entries.
Of the local contingent, Duncan Howells has entered two runners from last year, fifth-placed Saratoga Dancer and Ten Gun Salute together with the smart filly Dawn Calling who has yet to race beyond 1600m. The full list of entries are as follows:
HORSE |
TRAINER |
M/R |
| CAPTAIN AMERICA | Brett Crawford | 116 |
| MARINARESCO | Candice Bass-Robinson | 115 |
| FRENCH NAVY | Sean Tarry | 113 |
| MASTER SABINA | Geoff Woodruff | 110 |
| BELA-BELA | Justin Snaith | 109 |
| BRAZUCA (AUS) | Johan Janse van Vuuren | 108 |
| KRAMBAMBULI | Justin Snaith | 107 |
| MAC DE LAGO (AUS) | Weiho Marwing | 107 |
| THE CONGLOMERATE (AUS) | Joey Ramsden | 107 |
| DEO JUVENTE | Geoff Woodruff | 106 |
| HEAVENLY BLUE (AUS) | Mike de Kock | 106 |
| IT’S MY TURN | Justin Snaith | 106 |
| SAFE HARBOUR | Sean Tarry | 106 |
| CELTIC CAPTAIN | Gareth van Zyl | 105 |
| NIGHTINGALE | Candice Bass-Robinson | 105 |
| BLACK ARTHUR | Justin Snaith | 104 |
| FORT EMBER | Paul Peter | 104 |
| SARATOGA DANCER | Duncan Howells | 104 |
| STAR EXPRESS | Justin Snaith | 104 |
| WITCHCRAFT | Sean Tarry | 103 |
| EDICT OF NANTES | Brett Crawford | 102 |
| JUXTAPOSE | Stanley Ferreira | 102 |
| LIEGE | Sean Tarry | 102 |
| SILVER MOUNTAIN | Candice Bass-Robinson | 102 |
| AFRICA RISING | Sean Tarry | 101 |
| MASTER SWITCH | Geoff Woodruff | 101 |
| TROPHY WIFE | Sean Tarry | 101 |
| PRINCE OF WALES | Justin Snaith | 100 |
| TEN GUN SALUTE (AUS) | Duncan Howells | 100 |
| AL SAHEM | Sean Tarry | 99 |
| BANNER HILL | Glen Kotzen | 99 |
| ORCHID ISLAND | Mike de Kock | 99 |
| SMILING BLUE EYES | Sean Tarry | 99 |
| BI POT | Geoff Woodruff | 98 |
| FURIOSA (AUS) | Sean Tarry | 98 |
| HEAPS OF FUN | Sean Tarry | 98 |
| HORIZON | Candice Bass-Robinson | 98 |
| SAMURAI BLADE (AUS) | Sean Tarry | 98 |
| ZODIAC RULER (AUS) | Justin Snaith | 98 |
| BELLE ROSE | Mike de Kock | 97 |
| COPPER FORCE | Justin Snaith | 96 |
| NOTHER RUSSIA | Mike de Kock | 96 |
| DAWN CALLING | Duncan Howells | 95 |
| NEBULA | Brett Crawford | 95 |
| ROCKETBALL | Gavin van Zyl | 95 |
| ROYAL BADGE | Adam Marcus | 95 |
| ELUSIVE SILVA | Justin Snaith | 93 |
| GIRL ON THE RUN | Johan Janse van | 93 |
| PAGODA | Geoff Woodruff | 92 |
| THE ELMO EFFECT | Gary Alexander | 92 |
| FORT MEYERS | Sean Tarry | 91 |
| MACDUFF (AUS) | Joey Ramsden | 89 |
| TILBURY FORT | Sean Tarry | 88 |
| COPPER POT | Sean Tarry | 87 |
| JUBILEE LINE | Mike de Kock | 87 |
| BOLD VIKING | Sean Tarry | 84 |
| SECRET CAPTAIN | Duncan Howells | 83 |
| HAMAAN | Sean Tarry | 80 |
Entries: 58
Important Vodacom Durban July dates to diarise:
- First Declaration: Close 11:00 Monday, 8 May 2017
- First Supplementary Entries: Close 11:00 Tuesday, 9 May 2017
- Second Declaration: Close 11:00 Monday, 29 May 2017
- Final Supplementary Entries: Close 11:00 Monday, 12 June 2017
- Weights Published: Tuesday, 13 June 2017
- Final Declaration: Close 11:00 Monday, 19 June 2017
- Final Field and Draw: Announcement of the Final Field and Barrier Draws will take place on Tuesday, 20 June 2017
- Public Gallops: 7am at Greyville Racecourse, Thursday, 22 June 2017
