Vodacom July Final Field – Igugu draws 10, Marcus rides Bravura

The results of the Rising Sun Gold Challenge and The Cup Trial had the selection panel who decided the field for next month’s Vodacom Durban July scratching their heads but when the field was announced at a function at Greyville Racecourse this afternoon, there were few hard luck stories and the field was pretty much as expected.

Ruling ante-post favourite Igugu was numbered among five entries for champion trainer Mike de Kock but trainer, owners and punters alike were left hanging at the draw. In a new format, a trainer’s name was drawn out of the hat and thereafter it was up to the trainer or his representative to draw for their horse’s barrier position in race number order.

De Kock’s name was last out of the hat and among the last five barrier positions left were 18,19 and 20.

Assistant trainer John Buckler, doing duty for the De Kock yard, drew 10 for the super filly, Igugu, who will be ridden by regular pilot Anthony Delpech.

Kevin Shea will need to shed a kilo or two to make the weight on stable companion Galileo’s Destiny who also drew well at 8 while the other De Kock runners, Captain’s Wild, Safwan and Flirtation drew 18, 19 and 20 respectively.

The Mike Bass-trained Super Storm cracked a last minute invite by winning the Cup Trial at Clairwood on Monday, the traditional “last chance saloon” for runners making it into the July field. Bass drew gate 9 for his runner and barrier 5 for SA Classic winner English Garden. Castlethorpe drew even closer in at 3.

Investec Cape Derby winner Bravura is one of two representatives from the Joey Ramsden yard who ran a cracking second to Dancewiththedevil in the Rising Sun Gold Challenge. Ramsden just shrugged his shoulders as he drew 11 for Bravura and 16 for his other runner Lion In Winter.

Past Master and Big City Life were both very disappointing in the Gold Challenge but ran lengths below their best form. Past Master was sweating up a little in the paddock before the Gold Challenge but Big City Life looked a picture so both trainers Darryl Hodgson and Glen Kotzen respectively will be looking for solutions over the next fortnight or so. Both runners drew well with Hodgson pulling gate 7 for Past Master while Big City Life drew 2.

The first four past the post in the recent Daily News 2000, namely The Apache, Run For It, English Garden and Black Wing made the field with Black Wing being the first Vodacom Durban July runner for trainer Paul Gadsby. Gadsby drew 12 for Black Wing while the luck was running for Gavin van Zyl who drew 6 for The Apache  and 1 for Bulsara.

Justin Snaith, successful with Dancer’s Daughter back in 2008, saddles Run for It who drew 14 and the second three-year-old filly in the race, Emerald Cove who drew next door at 13.

The R3 million Vodacom Durban July will be run over 2200 at Greyville Racecourse in Durban on Saturday, July 2, 2011.