The final field for the 2018 renewal of the R4,25 million Gr1 Vodacom Durban July was announced at Greyville on Tuesday afternoon.
Star Express – one of three members of the fairer sex in the line-up (Pic – Chase Liebenberg Photography)
The line-up of eighteen runners plus two reserves sees the country’s leading yards of Justin Snaith (5) and Sean Tarry (3) fielding eight runners between them. The 3yo’s dominate with eight representing that age group.
Made To Conquer – Jeff Llloyd’s ride
Justin Snaith will fancy his chances of winning the race for a third time with a powerful quintet that is headed by current favourite and Cup Trial winner African Night Sky, as well as the progressive Made To Conquer, who will be partnered by Jeff Lloyd.
Sean Tarry is also looking for his third July win and his recently gelded Tilbury Fort, runner-up to Mike de Kock’s Yakeen – who also makes the cut – in the Jubilee Handicap, will have many supporters.
Yakeen shades Tilbury Fort in the Jubilee
Premier’s Champions Challenge winner Coral Fever will carry top weight, while Geoff Woodruff’s SA Oaks winner Secret Potion carrying 52kgs at the other end of the scale.
There are bound to be a few hard-luck stories.
Paul Peter’s Gr2 Gerald Rosenberg Stakes winner Sabina’s Dynasty looks a tad unlucky not to have squeaked in.
No place for recent Gr2 winner Sabina’s Dynasty
As does Dean Kannemeyer’s 3yo Gr1 winner and Saturday’s facile Derby winner It’s My Turn.
The Christmas Handicap winner Roy Had Enough is another horse with reasonable form in Gr1 company at his last three starts.
The possible lucky horse has to be Paul Lafferty’s Dark Moon Rising (rated 101), a four-time winner of an MR90 Handicap at best. He is in good recent form and did finish close up in the Sledgehammer and the Greyville 1900 – but is that better than the three feature winners?
The field:
| Sc# | Draw | Horse | Mass | MR | Draw | B A T | Jockey | Trainer |
| 1 | CORAL FEVER | 60,00 | 118 | 4 | B A | M Yeni | Robbie Sage | |
| 2 | GOLD STANDARD | 59,50 | 117 | 6 | B A | C Zackey | Glen Kotzen | |
| 3 | ABASHIRI | 58,50 | 115 | 2 | A | P Strydom | M G Azzie/A A Azzie | |
| 4 | AFRICAN NIGHT SKY | 57,00 | 112 | 10 | A | …………… | Justin Snaith | |
| 5 | ELUSIVE SILVA | 56,50 | 111 | 14 | A | B Fayd’Herbe | Justin Snaith | |
| 6 | LIEGE | 56,00 | 110 | 18 | A T | …………… | Sean Tarry | |
| 7 | STAR EXPRESS | 55,50 | 109 | 9 | A | A Domeyer | Justin Snaith | |
| 8 | DO IT AGAIN | 54,00 | 110 | 16 | A | …………… | Justin Snaith | |
| 9 | MAJESTIC MAMBO | 54,00 | 110 | 19 | A | …………… | Paul Peter | |
| 10 | MATADOR MAN | 53,50 | 105 | 15 | B A | …………… | Sean Tarry | |
| 11 | FIORELLA | 53,00 | 108 | 8 | A | M Khan | Duncan Howells | |
| 12 | WHITE RIVER | 53,00 | 108 | 13 | A | C Orffer | Brett Crawford | |
| 13 | TILBURY FORT | 53,00 | 103 | 20 | A T | …………… | Sean Tarry | |
| 14 | YAKEEN | 53,00 | 103 | 7 | A | R Simons | Mike de Kock | |
| 15 | MADE TO CONQUER | 53,00 | 102 | 12 | A | J Lloyd | Justin Snaith | |
| 16 | ROCKET COUNTDOWN | 53,00 | 102 | 5 | A | …………… | Candice Bass-Robinson | |
| 17 | DARK MOON RISING | 53,00 | 101 | 3 | A | W Kennedy | Paul Lafferty | |
| 18 | SECRET POTION | 52,00 | 102 | 11 | A | M V’Rensburg | Geoff Woodruff | |
| Reserve Runners | ||||||||
| 19 | PACK LEADER | 53,00 | 106 | 17 | A | Reserve 1 | Glen Kotzen | |
| 20 | CROWD PLEASER | 53,00 | 102 | 1 | A | Reserve 2 | J A Janse van Vuuren | |
