Defending champion Belgarion is one of a powerhouse Justin Snaith entry of eleven for the R2 million Gr1 Vodacom Durban July to be run on 3 July at Hollywoodbets Greyville.
Currently leading the SA National Trainer log, Snaith, who has done one better than his ten entries last year, has thrown the kitchen sink at his historic bid to win Africa’s Greatest Horserace for the fourth consecutive year.
Click on the image below to see the entries:
Together with reigning SA Champion trainer Sean Tarry, who has eight entered eight, the duo have 35% of the nationally representative 54 first entries received on Tuesday for Gold Circle’s flagship race.
Defending champion Belgarion (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
Snaith has won the July five times, breaking the ice when Dancer’s Daughter dead-heated with Pocket Power in 2008. His entry includes two past winners in double July star Do It Again, and defending champion, Belgarion.
Included in the Snaith assault is L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate winning 3yo Jet Dark, as well as last Sunday’s eyecatching forward-galloping Sledgehammer winner, Crown Towers.
Winner of the July four times, starting with Ipi Tombe back in 2002, Mike de Kock has a duo headed by SA Triple Crown champion, Malmoos.
Dean Kannemeyer has won the July three times, with champion Dynasty’s memorable victory in 2003 his maiden score. Kannemeyer has a trio entered, headed by impressive Cape Guineas winner, Russian Rock.
Sean Tarry has won the July twice previously. His eight strong entry is led by Riverton Stud-bred soldier Cirillo.
Linebacker gallops at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Wednesday (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
Milnerton veteran Vaughan Marshall is still looking for his first July winner but may fancy his chances with his Cape Derby winner Linebacker, supported by the consistent Rascallion – clearly in need of his first start in KZN when fourth in the Sledgehammer.
From the smaller yards, unbeaten Cape 3yo Kommetdieding and hardknocking Joburg-based mare Running Brave are serious contenders.
Veteran Harold Crawford and his daughter Michelle Rix are likely to run bargain buy Kommetdieding in the Drill Hall Stakes or the KZN Guineas on 2 May – the start of the SA Champions Season.
Undefeated Kommetdieding – exciting Cape challenger (Pic -Chase Liebenberg)
Randjesfontein trainer Fanie Bronkhorst only saddled his first runner 5 months ago, and he comes to Durban with the gutsy mare Running Brave, who won the Gr3 London News Stakes earlier this year. While Summer Pudding may have the daughter of Brave Tin Soldier’s number after beating her in the Summer Cup and holding her again last Saturday in the HSH Princess Charlene Empress Club Stakes, Running Brave has the heart of a lion and loves Hollywoodbets Greyville.
While Michelle Rix trains in partnership with her Dad, Harold, the fairer sex yards are well represented by 2017 winner Candice Bass-Robinson (Sovereign Spirit), Candice Dawson (Promiseofamaster) and Summerveld-based Alyson Wright (Matterhorn).
The Eastern Cape have a rare entry in popular Zietsman Oosthuizen traveller Atyaab. The Australian-bred son of Dundeel, known as ‘Attie’ to his trainer and fans, pulled off something of a giantkilling act on Cape Met day when he down the hometown stars in the Gr2 Western Cape Stayers. His Gauteng run in the Caradoc Gold Cup earlier this month was not his form and the travelling may well have got to him.
Seven of the 54 entries are from KZN-based yards, with Gareth van Zyl’s excitingly progressive She’s A Keeper probably the leading hope if she can build on her eyecatching Scarlet Lady victory at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday.
Two of the more optimistic, or ‘if you haven’t got a ticket you don’t have a chance’ type entries include Peter Muscutt’s Baby Shooz, who was also a longshot entry for the Cape Met in January, and Mike Miller’s consistent, but mostly unexposed 3yo, Full Blast.
While the first entry is largely what we expected, two ‘missing in action possibles’ are Copper Mountain (2nd Horse Chestnut, 3rd Gauteng Guineas) and Catch Twentytwo (won Dingaans, 3rd SA Classic).
- First declarations for the July will close at 11h00 on Monday 10 May, while first supplementary entries close 24 hours later.
- Second declarations close at 11h00 on Monday 31 May.
- Final supplementary entries close at 11h00 on Tuesday 15 June.
- Weights will be published on the same day.
- Final declarations close at 11h00 on Monday 21 June.
- The announcement of the final field of 18 plus 2 reserve runners, and their barrier draws, will take place on Tuesday 22 June.
Compulsory public gallops are a condition of acceptance and are scheduled for Thursday, 24 June.
Gold Circle reserves the right in its sole discretion to allow a horse stabled out of province on the day of the gallops to work out in the province where stabled prior to 24 June, provided that the workout is filmed and screened on 24 June.
The organisers of the Vodacom Durban July have indicated that the race will be run behind closed doors again this year– despite the fact that other sports could have some element of crowds at the time.
