Confusion reigned when the first entries for Africa’s Greatest Horseracing Event, the 2011 Vodacom Durban July, were announced at a function in Durban yesterday as the 43 entries for the R3-million extravaganza did not include a single runner from the stable of champion trainer Mike de Kock.
As the internationally acclaimed, globe-trotting conditioner had won the country’s premier race with Ipi Tombe, Greys Inn and last year with Bold Silvano, everyone was waiting with anticipation to see which of his runners would be aimed at the big race.
In particular, everyone was looking to the star filly Igugu to be among the entries and Michael Weare of Betting World said the filly’s exclusion from the early entries had thrown the ante-post betting scene into a spin as they had priced her up as 5-1 favourite when framing the odds which open on Friday (April 15).
But the entries include some exciting horses, none more than the Tony Rivalland-trained Royal Zulu Warrior who is unbeaten in three sprint races and the unbeaten Ice Axe from the Charles Laird yard.
Big City Life, who won the race in 2009, has been nominated by trainer Glen Kotzen and the talk is that the horse is back to his best.
Another exciting entry is that of Dancewiththedevil from the stable of St John Gray. The filly has won two Grade 1 feature races in the last month and looks to be something very special.
Mike Bass, who has won the Vodacom Durban July three times with Trademark, Dunford and Pocket Power, has entered English Garden that travelled from the Cape to Gauteng to win the SA Classic as well as a very promising Australian import, Castlethorpe.
Also from the Cape comes another horse with great potential in Il Saggiatore from the stable of Joey Ramsden while Justin Snaith has nominated his star three-year-old Run For It who ran close up in the Grade 1 J&B Met in January.
Pierre Jourdan, the darling of the Highveld, is back in top condition and has been entered by Gary Alexander.
While De Kock has not entered any runners at this stage, there is little doubt that they will be nominated at the first or final supplementary stages which close on May 10 and June 6 respectively. It is understood that the owners of Igugu are very keen for the filly to take her place in the big race field and the country will be waiting to see what other runners De Kock has earmarked for the race.
The full list of first entries for the R3-million, Grade 1 Vodacom Durban July to be run over 2 200m at Greyville in Durban on Saturday, July 2, is as follows:
HORSE TRAINER M/R
BIG CITY LIFE Glen Kotzen 116
BOUQUET-GARNI Gavin van Zyl 96
BRAVURA Joey Ramsden 110
BROWN PENNY Mike Bass 88
BULSARA Gavin van Zyl 107
CASK Stephen Page 100
CASTLETHORPE (AUS) Mike Bass 97
CHINDIT Charles Laird 90
DANCEWITHTHEDEVIL St John Gray 111
EMERALD COVE Justin Snaith 106
ENGLISH GARDEN Mike Bass 108
EXTRA COVER Alec Laird 84
FORT VOGUE Mike Bass 104
GALILEO'S DESTINY Charles Laird 104
GALILEO'S GALAXY (AUS) Charles Laird 103
GOAT Paul Lafferty 101
GOLD ONYX (NZ) Sean Tarry 96
GOLDEN CHARIOT Sean Tarry 98
GREY COSSACK Carl J Burger 90
HAMMIE'S BOY Mike Bass 96
HAPPY LANDING Joe Soma 96
ICE AXE Charles Laird 93
IL SAGGIATORE (AUS) Joey Ramsden 102
IN WRITING (ARG) Dean Kannemeyer 103
JET JAMBOREE Dominic Zaki 88
LION IN WINTER Joey Ramsden 108
M'LORDS THROAT Glen Kotzen 102
MAHOGANY Weiho Marwing 86
MASAI WARRIOR Mike Azzie 84
MYSTIC MOON Greg Ennion 103
PAST MASTER Darryl Hodgson 115
PIERRE JOURDAN Gary Alexander 110
POWER PARK Sean Tarry 95
REGAL RANSOM Sean Tarry 106
ROMAN WALL Sean Tarry 98
ROYAL ARROW (AUS) Geoff Woodruff 87
ROYAL ZULU WARRIOR Tony Rivalland 92
RUN FOR IT Justin Snaith 111
SOLO TRAVELLER Justin Snaith 108
SUPER STORM Mike Bass 99
THE APACHE Gavin van Zyl 107
WE THREE Justin Snaith 102
ZORBA'S TALE (AUS) Lucky Houdalakis 104
(43 Entries)
NOTE:
- First Supplementary Entries closes at 11am on Tuesday, 10 May 2011
- Final Supplementary Entries closes at 11am on Monday, 6 June 2011
- Weights to be published on Tuesday, 7 June 2011
- First Declarations closes at 11am on Thursday, 9 June 2011
- Final Declarations closes at 11am on Tuesday, 14 June 2011
- Final Field and Draw Announcement will take place on Wednesday, 15 June 2011
- PUBLIC GALLOPS will take place on Thursday, 23 June 2011