There were 67 entries for this season’s Vodacom Durban July at Thursday’s Champions Season launch, comprising of 13 colts, eight fillies and 46 geldings.
Good news revealed at the ceremony was that the Durban City Council had recently granted Gold Circle some land which enabled the back straight to be widened by two metres. This means that there will be a field of 18 for this year’s big race. This news was received by loud applause.
The reigning July champion Legislate was among the entries and so was his L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and J&B Met-winning stablemate from the Justin Snaith yard Futura.
Sean Tarry – eleven entries for July
Twice-winning July trainer Sean Tarry had the most entries, eleven.
Four-times July-winning trainer Mike de Kock has eight entries and among them is his brilliant filly, Majmu, who is likely to be priced up as ante-post favourite despite the presence of Legislate and Futura.
Local KZN hopes will likely rest on the shoulders of the Gr 1-winning Kochka from the Alyson Wright yard and the classy Duncan Howells-trained Gr 1-winner Same Jurisdiction, who is due a change of luck. Among the KZN entries is also “the miracle horse”, the Paul Lafferty-trained Double Clutch, who recovered from a life threatening illness before reeling off five wins in just eleven starts.
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