A tsunami of entries have been received by Gold Circle for the eight feature races on the supporting programme to Africa’s Greatest Horseracing Event, the R3.5-million Vodacom Durban July, promising to make the meeting a spectacular 4th of July occasion.
Attracting an incredible galaxy of racing talent from around the country, many of the races are heavily oversubscribed with a total of 253 horses nominated for the eight events.
The three Grade 1 races, the Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes, the Golden Horseshoe and Golden Slipper have drawn 21, 35 and 32 nominations respectively with a massive 44 entries for the Grade 3 Campanajo 2200 and 60 for the Listed Thukela Handicap.
Heading the entries for the R750 000 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes is the Mike de Kock-trained super filly Majmu who is also strongly fancied in the betting for the Vodacom Durban July. De Kock has the unenviable task of deciding which of the races she will contest on the day as she is well drawn at three for this fillies event and will have to take her chances in the draw for the July.
Also among the entries is the Alec Laird-trained winner of the Woolavington 2000, Smart Call, along with the winner of the KRA Fillies Guineas from the Brett Crawford stable, Alexis. Her stable companion Maybe Yes, third to Hammie’s Hooker in the Tibouchina Stakes is also among the entries and Mike Bass is looking for the feature double with “the Hooker.”
Bass has also entered his dual Grade 1 winner Inara in the race. After winning the Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes and the Klawervlei Majorca Stakes, she finished second in the KRA Fillies Guineas but ran below expectations when fifth in the Woolavington 2000.
The classy filly Same Jurisdiction from the Duncan Howells stable, second in both the SA Fillies Classic and the Tibouchina Stakes, will be looking to go one better here.
The Durban Golden Horseshoe and the Zulu Kingdom Explorer Golden Slipper are the juvenile events over 1 400m with both races carrying a stake of R600 000. They have both been strongly supported with 35 entries for the colt’s race and 32 for the filly’s race.
Some very smart juveniles are in these races including the Dennis Drier-trained Seventh Rock colt Seventh Plain and the Captain Al colt Redcarpet Captain from the Gavin van Zyl stable that filled the first two places in the Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion at Scottsville. They are joined by the SA Nursery winner Arabian Beat, the unbeaten Gatecrasher Stakes winner Rabada and the Godolphin Barb Stakes runner-up Beat The Retreat.
The runner-up to Entisaar in the Allan Robertson Fillies Championship, Princess Royal from the Glen Kotzen stable is one of the leading entries for the Golden Slipper along with her stable companion and winner of the Strelitzia Stakes, Royal Pleasure.
Also among the entries is the Mike Azzie-trained runner-up in the SA Nursery Frosted Honey and the Count Dubois filly Madame Dubois from the Robbie Sage yard that ran a good third in the Allan Robertson.
Among the 25 entries for the Grade 2 SABC Gold Vase are last year’s eLan Group Gold Cup runner-up and a recent second in the Cup Trial, Wild One, and the Dynasty gelding Solid Speed from the Dean Kannemeyer stable that has won his last three starts including the Highland Night Cup and the Lonsdale Stirrup Cup.
The 44 entries for the Grade 3 Campanajo 2200, the “consolation” race for horses that do not make the Vodacom Durban July cut, is laden with talent including many that are still hoping for a place in the premier event.
