A galaxy of South African thoroughbred stars will gather at the Theatre Of Champions in Durban on Saturday, July 25, for the final performances of Champions Season’s racing magic.

Super Saturday at Greyville is what brings the curtain down on the three-month feast of top graded racing and just over 180 horses have been nominated for the seven feature events on the card headed by the pinnacle challenge for the country’s stayers, the R1.25-million, Grade 1 eLan Property Group Gold Cup over 3 200m.

There is hardly a name among horses that qualify for the carded events that is not among the entries, promising racegoers a tasty platter of mouth-watering excitement.

The eLan Property Group Gold Cup, like the Vodacom Durban July, is one of the iconic events in South African racing and the quality of runners nominated for the event confirms its status as the premier marathon race on the African continent.

Among the 19 entries for the 3 200m marathon are the first four horses past the post in the SABC Gold Vase at Greyville on Vodacom Durban July day, Heart Of A Lion, Wild Ash, Solid Speed and J’s Outsider, the runner-up in the Gold Cup last year Wild One as well as the first four home in the Track & Ball Derby at Scottsville, Disco Al, Hot Ticket and the dead-heaters for third place, Savage Wind and Kingston Mines.

The fillies are ready to take on the colts with Ash Cloud, Gallica Rose and Vino Veritas, the first three past the post in the Gold Circle Oaks, among the entries.

The R1-million, Grade 1 Champions Cup over 1 800m has attracted the cream of South Africa’s thoroughbreds among its 16 nominations including the pair that fought out the finish to the Vodacom Durban July, Power King and Punta Arenas, along with last year’s July winner and the winner of the Rising Sun Gold Challenge Legislate.

Futura, winner of the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate, the J&B Met and the Champions Cup last year, is also among the entries having finished fourth under top weight in the July.

The two Grade 1 juvenile races over 1 600m, the Premier’s Champion Stakes and the Thekwini Stakes, have been strongly supported with the Premier’s Champion Stakes receiving 27 entries including the exciting unbeaten winner of the Gatecrasher Stakes Rabada while the Grade 1 Zulu Kingdom Explorer Golden Slipper winner Chestnuts n Pearls heads the list of 23 fillies nominated for the Thekwini Stakes.

Picture: Heart Of A Lion (Nkosi Hlophe)