The Sean Tarry-trained three-year-old Dynasty colt Liege made himself a Vodacom Durban July final supplementation possibility when winning a traditional pointer to the big race, the Gr 3 Jubilee Handicap over 1800m at Turffontein yesterday, in cosy style under stable jockey S’Manga Khumalo despite being 0,5kg under sufferance off his 93 merit rating.
The most fancied July horse in the field, Deo Juvente, who was a 13-1 shot for the big one, started favourite yesterday but had to be pulled out of the race. July 150-1 chance Rainy Day Blues was 3,5kg under sufferance and ran a 1,1 length second. Three-year-old Romany Prince was 25th on the last July log and remains a borderline horse after finishing a 2,2 length third while giving the winner 4kg.
Judicial, Jubilee Line, Stonehenge and Diesel Jet were not in the top 25 on the last log and did their chances of making the July field no favours by finishing fourth, sixth, seventh and eighth respectively. Earlier, the Tarry-trained Trophy Wife, who was 21st on the last July log, put her hand up for a place in the final field with a fine win of a Pinnacle Stakes race for fillies and mares over 1400m.
By David Thiselton
