Dubbed 'Africa's Greatest Horseracing Event' and attracting over 50 000 people each year, the Vodacom Durban July, held on the first Saturday of July each year (except for the 2010 Soccer World Cup), is certainly Durban's premier annual racing event.

The first July, run over 1600m (the distance was extended five times before reaching the current 2200m in 1970), took place in 1897 as the Durban Winter Handicap and since then, has developed in terms of distance, prize-money, entrants and sponsors. The name changed over the course of its history, to the Durban July Handicap in 1928, reverting to its original name during the Second World War (1943-5), back to the Durban July Handicap in 1946 before a major sponsorship was found.

From 1963 to 1989, everyone knew it as the Rothmans July Handicap before simplifying it to the Rothmans July. With the change in tobacco advertising, the 38 year long association came to an end, before the current sponsors, Vodacom came on board in 2002. The race is now entrenched as the Vodacom Durban July.

The first running attracted 500 sovereigns in prize-money. On offer in the 2011 Grade 1 Vodacom Durban July is R3 million. This year, 20 will take part, although the biggest field ever was 33 runners in 1917. The smallest fields were in 1897 and 1908, with seven horses running.

Looking over the history of the event, some interesting facts and figures emerge. One point to note is that there appears to be no perfect age at which a thoroughbred is entered to race. Ages range from two to seven years old and winners have come from all ages, although four years old seems to be the best age, accounting for 42 of the winners.

Only four horses have ever won the July back-to-back with El Picha (1999/2000) the most recent. The other three were Milesia Pride (1949/50), Corriecrian (1907/1908) and Campanajo (1897/98).

Sea Cottage is a name well-known in racing circles, certainly one of South Africa's greatest ever race horses. Sea Cottage and Jollify dead-heated in 1967, one of only two occurrences that the first two horses past the winning post came in together. The other was more recently, in 2008, when another legend, multiple J&B Met and Queens Plate winner Pocket Power and the grey filly, Dancers Daughter, dead-heated for first place.

The record for the most runs by any horse is shared by Gondolier and Beau Art who both ran five times, while Irish import, Flaming Rock took part in four Julys, winning at his first attempt in 1991. After placing in 1993 and 1994, he was retired to Stud.

While the greys have often been a sentimental favourite, there have been only five grey winners in the history of the race. Dancer's Daughter dead heated with Pocket Power in 2008, while previously Right Prerogative (1989), Jamaican Rumba (1982), Jamaican Music (1976) and Silver Phantom in 1942 achieved the feat. (Greys Inn (2005) is excluded because he was actually a dark bay colt!)

Another crowd favourite (especially amongst the fairer sex) is the filly or mare entrant, although, like the greys, they have a limit number of wins accrued over the years. Just 11 have won going back to Peerless in 1903. Since then there have been winners here and there with Ipi Tombe winning to great acclaim in 2002. The aforementioned Dancer's Daughter dead heat with Pocket Power in 2008 as the most recent win by a filly. S'Manga Khumalo made history by being the first black jockey to ride home a Vodacom Durban July winner, with Heavy Metal in 2013.
Pictured above are Wylie Hall and Legislate locked into battle before a controversial finish, which saw Legislate being awarded the winner.

The Winners: