First Vodacom Durban July Entries Announced

First Vodacom Durban July Entries Announced

The Justin Snaith pairing of KZN-born Futura and last year’s winner Legislate head a list of 67 nominations for this year’s R3,5 million Vodacom Durban July.

First entries for Africa’s Greatest Horseracing Event to be run at Greyville Racecourse on Saturday, July 4, were revealed at a function to launch the three-month Champions Season festival of racing at Greyville today (Thursday) and include the majority of the country’s best middle distance horses.

A number of KZN-bred and associated horses have been entered, including All The Bids by Daring Bid who stood at Orangewood and Middlefield Stud previously.

Aldora-bred Run Rhino Run, out of the brilliant Gallic League racemare Haute Cuisine, has won two races impressively for owner Roy Moodley from just three starts, another KZN-bred by Silvano.

Kildonan is represented by Mike De Kock’s super Scotsnog. Yellow Star Stud’s entire National Yearling Sale draft is by the courageous Kildonan and includes a close relative to Singapore champion Flax.

KZN Breeder Bruce Nicolas has a half-brother by Western Winter to his brilliant filly In The Fast Lane entered, out of Northern Guest mare First Arrival. Light The Lights is a two-time winner who finished two lengths off Heartland, the full-brother to Jackson in the recent running of the Gr3 Byerley Turk over 1400m. Light The Lights has won very comfortably over 1600m twice before.

Dante’s Legacy, known previously as Tom’s Legacy was the top-priced Silvano of his year at the National Yearling Sales, consigned by Peter and Jenny Blyth of Clifton Stud.

Interestingly, both top-priced Silvano’s that year, each a colt and filly, who were sold off the 2013 National Yearling Sale both came from KZN, the latter from Backworth Stud.

Dante’s Legacy has a half-sister on the sale once more with Clifton Stud, a lovely chestnut filly by Kahal selling as Lot 365 (pictured).

Scott Bros are represented with their strong son of Miesque’s Approval, Gr2 Victory Moon Stakes winning Judicial who placed second in the Gr1 Summer Cup stands a strong chance after a consistent Group performing career.

Dynastic Power is a half-brother to KZN resident sire Ravishing by Jet Master, who has relocated to Spring Valley Stud – the sire of Flying Fellow. The last two KZN-breds include a son of Kahal, Solar Star, trained by Dean Kannemeyer and owned by Messrs Greg Bortz, Bryn Ressell and Mrs Vanessa Harrison has been ultra-consistent having won four races and looking for further.

The last is Paul Lafferty’s brave Double Clutch, a very warm sight to see this super gelding entered after fighting off the crippling disease, West Nile Virus, over a year ago.

He is currently firing on all cylinders, winning five races – his last three consecutively with the very last being the Easter Handicap Listed. The son of Stronghold bred by Derek Martin out of a Northern Guest mare, is owned by Mr Williams and there must be so much excitement at the prospect of Double Clutch’s entry into the Vodacom Durban July.

The *full list of first entries are as follows:

(*indicate horses associated or bred in KZN)