VDJ2019: First Declarations For Vodacom Durban July

#kznbreds finished 1-2 in the Gr1 Empress Club Stakes, headed by Camphoratus. Image: Chase Liebenberg

Only six of the 49 original entries for Africa’s greatest race, the R4.25-million, Grade 1 Vodacom Durban July to be run over 2 200m at Greyville in Durban on Saturday, July 6, failed to stand their ground at the first declaration stage today together with the recent sad loss of SA Derby winner Samurai Warrior. Five of the first declarations are #kznbred.

There are 42 horses still in contention for a run with a further two, recent The Sledgehammer winner Orpheus, trained by Mike and Adam Azzie and Insignis from the Geoff Woodruff yard, in line to be supplemented tomorrow.

While some of the six that have been withdrawn might have found it difficult to make the final 20 runners carded for the race based on their current rating status, and with limited opportunities available to improve their situations, saving the R3 450 non-refundable fee to move forward may not have been seen as worthwhile.

Heading the withdrawals is the five-year-old Captain Al gelding Doosra from the Johan Janse van Vuuren stable that had a 104 merit rating and the Wolf Power victory on which to make a claim while the three-year-old Querari filly Arianos Shadow and the two entries from the Sean Tarry yard, Shenanigans and Silver God, would require considerable improvement to catch the eyes of the July Selection Panel.

The three horses seen generally as the main contenders for victory, Hawwaam, Do It Again and Rainbow Bridge, have stood their ground with many racing fundis expressing opinions that it “looks like” a three-horse race.

The full early ante-post betting as declared by World Sports Betting is:

7-2 Hawwaam; 5-1 Do It Again; 11-2 Rainbow Bridge; 11-1 Barahin; 20-1 Head Honcho, Doublemint, Magnificent Seven; 25-1 Twist Of Fate, Orpheus; 28-1 Made To Conquer; 33-1 Return Flight; 35-1 Bunker Hunt; 40-1 Legal Eagle, Tilbury Fort, Hero’s Honour, Zillzaal, Charles, 45-1 Oh Susanna, Platinum Prince; 50-1 Lady In Black; 66-1 Alyaab, Miyabi Gold, Noble Secret; 70-1 Dark Moon Rising, Divine Odyssy; 75-1 Eyes Wide Open, Elusive Silva; 85-1 Alyaasaat, The Dazzler; 100-1 Fresnaye, Camphoratus, Secret Potion, Run Red, Protea Paradise, Silva’s Bullet, 125-1 Dawn Assault; 150-1 Roy Had Enough, Herodotus; 200-1 Banner Hill, Thanksgiving; 250-1 Red Chestnut Road, Fiorella, Roy’s Riviera, Flichity By Farr, Top Classman. Journalist: Richard McMillan

First declarations for the R4.25 million (Gr1) Vodacom Durban July

*BOLD denotes #kznbred horses or by #kzn stallions

Sc# Horse Mass MR Draw B A T Jockey Trainer

0 DO IT AGAIN 0.0 125 (125) 0 A …………… Justin Snaith

0 RAINBOW BRIDGE 0.0 124 (124) 0 A …………… Eric Sands

0 HEAD HONCHO 0.0 122 (122) 0 A T …………… Andre Nel

0 HAWWAAM 0.0 121 (117) 0 A …………… Mike de Kock

0 OH SUSANNA 0.0 118 (118) 0 A …………… Justin Snaith

0 TWIST OF FATE 0.0 117 (113) 0 A …………… Joey Ramsden

0 LEGAL EAGLE 0.0 116 (116) 0 A T …………… Sean Tarry

0 BUNKER HUNT 0.0 112 (108) 0 A …………… Justin Snaith

0 LADY IN BLACK 0.0 112 (112) 0 A …………… Dennis Drier

0 DIVINE ODYSSEY 0.0 111 (111) 0 A C Habib J A Janse van Vuuren

0 TILBURY FORT 0.0 110 (110) 0 A T …………… Sean Tarry

0 EYES WIDE OPEN 0.0 109 (109) 0 B A T …………… Glen Kotzen

0 RETURN FLIGHT 0.0 109 (105) 0 A …………… Sean Tarry

0 ROY HAD ENOUGH 0.0 109 (109) 0 A …………… Frank Robinson

0 BARAHIN 0.0 108 (104) 0 A …………… Mike de Kock

0 MADE TO CONQUER 0.0 108 (108) 0 B A …………… Justin Snaith

0 HERO’S HONOUR 0.0 107 (107) 0 A …………… Gary Alexander

0 DARK MOON RISING 0.0 106 (106) 0 A …………… Paul Lafferty

0 DAWN ASSAULT 0.0 106 (106) 0 B A T …………… St John Gray

0 THANKSGIVING 0.0 106 (102) 0 A …………… Duncan Howells

0 ATYAAB 0.0 105 (101) 0 B A …………… Mike de Kock

0 CAMPHORATUS 0.0 105 (105) 0 A …………… R A Hill/S R Hill

0 MIYABI GOLD 0.0 105 (105) 0 A …………… Justin Snaith

0 NOBLE SECRET 0.0 105 (105) 0 A T …………… Mike de Kock

0 ZILLZAAL 0.0 105 (101) 0 B A T …………… Sean Tarry

0 CHARLES 0.0 104 (100) 0 A …………… Brett Crawford

0 DOUBLEMINT 0.0 104 (104) 0 A …………… Justin Snaith

0 FRESNAYE 0.0 104 (104) 0 A …………… Joey Ramsden

0 MAGNIFICENT SEVEN 0.0 104 (104) 0 A …………… Justin Snaith

0 ELUSIVE SILVA 0.0 103 (103) 0 A …………… Justin Snaith

0 SECRET POTION 0.0 102 (102) 0 A …………… Geoff Woodruff

0 HERODOTUS 0.0 101 ( 97) 0 A …………… Glen Kotzen

0 FIORELLA 0.0 100 (100) 0 A …………… Duncan Howells

0 THE DAZZLER 0.0 99 ( 99) 0 A …………… Mike de Kock

0 PLATINUM PRINCE 0.0 97 ( 97) 0 B A …………… Justin Snaith

0 BANNER HILL 0.0 96 ( 96) 0 A …………… Geoff Woodruff

0 ROY’S RIVIERA 0.0 95 ( 95) 0 A …………… Frank Robinson

0 FLICHITY BY FARR 0.0 94 ( 94) 0 A …………… Alyson Wright

0 RUN RED 0.0 94 ( 94) 0 A …………… Andre Nel

0 PROTEA PARADISE 0.0 92 ( 88) 0 B A …………… Mike de Kock

0 SILVA’S BULLET 0.0 91 ( 91) 0 A …………… Dean Kannemeyer

0 TOP CLASSMAN 0.0 84 ( 84) 0 A …………… Paul Lafferty

(42)

STILL TO BE DECLARED – 2 Horses in Category

0 INSIGNIS 0.0 102 (102) A N Supplementary Entry 2816231 Geoff Woodruff

0 ORPHEUS 0.0 94 ( 94) A T N Supplementary Entry M v Rensburg 2813027 M G Azzie/A A Azzie

SCRATCHINGS

SILVER GOD

SAMURAI WARRIOR

RED CHESNUT ROAD

ARIANOS SHADOW

SHENANIGANS

DOOSRA

ALYAASAAT

Important Vodacom Durban July dates to diarise:

First Supp. Entries: Close 11:00 Tuesday, 14 May 2019
Second Declaration: Close 11:00 Monday, 3 June 2019
Final Supp. Entries: Close 11:00 Tuesday, 18 June 2019
Weights Published: Tuesday, 18 June 2019
Final Declaration: Close 11:00 Monday, 24 June 2019
Final Field and Draw: Announcement of the Final Field and Barrier Draws will take place on Tuesday, 25 June 2019
Public Gallops: 7am at Greyville Racecourse, Thursday, 27 June 2019

-goldcircle.co.za