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All the top guns were among the first entries for this year’s R1.5 million Grade 1 Vodacom Durban July when nominations closed today.

The 52 horses nominated for the showpiece at Hollywoodbets Greyville, included two-time winner of the race Do It Again, who, if he triumphs on Saturday, July 25, will become the first horse in the 123-year history of South African’s most famous race to achieve the treble.

But Justin Snaith’s champion will not be short of opposition should all pan out with Hawwaam, Rainbow Bridge and Vardy also amongst the nominations.

Do It Again has not been out since a disappointing effort in the Sun Met at Kenilworth but put in a pleasing gallop at Hollywoodbets Greyville last Sunday and looks on track for a tilt at his third victory in the race.

A somewhat surprising omission was Sunday’s Grade 2 Wold Sport’s Betting Guineas winner, Wild Coast, but with two further entry dates, Snaith still has opportunity.

Hawwaam, the disappointment last year when scratched at the start, was back in business at Turffontein last Saturday with a convincing win in the Grade 1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes. There are export issues to navigate before the race and his participation is not assured. If the European Union protocols are approved, Hawwaam will take his place but if the colt is to be exported via Mauritius he will need to be in quarantine before the race.

Rainbow Bridge, second last year, and second in the Sun Met, has not been seen out since the Met but will be out for revenge and give stalwart owner Mike Rattray the victory in a race he so desperately wants to win.

Stable companion to Rainbow Bridge and Grade 1 Cape Derby winner Golden Ducat, was an eye-catching third in last Sunday’s World Sport’s Betting Guineas and has also been nominated by trainer Eric Sands.

Vardy, a touch disappointing when third in the Grade 2 Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes last Sunday, was a cracking winner of the Grade 1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and will surely come on from that race after a four-month break from the track.

Marcus has also entered Twist Of Fate, third last year for Joey Ramsden who has since moved to Australia.

An interesting nomination by Dean Kannemeyer who has won this race twice, is KZN Derby winner It’s My Turn, off the track with injury for over a year.

Other notable entries are impressive Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes winner Bunker Hunt and Soqrat.

*5 #kznbreds are entered, highlighted in bold.

First entries for the R 1,500,000  2200m

VODACOM DURBAN JULY (Grade 1) to be

0 ALIBI GUY          Mike de Kock     101     

0 AZORES             Dean Kannemeyer   99     

0 BELGARION          Justin Snaith    113     

0 BORN TO PERFORM    Dennis Bosch      98     

0 BUNKER HUNT        Justin Snaith    124     

0 CAMPHORATUS        R A Hill/S R Hi  111     

0 CAT DADDY          Glen Kotzen      101     

0 CHIJMES            Gary Alexander   120     

0 CORNISH POMODORO   Sean Tarry       102     

0 CROWN TOWERS (AUS) Justin Snaith    109     

0 D’ ARRIVEE         Candice Dawson   106     

0 DIVINE ODYSSEY     J A Janse van V  114     

0 DO IT AGAIN        Justin Snaith    135     

0 DUKE OF SPIN       Mike de Kock     101     

0 EYES WIDE OPEN     Glen Kotzen      116     

0 G G’S DYNASTY      Brett Crawford   103     

0 GOLDEN DUCAT       Eric Sands       110     

0 GOT THE GREENLIGHT Joe Soma         116     

0 HAWWAAM            Mike de Kock     131     

0 HERO’S HONOUR      Gary Alexander   117     

0 HERODOTUS          Glen Kotzen      110     

0 IT’S MY TURN       Dean Kannemeyer  118     

0 LADY OF STEEL      J A Janse van V  111     

0 LEOPOLD            J A Janse van V  108     

0 LIBERTY HALL       Dean Kannemeyer  101     

0 MAGNIFICENT SEVEN  Justin Snaith    114     

0 MAJESTIC MOZART    Candice Bass-Ro  107     

0 MIYABI GOLD        Justin Snaith    115     

0 MORE MAGIC         Candice Bass-Ro  102     

0 NEXUS              Justin Snaith    102     

0 PACK LEADER        Glen Kotzen      114     

0 PADRE PIO          Dennis Bosch     110     

0 PROMISEOFAMASTER   Candice Dawson   104     

0 RAINBOW BRIDGE     Eric Sands       134     

0 RETURN FLIGHT      Sean Tarry       108     

0 ROY HAD ENOUGH (AU Frank Robinson   115     

0 ROY’S RIVIERA (AUS Frank Robinson   111     

0 SACHDEV            Justin Snaith    108     

0 SHANGO             Sean Tarry       118     

0 SILVANO’S PRIDE    Justin Snaith    115     

0 SILVER HOST        Justin Snaith    102     

0 SNAPSCAN           Glen Kotzen      118     

0 SOQRAT (AUS)       Mike de Kock     133     

0 SOVEREIGN SPIRIT   Candice Bass-Ro   95     

0 TIERRA DEL FUEGO   Sean Tarry       124     

0 TREE TUMBO         Sean Tarry        91     

0 TRISTFUL           Tony Rivalland   109     

0 TWIST OF FATE      Adam Marcus      129     

0 VARDY              Adam Marcus      134     

0 VICTORIA PAIGE     Sean Tarry       112     

0 VIKRAM             Andre Nel        100     

0 WESTERN FORT       Paul Peter       108     

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Horse racing fans can take heart that the 2020 Vodacom Durban July will take place this year, but as a broadcast-only event behind closed doors.

Vodacom and Gold Circle have confirmed a joint commitment to run Africa’s Greatest Horseracing Event, but under the strictest adherence to all government health protocols surrounding COVID-19.

“Gold Circle, together with the ongoing support of the company’s valued sponsor Vodacom, is fully committed to running the 2020 Vodacom Durban July. Sadly, given the reality of the present circumstances, the race meeting will be staged behind closed doors and without spectators,” said Gold Circle CEO Michel Nairac. “The VDJ has enjoyed an uninterrupted history since first being run in 1897 – not even two world wars prevented the race from being run – and we are doing everything in our power to ensure that 2020 is not the exception,” he added.

The proposed date for the race is Saturday 25 July, but the extremely fluid nature of the current pandemic means this could change as circumstances so dictate.

 “Any decision we make around the Vodacom Durban July this year will be made as a responsible company committed to the safety of all who are involved. As a sponsor, we will work together with all relevant stakeholders and be guided by the horseracing fraternity and the experts in this industry, as well as in government, as we all work towards making this year’s race a reality,” said Michelle van Eyden, the Executive Head of Sponsorship at Vodacom.

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Further to the National Press release issued by the NHA and the Racing Operators on Monday, 13 April, Gold Circle has amended the dates of its signature race days for Champions Season.

Sunday 31 May: 

IOS Drill Hall Stakes (G 2)

WSB Guineas (G 2) 

WSB Fillies Guineas (G 2)

Sunday 28 June: 

Daily News 2000 (G 1)

Woolavington 2000 (g 1)

Gold Challenge (G 1)

Saturday 4 July:

Golden Horse Sprint (G 1)

SA Fillies Sprint (g 1)

Golden Horse Medallion (G 1)

Allan Robertson Fillies Championship (G 1)

Saturday 25 July

Vodacom Durban July (G 1)

Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes (G 1)

Durban Golden Horseshoe (G 2)

Golden Slipper (G 2)

DSTV Gold Vase (G 3)

Saturday 29 August 

Gold Cup (G 3)

Champions Cup (G 1)

Mercury Sprint (G 1)

Premiers Champion Stakes (G 1)

Thekwini Stakes (G 1)

Gold Bracelet (G 2)

Umkomazi Stakes (G 2)

The Debutante (G 2)

The complete Feature Race programme for Champions Season 2020 is available on the Gold Circle website www.goldcircle.co.za

The Vodacom Durban July field has been announced, and sees KZN Breeders Million Mile entrant Rabada lining up for Africa’s most exclusive race for a stake of R4,25 million. The only other horse to attempt this double previously was Gr1 winner, Love Struck.

KZN-bred Rabada will carry 55.5kgs and jumps from a 12th draw for the stable of Mike Azzie. A jockey has not yet been declared. The handsome son of Brave Tin Soldier won the Gr1 Dailys News 2000 recently, silencing his stamina doubts. The Summerhill-bred owned by Markus and Ingrid Jooste will be looking for his sixth career victory, and it is his first attempt over the distance of 2200m.

He is out of a Fard mare named Jordie (in turn out of a Braashee / Comedy Star mare), and descends from the same female line as Naan Khataay – himself a winner of the former KZN Breeders 1600 (Listed). This damline also includes Studio Fifty Four and Freedom Fortune. National Champion Breeders Summerhill Stud will be hoping for a win, after previous success and seconds with Igugu, Pierre Jourdaan and Smanjemanje in the recent past.

The Vodacom Durban July theme this year is “Leader Of The Pack”, and the Gallops will take place on Thursday 23 July at Greyville, starting at 7am.

The KZN Breeders Race Day takes place just a week (Sunday 26 June) before the running of the Vodacom Durban July, and besides the R2,6million in stakes to be won by the connections of the KZN-bred horses on the day in nine races, 25 pairs of Vodacom Durban July entry tickets will be given away on the day. See you there dressed in black and white!

The final field below of the Vodacom Durban July:

Africa’s Greatest Horseracing Event, the Vodacom Durban July, traditionally run at Greyville on the first Saturday in July, is now worth R4,25 million, an increase of R750 000 over the prior year.  Further to the announcement of the increased stake, Gold Circle also confirmed that Vodacom has extended its sponsorship of the Vodacom Durban July for an additional three years.

First entries closed on Wednesday, 13 April 2016, and the 65 nominations were unveiled at the launch of South Africa’s Champion Season 2016 held at Greyville Racecourse.

KZN Sires represented include two by Toreador – Prospect Strike and Trading Profit, whilst Brave Tin Soldier has Gr1 winner Rabada in, and Rathmor Stud’s Romany Prince by Kahal and a half-brother to Gypsy’s Warning present.

The full list of entries are as follows:

(*Horses in bold denote horses by KZN Sires or KZN Bred)

Important Vodacom Durban July dates to diarise:

• First Declaration: Close 11:00 Monday, 9 May 2016
• First Supp. Entries: Close 11:00 Tuesday, 10 May 2016
• Second Declaration: Close 11:00 Monday, 30 May 2016
• Final Supp. Entries: Close 11:00 Monday, 6 June 2016
• Weights Published: Tuesday, 7 June 2016
• Final Declaration: Close 11:00 Monday, 20 June 2016
• Final Field and Draw: Announcement of the Final Field and Barrier Draws will take place on Tuesday, 21 June 2016
• Public Gallops:  7am at Greyville Racecourse, Thursday, 23 June 2016