Durban July entries

All of the country’s big guns have been entered and it will be a game of chess for trainers trying to make sure of a July gate and at the same time protecting their merit ratings.

The country’s biggest race will be run at Hollywoodbets Greyville over 2200m on Saturday, 3 July.

Rainbow Bridge, a touch disappointing last year when sixth but recent winner of the Cape Town Met, will almost certainly top the handicap and he will be back for another tilt, all being well.

Eric Sands has also nominated stable companion and half-brother Golden Ducat, fourth in last year’s race.

Last year’s runner-up Got The Greenlight will be out go one better for Joey Soma and extract revenge on the winner Belgarion, also among the nominations and one of 11 entries from the Justin Snaith yard.

The four highest rated fillies are also entered, namely recent Gr1 HSH Charlene Empress Club winner and last year’s Equus Horse of the Year, Summer Pudding, facile Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara heroin, War Of Athena, Captain’s Ransom, winner of both the Gr1 Cape Fillies Guineas and the  Gr1 Majorca Stakes and Running Brave, second to Summer Pudding in the Empress Club and the Gr1 Gauteng Summer Cup. Other notable entries are last Sunday’s WSB Scarlet Lady winner She’s A Keeper and the highly rated Princess Calla.

Mike de Kock has indicated that Triple Crown winner Malmoos may not take his place in the VDJ but the colt is among the entries along with the cream of the country’s sophomore males. De Kock has also entered Barahin, who is on the comeback trail after being winless since his triumph in the Gr1 Emperors Palace Charity Mile back in November 2019.

Snaith’s highest rated three-year-old, Jet Dark, winner of the Gr1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate beating Rainbow Bridge, has been entered along with 3yo stable companions Hoedspruit, The Gatekeeper and Sachdev.

Unbeaten Gr 2 Politician Stakes winner Kommetdieding, trained by father and daughter combination of Harold Crawford and Michelle Rix, is already based at Summerveld and could have his first KZN outing in the Gr2 WSB Guineas on Saturday, May 2.

Vaughan Marshall has entered Gr1 Jonsson Workwear Cape Derby winner Linebacker and Derby runner-up Rascallion while Dean Kannemeyer has entered Gr1 Cape Guineas winner Russian Rock.

Sean Tarry has entered eight runners and Johan Janse van Vuuren’s three entries include the progressive Argentine import Puerto Manzano.

In all, this years Vodacom Durban July field could stack up into one of the strongest in many a year.

First entries for the  R 2,000,000  2200m (Turf)

VODACOM DURBAN JULY (Grade 1)

0 AFRICAN NIGHT SKY  Justin Snaith    107     

0 ATYAAB (AUS)       Zietsman Oosthu  115     

0 AZORES             Dean Kannemeyer  107     

0 BABY SHOOZ         Peter Muscutt     96     

0 BARAHIN            Mike de Kock     119     

0 BELGARION          Justin Snaith    130     

0 BLACKBALL          Gavin van Zyl    110     

0 CAPTAIN’S RANSOM   Justin Snaith    126     

0 CIRILLO            Sean Tarry       120     

0 CROWN TOWERS (AUS) Justin Snaith    115     

0 DIVINE ODYSSEY     J A Janse van V  110     

0 DO IT AGAIN        Justin Snaith    129     

0 DOUBLEMINT         Justin Snaith    118     

0 DR DOOLITTLE       Paul Peter       105     

0 EXPRESSFROMTHEUS   Stuart Pettigre  118     

0 FLYING CARPET      Sean Tarry       108     

0 FULL BLAST         Michael Miller    86     

0 GOLDEN DUCAT       Eric Sands       128     

0 GOT THE GREENLIGHT Joe Soma         124     

0 HOEDSPRUIT         Justin Snaith    108     

0 JET DARK           Justin Snaith    130     

0 KOMMETDIEDING      HWJ Crawford/M   117     

0 LEGITIMATE         Dean Kannemeyer  101     

0 LINEBACKER         Vaughan Marshal  115     

0 MALMOOS            Mike de Kock     125     

0 MARCHINGONTOGETHER Gavin van Zyl    106     

0 MATTERHORN         Alyson Wright    100     

0 NETTA              Paul Peter       102     

0 PACK LEADER        Alec Laird       109     

0 PRINCESS CALLA     Adam Marcus      118     

0 PROMISEOFAMASTER   Candice Dawson   101     

0 PUERTO MANZANO (AR J A Janse van V  110     

0 RAINBOW BRIDGE     Eric Sands       134     

0 RASCALLION         Vaughan Marshal  111     

0 RUNNING BRAVE      Fanie Bronkhors  119     

0 RUSSIAN ROCK       Dean Kannemeyer  114     

0 SACHDEV            Justin Snaith    108     

0 SECOND BASE        J A Janse van V  116     

0 SEEHAAM            Sean Tarry       107     

0 SHAH AKBAR         Sean Tarry       108     

0 SHANGO             Sean Tarry       116     

0 SHE’S A KEEPER     Gareth van Zyl    90     

0 SILVER HOST        Justin Snaith    110     

0 SOVEREIGN SPIRIT   Candice Bass-Ro  124     

0 SUMMER PUDDING     Paul Peter       129     

0 SUPER SILVANO      Brett Crawford   104     

0 THE GATEKEEPER     Justin Snaith    110     

0 TIERRA DEL FUEGO   Sean Tarry       116     

0 TREE TUMBO         Sean Tarry       109     

0 TRIP TO AFRICA     Duncan Howells   101     

0 TRISTFUL           Tony Rivalland   113     

0 WAR OF ATHENA      Paul Matchett    122     

0 YOUCANTHURRYLOVE   Fabian Habib     112     

0 ZILLZAAL           Sean Tarry       116 

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