The final field and the barrier draw for the 2013 Grade 1 Vodacom Durban July was announced at Greyville Racecourse on Tuesday afternoon, 25 June.
There were no major surprises with the 2012 winner, Pomodoro from the Sean Tarry yard, heading the field with 60kg. Piere Strydom retains the ride for owner Chris van Niekerk and Pomodoro jumps from barrier seven. Tarry has a very strong hand in this year’s Vodacom Durban July as he also saddles Heavy Metal, the Gr. 1 President’s Champions Challenge winner, Whiteline Fever and E-Jet.
Capetown Noir heads the three-year-olds, with 55kg and the multiple Gr. 1 winner will jump from barrier 15 under regular jockey Karl Neisius for trainer Dean Kannemeyer. Kannemeyer trained Dynasty to win from barrier 20, so the 15 draw should be of little concern. Two visiting jockeys will also be in action at the Vodacom Durban July. Greg Cheyne, who is currently riding in Singapore, will partner Love Struck for Paul Lafferty, while Glyn Schofield, who is based in Sydney, will be riding E-Jet for Sean Tarry.
Multiple champion jockey Anton Marcus will hold the reins of Hill Fifty Four, a narrow loser in the Grade 1 J & B Met earlier in the year, when going down to Martial Eagle. Trainer Vaughan Marshall also has a second runner in Tribal Dance.
Aldo Domeyer, who steered Martial Eagle to his first Group 1 success in the J & B Met, will attempt to win the Met July double, when he partners Punta Arenas in the Vodacom Durban July. The Silvano gelding is lightly weighted with 53.5kg and jumps from barrier 17. Do You Remember is the only filly in the race and the diminutive winner of the Gr.1 Woolavington 2000 will carry 54.5 with the experienced Robbie Fradd in the saddle.
The Justin Snaith pairing of Run For It and Jet Explorer, drew barriers one and two respectively and since Run For It has been gelded, the punters have climbed in, making him one of the early favourites for the race. Sean Cormack has the ride on Run For It,
Thursday morning, the Vodacom Durban uly gallops will take place at Greyville Racecourse, where punters and owners alike can get a last look at the stars in action.
.Final Field and draws for Vodacom Durban July
Sc# Horse Mass MR Draw Jockey Trainer
1 POMODORO 60.0 113 (113) 7 P Strydom Sean Tarry2 HEAVY METAL 59.5 112 (112) 11 S Khumalo Sean Tarry
3 HILL FIFTY FOUR 59.5 112 (112) 10 A Marcus Vaughan Marshall4 WHITELINE FEVER 59.5 112 (112) 6 B Fayd'Herbe Sean Tarry
5 SEAL 58.5 110 (110) 13 F Herholdt Gavin van Zyl6 ASTRO NEWS 57.0 107 (107) 8 K Shea Charles Laird
7 TRIBAL DANCE 57.0 107 (107) 12 M Byleveld Vaughan Marshall8 RUN FOR IT 56.5 106 (106) 1 S Cormack Justin Snaith
9 SHOGUNNAR 56.5 106 (106) 3 K Teetan Gavin van Zyl10 E-JET 55.5 104 (104) 18 G Schofield Sean Tarry
11 CAPETOWN NOIR 55.0 107 (105) 15 K Neisius Dean Kannemeyer12 NO WORRIES 55.0 107 (105) 19 B Lerena Gavin van Zyl
13 WYLIE HALL 55.0 107 (105) 14 M Odendaal Weiho Marwing14 DO YOU REMEMBER 54.5 106 (104) 4 R Fradd Geoff Woodruff
15 JET EXPLORER 54.0 101 (101) 2 A Delpech Justin Snaith16 PUNTA ARENAS 53.5 100 (100) 17 A Domeyer Stan Elley
17 LOVE STRUCK 53.0 103 (101) 9 G Cheyne Paul Lafferty18 WAGNER 53.0 98 ( 98) 5 N Juglall Joe Soma
19 GOTHIC 53.0 97 ( 95) 20 G Hatt Kumaran Naidoo20 WILD ONE 53.0 95 ( 93) 16 R Danielson Jeff Freedman