Gold Circle Pty (Ltd)

Today's Racing :

Record seven runners for De Kock in VDJ

Andrew Harrison

Trainer Mike de Kock has a record seven horses running in this year’s Vodacom Durban July. The final field and draws for Africa’s greatest horse race were announced at a function at Greyville racecourse yesterday and along with trainer Mike Bass, with four runners, they have more than half the field in their care.

The draw was not so kind to reigning Horse of the Year and past winner Pocket Power who drew 17 of the 20 runners but stable companion and J & B Met winner River Jetez drew a plum gate at nine which had trainer Mike Bass smiling.

De Kock has both the ruling ante-post favourite and joint second favourite for the race, Irish Flame and Bold Silvano, and both drew well at six and two respectively.

Canon Gold Cup winner Ancestral Fore, also an inmate of the De Kock yard, drew 13.

Last horse out of the hat was recent Champions Cup winner, Orbison who drew 16.

De Kock’s seven runners are Irish Flame, Bold Silvano, Ancestral Fore, Rudra, Happy Valley, Lizzare and Red Rake while Bass will saddle Pocket Power, River Jetez, joint second favourite Fort Vogue and one of three fillies in the race, Love Is In The Air.

The controversially named filly, Goat, trained by Paul Lafferty and who races in shocking pink silks, drew nicely at three.

In a break with tradition precipitated by the soccer World Cup, the Vodacom Durban July will be run on the last Saturday of the month, Saturday, July 31, in place of its traditional slot of the first Saturday. The race is run over 2200 m and worth total prize money of R3 million.

Latest betting is: 4-1 Irish Flame, 11-2 Bold Silvano, Fort Vogue, 6-1 River Jetez, 12-1 orbison, Ancestral Fore, 14-1 Aslan, 16-1 Pocket Power, Lizarre, Flying Tristram, 20-1 Russian Sage, 25-1 Happy Valley, 33-1 Vertical Takeoff, 40-1 Rudra, 50-1 Faniani, Red Rake, Love Is In The Air, 66-1 Service Ace, 100-1 Captain Scott, Goat.

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