Brett Crawford said: “We are now getting him ready to go to Durban and his programme could possibly be the Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes  (May 2), the Rising Sun Gold Challenge (June 13) and the Vodacom Durban July (July 4).”

The Gold Challenge is likely to see the four-year-old clash with old rival Legislate for whom the Drill Hall has also been named as a possibility. The July weights are published four days before the Gold Challenge so Futura can be expected to have top weight.

Crawford was among the South African buyers at last week’s Inglis Premier Yearling Sale in Melbourne and purchased the top lot, a Snitzel filly for AUS $560 000 (R5.2 million).

He said: “I had bought in Australia before but not at this particular sale. I bought just the one horse and she is for the Ridgemont Stud (run by Craig Carey).”

– Picture: Liesl King