Trainers whose runners made the final field for Africa’s Greatest Horseracing Event, the R2-million Vodacom Durban July, will have heaved a great sigh of relief today when Geoff Woodruff’s six-year-old, Eventuail, made the final 20.

 

The Argentinean import had his second run after a break of nearly two years when he finished fourth in the R600 000 Grade 1 Gold Challenge at Clairwood on Saturday. His inclusion in the field has ensured that the balance of the runners, and the three-year-olds in particular, go into the famous 2 200 metre clash at Greyville on July 2 with acceptable weights.

 

Had he not made the cut, the balance of the runners could have had their weights increased by up to 2kg.

 

The final field was announced at a function at Greyville yesterday and the 20 runners chosen by the selection committee left very little room for complaint or controversy.

 

One very happy member of the audience at the function was Gauteng trainer Mike Azzie whose Badger Land colt, Night Watch, got the nod for July 2. He smiled from ear to ear and it was not long after the announcement that a betting claim on the colt was made and his odds were immediately shortened from 40-1 to 25-1.

 

Geoff Woodruff goes into the race with two other runners in addition to Eventuail, the three-year-olds Dunsinane and Pavlovich and it is significant that he has coaxed Felix Coetzee back to South Africa to ride Pavlovich with stable rider Mark Khan on Dunsinane and Bernard Fayd’Herbe on Eventuail.

 

Mike de Kock has a strong hand with four runners and Weichong Marwing has chosen to ride the three-year-old filly, Irridescence. Brett Smith is aboard the flying filly Ilha Da Vitoria with Robbie Hill on Grey Arrow and MJ Odendaal on Gang Related.

 

Anthony Delpech, who rode Greys Inn to victory last year and Classic Flag in 1998, has been booked to ride the gelding Silverpoint for Ormond Ferraris while Randall Simons has now been declared to ride The Decagon.

 

Francois Naude will be riding Alec Laird’s gelding Arabian Glow.

 

As announced last week, Robbie Fradd will ride the favourite Rabiya and Piere Strydom has been booked by Brett Crawford for Reveille Boy.

 

This year’s Vodacom Durban July field is considered by many to be a very open race in spite of the obvious outstanding talent of Dean Kannemeyer’s favourite, Rabiya.

The latest betting on the Vodacom Durban July, as supplied by the Natal Betting Syndicate, is:

 

18-10 Rabiya; 6-1 Winter Solstice; 8-1 Irridescence; 14-1 Tyson, Grey Arrow, Dunsinane, Zebra Crossing, Reveille Boy; 16-1 Ilha Da Vitoria, Gang Related; 20-1 Eventuail, Silverpoint, Joshua’s Princess; 25-1 Alastor, Western Prospect, Night Watch; 33-1 Dunford, Arabian Glow, Pavlovich; 50-1 The Decagon.