Vodacom Durban July Day is the greatest extravaganza of racing, fashion and fun on the African continent and in addition to the top-class field of 20 in the R2-million premier event on the day, the four graded supporting features have drawn the best thoroughbreds from around the country.

Full fields of 16 runners, with reserves, have been received for the R500 000 Grade 1 Schweppes Golden Horseshoe for juvenile colts and geldings over 1 400 metres, the R350 000 Grade 1 Garden Province Stakes for fillies and mares over 1 600 metres and the R250 000, Grade 2 Durban Africa Golden Slipper for juvenile fillies over 1 400 metres.

The R150 000, Grade 2 SABC Sport Gold Vase over 3 000 metres has drawn 13 of the country’s top stayers including Gold Bowl winner Saddlewood and twice Canon Gold Cup winner, Highland Night.

The field for the Schweppes Golden Horseshoe includes Paul Matchett’s Goldkeeper colt, Tiza, who won the first of two first legs of the SA Juvenile Championship in the SA All Stars Series and is in line to win the R1-million bonus for a horse wining all three legs. He won the SA Nursery at Turffontein and needs to win the race on Vodacom Durban July Day and the final leg, the R500 000 Grade 1 Premier’s Champion Stakes at Clairwood at the end of July, to win the bonus.

The field for the Schweppes Golden Horseshoe also includes Monsieur Dominique and Pegasus Emblem who finished second and third behind Carnadore in the Gold Reef Casino Resorts Medallion respectively, as well as Ndabeni who ran second to Tiza at Turffontein and the unbeaten Eastern Cape contender, What A Jet.

The Durban Africa Golden Slipper has a highly competitive field and in the absence of the unbeaten star Rock Opera, the race looks fairly open and there for the taking. Most of the runners have good form including Careful Landing who ran third to Rock Opera in the Allan Robertson Fillies Championship at Scottsville and Rambo’s Love who won the Debutante Stakes with Popacatepetl who was a neck behind her in third.

The Garden Province Stakes has a sensational field of fillies and mares headed by Ormond Ferraris’s star Overarching who many believe would have won the SA Fillies Sprint at Scottsville had she not had a bad start.

Also in the field is Dianne Stenger’s Sportsworld mare Jamaica who ran second to Dunsinane in the Jubiliee Handicap and Punters Dream who won the Scarlet Lady at Scottsville.

The field is packed with talent and promises to be one of the most competitive races on the card.