Australian Influence in SAF's Durban July

This Saturday sees the running of one of South Africa's most famous races, the R5m HollywoodBets Durban July (2200m) run at Durban's Greyville racecourse. With Australian exports to South Africa having slowed considerably in recent years, the influence in the race, both past and present from our local industry remains of interest. 2004 winner Greys Inn was an American bred son of Zabeel out of the Australian bred mare Great Verdict, while in 2011 Champion trainer Mike de Kock won the race with the outstanding Igugu (Galileo), a filly bred in Australia by Kia Ora Stud. Just three years later, the Newhaven Park-bred Wylie Hall (Redoute's Choice) was first past the post before being relegated to second in the stewards' room while in 2016, the Tyreel Stud-bred The Conglomerate gave Darley's Champion Sire Lonhro his first elite level winner in South Africa. The hype around this year's race is dominated by the Justin Snaith-trained Eight On Eighteen (Lancaster Bomber) with the 3YO colt being relatively lighted raced with five wins, three of those at Group 1 level, from just ten starts. From an outstanding local South African pedigree that will assure him stallion appeal, there are still a handful in the race that one can draw an Australian connection to. Last year's winner Oriental Charm who is chasing consecutive wins is out of a mare by Greys Inn, who is interestingly also the sire of first emergency Litigation. Stakes winners On My Honour and The Real Prince are sons of the Australian-bred, Champion South African sire Gimmethegreenlight (More Than Ready). De Kock's Group 3-winning 3YO Immediate Edge (Vercingetorix) is out of the Commands mare Anhaar, herself a three-quarter-sister to the Australian-bred, South African triple Group 1 winner Soqrat (Epaulette). Already a Group 1 winner, 4YO Purple Pitcher is a son of the Australian bred, ill-fated New Approach stallion New Predator. No matter what the result, the race, and more so the day itself, is a once in a lifetime experience!

The colourful Durban July will come alive on Saturday