First there were 54, now there are 43 after today’s first declarations for the Gr1 Vodacom Durban July.

Significant casualties today were Jet Dark and Summer Pudding who join Gr1 winners Malmoos and Captain’s Ransom on the sidelines.

Speaking to David Thiselton yesterday about Jet Dark, Snaith said, "It is his 130 merit rating which is the off putting factor for the Vodacom Durban July and I also think our next Cape Summer Season is going to be one of our best ever so I plan to race all of my top horses not more than twice in the SA Champions Season. But if Jet Dark does something phenomenal in the Gold Challenge, we might still run him in the July."

Snaith has obviously made up his mind.

Jet Dark is the highest rated three-year-old in the country at present and as things stand would have had to carry 56kgs in the July and would have to give the likes of Linebacker (124) and Kommetdieding (120) 3kgs apiece.

It would appear that Paul Peter has taken a similar view with Summer Pudding after her disappointing effort in the Gr1 Premier’s Champions Challenge at Turffontein behind Got The Greenlight. It was a race run at a muddling pace but both Malmoos and Summer Pudding are probably due a lengthy break whereas Joey Soma has current ante-post favourite Got The Greenlight progressing towards turning the tables on Belgarion on Saturday, July 3.

Peter still has the progressive filly Netta entered, winner of the recent Gerald Rosenberg Stakes and third to War Of Athena in the SA Oaks.

Belgarion takes a similar route into the VDJ as he did last year and is due to defend his title in the WSB 1900 on Sunday May 16, before going into the big one.

Snaith still holds six entries including dual VDJ winner Do It Again who is nominated to contest a Pinnacle Stakes in his warm-up to the VDJ where his merit rating will not be affected, win lose or draw.

VODACOM DURBAN JULY (Grade 1) 1st DECLARATION GREYVILLE Saturday 3 July 2021

VODACOM DURBAN JULY (Grade 1) R 2,000,000 2200m
Open to all Horses

NDraw Draw Horse Mass MR Net B A T M S Jockey Wins After Nom Ref Trainer (Proviso)

0 0 RAINBOW BRIDGE 0.0 134 (134) A F ............... 1 Eric Sands

0 0 ~ BELGARION 0.0 130 (130) A F ............... 0 Justin Snaith

0 0 ~ DO IT AGAIN 0.0 129 (129) C A F ............... 0 Justin Snaith

0 0 GOLDEN DUCAT 0.0 128 (128) A F ............... 0 Eric Sands

0 0 GOT THE GREENLIGHT 0.0 128 (128) A T F ............... 1 Joe Soma

0 0 SECOND BASE 0.0 125 (121) A M F ............... 0 J A Janse van Vuuren

0 0 LINEBACKER 0.0 124 (120) A F ............... 1 Vaughan Marshall

0 0 ~ SOVEREIGN SPIRIT 0.0 124 (124) B A F ............... 0 Candice Bass-Robinson

0 0 CIRILLO 0.0 123 (123) A F ............... 0 Sean Tarry

0 0 EXPRESSFROMTHEUS 0.0 122 (122) A F ............... 1 Stuart Pettigrew

0 0 WAR OF ATHENA 0.0 122 (118) A F ............... 0 Paul Matchett

0 0 KOMMETDIEDING 0.0 120 (116) A F ............... 0 HWJ Crawford/M Rix

0 0 NETTA 0.0 120 (116) A F ............... 1 Paul Peter

0 0 RUNNING BRAVE 0.0 119 (119) A F ............... 0 Fanie Bronkhorst

0 0 RUSSIAN ROCK 0.0 119 (115) A F ............... 0 Dean Kannemeyer

0 0 ~ DOUBLEMINT 0.0 118 (118) A F ............... 0 Justin Snaith

0 0 PRINCESS CALLA 0.0 118 (114) A F ............... 0 Adam Marcus

0 0 TIERRA DEL FUEGO 0.0 116 (116) A F ............... 0 Sean Tarry

0 0 ZILLZAAL 0.0 116 (116) B A T F ............... 0 Sean Tarry

0 0 ATYAAB 0.0 115 (115) A F ............... 0 Zietsman Oosthuizen

0 0 CROWN TOWERS 0.0 115 (115) A M F ............... 1 Justin Snaith

0 0 TRIP TO AFRICA 0.0 114 (114) B A F ............... 0 Duncan Howells

0 0 TRISTFUL 0.0 113 (113) A F ............... 0 Tony Rivalland

0 0 RASCALLION 0.0 111 (107) A F ............... 0 Vaughan Marshall

0 0 SHANGO 0.0 111 (111) B A T F ............... 0 Sean Tarry

0 0 BLACKBALL 0.0 110 (110) A F ............... 0 Gavin van Zyl

0 0 DIVINE ODYSSEY 0.0 110 (110) B A F ............... 0 J A Janse van Vuuren

0 0 ~ SILVER HOST 0.0 110 (110) A F ............... 0 Justin Snaith

0 0 THE GATEKEEPER 0.0 110 (106) A F ............... 0 Justin Snaith

0 0 ~ TREE TUMBO 0.0 109 (109) A F ............... 0 Sean Tarry

0 0 DR DOOLITTLE 0.0 108 (104) A F ............... 1 Paul Peter

0 0 FLYING CARPET 0.0 108 (104) A T F ............... 0 Sean Tarry

0 0 ~ SACHDEV 0.0 108 (108) A F ............... 0 Justin Snaith

0 0 SHAH AKBAR 0.0 108 (104) A T F ............... 0 Sean Tarry

0 0 ~ AFRICAN NIGHT SKY 0.0 107 (107) A F ............... 0 Justin Snaith

0 0 AZORES 0.0 107 (107) A F ............... 0 Dean Kannemeyer

0 0 PACK LEADER 0.0 107 (107) A T F ............... 0 Alec Laird

0 0 SEEHAAM 0.0 107 (107) A F ............... 0 Sean Tarry

0 0 MARCHINGONTOGETHER 0.0 106 (106) A F ............... 0 Gavin van Zyl

0 0 SUPER SILVANO 0.0 104 (104) A F ............... 0 Brett Crawford

0 0 ~ MATTERHORN 0.0 100 (100) A F ............... 0 Alyson Wright

0 0 SHE'S A KEEPER 0.0 90 ( 90) A F ............... 0 Gareth van Zyl

0 0 FULL BLAST 0.0 86 ( 82) A F ............... 0 Michael Miller

Declarations: 43

SCRATCHINGS

NDraw Draw Horse Mass MR Net B A T M S Jockey Last Change Ref Trainer (Proviso)

0 0 CAPTAIN'S RANSOM 0.0 126 (122) A S Justin Snaith

0 0 MALMOOS 0.0 125 (121) A S Mike de Kock

0 0 LEGITIMATE 0.0 101 ( 97) C A M S Dean Kannemeyer

0 0 YOUCANTHURRYLOVE 0.0 112 (112) A S Fabian Habib

0 0 BABY SHOOZ 0.0 96 ( 96) A T S Peter Muscutt

0 0 JET DARK 0.0 130 (126) A SS Justin Snaith

0 0 BARAHIN 0.0 116 (116) B A S Mike de Kock

0 0 PROMISEOFAMASTER 0.0 101 (101) A S Candice Dawson

0 0 SUMMER PUDDING 0.0 127 (127) A S Paul Peter

0 0 PUERTO MANZANO 0.0 110 (106) A S J A Janse van Vuuren

0 0 HOEDSPRUIT 0.0 108 (104) C A S Justin Snaith

First Supp. Entries: Close 11:00 Tuesday, 11 May 2021
Second Declaration: Close 11:00 Monday, 31 May 2021
Final Supp. Entries: Close 11:00 Tuesday, 15 June 2021
Weights Published: Tuesday, 15 June 2021
Final Declaration: Close 11:00 Monday, 21 June 2021
Final Field and Draw: Announcement of the Final Field and Barrier Draws will take place on Tuesday, 22 June 2021
Public Gallops: 7am at Greyville Racecourse, Thursday, 24 June 2021

Gold Circle