Gr1 Durban July Field Announced

Considered by many as South Africa's greatest race, the final field for the 2021 Gr1 Vodacom Durban July (2200m), to be run on July 3, was announced overnight. Headlined by Eric Sands' multiple Gr1 winner Rainbow Bridge (Ideal World), the 6YO, who will be chasing his first win in the prestigious race, has drawn barrier one in the 18 plus-two emergencies field. Race favourite Got The Greenlight (Gimmethegreenlight-Command Chi, by Commands) comes into the race in outstanding form – since running second in last year's race as a 3YO, the Joe Soma-trained 4YO has had three starts, winning his most recent two both at Gr1 level and goes into the race having not started since May 1 where he captured the Gr1 Premier's Champions Challenge (2000m) at Turffontein. While Got The Greenlight's pedigree has a distinct Australian flavour with both his sire and dam foaled in Australia, the Snaith Racing-trained Crown Towers (Camelot-Miss With Attitude, by Galileo) will be flying the Aussie flag as such, foaled at South Australia's famed Mill Park Stud before being sold to South African connections at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale. One of five acceptances for his Champion trainer, Crown Towers is somewhat of an outsider in the field and considered a pacemaker which could be useful for his stablemate Do It Again (Twice Over-Sweet Virginia, by Casey Tibbs) who is aiming for his third win in the race, recording success in 2018 and 2019 before a third place in 2020 to stablemate Belgarion (Dynasty-Riva, by Acatenango). It's a competitor he will face again this year. Like the 2020 running of the race, this year's R2m contest will be run behind closed doors at Greyville racecourse due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.