10 Years of Democracy
In 2004 South Africa celebrated 10 years of democracy and to mark this milestone all horses wearing the Number 10 saddlecloth in any race staged by Gold Circle for the entire year, carried a South African flag incorporating the number 10 on their saddlecloth.

As if to frank this milestone, Africa's greatest horseracing event, the Vodacom Durban July of 2004, was won by Greys Inn wearing the Number 10 saddlecloth proudly emblazoned with the South African flag.

The Biggest and Smallest Fields
The maximum field size was increased in 2003 to 20. However the biggest July field ever was in 1917, when 33 horses went to the start. On the other hand, the smallest July fields were in 1897 and 1908, when only seven horses ran.

The Most Runs
The three horses which have had the most runs in the Vodacom Durban July, are Gondolier, Beau Art and Flaming Rock. Gondolier ran five times in the race. In 1983 he finished second; in 1984 he took fifth place; 1985 was victory at last as a 5 year-old; in 1986 he filled sixth place; and in his last run in the race in 1987 he secured seventh position.

Running in the race five times, Beau Art was 6th in 1977; ran second in 1978; was 5th in 1979; won the race in 1980; and was ran 8th in 1981.

The Irish import Flaming Rock ran in the race four times before being retired to stud. He won at his first attempt in 1991; was unplaced in 1992; finished third in 1993 and second in 1994

I Object Your Honour!!
The objection in 1931, lodged by the connections of Spilsby, against the 50/1 winner Agrippa, on the grounds of crossing, was overruled. The objection laid against the winner, St. Seiriol, in 1945, for bumping and boring, was overruled. The objection lodged on behalf of Distinctly, against Gatecrasher, in 1975, was upheld.

In 1979 Over The Air, won beating Sun Tonic and All The Aces. The objection hooter sounded soon after the horses crossed the line with the connections of the fourth-placed horse, Deep Magic, objecting against the second placed horse Sun Tonic. The grounds of the protest were crossing and taking up his running in the latter stages, and it was overruled.

In 1994 the objection lodged on behalf of Pas De Quoi which finished fifth, against the winner Surfing Home, was upheld. The incident happened at approximately the 300 metre mark, where Surfing Home shifted inwards crossing Pas De Quoi who was forced to check and switch out to obtain a clean run. Then at the 100-metre mark Surfing Home shifted outwards resulting in Pas De Quoi being forced to check and lose position. Space Walk, who ran second, was declared the winner.

The "scorecard" for July objections stands as follows: Five lodged with three overruled and two upheld. It is interesting to note that Space Walk and Principal Boy, which were both promoted to winner, both carried saddlecloth number 10.

Oh the name, it's a changing!!
Over the years the name of the race has undergone several changes. It was known as the Durban Winter Handicap from its inception in 1897. In 1928, it become the Durban July Handicap, but once again reverted to its original name during the war years; from 1943 through 1945. Re-instated as the Durban July Handicap in 1946, the race stuck with this name until 1963, when Rothmans entered the sponsorship arena. The race was known as the Rothmans July Handicap until 1989, when the conditions for the race were changed. Thereafter it was simply known as the Rothmans July. Rothmans was reluctant to end its association with this great race but the new tobacco laws of the country forbade it and sadly the longest running sponsorship of a major sporting event came to an end after its 38th year in 2000. 2001 saw the race being run simply as the Durban July and in 2002 Vodacom announced it's powerful association with Africa's Greatest Horseracing Event, now entrenched as the Vodacom Durban July.

How the Favourites have fared
The shortest priced winning favourite in the 107-year history of the Vodacom Durban July, was the legendary Sea Cottage. He started at odds of 11/10 in 1967, when getting up on the line to deadheat with Jollify.

The finish unquestionably rates as the most exciting ever, with the crowd going mad as the two horses flashed across the line locked together. There were emotion packed scenes while the hordes of racegoers speculated on the judge's decision, with Robbie Sivewright on Sea Cottage, going into the number two box. Young John Gorton, on Jollify, made straight for the winner's enclosure, with his co-owner, the late Douglas Saunders, saying "Wait for the result . . . . . .wait for the result."

Gorton's only error was in believing that he had emerged a clear winner. Apart from this, the 21 year-old jockey, who won the Epsom Oaks on Sleeping Partner two years later, rode what trainer Fred Rickaby described as a "perfect race". The 2 lb. overweight which Jollify carried, however, may just have made the difference between winning and deadheating.

A fitting postscript to that dramatic finish, was the presentation made by the Durban Turf Club to Jack Bradford, the handicapper. He was given a gold watch, suitably inscribed to commemorate his feat of bringing off a handicapper's dream - a deadheat in a major handicap.

The honour of being the longest priced favourite to win the Vodacom Durban July is now shared by the 2006 winner Eyeofthetiger and the 1985 winner Gondolier who both started at 6 to 1. Gondolier however paid more for a One Rand win on the tote – R9.00 vs the R7.40 returned by Eyeofthetiger.

In 1996 the popular London News won at 14/10, the same price that Dynasty won at in 2003.

Prior to the sixties, the longest priced favourite was Blackmoor, in 1934, who started at 7/1, and finished unplaced in a field of 17 runners.

2008's finish featured the favourite Pocket Power at 28/10 in a winning dead heat with the 2nd favourite Dancer's Daughter at 8/1.

On the other hand, the shortest priced favourite ever was Yard-Arm who seemed unbeatable in 2004 at 8/10. Unfortunately the confidence in Yard-Arm was not to be realised as the weight that he had to carry proved to be his undoing. He finished out of the placings

The Greys
Many punters plumb for greys, and in 2008 their ships came home with Dancer's Daughter in a winning dead heat with Pocket Power. Previously only four greys have ever won the race. The exquisite Thunder Sky was a popular fancy the year Kerason won, and Bodrum was a beaten favourite in 1985. Only Silver Phantom in 1942, Jamaican Music in 1976 and Jamaican Rumba in 1982, together with Right Prerogative in 1989, have been successful.

In 2005 the three-year old Greys Inn triumphed. Unfortunately for those who follow greys he was only grey by name being a beautiful dark bay colt.
THE FILLIES AND MARES
 Fillies or mares have won this great race on 11 occasions. Peerless, a three-year-old, was the first to take line honours in 1903. Margin won in 1916, Collet in 1922, Eunomea in 1923 and Moosme in 1926. It was not until 1951 that a filly was to win again and this was when Gay Jane, in the partnership colours of Dennis Labistour and Miss Molly Reynolds, brought smiles to the faces of thousands of female punters.
Migraine scored for the ladies in 1957, Diza scooted home for Frank and Jane Lambert in 1962, and then more than 20 years were to elapse before Tecla Bluff was to score in the colours of Sydney Press, in 1983.

The very next year trainer Terrance Millard pulled off the race with a filly again, with the redoubtable Devon Air for the Scott brothers.

For trainer Mike de Kock the ultimate achievement had yet to be experienced and a number of chances in recent years had failed to succeed. Then in 2002 along came the three-year-old Ipi Tombe to rewrite the record books as the first filly of her age to win since Migraine 45 years earlier in 1957.
The latest of the fairer sex to win this magnificent race was Dancer's Daughter in 2008. For young trainer Justin Snaith is was a dream come true, for although he had to share the spoils because o the memorable dead heat with Pocket Power, it was his first runner in the race.

Barrier Draws
In years past, barrier draws have played a significant role in determining the result, but the cambering of the Greyville turn into the home straight has rendered this factor to be of less importance. For the record however, only six runners drawn on the extreme outside have managed to win since 1917.

They were Kipling in 1940, who was drawn 22; St Pauls in 1946, who was drawn at position 20: Beau Art who overcame barrier position 17 and the superstition that four white socks are the kiss of death for a racehorse, to romp home with Freddie Macaskill on board, in 1980. In 1991 the imported Flaming Rock started from stall gate 20, and unwound a devastating finish to win by a long head.

Then, in 1998, Classic Flag did the impossible when starting from stall gate 18. He came from well off the pace then galloped away from his rivals to post an emphatic win. The three-year-old clocked a new race and course record time in the process.
In 2003 Dynasty broke from the extreme outside draw at 20 and, fighting for his head and racing wide in the early stages, his task for a three-year-old carrying 53kg was a tough one. But, after finally settling down he produced an incredible finishing burst in the straight to get up and beat Yard-Arm by nearly a length.

Like most things in life, there is always an exception to the rule in racing!

13 - Lucky for some!!
You don't have to be brilliant to back a winner - particularly if you're a rugby enthusiast. Just have a look at 1960. In an international rugby match the Saturday before the Durban July Handicap of that year, left wing Hennie van Zyl scored both tries for the Springboks wearing the number 13 jersey and the final score was 13 nil.

You guessed it. One week later Left Wing, wearing the number 13 saddlecloth, won the Durban July Handicap.