LAST Saturday’s Durban July turned into a rough race. As the field swept into the straight, all 18 runners made for the faster ground on the stands’ side, the final furlong became a bumping match and the result hinged on an objection for the second year in succession.

English-born Stuart Randolph, 43, was both the hero of the hour and the villain of the piece. When he began his run on 22/1 shot Power King he veered across the path of the favourite Legal Eagle who in turn hampered Gold Onyx and Halve The Deficit, much to the disgust of Sean Tarry who trains all three. (“Randolph cleaned up half the field,” he commented with perhaps understandable exaggeration).

The final furlong shindig, however, was not Randolph’s fault. Punta Arenas (28/1) hung in on him and then gave his mount a second bump. Power King’s right hind foot slipped as he lost his balance and he careered back into Punta Arenas. But he recovered sufficiently to pass the post three-quarters of a length in front and, although Co Armagh-born Ian Sturgeon on the second promptly lodged an objection, it was over-ruled.

“If you look at the slow motion you will see that I didn’t touch him the first time and then half a furlong out he bumped me and became unbalanced,” said Sturgeon who saw things rather differently and recalled that he had also finished second nine years earlier. “Hopefully next season I will win this!”

BIGGEST WIN

Randolph was given a fortnight for the interference that so infuriated Tarry but he seemed happy enough to settle for that in return for the biggest win of his career.

This was the third July winner for Dean Kannemeyer who said: “It’s the ultimate race for a trainer in South Africa and I am over the moon to win it again. Power King had a few soundness problems early last season and was then haemo-concentrating and, as I said to the owner, there is only one way to deal with that – geld him.”

Surprisingly this was the first time that Lady Christine Laidlaw (who has had horses in Ireland with David Wachman in the past) had been to Greyville and she raised the interest levels of the sizeable foreign press contingent by mentioning the possibility of an overseas campaign, but seemingly the horse will stay in South Africa.

Tellina, only half a length away third, was a 25/1 chance and completed a notable one, two, three for both Silvano and the Maine Chance Farms Stud which bred all three and stands the 2001 Arlington Million winner.

PROMOTING GREYVILLE

Greyville has been keen to attract media from Europe and elsewhere in recent years, the course puts them up in a hotel, arranges visits to trainers and rounds off their stay with a couple of nights at a game lodge. This time there were journalists from England, America and Australia. The last-named focused on their latest teenage sensation, Chad Schofield, who was flown in to partner The Conglomerate for Joey Ramsden.

Schofield, born in South Africa, was riding there for the first time but got caught up in the mayhem. “My horse ran very well but I got interfered with quite badly just after we straightened,” he reported.

Duncan Howells, whose star sprinter Via Africa failed to make much impact on the world stage, reckons he has another who could be even better in Same Jurisdiction who convincingly justified favouritism in the Garden Province Stakes.

“You cannot believe the improvement this filly has made in the last two months,” he said. “I have never had a horse who galloped as well as she did before this race. Not even Via Africa went like that.”

The three-year-old was ridden by Anton Marcus who won another Group 1 on the two-year-old Seventh Plain, getting up in a blanket finish to earn widespread plaudits although businessman Markus Jooste, who retains him, said: “With what Anton costs one expects that sort of ride!”

NON-RACING FAN

The Vodacom Durban July attracts 50,000 people from all over the country, many of whom see it purely as a social occasion with the racing no more than a sideshow. But, even allowing for this, local actress and TV personality Pearl Thusi earned a place in the race’s folklore when asked late in the evening who she had fancied for the big race.

“Legal Eagle,” she replied before asking. “Did he win?” After the guffaws had died down, she said: “You must remember that women are here to look good and men are here to bet.”

Battling cancer

TRAINER and TV commentator Paul Lafferty, who is planning to take Cape Guineas runner-up Harry’s Son to next year’s Dubai Carnival, is battling cancer. The 55-year-old is a particularly positive character and is doing his utmost to knock it on the head. He says that he has been encouraged by all the support he has been getting and was particularly chuffed to get a call from Mick Channon. Lafferty also used to be a professional footballer.