FUTURA, joint favourite for the Durban July, and last year’s winner Legislate will meet for the first time since the Queen’s Plate in the Rising Sun Gold Challenge over a mile at Greyville next Saturday.

Legislate was found to be coughing after disappointing in the Queen’s Plate in January and this will be his first race since then as he was withdrawn from the Drill Hall early this month as a precaution after lashing out and hammering the metalwork.

“Most of the damage was done afterwards when they led him round the racecourse past the grandstand and he got very worked up,” said trainer Justin Snaith.

“They didn’t have a proper halter and we had to rush over to get the right equipment on him. It was messy and took a lot out of him. That is why we haven’t been able to run him since but we worked him at Greyville the other week and he galloped the house down.”

Futura, trained by Brett Crawford until the owners spectacularly fell out, had his first race for Snaith in a mile conditions race at the Durban course 13 days ago and duly landed the odds, albeit only narrowly. “I was pleased with the win,” said his trainer. “It was a very slow run race which wouldn’t have suited him and in the circumstances I don’t think he could have done any better than he did. He has come out of it beautifully.”

Snaith has no compunction about his two stable stars taking each other on - quite the opposite. “It’s going to be one of the biggest races for a long time so let’s see who is the best,” he declared.