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High class three-year-old filly Bela-Bela is the new favourite for the R4.25 million Vodacom Durban July over 2200m at Greyville on July 2 after an ideal barrier draw.

The Justin Snaith-trained Bela-Bela drew gate three. Set to carry 54.5kg in the 2200m race, she had been joint favourite with stable companion Black Arthur before the draw but that all changed when the latter drew gate 17.

Black Arthur, a 3YO colt, could come in two places if the 18 horses guaranteed a run stand firm and the two reserves Trophy Wife and Deputy Jud fail to gain a start.

Champion jockey Anthony Delpech, looking for his fifth win in South Africa’s premier event, has claimed that Bela-Bela is the second best filly he has ridden behind the great Igugu. He won the July on Igugu from gate 10 draw under 55kg in 2011.

Mike Azzie’s three-year-old Triple Crown winner Abashiri drew barrier two. The colt has to shoulder 59kg and the good draw will certainly make his task easier.

Stable companion Rabada drew 12 while Cape trainer Joey Ramsden was unimpressed when he drew barrier 20 for The Conglomerate and 11 for St Tropez.

Rabada is set to run this Sunday in the KZN Breeders Million Mile and back up the following in the Durban July.

Racegoers will be anxious to find out is which of the three Jooste runners – Rabada, The Conglomerate and St Tropez – will be ridden by Anton Marcus as no riders have been declared for the trio.

Dean Kannemeyer was pleased when he drew the five berth for his Betting World 1900 winner Solid Speed.

The focus switched to the Greyville track on Thursday for the annual July Gallops with many entries having serious workouts in front of a large crowd.

Abashiri and Solid Speed impressed an expert panel assembled to assess the gallops although the Joey Ramsden runner St Tropez ran the fastest closing 400m of the morning in 21.92 seconds.

The Mike Bass-trained Marinaresco made his first appearance in KwaZulu-Natal under big race rider Grant van Niekerk and showed why the stable elected to forsake the final leg of the Cape Winter Series to tackle the country’s premier event.

The strongly fancied French Navy from the Sean Tarry stable worked with stable companion Samurai Blade and both went a good gallop with French Navy finishing slightly stronger over the final 100m.