Do It Again wins Durban July for second year running

The winner of the 2019 Vodacom Durban July handicap was the defending champion, Do It Again, trained by Justin Snaith and jockeyed by Richard Fourie.

Second was Rainbow Bridge, third was Twist of Fate, with Eyes Wide Open coming in fourth.

The favourite, Hawwaam, was scratched just moments from the start after it reared up in the starting stall. Last year’s winning jockey, Anton Marcus, was clearly distraught and disappointed after he couldn’t race again this year.

Do It Again truly has lived up to his name.

The scratching caused a long delay, with many of the horses getting flustered this year.

Africa’s greatest racing event is run over 2,200m at Greyville in Durban, with more than an estimated R200 million being wagered.

Justin Snaith had five runners in this race, with Do It Again second in the betting only to race favourite Hawwaam.

The Durban July has been held annually on the first Saturday of July since 1897. Raced on turf, the July is open to horses of all ages. It is South Africa’s premier horse racing event and offers a prize purse of R4.25 million, of which the winner receives R2.5 million. Second place earns R800,000, third R400,000, fourth R200,000 and R50,000 for fifth.

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