S’manga Khumalo on Sparkling Water after winning the Durban July main race, 2 July 2022, Durban. Picture: Jacques Nelles
Filly Sparkling Water streaked away from her male rivals to win the Hollywoodbets Durban July at Greyville on Saturday.
It was a fifth July victory for trainer Mike de Kock, a second for jockey S’Manga “Bling” Khumalo and a first for owner Mary Slack.
The daughter of Silvano, bred by Slack’s Wilgerbosdrift Stud, Sparkling Water was the only female to make the final field for South Africa’s biggest horse race.
The four-year-old won comfortably by about four lengths with an electrifying turn of speed in the final stretch.
Jet Dark, from the Justin Snaith stable, ran on strongly to grab second place, just ahead of De Kock-trained and long-time ante-post favourite Safe Passage.
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Slack is the daughter of Harry and Bridget Oppenheimer, who owned six July winners.
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