Trainer Mike de Kock celebrated a dominant 1-2 finish at this year’s Vodacom Durban July.
While the July was also a day for the fashionistas and socialites to shine, it was a dream day for trainer Mike de Kock. His horses came home first and second, with Anthony Delpech steering Bold Silvano to victory ahead of Irish Flame to win the R3 000 000 Vodacom Durban July.
This was jockey Delpech’s third win, having first won the July with Classic Flag in 1998 and again on Greys inn in 2004.
With a capacity crowd of around 50 000 packing the course, an estimated R500 million in bets was placed on this year’s event, while the influx of upcountry visitors meant a steady stream of bookings for local hotels and hospitality venues.
Greyville was buzzing with the young, the trendy, the glamorous, many VIPs and members of the racing fraternity all keen on celebrating this great day on the calender of the “Sport of Kings”.
The party continued long into the night at many venues around town, as punters toasted their earnings or drowned their sorrows.