Durban July 2026 News - Justin Snaith speaks about his five runners
Justin Snaith, a leading horse trainer with five previous Durban July victories, is fielding five runners in the 2026 edition of the renowned race. Snaith shared detailed insights on Gallop TV about each horse's preparations and prospects, highlighting Note To Self's strong presence, Wish List’s resilience, Regulation’s favourable draw and weight, Legal Counsel’s challenge carrying top weight, and Native Ruler’s excellent recent form. The key expectation: Snaith’s team is well-prepared, and a strong finish is anticipated, though weight allocations may impact outcomes.
- Justin Snaith fields five contenders for the 2026 Durban July
- Each horse has unique strengths; weight and luck in running are crucial
- Snaith is optimistic about a strong team performance in South Africa's premier race
Justin Snaith has won the Durban July on five occasions, and fields a squad of five runners in his quest to win this famous race for a sixth time on Saturday.
Ahead of the 2026 Durban July, Snaith spoke to Gallop TV and provided exclusive quotes on his quintet of runners.
*All of the following quotes are credited to Gallop TV*
Durban July 2026 Justin Snaith Quotes
Note To Self
What happened to the favourite (Star Major, withdrawn) and the bug that he got, this horse got a very similar thing in the Daily News 2000. That night and the next morning, he didn't look right, he had a temperature. Nothing serious, but he just hit a bit of a wall.
I've changed things and prepped him beautifully into this race. If he's improved from that run, then I could see him running a big race. When he walks in the parade ring, you'll say "that's a July horse", he's got that look, he's just magnificent.
Wish List
She's going very well at home. She's tough, tough, tough. Everything I throw at this filly she's just laughing at it, honestly. I put her with a companion at the gallop, she laughed at that. I've never seen a filly like this.
She needs a little bit of luck in running, but if she gets that, she's a very interesting runner. It wouldn't surprise me to see her fighting out the finish.
Regulation
There are four or five horses in that race that could or not have got in, and I think he's been singled out a little bit. We certainly did work at getting Regulation into the race.
Zac Lloyd is a big help to the horse. He is a horse that needed to come into the race with a low weight and the draw is paramount. That draw is a huge plus for this horse, because he just needs to get into a gallop. He might not be as good as Legal Counsel, but (he's getting) 10 kilos! It helps.
Legal Counsel
He's in a very good space. If this was a normal race then, for sure, he'd have a very big chance. But 62 kilos over this distance is an impossible task. It really is very hard. You've got to give horses at the bottom 10 kilos, it's going to make it tough for him. Bar that, he's absolutely spot on. He's just that hard-knocking, tough, tough horse, but the weight is a concern.
Native Ruler
I think he just needs to be weaving his way through at the last bit and then nailing them on the line. He looks magnificent. He's in a very, very good space. He's primed, he's ready, he's been to the course, won on his last start, he had a great gallop I thought, and he's coming out of everything easy. He'll run the best race that he's ever run in his life - whether that's good enough to win, only time will tell.
Check out the latest Durban July betting to find out where Justin Snaith's runners sit in the market.
2026 Durban July Odds
Check out the latest Durban July betting to find out where Justin Snaith's runners sit in the market.
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