The result of the 2014 R3.5m Group 1 Vodacom Durban July (2200m) at Greyville on Saturday was surrounded in controversy.

The Justin Snaith trained Legislate ridden by Richard Fourie awarded the race over the Weiho Marwing trained Wylie Hall (AUS) ridden by MJ Byleveld after a successful protest to stewards.

The two had fought a titanic struggle for the length of the straight coming into contact with each other two to three times. Immediately after the finish Fourie lodged an objection with the stewards and after a tense 15 minute wait the announcement was made that the appeal was upheld.

Experienced observers after the decision considered Wylie Hall and Byleveld to be unlucky, however local rules prevailed with Legislate deemed to have been taken off his racing line over the final 100m and he was consequently awarded the race. The winning margin was a long head.

The Brett Crawford trained three-year-old colt Futura (Dynasty) and Glen Hatt were third after a strong run down the rails after settling in fifth, but being shuffled back in the field before the final turn.

While the result of the race was decided after the finish line, who would feature in that finish was settled almost immediately after the start with a slow pace with no one in the field prepared to take on Wylie Hall (57.5kg) and Byleveld who led initially, and then Legislate (56kg) and Fourie who went forward after being four wide from barrier 14.

Wylie Hall went to the lead again with 700m to run and these two pulled away approaching the final turn and from the cutaway rail they went down the middle of the track side by side. With a strong wind behind them the three-year-old Dynasty colt Legislate fought hard on the outside of the four-year-old Redoute’s Choice entire Wylie Hall without passing.

They were clear of the rest of the field who had been left flat footed by the slow pace except for a fast closing Futura (53kg), but the colt arrived too late to influence the result from the two in front.

Tellina was fourth some 1 3/4L away with three-year-old filly In The Fast Lane fifth and Punta Arenas sixth. The time was 2.16.33 on the Good track.

After the race Legislate was treated for lameness in the near fore. Stable representative Jonathon Snaith said that it was thought that it might not be a serious injury.

Co-owners of Legislate, Dennis and Gael Evans who also race at Kranji and who have some 30 horses in training, spoke of the emotion of waiting for the result.

“Races of this sort are not given very often in the stewards’ room so we tried to be very philosophical about it. In fact I was saying that he had probably run his best race ever in defeat. For a three-year-old to carry that weight to run that sort of race was exceptional,” said Dennis Evans.

“We know he is a good horse and today he proved. This is a supreme moment, to win here on home ground is just supreme. We are blessed and our cup runnith over.

“I think it (the upheld appeal) is racing in simple terms, sometimes it goes for you and sometimes against you and I think the key point was the distance of a half-head when you have rolled onto the horse was the reason for the decision. We think it was fair, if it had gone the other way we would have accepted it.

“Our thoughts go out to the owners and to M J (Byleveld) who we know quite well and he is probably a sad young man at the moment,” he said.

Evans and Snaith said that future plans for Legislate would include the Group 1 Queens Plate (1600m) and Group 1 J & B The Met (2000m) at Kenilworth in the summer before an international campaign in Dubai and elsewhere. The colt would now spell.

Legislate, out of the Restructure mare Champers, won the Group 1 Cape Derby over 2000m at Kenilworth on February 1st and on Saturday added the most prestige race in South Africa to his tally of five wins.

With four placings he has earned stakes of R4.4 million of the Evans and their co-owners Gaynor Rupert’s Drakenstein Stud and Jack Mitchell.

Earlier in the programme the two-year-old fillies raced for Group 1 status in the R600,000, Zulu Kingdom Golden Slipper (1400m) and it was a Marwing family affair with Weichong bringing Bilateral, trained by Weiho, home with a rails run that overcame the favourite Alboran Sea (AUS) (Rock Of Gibraltar) and Muzi Yeni.

Pine Princess (Captain Al) and Anthony Delpech were third with the margins 1/4L and 1/4L. The time was 1.25.28.

Bilateral came into the race off a third place to Pine Princess in the Juvenile Plate over 1450m at Clairwood on June 22nd, but on Saturday she turned the tables with a sustained run for Weichong that neither Alboran Sea nor Pine Princess could match.

Alboran Sea gave herself a tough task after she missed the start and pulled and reefed for Yeni in the early sectionals. She led with 200m to run, but failed to run out the distance after her earlier efforts.

Bilateral, by Lateral out of the Secret Prospector mare Bullellati, was bred and is raced by Maine Chance Farms and this was her second win from six races. She had now earned stakes of R436,625.

The international black and red Maltese silks of Fred Crabbia carried the day with the Dean Kannemeyer trained Afrikaburn decisive in the R600,000 Group 1 Durban Golden Horseshoe (1400m) for two-year-olds.

It was another rails run with Karl Neisius not wasting a metre from the cutaway rail with 400m to run. The field fanned out across the track with Guiness and Anton Marcus leading from Harry’s Sun (AUS) and Pierre Strydom, but Neisius kept to the inside and made his run over the final 200m.

One Final Day (Trippi) and Anthony Delpech ran into second with Harry’s Son (Haradasun) and Strydom staying on for third. The margins were 1L and 1L with the time 1.25.10.

The Group 1 races concluded to considerable acclaim with a splendid win by the outstanding six-year-old mare Beach Beauty in the R750,000 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes (1600m).

The winner of four previous Group 1 races, including the Garden Province Stakes last year, the Dennis Dryer trained mare ridden by Sean Cormack broke away from the field off the cutaway rail. Hammie’s Hooker (Trippi) and Bernard Fayd’Herbe chased the flying mare in front, but each time she closed Beach Beauty responded to Cormack and stepped up again.

The crowd roared their approval as Cormack started the celebrations well before the line and the mare sped past the finish with 3/4L to spare.

Arcetri Pink (AUS) (Rock Of Gibraltar) and Anthony Delpech were third a further 3/4L back with the time 1.33.96.

Beach Beauty, by Dynasty out of the Capture Him mare Sun Coast, has a record of 17 wins, 10 places and earned stakes of R5.3 million for the Shanks Syndicate managed by Mr WG Kidd. The syndicate races the mare in honour of the late Mark Armitage.

Drier indicated before the race that this might have been Beach Beauty’s final race with the broodmare paddock beckoning this season.