VERCINGETORIX has been withdrawn from the 2013 Vodacom Durban July.  Mike de Kock notified race organisers Gold Circle on Monday morning that the  stable’s top three-year-old, who was priced up as the early favourite, will not be taking his place in the line-up.

He told mikedekockracing.com: “We weren’t happy with the way Vercingetorix pulled up after the Daily News, which was a first concern. Secondly, as stated after the Daily News, we were worried about the extra 200m he’d have to take on in the July. We consulted with his owner,  Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, who is in full agreement and supports our decision.”

Vercingetorix will not be seen in action in South Africa again.  He will be aimed at the 2014 Dubai International Racing Carnival and will depart for Dubai as soon as possible, more than likely on the early August shipment with other stable runners who will continue their careers in Dubai from December and into the 2014 Carnival, which starts in January.