"A serious horse" was the description applied to each Durban July runner by the experts assembled for yesterday morning's TV broadcast of the public gallops for the big race at Greyville next week. Serious yes; not to mention talented. They have to be to get into Africa's premier horse race, numpties. But excited hyperbole doesn't help us find the winner, does it?What do horses thundering by at the crack of dawn tell us about their wellbeing? Well, you have to be an expert to spot telltale signs in the critter's stride and demeanour. Our TV fundis occasionally pointed out some of these mysterious things as they informed us that this was a serious horse.Actually, I'm not much help either. The earliness of the hour and the fuzziness of the brain combined to make all those July candidates lookblerrie good as they exercised.The serious mood was lightened momentarily when a sweaty Rocketball and his galloping companion played up, sending some traffic cones flying. At least that's one runner we can rule out.Put on the spot, I'd single out Abashiri, It's My Turn, Bela-Bela, St Tropez and Master Sabina as the most impressive in their work.Bela-Bela is a charming grey filly who has won four of six races and showed in winning the Woolavington 2000 last month that she has stamina yet can accelerate like a sports model.When jockey Anthony Delpech got off Bela-Bela that day he pronounced her second only to the great Igugu among fillies he'd ridden. This week he decided to switch to ride her instead of the ruling July favourite at the time, Black Arthur. She was immediately heavily backed - down from 10-1 to supplant Black Arthur as favourite at 4-1.Can a three-year-old filly carrying 54.5kg beat the colts? Our TV experts don't think so; I do.Master Sabina has been in crummy form this year, but he has been known to improve dramatically if in the right frame of mind. He sure looked focused yesterday.Master jockey Anton Marcus has chosen to ride St Tropez over both The Conglomerate and Rabada, who are also owned by his patron Markus Jooste.A lightly raced four-year-old, St Tropez is handily weighted and is the progressive type that often does well in the July.Rabada has been handed an interesting challenge by trainer Mike Azzie: compete in this weekend's KZN Breeders' Million Mile at Greyville and then take on the July titans six days later.It's a big ask; a bit like getting his namesake to bowl 10 overs on the trot. Yet both of them might be young and tough enough to do it - and take a wicket in the end.Sunday's Million Mile isn't a tough task in itself, with Rabada unlikely to have trouble disposing of a mish-mash of an opposition and bagging the lion's share of the R1-million prize.Bezanova is the classiest rival and could give cheek if in best form.Stablemates Malak El Moolook and Intergalactic are handily weighted, well drawn and pose the next-biggest threat to the 7-10 favourite.Durban July betting: 9-2 Bela-Bela; 6-1 Black Arthur; 7-1 French Navy, Marinaresco; 9-1 Solid Speed; 11-1 Abashiri; 12-1 It's My Turn; 14-1 St Tropez; 16-1 Mac De Lago, Master Sabina, Mambo Mime; 18-1 Rabada; 20-1 Ten Gun Salute; 22-1 The Conglomerate; 25-1 Rocketball; 33-1 Dynamic, Samurai Blade; 55-1 Saratoga Dancer...