There's nothing like a bracing winter morning to make one feel alive.

Racehorses sure seem to like it - as shown in the Durban July public gallops at Greyville yesterday, when all participants put up impressive workouts before a sizeable mob stuffing itself with free coffee and sticky buns.

I'm sometimes asked why training gallops are conducted at the crack of dawn when all racing is held in the afternoon.

Indeed, one morning, while standing shivering in an ice-blanketed paddock, my missus put that question in a forthright fashion to a grumpy-looking trainer.

Beneath the golf cap, the expression changed from glower to perplexity and the trainer answered: "You know, I haven't a clue."

Among the better explanations I've had from trainers is that, if a horse develops an injury niggle, by spotting it early in the day you get an extra 12 hours of treatment and recuperation if a race is imminent.

It's also suggested that, in the old days when the setting up of betting coups was more prevalent, stables could do fast gallops and time them in the pre-dawn gloom to avoid prying eyes.

In the US, gallops are attended by bands of snooping punters known as "clockers" who are able to identify individual horses galloping some distance away and put the stopwatch on them.

Tom Smith, trainer of the legendary Sea Biscuit in the 1930s, used to try to outwit these guys by galloping his star earlier and earlier - eventually saddling up in the truly small hours.

At Greyville yesterday there was no subterfuge. Well, not a lot.

The July gallops are a tradition, with all runners compelled to perform in an officially timed workout nine days before the race.

As much as familiarisation with the tricky Greyville circuit is desirable, not all trainers need or want a turf gallop so close to the race and would prefer a sand surface that is kinder on the pins of their precious creatures.

Nonetheless, there was high quality this year. Usually a few gallopers are a bit iffy, but this time they all looked handy to me.

That's a bit of a pain. In recent years we've been able to narrow down a selection to about 10 good gallops performers. Certainly Eyeofthetiger and Bold Silvano were eye-catchers ahead of their July victories.

A panel of TV pundits agreed that Met winner Past Master was the pick yesterday.

Others impressing were Galileo's Destiny, Bravura, Lion In Winter, English Garden and Super Storm.

Noone could have missed the superior athleticism of Igugu, though.

This horse looked effortless in her work, ears pricked and able to take a good shifty around as she lolloped along. She's only beaten fillies in her seven wins, and is heftily weighted in relation to her three-year-old colt rivals, but she does look a class apart.

For a fuller 2011 July preview, don't miss your Gee'd-up The Times next week.

Start saving for a flutter on the big one: remember there will be payouts down to sixth place.