Turffontein received an additional 26mm of overnight rainfall and currently drizzling soft.

The track is currently waterlogged, and the forecast for today predicts more rainfall during the day

Updated race times will be disseminated.

David Thiselton
Rachel Venniker had what she described as a “soft fall” on Friday on the sand at the starting stalls at Summerveld, but unfortunately her leg hit one of the curb stones that keeps the sand in from the side and snapped her tibia (shin bone).
Fortunately it is a clean break, which makes the prognosis a touch better.
However, she is provisionally out for six months, although the prognosis might shorten depending on how well the bone heals.
As it is a major bone in the leg rehabilitation will be required after the bone is mended.
She had an operation after the incident to insert a rod-like pin.
She said, “Thank goodness the surgeon who worked on me is a sportsman himself, a very good cyclist, so he said he is going to make sure I come back ‘A’ ‘Ok'”.
Rachel is on crutches but times have changed since the old days of plaster of paris casts.
She said, “The rod-pin keeps the bone straight and I have a brace kind of thing on my foot in which the front bit is squidgy but the back part is hard in order to keep the foot at a 90 degree angle. There is just soft bandage around the shin. He is more worried about keeping the flex in all my joints. He said when moving around I should just pop my toe on the floor, so I can get a little bit of weight bearing on it as this will help the blood flow around the injury. It is almost like a horse with an abscess, the more blood flow, the quicker the healing. But the main thing is this new methodology prevents the tendons from shortening. In the old days when they used to cast everyone, you take the cast off and you can’t straighten your leg!”
On the fall itself she said it was a fall of a magnitude one would normally just get up from straight away and walk away, but unfortunately she fell on to the supporting curb stones.
She said, “She gave like a little fly jump and then just sort of sidestepped a bit, so it was literally I just lost my balance and sort of flopped off. It was unlucky that I went a bit more to the side of the track than I should have and I must have fallen on that side. When you’re falling, you don’t really want to get underneath them, so I must have just shifted a bit more so that I didn’t get kicked or anything and just fell straight on to the stones.”
She is philosophical about the accident and said it was “just one of those things” and she will stay busy by helping out at the Roberts yard. 
She said, “I actually popped in this morning, I got my mum to give me a lift on her way to work. I gave the horses some carrots. They were all very happy to see me. They were surprisingly not as afraid of my crutches as I thought they would be. In fact they loved them. I’ve got like a squidgy thing on the handle, so that my hands don’t get sore, and they all just wanted to put it in their mouths.”
However, she did lament some of the good rides she will be missing.
That includes Glastonbury, a classy Paul Matchett-trained Rafeef filly she was due to ride in the Gr 3 TAB Pretty Polly Stakes over 1100m at Turffontein Standside this Saturday.
The one she was most looking forward to riding again was the exciting Roberts-trained Fire Away colt Fortress Of Fire, who won his 1200m debut at Hollywoodbets Scottsville by 3,30 lengths in effortless fashion. He is running in the Gr 3 Tote Godolphin Barb Stakes over 1100m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday.
Although, she will be disappointed to not be aboard she was glad to know Andrew Fortune had taken over the ride.
She felt his style in which he is not hard on a horse and uses the whip sparingly would suit Fortress Of Fire. 
Meanwhile, Raymond Danielson has been appointed as the Champions Season jockey for the Roberts stable star, the Nick Jonsson-owned See It Again.
Rachel sad the five-year-old Twice Over gelding had been doing well and added, “His gallop the other day went very nicely.”
Michael Roberts said about the jockey appointment, ““I sat down with Mr Jonsson and we discussed it and looked through it. You would like to have someone who is not going to jump on and off and I have always enjoyed the way Raymond Danielson rides. I have been watching him and he is calm and has nice hands. I have always rated him pretty highly and actually thought he would have been in with a big stable by now. The big boys have used him and he has delivered.”Raymond has won numerous Gr 1s, including one last year on the Candice Bass-Robinson-trained October Morn in the Gr 1 SA Fillies Sprint.Roberts said about See Again, “He’s looking good and I’m very happy with him. Last year we couldn’t do what I’m  planning this year, because he was an entire and he was quite hard to train. He had little niggles and problems, but since the gelding I can do normal things with him.”See It Again will start his Champions Season campaign in the IOS Drill Hall Stakes and will then go for the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge..However, his chief aim is the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Durban July, which is over his right trip. 

David Thiselton

Hollywoodbets Greyville is going black and white in line with Cape Racing as these will be the group colours of the Gold Circle and Cape Racing partnership, which is due to be official in the next month or two.

Many exciting renovations are taking place aimed at rejuvenating the quality of racing related facilities and rejuvenating the racing experience for the racegoers. 

The project is being led by Gold Circle’s Building and Facilities manager Edward Taruvinga.

LED lights are replacing the halide floodlights and this will be a transformation in many respects. The light on the track will be more uniform, which will  help the horses and jockeys, and the track will appear lighter and sharper. From a broadcast point of view the colours will stand out more and will be more vibrant. Furthermore, there will now be the ability to control the lights. The lights can be switched on and off instantly and they will be able to flash or send out different colours meaning light shows will be able to be put on for racegoers. Winners will be able to be saluted by the lights with a razzmatazz of colours. 

The roof is being renovated which will prevent previous problems with leaking and will allow the solar panel innovation, which is already in place, to be bolstered. 90% of the roof had to be replaced and 85% of the job is done. Among the changes were having more outlets to prevent any pooling of water on the roof.

In the parade ring the gazebo has been removed.

Edward said, “It had a bit of a museum look about it and we are trying to put in something modern. It will have a permanent champagne bar, so we don’t have to be taking tables in and out. It’s going to be quite open and spacious to allow for smaller interviews and for winners to celebrate.”

The winner’s enclosure used for big races in front of the grandstand will remain, but a similar one will be built in the parade ring, meaning the current traditional winner’s enclosure will have a new look.

The old stabling area will be the site for a new generator pump. The LED light will pull less wattage than previously and a generator pump will further enhance the power efficiency.

The polytrack surface mix of wax, fibre and sand is being rejuvenated and the polytrack racecourse should be ready by the end of this month. The drainage is also being improved upon. The racecourse was built on a swamp so is a catchment area and there has been a problem with water flowing on to the poly and pooling, so channels are being created to prevent this from happening. 

The Durban View restaurant room is being revamped in line with the belief that  regular customers become tired of the same look, so a new more exciting ambiance will be created through the changes, which will include new flooring, new bathrooms and general modernisation. 

On the grandstand the benches are being done away with and bucket seats are being installed to Fifa measurements. The seats will be comfortable and will be able to withstand the force of celebrating punters standing on them. 

With the Champions Season approaching some of the changes were planned anyway, but with the big injection of cash from Hollywoodbets now about to become part-owners of the operator it has made the changes easier to do. The changes will also come with Hollywood’s renowned innovative flare and their Midas touch of excellence. 

Durban, South Africa – The countdown has begun! The 129th edition of Africa’s premier horse racing and social spectacular, the Hollywoodbets Durban July (HDJ), is set to take place on Saturday, 5th July 2025, at the iconic Hollywoodbets Greyville Racecourse. As the most anticipated fixture on South Africa’s racing calendar, the event seamlessly blends world-class horse racing with high fashion, entertainment, and a memorable social experience.

Staying true to the theme of “Marvels of Mzansi,” this year’s racing extravaganza promises an iconic line-up of South African talent, featuring a diverse array of artists set to captivate all attendees throughout the day. The national anthem will be beautifully performed by one of the country’s leading songstresses – look out for the reveal in May. With these performances, the thousands of attendees expected at Hollywoodbets Greyville will have a memorable experience. Stay tuned for the full artist line-up. All ticket holders can look forward to a day filled with live entertainment that will be talked about for years to come, as this year’s HDJ celebrates Mzansi’s vibrant spirit. 

Tickets for this outstanding event are now officially on sale via Ticketpro (www.ticketpro.co.za). Priced at R230 for general admission, your ticket grants access to a day of thrilling racing action, live entertainment, fashion showcases, gourmet food experiences, and an array of engaging activations from event partners. For added convenience, onsite parking is available for R170 per vehicle.

For those seeking an elevated experience, the VIP hospitality packages provide exclusive access to luxurious enclosures, premium viewing areas, and top-tier catering. These options can be explored on the official event website (www.hollywoodbetsdurbanjuly.co.za). Please note that VIP hospitality packages do not include general admission tickets, which must be purchased separately via Ticketpro.

This year’s theme, “Marvels Of Mzansi”, was unveiled in late February, marking the official commencement of the Hollywoodbets Durban July Fashion Experience, presented by Durban Fashion Fair. The fashion programme includes the much-anticipated HDJ Young Designer Award, showcasing the best up-and-coming talents from KwaZulu-Natal. The winners will share the spotlight with the HDJ Invited Designers and DFF Rising Stars at the HDJ Fashion Preview Gala, set to take place at Gateway Theatre of Shopping in late June.

Racing enthusiasts can also look forward to the announcement of the first official entrants on Wednesday, 23 April 2025. With last year’s champion, Oriental Charm, emerging as the early ante-post favourite, excitement is already building. 

Secure your tickets today and experience Africa’s greatest horse racing and social event, the Hollywoodbets Durban July!