David Thiselton

The Candice Bass-Robinson-trained Zarina is the favourite for the Grade 2 East Coast Radio Tibouchina Stakes at the Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge meeting at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday but it looks to be a highly competitive field.

Master Of My Fate filly Zarina finished a 4,60 length fifth in a strong renewal of the Grade 1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas and followed up by winning the Grade 3 Prix du Cap over 1400m at Kenilworth. She finished a 2,40 length fourth in he Grade 2 WSB Fillies Guineas and assistant trainer Trevor Brown said, “She’s well and she’s well in at the weights so she’s got a big chance.”

She was 0,30 lengths by another Master Of My Fate filly in the WSB Guineas, the Dennis Drier-trained Freestate Star, and assistant trainer Stuart Ferrie, said, “Freestate Star is well and 1400m is probably her best trip. She is working well and on her Guineas run she must have a chance.”

Glen Kotzen runs Caya Coco, the only horse to have ever beaten Captain’s Ransom, and he said, “She has been a bit unlucky. In her first KZN start she pulled up sore behind, we sorted her out and then in her next start when we thought she had a big chance in the WSB Fillies Guineas she pulled up coughing her lungs out. So it’s now her third time lucky and she’s cracked a decent draw for a change and she’s very, very well. She’s fit and there is no sign of coughing and she is very classy.” 

He also runs Point Of Sale and said, “She ran an absolute peach of a race last time ridden differently, held up for a run. She’s got a very short run in and she took off. It was a cracking run, she had to give the winner 7kg. She’s got it in her to win a big win, it’s just a matter of everything going her way. She’s got a top jock on (Gavin Lerena), so we’re very happy.”

The pole position drawn Wylie Wench broke the Vaal Classic course record over 1600m in her penultimate start when winning the Grade 3 Acacia Handicap and last time out, also over 1600m in the Listed Syringa Handicap, she was waited with for too long in the straight on the back of a slow pace and couldn’t catch the leader Way Of The World when the latter kicked well. She will be effective over this course and distance as she has good pace and a good turn of foot and might well be better than her 99 merit rating.

The classy Wisteria Walk looks ideally course and distance suited and has a fair draw of five so has a shout.

Keep The Lights on was ahead of Freestate Star when third to Princess Calla and Caya Coco in the Grade 3 Umzimkhulu Stakes over 1400m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville and followed up with a third in the Grade 3 Poinsettia Stakes over 1200m so should be cherry ripe. 

Favorita was second in the Poinsettia and being by Gimmethegreenlight out of an unraced Var mare who was a half-sister to Master Of My Fate she should get this trip. 

Hugs Accepted is well regarded and wasn’t disgraced in the WSB Guineas from a wide draw so is interesting from a fair draw of seven here having won three races from 1000m to 1200m.  

Rio’s Winter finished a 4,45 length fifth in the Grade 1 SA Fillies Sprint and is an interesting runner here as a former Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas runner up. 

Zimbaba was a 4,10 length fifth in the Poinsettia and being by Legislate should love this course and distance so if she brings her ‘A’ game she is a dark horse.  

Love Bomb won the Grade 2 Zulu Kingdom Golden Explorer Golden Slipper over this course and distance last year but has a tough draw this time although she does have Luke Ferraris up and won her penultimate start here over 1200m carrying topweight before finishing downfield in last Sunday’s SA Fillies Sprint. 

Mount Laurel showed signs of a form return last time but also has a tough draw. 

In The Dance went close in this race two years ago but has lost her way a touch and has a tough draw.

David Thiselton

The Sharks rugby team were shown around Summerveld yesterday morning by the Hollywoodbets team and the race named in their honour, the Listed Sharks Gatecrasher Stakes over 1400m, will be one of the most intriguing events at the Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge meeting at Holywoodbets Greyville on Saturday. The Dean Kannemeyer-trained Cosmic Highway is the favourite, despite carrying topweight. He is the only horse in the field to have won two races and assistant trainer Nicolette Roscoe said, “He is a nice horse. He Had a nice run at Scottsville three weeks back ( finishing third over 1200m to Good Traveller and Irfaan’s Boy). He’s looking for a 1400 now and we’re happy with his work, he’s going very well. He is carrying a bit of weight compared to the others but we expect a nice run, he will be right there.” Kannemeyer also runs Waterberry Lane and Roscoe said, “He did nothing wrong last time, running a 1,10 length third over 1200m. He has come on nicely. It is a bit of a step up in class but he is a nice horse.” Wayne and Barbara Badenhorst run second favourite AJ’s Captain and Barbara said, “It is a competitive field but he is doing very well, we couldn’t have him in a better place, he’s fit. We’re happy with the draw of seven, we don’t want to be stuck on the rail, he need’s a nice good pace to use his action. I think he is looking for a mile, so we will run him here and in the Golden Horseshoe before deciding whether we go for the Premier’s.” Hollywoodbets have a runner in this race, the Peter Muscutt-trained Imilenzeyokoduduma, and their racing manager Anthony Delpech said, “He is a smart horse. He is a maiden running in a winners race but he is going to give a good account of himself, we think highly of him.” Glen Kotzen runs Bush Tracker and he said, “He won well last time and we supplemented him because there isn’t another race for him, but from an outside draw it is not going to be easy.” Carl Hewitson runs Purple Flame and said, “He ran a very pleasing first run the other day against winners. He battled a little bit for a clear run in the straight, he’s not without a chance, I think he could be there, he could grab a cheque in this race. The Mike Miller-trained Party Time makes most appeal of those whose connections were not spoken to, having run two seconds around the turn over 1200m where the form has worked out well and then winning by 6.50 lengths at Hollywoodbets Scottsville, also over 1200m.

David Thiselton

Tony Rivalland is set on qualifying Tristful for the Vodacom Durban July in Saturday’s Grade 3 Cup Trial at Hollywoodbets Greyville to give one of KZN’s most loyal racing patrons Mary Liley a day to remember. Liley is one of the many “oh so close but no cigar” July connections around the country as her fancied New Zealand-bred Bold Monarch was beaten just a head by Lightning Shot way back in 1977 and then in 1996 her 33/1 shot Sleek Machine failed by half-a-length to fetch a tiring London News. Rivalland said about five-year-old Trippi colt Tristful, “He looks extremely well, he has a great blood picture this week, so I am hoping for a good run. He has no excuses, he is well drawn and it’s a small field so he should be in the right place turning for home.” He continued, “Some of the horses ahead of him on the log have run so poorly you would think they are not even going to run so he will most probably sneak in anyway, but would it be in our interests to run him if he doesn’t finish in the first three and go close? If he doesn’t win you want it to be a decent second or third. Realistically, I suppose he doesn’t have any chance of winning the July but it’s nice to have a runner who is well, you never know, you might sneak into the back end of quartets and it will be nice for Mary Liley to have a runner.” Tristful was VDJ first reserve last year and finished a 0,80 length second to Sovereign Spirit in the consolation race, the Grade 3 Campanajo 2200, which proved he enjoys the course and distance. Rivalland has three other runners on Saturday and said, “Backstop (1st race) is extremely well and fit, I will be disappointed if she gets beat. I haven’t seen the final field but I don’t think there can be anything around much stronger than her among the maiden fillies at the moment.” He said Khan, who runs in the ninth and returns from a rest, was in a very good space and the blinkers go on so he was expecting a much improved race from him. Star Vega runs in the 2nd and he said although 1400m was a tad short of her best trip she loved Hollywoodbets Greyville and if not turning for home to far back had a definite chance.

Andrew Harrison

Rainbow Bridge will defend his title in the 50th renewal of the R1 million Hollywoodbets Gr1 Gold Challenge at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday and will be out to turn the tables on Gr1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate winner Jet Dark.

South Africa’s joint second richest race is the final Vodacom Durban July ‘golden ticket’ event and promises to be a thriller with five big race entries lining up.

Although only nine runners are due to face starter Solly Ngcobo, there is plenty of intrigue with runners like Rainbow Bridge and Belgarion warming up for the VDJ against star miler’s whose main target will have been this race.

The Eric Sands-trained Rainbow Bridge could not have been more impressive when winning the Gr2 Drill Hall Stakes over 1400m beating Catch Twentytwo and the pair will face up again come Saturday.

Rainbow Bridge will renew his partnership with jockey Luke Ferraris who has landed a six-month contract to ride in Hong Kong from mid-September.

Jet Dark, the highest rated three-year-old in the country after his defeat of Rainbow Bridge in the Queen’s Plate, has not had an outing since that victory which may be a worry for some. Stable first-call Richard Fourie rides with Grant van Niekerk switching to Seeking The Stars.

Justin Snaith scratched Jet Dark from the original July entry but the colt is sure to be primed come Saturday.

Vaughan Marshall has had a stellar Champions Season to date and will saddle Seeking The Stars who set a solid gallop for stable companion Linebacker in the WSB KZN Guineas. He stayed on well enough for second which will make him a factor on Saturday.

Snaith also saddles last year’s VDJ winner Belgarion who missed his intended warm-up race in the Drill Hall with an abnormal blood picture. He is already assured of a place in the VDJ but this will be a testing warm-up. S’Manga Khumalo rides what will probably be his VDJ mount.

Sovereign Spirit and Cirillo are assured of a July gate while Trip To Africa is 18th on the latest VDJ log and a top showing here will push him further up the table.

Supporting features on the card are the Gr2 East Coast Radio Tibouchina Stakes, the Gr3 Hollywoodbets Dolphin’s Cup Trial,  the Listed Cell C Sharks Gatecrasher Stakes and the (Non-Black Type) Rising Sun Durban Dash.

R1 000 000 1600m

1st R625000, 2nd R200000, 3rd R100000, 4th R50000, 5th R25000

Hollywoodbets GOLD CHALLENGE (Grade 1)

Weight-For-Age

WFA: 2yrs-10.5kgs 3yrs-1.5kgs

No Apprentice Allowance

1          Jet Dark                       58.5     130      A         Richard Fourie  Justin Snaith

2          Seeking The Stars         58.5     121      BA       Grant van Niekerk        Vaughan Marshall

3          Rainbow Bridge            60        134      A         Luke Ferraris    Eric Sands

4          Chimichuri Run 60        125      TBA     Raymond Danielson     Sean Tarry

5          Cirillo                           60        120      T A      Lyle Hewitson   Sean Tarry

6          Trip To Africa              60        114      BA       *Thabiso Gumede        Duncan Howells

7          Belgarion                      60        130      A         S’manga Khumalo        Justin Snaith

8          Sovereign Spirit            60        124      BA       Keagan de Melo           Candice Bass-Robinson

9          Catch Twentytwo         58.5     123      A         Gavin Lerena    Paul Peter

David Thiselton

The Paul Matchett-trained three-year-old Act Of War gelding Battle Force became the first bottom weight for 15 years to win the Grade 1 Golden Horse Sprint on Sunday at Hollywoodbets Scottsville when just getting up under Craig Zackey to beat Eden Roc by 0,25 lengths and he is only the second horse in the merit rating era to win this handicap while racing under sufferance.

 The last bottom weight to win was also trained by Matchett, the Zimbabwean-bred three-year-old Muhtafal colt Let’s Rock’n Roll, who carried 50kg to victory at odds of 50/1 under Randall Simons in 2006, winning by a cosy 1,25 lengths.

However, Let’s Rock ‘N Roll had snuck into the handicap whereas Battle Force was officially 2.5kg under sufferance carrying 52kg off his 106 merit rating.

To put that in layman’s terms, if it had been a true long handicap Battle Force would have carried only 49.5kg, so was carrying 2.5kg more than he should have been.

There is a minimum weight rule in most parts of the world and in South Africa it was changed in recent times from 50kg to 52kg.    

The only previous horse in the merit rating era to have won the Golden Horse Sprint while under sufferance was the Charles Laird-trained Hinterland, who was 3kg under sufferance when carrying 50kg to victory as a three-year-old in 2002. He started at odds of 8/1 and won by the same 0,25 length margin that Battle Force did.

Battle Force is highly progressive and on Sunday proved himself ahead of the handicappers again.

He has now won his last six sprint starts, his only recent defeat being over 1400m.

He has duly been raised to a 113 merit rating.

Battle Force was initially fancied in the betting at around 8/1 but drifted all the way out to 16/1.

Pulling a shoe probably aided the betting drift.

The start was delayed for a long time by the re-shoeing process and it was eventually announced he would race unshod behind.

Owner Roy Wentzel said afterwards, “Paul, to his credit, knows the horse well and suggested he run without the shoes.”  

Nevertheless, his supporters’ confidence must have dropped to a new level of pessimism.

However, Matchett was correct and the rangy bay strode out well throughout from his Standside 16 draw and ran all the way to the line.

It was Matchett’s third Grade 1 win at Hollywoodbets Scottsville in all as he also won the Allan Robertson Championship with Brave Mary in 2017.

Zackey has to be given a lot of credit for Sunday’s win as he had to shed 5kg in a week to make the weight.

It has been a halcyon week for all of Matchett, owners Roy Wentzel and Rose Waterman-Wentzel and sire Act Of War.

Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara heroine War Of Athena had won the Grade 1 Woolavington 2000 for Matchett and the Wentzels just eight days earlier.

Fittingly, Battle Force carries Roy’s colours (yellow, green maltese cross, white sleeves, gold and green quartered cap), because War Of Athena carries Rose’s colours (Pale pink, black stars and collar, white sleeves, black stars, black cap, white star).

Summerhill Stud-based sire Act Of War now has two Grade 1 winners in his first crop. He has a good 41.3% winners to runners ratio and his AEPR (average earnings per runner) of R76,997 is the highest of the top 50 sires on the SA national log.

Battle Force was another horse who “spoke to” Rose Waterman-Wentzel at the Sales. She and Roy duly purchased him for R130,000 at the KZN Yearling Sale.

Both War Of Athena and Battle Force were bred by Summerhill Stud.

David Thiselton

Vaughan Marshall, having won Sunday’s Gold Medallion with Ambiorix, has now landed Hollywoodbets Scottsville Grade 1’s in four different decades.

The Vercingetorix colt gave 19-year-old Luke Ferraris his career fifth Grade 1 victory.

Marshall’s Hollywoodbets Scottsville Grade 1 run started in 1994 when Taban won what is today called the Golden Horse Sprint under Anton Marcus at odds of 8/1.

He won that same race in 1996 with Bold Thatch, win converted 20/1 odds under Felix Coetzee.

He also won the SA Fillies Sprint on 1996 with Wonderful World who was ridden by Robbie Fradd and at 20/1 odds she downed the top class sprinter Harry’s Charm.

In 1997 the Gallic League filly Readallaboutit won the Allan Robertson Championship for him at 10/1 odds under Robbie Fradd.

His next Hollywoodbets Scottsville Grade 1 win was in the 2009 Gold Medallion with the Var colt Villandry, who was brought home by Felix Coetzee at odds of 9/1.

Marshall was particularly proud of his next Grade 1 win at the Pietermaritzburg track, All Is Secret, who won the Allan Robertson Championship in 2012, as he trained both of her parents Captain Al and Secret Of Victoria. All Is Secret was ridden by Anton Marcus and converted odds of 38/10.

The following year he won the Allan Robertson again with Happy Valentine, who converted 7/2 odds under Sean Veale.

In 2016 Marshall scored a Grade 1 double at the Festival Of Speed meeting. All Is Secret’s full-sister The Secret Is Out won the Allan Robertson under MJ Byleveld at odds of 14/10. The Captain Al colt Always In Charge, ridden by Anton Marcus, then converted 5/2 odds in the Gold Medallion.

Ambiorix made it a tenth Hollywoodbets Scottsville Grade 1 win for Marshall on Sunday, winning at odds of 25/3.

It is fitting that he has had such success at this track as he was a pupil at Maritzburg College where he excelled at sport, particularly cricket. for which he represented Natal Schools.

Ambiorix gave Marshall his second Grade 1 win in the space of eight days and his third of the season. His stalwart three-year-old gelding Linebacker has won both the Jonsson Workwear Cape Derby and the Daily News 2000 this season and is 4/1 with Hollywoodbets to give Marshall his first Vodacom Durban July win.

Ambiorix gave David Allan’s UK-based syndicate Burns Racing a first Grade 1 winner. Allan bought the Oldlands Stud-bred colt for R250,000 at the CTS Premier Yearling Sale.

Marshall has for a long time been known for his expertise with two-year-olds, although he is certainly not one-dimensional as his CV also contains three MET wins, five Cape Guineas wins and two Cape Derby wins among other big race success.

Sunday’s win was a particularly impressive training feat as the colt had not raced since the 27th of February when finishing a 2,50 length second in the Grade 3 Cape Of Good Hope Nursery.

Ferraris showed his fine race-riding intuition once again, revealing afterwards he had possibly made a mistake in the Cape Nursery by having him in behind horses. He said, “I asked Mr Marshall if I could ride him like in his first race. He has a very relaxed running style. He pinged the gate and just kept rolling.”

Vercingetorix is by multiple champion sire Silvano and the latter’s blood had already provided success in this family as Ambiorix’s dam Darling Moon (Indigo Magic) is a half-sister to the dual Grade 3 winning Silvano gelding Astro News.

Vercingetorix is proving to be a producer of speed and precocity, unlike Silvano, and this might be due to the influence of his National Assembly dam National Vixen. Both of Vercingetorix’s Grade 1 winners to date have achieved their single Grade 1 success in two-year-old sprints at Hollywoodbets Scottsville, the first being Vernichey in last year’s Allan Robertson.

However, Vercingetorix has produced stakes winners up to 1800m and is sire of the Marshall-trained Rascallion, who was a fast finishing second in the Daily News 2000.

Therefore Ambiorix, whose dam won a Listed race over 1400m, should get the 1400m of the Grade 2 Durban Golden Horseshoe on Vodacom Durban July day.

David Thiselton

The Grade 3 Jubilee Handicap over 1800m at Turffontein yesterday was won by the Tyrone Zackey-trained Johnny Hero under Kabelo Matsunane, who celebrated recently attaining his fully fledged jockey’s license by riding a double.

The Jubilee traditionally provides a last gasp opportunity for lower rated horses to make a bid for a place in the Vodacom Durban July field and the pair that fell into that category yesterday were the 111-rated former Dingaans winner Shango and the 107-rated Pack Leader. 

Running Brave and ExpressfromtheUS were other July entries to run but they were high up on the last July log in tenth and twelfth position respectively. 

Eight of the original jockeys had to be replaced because of the meeting coinciding with the postponed Hollywoodbets Scottsville Festival Of Speed meeting.

Matsunyane had landed a chance ride in the previous race on the well-bred Mike de Kock-trained Dynasty filly Desert Miracle. He brought this maiden home to beat some useful fillies going away in the Highveld Winter Juvenile Fillies Stakes over 1400m.

The early pace was sedate in the Jubilee and the known front-runner Running Brave had every chance to get over from draw five to take the lead but Greg Cheyne, riding her  for the first time, opted to try and unsuccessfully restrain her instead. 

Bingwa led and kept the pace steady with Running Brave racing too strongly on his outside.

Oyster King was in third between the pair with Green Haze in the box seat on the rail and Jet Start caught out wide. 

Johnny Hero had nice cover behind Oyster King and Shango was behind him.

Christopher Robin was caught wide the whole way. 

Pack Leader had nice cover third from last, while Chijmes tried the hold up tactics which had worked well last time over shorter and was on the rail one from last and ExpressfromtheUS was at the back having been dropped out from a wide draw.

Running Brave was soon a spent force, not surprisingly, as Bingwa strode out well in the front and was the target for the chasers.

Johnny Hero, who had snuck into the handicap with the minimum weight was the first to chase and was moving ominously well. 

Shango and Pack Leader were also making a bid on the outside.

Johnny Hero forged to the front 200m from home and kept going to beat a charging Shango by 0,75 lengths with Bingwa staying on to be just a head behind that. Pack Leader was fourth, beaten four lengths, and ExpressfromtheUS was too far back and could only manage a 6,35 length fifth.

Running Brave ran her second shocker in succession and was beaten 26 lengths, although the riding tactics did not help, so her July place might now be in jeopardy. The breeding shed might be calling for this admirable mare.

Shango would likely have needed to win to get into the July and Pack Leader’s chances of qualifying for the big race are gone. 

Johnny Hero runs in the same colours as the 2012 narrow July runner up Smanjemanje and it will be interesting to see whether he is supplemented. In 2017 Coral Fever was supplemented after winning the Jubilee with 53.5kg but he was not included in the final VDJ field.

Later the Johan Janse van Vuuren stalwart filly Lady Of Steel landed the seventh win of her career, a Pinnacle Stakes event over 1400m, in comfortable fashion under Marco van Rensburg, from Orpheus who enjoyed the step down in trip and strode out well in the front throughout.     

Callan Murray took advantage of the jockeys’ absence and flew up from Cape Town to ride the first two winners on the card and both look promising. Big Burn by Elusive Fort is a full-sister to Catch Twentytwo and won the first over 1160m by three lengths for the Paul Peter yard.

Murray rode the Peter-trained Mufasa to a 4,25 length win in the second over 1160m. He is by What A Winter and is a half-brother to the Grade 3-winning Grade 1 runner up Magico.

The Fabian Habib-trained SA Derby winner Out Of Your League bounced back to form by winning the next over 2400m under Diego De Gouveia.

The Alec Laird-trained Spice Market won the fourth over 1400m from start to finish under 4kg claimer Mfanelo Zuma.

The fifth over 1400m was won by the Sean Tarry-trained Rain In Holland under Luyola Mxothwa. She easily accounted for the 1/4 favourite Smorgasbord.