RUGBY 8 WIN MARGIN on Friday, 7 February 2025, C/Over R 50 894 – Pool Closes at 21h30.

Soccer10 on Friday, 7 February 2025. ADD-IN R 150 000 Estimated Pool: R 1.8 Million. Pool Closes at 19h30. Sport 7 and Pool 1.

Soccer13 on Saturday, 8 February 2025. Guaranteed Jackpot: R 16.5 Million. (if only one 13 of 13 Winner). Pool Closes at 16h15. Sport 10 and Pool 1.

Soccer4 on Saturday, 8 February 2025 ADD-IN R 25 000 Estimated Pool: R 100 000. Pool Closes at 19h30. Sport 19 and Pool 3.

Soccer6 on Saturday, 8 February 2025. ADD-IN R 75 000 Estimated Pool: R 500 000. Pool Closes at 15h00. Sport 1 and Pool 1

Soccer10 on Saturday, 8 February 2025. ADD-IN R 150 000 Estimated Pool: R 1.8 Million. Pool Closes at 15h00. Sport 12 and Pool 1

Soccer ANY 13Xtra on Saturday, 8 February 2025. C/Over R 200 000 Estimated Pool: R 600 000. Pool Closes at 14h30. Sport 13 and Pool 1

David Thiselton

Justin Snaith is on track to have a crack at the record number of wins in a South African season although he would have to improve his win rate per day as the season enters its second half.

Paul Peter holds the record of 221 in a season set in the 2021/2022 season, but interestingly he was only on 104 wins at close of play on February 3, 2022, whereas Justin Snaith was on 101 wins at the same stage, just three behind.

Jonathan Snaith said about a record chase, “It is definitely on Justin’s radar. He’s not actively chasing the record right now, but if he’s in the hunt come May, then he’ll push hard.”

He then revealed  that, “Justin will be opening a permanent yard in KZN this April now that Hollywoodbets and Greg Bortz are managing the Durban franchise. This will help in the record attempt.”

Snaith has had 634 runs and 101 wins this season for a strike rate of 15.93%.

That means if he keeps up the same number of runners per day rate and same strike rate as he had at the close of play on Monday this week, he will end the season on 197 wins.

That is some way short of 221, so he is going to have to probably increase both his number of runners per calendar day rate of 3.39 and his strike rate of 15.93%.

Snaith’s 208 wins in the 2020/2021 season has been his best ever return but Paul Peter broke the record of 215 set by Sean Tarry in the 2016/2017 season.

However, Snaith is a racing certainty to win the championship this year.

It looks highly unlikely there will be any late charges like those Sean Tarry mounted in the last two seasons, which saw him coming within one feature race result on Gold Cup day of landing the championship in the 2022/2023 season and of creeping within about R1,5 million of Snaith before Gold Cup day last year.

Snaith is close to R10 million ahead at the halfway mark this season.

His stakes earnings of R16,638,019 before yesterday’s racing at Fairview had started were well clear of Vaughan Marshall on R6,785,675, Alec Laird on R6,501,500,  Alan Greeff on 6,285,963, Tony Peter on R5,907,875, Gavin Smith on R5,585,513 and Candice Bass-Robinson on R5,406,188.

Sean Tarry is enduring his worst season for some time and just sneaks into the top ten on R4,654,013, but he does usually pick up significantly from February onward as he generally does well in Jo’Burg’s main season and in the Champions Season. His Gr 1 record at Hollywoodbets Scottsville is of course unmatched.

Brett Crawford was in 8^th place on R4,765,156, while many-times champion Mike de Kock was in ninth place on R4,682,575, but their stakes earnings will not increase as they are now in official partnerships with their respective sons James and Mathew. 

Snaith is also well clear in the number of wins column. In second place, 23 behind him, was Alan Greeff on 78 wins. Next best are Gavin Smith on 63, Tony Peter on 50 and Candice Bass-Robinson on 40.

These stats would likely have changed slightly by the close of play yesterday.  

Graeme Hawkins

Grant Van Niekerk enjoys a 31,4% winning strike rate when riding for trainer Adam Marcus and the combination could build on that statistic when My Only Weakness lines up in the seventh race, a Class 4 Handicap (F&M) over 1600m, at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth today. My Only Weakness took a while to find her feet but since being stepped up in trip, the 3yo daughter of One World has been a model of consistency and was touched off by Summer Night City over 1800m a month ago.

In her penultimate start My Only Weakness was narrowly beaten over 1800m by Lady Springfield, who reopposes here on 1kg worse terms, and My Only Weakness will have every chance of gaining revenge. It may not be in either My Only Weakness or Lady Springfield’s favour that the pair come back slightly in distance and that could play into the hands of Jet To The Sun who was an impressive winner in similar company over the track and trip in her last start. Jet To The Sun, a 4yo daughter of What A Winter, enjoys a weight-for-age advantage with both My Only Weakness and Lady Springfield and she is likely to give plenty of cheek.

Senhora Victoria is usually somewhere in the mix and could again earn a minor stakes cheque while recent maiden winner Englefield Green could have more to offer. Pentolina was not at her best in her last two starts in November but may have freshened up nicely in the interim and could be the source of a surprise result. Give My Everything won a modest maiden from a poor draw three weeks ago but the 3yo daughter of Gimmethegreenlight is still relatively unexposed and can show further progress. Pilot Flame has been sidelined since October and will need to step up on her form prior to the break.

It’s a competitive handicap but My Only Weakness is knocking loudly at the door and gets a narrow vote to score a well-deserved second career victory.

The ninth race is an intriguing Class 4 Handicap (F&M) over 1000m in which winning chances can be afforded to most of the field. I harbour a slight preference for the Candice Bass-Robinson-trained Tanneron who showed signs of returning to best form three weeks ago when finishing third over 1200m behind the very progressive Sohot Sowhat. The lightly raced daughter of Var may now lack early pace over the minimum trip, but she should be finishing off the race in style. Stable companion The Charleston ran below par last time but rates a threat on her previous two outings in which she came home second best. She does appear to have issues and cannot be relied on to deliver her optimum.

Peace Of Mind has had two starts since relocating to the Western Cape from the Highveld and she was seen to good advantage when third over this track and trip last time out. On the strength of that form, she should have the measure of Furious Queen and In The Green Zone. Peace Of Mind is now trained by the Crawford/Rix combination and the stable were in fine form at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth over the past weekend. Priscilla Maisey was not far behind Tanneron last time and on that effort comes into the race with a bright chance if she does not fall foul of the “second-run-after-rest” syndrome.

Love Shack won well at the end of December, but her stable companions are marginally preferred. Palo Queen appears to have lost her form and would be a surprise winner but the joker in the pack could be the very speedy Bonne Bouche. She found 1200m a little beyond her three weeks ago when fading late but she has plummeted down the ratings and could upset the applecart here at a big price.

While the back end of the card looks tricky, punters could have the better of exchanges during the first half of the programme. Malmesbury Missile ticks all the right boxes in the opener, a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1200m and in the second race, a Maiden Plate (F&M) over 1400m, Diamond Bomber may have the edge over Catch A Penny who tackles the distance for the first time.

Tenpenny and Dubbelosix stand out in the third race, a Maiden Plate over 1600m, but I have a slight preference for Tenpenny who may have been a little unlucky to go down a short-head last time. Future Frequency looks a worthy favourite in the fourth race, a Maiden Plate over 2000m, but Umfula may relish stepping up in trip and could be a lively threat. The fifth race, a Maiden Plate (F&M) over 1800m, looks wide open but I quite like the 7/1 chance Blossoming Mind who should appreciate the tougher test of stamina here.

 David Thiselton

The Trippi mare Shatoosh was bought for a bargain R5,000 at the 2023 Cape Racing Winter Mixed Sale and, as so often happens when a mare is given up on, her progeny suddenly start coming to the fore.

Among Shatoosh’s progeny who have done well since that sale is the Frank Robinson-trained Duke Of Marmalade gelding Duke Of Africa, who has a remarkable story behind him having recovered from a snake bite.

Frank said, “It is apparently not rare. I am told, for a snake to come into a box at night to drink water from the buckets in the corner. They will drink and then depart. But sometimes what happens is a horse will stand on them and they will then strike. We don’t know what type of snake bit him, but the bite was into the joint. What normally happens with a snake bite is all the flesh falls off the bone, so the whole leg just falls down and they have to be euthanised. 

However, what we did was not something conventional. We dripped him with a certain product together with antibiotics all night, and we then sweated the leg continuously with Epsom salts and bandages to try and extract the poison. And he made it!”

 He was off for nearly a year though. Funnily enough, before he was bitten by the snake, he had a few little aches and pains behind and we were resting him quite a lot, so he actually had a good rest for recovery this time and he moves so  much better now as a result, so it has helped all round. I still bandage over the wound area every day. It is just one of those ailments that improves and improves … I left him in the paddock a lot so he could walk a lot and keep mobile otherwise it could flare up. It took a long time to heal.”

It would not have been possible to treat Duke Of Africa with such high care without him having had a caring owner, so accolades must go to Paul Janse van Rensburg, who never questioned anything done for the horse during the treatment and recovery period.

Frank said, “Paul is such a nice guy and just wants what is best for the horse. He is now reaping the rewards, because the horse can race on until he is eight or nine years old.”

Duke Of Africa made it a second win in seven starts since the bite and he also has two thirds and a fourth and a fifth from those starts.

Frank said, “The heavier that poly track is the more he just rolls through it. His first win after the snake bite was on a heavy poly track over 2000m and he won by 7,90 lengths and it was over the same course and distance last Friday night and he won by 2,90 lengths.”

Frank is now going to look at a race for him at Turffontein over 3000m, because he believes that is what he is looking for. Frank also noticed that on the heavy track on Friday night another Duke Of Marmalade also won. 

Another sibling of Shatoosh who has blossomed since the mare was sold is the Mike and Adam Azzie-trained Andi’s Girl, who was a touch unlucky not to gain Listed status last time out. That is not to mention her Erupt colt selling for R200,000 at the Cape Racing ‘s ready to run Sale last year. 

Shatoosh won four races from 1200m to 1600m. Her sire Trippi was a producer of speed but also of class, so his progeny, like Jet Dark, are able to win over the classic distances.

Duke Of Africa is the product of a potent combination i.e. the late Duke Of Marmalade, who won five successive Gr 1s in Europe, and the late stallion Trippi, who has sired 68 stakes winners to date, including 14 Gr 1 winners.

Frank was surprised to secure him for R45,000 at the BSA Cape Yearling Sale of 2021.

Frank was a fan of Duke Of Marmalade due to his famous Gr 1-winning streak and he was also lucky enough to meet him when visiting Aidan O’Brien’s yard many years ago. He noticed his good looks and excellent temperament, “an absolute gentleman.”

He continued, “Duke Of Africa actually looks very much like him and what was interesting is I weighed my runners the other day and a lot of the big ones were 480kg and 490kg and he was 530kg.”

He added, “He was bred by Drakenstein and I thought the name, Duke Of Africa, they could have used on anyone of their horses but I believed they would have given it to a special one. He was a very nice yearling, but some people had gone off Duke Of Marmalade.”

Duke Of Africa has only once run beyond 2000m and he looks like one to follow over staying trips. 

Please Note: From December, Unit cost of all Soccer10 Pools closing on Wednesdays will be R3.

The R3 unit cost on Wednesdays is on a trial basis only & follows requests from many customers to increase the Soccer10 Unit.

The unit cost of Soccer10 Pools on all other days remains R2.