Join us as we check out Racing Gear, it’s role and how it can help a horse find the Winners Box. This week it’s all about compression hoods, which are worn by the likes of Rascova, William Robertson and Gimmefabulous. The ever-popular GARTH PULLER and veterinarian MARK DITTBERNER share their valuable knowledge with us. We jump right in to find out more!

David Thiselton
War Front is one of two sons of the great Danzig, along with Hard Spun, still standing at stud and he is making a massive impact in South Africa through his three sons standing here, the late Lancaster Bomber, Fire Away and Declarationofpeace.
Fire Away is on fire at present and in the month of March got the exacta in the Gr 1 TAB SA Classic with the Fabian Habib-trained Confederate and the Alec Laird-trained Fire Attack and now on Saturday won the R1.5 million CRS Cape Slipper over 1200m with the Peter Muscutt-trained Military Command.
Military Command led from start to finish under Craig Zackey and has the ability to kick off a strong pace.
He could add to Fire Away’s record of seven stakes winners and he is from just his third crop.
The Cape Slipper was not a stakes race, but the Champions Season will provide many opportunities for Military Command to become a stakes winner and possibly a Gr 1 winner too.
Military Command was bred by James Goodman, who trained his dam, the Australian-bred High Chaparral mare Lady Val.
She won second time out for him in a poly race over 1400m.
Goodman retired from training a couple of months after that win, but bought back Lady Val at his dispersal sale for R400,000. 
She is out of a half-sister to Intelligence Cross, who won a Gr 3 for Aidan O’Brien and was a Gr 2 and Listed runner up.
Intelligence Cross was by War Front, so it is not surprising Goodman sent Lady Val to War Front’s son Fire Away and that decision has paid dividends. 
Lady Val herself won third time out for Mike de Kock after that dispersal sale, but that proved to be her only other win.
At stud she has also produced the David Nieuwenhuizen-trained Talk Of The Town filly Famous Lady, who won first time out over 800m and finished a narrow second in the Gr 3 Pretty Polly Stakes over 1100m.
Goodman still has Lady Val and in fact she has a Fire Away yearling filly, so she will be valuable and the BSA National Yearling Sale might be beckoning.
Another Fire Away to have impressed lately was the Michael Roberts-trained Fortress Of Fire, who ran in a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1200m and was allowed to drift out to 10/1.However, he won like a 1/5 shot under Rachel Venniker.Like Military Command he showed the ability to kick off a strong pace and he won with ears pricked by 3,30 lenggths from the 11/10 favourite Gotta Go Eddie, a Hollywood Racing Gimmethegreenlight colt trained by Mike de Kock.Peter Blyth of Clifton Stud bred Fortress Of Fire and it was also of no surprise that he used Fire Away.He said, “I was in love with Fire Away from the day he arrived in South Africa, because he is by War Front and War Front is by Danzig and of course I have always been mad about Danzig. Going back some time we bought Allied Flag, who was by Danzig, and he produced Classic Flag who won the July, say no more! I’ve always leaned towards Danzig and the closest you can get to him at present is War Front. He is one of the last living sons of Danzig. Lancaster Bomber has done really well and we have Declarationofpeace here in KZN … he has started well and we hope he continues to do so because he is right on our doorstep.”Fortress Of Fire’s granddam was the classy daughter of Joshua Dancer, She’s A Winner, who won the Gr 2 Godolphin Barb over 1200m for Corinne Bestel. Corinne also trained Fortress Of Fire’s four-time winning dam, She’s A Fortress, a Fort Wood daughter of She’s A Winner.She’s A Winner’s son, the Canford Cliffs colt Cliff Hanger, folllowed in her footsteps by winning the Godolphin Barb and Fortress Of Fire could be another of her descendants to win the Goldolphin Barb, as the 1100m Gr 3 event on April 27 looks an obvious target for him.It could be a target for Military Command too as well as for a Muscutt-trained Declarationofpeace colt called Spacebound, who won his debut over 1000m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth by four lengths, beating Military Command by six lengths. The race did not pan out well for the latter that day on his debut, but it was still a spectacular performance by Spacebound.Spacebound is one of only three Declarationofpeaces to have run to date and another one of them, the Mike Miller-trained Treaty Of Paris, also look promising having won by two lengths over 1100m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville in just his second start.Meanwhile, Lancaster Bomber is proving to be an enormous loss.The Drakenstein Stud-based stallion passed away just before his third season.He was not only freshman champion stallion, but his two crops have to date produced four Gr 1 winners, dual Gr 1 winner Beach  Bomb as well as Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas winner Snow Pilot, Maine Chance Farms Majorca winner Rascova and WSB Met winner Eight On Eighteen.Fire Away stands at Wilgerbosdrift Stud, while Declarationofpeace stands at McRath stud in the KZN Midlands.The latter pair are sure to be in demand.

Join us as we check out Racing Gear, it’s role and how it can help a horse find the Winners Box. This week it’s all about ear muffs, which were worn by THE FUTURIST when winning the Grade 3 Ridgemont Peninusal Handicap in December. The ever-popular GARTH PULLER and veterinarian MARK DITTBERNER share their valuable knowledge with us. We jump right in to find out more!

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.

All systems go on 1 January 2025

Horseracing in KwaZulu-Natal took the next step to the dawn of a new era with the publication on Thursday of a revitalized racing programme and the news of the introduction of incentives and stakes adjustments that will align the province with the status quo in the Cape.

The introduction of the new-look programme and policies on the East Coast comes into play as a result of the proposed acquisition of Gold Circle by the Hollywood Sportsbook Holdings group, which now hinges on the required approval of the KZN Economic Regulatory Authority (KZNERA).

Whilst the outstanding approval of the KZNERA is critical to the transaction, and will be the final step in transferring ownership, Hollywoodbets and its appointed Chairman Designate of Gold Circle, Greg Bortz are in management and strategic decisions during the interim period, with Hollywoodbets investing funds at its own risk to ensure the continuity of horse racing in KZN, and the survival of Gold Circle.

Programme and related reading matter, click here.

Subject to the fulfillment of other outstanding conditions precedent, the deal effectively unlocks a R500 million rescue injection from Hollywoodbets, and a takeover of the sport in the holiday province, which is set to include track upgrades and other infrastructural and operational initiatives.

The new KZN programme covers the period 1 January to 28 February 2025 and introduces the stakes-boosted class racing structure to the province, while unveiling financial incentives via the RaceCoast incentive scheme with the ultimate aim of improving racehorse ownership in KZN and achieving enhanced field sizes with the knock-on vital lifeblood of increased betting turnovers.

Down South, the RaceCape incentive programme has proven a winner and has underscored the unprecedented turnaround in Cape horseracing by providing further opportunities for the local racing community and increased employment prospects for grooms and work riders, as well as raising the bar for all related and ancillary horse racing services.

“We are very excited about future plans for KZN racing,” Cape Racing Executive: Racing & Bloodstock Justin Vermaak told the Sporting Post on Thursday, as he outlined broad plans to revolutionise the appeal of the sport across the board for all stakeholders in KZN.

“We need to provide owners and trainers with an even and attractive playing field that makes them want to race. Stakes and rewards need to be meaningful. That ultimately leads to better field sizes, more exciting racing and improved betting turnovers. Punters are key to the success of the process. We are implementing a first world reform in terms of transparency when it comes to information. Items like horse weights, for example, will be published. They are, after all, a form assessment tool. Horses working at our training centres and tracks will all have easily identifiable bar-coded saddle-cloths. So, there are no secrets. If Oriental Charm or One Stripe is on track, the public will share in it,” added Vermaak, who confirmed that barrier draws after acceptance was another operational change which would be implemented on 1 January 2025.

Veteran KZN trainer Garth Puller, who attended a recent stakeholder’s meeting at Summerveld hosted by Greg Bortz, Justin Vermaak, Gold Circle and Hollywoodbets officials, enthused that he was thrilled by the news of the takeover by business-minded racing people who were brave and bold enough to step in and turn the ship around.

“This has come very late for me at my age, but it’s a lifechanger and the future is brighter than it was yesterday,” reflected a delighted Puller as he told the Sporting Post that the adjusted stakes and ‘very welcome’ incentives would boost cash-flows,  while also making it so much easier to help him and his colleagues market the basic ownership product.

“And we are getting draws after acceptances. Wonderful! I was calling for that 25 years ago at Hollywoodbets Durbanville. Bigger fields mean a faster pace, means better form, means better truer results. It’s an ecosystem of positivity. It all feeds on itself,” added the horseman who is never scared to pass an opinion.

Puller said the repair of the Polytrack at Hollywoodbets Greyville was ‘definitely quite overdue and welcome news’.

“That’s our stage. The track must be safe for horse and rider, be true and competitive, and have credibility with all role-players. That’s not a negotiable.”

On the ‘abolition’ of the committee structure to facilitate decision making and policy, Puller said that he was so pleased to hear that all reasonable suggestions will be considered by management.

“Wonderful! So there are no more long-winded committees to hide behind and to dither over. How refreshing.  I believe every stakeholder in this sport in KZN needs to doff a cap to Hollywoodbets and Mr Bortz. This investment and takeover is a brave move. But we know that with the passion for horse racing of the local population in this province, we can make it work. And by putting the structures in place they are making sure we have no excuses. Let’s look forward and get on with rebuilding KZN racing. I am absolutely thrilled. This is good news,” he concluded.