Hollywoodbets Kenilworth Net Pick6 C/Over: R 2 Million Estimated Pool: R10 Million on Saturday, 25 January 2025 Race 4 off at 13h35.

Hollywoodbets Kenilworth Net Quartet C/Over: R 500 000 Estimated Pool: R 2 Million on Saturday, 25 January 2025. Race 8 off at 16h05. (WSB CAPE TOWN MET)

Hollywoodbets Kenilworth 3rd Jackpot Net C/Over: R 500 000 Estimated Pool: R 2 Million on Saturday, 25 January 2025 Race 9 off at 16h45.

Graeme Hawkins

Promettere turned in a career best performance when storming to victory in Saturday’s headliner at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth, the “Buy Tickets to WSB Cape Town Met on Quicket” Class 3 Handicap over 1600m. Ridden by Richard Fourie for trainer Vaughan Marshall, the 5yo son of Pomodoro accelerated smartly over the final 200m from some way off the early speed and drew clear to beat Future Turn by more than three lengths.

Future Turn (28/10) stayed on gamely from a handy position but was simply no match for Promettere (5/1) in the closing stages. Hat’s Pride (11/2) moved up threateningly approaching the final 200m but failed to sustain his effort and at the line was a neck adrift of Future Turn in third spot. Promettere was the second leg of a double for Fourie on a day when current log-leader Craig Zackey drew a rare blank. With Gavin Lerena riding a treble at Turffontein, the title chase looks as follows by the close of business on Saturday – Craig Zackey 119; Gavin Lerena 115 and Richard Fourie 114. With Fourie and Zackey getting the plum rides for trainers Alan Greeff and Gavin Smith in the Eastern Cape,  Lerena faces an uphill battle to maintain his momentum and stay in touch.

Fourie’s first winner came aboard Okavango in the second race, a Class 5 Handicap over 1600m, for the Justin Snaith team, their sole winner over the 10-race programme. Okavango was backed to the exclusion of the field and justified odds of 7/10 with a bloodless 4-length victory over Cosmic Rhythm. Owner Nick Jonsson was on hand to lead in his 3yo son of Master Of Fate who was winning at only the fourth time of asking and may yet have scope for further progress.

Glen Kotzen would have left Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday with a smile on his face. Over the past few months his Woodhill Racing Team, based near Paarl, have been fighting a lingering virus and generally the horses have been performing well below par. But his six runners on Saturday yielded two winners, one second and two thirds, including saddling the Exacta in the third race, a Maiden Plate over 1200m. The lesser fancied of the pair, Tripping Thunder (Chad Little), held a clear advantage with 200m left to race, but his more favoured stable companion Circumbendibus (JP van der Merwe) was now in full cry and got up in the shadow of the post to win going away.

Chad Little had his moment in the sun in the seventh race, a Maiden Plate over 1800m. Little confidently took Bombers In The Sky forward from the start and the 3yo son of Lancaster Bomber was never headed, reaching the finishing post with nearly two lengths to spare over Future Frequency and Landoftherisingsun.

The almost inevitable Pick 6 “bomb” landed in the fifth race, a Maiden Plate (F&M) over 1200m, when the formless Princessontherun (with an official merit rating of 41) fought off the attentions of Lhasa (7/1) to score by a head at odds of 100/1. Following the shock victories at similar odds by Gem King and It Is My Time at the previous two race meetings, this was the third consecutive race meeting at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth to deliver such a turn-up for the books. While the remaining five legs of the Pick 6 all delivered favourable results, Princessontherun’s complete reversal of form resulted in a Pick 6 dividend of more than R500 000.

One of the more impressive winners on the day was the Des McLachlan-trained Shesgotclass (9/2) who raced away to an easy victory in the fourth race, a Maiden Plate (F&M) over 1200m. Having only her second career start, the 3yo daughter of Querari was never in danger of defeat under Morne Winnaar and, as her name suggests, she could be a cut above the average. Keep an eye on the runner-up, Sugarbush, who ran on steadily from off the speed and the well-bred daughter of Trippi should not be long in shedding her maiden ticket.

Alltheboysiveloved attempted 1400m for the first time in her fledgeling career in the ninth race, a Class 4 Handicap (F&M), and the Lucinda Woodruff inmate passed the test with flying colours. Ridden patiently from a wide draw by Grant Van Niekerk, Alltheboysiveloved made rapid headway from the rear and drew clear of the favourite Swiatek to score by the better part of two lengths. Swiatek has now been runner-up in her last three outings and her next career victory cannot be too far away.

Graeme Hawkins

Oriental Charm, ante-post favourite for the R5-million World Sports Betting Cape Town Met at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday 25 January, cracked Gate 3 when the final field of seventeen runners was revealed on Wednesday evening. Oriental Charm who showed great courage when winning the 2024 Hollywoodbets Durban July (Gr1) will be partnered by regular pilot JP van der Merwe. Oriental Charm is one of two runners from the Crawford team, the other being Zapatillas who was less fortunate and has drawn the widest berth of all.

Champion Trainer Justin Snaith is bidding for his third consecutive “Met” victory and has five strings to his bow. Richard Fourie has been booked to partner the only three-year-old in the field, Eight On Eighteen, who will jump out of gate 10. The progressive Eight On Eighteen is currently the second choice in the betting market following his good second behind One Stripe in the Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas (Gr1). Rachel Venniker has been booked to ride the enigmatic Pacaya while Grant Van Niekerk will be aboard Future Swing. The Snaith quintet is completed by Royal Aussie (Kabelo Matsunyane) and Magic Verse (Aldo Domeyer).

Last year’s runner-up, Rascallion, comes into the race in very good form but no doubt trainer Vaughan Marshall will be disappointed that his veteran campaigner is drawn out wide in Gate 16. Sean Veale knows the 7yo son of Vercingetorix inside out and will likely attempt to go forward and find a position one off the fence not too far behind the pacesetters.

See It Again (Piere Strydom) and Green With Envy (Craig Zackey) come into the race having blotted their copybooks badly in their most recent outings but, aside from Oriental Charm and Eight On Eighteen, are the only other two runners quoted in single figures. Red Palace, the only filly in the race, will jump out of pole position and is to be partnered by high-flying Gavin Lerena.

The WSB Cape Town Met, due off at 16:05, has been billed as the eighth race on a bumper 12-race programme. Races 6 through 12 have been declared as World Pool events which will lead to massive tote pools and huge International interest for these races. The first race on Saturday 25 January, The R600 000 Heineken Sumer Juvenile Stakes (Listed) over 1100m is due off at 11:50 and gates open at 10:00.

Latest Betting from the Sponsors:-

33/10 Oriental Charm

9/2      Eight On Eighteen

5/1      See It Again

11/2   Green With Envy

12/1   Red Palace

14/1   Rascallion

20/1   Future Swing; Magic Verse; Montien

22/1   Atticus Finch; Royal Aussie

33/1   Litigation; Baratheon

55/1   Pacaya

66/1   Master Redoute; Zapatillas

75/1   Al Muthana.

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.