Please be advised that the race meeting scheduled for Turffontein on Tuesday, 8 April 2025 has been postponed to Wednesday, 9 April 2025.

We are confident that with no further rainfall expected today, the track will be in optimal racing condition for tomorrow.

New Race times below:

Race 1: – 12:35

Race 2: 13:13

Race 3: 13:48

Race 4: 14:23

Race 5: 14:58

Race 6: 15:33

Race 7: 16:10

Race 8: 16:45

David Thiselton

Craig Zackey was on fire for the whole of last week which first saw him claw back a deficit in the national jockeys championship and then saw him forge clear.

After the Champions Day meeting, at which both Richard Fourie and Gavin Lerena scored four-timers, the standings were Fourie 176, Lerena 174 and Zackey 171.

However, Zackey has since scored a double at last week’s Hollywoodbets Greyville Monday meeting, a treble at the Hollywoodbets Scottsville Wednesday meeting, he won both races at the Vaal Classic meeting last Thursday which was abandoned after the 2nd race, he rode a treble at the Fairview turf meeting on Friday and he rode a double at the Hollywoodbets Greyville meeting on Sunday.

The standings are now Zackey 183, Fourie 177 and Lerena 174.

Zackey’s 12 winners in the week came at a strike rate of 37,50%, while Fourie had only eight rides in the week for one win and Lerena had a blank from seven rides.

Fourie might have to up his travel rate to beat Zackey, but probably remains the favourite due to the devastating form his East Cape guv’nor Alan Greeff is in. Greeff has had 122 wins this season, 120 of them in the East Cape, and he should pass his own East Cape record of 176 wins in season, which he set in 2019.

Fourie should also easily beat his own East Cape record of 119 wins he set last season as he is already on 103.

Lerena has been handed a 90 day suspension of which 60 are suspended for the Jason Gates whipping incident. So he will be out of the title race unless he is able to stretch out the process in order to only take the effective 30 days next season. SA jockeys seem to be able to delay the taking of a suspension through the appeal process and the slowness and lack of uniformity in setting inquiry or appeal dates. 

Fourie is leading the way this season for Gr 1 wins and black type wins.

He has had six Gr 1 victories this season already. The record is thought to be Weichong Marwing’s 13 Gr 1 wins in the 1998/1999 season.

Lerena has had four Gr 1 wins this season and Zackey has had three, so the three leading riders are also leading the Gr 1 count.   

The other Gr 1 scorers are Calvin Habib, Piere Strydom and Ryan Munger.

Fourie has had 19 stakes race (black type) successes this season, including the six Gr 1s, Lerena has had 12, Zackey had had eleven, Strydom has had seven, Rachel Venniker has had six, Sean Veale has had five, Aldo Domeyer has had five, Muzi Yeni has had four, Munger has had four, Habib has had four, Kabelo Matsunyane has had four, Raymond Danielson has had three, Serino Moodley has had three, JP van der Merwe has had two, Marco van Rensburg has had two and Grant van Niekerk has had two.

Deryl Daniels is the only other jockey with more than one stakes success, although all three of his black type successes have been in Zimbabwe.

The East Cape Jockeys championship sees Fourie on 103 wins, Zackey on 56 and Chase Maujean on 21.

The KZN Jockeys championship is being led by Rachel Venniker on 46 wins with Sean Veale next best on 45 and Zackey is on 38.

The Gauteng Championship is led by Lerena on 122, Yeni on 63 and Strydom on 56.

The Western Cape Championship is being led by Fourie on 66, Van der Merwe on 44 and Domeyer on 42.

Trent Mayhew leads the national Apprentice Championship this season with 20 wins and is followed by Nirvan Nastili and Brevan Plaaitjies who each have eleven wins.

Meanwhile, in Hong Kong SA Jockey Academy (SAJA) graduate Karis Teetan rode a treble at Sha Tin on Sunday. 

He has had a quiet time lately by his standards and the treble took him to 30 wins for the season and sixth on the Jockeys Log, one position behind ex-pat South African and SAJA graduate Luke Ferraris, who is having his best season on the island and is on 33 wins.

Lyle Hewitson and Keagan de Melo, the other two ex-pat South African SAJA graduates, are on 18 and eight wins respectively in seasons they will both be disappointed with to date. They lie 13^th and 18^th on the log respectively.

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!

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.