Please note: South African Quartet Pools with fractional betting offered at Nottingham and Wolverhampton (UK) – 29 April 2025.

Andrew Harrison

If Sunday’s three-year-old features at Hollywoodbets Scottsville  were a dress rehearsal for Saturday, May 31, they were more like scattering the pieces of a thousand piece puzzle than providing any solid pointers to the possible outcomes of the Gr1 Gold Medallion or the Gr1 Allan Robertson Championship.

Some mitigation was that the going was posted as soft and the usual ‘highway’ up the inside rail appeared to be a touch softer than the rest of the track.

When Corne Spies raids Hollywoodbets Scottsville it is always worth taking notice and the fact that he decided to let Elegantrix take on what looked to be a strong contingent of males in the Gr3 Tote Godolphin Barb Stakes should have rung some warning bells.

Spies has always rated his filly in spite of drawing blanks in two Highveld features but on Sunday she showed plenty of pace under Gavin Lerena and kept finding to the line to hold off a determined challenge from Good For You with the blinkered Malmesbury Missile a well-beaten third.

Favourite Military Command showed early pace before dropping back while both I’m A Fireball and Fortress Of Fire seemed to show an aversion to the ground on the inside rail. All three runners were subject to veterinary scrutiny but nothing untoward was detected.

Quickstepgal is a filly with a lot of class about her. She was all over the place on debut, finishing down the field behind Polar Light, but smashed them second time out, strolling home by nearly six lengths. That transformed into an excellent victory in the Gr3 Tote Strelitzia Stakes and Tienie Prinsloo will surely have her sights set for the Allan Robertson. 

Game in defeat was the strapping Mike Miller-trained grey Captain’s Envy who pushed the winner all the way to the line and the extra 100m of the Allan Robertson will be right up her alley. 

Disappointments in the race were Wild Wild Green and Keukenhof. Dean Kannemeyer’s filly showed early pace before fading out of it and Wild Wild Green, who went off favourite, never got in a blow. Both fillies raced up the inside rail and both jockey’s reporting something amiss and not persevering. The course vets found nothing out of the ordinary.

Mai Sensation rounded off the afternoon features as JP van der Merwe threaded Lucinda Woodruff’s filly through the traffic to catch the smart Asiye Phambili a few jumps before the line. It was an excellent win by Mai Sensation as she had it all to do getting past horses with the field bunching up the centre of the track as they shifted away from the inside going. It was also a superb effort from Asiye Phambili, back with Duncan Howells after a successful Cape raid, who gave the winner all of 8.5kg and Sean Veale getting this reins tangled. The two will possibly meet again in the Gr1 SA Fillies Sprint which is run at WFA so there will be a big turn around in the weights. 

Earlier in the day a gamble on the Andre Nel-trained O’Tenikwa was landed, albeit by the narrowest of margins. Supported in from an opening call of 16-1 to start 33-10, it was a three-way dash to the line with O’Tenikwa squeaking home a nose ahead of the tremendously game and consistent Fastnet Filly with Luhamba Phambili a further short-head back in third.

Favourite Teflon Man may well have been another victim of the going as he failed to quicken with stable companion Outlaw King finishing fourth. A runner who may be worth following is fifth-placed King Of The Gauls  who showed vast improvement on his Cape form. With this run under his girth a crack at the Gr2 Golden Horse must be on the cards. 

RACE 1     

1 DYLAN’S CHAMP 2 HIGHVELD STORM 4 ASIAN DELIGHT 6 NEW LIFE

Preview: 1 DYLAN’S CHAMP should enjoy this course and distance and is the form choice. 2 HIGHVELD STORM went close over 1200 meters last time and should be in the shake-up.4 ASIAN DELIGHT has shown some ability and could earn. 6 NEW LIFE made a fair debut and should improve. (David Thiselton 1-2-4-6)

RACE 2     

4 BILINGUAL 2 PANTHERA UNCIA 3 EMPRESS WU 8 BRIGHT AND BRAZEN

Preview: 4 BILINGUAL runs over her best trip and on her best form she has a chance. 2 PANTHERA UNCIA has only got a head to find on Bilingual on their last meeting. 3 EMPRESS WU is never far off them and could be in the shake-up. 8 BRIGHT AND BRAZEN has faced stronger fields than this without being disgraced and could upset. (David Thiselton 4-2-3-8)

RACE 3     

7 SYLVAN WARRIOR 1 RINGHO 5 ACT ON SNOW 3 JET QUERARI

Preview: 7 SYLVAN WARRIOR went close last time over this trip and with Phenisile Monqawa up is the one to beat.1 RINGHO has only got 0,3 lengths to make up on Sylvan Warrior from that race. 5 ACT ON SNOW was not far off them and could earn again. 3 JET QUERARI has run two fair races and (6:45) could still improve although he does return from a layoff. (David Thiselton 7-1-5-3)

RACE 4     

1 ON A JET PLANE 6 LAVA LAMP 2 INTRO 8 LADY NOIR

Preview: 1 ON A JET PLANE only just failed last time and could make amends here. 6 LAVA LAMP was only, was just over a length behind On A Jet Plane last time and should be in the shake-up. 2 INTRO disappointed last time but on previous form should be right there. 8 LADY NOIR has shown some ability and did quite well over this distance category last time. (David Thiselton 1-6-2-8)

RACE 5     

1 ROYAL MIRACLE 9 TWO FOR THE BOYS 5 CHIEFTAIN’S SHIELD 4 MYSTIC VISION

Preview: 1 ROYAL MIRACLE is distance suited and a repeat of his last run should see him go close. 9 TWO FOR THE BOYS ran a cracker last time over 1400 meters with first time blinkers on and he has a fine chance with Sam Mosia up. 5 CHIEFTAIN’S SHIELD is an honest sort who should be running on. 4 MYSTIC VISION improved last time over 1400m and actually beat Two For The Boys by 1, 2 lengths so a repeat of that run could see him  involved. (David Thiselton 1-9-5-4)

RACE 6     

3 JINGER JAM 1 ARTIC SILVER 2 LUNAR RAINBOW 4 AMBER EYES

Preview: 3 JINGER JAM has shown glimpses of ability and if bringing her best here she can go close from pole under Phenisile Monqawa. 1 ARTIC SILVER s knocking on the door and should enjoy the course and distance from a good draw. 2 LUNAR RAINBOW ran a cracker last time and beat Ginger Jam in that contest by 2, 2 lengths over 1800 meters but before that she was well beaten over this trip. 4 AMBER EYES was not disgraced last time and could earn. (David Thiselton 3-1-2-4)

RACE 7     

5 BLURRED VISION 1 SANTIAGO’S PRIDE 4 GIFT OF ROYAL 3 BRIGHAM

Preview: 5 BLURRED VISION has earned in two of his last three starts and from a good draw over a suitable trip he could be the one to beat. 1 SANTIAGO’S PRIDE has run three places in eight starts and will enjoy the course and distance. 4 GIFT OF ROYAL has been right there in his last three starts and he should be distance suited and is well drawn for an in-form yard. 3 BRIGHAM should finish on top of Gift of Royal based on their last start in which he beat Gift of Royal by 0.3 lengths although he had a better draw than the latter then. (David Thiselton 5-1-4-3)

RACE 8     

1 SAUDI SWEEP 2 LIKE A PRAYER 5 POTATO SALAD 9 SASHA LEE

Preview: 1 SAUDI SWEEP has run well in his last two starts and looks the one to beat over a suitable trip. 2 LIKE A PRAYER has shown some ability and could be in the shake-up here. 5 POTATO SALAD has shown glimpses of ability and can earn in this contest. 9 SASHA LEE looks to be improving and could be in the shake-up here with second time blinkers on. (David Thiselton 1-2-5-9)

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.