Please note: South African Quartet Pools with fractional betting offered at Southwell and Wetherby (UK) – 27 April 2025

DURBAN — Sixty-one entries from 28 stables were received on Friday 25 April at the initial nomination stage for the 2025 R5-million Hollywoodbets Durban July (Gr1) over 2200m on Saturday 5 July.

In pursuit of his sixth “July” victory, Champion trainer Justin Snaith leads the way with ten entries, including the multiple Grade1-winning 3-year-old Eight On Eighteen and the very progressive Okavango.

Eight On Eighteen is likely to follow the traditional WSB Guineas (Gr2)/Daily News (Gr1) pathway into the Hollywoodbets Durban July, while Okavango could be seen next in the World Sports Betting 1900 on 10 May.

Alec Laird has gone empty-handed since winning the 100th “July” with London News in 1996, but he has nominated the exciting Fire Attack, a 3-year-old son of Fire Away who landed his first Grade 1 success when taking out the Champions Challenge over 2000m at Turffontein last month.

Laird has also entered this season’s Betway Summer Cup (Gr1) winner Atticus Finch and Gauteng Guineas (Gr2) winner Parisian Walkway. With “July” success very much a Laird legacy – Alec’s father Syd won the race seven times between 1961 and 1978, while cousin Charles saddled the 2007 victor Hunting Tower – Alec will be keen to land the honours in the 129th renewal of Africa’s greatest horse racing and social event.

Brett and James Crawford are on a hat-trick, having won in 2023 with Winchester Mansion and last year with Oriental Charm, and the latter has been nominated to defend his crown. By the time race day comes around, James will be flying solo as father Brett will have left to take up his new challenge in Hong Kong.

Mike de Kock, now training in partnership with son Matthew, is also seeking his sixth “July” winner and the team holds five entries at this early stage, with the promising Immediate Edge possibly their leading contender.

It’s been more than a decade since Sean Tarry won back-to-back “July’s” with Pomodoro and Heavy Metal. He has entered the SA Derby (Gr1) winner Legend Of Arthur alongside last year’s runner-up Cousin Casey, who has been out of action for ten months. Let’s Go Now, Litigation and Hotarubi complete Tarry’s five entries and he will be hoping to make a serious bid for top honours come 5 July.

Tony Peter has entered The Equator (Ire), an imported son of Galileo who was formerly trained by the legendary Aiden O’Brien. The Equator won his maiden over 2000m and was runner-up in his last two starts before being exported to South Africa.

First Declarations: Monday 12 May 2025

First Supplementary Entries: Tuesday 13 May 2025

Full entry list for 2025 Hollywoodbets Durban July

HORSE, AGE/SEX, MR, TRAINER

EIGHT ON EIGHTEEN (3C) 127 Justin Snaith

SEE IT AGAIN (5G) 127 Michael Roberts

FIRE ATTACK (3C) 126 Alec Laird

ORIENTAL CHARM (4C) 125 Brett/James Crawford

ROYAL VICTORY (5G) 125 Nathan Kotzen

COUSIN CASEY (5H) 125 Sean Tarry

BARBARESCO (4G) 124 J A Janse van Vuuren

PURPLE PITCHER (4C) 123 Robyn Klaasen

GLADATORIAN (5G) 123 Stuart Ferrie

ATTICUS FINCH (5G) 121 Alec Laird

PARISIAN WALKWAY (3G) 121 Alec Laird

FIERY PEGASUS (3F) 119 Joe Soma

RED PALACE (4F) 119 Dean Kannemeyer

SPUMANTE DOLCE (3F) 119 Mike/Mathew de Kock

SON OF RAJ (5G) 119 Tony Peter

CONFEDERATE (3G) 118 Fabian Habib

THE REAL PRINCE (4G) 118 Dean Kannemeyer

PACAYA (6G) 118 Justin Snaith

POMODORO’S JET (6G) 118 Brett/James Crawford

LEGEND OF ARTHUR (3C) 117 Sean Tarry

FUTURE SWING (5G) 117 Justin Snaith

MADISON VALLEY (4G) 117 Frank Robinson

WILD INTENT (3G) 116 Lucky Houdalakis

BEATING WINGS (4F) 116 Stuart Pettigrew

MUCHO DINERO (5G) 115 Justin Snaith

MAGIC VERSE (4G) 114 Justin Snaith

WITHOUT QUESTION (5G) 114 Justin Snaith

LET’S GO NOW (4F) 113 Sean Tarry

LITIGATION (6G) 113 Sean Tarry

SAIL THE SEAS (3C) 112 Justin Snaith

OLIVIA’S WAY (3F) 112 Roy Magner

HOTARUBI (4G) 112 Sean Tarry

SHOOT THE RAPIDS (4G) 112 Frank Robinson

RAINBOW LORIKEET (4F) 111 Candice Bass-Robin

JOY AND PEACE (4F) 111 Alan Greeff

CAPE EAGLE (7G) 110 Andre Nel

THE EQUATOR (IRE) (4C) 110 Tony Peter

MARAUDING HORDE (4G) 108 Mike/Mathew de Kock

ON MY HONOUR (3G) 108 Glen Kotzen

HOLDING THUMBS (4G) 107 Glen Kotzen

MY SOUL MATE (4F) 107 Candice Dawson

INDIAN OCEAN (5M) 107 Mano Pandaram

NARINA TROGON (5G) 106 Michael Miller

THUNEE PLAYA (4C) 105 Mano Pandaram

SELUKWE (5G) 103 Andre Nel

I SALUTE YOU (3C) 103 Peter Muscutt

INFINITE WONDER (7G) 103 Mano Pandaram

NATIVE RULER (3G) 103 Justin Snaith

IMMEDIATE EDGE (3G) 101 Mike/Mathew de Kock

NAVAJO NATION (4G) 101 Weiho Marwing

REGENERATION (3F) 100 Robbie Hill

KAMENSKY (3G) 99 Roy Magner

WINTER GAMES (4G) 98 Michael Miller

CHAMPAGNE COCKTAIL (4F) 98 Mike/Mathew de Kock

ZEITZ (3C) 97 Andre Nel

LA PULGA (3G) 96 Candice Bass-Robin

Persistent rainfall continues in KZN, with Hollywoodbets Greyville recording a further 32mm in the past two days (total for April: 190.5mm).

Today’s pen reading at 13:00, 32 (heavy), with some areas reaching 46. With more heavy showers expected tonight through to tomorrow evening, Gold Circle has postponed the race meeting scheduled at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Friday, 25 April to Monday, 28 April 2025.

Revised race times to follow.

David Thiselton

Hollywoodbets Greyville is going black and white in line with Cape Racing as these will be the group colours of the Gold Circle and Cape Racing partnership, which is due to be official in the next month or two.

Many exciting renovations are taking place aimed at rejuvenating the quality of racing related facilities and rejuvenating the racing experience for the racegoers. 

The project is being led by Gold Circle’s Building and Facilities manager Edward Taruvinga.

LED lights are replacing the halide floodlights and this will be a transformation in many respects. The light on the track will be more uniform, which will  help the horses and jockeys, and the track will appear lighter and sharper. From a broadcast point of view the colours will stand out more and will be more vibrant. Furthermore, there will now be the ability to control the lights. The lights can be switched on and off instantly and they will be able to flash or send out different colours meaning light shows will be able to be put on for racegoers. Winners will be able to be saluted by the lights with a razzmatazz of colours. 

The roof is being renovated which will prevent previous problems with leaking and will allow the solar panel innovation, which is already in place, to be bolstered. 90% of the roof had to be replaced and 85% of the job is done. Among the changes were having more outlets to prevent any pooling of water on the roof.

In the parade ring the gazebo has been removed.

Edward said, “It had a bit of a museum look about it and we are trying to put in something modern. It will have a permanent champagne bar, so we don’t have to be taking tables in and out. It’s going to be quite open and spacious to allow for smaller interviews and for winners to celebrate.”

The winner’s enclosure used for big races in front of the grandstand will remain, but a similar one will be built in the parade ring, meaning the current traditional winner’s enclosure will have a new look.

The old stabling area will be the site for a new generator pump. The LED light will pull less wattage than previously and a generator pump will further enhance the power efficiency.

The polytrack surface mix of wax, fibre and sand is being rejuvenated and the polytrack racecourse should be ready by the end of this month. The drainage is also being improved upon. The racecourse was built on a swamp so is a catchment area and there has been a problem with water flowing on to the poly and pooling, so channels are being created to prevent this from happening. 

The Durban View restaurant room is being revamped in line with the belief that  regular customers become tired of the same look, so a new more exciting ambiance will be created through the changes, which will include new flooring, new bathrooms and general modernisation. 

On the grandstand the benches are being done away with and bucket seats are being installed to Fifa measurements. The seats will be comfortable and will be able to withstand the force of celebrating punters standing on them. 

With the Champions Season approaching some of the changes were planned anyway, but with the big injection of cash from Hollywoodbets now about to become part-owners of the operator it has made the changes easier to do. The changes will also come with Hollywood’s renowned innovative flare and their Midas touch of excellence. 

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!