JOY & GREEFF!
A WINNER! SA CHAMPIONS SEASON ’25
30
All The Big Winners It’s still the super season
45 Striker’s Farewell
No royal victory, sadly
48 Buffalo Stampede First Gr1 for exciting sire
87 A Ferrie Tale Magic for Michel
On the cover Former SA & Hong Kong champion Douglas Whyte enjoys a moment on the podium with all-conquering recordbreaker Alan Greeff after Golden Palm’s runaway success in the Gr1 Douglas Whyte Stakes. Please read more on page 60. Candiese Lenferna took the photograph.
Issue: 30/2025
LYLE STYLE
Former SA champion jockey Lyle Hewitson was spotted by our photographer Candiese Lenferna at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday. Looking dapper and relaxed, Lyle was not riding as he is still recovering from injuries sustained in an accident at Happy Valley on 25 June. He did not ride again and ended the Hong Kong season on 29 winners and gross stakes of HK$52 595 475.
GLORIOUS
GOODWOOD SUCCESS FOR CAPE SIRE
Paarl-based Paardeberg Stud had much cause for celebration on Day 1 of the Qatar Goodwood Festival on Tuesday with the Gr2 HKJC World Pool Lennox Stakes going to Witness Stand, a son of their resident Acclamation stallion Expert Eye.
The four-year-old put up a career-best when he sprang a 25-1 surprise to claim the sevenfurlong race in scintillating style.
Always travelling strongly in third under Hollie Doyle, the gelding pressed the leader two furlongs out and never looked in any danger to win in the easiest of fashions, finishing almost three lengths clear of his rivals.
Doyle was suitably impressed and said: “A great training performance. He had some really good form and had quite a lot to prove but he stood up.”
This was also a breakout success for owner Dr Richard Newland and trainer Jamie Insole, who remarked: “We bought Witness Stand for 100,000gns at the horses-in-training sales. He went under the radar and we immediately had offers of more money for him. I already had this race in mind and he ran a great race at Chester last time, when they broke the track record. The bit of ease in the ground helped him and he looked pretty good.”
“I wouldn’t have run him if we didn’t think he had a good chance. The Chester run gave us confidence to come here.”
Expert Eye’s son Witness Stand (Hollie Doyle) is led in after Tuesday’s Gr2 win | Credit: Goodwood Racecourse
That Chester race was the Listed City Plate Stakes, where Witness Stand attempted to make all and showed great fighting spirit to go down by a head in the very last stride.
A six-length debutant winner over 1400m at Chester as a juvenile, Witness Stand was gelded after finishing sixth in the Gr.2 Vintage Stakes on his second outing. He returned in the autumn to finish second in the Gr.3 Horris Hill Stakes at Newmarket.
At three, he put up a dominant display to win the Listed Dubai Duty Free Stakes at Newbury by three lengths.
Witness Stand’s first Gr2 success continues a flush of recent racetrack success for Expert Eye, following the recent victory of paternal
half-sister Snellen in the Gr3 Meld Stakes at Leopardstown, where she came from the rear and charged home to snatch victory on the line.
For now, it looks like Witness Stand may have even bigger fish to fry, as Insole confirmed: “It is lucky that I put him in the Gr1 Prix de la Foret this morning. That is looking like a pretty good idea now. He is in the Hungerford Stakes but will have to carry a penalty in that now, so we will see.”
Day 2 continued at 14h20 today. Read more on page 119.
BROODMARE EXTRAORDINAIRE REAL PRINCESS
(Trippi - Pagan Princess by Fort Wood)
Khaya Stables’ REAL PRINCESS with the 2024 Cape Racing Awards for her outstanding son GIMME A PRINCE - 17 runs, 8 wins (1000-1400m), 6 places, with earnings of R3,649,513.
EQUUS AND NOW FOR
The Real Prince (Craig Zackey) downs Eight On Eighteen (Richard Fourie) to win the Hollywoodbets Durban July –the race of the season? | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
The 2025 SA Champions Season ended with a flourish at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday, when the curtain came down on three wonderful months of high quality horseracing on the East Coast.
The Equus Awards will be held on 14 August for the first time in KZN this year, in terms of the new rotational system introduced last year, which gives all of the major centres an opportunity to host the national awards.
With the BSA August 2yo Sale on 21 and 22 August, Johannesburg somehow still remains a logical home venue for Equus, as most of the industry will congregate there for the sale. Time will tell.
Turf Talk reports that the Equus Awards panel look to have a relatively easy task of choosing the award winners this year as almost all winners look to have selected themselves, although there will be one award that will likely be contentious and one or two others that will draw some debate.
The most contentious award will likely be the Champion Older Male award with the three contenders in Gladatorian, Gimme A Prince and The Real Prince.
Last year’s Equus Horse Of The Year Dave The King repeated his win in the Gr1 WFA Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge, but he can be eliminated as a winner of this award by Gladatorian’s performances against him, i.e. a loss by 0,35 lengths in the Gold Challenge and a win by 2,95 lengths in the Gr1 WFA HKJC Champions Cup over 1800m and Dave The King is also eliminated by The Real Prince because the latter won the Hollywoodbets Durban July and then beat Dave The King in the Champions Cup.
The Real Prince looks likely to be eliminated by Gladatorian because at level weights in the Gr2 IOS Drill Hall Stakes and the Champions Cup, Gladatorian emerged the victor on both occasions by 1,35 lengths and 0,40 lengths respectively,
whereas Gladatorian was giving The Real Prince 3,5kg when defeated five lengths by The Real Prince in the July, a performance by Gladatorian which was actually only 0,75kg inferior to the winner’s over the 2200m trip.
So Gladatorian’s two victories to one over The Real Prince should eliminate the latter. Interestingly, trainer Dean Kannemeyer told the Sporting Post that Craig Zackey felt he had done enough to win Sunday’s Gr1 feature, but that The Real Prince had seen the big screen and ran out, costing himself momentum and ground. “But no excuses. We will be back in the Cape summer,” said Kannemeyer.
That leaves Gladatorian and Gimme A Prince. Both have a Gr1 WFA and a Gr2 win, in addition to a third in a Gr1 WFA mile, among other stakesplaced performances.
It is difficult to compare two horses running over different distances, but it has to be said that Gimme A Prince’s 5,75 length obliteration of the opposition in the Gr1 WFA HKJC World Pool Cape Flying Championship was probably the performance of the season. He ran a blistering time of 56,76 seconds, 0,30 seconds outside the course record, and it was recognised as a top performance by the handicappers, who awarded him a 134 rating, making him the highest rated horse in the country. So that peformance gives Gimme A Prince the edge, but on the other hand mile to middle distance performances are often preferred to sprint performances when awards are made and some would argue that the sprint division is a bit weak at present in South Africa.
The Equus panel have plenty of thinking and discussion to do!
We are fast running out of superlatives for Vercingetorix, who has finally stepped out of the shadows cast by his illustrious sire Silvano!
WHAT A DAY! MASTER OF MY FATE VERCINGETORIX,
In what proved to be a thrilling climax to the KZN Champions Season, the World Pool Gold Cup meeting delivered on all it promised to be.
On a day where the entire 10-race card carried black type status, results once again underlined the sheer dominance of Vercingetorix, whilst also adding to the status of Master Of My Fate as an elite sire.
We are fast running out of superlatives for Vercingetorix, who has finally stepped out of the shadows cast by his illustrious sire Silvano and will be crowned the Champion Stallion of 2024/5. In fact, he made it a clean sweep, as he also heads both the Juvenile and 3YO Sires Lists.
Vercingetorix’s good son Gladatorian (Sean Veale) follows Ferrie Racing’s biggest fan Daphne Byers as part owner Michel Nairac looks on | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
The pride of Maine Chance not only sired a record 23 individual stakes winners during the season, but he is also the only stallion to boast a strike rate of over 50%, almost 58% to be exact.
Vercingetorix also sired his 13th individual Gr1 winner when the Stuart Ferrie-trained Gladatorian scored a splendid victory in the HKJC Champions Cup at the expense of Gr1 Hollywoodbets Durban July hero The Real Prince.
Earlier on the day, juvenile daughters Princess Of Gaul and Elegantrix fought out the finish to the Gr2 World Pool With Race Coast Debutante, while son Chronicle King ran third in the Gr1 World Pool Moment of the Day Premiers Champion Stakes.
Rounding out the day’s black type haul was Holding Thumbs’ gallant second in the Gr3 World Pool Gold Cup.
While stable star Dave The King was unable to defend his Champions Cup crown, Mike and Matthew de Kock added new ammunition to their formidable arsenal in the shape of Master Of My Fate juvenile Jan van Goyen, who left his rivals chasing shadows in the Gr1 Premiers Champion Stakes.
The colt completed an historical Gr1 double for the Varsfontein stallion, given that paternal half-sister Golden Palm claimed the preceding Douglas Whyte Thekwini Stakes with consummate ease.
To our knowledge, no other stallion has sired the winners of both Gr1 juvenile races in the same year.
Jan van Goyen’s co-breeders, Rodney and Jan Trotter, have tasted considerable success with this female line. They raced the colt’s grandam, the Gr3 Strelitzia winner and Gr1 Allan Robertson third Fine Feather in partnership
Master Of My Fate’s classic prospect Jan Van Goyen (Callan Murray) is led in by delighted owner Henk Leyenaar and the De Kock team | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
and bred from her not just his dam Daydream Believer, but also the Gr1-placed sprinter Barbosa and Gr3 Byerley Turk winner Phantom Fighter. The latter was by Jet Master, sire also of Master Of My Fate.
As regards Gqeberha visitor Golden Palm, she came, saw and conquered Hollywoodbets Greyville in superior fashion, landing the Thekwini by the best part of three lengths in what was her first start at the Durban track.
Also successful in the Gr2 SA Fillies Nursery at Turffontein, she concluded a dream season for Alan Greeff, who had the privilege of training a superb trio of juvenile fillies, with Direct Hit winning the Gr1 Allan Robertson Championship and Anotherdanceforme claiming the Gr2 Splashout Golden Slipper.
Incidentally, both Golden Palm and Anotherdanceforme were bred by Varsfontein Stud.
Master Of My Fate had started the weekend on a high when Greeff-trained juvenile King Prawn landed the Listed Champion Juvenile Cup at homebase Fairview, thus initiating a memorable treble for his sire, who is set to finish third on the General Sires List.
Finally, it would be remiss not to mention Master Of My Fate’s close relative and fellow Varsfontein stallion Erik The Red. The son of Captain Al wrapped up the freshman sires championship on a high note when juvenile son Zalatoris became his first stakes winner with a narrow victory in the Gr2 Umkhomazi Stakes.
It is interesting to note that the first three across the line were all sired by sons of Captain Al, as runner-up Shadowfax is by One World and thirdplaced Titan Of The Turf by William Longsword.
Master Of My Fate’s exciting daughter Golden Palm storms clear under Richard Fourie | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
A VEALE DEAL
Sean Veale gets Gladatorian going to beat the gutsy The Real Prince (Craig Zackey) in a thriller | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
Summerveld trainer Stuart Ferrie crowned only his second full season with a massive victory by stable flagbearer Gladatorian who took no prisoners when storming home under Sean Veale to score an emotional victory in the R1,5 million HKJC Gr1 Champions Cup at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday.
South African horseracing’s final Grade 1 of the season, the Champions Cup produced a grandstand finish, with the Vercingetorix 5yo getting up in the final strides to catch Hollywoodbets Durban July winner The Real Prince, who looked a winner inside the distance.
With reigning SA Horse Of The Year Dave The King leading the charge, but failing to lift his game late, it was Gladatorian (8-1) who showed courage and fight to fly up on the outside to beat The Real Prince (13-10) by 0,40 lengths in a time of 108,49 secs.
See It Again (8-1) looked a picture in the preliminaries and stayed on for third, a further 1,20 lengths back.
There was drama before the start when Montien initially wasn’t keen to go down, and then Piere Strydom’s hoped-for final Grade 1 ride Royal Victory being scratched for delaying the start.
Gladatorian is raced by a Mauritian partnership of the Late Agasthamuni Gujadhur, E G Hart de Keating, M L Jean Hardy & outgoing Gold Circle CEO Michel J L Nairac, who enjoyed a dream afternoon.
Nairac said the win was the best farewell present he could have hoped for.
The winner was bred by Erasmus
Thoroughbreds and is a versatile son of Vercingetorix (Silvano) out of the six-time winning Dynasty mare Harvard Crimson, who was trained by Justin Snaith.
A R400 000 National Yearling Sale purchase, Gladatorian was registering his maiden Gr1 success and has won 10 races (including two Gr2’s) with 10 places from 27 starts for stakes of R2 916 276.
Part owner and ‘goodbye guy’ Michel Nairac enjoys his best farewell present ever! | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
Sporting Post-sponsored Sean Veale capped a great season with another polished ride | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
STRIKER CALLS IT A DAY
Close on 43 years after riding his first winner in the KZN Capital City, Piere Striker’ Strydom’s bid for a fairytale Grade 1 winning exit from an illustrious career in the saddle fizzled out rather tamely at Hollywoodbets Greyville in the SA Champions Season finale on Sunday when his mount Royal Victory decided he wasn’t in the mood to take on the big guns in the HKJC Gr1 Champions Cup.
“That’s a horse for you. That’s why we love them - they are like people. And we all have good days and bad days,” laughed the always philosophical 59 year old six-times SA champion jockey in a chat with the Sporting Post on Monday.
Piere explained that Royal Victory, a supplementary entry in Sunday’s feature, did something similar at the Hollywoodbets Durban July gallops.
“It’s not bad behaviour – he just felt like being stubborn and was maybe in the mood to rather be chilling in his box in Summerveld
Piere Strydom walks out on his final day of race-riding at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday as NHA Racing Control Executive Arnold Hyde looks on | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
on a lazy Sunday afternoon. He is a top horse and he will be back!”
The official Stipes report indicates that Royal Victory refused to canter to the start and the gelding was subsequently withdrawn for delaying the race. Trainer Nathan Kotzen was advised that, in terms of rule 93.2.4, the 5yo was suspended until such time as he proves tractable whilst cantering to the start, with a companion on a race day.
An anti-climax?
“I’d rather say it was the perfect script for a disappointment. It was my final raceday at Hollywoodbets Greyville where I rode four Durban July winners and many other big races. There was a really great vibe on course and Race Coast kindly honoured me with a beautiful clock after my colleagues had formed a guard of honour. I was emotional but all set to try and ride my 98th Grade 1 winner – and then Royal Victory says, hey no thanks!” muses the man regarded by many as our greatest jockey of all time, who added that he really enjoyed the racing operator’s symbolic gesture of the gift of a clock.
We put it to him that time is supposedly free, yet said to be priceless, and somebody once said that ‘tough times never last, but tough people do.’
Maybe that sums Piere Strydom up?
“That’s true. Time is unquestionably a precious commodity and I have now reached the point where I am happy to hang up my saddle. The decision came about, not only because of my age, but I came to the point where I didn’t really feel like getting on a horse to ride. It’s always nice to ride these winners, it still gives you a thrill, knowing that you’re doing the job right and to see other
people happy. I’ve always been a competitive person. But how do I compete when I don’t want to ride? I still do the job I need to do, but when you start thinking about the possibility of getting injured again you know it is time to call it quits.”
The costs of the insurance all jockeys are obliged to have as a condition of their licence was also skewing the financial viability of the profession for Piere at this stage of his life.
So will he be reading the Sporting Post and sipping a cuppa in his rocking chair on the porch in Cape St Francis for the rest of his days?
“No, I intend to remain actively involved in racing and will be a brand ambassador for Glistian Events and Lance Michael’s Soccershop. Over 40 odd years I have picked up a few things along the way and would love to give something back to the game, so I am available and open to speak to anybody.”
It’s difficult to fathom how a man who rode 5620 winners took all of 56 rides to break the ice. His first winner was the Johnny Nicholson-trained Saadabad at the now Hollywoodbets Scottsville in September 1982.
Veteran racecaller Craig Peters recounted at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday that Tobie van Booma had told him that such was the balance and poise of Piere Strydom, one could fill a glass and place it on his back while he was riding – and it wouldn’t spill a drop!
On Thursday 31 July 2025 Piere Strydom will bow out at the Vaal – his favourite South African racecourse – where he takes four rides. There are no Grade 1’s up for grabs, but any one of his quartet of rides would be a ‘royal victory’ in itself for the champion.
But there will be a cloud of sadness on the day as 4Racing have named the sixth race in honour of Barend Botes, who passed away tragically on Wednesday 23 July. The jockeys will wear black armbands in honour of their fallen friend and colleague.
“I had so much admiration for Barend. He was a fine judge of readying a horse to win.
In fact I rode my 5500th winner Admiralty Arch for him in November 2022. It was also a Thursday meeting at the Vaal. We always had an excellent professional relationship of great mutual respect. His death came as a devastating shock to all of us and my deepest sympathies go out to his loved ones.”
Flashback to Vaal in November 2022 and Striker’s 5500th winner as the late Barend Botes pours champagne, watched by Lyall Cooper | Credit: JC Photos
BUFFALO BILL CODY’S MAIDEN GR1 STRIKE!
SA Champion jockey elect Gavin Lerena left his KZN Grade 1 winner late this season, but enjoyed a start-to-finish success, and a personal first winner in the end-of-season sprint, when Highveld raider Buffalo Storm Cody registered a peak career victory in the R1 million Mercury Sprint at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday.
Trainer Tony Peter has enjoyed an elite level winner on this raceday three years on the trot, and saddled Wilgerbosdrift stallion Buffalo Bill Cody’s maiden Grade 1 winner, as the 3yo Buffalo Storm Cody took the race to his 13 opponents and went all the way at 7-1 to hold off a late challenge by tote favourite Tenango (9-4) by 1,60 lengths in a time of 70,72 secs for the 1200m.
Ridden more forward than is usually the case, the hard-knocking mare Asiye Phambile (14-1) ran a gutsy third a further neck back, with Cats Pajamas (66-1) enjoying the kind handling of Piere Strydom to crown the quartet.
Raced by Kenneth Pillay’s Kestorm Investments, the winner was bred by Narrow
Creek Stud and is a first Grade 1 winner for Buffalo Bill Cody.
The winner is out of the one-time winning Trippi mare, Musical Romance.
A R410 000 Cape Yearling Sale purchase, Buffalo Storm Cody took his win tally to 6, with 6 places from his 12 starts and stakes of R1 035 000.
Gavin Lerena rode a bold race on Buffalo Storm Cody to win the Gr1 Mercury Sprint | Credit: Chase Liebenberg
The delighted Buffalo Storm Cody connections enjoy their day in the Hollywoodbets Greyville sun!
Credit: Chase Liebenberg
WILGERBOSDRIFT STALLION FIRST GR1 SUCCESS FOR
Wilgerbosdrift’s exciting young sire Buffalo Bill Cody made headlines at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday. The son of Redoute’s Choice registered his first Gr1 winner when his son Buffalo Storm Cody won the Mercury Sprint.
Trained by Tony Peter, three-year-old Buffalo Storm Cody (who hails from his sire’s small first crop) made it four wins from his last five starts with a fluent performance.
Bred by Narrow Creek Stud, Buffalo Storm Cody has won five of 12 starts, including this season’s Mythical Flight Sprint.
Buffalo Storm Cody, who is out of the Trippi mare Musical Romance, races for Kestorm Investments.
The three-year-old was a R410 000 buy from the 2023 Cape Yearling Sale.
His sire Buffalo Bill Cody also looks to have a very promising two-year-old to his name in the form of Rifle Queen. The latter made a big impression when she made a winning debut at Turffontein on Saturday.
Rifle Queen is the fourth two-year-old winner this season for Buffalo Bill Cody.
A son of legendary stallion Redoute’s Choice, Buffalo Bill Cody has two lots on offer at the August Two Year Old Sale, which will be held in Johannesburg on 21 and 22 August.
QUERARI ENDS TERM ON A HIGH
Maine Chance Farms’ inform sire Querari has had a great season in 2024-2025 and he ended it in style when responsible for a double at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Tuesday.
Querari struck first on Tuesday when his daughter Heritage Ridge won the Race Coast Maiden Plate.
Querari looks to have a progressive sort to his name in the form of Afrique. The
latter romped home to claim Tuesday’s www.hollywoodbets.net Class 4 (1600m) by three and three quarter lengths.
Bred by Normandy Stud, Afrique has won two of his last three starts.
South Africa’s Leading Sire of 2018-2019, Querari has seven lots on offer at the August Two Year Old Sale.
DE MELO
AT HOME WITH EARLY FEATURE
Varsfontein Stud’s homebred stallion Erik The Red is all set to be crowned South Africa’s Champion First Season Sire when the curtain comes down on the current term on Thursday.
The son of Captain Al marked his first stakes success when Zalatoris finished best of all to grab the honours in the R500 000 Gr2 Follow @worldpool on X Stakes at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday.
Eleven 2yo’s lined up in the 1200m contest and it was Mighty Zambezi who led Vanakkam and City Of Love, before they fanned out in the stamped for home.
Coming from some lengths back down the centre of the track, Zalatoris finished strongly under a balanced ride by recently Hong Kong-based former SA Champion Keagan de Melo to secure a 0,30 lengths win in a time of 71,64 secs.
The grey Shadowfax (11-2) ran a cracker for second, with fellow Highveld raider Titan Of The Turf (4-1) a neck away in third, and his stablemate Rachel Wall (11-2) capping the quartet.
Zalatoris (Keagan de Melo) sweeps up the outside to hold the grey Shadowfax (Richard Fourie) in a tight finish
Credit: Candiese Lenferna
Another Tony Peter charge, the fifth-placed Sylvan Warrior (66-1) saw the first five home finish within a length of each other.
Run off his feet early, the 33-20 favourite Aristocratic stayed on for sixth and 1,80 lengths off the winner.
Zalatoris is raced by the Kapnias family for trainer Paul Matchett and looks to have a bright future.
A R200 000 Cape Premier Yearling Sale Book 1 graduate, Zalatoris was bred by Avontuur and is a son of freshman champion elect
Erik The Red (Captain Al) out of the one-time winning Silvano mare, Charisma.
Now a winner of 2 races with 2 places from 5 starts, Zalatoris took his stakes earnings to R458 450.
Keagan de Melo unsaddles as he chats to Paul Matchett and his team | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
DAD’S EXAMPLE ZALATORIS FOLLOWS
Varsfontein Stud’s homebred stallion Erik The Red produced his first stakes winner on Sunday when his first-crop son Zalatoris won the Follow@World Pool On X Gr2 Umkhomazi Stakes.
In landing the 1200m contest, Zalatoris emulated his own sire, with Erik The Red having won the Umkhomazi Stakes in 2020.
Trained by Paul Matchett, Zalatoris had impressed when winning on debut, before going on to finish second twice. His runner up efforts sandwiched a fifth place finish by Zalatoris in the G1 Gold Medallion.
Under Keagan De Melo, two-year-old stayed on strongly, down the centre of the track to get up and land the 1200m sprint by a long neck.
Bred by Avontuur Thoroughbred Farm, Zalatoris races for Messrs M and A Kapnias.
The promising colt, a winner of two of five starts, is out of the Silvano mare Charisma.
Zalatoris was a R200 000 buy from the 2024 Cape Premier Yearling Sale.
He is one of 14 first-crop winners for his multiple graded stakes winning sire Erik The Red, with the latter set to be crowned South Africa’s Leading First Season Sire of 20242025.
A son of legendary sire Captain Al, Erik The Red has 12 lots on offer at the August Two Year Old Sale to be held in Johannesburg on 21 and 22 August.
AURET MAKES IT LOOK EASY
New Zealand’s Gr1 winning trainer Fraser Auret has collected trophies of a different variety but on Saturday night he took centre stage at the Property Brokers National Breeding Awards in Cambridge.
Auret’s first foray into thoroughbred breeding struck paydirt when he sent five-win mare Missy Moo to Windsor Park Stud stallion Shamexpress.
The resulting foal, whom Auret sold after a dominant jump-out victory as a juvenile, is now known as Ka Ying Rising, the world’s best sprinter.
Hong Kong’s Horse Of The Year, Ka Ying Rising was also named Seton Otway Horse of the Year at Saturday’s awards after a season in which he went undefeated. Ka Ying Rising’s wins included four Gr1 victories.
PRINCESS RULES! KANNEMEYER
Longstanding international owner Fred Crabbia has stayed loyal to trainer Dean Kannemeyer and they have another decent sort on their hands as we saw when runaway debut winner Princess Of Gaul maintained her impeccable record with a courageous victory in the World Pool With Race Coast Gr2 Debutante at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday.
Eleven fillies went to the start for the Bipot opener on the season finale day, but there was a less than ideal delay with Chairwood Rose spreading a shoe, and then rushing the gates before being withdrawn by the Vet.
After the delay, and with the cocktail of a slow early pace, and the gusting tail-wind in the home run, the scene was set for an upset
as the more experienced Elegantrix led the charge under SA Champion jockey elect Gavin Lerena.
But Craig Zackey kept a cool head on the superior filly, and it was Princess Of Gaul (610) who finished strongest to beat Elegantrix (6-1) in a thriller by 0,20 lengths in a time of 71,47 secs.
Craig Zackey drives Princess Of Gaul to victory as Elegantrix (Gavin Lerena) and the obscured Hierarchy chase hard
Credit: Candiese Lenferna
Duncan Howells and his connections will be thrilled with the showing of Hierarchy (50-1) who looked a picture in the parade and ran accordingly, finishing a further 0,20 lengths back in third.
Craig Zackey confirmed that the winner is loaded with ability and has ‘an amazing action’.
Pat and Wendy Shaw collected the trophies on behalf of their former owner, Fred Crabbia.
Bred by Clive Murphy, Princess Of Gaul is by Vercingetorix (Silvano) out of the one-time winning Miss Marmalade (Duke Of Marmalade).
A R600 000 National Yearling Sale purchase, Princess Of Gaul has won both her starts and took her stakes bank to R371 094.
The unbeaten Princess Of Gaul (Craig Zackey) is led in by Nicolette Roscoe and the DKR team | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
The Alan Greeff-trained Golden Palm and regular rider Richard Fourie stretch clear in an eyecatching performance
Credit: Candiese Lenferna
Multiple East Cape Champion trainer Alan Greeff has enjoyed an extraordinary season of national feature conquests and he put the cherry on the top with Golden Palm’s runaway victory in Sunday’s R1 million Gr1 Douglas Whyte Stakes at a windswept Hollywoodbets Greyville.
This term Alan Greeff’s away feature successes include the Gr1 Allan Robertson Championship at Hollywoodbets Scottsville, the Gr3 SplashOut Good Hope Nursery at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth, both of those with Direct Hit He also enjoyed his first Hollywoodbets Durban July day success when the unbeaten Anotherdanceforme won the SplashOut Gr2 Golden Slipper, and on Sunday the magnificent Golden Palm added the Gr1 Douglas Whyte Stakes to her Turffontein Gr2 Wilgerbosdrift SA Nursery victory, to bookend a glorious season for Halo Stables.
While Richard Fourie has been aboard at all four of Golden Palm victories, the reigning SA Champion also enjoyed something of a breakthrough on the day, as he celebrated his first win in the 2yo feature since he booted Gypsy’s Warning home for trainer Duncan Howells all the way back in 2008.
Sunday’s renewal went smoothly, even if Golden Palm was full of beans in the canterdown, almost unseating her pilot.
With the entire field of eleven facing the mile for the first time, the punting public had their lives behind the Gqeberha challenger and she went off at 3-10, before skating home in shiversdown-the-back style to beat Tina Lovelace (161) by 2,80 lengths in a time of 97,39s.
The runner-up’s stablemate One Fine Winter was a further 0,60 lengths back in third.
Bred by Varsfontein, the winner races for owner Peter Moor, who made a rare appearance on the podium, paying tribute to Mary Slack, Owen Heffer and Greg Bortz for their role and
investment in turning a sport, that was in the doldrums a few years ago, around.
Golden Palm is a daughter of Varsfontein’s champion home-bred stallion Master Of My Fate (Jet Master) out of the twice winning Var mare, Croisette
A R260 000 BSA National 2yo Sale purchase, Golden Palm has won 4 of 5 starts with a place and stakes of R369 550.
While most players survived this Pick 6 opening leg, the R1 million carryover injection was projected to reach R10 million, and sadly fell well short of that, ending on a nett R 400 712,97.
Champions both! Douglas Whyte congratulates outgoing SA champion jockey Richard Fourie after Golden Palm’s emphatic victory | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
BY A STREET!
Jan Van Goyen joined the likes of Kildonan, Rocks Off and Soqrat as De Kock-trained winners of the end-of-season 2yo Grade 1 showpiece when he stormed clear to win the R1,5 million World Pool Moment Of The Day Premier’s Champion Stakes at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday.
Callan Murray guides Jan Van Goyen to a facile
Lenferna
Now training in partnership with his son Mathew, Mike de Kock was inducted into the SA Hall Of Fame earlier on Sunday, and could not have dreamt of a happier outcome than a Grade 1 winner on the season finale day.
Lifetime owner Henk Leyenaar is enjoying his racing in partnership with his daughters Daniela Erasmus and Louisa Huntingford, and with all of the family’s horses named after their proud Dutch heritage, Jan Van Goyen is the name of the street where Dad was born in 1946. And the smart colt duly lived up to his name and won by the proverbial, ‘street’!
The strapping and progressive son of Master Of My Fate was easy to back at 6-1, and given a clinically perfect ride from the box seat by Callan Murray, he drew clear to beat Tin Pan Alley (3-1) by 3,70 lengths in a time of 97,63s. Recent Omoda Gr2 Golden Horseshoe winner Chronicle King (9-2) finished late to shade King Harald (40-1) for third.
Callan Murray has now won three Grade 1’s since returning from Australia, earlier this year.
Bred by RJ & Mrs Trotter, RE Alexander and Bruce Campbell, whose maiden Gr1 winner we believe this to be, Jan Van Goyen was consigned as agent by Boland Stud on the 2024 KZN Yearling Sale, where Lucinda Woodruff signed the chit for R600 000.
A son of Master Of My Fate, who enjoyed a Gr1 double after Golden Palm won a half hour earlier, Jan van Goyen is out of the two-time winning Oratorio mare, Daydream Believer.
Jan Van Goyen has now won 3 races with a place from 4 starts and took his stakes bank to R1 064 388. He looks an exciting prospect for next season.
The Leyenaars and the De Kock team at the lead in | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
DANEHILL’S SOUTH AFRICAN LEGACY CONTINUES
The influence of the late, great Danehill was well and truly felt at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday.
Danehill’s son Duke Of Marmalade is broodmare sire of Sunday’s World Pool With Race Coast Gr2 Debutante winner Princess Of Gaul (Vercingetorix), and another son, Oratorio, is the damsire of the World Pool Moment Of The Day Gr1 Champion Stakes winner Jan Van Goyen (Master Of My Fate).
The five-time Gr1 winning Duke Of Marmalade is also the sire of star stayer King Pelles, who won the World Pool Gr3 Gold Cup.
Bred on the successful Duke Of Marmalade/ Galileo cross, King Pelles is now likely to be crowned Equus Champion Stayer for 20242025, with the gelding having also won the 2025 Glorious Goodwood Gr3 Chairman’s Cup, Tote Gr3 Derby, and Durban Gr3 Gold Vase.
The chestnut is one of more than 50 stakes winners for his sire, with Duke Of Marmalade’s other notable South African performers including champion Rain In Holland, Jonsson Workwear Gr1 Garden Province Stakes winner Temple Grafin and World Sports Betting Gr1 Derby winner Son Of Raj.
Jan Van Goyen is the second World Pool Moment Of The Day Champion Stakes winner produced by a daughter of Oratorio. The latter is also broodmare sire of 2024 winner VJ’s Angel (Gimmethegreenlight).
VJ’s Angel finished third in the Bet With The World Gr2 Gold Bracelet on Sunday.
Triple G1 winner Oratorio, whose South African runners included such Gr1 winners as Van Halen and champion Canadian Summer, is also the damsire of multiple group winner Epona Plays (Australia).
The latter’s two-year-old daughter Composing (Wootton Bassett) won the recent Gr3 Saudi Cup Silver Flash Stakes and looks to have a bright career ahead of her.
Danehill’s outstanding son Danehill Dancer is the broodmare sire of Debutante runner up Elegantrix, winner of the Tote Gr3 Godolphin Barb Stakes earlier in the season. The prolific Danehill Dancer is also damsire of 2025 TAB Gr1 SA Classic winner Confederate (Fire Away).
Danehill is the grandsire of Buffalo Bill Cody (Redoute’s Choice), the sire of the Gr1 Mercury Sprint winner Buffalo Storm Cody. It was a good weekend for Buffalo Bill Cody, whose two-year-old daughter Rifle Queen made a winning debut at Turffontein on Saturday.
Danehill is also the great grandsire of Soqrat (by Epaulette), whose son I Salute You won the Listed Michel Nairac Appreciation Stakes.
Danehill’s Gr1 Computaform Sprint winning grandson Rafeef has enjoyed another fine season in 2024-2025. South Africa’s Leading First Season Sire of 2020-2021 had three runners in Sunday’s Gr1 Mercury Sprint.
Rafeef is also the sire of Sunday’s Listed HKIR In December Umngeni Handicap runner up Outlaw King, one of six stakes winners for his sire this season.
Other flagbearers for Rafeef in 2024-2025 include Gr1 Computaform Sprint winner William Robertson and graded stakes winners Chasing Happiness, Mai Sensation and Mon Petit Cherie. With his sons Master Archie and Thunderstruck at stud, Rafeef looks set to continue to make his mark on the South African turf for seasons to come.
Smanga Khumalo has King Pelles on his way to glory as Holding Thumbs (Chad Little) plugs hard in second
Credit: Candiese Lenferna
Gareth van Zyl’s 4yo longhauler King Pelles looks a shoo-in to be crowned SA Champion Stayer at the Equus Awards on 14 August after the son of Duke Of Marmalade stayed on stoutly to win the R1 million World Pool Gr3 Gold Cup at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday.
Riding his third Gold Cup winner, and second for the Van Zyl yard after Paths Of Victory in 2020 - his first was on Enaad in 2016 for Mike de Kock - former SA Champion jockey Smanga Khumalo rode a confident race from off the pace for a big family win on the trainer’s Dad Gavin van Zyl’s 66th birthday.
With the disappointing late scratching of the defending champion connections’ Cape Eagle at the start, the field was reduced to just twelve runners.
The well-supported King Pelles (5-4) was always loping along in midfield and exerted himself late in the home straight to beat his
perennial bridesmaid opponent for their third consecutive Grade 3 exacta on the trot.
Golfing legend Gary Player has an interest in both smart stayers and he must have relished the contest again.
King Pelles (5-4) registered a time of 205,23 secs for the 3200m and beat Holding Thumbs (10-1) by 1,20 lengths, with long-time pacesetter Future Swing (25-2) staying on for third, and 1,20 lengths in front of fourthplaced Shoot The Rapids (14-1).
Raced in partnership by Lucky Vest 12 CC (Nom:Ravi Padayachee), Messrs Dave
The Padayachee and Van Zyl families lead their champion stayer in | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
MacLean, Gary Player & N V Parmanand, the athletic chestnut King Pelles was chosen by ‘Birthday Boy’ Gavin Van Zyl and purchased for R475 000 off the BSA National Yearling Sale.
Now a winner of 7 races with 7 places from 22 starts, King Pelles has earned R1 035 000.
Bred by Drakenstein Stud, the winner is a son of the champion farm’s late stallion Duke
Of Marmalade out of the now deceased four-time winning Galileo mare, Grail Maiden (AUS).
Kevin Shea hands Smanga Khumalo his trophy | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
YUPPIES CELEBRATE RAINBOW ELATION
Rainbow Lorikeet strides out and draws clear beautifully under Aldo Domeyer to a really smart win
Credit: Candiese Lenferna
Outgunned against the big-hitters in the 2025 Hollywoodbets Durban July, the Yuppie Syndicate’s Querari filly Rainbow Lorikeet ended her 4yo season on a high when bouncing back in emphatic fashion and running out an easy winner of the R500 000 Bet With The World Gr2 Gold Bracelet at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday.
“Fomo proper!” chirped Yuppie Syndicate spokesman-in-chief Zac Bloch in a note to the Sporting Post from London as his filly flashed home, after his trip to Durban earlier this month proved to be three weeks early with trainer Candice Bass-Robinson celebrating her third Gold Bracelet success on the trot.
Aldo Domeyer made the gym work worthwhile, making a rare appearance on the East Coast and doing the weight, as he guided Rainbow Lorikeet (18-10) to a 2,10 length victory over fellow Capetonian Little Suzie (11-2) in a time of 124,78 secs.
Tony Peter’s VJ’s Angel (17-2) moved up dangerously but had to be content with third.
Rainbow Lorikeet was bred by Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein and is by Maine Chance
resident Querari (Oasis Dream) out of the Silvano mare Nightingale, who, as we have observed previously, gave trainer Candice Bass-Robinson her maiden Grade 1 success in the 2017 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes, when ridden by present day Hollywood Racing manager Anthony Delpech.
Our newest equine millionaire, Rainbow Lorikeet has won 7 races with 9 places from her 22 starts for stakes of R1 209 276.
She could pay to follow – especially when Zac Bloch opts to watch her races from London!
Top team – Aldo Domeyer, Candice Bass-Robinson, Cameron Braun and Mark Bass | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
BASS DOUBLES
END SEASON ON HIGH
The Candice Bass-Robinson and Aldo Domeyer combination ended the season on a high with a feature double at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday, and another double at the final Cape racemeeting of the term on Tuesday at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth.
Following on the smooth win of stablemate Rainbow Lorikeet in the Gold Bracelet on Sunday, Future Variety showed that he is one of the standout syndicate horses in the Cape, when registering his second stakes victory for the Centenary Syndicate.
A winner of the 2023 Listed Sophomore Sprint, Future Variety (6-1) enjoyed the honour of clocking the fastest 400m to finish time of the finale raceday when he launched from near last to hold off Outlaw King (7-2) by 0,40 lengths in a time of 57,42 secs for the 1000m.
The consistent Un Bel Di (6-1) was a further 1,05 lengths back in third.
Future Variety was bred by Lammerskraal Stud and is a son of the deceased Var (Forest Wildcat) out of the one-time winning mare Furina (Parade Leader).
The winner took his career tally to 4 wins and 8 places from 21 starts for stakes of R750 513.
On Tuesday the Milnerton combination enjoyed a double when the Rafeef colt All The Rage showed an electrifying turn of foot to register his second win, while the Master Of My Fate filly Saint Brigid (cleared after being scratched last Saturday), beat a mixed sex field D Stakes over a mile for her second win from 17 starts.
Candice Bass-Robinson gives Future Variety a congratulatory pat as Aldo Domeyer readies to unsaddle Credit: Candiese Lenferna
A VARIETY OF SPEED!
Candice Bass-Robinson’s 4yo Var gelding Future Variety has found his best form and followed up his last victory on the polytrack with an eyecatching feature victory to round off the World Pool Gold Cup racemeeting at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday. The handsome chestnut also recorded the fastest 400m to finish sectional on the day.
An important scientific complimentary tool of the trade for punters and racing enthusiasts, sectional timing data can enhance both the form study and horseracing viewing experience on both KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape race meetings. Enjoy this week’s Time Is Money
Hollywoodbets Greyville 27 July
Track Condition
Going: Good to Soft
Penetrometer: 24
Rain: Last 24 hours Nil –Last 7 days 11,5mm Irrigation: Nil
False Rail: Races 1-6 = 7,5m rail: Races 7-10 = 2m spur Wind: 20-45km/h South Westerly tail wind
Course Variant: 0,24s slow (races 1-6) –0,41s fast (races 7-10)
HKJC Gr1 Champions Cup 1800m
In comparison to earlier in the afternoon, the wind had eased considerably before the start of the Champions Cup. On paper there was very little pace in the race and with nobody else wanting to go on leaving the stalls last year’s winner Dave The King gained a very soft lead without any effort.
The pace continued to be slow until between the 1000m and 600m poles and with the
rest a minimum of two and a half lengths in arrears entering the home straight the race then developed into a sprint as Dave began to come under pressure.
The favourite The Real Prince meanwhile had sat close up in third, but becoming boxed in halfway down the straight he then had to take a tight gap between Dave The King and the inside running rail. He was accidently struck on the noseband by Dave The King’s rider Callan Murray as he moved through to challenge 200m from home and did then shift outwards on striking the front less than 100m later. Running on stoutly from off the pace meanwhile was GLADATORIAN though, and with the benefit of a clear passage he in turn put his head in front 20m before the line. Just 5/100th of a second slower than the winner over the final 400m, was Fire Attack.
Alec Laird’s charge had raced detached at the rear and also finished particularly well.
Gr1 Douglas Whyte Stakes 1600m
The winner of the Fillies Nursery at Turffontein in March, the daughter of Master Of My Fate GOLDEN PALM was the best bet on the card for most and she didn’t let down her supporters. Priced up at 5/2 when the betting first opened on the Gr1 Douglas Whyte Stakes, Alan Greeff’s charge was backed throughout the week and was eventually sent off deep in the red at 3/10.
In a race run over a second slower than that of the opening Michel Nairac Appreciation Stakes (L), the 50/1 shot Alannah made most of the running whilst Golden Palm (unsettled early on) was content to race some five lengths away in sixth. She quickened best of all coming off the bend, and cruised clear to score by two and three quarters after striking the front 150m from home.
World Pool Moment Of The Day Gr1 Champion Stakes 1600m
In what proved to be comfortably the slowest of the three 1600m events on the card, the pace slowed considerably after those seeking early position found their spots. Indeed, passing the 600m marker they were close on three seconds slower than the quickest of the 1600m races. The heavily supported Count Of Rouen (16/1 into 5/1) set the pace whilst the eventual winner JAN VAN GOYEN sat close up in third. Another winner for the sire Master Of My Fate, Mike De Kock’s charge showed a nice turn of foot early in the straight and after hitting the front 220m from home, he drew clear in good style in the closing stages of the race to score by three and three quarters.
Gr1 Mercury Sprint 1200m
The Gr1 Mercury Sprint was not surprisingly the fastest of the three 1200m races on the card and here victory went to the son of Buffalo Bill Cody, BUFFALO STORM CODY. Swiftly guided over from gate nine by champion jockey elect Gavin Lerena, Tony Peter’s charge led throughout. He ran on well in the straight and although the favourite Tenango was finishing strongly from midfield, he went on to score very comfortably from that one by a length and a half. Interestingly, Buffalo Storm Cody has only been beaten once in five starts since being gelded, and
after that defeat Gavin said to trainer Tony Peter that he should ignore that run as he had raced very green under the lights.
World Pool With Race Coast Gr2 Debutante 1200m
The Gr2 Debutante was the first of the afternoon’s eight graded races to be run and in what was not a fast run race, the heavily supported PRINCESS OF GAUL did the business. An easy winner by 9,5 lengths in her only previous racecourse appearance, this daughter of Vercingetorix was eventually sent off at 63/100 after opening up at 2/1.
The consistent second favourite Elegantrix made the running whilst Dean Kannemeyer’s charge raced just three lengths away in fifth. She quickened well when the race developed into a sprint at the top of the straight and in an event where less than a length covered the first five home, she put her head in front 50m out.
Gr2 Follow@Worldpool On X Stakes 1200m
In what was marginally the slowest of the three 1200m races on the card, there was no real speed on early until Mighty Zambezi took the bull by the horns. The pacemaker then kept on strongly in the straight, but was soon surrounded by challenges.
Amongst those was the deposed second favourite ZALATORIS (3/1 out to 7/1) who had raced some five and half lengths away in seventh. This son of Erik The Red ran on stoutly in the closing stages of the race and in another event where less than a length covered the first five home, he struck the front 30m out. Interestingly, the fastest 400m to finish time in this race was recorded by the runner up Shadowfax. Sean Tarry’s charge had raced a length and a half behind the
winner and finishing particularly well late on, was only beaten by a neck.
Bet With The World Gr2 Gold Bracelet 2000m
The Candice Bass-Robinson trained RAINBOW LORIKEET (7/2 into 18/10) was sent off a heavily supported favourite to win the Gold Bracelet and she landed the odds in this very false paced affair with authority. They went particularly slowly early on and despite there being no false rail they were by far the slowest between the 1000m and 600m markers. Perfectly positioned in third though, just two lengths behind the front running Little Suzie, this daughter of Querari was always poised to strike. She did so as they approached the 200m pole and went on to score in good fashion by two.
World Pool Gr3 Gold Cup 3200m
As had been the case in both the Gr3 Tote Derby and Gr3 Gold Vase, KING PELLES was again successful here, and Holding Thumbs
again second. Run at a much fairer pace than the Gold Vase on July Day, the runner up sat fifth with the winner just a length behind in sixth. Both quickened well at the business end of the race, but clearly the better of the two, the Duke Of Marmalade gelding once again asserted his authority in the closing stages. A Gr3 hattrick of note.
Quickies
Positioned eleventh of the twelve coming off the bend, FUTURE VARIETY recorded by far the fastest 400m to finish time of the afternoon when winning the closing HKIR In December Listed Umngeni Handicap.
Fastest Times:
1200m (3) Buffalo Storm Cody 70,72 1600m (3) I Salute You 95,63 400m - fin
MAUJEAN FINED R2 000
The NHA has confirmed that at an Inquiry held in Gqeberha on 25 July 2025, Jockey C Maujean was charged with a contravention of Rule 62.2.3.
The particulars being that he failed to ride MISS PRIOR out to the end of the race, where circumstances permitted, to the satisfaction of the Stipendiary Stewards in Race 4 at Fairview on 2 July 2025. Maujean pleaded not guilty but was found guilty of the charge.
After considering the aggravating and mitigating factors presented as well as Maujean’s record in relation to this Rule, the Inquiry Board imposed a penalty of a fine of R2 000.
Maujean has the Right of Appeal against both the finding and the penalty imposed.
SALUTING A CEO
The opening race of the 2025 SA Champions Season finale at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday got the bumper programme off to an emotional and popular start when the aptly named I Salute You won the R225 000 Listed Michel Nairac Appreciation Stakes.
Usually raced on the seasonal curtain call day as the Darley Arabian, the Listed feature was renamed in honour of outgoing CEO Michel Nairac, who has been in charge of KZN racing for much of the 21st century.
After Sundance Kid led from Winter Games and Cherry Ano, Richard Fourie produced I Salute You (2-1) off the decent pace with a sustained effort and the long-striding son of Soqrat carried too many guns, beating Winter Games (5-1) by 1,40 lengths in a time of 95,63 secs.
Glen Kotzen’s Hat’s Pride (100-1) boosted the trifectas and quartets, with a big effort in third, as Highveld raider Money Heist (33-1) capped the quartet.
Raced in partnership by Tony Zackey, Edward Abraham, Tim Herdon, Saira Nattar & Trinisha Pillay, the winner was bred by Shadwell Stud and is by their former Equus Champion 2yo Soqrat (Epaulette) out of the two-time winning Var mare, Varachino.
I Salute You (Richard Fourie) wins smartly as Hats Pride (Cole Dicken) stays on for third | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
A BSA National 2yo Sale R450 000 graduate, I Salute You is now a winner of 5 races with 4 places from his 12 starts for stakes of R502 544.
Soqrat has three lots on the BSA August 2yo Sale on 21 and 22 August, including a half-brother to the Verdonese-trained Choisaanada, who recently became the first-
ever winner of all three legs of the Highveld Winter Series.
Outgoing Race Coast CEO Michel Nairac hands winning trainer Peter Muscutt the trophy | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
Gavin Lerena enjoys a start-to-finish success with Buffalo Storm Cody
PETER SPEEDSTER
ROCKETS TO A 125
Gladatorian, winner of the HKJC Gr1 Champions Cup, retains his merit rating of 127 after producing his trademark strong finish to land the 1800m contest at Hollywoodbets Greyville.
The Handicappers determined that Gladatorian had performed at the same level as in his previous outing in the Hollywoodbets Gr1 Gold Challenge in June, where he also achieved a rating of 127. Consequently, he was used as the line horse for this race.
Only one horse received an increased rating:
• The Real Prince (2 nd): increased from 125 to 126 after finishing 0.4 lengths behind the 127-rated line horse at level weights.
Merit rating reductions were applied to the following runner:
• See It Again: lowered from 127 to 125.
• Montien , who failed to reproduce his efforts in both the L’Ormarins Gr1 King’s Plate and World Sports Betting Gr1 Cape Met, was reduced from 126 to 122.
Gr1 Mercury Sprint
Three-year-old gelding Buffalo Storm Cody has had his merit rating increased from 113 to 125 after his victory in the Gr1 Mercury Sprint over 1200m, contested run at weightfor-age conditions.
| Credit: Chase Liebenberg
The Handicappers identified the third-place inisher, Asiye Phambili, as the most suitable line horse, leaving her rating unchanged at 116.
Rating increases:
Cats Pajamas: raised from 115 to 121 following an improved performance.
Rating reductions:
Cafe Culture: adjusted from 126 to 124, failing to replicate his Grade 2 Diadem Stakes win across subsequent runs.
William Robertson: lowered from 128 to 127.
Surjay: reduced from 124 to 122.
Questioning: down from 123 to 122.
Bet With The World Gr1 Gold Bracelet
Rainbow Lorikeet’s merit rating has been adjusted from 111 to 113 after winning the Bet With The World Gr2 Gold Bracelet for fillies and mares over 2000m at Hollywoodbets Greyville.
The Handicappers unanimously selected third-place finisher VJ’s Angel as the line horse, with her rating remaining at 114.
Additional increases:
Little Suzie (2nd): raised from 108 to 113 after beating the 114-rated line horse by 1.1 lengths while receiving 1.5kg. Mocha Blend: adjusted from 102 to 104.
Rating reductions:
Knockout: reduced from 102 to 101.
Indian Ocean: dropped from 109 to 107.
Miss Platina: lowered from 94 to 92.
World Pool Gr3 Gold Cup
King Pelles has had his merit rating increased from 118 to 122 following his commanding victory in the World Pool Gr3 Gold Cup over 3200m at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday.
The Handicappers elected to use the everconsistent Shoot The Rapids , who finished fourth, as the line horse for this assessment, leaving his rating unchanged at 112.
In addition to the winner, several other runners received merit rating adjustments:
Holding Thumbs (2nd): increased from 110 to 113.
Future Swing (3rd): raised from 115 to 116.
Field Marshal: up from 105 to 107.
Taxhaven: increased from 90 to 96.
Decrease:
Nebraas was the only runner to receive a rating reduction, dropping from 103 to 102.
Hkir In December Listed Umngeni Handicap
Future Variety’s merit rating has been increased from 110 to 114 following his win in the Listed HKIR In December Umngeni Handicap over 1000m at Hollywoodbets Greyville.
Third-place finisher Un Bel Di was chosen as the benchmark to assess the race, retaining his rating of 99.
Additional rating increase:
Outlaw King (2nd): up from 110 to 112.
Rating reductions:
Rode Drive: 104 to 103.
Symphony In White: 105 to 104.
Donquerari: 96 to 93.
Address The Nation: 94 to 93.
Lion Rampart: 109 to 107.
King Of The Gauls: 111 to 110.
Chocolate Soldier: 112 to 110.
No Filter: 101 to 100.
Hitemhardsunshine: 106 to 105.
Listed Michel Nairac Appreciation Stakes
I Salute You has had his merit rating increased from 103 to 107 following his victory in the Listed Michel Nairac Appreciation Stakes over 1600m.
Runner up Winter Games was deemed the most suitable line horse and remains unchanged on 98.
Third-place finisher Hat’s Pride , who was three points (1.5kg) under sufferance at the weights, was raised from 91 to 94.
Rating reductions:
Guy Gibson: lowered from 101 to 100. Narina Trogon: reduced from 106 to 105.
The Africa House: dropped from 90 to 88. Cherry Ano: adjusted down from 109 to 108.
Media release by the NHA on Tuesday, 29 July 2025.
THE TIGER OUT OF KING PRAWN FOURIE GETS
King Prawn got home narrowly at odds-in to win the R200 000 Listed Champion Juvenile Cup which was switched from turf to the poly at Fairview on Friday. But Richard Fourie’s efforts cost him a substantial fine and a fourteen-day suspension.
The 5-10 favourite in the eight-horse field was always under an encouraging ride by Fourie and our reigning SA champion was charged with a contravention of Rule 58.10.2 (read with Guideline M on the use of the crop) for striking his mount once over the permissible 12 limit.
Besides the fine of R7937,50, Fourie has been suspended from 30 July to 12 August, which means he will miss the final two days of the current term. With Lerena now 16 wins ahead, the chase is probably over.
King Prawn (Richard Fourie) puts his head down as Royal City Girl (Nirvan Nastili, centre) and Arlu (Louis Mxothwa) complete the trifecta | Credit: Pauline Herman
King Prawn looks to yet another classy and capable 2yo in Alan Greeff’s powerful string and will likely be looking for further ground to show his true ability.
While he managed to hold the cavalier Royal City Girl (10-1) by a head in a time of 83,94 secs, he looked to have things under control. Arlu (16-1) ran a cracker for third, a further half length back.
Raced by the Wernars family, the winner was bred by Ascot Stud and is a son of Varsfontein’s Jet Master stallion Master Of My Fate, for whom he was the 32nd stakes winner.
King Prawn is out of the five-time winning Var mare, Caviar.
The Master Of My Fate colt, a R250 000 buy from the 2024 KZN Yearling Sale,
has a Heavenly Blue half-brother on offer at the August Two Year Old Sale next month.
King Prawn joins the likes of Anotherdanceforme (SplashOut Gr2 Golden Slipper) and Golden Palm (Wilgerbosdrift Gr2 SA Fillies Nursery) as two-year-old stakes winners for Master Of My Fate this season.
Louis Mxothwa rode 4 winners on the afternoon, with Richard Fourie and Calvin Habib grabbing a double apiece.
Juan Nel, Alan Greeff and Gavin Smith saddled two winners each.
BRAVO!
BEHR BOUNCES BACK WITH A BANG
Back in the saddle after a self-imposed absence of over two years, senior Cape jockey Grant Behr broke the comeback ice in good style when 40-1 outsider Bonne Bouche won the fifth race at a sunny Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Tuesday.
Having just his seventh ride since a break from the sport to focus on himself and his family, and to ‘realign’ his outlook and approach to life, the 46-year-old Behr rode a finely judged race on the Captain Of All mare having her first start for Milnerton trainer Shane Humby.
Bouncing the Hemel ‘n Aarde Stud bred galloper out from her wide gate, the 2020 Gr1 Cape Guineas winning jockey stuck to
his station early, before drifting to the centre inside of the track.
At the 350m marker, he gave his mount a breather and the Social Squad Syndicate racer stormed home to record her first win since October 2023.
Speaking to the Sporting Post on Tuesday evening, a delighted Grant said that his salute
Grant Behr chats to trainer Shane Humby | Credit: Chase Liebenberg
at the finish was an expression of both relief and deep satisfaction.
“I was quietly confident, believe it or not! Bonne Bouche was working well, and I suggested to Mr Humby that I felt that she didn’t need the compression mask in my opinion. It’s good to break through early and thanks to the Social Squad Syndicate and Mr Humby for giving me the opportunity. I came back to racing for the love of horses – and this mare gave me all today.”
Explaining why he walked away from the game in May 2023, Grant said that his reasons were a combination of being stale and sour, and that he needed to spend some time focusing on the important things in life, like family and building a positive mindset.
A keen hobby gardener, Grant did volunteer work two days a week at the Babylonstoren
Estate in Franschoek, where the renowned gardens are a tourist attraction.
“I cut out racing completely. I went back to basics and enjoyed my family and worked alongside the labour in the gardens. I met wonderful ordinary people and also experienced insight of the hierarchy of our society where so many people look down on others, just because they can. That may sound maverick, but it opened my mind as I had spent so many years not focused on myself, but trying to please people, some of whom didn’t really value or respect me.”
Grant said his wife Lanese and daughter Cassidy, who shares a birthday with all of our horses and turns 11 on Friday 1 August, were his
backbone and supported his decision to opt out and press the refresh button.
“I am fortunate to have enjoyed my family’s support and I am feeling positive. Mr Humby is one of those trainers who listens to suggestions, and I am thrilled I could produce a winner for him. I am riding work at Milnerton three days a week and am getting fit. I started at 60kgs and I am now at 57 kgs. I want to get down to 56kgs, and race-riding promotes fitness at the same time.”
Asked whether he had felt rusty, Grant said that riding horses was much like riding a bicycle – just tougher, but not something one readily forgets to do.
“I took a while to get my co-ordination back, but I am getting there. I am looking forward to the new season and making a go of it,” he added.
Grant joined the SA Jockey Academy in 1993 alongside Kelvin Jupp, Julian Gadsby, Nicky Hanekom, Genevieve Michel and the late Bennie Norton.
He was apprenticed to trainer Steve Benton and rode his first winner at Hollywoodbets
Scottsville on 2 September 1995 on the Our Casey’s Boy filly Perky Prefect, who started at 12-1.
He was transferred back Cape Town and after the local Academy closed, he resided with Garth Puller and the late Trudi Houreau. “I learnt a lot from Garth. A real horseman and a gentleman who could write the definitive textbook on race-riding.”
Grant rode his first Cape winner on the Glen Puller-trained Galba mare Flashy Star, who scored on her debut in a Mixed Maiden at Milnerton on 24 May 1997.
We wish Grant every success in the new term.
An ecstatic Grant Behr shows his happiness as Bonne Bouche stays on to beat Hear My Voice | Credit: Chase Liebenberg
HOLLYWOODBETS PUNTERS’ CHALLENGE
The popular free-to-play Hollywoodbets Punters’ Challenge will now be available on selected UK racemeetings, commencing on Day 1 of the Qatar Goodwood Festival on Tuesday.
South African horseracing’s most popular competition reached the 140 jackpot winner milestone at Fairview last Friday, where 11 players found all 8 winners on the card.
For the new UK competition to be held on the racemeetings indicated below, the jackpot prize will be capped at R100 000, for selecting all of the winners on the day.
For race days with only 7 races carded, the jackpot is capped at R50 000. These amounts will be doubled if the player has taken a bet of R50 or more on the betslip.
The Hollywoodbets UK Punters’ Challenge 2025 Edition applies to:
Goodwood – 29 July 2025
Goodwood – 30 July 2025
Goodwood – 31 July 2025
Racing Stars champion Chase and Whitey Eighteen enjoy the post-race moment with Future Variety Credit: Candiese Lenferna
Goodwood – 01 August 2025
Goodwood – 02 August 2025
Ascot – 09 August 2025
York – 20 August 2025
York – 21 August 2025
York – 22 August 2025
York – 23 August 2025
Prize money of R5 000 for the meeting shall be shared by the Top 20 on the leaderboard, in terms of the rules.
Cape-based Equus Award-winning photographer Chase Liebenberg enjoyed a big day at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday, when he finished fourth of 15 573 players on the Hollywoodbets Punters’ Challenge leaderboard with 148,01 points.
On the overall leaderboard, Nicky127 topped the charts on 148,90 points ahead of Paddywax on 148,74 and Hopely on 148,64.
Chase Liebenberg was the first player home to wager the minimum betslip amount and he thus enjoyed a bonus multiplier five-times his prize of R2 000, banking R10 000.
The photographer, who tipped 7 of the 10 winners with 3 seconds, also topped the Hollywoodbets Punters’ Challenge Racing Stars showdown.
The fun competition is hosted periodically within the Hollywoodbets Punters’ Challenge platform for South Africa’s racing presenters, personalities, commentators and journalists, and pits the faces and voices of racing against each other.
One of the young guns on the diverse Racing Stars group, the enthusiastic photie was never headed after I Salute You won the Michel Nairac Appreciation Stakes to open the season finale day.
Chase told the Sporting Post that he had used a combination of form study, race observation and emotion to achieve the dream result that saw him bank R10 000 first prize, as well as R1 000 for finding the most winners.
“I study form as part of my job and spend plenty of time watching and observing. For instance, I Salute You had previously beaten subsequent Hollywoodbets Durban July thirdplacer Selukwe. I also went with breeding in the baby races. Then, I must admit that Future Variety was an emotional no-brainer!”
Chase is a member of the Centenary Syndicate, who race the Var gelding.
“Thanks to Race Coast and Hollywoodbets, and all of my media colleagues for creating a great vibe around the Champions Season climax. The prize will come in handy,” added Chase.
Veteran commentator Craig Peters (133,25 points) was in second and banked R5 000 for his outstanding achievement of 6 winners and 4 seconds.
Winning Form veteran Peter Barker (124,25) banked R2500 in third, while Race Coast presenter Grant Knowles (119,25) crowned the quartet and earned R1 500 for an afternoon of fun.
1 SHORT OF A DOZEN
ALL WINNERS!
The Hollywoodbets Punters’ Challenge remains the most exciting free-to-play competition in racing and eleven players shared the all-or-nothing jackpot prize of R818 181,82 at Fairview on Friday.
On what was quite a punter friendly card, four of the eleven winners exercised their betslip minimum wager of R50, to double their payout to win R 109 090,91 each.
Seven players received R54 545.45 each.
The Sporting Post managed to reach out to Frederick 01, a Kriel Mpumalanga-based Sasol pensioner, who attributed his luck to listening to the Gallop TV preview shows and said, much like champion jockey Richard Fourie, he was a passionate fisherman.
“I realized he loved horseracing before we were married,” chirped Frederick 01’s ‘long suffering’ wife Sunette, who said her husband had enjoyed the biggest win of his punting career and that she was thrilled for him.
Asked if he was going to treat his wife to a steak at the Spur, Frederick, a punter for 35 years, said that there was no such thing as a Spur in Kriel, and that he would take her shopping instead!
Frederick 01 said that he had spent just R80 on his betslip wager and was ‘very happy’ that he had done so!
“Thanks to Hollywoodbets for a great competition. This has really brightened our day! Ironically the power went off before the last race, so I missed it, but was over the moon when I checked the results,” he added.
The winners included Calvinoost, Rivrev, and LuckyGuy123, who along with Frederick01 exercised their betslip wager to win R190 090,91 each, while Sylvest, Cesh, Pri, Pat9,
Wu777, Paul BigSix and mountain high banked R54 545,45 each.
The Hollywoodbets Punters’ Challenge is an essential play on all local racemeetings and will be available for all UK racemeetings until 23 August 2025.
Scandinavia (Wayne Lordan) beats Illinois | Credit: Goodwood Racecourse
O’BRIEN 1-2 IN AL
SHAQAB
GOODWOOD CUP
Scandinavia (4/1) emerged as the new kid on the staying block as he bested stablemate Illinois in a ding-dong finish to the feature Gr1 Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup.
Lining up after a wide-margin success in the Gr3 Bahrain Trophy, Scandinavia needed every yard of two miles under Wayne Lordan, mastering front-runner Illinois (7/4F) close home after a sustained battle.
The Aidan O’Brien-trained pair pulled two and a half lengths clear of Sweet William (4/1), who once again at this track failed to travel with his usual fluency.
The race was overshadowed by a fatal injury to 2021 winner Trueshan, who was pulled up sharply by Hollie Doyle mid-contest.
Scandinavia, a son of Justify, is the first threeyear-old to take the Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup since Stradivarius in 2017.
O’Brien said: “I am delighted. Wayne gave Scandinavia a brilliant ride. He ran a lovely race at Ascot when Wayne rode him, as he got trapped six wide all the way but he kept coming and coming, and then Ryan rode him at Newmarket and said he was a very good horse. He said he stays forever and is very classy.
“Thanks to the lads, they said why not come here and run him against Illinois? Scandinavia is a typical Justify. They just won’t lie down. They are Galileos, but more class, and he showed there exactly what they are. They keep putting their head out, keep going forward, and they are so genuine.
“The lads will make those decisions [about the St Leger and so on], but obviously Lambourn didn’t go to the King George because Jan Brueghel was going there, so he has his eye on the Voltigeur, and then he could go anywhere after that – to an Arc or a St Leger. All of those things are open, but I’d say this horse looks ready made for the St Leger as he stays forever, handled an ease in the ground here today, and is very straightforward.
“I thought Ryan did everything perfect today on Illinois. He was out there and had the race won, and then the other horse just came and got him. I don’t think we’ve seen the best of Illinois yet because I think we went to the Gold Cup a year too early and his preparation wasn’t right to win a Gold Cup. He ran an
unbelievable race, and he’ll have the rest of the season, but often when that happens, it can stop the progression you would really want to come. I really think we haven’t seen the best of him yet.”
Lordan said: “Credit to Scandinavia, he has improved all year. He was stepping up to two miles today against the older horses; it was a tough task, but I thought he stepped forward quite well.
“Ryan’s horse Illinois has gone this trip before and doesn’t mind making the running, so I was happy to follow. It was a little bit rough at one stage but, when everyone settled into it, I got a smooth run around.
“Illinois is a very genuine horse, a Group One horse, and this horse was stepping into his company today. He had never run in that company before, so today was going to find out how smart he is. Obviously, he is a very smart stayer.
“He likes fast ground and is an easy-going horse. Even though he was getting there without me going 100 per cent, when I got stuck into him, he went forward and won nicely. Kyprios wasn’t here this year and my fella was stepping up. I think next year, he could be the strong horse in the race. He is quite a tall horse and Justifys improve with time.”
Sweet William’s co-trainer John Gosden said: “He ran a very brave race and we couldn’t be more pleased with him. He will go to York and Doncaster now. A galloping track suits him, maybe a fiddly one like this doesn’t. Aidan’s runners controlled the early easy fractions. When they do that, they are very hard to catch.”
Robert Havlin added: “For some reason, Sweet William never travels around Goodwood, even when he has won. He was a bit on and off the bridle and they did him for speed up the straight.’’
Sunway’s trainer David Menuisier said: “He was beaten fair and square but he stays well and did his best. There was no excuse. He is just behind the best at 12 furlongs to two miles. As long as Aidan turns up, we will be settling for the places. I am thinking he could go for the Prix Kergorlay and maybe the Cadran, try to meet the French rather than the British.’’
Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup (Group 1)
• 1 - Scandinavia
(Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Sue Magnier)
Aidan O’Brien IRE 3-8-12 Wayne Lordan 4/1
• 2 - Illinois
(Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier & Michael Tabor) Aidan O’Brien IRE 4-9-12 Ryan Moore 7/4F
• 3 - Sweet William (Normandie Stud Ltd) John & Thady Gosden 6-9-12 Robert Havlin 4/1
8 ran
• Aidan O’Brien 29 th Qatar Goodwood Festival winner
• Wayne Lordan 3 rd Qatar Goodwood Festival winner
GLENEAGLES GELDING
SILENCES THE DOUBTERS!
Calandagan finally silenced the doubters with a career-defining victory in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot on Saturday.
Sent off the well-backed 11-10 favourite, the Aga Khan four-year-old delivered when it mattered most, rallying under a confident ride from Mickael Barzalona to quicken past the gallant filly Kalpana by a length.
The Juddmonte filly, trained by Andrew Balding, got first run on the French raider, but could not deny the late surge of her rival.
Trained by Francis-Henri Graffard, the son of Gleneagles entered off a string of four runnerup finishes at the top level, prompting doubts about his will to win. But since his victory in
G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud late last month, Calandagan has sparkled and now has a win at the highest level in the UK.
“I’m thrilled for this horse,” said Graffard. “The pace scenario was strange, especially with Continuous going slower than expected. But when I saw Calandagan traveling so comfortably, I started shouting. I could feel something special happening. Mickael rode him beautifully.”
“He was very difficult as a colt— temperamental and unreliable at the gates.
Calandagan (Mickael Barzalona) delivers the goods | Credit: Coolmore
We even took him to Deauville to school with the starters. Eventually, we had no choice. I’d rather have a top-class gelding than a poor stallion prospect.”
Ballydoyle tried a different approach here fitting first-time cheekpieces to their leading hope Jan Brueghel who lead his supposed pacemaker Continuous by a length from the start to the top of the final straight.
The sedate pace was a surprise to most of the racegoers and the opposition trainers alike as it aided the closers especially Calandagan who raced in last position until the final two furlongs.
Kalpana once again showed her class, adding another high-level placing and solidifying her credentials for a potential tilt at the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. Her jockey Oisin Murphy committed off the slow pace on turning in, and for a moment it looked like she had slipped the field.
However, Calandagan had her in his sights and quickened well to pass her over the final 100 yards to score comfortably.
Godolphin’s globe trotter Rebel’s Romance, last year’s third-place finisher returned to repeat that result after finding himself boxed in between the Ballydoyle’s runners at a crucial stage up the straight.
Graffard is now likely to send Calandagan to York on August 20, when he will bid to better last year’s second to O’Brien’s City Of Troy.
“The way he can quicken is very impressive,” he reasoned. “He has proven in every single race that he is a very good horse.”
VALE TRUESHAN
Hollie Doyle described Trueshan as a ‘special, special horse’ who gave her some of her best memories after he suffered a fatal injury in the Goodwood Cup on Tuesday.
It was the popular campaigner’s 35th start and fourth run in the Goodwood Cup when he was pulled up after sustaining an injury six furlongs out. The stayer enjoyed one of his finest moments
when winning the race in 2021 and struck in two more Group 1 races when landing the Prix du Cadran later that year and again in 2023.
Trueshan was also regularly one of the main attractions on British Champions Day, at which he won the Long Distance Cup in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
2026 INGLIS YEARLING SERIES
NOW OPEN
Entries for the 2026 Inglis Select Yearling Sales Series – which will be headlined by the presence of the highly anticipated Snitzel x Winx colt at the Easter Sale –are now open.
In 2025, Inglis was the only Australasian auction house to increase live auction yearling turnover year-on-year, with its overall yearling average (A$160,977) and median (A$80,000) the best in the business by some 31% and 45.5% respectively.
There will again be four yearling sales at Inglis next year – Classic (8 – 10 February), Premier (1 – 3 March), Easter (29 – 30 March) and HTBA (19 April).
In what was a hugely successful 2025 sales season:
• Inglis gained a majority market share from select yearling sales turnover against its nearest rival, despite offering 622 fewer lots
• Inglis yearling sales enjoyed a marketleading 82.6% clearance rate across all of its sales as well as selling 27 A$1m+ lots, more than double that of the Magic Millions
• Inglis also sold more yearlings for A$200,000+, more yearlings for A$500,000+ and more yearlings for A$750,000+
• Inglis sales resulted in an extraordinary number of buyer participation – there were 56 buyers per 100 sold at Classic, 58 per 100 sold at Premier and Easter and 66 per
100 sold at HTBA, compared to just 48 buyers per 100 sold at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale
• International spend (A$64,796,000) was not only up 20% YoY but was double that of the Magic Millions, from 145 individually listed international buyers at Inglis compared to 83
Inglis Bloodstock CEO Sebastian Hutch said the focus for the Spring would be to work closely with vendors and breeders to assemble the most appealing catalogues possible, with a view to optimising returns for those selling with Inglis.
“We genuinely enjoy what we do for work, we pride ourselves on working hard for our clients and the team gets a huge thrill in seeing our clients enjoy great success at all levels of the market,’’ Hutch said.
“We want our customer service to be widely regarded as the best not only in Australia but around the world, we work hard to get a lot of buyers to our sales and we want them to enjoy their experience, to have access to the best horses and for them to get great results for themselves to ensure they keep coming back.
“We were delighted with how our yearling sales series in 2025 played out, particularly relative to the performance of other sales early
in the season, so to have defied and then reversed the negative market trend of those sales was very satisfying.
“We celebrate our clients’ success with them and understand the nature of the investment and the amount of hard work that goes into the journey to get a horse to a yearling sale so we strive to facilitate the best markets that we can across all of our sales.
“We’ve been excited for 2026 since the moment the gavel fell on the last yearling in 2025 so it’s time to hit the road and work with our clients to get their horses into the most suitable sales for them to maximise their prospects of achieving a dream result.
“We are particularly excited about the Easter Yearling Sale, given the incredible performance of the sale in 2025, and we
firmly believe that the format of the sale, with catalogued lots to be capped at 450, will allow us to again deliver outstanding results for those who support the sale with appropriate stock.”
Click here to view our 2026 Yearling Entries Brochure.
Click here to watch a promotional video of the 2026 yearling entries campaign.
Click here to enter your yearlings.
Entries close on Friday 15 August. Breeders and vendors are encouraged to submit entries at their earliest possible convenience to ensure inspection in a timely manner and mitigate the risk of disappointment.
NHA CALENDAR
Another busy week has passed at the National Horseracing Authority HQ in Johannesburg.
Please click the banner below to read more:
Here’s their latest list of transfers, changes, penalties and the rest.
Two A Penny (Richard Fourie) leaves them in the dust at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth! | Credit: Chase Liebenberg
GLOBAL AUDIENCE FOR
QATAR GOODWOOD FESTIVAL
The Qatar Goodwood Festival, presented by Visit Qatar, which started on Tuesday 29 July and continues until Saturday 2 August, has attracted recordbreaking interest from around the world with 39 broadcasters set to showcase one of horseracing’s most iconic festivals.
The five-day fixture, affectionately known as ‘Glorious Goodwood’, is a social and sporting occasion like no other, where some of the greatest stars in horse racing are crowned.
Racecourse Media Group (RMG) and HBA Media (HBA), working with Goodwood Racecourse, have secured the unprecedented coverage, which will be available to view in 170 countries.
The Middle East region will be particularly well served with Qatari broadcaster Al Kass, Dubai Racing Channel and Yas TV (Abu Dhabi), who
are back after a four-year hiatus, covering the full meeting.
The Far East will enjoy coverage via Green Channel and Netkeiba (streaming service with 17m users) in Japan, and HKJC TV, Cable TV, TVB and Now TV in Hong Kong.
Fox Sports, Fanduel and Sportsnet will ensure the meeting enjoys excellent exposure in North America, while ESPN / Disney + in South America and Caribbean, and SuperSport in Africa, are other broadcast heavyweights taking the pictures.
The Qatar Goodwood Festival – it’s like no other! | Credit: 2025 Qatar Goodwood Festival on FB
Audiences in India will be served by Fancode, India’s leading sports streaming platform, while Sky Racing Thoroughbred Central and Racing. com, and Viaplay, boast excellent reach across Australia and Europe respectively.
Broadcast crews from ITV and Racing TV (UK), Fanduel (US), Sky Racing (Australia), Al Kass (Qatar) and Yas (Abu Dhabi) will be on course to bring live coverage from the Sussex Downs, in the south of England.
Racecourse Director at Goodwood Racecourse, James Crespi, said: “We are delighted so many broadcasters from all corners of the world have committed to showing the Qatar Goodwood Festival, presented by Visit Qatar. The record exposure, secured by RMG and HBA Media, is testament to the international prominence the festival now holds, and we hope the broadcasters and their audiences enjoy what should be a fabulous week.”
Visit Qatar Sussex Stakes day is a feature of the Crown Jewels Racing (CJR) broadcast package, which showcases 20 of the best horseracing events in the world, all evenly spaced throughout the year.
Broadcasters can elect to take the full threehour world feed (produced by ITV) or the CJR90 (90-minute show produced by ITV and RMG) around the Group 1 Visit Qatar Sussex Stakes on Wednesday.
For South African fans, we can watch the stride-by-stride action on Gallop TV and Racing240.
BAREND BOTES
The Sporting Post is sad to learn of the tragic passing of trainer Barend Botes on Wednesday 23 July.
A former jockey, the 55 year old Barend Botes moved from the Vaal to Summerveld in March 2024, and three months later celebrated his 30th year as a trainer with a maiden elite victory courtesy of Quid Pro Quo’s win in the R1 million Gr1 Allan Robertson Championship.
The daughter of Lance became an Equus Champion and KZN Horse Of The Year and was purchased by Team Valor International. She is set to continue her career in France.
In October of last year, Barend Botes returned ‘home’ to Turffontein, to better service his Highveld owners.
Barend Botes firmly believed he had found the answer for pedigree nicks in a software programme he has systematically developed over the last 15 years. He named his software ‘Pedigree Perfect’, and described it as a stateof-the-art system that included all the required stallion statistics, and had a strong emphasis on broodmare sires.
The Vaal sixth race on Thursday’s final racemeeting of the season has been named in honour of Barend. The jockeys will wear black armbands as a mark of respect.
Our sympathies are extended to his family and friends at this very sad time.
TRIBUTES TO A GOOD MAN
Frank Robinson wrote: Very Sad. A game of so many highs but many more lows. Quid Pro Quo took you on the most amazing journey. Showing everyone your ability as a top-class trainer. Rip Barend you have found your peace. Condolences to family and friends- you will be fondly remembered as such a gentle soul.
Nad Pillay wrote: To say I’m shocked is an understatement. I’m an ex owner and friend. I left the ownership ranks a long time ago. We’ve had so many highs and lows together over the years. Absolutely brilliant trainer who never had the support of big owners. We’ve had some fantastic betting coups together. My eyes are filling with tears as I write this message.
MEMORIAL SERVICE - BAREND BOTES
A memorial service to celebrate the life of Barend Botes will be held in the Aquanaut Room (3rd floor) at Turffontein Racecourse on Monday 4 August at 12h00. Enquiries – Shandre Habib at shandreh@4racing.com .
Mr
Mr
J O CK E YS results up to: 2025-07-30
20,256,781 12,056,444 9,446,219 7,362,281 9,166,875 30,983,201 16,202,596 15,409,694 12,432,313 12,214,631
28,413,156 23,713,850 11,232,031 9,917,344 36,490,823 37,812,723 33,656,604 19,045,234 15,659,569
36,170,386 33,655,195 28,134,793 16,957,171 13,523,824 BREEDERS
38,380,662 27,111,806 21,718,346 18,045,361 17,913,121 S I RE S T R A I NER S
