Andrew Harrison

Red Mountain was not winning out of turn in the C Stakes at Hollywoodbets Scottsville yesterday. Recently appointed SAJA Head Boy Damyan Pillay, who rode the first winner of his career on the Robbie Hill-trained son of Potala Palace, made light of his now 2.5kg claim after riding his 20^th winner last week. Red Mountain got the better of Phutulicious and Mister Nibbles in a driving finish.

David Thiselton

The Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas Gr 1 is often a decider of where the strength of the three-year-old form lies and the Mike and Mathew de Kock-trained Jan Van Goyen stamped the form of two Highveld three-year-olds, himself and Trust, as the best in the country as he made short work of the Cape three-year-olds and won convincingly under Callan Murray.

It was a particularly meritorious win because he had made his seasonal reappearance just two weeks earlier, when narrowly defeated by Trust in the Gr 2 Jackpot City Dingaans, and had then faced the arduous journey down to Cape Town on Tuesday last week in order to arrive about three days before the Guineas.

The De Kock yard is famous for leaving no stone unturned and the small Master Of My Fate colt who possesses a magnificent action duly travelled well.

He was steadily backed on the day to start at 17/10 with the well-related but unexposed Gimmie Rules, the original favourite, drifting out to 4/1 as support also came for Happy Verse who shortened from 8/1 into 7/2.

Murray managed to find the rail from draw four and the Master Of My Fate colt settled in a position just forward of midfield as Good For You set the pace.

Good For you was soon a spent force in the straight and it was the handy horses making their runs down the inside, Star Major, Pay The Palace and Roland Garros, who emerged as contenders.

Gimme Rules, coming from midfield, and Happy Verse, coming from near the back, were unwinding strong runs towards the outside.

Randolph Hearst, who had sat two positions behind Jan Van Goyen in the running on the rail, was running on strongly down the inside rail.

Meanwhile, Murray had been ever so confident on Jan Van Goyen after turning for home. He was content to sit behind Pay The Palace until the 400m mark and then began driving with the reins.

Jan Van Goyen took a couple of seconds to reach top gear, however, by the time he had reached the 200m mark he was stretching out beautifully and was on the quarters of the leader Star Major.

It was clear he was superior to this field as Murray had not even called for the stick. When he did the athletic colt continued to stretch superbly.

He made the rest look laboured as he has a very quick action, but it is an uncomplicated an economical one and he does not look like he is under any pressure when he at full tilt.

He left the nearest challengers, Happy Verse and Gimme The Rules, chasing shadows and won by 2,75 lengths.

Happy Verse finished second with Randolph Hearst 0,30 lengths further back in third, Gimmie Rules another 0,30 lengths back in fourth and Fox On The Run running on well to be a shorthead further back. Star Major was a shorthead further back in sixth.

There have been many small horses in history who have been great, with the mighty Northern Dancer being an example, but Jan Van Goyen is more reminiscent of the great English horse of the 1930s, Hyperion, a small unimposing horse with a magnificent action.  Mike de Kock had won the Cape Guineas five times on his own and now has another one together with his son Mathew.

The De Kock’s never get carried away by three-year-old success and usually take the conservative view. However, Mathew said he felt Jan Van Goyen still had improvement in him and had a very exciting future.

He admitted that on ratings Jan Van Goyen had actually just run the race expected of him as his 118 rating put him 8 points higher than any of the opposition but he added the yard were now keen to take on older horses and see exactly where he stood.

Jan Van Goyen is duly the 4/1 joint favourite for the Gr 1 L’Ormarins King’s Plate together with  Equus Horse Of The Year Eight On Eighteen and that price should be snapped up considering the latter is at his best over further and will also be making his seasonal reappearance in that race.

The interesting point is whether the connections of Dingaans winner Trust will be tempted to supplement him for the L’Ormarins King’s Plate.

Jan Van Goyen will be taking on his stablemate, the former Equus Horse Of The Year Dave The King, on in the King’s Plate and the latter will be a threat, having won the Gr 2 Green Point Stakes over 1600m on Saturday, also under Murray.

Dave The King sat behind Snow Pilot in the running and they were well clear of the rest.

Dave The King had been a bit keen in behind Snow Pilot but Murray coaxed him along in the straight before getting to work in the latter stages. He was stopping late but held on by 0,30 lengths from Garrix with See It Again, Sail The Seas and Sugar Mountain next best.

See It Again loaded for the first time in three starts but then fly-jumped losing a couple of lengths. However, he ran on superbly to put himself back in the picture for big race success.

The Alec Laird-trained Sukhumvit made it a great day for raiding yards as the Silvano mare took the Gr 3 1Voucher Victress Stakes over 1800m under Philasande Mxoli.

The Gr 2 Splashout Cape Merchants saw the Dean Kannemeyer-trained Outlaw King getting up by a neck under Craig Zackey and thus preventing a raiding yard four-timer as the Stuart Ferrie-trained I Am Giant was in second place.

The Gr 3 Ownpay Peninsula Handicap saw Capetonian yards dominate with the Justin Snaith-trained Regulation, who was regarded as the meeting banker by many, getting up to beat Major Master by a neck.

South African Quartet Pools with fractional betting offered at Southwell(UK) – 14 December 2025.

Andrew Harrison

Racing returns to Hollywoodbets Scottsville after an extended break for its annual spring treatment. The intended return was a fortnight back but rain put paid to that and racing was moved to the Hollywoodbets Greyville poly track.

With the track sure to be in mint condition on Sunday, trainers are out to take advantage and punters are faced with near capacity fields that will make finding winners a lot more testing.

The first KZN juvenile race kicks off the card and has attracted a big field of first timers so the betting will be your best guide. Mike Miller has his usual compliment and saddles seven of the 12 runners. The Miller stable rider Tristan Godden generally has the choice of the rides so Master Magician could prove the pick but he is not infallible.

The first leg of the bi-pot sees a full field of 16 line up with a number of first timers in the mix. Of those that have run, Place Of Practice improved nicely on the poly second time out but can make the required improvement. However, Winter In London also improved at his second start behind the useful looking Cognac. He can also make the required improvement.

Mr Mcdonald caught the eye when running on late on debut. It was not the greatest maiden field but with some expected improvement he can go one better in the opening leg of the PA. Past And Present makes his local debut for his new stable. He has been rested but had some useful Cape form over further but the blinkers are back on and he has the best of the draw. Director has drawn wide but his last run in the soft is best ignored. He was consistent before that. Dubai Dude was well beaten on debut but that form has held up quite well. He gets the services of vastly experience French rider Mickaelle Michel who will relish the 1.5kg allowance.

Annie’s Song will need some luck in running from her wide draw in the first leg of the Pick 6 but she has improved with every outing and looks primed for this. Thought Control is Adam Azzie’s only runner on the day and made a promising debut over the distance and sure to come on with the experience. Heavenly Mafia makes her local debut and boasts steady Cape and PE form. The blinkers stay on with a claiming apprentice up.

Mark Dixon saddles Cleartherunway in the fifth. He has a tricky draw to contend with but he was an impressive winner of his maiden at just his second start. The form of that race had panned out with second placed Eric’s Legacy skating home by eight lengths next time out albeit in a shallow field. He is in receipt of 1.5kg from Cleartherunway and has a better draw which could swing the odds in his favour. Red Mountain has shown some recent improvement in blinkers and with a claiming apprentice up he comes into the race with a strong chance.

Mickaelle Michel can register her first winner on South African soil where she partner Magma Magic in a competitive handicap. The gelding has shown signs of form of late and may just have needed his last effort. This trip should suit. Bank Street switches to the turf but has been running consistently well on the poly. He got a two-point raise in the handicap for his runner-up placing last time out and is up in trip. Kimball O’Hara has a tricky draw but has dropped further in the ratings and is down in class. Definitely Yes has been making steady improvement with a tongue-tie and should be a contender along with In The Bag who is seldom far back of late and can go one better.

The seventh is another tricky handicap. Gimmeforsure has been consistent since her debut win. She makes her local debut and steps up to what could be a more suitable trip given her pedigree.  She only has 51.5kg to shoulder from a favourable draw. At the other end of the gate is Sascha’s Dream boasts solid current form and stays the trip well. She also gets some relief from the saddle. Grand Occasion was well fancied for a hattrick of wins last time out but found one too good. She has come good of late and steps up in trip. Miss Twinkle meets Sasha’s Dream on identical weight terms but does have the better draw. There should not be too much between them come the line.

In the eighth, Fortress Of Fire was disappointing in features last season but ended off in promising fashion. After nearly five months off the track, he caught the eye in is seasonal debut when running on stoutly from a wide draw on the poly behind the very much in form United Nation. He shed his maiden over course and distance and could be finally finding himself. Maphaka has been knocking on the door for some time now. He is dropping in the ratings and could be competitive again. Dapper is long overdue and seldom out of the money. One of his best recent showings has been over course and distance. Beamonesque finished just ahead of Fortress Of Fire when making his local debut. He had useful Highveld form before that and will be competitive.

The last is another competitive handicap but Arverni Princess has been in mustard form and has won over course and distance with this apprentice aboard. Whereverilaymyhat is 0.5kg better off with Arverni Princess on their last meeting so there should not be much between the pair. Ndaka is back over his preferred distance and has blinkers on. He is quick and could be the surprise package. Yannakis is down in class and has a 4kg claimer aboard which should help his cause.

Andrew Harrison

It was a big weekend for apprentice Damyan Pillay. Announced as Head Boy of the South African Jockey Academy at their year-end awards ceremony at the Summerveld Clubhouse on Friday morning, he rode out his 4kg claim just a few hours later. Riding a superbly judged race on Soho Star for Yogas Govender he scored the 20^th win of his fledgling career in the Middle Stakes that headed the card at Hollywoodbets Greyville.

The form was there to see, Soho Star finishing a close-up third to Gr1 winning Gladatorian, but a wide draw was always at the back of many punters minds. However, Pillay managed to navigate a handy position as Tara Star set sail from the jump.

For a long way up the straight and barely moving a muscle, Pillay looked to be ‘no good’, as the saying goes, but once he put his foot on the gas 250m out, Soho Star accelerated in a matter of strides with the apprentice timing the gelding’s run to perfection to get the better of Magic Surprise.

Ladyofdistinction has always shown a touch of class as her name and six-figure purchase price suggested and she ran out a smart if narrow winner of the Progress Plate for fillies in the second.

Michael Roberts has always held the filly in high regard and she showed plenty of intestinal fortitude to get up and touch off a game Sonata Samaritan, a nose separating them at the line.

It was not all plane sailing for the winner as Rachel Venniker had to steer the filly through a narrow gap before going on to tackle Sonata Samaritan. The two fought a nose-to-nose battle over the final 50 m with Ladyofdistinction getting her nose down to snatch it on the line.

Double Causeway touched 7-10 in the first race on the card before drifting late and crossing the subway the drift appeared to be significant with Callan Murray hard at work. However, Gareth van Zyl’s charge gradually got it all together and eventually got to the line with some to spare over Good Omen and Hammerhead who came from near last to finish a close-up third.

Salani Kahle built on a solid debut effort when putting the opposition to the sword in the opening leg of the Place Accumulator. Well supported in the betting, Sean Veale started to scrub away on the turn, making up ground to hit the top of the straight in touch with the leaders. From there on it was a matter of how far as Salani Kahle said good bye under hands and heels to win by the best part of six lengths with Intro finishing best of the balance.

Four rides back from an aborted stint in Hong Kong and former Champion Jockey Keagan de Melo was back in the winner’s box as he got Alyson Wright’s diminutive gelding King Bavarian home in a finish worthy of a Hong Kong scramble. Always travelling comfortably in the D Stakes over 1800m, De Melo showed his Hong Kong experience as he pulled off the rail for a clear run at the line. He only made his move just over a furlong out with Councillor chasing hard and Power Star refusing to throw in the towel. It was touch-and-go at the wire but King Bavarian just had his nose in front to deny Power Star with Councillor a neck back in third.