RACE 1

2 QUARTER MASTER      5 PLACE OF PRACTICE      1 CAMOGIE      3 SON OF RAFEEF 

Preview: QUARTER MASTER (2) showed huge progression in the second run and with more likely to come, could be tough to beat. PLACE OF PRACTICE (5) also showed good improvement at the second time of asking and can go very close. CAMOGIE (1) was crunched in the betting market on debut but failed to deliver – plenty more can be expected this time as he clearly needed the run. SON OF RAFEEF (3) has each way claims. (Warren Lenferna 2-5-1-3) 

RACE 2

2 SAUDI SWEEP      9 TIPPERARY       1 PENAN NOM      10 FLEUR DE LING 

Preview: SAUDI SWEEP (2) is getting closer and closer to the winner’s enclosure and looks ready now. TIPPERARY (9) may have found it a touch too far last time and now with the drop in distance back to 1200m, can win. PENAN NOM (1) is the place value and must be included in all bets and FLEUR DE LING (10) should be in the first four – quartet must. (Warren Lenferna 2-9-1-10) 

RACE 3

1 BOURBON’S BEAST      3 CHRISTMAS CACTUS     6 STRUTTING      7 MALONGANE

Preview: BOURBON’S BEAST (1) has solid form and can go one more. CHRISTMAS CACTUS (3) should go close to getting it all right. STRUTTING (6) is one for the shortlist and can go one more in a competitive race. (Warren Lenferna 1-3-6-7) 

RACE 4

2 FATE OF FORTUNE      1 RAFA’S BOY      3 KINSHIN SHA      4 CHARA SANDS 

Preview: FATE OF FORTUNE (2) is in mustard form and is selected to continue on winning ways. RAFA’S BOY (1) is taking time for the next win but is never far off the action and has huge claims. KINSHIN SHA (3) can do better and is the value and CHARA SANDS (4) is a natural inclusion for the quartet. (Warren Lenferna 2-1-3-4) 

RACE 5

3 CONVOCATION      4 MISS LADYATERIX      6 TARA STAR      1 HIERKOMMIEBOKKIE 

Preview: CONVOCATION (3) is ultra-consistent and rates the one they all have to fear the most. MISS LADYATERIX (4) has solid form and will provide plenty cheek all the way home – strong each way chance. TARA STAR (6) and HIERKOMMIEBOKKIE (1) are ones for the shortlist. (Warren Lenferna 3-4-6-1) 

RACE 6

4 MAJOR TOMMIE      2 WILD JUSTICE       5 CYMRIC        7 KALAHARI ROLLER 

Preview: MAJOR TOMMIE (4) is clearly talented and is confidently selected to continue on winning ways. WILD JUSTICE (2) is lightly raced and might well have plenty more to offer – each way chance and a must for all bets. CYMRIC (5) can be expected to do way better than last time and could be the place value. KALAHARI ROLLER (7) has strong place claims. (Warren Lenferna 4-2-5-7) 

RACE 7

3 FASCINATION      2 LIGHT OF GABRIEL       6 WINTER RAINFALL      9 WHAT A PASSION 

Preview: FASCINATION (3) went very close last time and can go one more. LIGHT OF GABRIEL (2) has caught the eye in both her post maiden runs and will be a huge contender for top position. WINTER RAINFALL (6) boasts solid form and is knocking loudly at the door for the next win – bright chance. (Warren Lenferna 3-2-6-9) 

RACE 8

4 DAWN SURPRISE        5 LITTLEBLACKGEM      7 QUENTASIA      1 MOVING IN 

Preview: DAWN SURPRISE (4) is holding form and is one of the leading lights here. Respect and include in all bets. LITTLEBLACKGEM (5) can do way better than her last run and can bounce right back to best. QUENTASIA (7) can never be ignored from any bets and MOVING IN (1) can improve to get way closer. (Warren Lenferna 4-5-7-1) 

 

Warren Lenferna

Quarter Master looks set to get punters off to a good start today, with the race meeting moved from  Hollywoodbets Scottsville due to heavy rain and now run at  Hollywoodbets Greyville on the turf (race times remain the same)  in Race 1, which gets under way at 12:45 pm. The son of The United States is trained by Robbie Hill and will be ridden by Craig Zackey. He was well backed on debut but failed to deliver; however, he showed huge progression at the second time of asking when finishing second to Prince Of Troy over 1200 m. He is the firm first choice.

Saudi Sweep is the first choice in the second race, an Open Maiden over 1200 m, which also marks the start of the Place Accumulator at 1:20 pm. The Louis Goosen-trained filly will be partnered by Craig Zackey and jumps from draw two. She was nearly a winner last time out, running an absolute cracker and going down by just a head. She looks cherry-ripe and ready to scoop the first purse.

In the fourth race, Fate Of Fortune, who is trained by Alyson Wright and will be ridden by Keagan de Melo, is in mustard form and has an undeniable hat-trick chance. He is loving life at present, clearly in a very good space, and can be followed again.

Major Tommie is an exciting and progressive individual from the yard of Garth Puller. He has won two of his last three starts and looks to have plenty more to offer. The race is competitive, but the suggestion is Major Tommie to beat Wild Justice and Cymric.

 

Please Note: South African Quartet Pools with fractional betting offered at Leicester and Southwell (UK) – 28 December 2025

David Thiselton

The 2026 Hollywoodbets Durban July will be a milestone one with the prize money doubled to R10 million and with a longer handicap introduced as the topweight will be upped to 62kg and bottom weight lowered to 52kg.

It will fittingly fall on the 30th anniversary of the centenary July, which turned out to be one of the greatest of all Julys as it was won by the legendary Alec Laird-trained London News, who went on to put South African racing on the map by winning the QE II Cup in Hong Kong.

The renowned South African wildlife painter Henk Vos released his celebrated work, the Painting Of The Century, depicting a century of July winners, after the July’s centenary running.

The iconic painting now hangs in the Classic Room at Hollywoodbets Greyville.

Alec Laird actually ordered one of the prints of the painting before it was completed as the print had the first of his great Uncle Syd Garrett’s five July winners on the left and the greatest of his father’s record seven July winners, Sea Cottage, was in the centre.

The right hand side just had a blank with a silhouette of a horse, because Vos did not know yet which horse he was going to paint there.

Alec, who trained out of Randjesfontein on the Highveld, related, “He hadn’t made up his mind what horse he was going to put in the last panel (the 20th panel) and he even said to me ‘I would like you to win the July because I would like to put you as the last painting.’ With about a year to go I said to him I’m not going to make it.’”

However, fate then had it that London News not only became the 14/10 favourite for the 100th running of the July, but he was also saddle cloth number 20, being the only three-year-old in the field and the bottom weight.

Piere Strydom recalled, “I remember at the traditional Friday night cocktail Henk Vos was there with his big painting and there was one spot left for the 100th winner and I can still remember saying to someone that I think my picture’s going to be up there.”

London News duly won the race and Alec, London News and Piere Strydom are now at the forefront of the famous painting’s 20th panel and the horse is fittingly carrying the no. 20 saddle cloth.

The London News story starts at the National Yearling Sale of 1994.

Alec recalled big owners Laurie and Jean Jaffee’s chief aim at that Sale was to buy a yearling by their own 1987 July winner, Bush Telegraph.

Alec recalled Harmony Forever being his number one choice at that Sale.

However, he remembered London News being “a nice horse.”

He added, “On the first day a Bush Telegraph colt called Mr Newspaperman went for about R300,000. London News looked more athletic and Jean Jaffee actually said to me, ‘What about this one?’ On the first day they didn’t get a horse, the second day they didn’t get one and the more they asked me about London News the nicer he got, because I was otherwise going to go home without a horse!”

The Jaffees managed to secure London News.

Alec recalled, “He was a light youngster and even as a three-year-old was quite light. He didn’t show immediately, but we always had the feeling that he would be a nice horse when he matured.”

In fact, London News made a particularly inauspicious debut, beaten no fewer than 16,5 lengths under Anton Marcus in a 1200m Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1200m at the Vaal on June 6, 1995.

However, he got better and better and when he smashed the Greyville 2000m course record, which still stands today, in the Gr 1 Daily News 2000, he had won six out of eleven starts including the Dingaans and two middle distance Gr 1s.

Piere Strydom was aboard for the Daily News 2000 too.

He reflected on the 1996 July, the first of his four victories in South Africa’s greatest race, “London News was a lekker horse to ride because he had gate speed, a lot of natural speed and he would travel right up there in front and he had a good kick. But at the top of the straight (having led) I thought with a light weight let me just let the reins go a bit and get a length or two for the short straight. But he accelerated way quicker than I had expected and that’s when he made up three or four lengths on the field. Obviously it was going to tell at the end and he was stopping quite badly at the end. I heard the horses coming and I was just hoping for the line and he held on.”

Alec added, “Mike Rattray had invited me to watch in his box because it was on the line and he won by a neck but my eyes wouldn’t believe it because there was so much pressure. I wanted to see the number up!”

Alec described the emotion of being on the honour roll together with his late record-breaking seven-time July-winning father Syd.

In fact his extended family is comfortably the most prolific July-winning family in history with his grandfather Alec winning one as a jockey, his great Uncle Syd Garrett winning two as a jockey and three as a trainer, his father Syd winning a record seven as a trainer, and the cousins Dennis Drier, Alec Laird and Charles Laird each winning one July apiece – a total of 16 for the July dynasty.

Race Coast is thrilled to announce a game changing new era for South African horse racing punters with the official launch of horse racing with Colossus Pools on Monday, 1 December 2025!

Following the successful introduction of Colossus world class sports pools, we are now bringing this innovative technology to the multi-leg racing bets. To kick off the launch, the horse racing pools will feature predetermined, high value UK race meetings, giving local punters access to massive international jackpots.

This marks a major step forward for the sport, combining the thrill of racing with modern, flexible features.

Introducing Unprecedented Control

For the first time in South African racing, you will be able to take advantage of key features that put you in control of your bet:

• Cash Out: Don’t wait until the last race! You will now receive leg-by-leg offers to Cash Out all or part of your ticket as the pool progresses. Secure a profit early or reduce your risk, giving you unprecedented control over your potential winnings.
• Syndicate Betting: Join forces with other punters to crowdfund a single, high stakes ticket. Share the cost, increase your chances of hitting the jackpot, and share the rewards with the betting community. You can become a Syndicate Captain or contribute to a ticket led by an expert.

Race Coast is committed to innovating and ensuring our horse racing proposition is the most exciting and engaging in the country.

Get Ready to Play!

Look out for the Colossus button on the www.tote.co.za website and from December 1st, toggle between Football and Horse Racing, and experience the new generation of betting.

Massive UK Jackpots, More Control, and Shared Success—get ready to elevate your racing experience!