RACE 1

SAY A PRAYER was not disgraced on debut. She now has Richard Fourie in the irons and could score. CARNIVAL will carry the same colours as that rival but represents trainer Dean Smith. She makes her debut but would not be a surprise winner. RIVER VIEW and SEATTLE GLOW are both on debut for trainer Alan Greeff and can get involved with the finish. J LORDI showed pace on debut and could improve trying the Polytrack.

RACE 2

RULES OF CONDUCT is threatening a first success and should beat these rivals. APPLES AND TEA tries the Polytrack and could improve. GLOBAL THRILLER was not disgraced in both starts and could contest the finish. PROFUMO was not disgraced on debut but does try the Polytrack this time. BLAZING FLAME and ON THE OUTSIDE need to do more to score but can earn some money.

RACE 3

A competitive looking race. SATELLITE WORLD is threatening a winning turn. TRIP TO PEACE makes a local debut and would not be a surprise winner. GREY WARRIOR has been a disappointment so far but could earn some money. OSMIUM showed improvement on local debut and could score this time around. STRAIGHT RED and MEDITERRANEANFLAME both need to do more to win but can make the frame.

RACE 4

A very open leg of the Pick 6 and we may have to go very wide to get through this leg. GARDEN SUN was not disgraced last time out and could pop up. A BIT CHILLY has held form of late and would not be a surprise winner. HENRY’S HEDGE has run in better fields than this of late and must be respected. PAST AND PRESENT and DEANDRE’S DREAM both make their local debuts and must be included in all bets. SAN QUINTIN, MIGHTY MAC and REFLECT are others to consider.

RACE 5

Trainer Alan Greeff has 5 of the 9 runners so we will look to stable jockey Richard Fourie. STRAWBERRY THIEF was given a soft debut and looks likely to improve. ENCHANTING CHOICE is in very good form and will challenge her stable companion for victory. EPIKLEROS has had a very good season and is clearly not out of it. FAMILY POWER is consistent and must be considered a possible winner. GINGER DELIGHT could return to form on this surface.

RACE 6

DUPONT EMERALD has been in good form of late. She is not well drawn and has to prove herself on this surface but is clearly the right one on form. STAR IN MOTION makes his local debut and should show improvement. STRANGE MAGIC has not been reliable but would not be a surprise winner. EL CAPITAN and HONORINE’S GIMMIE are both capable of better than their last runs would suggest and are capable of getting into the mix of things.

RACE 7

TINTAMARRE clearly likes the Polytrack and now has four wins on the surface. Two of them were over this particular distance and he could prove hard to beat. GOLDEN PAVILON does not always show his best side but is not out of it. PRINCESS HANNAH and BLACK EGRET are both capable of improvement and could prove dangerous this time around. CHAMPONELLE, ALESIA’S LOVE and ONE TOO MANY are also capable of making the frame.

RACE 8

A very open looking last race handicap. ALEX MILLER is badly drawn and is a difficult filly to win with but does have claims in a tricky race. PARADISE WAY is capable of improvement from a good draw. AYUWI YUWI found betting support last time out and won so must be respected for that. GENOVEFA loves the Polytrack and is capable of another victory. JAMBO SANA, KENTUCKY LASSIE and MIDNIGHT MUSIC all seem better than their disappointing last runs.

Please note: South African Quartet Pools with fractional betting offered at York (UK) – 14 May 2026.

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David Thiselton

There are 63 entries for the R10 million Hollywoodbets Durban July to be run on July 4 over 2200m at Hollywoodbets Greyville.

Champion trainer Justin Snaith, who is going for a sixth July win, led the way with ten entries headed by the WSB Cape Town Met and World Pool Premier’s Champions Challenge winner See It Again. He also has last year’s July runner up Eight On Eighteen in his team as well as dual Gr 1 winner Wish List, the Met runner up Legal Counsel, the exciting Lucky Fish Cape Derby runner up Note To Self as well as Okavango, Happy Verse, Native Ruler, Regulation and Great Plains. Note To Self could be the one to side with, because this big son of Futura has a fine turn of foot and as things stand will have a nice galloping weight of 54kg, presuming the 130 rated See It Again will stand his ground and be allotted top weight of 62kg.

The race has new conditions with the difference between this year’s and last year’s being there is a 10kg spread as opposed to a 8kg spread; there are no maximum or minimum weights for three-year-old males or for three-year-old females or for older females, and there are no minimum weights for older males.

Rather it is just a straight handicap with the normal weight for age allowances, which in the case of a 2200m race taking place in the month of July is a 2kg weight for age allowance for the three-year-olds.

Mike de Kock has also won five Julys and will now be attempting to win one as a partner of his son Mathew. They have four entries headed by Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas winner Jan Van Goyen, Gr 2 SA Derby winner Curious Girl, Gr 2 Gauteng Guineas winner Splittheeights and the former Zimbabwean Triple Crown winner Buster Barnes. Of those Splittheeights looks to have some fine formlines and is potentially well weighted, although as things stand he is officially 2,5kg under sufferance off a 109 merit rating.

Dean Kannemeyer will be going for a fifth win in the big race, but last year’s winner The Real Prince is his sole entry.

Sean Tarry has won the July twice before and he has entered three horses, including Gr 1 SA Classic winner Grand Empire. The latter is officially 1,5kg under sufferance as things stand, an unusual occurrence for a Gr 1 winner, so he has to be considered potentially well weighted.

James Crawford now heads the yard who won the race twice in succession in 2023 and 2024 as his father Brett has relocated to Hong Kong.

James played a big part in both victories and has three entries, including the progressive pair Star Major and Reet Petite. They both have the perfect merit rating for a three-year-old as things stand, 114, because that means they come into the race with bottom weight of 52kg and they sneak into the handicap.

The other three trainers with entries who have won the race before are Alec Laird, Glen Kotzen and Candice Bass.

Laird has a big entry of six, headed by the Gr 1 winners Fire Attack and Atticus Finch. Fire Attack has had a disappointing season, but at his best he possesses a strong finish, so can’t be written off. Atticus Finch suffered epistaxis in last year’s race, but if things go well for him this former Betway Summer Cup winner has the class to be a threat, although he will have to carry a big weight of 60,5kg off his 127 rating as things stand.

Kotzen has entered the brave stayer Holding Thumbs, who will try his heart out.

Bass has three entries including the dependable Rainbow Lorikeet and the exciting three-year-old prospect Viva’s Liberte, the best of whom is unlikely to have been seen yet.

Another interesting entry is the Jackpot City Dingaans winner Trust, who was a narrow runner up in the SA Classic and he looks potentially well weighted off a mere 110 rating, which officially puts him 2kg under sufferance as things stand. He will be out to give July nearly man Larry Nestadt a first win in the big race and the other owners, Gary Player and the Lindsay Ralphs family, will also be trying to win the July for the first time.

The filly who only just missed landing the Triple Tiara, the Corne Spies-trained Hazy Dazy, is an entry.

KZN have plenty of entries headed by the Frank Robinson-trained Betway Summer Cup winner Mocha Blend, the Stuart Ferrie-trained Gr 1 Champions Cup winner Gladatorian,  the Gareth van Zyl-trained champion stayer King Pelles and his SA Derby runner up stablemate Salani Kahle, the Nathan Kotzen-trained stayer Shoot The Rapids and his improving stablemate Field Marshal, Peter Muscutt has three entries including I Salute You, Michael Roberts has entered the classy Ladyofdistinction and there are also entries from Darryl Moore and MJ Odendaal.

Devin Heffer, Hollywoodbets Brand and Communications manager, said, “It has been a privilege for us as a leading brand to be associated with this internationally acclaimed sporting event since 2022, and every year it just gets bigger and better. With the adjustment in the race conditions and a doubling of the prize money to a record new stakes pot, the first entries list is proof that the stars are aligned and  Hollywoodbets Greyville is set to live up to its label of the ‘Theatre of Champions’ on 4 July”.

• SPLITTHEEIGHTS: 109 to 116
• ONE EYE ON VEGAS: 106 to 115
• RADIO STAR: 95 to 107

• SCARLETT HEART (third): 91 to 108
• DAISY JONES (fourth): 106 to 108