Andrew Harrison

Justin Snaith is now one short of equaling the legendary Syd Laird’s record of seven July wins after saddling the first two past the post in the R10 Million Hollywoodbets Durban July at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday.

In a thrilling finish before a capacity crowd and in a one-two in joint owner Nancy Hossack’s colours, Note To Self got up to touch off the filly Wish List and deny 59-year-old Andrew Fortune in a race that he was hoping to bookend end his career. Third was rank outsider King Pelles with Viva’s Liberte in the shallow end of the purse.

It was not to be for Fortune although he will have had high hopes as Wish List burst out of the pack racing over the subway and looked to have the race in the bag. However, Richard Fourie, who had been biding his time in the pack, produced Note To Self with a telling late run down the outside of the straight. The two fought out a tight finish with the gelding getting the better of the filly inside the last 100m for Fourie’s fourth win in the race.

Fortune was supremely confident before the race but in a gesture of sportsmanship, stretching out his hand to congratulate Fourie after crossing the line.

Surprisingly, top weight Legal Counsel made the pace but had done his job turning for home leaving stable mate Wish List to take up the cuddles. It looked to have been a well thought-out strategy for the filly before Note To Self arrived on the scene.

Fourie was circumspect when quizzed about his early move at the 800m mark and said, “I don’t know. I blacked out at the top of the straight.

But added, “There’s no better feeling than winning it the first time but maybe second time with Do It Again, but it’s a great feeling. Just doing it in front of 50 thousand people at Greyville it’s such a feeling, the rush. I can’t explain the sound when everybody is shouting at you in the middle. It’s like being in a canyon. It was just a lovely race and was as sweet as it can be.”

Snaith heaped praise on his charge Note To Self. “I heard a couple of people say ‘what has he done up to now,’ and I knew he was going to come to the fore sort of at the right time but we were always wandering if it was one year early as he is a very immature horse.

“You saw him walking in the pre-race, he is unconscious, but this last week I said to everybody you can excuse the Daily News he was not right and had a temperature for two days after that and I had to really nurse him and do a lot of work and just making him feel better and get his coat right and all of a sudden this week in the last three days he took off. He was just a different horse and I knew that everyone was in trouble. He just walks around, he’s just a leopard, he is the most unassuming stunning individual and I knew that if he came right he was the horse to beat in this field.”

Not To Self was bred by Varsfontein Stud and owned by Jonathan Bloch, Jonathan Snaith and Nancy Hossack whose black and white silks where the first two past the post.

Tienie Prinsloo was not always confident that Quickstepgal would be at her best over 1600m when taking on the best but it was it was confidence misplaced as Qucikstepgal made short work of a high class field in the Gr1 Ridgemont Garden Province Stakes. It was always going to be a three-way contest and so it proved. Quickstepgal was up with the pace and quickened smartly crossing the subway and was not for the catching. Double Grand Slam and Mon Petit Cherie were left fighting it out for the minor money.

Buffalo Storm Cody drifted alarmingly in the betting for the Gr3 Post Merchants and although beaten he was no disgraced as Jet Force put it all together in the Gr3 Post Merchants. Des McLachlan is a rare visitor to KZN and Grant van Niekerk made the flight from Mauritius and was having his only ride on the day. That should have been the office for astute followers of the game. Taking on the Gr1 winning Questioning at his last two starts over further he will have sharpened up for this race and duly arrived, bursting out of the pack with a furlong to run. Buffalo Storm Cody came wide into the straight but was not able to peg back Jet Force who had got first run.

Zak Lloyd, fresh from a win at Royal Ascot, was on the winner’s podium after just his second ride in South Africa as he scored a bloodless victory on Magic Verse in the Gr3 Magical Zulu Kingdom 2200m as Justin Snaith got his afternoon off to the best of starts, winning three of the first four races on the card and it got a lot better later.

In a race run at no great pace, Lloyd had Magic Verse well placed behind a pedestrian gallop and pressed for home early. The gelding responded willingly under minimum effort from the saddle and soon had the better of a game Johnny The Thief who stayed on ahead of Otto Luyken for the minor money.

It was the turn of the heavily supported Ahead Of The Facts in the 3000m Gr3 Durban Gold Vase as Fourie produced the favourite with a telling late run up the inside fence to have the race sewn up inside the last furlong.

Favourites were the order of the day leading into the Gr2 Amusnet Golden Slipper where Alice B Toklas found plenty of support but it was not to be. Palace Of Arvenia, some times three wide on the turn, was given a confident ride by national log-leading rider Craig Zackey. Dean Kannemeyer seldom wants his runners up with the early pace and Palace Of Arvenia quickened well coming wide into the straight and was not for the catching. Alice B Toklas was a tad unlucky as Too Fast To Fiesta hung in badly forcing Fourie to ease and switch which may well have cost him victory as Sean Tarry’s filly finished off her race strongly for second.

Vibe Check got the favourites back on track as Vaughan Marshall’s colt made all the running in the Gr2 Omoda Golden Horseshoe. Well supported in the betting Sean Veale made the most of the mayor’s office draw and was in the front from the jump. He had a good lead coming into the straight but suddenly the two international riders, Zak Lloyd and Chad Schofield made a race of it as Green Energy and the filly Secretary Bird shot out of the pack. However, Vibe Check held on and indications are that he will try his luck on the Gr1 World Pool Moment of the Day Champion Stakes on HKJC Gold Cup Day at the end of the month.

David Thiselton

Justin Snaith and Richard Fourie made history in Saturday’s R10 million Hollywoodbets Durban July, becoming the first combination to win four Julys, and Snaith clinched the exacta with two horses both part-owned by Jonathan Bloch and Nancy Hossack, meaning the latter had become the second owners this millennium to land the July exacta and the third in recent memory.

For Nancy Hossack it was an incredible day in which events had reached full circle over a 12 year period and in which her thoughts were often with her late father Jack Mitchell.

Her emotions would likely have reached a zenith at 18H00 hours on Saturday evening when she had the privilege of hanging up her father Jack’s colours on the Hollywoodbets Durban July Wall Of Honour in the Hollywoodbets Greyville Classic Room. Winning owners in the past have always talked about this privately conducted traditional ceremony as being the moment of realisation, not only because of the many famous set of silks seen on the wall, but also due to the incredulous feeling of being part of an exclusive group who will forever be woven into South African history.

Nancy was on course at the 2014 July with her father when his part-owned Snaith-trained Dynasty colt Legislate was awarded the race after an objection, with the Brett Crawford-trained Dynasty colt Futura in third place. Legislate did not run in Jack’s silks but Futura would go on to do the Gr 1 L’Ormarins King’s Plate and Gr 1 Met double in 2015 carrying Jack’s white with black spots and sleeves colours and a white cap.

Wind on to 2026 and the same colours, now in Nancy’s name, were carried to first and second in the July and both horses are by sires owned by Jack, with Note To Self being by Futura and Wish List being by July winner Legislate,

In between those dates Nancy was on course to watch another horse part-owned by her father, the Snaith-trained Do It Again, winning the July in 2018.

She recalled the connections had gone out together the previous evening and had all contracted food poisoning and Jack had been so ill he only managed to make it to the course just in time to watch Do It Again win.

Nancy recalled, “That was an amazing experience and everybody suddenly improved after the win!”

Nancy and Jack had raced out of the Nick Jonsson box that day and the latter had landed the July exacta as a part-owner in both Do It Again and the Snaith-trained runner up Made To Conquer. Nick recalled at the time that his good friend Luke Bailles had been the last owner to land a July exacta when the Terrance Millard-trained pair Illustrador and Olympic Duel finished one-two in 1990.

And now in 2026 another ownership exacta is once again linked to the previous one.

The link goes even further because another part-owner in Do It Again was Investec founder Bernard Kantor and Jonathan Bloch and Nancy Hossack first met while working in the same building for Investec, where they often chatted because of their shared interest in horseracing.

When Do It Again did it again in 2019 Jack’s estate was the part-owner as he had sadly passed away and Nancy later took over the colours.

She said, “The 2019 win was Do It Again’s most emotional victory because he did it without my Dad being here.”

Jonathan confirmed, “The build up to this year’s race was amazing and this partnership has been beautiful, Nancy is the perfect partner to have in racing and it is special that both Justin and Jonathan, as a shareholder in Note To Self, are part of this horse too. it is so great when there is such a history behind the victory too.”

Jonathan was not only referring to Jack in the latter statement, but also to the like of ownership greats Abe Swersky, Arnold Golombick, Graham Beck and Laurie Jaffe, who had mentored him both in business and racing. Those famous racing men had also influenced Nancy’s racing nous as her father had sat on the Jockey Club board together with them.

Jonathan said, “Today we stand on the shoulders of giants”.

Jonathan has actually outdone the giants though in a sense as he could well have become the first owner to capture all of what used to be KZN’s four classics and he has now added a July exacta. Before the July he won the Gr 2 WSB Guineas and Gr 1 Daily News 2000 with Star Major and the Gr 2 WSB Fillies Guineas and Gr 2 Woolavington 2000 with Wish List, although the latter race is no longer a classic as it is now open to older horses.

He and Nancy praised Justin Snaith for the magnificent job he had done in preparing Note To Self and Wish List.

Jonathan was watching both horses in the race on Saturday and admitted he was screaming the house down. He said, “Then I spotted King Pelles running on and I said ‘Oh no, please don’t come and upset the applecart!'” The latter finished a 1,55 length third at 25/1 odds behind 11/2 shot Note To Self and the 9/2 chance favourite Wish List.

Nancy had also been watching both horses and said, “When I saw Richard (Fourie) going wide around the turn I thought ‘He knows he’s going to win.'”

Nancy had good reason for such a thought and added, “Futura was exactly the same as Note To Self in that he needed a fast run race and he was always flying at them in the finish. It was just when you moved was the most important think and that is why I think that was a very clever move by Richard, because Note To Self needs to go early as he is a big, long-striding individual.”

Fourie couldn’t have timed it better as he caught Wish List in the shadow of the post.

Nancy had been instrumental in spotting both Note To Self and Wish List at the National Yearling Sales with the help of one of her best friends, Snaith Racing employee Jenna le Roux. Jonathan Snaith no doubt provided input too.

Jonathan Bloch said, “My son Zac liked both of them on pedigree, so I went to look at them and liked both of them as individuals.”

Therefore, after Jonathan Snaith had signed for them for R300,000 and R700,00 respectively, Jonathan asked to come in as a partner and Jonathan Snaith and Nancy readily agreed.

Justin Snaith has now won six Julys and joins Terrance Millard on that number. He is now just one behind the record seven won by the Hall Of Fame trainer Syd Laird.

The strength of the three-year-old crop had been questioned, with some saying they have been overrated, but they dominated the finish as Viva’s Liberte finished a 1,70 length fourth and could have snatched third from older horse King Pelles had he not been short of room late. It was then a further 1,50 lengths back to the older horse Isivivane with Native Ruler close behind him and the rest of the field spread out like the washing.

The time of two minutes and 13.48 seconds was 34 seconds quicker than last year’s slow run race and chief stipendiary steward Lyall Hutcheson said it was one of the “cleanest” Julys in  recent times.

(Durban, 4 July 2026) – NOTE TO SELF stormed to victory in the Hollywoodbets Durban July Gr 1 at Hollywoodbets Greyville.

In a thrilling finish before a capacity crowd and in a one-two in joint owner Nancy Hossack’s colours, NOTE TO SELF got up to touch off the filly WISH LIST, and deny 59-year-old Andrew Fortune a race that he was hoping to bookend his career. Third was rank outsider KING PELLES with VIVA’S LIBERTE in the shallow end of the purse.

Champion trainer Justin Snaith is now one short of equalling the legendary Syd Laird’s record of seven July wins when he saddled the first two past the post in the R10 Million Hollywoodbets Durban July Gr 1 at Hollywoodbets Greyville today.

Fortune had high hopes as WISH LIST burst out of the pack, racing over the subway and looking to have the race in the bag. However, Richard Fourie, who had been biding his time in the pack, produced NOTE TO SELF with a telling late run down the outside of the straight.

Fortune was supremely confident before the race but in a gesture of sportsmanship, stretched out his hand to congratulate Fourie after crossing the line.

Fourie was circumspect when quizzed about his early move at the 800m mark and said, “I don’t know. I blacked out at the top of the straight. There’s no better feeling than winning it the first time, but today’s win is a great feeling. Just doing it in front of the HWB Greyville crowd is such a rush. I can’t explain the sound when everybody is shouting at you in the middle. It’s like being in a canyon. It was just a lovely race, and the win was as sweet as it can be.”

Country Allure theme produces winning fashion moments

The vibrant spirit of South African style was on full display as racegoers embraced this year’s Hollywoodbets Durban July’s Country Allure theme on Saturday in the Raceday Fashion Awards presented by Durban Fashion Fair.

The Pulse Stage was transformed into a spectacular showcase of fashion as the entrants in the four race day fashion competitions faced off.

From sophisticated tailoring and contemporary silhouettes, to hand-crafted accessories and beautifully considered details, entrants expressed themselves with imaginative and striking interpretations of the theme, proving once again that the Hollywoodbets Durban July remains one of South Africa’s premier celebrations of fashion and creativity.

The annual Raceday Fashion Awards – open to the general public – attracted 150 stylish entrants, all hoping to impress the judges in the coveted categories of Most Striking Couple; Classic Racewear – Female; Classic Racewear – Male; and Exceptional Raceday Hat or Fascinator.

The Classic Female winner was Gistine Kifubula, who wore a Nqobisa Ndabeni design that epitomised classic Country Allure in deference to the official race day theme. Kifubula said she was “so grateful and amazed to have won.”

The winning couple, Larnelle Maddocks and Pamela Shabane, repeated their win from last year with regal matching outfits in bronze and ivory, designed by Brenda Warring.

Richard Tulinatbitu took first prize for Classic Male with his striking earth-toned ensemble of brown jacket with matching wide-leg trousers that blended contemporary tailoring with traditional African-inspired craftsmanship.

The winners of each category in the Hollywoodbets Durban July Raceday Fashion Experience presented by Durban Fashion Fair won R5 000 from Race Coast and Schweppes as well as a Kryolan professional make-up and full body massage vouchers. from Mangwanani. Second and third all won cash from Race Coast and Schweppes.

Young Designers showcase their talent

There were scenes of jubilation, emotional embraces and tears of happiness as Mlungisi Ndlovu from Durban University of Technology (DUT) was named winner of this year’s Young Designer Award sponsored by Metro FM.

Ndlovu captivated the judges with an incredible Nguni-inspired design. Drawing inspiration from the colours of the iconic animal, the winning garment featured the shapes and textures of the official ‘Country Allure’ theme through contemporary couture. Showcasing exceptional craftsmanship, intricate detailing and confident storytelling, the design beautifully reflected this year’s theme.

“I can’t believe it. It feels unreal. I am happy but I can’t believe this is happening. I really didn’t think I had a chance,” said Ndlovu, who stained the fabric with coffee to create the winning effect.

As the overall winner, Ndlovu will receive a fashion travel package to Johannesburg to experience SA Fashion Week 2026, courtesy of Race Coast and SA Fashion Week, R70 000 in bursary funding from the Hollywood Foundation towards existing or future studies, as well as R10 000 in cash courtesy of Race Coast and Schweppes, and a Kryolan Professional Make-Up voucher valued at R2 500.

Second place went to iGoda incubator student Dalisu Vumase who was over the moon. “I have no words,” said a clearly emotional Vumase. Hailing from Esikhawini township near Empangeni, Vumase said he had turned to fashion design as a means to create his own employment.

His strips of colour-crafted fabric, captured the Country Allure brief, combining originality, technical skill and contemporary flair.

He will receive R50 000 in bursary funding from the Hollywood Foundation, R3 000 in cash courtesy of Race Coast and Schweppes, and a Kryolan Professional Make-Up voucher valued at R2 000.

In third place, Thato Selekane’s, design featured iconic grey river beads, and was inspired by the Pedi culture. Selekane, also from Durban Institute of Technology, was overjoyed with her achievement. Her imaginative creation completed a remarkable showcase of South Africa’s emerging fashion talent.

Reflecting the outstanding quality of this year’s competition, each of the ten finalists also received R2 000 in cash, courtesy of Race Coast and Schweppes.

David Thiselton

Star Major is the second favourite for the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 and this progressive Querari colt has been in fine fettle at Randjesfontein after his superb win in the Gr 2 WSB Guineas.

Tim Woodruff is the Randjesfontein assistant to trainer James Crawford and he said about the Maine Chance Farms-bred bay, who is owned by passionate Durban-born owner, Ravi Naidoo, together with Neville Isdell, Mr J I Bloch and Mrs Prakashni Pillay.

Tim said, “He is all good, we have just tried to freshen him up because it is a quick turnaround between races, but he is doing good. You do get your things between races you sometimes have to deal with, but I do think he will be alright for the Daily News.”

Star Major jumped from a wide  draw in the WSB Guineas and was dropped out.

He turned for home in last place with a number of lengths to make up, but then produced a good turn of foot followed by an impressively resolute finish coupled with an eyecatching late gear change that saw him surging to a 0,90 length victory over the hot favourite Tin Pan Alley.

 Of course sectional timing invariably shows that apparent late surges or apparent flying finishes are usually an optical illusion caused by the other horses slowing down at a more rapid rate than the apparently strong-finishing horse. Invariably the surging horse is actually also slowing down.

Indeed the sectional timing of the WSB Guineas shows Star Major’s 100m to finish time to be his slowest sectional of the entire race.

However the fact that he was able to have the fastest 100m to finish time of the whole field, despite having had to make up many lengths to get there, seems to show that he has got some stamina.

He did win the Gr 3 Politician Stakes over 1800m and finished a fair 3,20 length fourth in the Gr 1 Lucky Fish Cape Derby over 2000m, both at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth. In the latter race he ran on despite having been a bit keen in the running.

That would illustrate he has the stamina, but hopefully he will be able to settle better this time.

He settled very well in  the WSB Guineas and due to his wide draw Tim Woodruff said the same tactic of being dropped out will be employed.

He added, “Obviously it’s a short straight so it’s obviously not ideal. But just looking for a good run  and then obviously the July afterwards.”

He gave his opinion on the 2000m distance, “He should get the trip.”

Querari won a Gr 1 over 2000m and Star Major is out of a mare by stamina influence Silvano and this mare not only won over 1900m, but was an own sister to Follow The Star, who won the Listed Glenair Trophy over 2800m.

So on pedigree he will easily stay the trip.

Mickaelle Michel retains the ride and if winning it she will become only the second woman in SA history to win a Gr 1, the only one to date to have won one being Lisa Prestwood on the Buddy Maroun-trained Al Nitak in the Golden Horse Sprint on June 1, 2023, almost exactly 23 years ago.

Mickaelle has been in excellent form and Tim confirmed that if everything went well in the Daily News she would keep the ride for the Hollywoodbets Durban July too.

Tim agreed she had been outriding many of her male weighing room colleagues and added, “She has got the touch.”

It would be somewhat ironic if Mickaelle did win the Daily News with a horse conditioned by assistant trainer Woodruff, because Tim’s mother Carol (nee Millard) was the first woman to have a professional license in SA. She had started riding work for her legendary father Terrance Millard at the age of 12 and from age 14 started riding in and winning many amateur races. She was apprenticed overseas and rode in the tough school of England and Germany in professional races. However, the SA authority of the time refused to allow her to ride in professional races in SA, gross unfairness. To get around the legalities the authority installed a rule that overseas apprentices wee not allowed to ride here. This came back to bite them because years later a top apprentice from Europe came over only for everybody to discover he was not allowed to ride here. Carol was able to ride in Cape Hunt races against professional jockeys, ironically a more dangerous discipline than flat racing, and she was able to ride in Zimbabwe under a “Day” license, which was usually utilised when there were not enough professional riders available. She remembers winning a Cape Hunt race on Hawkins, who had formerly been one of Terrance Millard’s many Gold Cup winners. She also finished second in “The Schweppes” in Zimbabwe.

But back to Star Major, who is still a colt meaning a Daily News win will look very good on his stallion CV.

Tim said, “If you win the Guineas and the Daily News it is just next level.”

Tim said Star Major had a fine chance of realising the dream of Ravi Naidoo and no doubt all the other owners too, a win in the R10 million Hollywoodbets Durban July.

He concluded, “He is ticking all the boxes, He’s a machine.”