RACE 1

2 SMART CHOICE   7 MOSAIC WORLD   1 ASGARDIAN QUEEN   6 NO DRAMA

Summary: SMART CHOICE (2) did not appear to see out the extra last time out but had consistently improving form before that. She is back over what looks to be her optimum trip at this stage. Visiting NO DRAMA (6) was well beaten by the promising Secretary Bird last time out but had shown ability. Her experience will count in her favour. ASGARDIAN QUEEN (1) has the best of the draw and improved nicely at her second outing. Regular pilot Calvin Habib has deserted to ride No Drama which could be an indication of their respective chances. Of the unraced runners, Cape visitor Vaughan Marshall has his first runner in MOSAIC WORLD (7) and is one to follow in the betting. (Andrew Harrison: 2-7-1-6).

RACE 2

1 PRESSURE POINT   10 TAKETHEGREENLIGHT   5 BOURBON’S BEAST   11 BLACK PLATINA

Summary: Tricky maiden with many in with chances. PRESSURE POINT (1) has the best of the draw and back over what looks to be his best trip with first time cheek pieces. TAKETHEGREENLIGHT (10) has been improving with each outing. He makes his local debut from a wide draw but can make further improvement. BOURBON’S BEAST (5) has run his two best races over course and distance. He has been consistent and should feature again. BLACK PLATINA (11) is a struggling maiden but seldom runs a bad race. He has the widest draw but is another in with a winning chance. (Andrew Harrison: 1-10-5-11).

RACE 3

3 GORGEOUS GIRL   1 RABBLE ROUSER   7 AQUARIUS   5 SHESHA TTOMBI

Summary: GORGEOUS GIRL (3) won at long odds last time out but beat a competitive field. She has a handy weight with Richard Fourie up. RABBLE ROUSER (1) made a winning debut and well supported in the market. She faces a little stronger but does have the best of the draw and can follow up. AQUARIUS (7) has shown consistent Highveld form since shedding her maiden. Keagan de Melo stays with the ride. SHESHA NTOMBI (5) was not far back last time out and appears to be coming to hand again. (Andrew Harrison: 3-1-7-5).

RACE 4

7 AMELIA’S LEGACY   1 TULIP FIELDS   9 THAT’S MY BABY   2 MISS LADYATERIX

Summary: AMELIA’S LEGACY (7) got wacked up the handicap for her second in the Flamboyant Stakes behind the smart Ladyofdestinction. She may still be under the handicappers radar. TULIP FIELDS (1) makes her local debut. She had a promising warm-up run at Durbanville last time out and the stable is in good form of late. THAT’S MY BABY (9) has the widest draw but has been knocking at the door on the Highveld. She has top weight but should run a forward race. MISS LADYATERIX (2) may have found her last run a touch too far. She is back over what looks to be her best trip. From a handy gate. (Andrew Harrison: 7-1-9-2).

RACE 5

9 QUESTIONING   1 VIHAAN’S WEB   3 JERSUSALEM RAIN   6 GOOD TRAVELLER

Summary: QUESTIONING (9) has the widest draw but has top class form at the highest level. He has a big weight but a repeat of his last effort should see him home. VIHAAN’S WEB (1) has the best of the draw and has shown much improved form in blinkers. He beat a good one last time out. JERUSALEMA RAIN (3) was a beaten favourite last run when back in blinkers. He has a light weight and can make amends. GOOD TRAVELLER (6) has won his last three on the poly. He seldom runs a poor race but may now prefer the synthetic surface. (Andrew Harrison: 9-1-3-6).

RACE 6

10 TURN IT UP   11 CHAMPAGNE CASTLE   12 RED SPICE   9 WORLD SERIES

Summary: Competitive Slipper field. TURN IT UP (10) has won two of his three starts both wins with Kegan de Melo aboard who could possibly have had the mount in the smart RED SPICE (120 who has won his last two and gets the services of red-hot Craig Zackey. The filly CHAMPAGNE CASTLE (11) blotted her copybook with a below par performance last run after beating Red Spice at their previous two encounters. The Snaith stable is in hot form. WORLD SERIES (9) may be held by Red Spice on their last meeting but does look capable of further improvement. Sean Tarry holds a strong hand with the smart filly SECRETARY BIRD (8) a feature race winner last time out but faces a lot stronger this time around. (Andrew Harrison: 10-11-12-8).

RACE 7

9 MALMESBURY MISSILE    2 TALK TO THE MASTER   7 TIN TIN   10 VAPOUR TRAIL

Summary: MALMESBURY MISSILE (9) showed huge potential early in his career before losing his way. He came out as a gelding in a small feature against his own age group and finished like a ‘missile’ for an impressive win. A repeat effort can see him home. TALK TO THE MASTER (2) has won his last two beating RANDOLPH HEARST (5) last time out and is out and is now 5.5kg better off in the weights. TIN TIN (7) is way out at the weights but is unbeaten since shedding his maiden. He was close-up to smart three-year-olds Grand Empire and Splitetheeights prior to that win and with only 50kg to shoulder he could be good value. VAPOUR TRAIL (10)  ran no sort of race in the Cape Guineas but both of his wins have come over this distance. He has a tricky draw but has the services of Richard Fourie. (Andrew Harrison: 9-2-7-10).

RACE 8

11 BEYOND ALL DOUBT   4 FOSTINOVO   6 COWBOY COUNTRY   13 GRAND APPEAL

Summary: BEYOND ALL DOUBT (11) has a tricky draw to negotiate and was only a maiden winner last time out. However, he is progressive and has improved with each outing and won well over course and distance to shed his maiden and does not meet a strong field. Visiting FOSTINOVO (4) is a solid veteran and is excellent form of late. He is both course and distance suited and will be a big runner. COWBOY COUNTRY (6) has been showing signs of improvement and the step up in trip could bring out the best. GRAND APPEAL (13) has a wide draw to overcome but was narrowly beaten over course and distance last time out. (Andrew Harrison: 11-4-6-13).

RACE 9

1 PHUTULICIOUS    2 SIGN OF FATE   5 LUNCH MONEY   10 DEFINITELY YES

Summary: PHUTULICIOUS (1) is holding form and goes well this course and distance. Front the best of the draw he should have a bright chance. SIGN OF FATE (2) has been up against stronger of late. Down in class with a useful 4kg claimer aboard he will be competitive from his inside gate. LUNCH MONEY (5) has been improving with each run since his change of stable and looks primed for this race. DEFINITELY YES (10) is holding form well. Chad Little is back on board and the gelding has a winning chance in a wide open contest. (Andrew Harrison: 1-2-5-10).

Andrew Harrison

There is big money at stake at Hollywoodbets Greyville today with the running of the R5 million Race Coast Sales Big Cap supported by the R3 million Race Coast Slipper that carries an added bonus of R100k for the winner.

In the Big Cap, Justin Snaith, who has had a sensational couple of weeks culminating in two Gr1 wins at Turffontein last Saturday, looks to have a stand-out runner in Malmesbury Missile.

The son of Gimmethegreenlight showed huge potential early in his career before losing his way towards the end of last season. He debuted as a gelding in the Gr3 Bayerly Turk against his own age group last month and finished like a ‘missile’ for an impressive win. A repeat performance can see him home again.

Dom Zaki will have high hopes for Talk To The Master and he looks the leading threat to Malmesbury Missile. He has won his last two, lastly beating Randolph Hearst and is now 5.5kg better off in the weights which should tell a story. Dark horse could be Sean Tarry’s runner Tin Tin. He is way out at the weights but is unbeaten since shedding his maiden. He was close-up to smart three-year-olds Grand Empire and Splitetheeights prior to that win and with only 50kg to shoulder he could be good value. Vaugh Marshal has an exceptional track record in KZN and sends out his first runners of Champions Season. He saddles Vapour Trail who ran no sort of race in the Cape Guineas but both of his wins have come over this distance. He has a tricky draw but the services of Richard Fourie.

The Slipper has attracted a competitive field where luck in running could play a big part. However, Sean Tarry holds a strong hand with four runners, best of which could be Turn It Up. who has won two of his three starts both wins with Kegan de Melo aboard who could possibly have had the mount in the smart Red Spice who has won his last two and gets the services of red-hot Craig Zackey. The filly Champagne Spice blotted her copybook with a below par performance last run behind Red Spice after beating her rival at their previous two encounters. The Snaith stable is in hot form which is a big plus in her favour.

World Series may be held by Red Spice on their last meeting but does look capable of further improvement. Tarry’s strong hand include the smart filly Secretary Bird  holds a strong hand with the smart filly who a feature race winner last time out although she faces a lot stronger this time around.

Possibly the best bet on the card comes in the fifth where Marshal saddles the smart Questioning. He has the widest draw to contend with but this is only a nine-horse field. He has top class form at the highest level and although he has a big weight a repeat of his last effort should see him home. Vihaan’s Web could be a threat from the best of the draw and has shown much improved form in blinkers and beat a good one last time out. Jerusalema Rain was a beaten favourite last run when back in blinkers and has a light weight and could make amends. Good Traveller has won his last three on the poly and seldom runs a poor race but may now prefer the synthetic surface.

In the first leg of the Pick 6 is an open contest. Amelia’s Legacy  got wacked up the handicap for her second in the Flamboyant Stakes behind the smart Ladyofdestinction but she may still be under the handicappers radar. Tulip Fields makes her local debut. She had a promising warm-up run at Durbanville last time out and the stable is in good form of late. That’s My Baby has the widest draw but has been knocking at the door on the Highveld. She has top weight but should run a forward race. Miss Ladyaterix may be a threat as she may have found her last run a touch too far. She is back over what looks to be her best trip from a handy gate.

The final two races are competitive handicaps. In the eighth, Beyond All Doubt has a tricky draw to negotiate and was only a maiden winner last time out. However, he is progressive and has improved with each outing and won well over course and distance to shed his maiden and does not meet a strong field. Visiting Fostinovo will be a big runner as he is a solid veteran with excellent form of late. He is both course and distance suited and will be a big runner. Cowboy Country has been showing signs of improvement and the step up in trip could bring out the best.

In the last, Phutulicious is holding form and goes well this course and distance. From the best of the draw he should have a bright chance. Sign Of Fate has been up against stronger of late and is down in class. With a useful 4kg claimer aboard he will be competitive from his inside gate. Lunch Money has been improving with each run since his change of stable and looks primed for this race. Definitely Yes is holding form well and with Chad Little back on board the gelding has a winning chance in a wide open contest.

Please note: South African Quartet Pools with fractional betting offered at Aintree and Wolverhampton (UK) – 10 April 2026.

David Thiselton

Siboniso “Bo” Ngcobo regards his first winner, Lightning Jimmy, as the official start of his professional training career as he had operated with just a couple of horses for a whole year before that and as Lightning Jimmy won on 17 March 2024 it means by Bo’s yardstick it took him just two years and a couple of weeks to land the first stakes winner of his career.

That first stakes winner was also his first Graded winner and was also his first ever runner outside of KZN as the Clifton Stud-bred colt Better Never Ends caused a massive 40/1 upset in the Gr 2 TAB SA Nursery over 1160m at Turffontein Standside on Saturday.

Bo can add two more feathers to his cap as he became the trainer of the KZN-based stallion Declarationofpeace’s first stakes winner and he also achieved the rare feat of winning a Gr 2 with a maiden.

That is not bad for a yard that currently only boasts a string of ten horses.

The race only had four runners having cut up for the probable reason that the R3 million Race Coast Slipper to be run this Saturday at Hollywoodbets Greyville provided an attractive alternative for some of the better two-year-olds around.

Nevertheless, Better Never Ends seemed a bit out of his depth having had six runs for two second places and two fourths in Maiden Juvenile Plates, while he had been comfortably beaten, although without being totally disgraced, in two Futurity Plate races.

However, Bo went into the race quietly confident and revealed, “He had been starting to mature and was starting to do things right. He is a November foal and initially taking him to the track had been quite a mission. But he was starting to know what was going on.”

Bo said he would not have transported him up to the race had he not believed in his ability.

He continued, “His track work had been outstanding before we took him to Jo’Burg. I knew he had the ability, but I was just worried about his maturity, although I knew the penny had been starting to drop”

The win was particularly rewarding for more reasons than one.

Bo explained, “My son Qiniso, who has just been licensed by SAJA to ride in races, has been doing a great job with him at track and he has built up a good understanding with Better Never Ends.”

He continued, “So I was more confident than ever before going into a race, but on the other hand there was just that little bit of doubt that he would act up being at a new track and I was concerned he might spook at new surroundings.”

However, the race panned out perfectly.

The 5/10 favourite was Gimme A Vodka, who was coming off a fine 1,70 length second to the biggest talking horse in the juvenile ranks, World Attraction, a Mike and Mathew de Kock-trained One World colt who has won both of his starts in effortless fashion.

The 9/4 second favourite was the Buffalo Bill Cody colt, the Bronx Bull, who won second time out and the form of that win had worked out exceptionally well.

The 25/2 third favourite in the small field was also a maiden, the United States gelding Kudikaran, but his 3,20 length place finish in his only start was behind the exciting prospect Turn It Up, a half-brother to Gr 1 winner Proceed, although admittedly he had received 3kg from Turn It Up.

In the race on Saturday Better Never Ends had the advantage of the standside draw.

There were a few other factors which had buoyed Bo’s confidence.

Firstly, the horse was wearing second time blinkers and had run well in them first time out in a 1400m event at Hollywoodbets Greyville,  finishing a 3,90 length fourth.

Secondly, Bo had run Better Never Ends often and he had always returned sound as a bell,so he had not had to do much with him at home and he knew he was a very fit horse.

Thirdly, he asked the physiotherapist Paige Janse van Rensburg, who works on his Hollywood-trained horse Eventidor, to do some work on Better Never Ends.

He said, “I noticed she had been doing  very good job for Hollywood, so I asked her to do some of my horses as well. She did physio on him and put tape on him to help with his blood circulation.”

Better Never Ends jumped superbly in the race and Muzi Yeni had him nice and relaxed.

He just sat on him and would have been pleased to see Gimme A Vodka and The Bronx Bull going eyeball to eyeball in front of him and it got better as Kudikaran then tracked inward to join them.

Better Never End got a beautiful tow and was going easily through the halfway mark of the 1160m contest.

Bo said, “The moment Muzi took him to the outside rail and he started running on I knew it was race over.”

Gimme A Vodka and Kudikaran were spent forces and while The Bronx Bull rallied he clearly did not have as much in the tank as Better Never End, who surged forward to win by a comfortable 0,90 lengths.

Bo will now give him a deserved rest and then aim him at the Gr 1 Gold Medallion.

However, he feels he will get better as he goes further and thinks he will get at least a mile.

Better Never Ends is out of four-time-winning Hussonet mare Endearment, whose first four foals were all winners, including five-time winner Phaka Imali (Var), five-time-winner Acacia’s Blossom (Flower Alley) and three-time-winner Agrado (Global View).

Bo landed him at the August National Two-Year-Old Sale for R360,000 on behalf of owner Dladla Family Trust (Nom: Mr Q J Manoko).

Bo said he always placed importance in the eye of the horse and he said at the Sale Better Never End’s eye was full of intelligence.

The Dladla Family Trust also own the promising Alson Ndzilana-trained Nightshine (Rafeef), who has finished second in both of his starts to date.

Bo has had an interesting working career, first managing his father’s business then working as a fireman and as he was a qualified mechanical engineer he worked in various positions in that field “just to check it out.”

However, his love lay with horses and he had held a chairmanship in the sport of rural horseracing before deciding to join the professional circuit.

He started with Tony Rivalland on March 1, 2015 and after four years with him joined a couple of other yards to gain further experience. He worked for  Nathan Kotzen for a year and then worked for Peter Muscutt for a year, before returning to Rivalland for one final year.

He then felt confident enough to start out on his own and has sure done a fine job with such limited numbers.

He has had eleven wins and 33 places and that includes getting now fewer than six wins out of the Elusive Fort gelding Eventidor, who is still competitive at the age of seven.

He hopes the Gr 2 win will help him expand to 20 to 25 horses and what is particularly exciting at present is there could soon be a father/son trainer/jockey partnership in KZN.