David Thiselton

 

The weekend was a memorable one for big players both in South Africa and overseas, with Hollywood Racing having memorable experiences both at home and abroad, while two Race Coast Sales races at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday went to deserved big players and a new ownership record was established on the same day in the Grand National at Aintree.

 

In the R6 million Race Coast Sales Big Cap over 1400m at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday the winner was Roland Garros from the yard of champion trainer Justin Snaith and this horse runs in the Greg and Gina Bortz colours which were carried to Hollywoodbets Durban July glory by Oriental Charm two years ago. Greg and Gina need no introduction and own Roland Garros in partnership with JP Cuvelier.

 

Both Roland Garros and Oriental Charm are by Vercingetorix, a sire which Greg had famously targeted at the Sales before his stallion profile had reached the phenomenal heights of today. The strategy has brought him his two biggest pay days in racing.

 

Three-year-old Roland Garros was officially 2,5kg out with the best weighted runner, the filly Just Be Lekka, but he faced the four-year-old favourite Talk To The Master as well as the two other prominent three-year-olds Randolph Hearst and Malmesbury Missile on exact handicapping terms.

 

Roland Garros’ form on paper was virtually on a par with Malmesbury Missile, but he had the advantage of pole position, whilst the latter was draw wide in nine in the 12 horse field. Roland Garros was also entitled to have come on from his last start, a close runner up finish in the March Stakes over 1400m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on March 1, as it provided a springboard into the Big Cap.

 

Roland Garros had been beaten 1,40 lengths by his stablemate Randolph Hearst in the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas, but his form points to him being better over shorter and in fact Roland Garros had beaten Randolph Hearst as a juvenile over 1500m, albeit by a shorthead.

 

In the Big Cap Talk To The Master had a good draw of two and Randolph Hearst had a fair draw of five.

 

As it happened JP van der Merwe used Roland Garros’s good gatespeed and early speed to find the perfect position on the rail behind Isivivane, who was sitting behind Just Be Lekka, who was setting a fair pace.

 

The 18/10 favourite Talk To The Master sat behind Roland Garros, but the latter was able to steal a march on him turning for home.

 

Talk To The Master came around What A Fortune, who turned for home alongside Roland Garros, but whilst Craig Zackey had to ride the favourite all the way down the straight, JP van der Merwe still had Roland Garros in the hands at the 200m mark and the writing was on the wall.

 

Roland Garros won by 1,0 lengths from Talk To The Master with What A Fortune staying on to be beaten just a head into third and next best were Isivivane and Randolph Hearst.

 

Malmesbury Missile had to come from last after being dropped out and was too far back, finishing a 4.05 length sixth.

 

The first prize was a cool R3 million, in comparison to the R2,94 million Oriental Charm had banked for his July win.

 

Greg Bortz purchased the Varsfontein Stud-bred Roland Garros for R1.3 million at the Race Coast Sales Cape Premier Yearling Sale.

 

There was a remarkable result in the R3 million Race Coast Sales Slipper as the first three past the post were all part-owned by the racing partnership of Laurence Wernars, Rikesh Sewgoolam and Mukund Gujadhur, while the Wernars was sole owner of the fourth-placed horse.

 

Sean Tarry was trainer of the victor, the Querari colt Turn It Up, who was the joint-most impressive winner of the day and looks to have an exciting future ahead of him. The half-brother to the Gr 1 Gold Medallion winner Proceed (Gimmethegreenlight) is also bred by Wernars and after being dropped out from a wide draw of ten in the 1200m contest he made up the ground effortlessly on the outside under Keagan de Melo and won easing up by 2,20 lengths.

 

The Vaughan Marshall-trained One World colt World Series was second followed by the Piet and Elbert Steyn-trained Gr 3 Ridgemont Cape Of Good Hope Nursery winner Red Spice (Erik The Red) and next best were the Louis Goosen-trained Erik Dubois (Erik The Red) and the Tarry-trained Secretary Bird (Rafeef).

 

Fitting in with those two Sales results was the win of the Marshall-trained Questioning in an A Stakes race, the other most impressive winner of the day. He is owned by the Bortz’s in partnership with Gujadhur and the Wernars Family and sounded a warning to other big older 1200m to a mile horses in the Champions Season.

 

On Friday at Fairview Hollywood Racing scored a double, including winning the day’s feature with the Dean Smith-trained Craig Zackey-ridden 117-rated sprinter Cruise Control. When the Cliffie Miller-trained Lancaster Bomber gelding Cheerful Charlie B won the last race of the day, Hollywood had reached 128 wins for the season, which equalled their own record for wins in a season that they had set last term.

 

When the Vengi Masawi-trained Qhude Manikiniki won the second at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday, Hollywood Racing had set a new mark for themselves of 129 and they ended the day on 130 wins for the season.

 

Hollywood Racing and Riskesh Sewgoolam had also finished an unlucky second on Friday in a North American Gr 1 race with their crack Drakenstein Stud-bred One World colt One Stripe, confirming that he can compete with the world’s best in the Maker’s Mark Mile at Keeneland.

 

In the Grand National on Saturday legendary owner and punter JP McManus became the first owner in history to win the race four times when 2024 winner I Am Maximus regained the crown. Watched by a crowd of 59,962 I Am Maximus became the first horse since Red Rum to regain his Grand National crown. Trainer Willie Mullins had thus won the race for the third time in succession and he had made it a record-equalling fourth win for a trainer.

Please Note: South African Quartet Pools with fractional betting offered at Ffos Las and Musselburgh (UK) – 12 April 2026

Andrew Harrison

Roland Garros came off the ‘clay’ behind I’m A Fireball to serve a scorcher as Justin Snaith’s purple run at the start of Champions Season continued in the R5 million Race Coast Sales Big Cap at Hollywoodbets Greyville yesterday.

Given the perfect ride by JP van der Merwe, Roland Garros had a trouble-free passage from his inside gate, hitting the front a furlong from home and finishing off strongly for a comfortable victory ahead of Talk To The Master and What A Fortune.

Roland Garros may have been a little under the handicapper’s radar until Saturday but that is likely to change dramatically after his win although the likes of stable companions Malmesbury Missile and Great Plains ran no sort of races along with Vapour Trail.

The phrase ‘turn it up’ has a couple of meanings – unbelievable or not going on with it.  The former description applies to the racehorse Turn It Up who put his hand up with an emphatic victory in the R3 million Race Coast Sales Slipper over 1200m. It was believable and there was no turning it up as  Sean Tarry’s colt put a high-class two-year-old field to bed in a matter of strides.

To make the victory more impressive is that very little went the colt’s way. Playing up in the gate he was withdrawn for a veterinary inspection before taking his place.

Slightly slow into stride from a wide gate, Keagan de Melo was confident enough to slip his mount in behind the big field. Always going well, Turn It Up was on the bridle at the top of the straight and he cruised through the hands to win as he liked. World Series and Red Spice were always in contention but were unable to match the finishing burst from Turn It Up and battled on for the minor money.

A delighted Wernars Family retained rider Keagan de Melo said he always felt he was on the best horse. “I elected to drop him out and gave him a chance. I haven’t felt a two-year-old like this in a long time,” said De Melo.

The race was something of a triumph for owner Laurence Wernars  who bred Turn It Up and also had shares in the first four past the post.

The Gr1 Gold Medallion must be on the Tarry radar with Hollywoodbets Scottsville a happy hunting ground.

Questioning was the most obvious banker in the carryover Pick 6 in spite of shouldering top weight and he delivered in fine style in the RCS Mixed Sale A Stakes. He also got Vaughn Marshal’s Champions Season off to a winning start and under Richard Fourie he won with consummate ease under hands and heels that augurs well for the rest of the season. Fourie was in no hurry from his outside draw and eventually picked his spot. Wide at the top of the straight and given a clear run at the line, Questioning picked it up with a relentless gallop to the line with Jerusalema Rain running on well for second with Aristocratic finishing off his race nicely for third.

Marshal has already mapped out a plan with the WSB Gr2 Drill Hall Stakes next up with a possible crack at the Gr2 Golden Horse if all goes according to plan.

After a lengthy delay after Amelia’s Legacy played up in the gate damaging the stalls, favourite Tulip Fields got the Pick 6 off to a winning start for the followers of favourites as Craig Zackey rode a copybook race.

Miss Ladyaterix set the pace tracked by Tulip Fields and That’s My Baby with Richard Fourie getting his mount over from a wide gate courtesy of a pedestrian early gallop.

Zackey slipped Dean Kannemeyer’s filly through up the rail with That’s My Baby trying to cut back the deficit but Fourie had his hands full trying to keep his mount on a straight course which will have cost him some valuable ground but Tulip Fields won like a filly with a future with Kannemeyer intimating that he would take a raincheck before making any definite plans.

David Thiselton

The Non-Black Type Mythical Flight Sprint over 1100m is the headliner at Turffontein Standside on Sunday and Zalatoris could be the one to side with having bounced back to his best in his second run for the Tony Peter yard, but it is an ultra competitive race and the field should probably be included for the Pick 6.

Zalatoris beat Charming Cheetah by a length in the 1160m contest last time and is 1kg worse off but on paper that still keeps him marginally in front. It is a six horse field and he has the Standside draw, which means he could be helped by having the rail alongside him. Charming Cheetah actually beat Zalatoris in his penultimate start over this trip despite giving him 2kg, but Zalatoris was one of a number of horses who went too fast out in front that day in the Gr 3 TAB National Currency Sprint. Charming Cheetah should nevertheless make a bold bid. Umzingelu Umwhati was also ahead of Zalatoris in the National Currency Sprint and ran a fair race last time over 1160m. He is 3kg better off with Zalatoris from the National Currency Sprint, despite having beaten him, and he sneaks into the handicap with the minimum weight, so he will be a big threat from draw five out of six with Muzi Yeni up. Miami Mountain won the National Currency Sprint after sitting in last behind the blistering pace before mowing them all down. However, in this small field the race is unlikely to pan out the same way. However, he will still be running on and has a chance despite being five points for the win and then disappointing over 1400m last time. Kaalvoet was raised six points for his win last time, but that was his first ever run in alumites and it seemed to do the trick, so he could follow up. Stormy Day seemed headed for big things after winning her first two runs in fine style but two disappointing efforts followed. Keagan de Melo rides 1kg overweight, but if she bounces back she could be a threat.

In the first leg of the Pick 6  over 1160m two-year-old filly Ruby Whisper has shown signs of good ability and although the form of her last run did not stand up on Saturday that was in Gr 2 races and this is an uninspiring maiden, so she has a chance from a nice high draw under Yeni. Erik’s Girl has improved in her last two starts ridden by the up and coming Blaine Marx-Jacobson both times and could earn here with him staying aboard, although jumping from draw one might pose some problems. Gathering Winter is an ex-Cape Town horse who has a chance after running second in her second Highveld start. Drachenfutter has run a couple of fair races, but has 2,75 lengths to find on Ruby Whisper. Destiny’s Dream returns from a short layoff and if at her best will be dangerous as she has shown ability in the strong centre of Cape Town.

In the fifth race over 1400m Michael Faraday has talent, but needs things to go his way and they could do from a fair draw over an ideal trip. Bay Empire is drawn well over an ideal trip. Southampton is also an ex-Cape Town horse and won on his Highveld debut. However, he has to now reverse form with Bay Empire from his second Highveld outing over 1450m and that will be tough because he faces him on 1kg worse terms for a 1,30 length beating, although the 2,5kg claim of Samo-Burthia does alleviate that a bit and he has a good draw. Mocha Frappe has always created the impression that he is better than his form suggests, so he could be sparked by a drop in merit rating to a lowly 6, down from a high of 77.  Kotinos has a good draw and he has won over this trip category so with Marx-Jacobson up he can’t be ignored.

In the seventh race over  1000m Poblano gets his ideal trip and a nice high draw and can beat who comes off two fair efforts in Gr 3 races. Chapbook will also be a threat if able to produce his best from the possibly disadvantageous number one draw.

In the eighth over 1000m His Lordship looks to be a progressive sort, but the handicapper has recognised that and gave him a four point raise for his second place finish last time. However, he should still go close. Plus Four has proved suited to sprints and should be right there. Pivotal Role has won two out of four and should be right there. Esquevelle is always capable of popping up. Halberdier ran a shocker last time over 1200m but beat His Lordship before that over this trip and is now only 1kg worse off a 0,0 length beating so has a chance if reproducing the run.

In the ninth over 1000m Zoombomber could be the one to beat unless low draws prove to be disadvantageous. He has proved to have a liking for this trip recently. Time Will Tell, Sergeant Soqrat and Waiting On Charlie should all be in the shake up. Oriental Bouquet beat Zoombomber when they last met over this trip by 0,25 lengths and they meet on the same terms but that is only if the gender claim of Mickaelle Michel is included.

In the first leg of the PA over 1160m Sabalenka made a good debut and should go close. Arizona Magic is improving and could be the chief threat.

In the first leg of the Bipot over 1000m Royal Tiara is by Rafeef out of Captain Al mare and woudn’t have to be a star to win this. Lady Harlequin finished second on debut and should improve. Unvarnished Gold is by Erik The Red and is a half-sister to three-time winner Pennsylvania, so she could be a threat.

The first race over 1000m has only three runners and the quick Heath House should romp home despite having to give 7,5kg to the other pair, as not many would be able to go with him over this trip.

RACE 1

1 HEATH HOUSE 3 SAN FRANCISCO 2 IRISH WILMA

Preview: 1 HEATH HOUSE is ultra quick and should despatch these two rivals despite returning from a layoff. 3 SAN FRANCISCO Erupt filly out of an Argonaut mare. 2 IRISH WILMA has had two moderate runs to date. (David Thiselton 1-3-2)

RACE 2

3 ROYAL TIARA 1 LADY HARLEQUIN 6 UNVARNISHED GOLD 2 MOLTEN ROCK

Preview: 3 ROYAL TIARA is by Rafeef out of Captain A mare and woudn’t have to be a star to win this. 1 LADY HARLEQUIN finished second on debut and should improve. 6 UNVARNISHED GOLD Erik The Red half-sister to three-time winner Pennsylvania. 2 MOLTEN ROCK could improve on moderate debut. (David Thiselton 3-1-6-2)

RACE 3

8 SABALENKA 3 ARIZONA MAGIC 2 WILLOW CHARM 4 CAPTAIN’S EXPRESS

Preview: 8 SABALENKA made a good debut and should go close. 3 ARIZONA MAGIC is improving and could be the chief threat. 2 WILLOW CHARM is usually thereabouts and can earn again. 4 CAPTAIN’S EXPRESS has not been totally disgraced against a couple of fair sorts. (David Thiselton 8-3-2-4)

RACE 4

8 RUBY WHISPER 3 ERIK’S GIRL 2 GATHERING WINTER 6 DRACHENFUTTER

Preview:  8 RUBY WHISPER has shown signs of good ability. 3 ERIK’S GIRL has improved in her last two starts and could earn here. 2 GATHERING WINTER is an ex Cape Town horse who has a chance after running second in her second Highveld start. 6 DRACHENFUTTER has run a couple of fair races and could be a threat. (David Thiselton 8-3-2-6)

RACE 5

2 MICHAEL FARADAY 6 BAY EMPIRE 1 SOUTHAMPTON 3 MOCHA FRAPPE

Preview: 2 MICHAEL FARADAY has talent but needs things to go his way and they could do from a fair draw. 6 BAY EMPIRE is drawn well over an ideal trip. 1 SOUTHAMPTON could earn if producing his best. 3 MOCHA FRAPPE has ability and the best might not been seen of him yet. (David Thiselton 2-6-1-3)

RACE 6

1 ZALATORIS 2 CHARMING CHEETAH 6 UMZINGELI WENYATHI 3 MIAMI MOUNTAIN

Preview: 1 ZALATORIS came back to himself last time and can follow up. 2 CHARMING CHEETAH is 1kg better off for a one length beating by Zalatoris. 6 UMZINGELI WENYATHI was not disgraced last time and could be in the shake up. 3 MIAMI MOUNTAIN is a Gr 3 winner over this trip and should be running on strongly if there is a good pace. (David Thiselton 1-2-6-3)

R RACE 7

4 POBLANO 6 VANAKKAM 2 CHAPBOOK 1 CHIEFTAIN

Preview: 4 POBLANO is knocking hard and is ideally distance suited. 6 VANAKKAM has speed and class and should be right there. 2 CHAPBOOK can go close if producing his best. 1 CHIEFTAIN is capable but returns from a short layoff. (David Thiselton 4-6-2-1)

RACE 8

3 HIS LORDSHIP 1 PLUS FOUR 5 PIVOTAL ROLE 2 ESQUEVELLE

Preview: 3 HIS LORDSHIP is always knocking on the door and should go close. 1 PLUS FOUR has proved suited to sprints and should be right there. 5 PIVOTAL ROLE has won two out of four and should be right there. 2 ESQUEVELLE is always capable of popping up. (David Thiselton 3-1-5-2)

RACE 9

9 ZOOMBOMBER 7 TIME WILL TELL 6 SERGEANT SOQRAT 3 WAITING ON CHARLIE

Preview: 9 ZOOMBOMBER is capable of winning as has proved suited to sprints lately 7 TIME WILL TELL is capable of going close in this line up. 6 SERGEANT SOQRAT can go close if repeating his last start. 3 WAITING ON CHARLIE will be a threat in this line up. (David Thiselton 9-7-6-3)