David Thiselton

On Sunday at Hollywoodbets Greyville Erik Dubois not only gave Louis Goosen a first Gr 1 victory in 35 years of training, but also gave Varsfontein-based sire Erik The Red a first Gr 1 winner and he gave Paardeberg Stud, who are the newest stud farm in the country, a first Gr 1 winner with their first crop to race.

The Laurence Wernars family-owned gelding is officially bred by the American racing man Dr Alan Miller.

However, Paardeberg stud manager Sally Bruss explained, “Erik Dubois’ mother Comtesse Dubois was Barry Irwin’s mare, but he gave her to Dr Alan Miller, who is a New York physician. When Barry’s mares moved to me in Tulbagh, Comtesse Dubois came along as well. Later she and Barry’s mares moved with me to Sorrento Stud and then from Sorrento to Paardeberg. However Dr. Alan Miller, having only one mare in South Africa, lost interest and asked me if I would like the mare. I said I would love the mare. She had been a disappointing mare until then and she had this foal at foot, but I took her. The foal at foot was Erik Dubois.”

Sally had made the decision to send Comtesse Du Bois to Erik The Red.

She continued, “We raised Erik Dubois and took him to the Sales (he fetched R375,000 at the 2025 March Yearling Sale). Comtesse Dubois has a United States foal going to the October Cape Sale and she has a very nice Expert Eye colt. Comtesse Dubois was actually a good race filly and should have been a better broodmare.”

Comtesse Dubois is by Count Dubois out of twice-winning Rakeen mare Katherine, who was a half-sister to the top class Count Dubois colt Biarritz. As a racehorse she won four times, including the Listed Laisserfaire Stakes over 1100m, and she had a Listed place and three Graded places from 1200m up to 1400m.

At stud she has to date had four winners from eight runners and Erik Dubois is her first black type progeny.

Erik Dubois was a November foal and Comtesse Dubois’ next two foals were also latecomers, but after a season’s break it would be no surprise to see Sally sending her back to Erik The Red.

David Thiselton

One of the feel good stories of the World Pool Gold Cup meeting was the Gr 1 World Pool Moment Of The Day Champion Stakes victory of the Erik The Red gelding Erik Dubois, who gave Laurence Wernars and family a fifth Gr 1 victory of the season, achieved with four individual horses.

The giant horse secured a first Gr 1 win in 35 years of training for Louis Goosen.

Goosen’s had said in the build up, “He is still a soft, big boy, but he is coming on all the time. You will see the best of him at three, but I think he is a huge, huge runner in the Champion Stakes on Sunday.”

Louis’ hopes soared on course in one particular, surreal moment.

He recalled, “I was standing next to Kurt Felix in the parade ring while my horse Ferrari Flair was going down for the second, when I looked around and saw Erik Dubois standing on his own after being taken off the float. It was almost as if he was an apparition. I said to Kurt, ‘Look at this!’ I could see he had tightened up and I told Kurt, ‘If I ever wanted to peak a horse it is today and I have peaked him!’ Then I knew.”

However, when asked if he was still confident at race time, he quipped, “No, I was taking immodiums and praying!”

He continued, “You have to understand I have had quite a few Gr 1 seconds, thirds and fourths over the years with a small string. The one year we had won the Gr 2 SA Fillies Nursery with Waywest Goddess and come down for the Gr 1 Allan Robertson. We went down to the line and heads up, heads down Chocolicious gets us in the last stride, so on Sunday when Duncan Howell’s horse starts coming back at us I was saying, ‘No, not again!”

Erik Dubois at over 600kg was the second heaviest horse at the meeting, despite being a two-year-old, and everything panned out perfectly for him.

Drawn three, the number two horse was a late scratching leaving the gate on his inside empty, which allowed Lyle Hewitson space to get big horse settled in the early stages. Hewitson is used to riding without false rails in Hong Kong and stuck to a one wide position. After the field had sorted itself out he found himself in a perfect position, one wide with cover, nothing on his outside and just forward of midfield.

As Louis said, “He was absolutely cantering, he looked like he was on the bottom track here at Summerveld!”

Hewitson switched him out at the top of the straight and after the big bay had gathered himself he began making up ground hand over fist.

He got into a stirring, eyeballing tussle with Kazenoyoni in the last 150m, but to the neutral observer he always had the latter’s measure. His stride is enormous and Hewitson had reserved the whip until he had reached Kazenoyoni. He then got Erik Dubois into full stretch in the closing stages with some left handed smacks and he got up by a cosy 0,30 lengths.

“Unbelievable ride,” said Louis. “and It was a very, very emotional moment.”

Louis was clearly lyrical in the parade ring and close to tears as he thanked Laurence Wernars, but despite the excitement he remembered his duty as a trainer in the lead in.

He said, “I stood back and ensured all the owners had a hand on the lead rope. But the horse then stopped and stood stock still when he heard all the noise from the grandstand. I stepped forward and said to him, ‘It’s ok, boy’. He immediately walked forward after hearing the familiar reassuring voice. But that is what kind of horse he is.”

Louis revealed that he often talks to his horses.

He said, “My horses are lovely to talk to, they don’t argue you know! So I went to talk to Erik last Wednesday evening and I said to Lauren ‘Come and make a video I want to send it to Laurence’. I said on the video, ‘Laurence, this horse is 33/1 but on Sunday I am going to win a Gr 1 for you. But I am going to ask you for three things if I do that .. Number one is a flight on your Lear Jet back to Jo’Burg so I can go and see my son in Pretoria. No. 2 I want to choose where the trophy stands in your box. And three is to send me a horse or two.'”

Louis went on a fishing excursion with Richard Fourie et al last Thursday and he said, “When we got off the boat one of them told me, ‘Your horse has shortened!’ I’m not sure where the money came from!”

Erik Dubois started as short as 14/1.

Louis thought it ironic and most gratifying that a man he has immense respect for, Mike de Kock, was to present him with the trophy.

He recalled, “The day Waywest Goddess was pipped Mike was standing next to me in the parade ring and said, ‘I think you got it, Goose’. But the slow motion replay then showed we’d lost. So it was great Mike was now here again to present the trophy.”

Louis association with Erik Dubois started when he was granted money by Race Coast for their pinhooking scheme. After he had secured the horse he was after at the Race Coast Sales auction, he asked Race Coast’s Justin Vermaak for another pinhooking grant as he had spotted Erik Dubois.

He recalled, “He looked good and used himself well and got his hocks down.”

He secured Erik Dubois too and after he had done his normal introduction training, which he calls “bone density” exercises, he phoned Justin Vermaak, who is the racing manager for Laurence Wernars, and told  him this horse looked so good he might be interested.

It turned out Vermaak had also liked him at the Sale.

To cut a long story short Laurence ended up purchasing him from Louis and he kept the latter on as trainer.

Louis would never give a young horse, especially a big one, a holiday in a paddock as it can interrupt the bone density progression. So he will now give Erik Dubois an easy time, but keep in regular exercise, and his possible targets include Highveld Spring season races like the Spring Challenge and Graham Beck.

Andrew Harrison

Trainer Tienie Prinsloo will have been a tad disappointed that Coast Of The Sun was relegated to reserve runner in both the Gr2 Golden Horseshoe and the Gr1 World Pool Moment of the Day Champion Stakes.

The son of Hawwaam shed his maiden in fine style when beating Benny And Paul who has since franked that form with multiple winners coming out of that formline and arguably unlucky not to have finished closer in the Gr2 World Pool Bet with the Tote Stakes on Sunday.

Prinsloo was lavish in his praise after Coast Of The Sun’s win and although the colt has missed the bus as far as contesting feature races this season, he gets a chance to showcase his ability when he lines up in the Lucky Fish Crazy Time Class 4 at Hollywoodbets Scottsville today.

The form of the opposition is not particularly deep and if Coast Of The Sun is as good as his reputation, he should put them to bed with ease.

He faces a useful handicapper in Alyson Wright’s charge Phutulicious who has the widest draw but seldom puts in a below par performance.  He has gone close in his last two over course and distance. The Marquee was touched off over course and distance last time out and is seldom far back and should put in another forward showing. Seasoned trainer Ricky Maingard has had a good spell with his small string of raiders and Klein Karoo paid his way when winning first time out on the poly. The turf holds no fears and from the best of the draw he should be competitive.

Mike and Mathew de Kock can get the ball rolling in the first three races on the card for Hollywood Racing where they have competitive runners.

In the first Scots Wae Hae found solid market support in a promising debut and is relatively unexposed while Dean Kannemeyer’s runner Lennoxx has been knocking at the door for some time. He started as a narrowly beaten favourite last start and has put in two smart efforts on this course but has had his chances. Nautical Fire has shown promise in his first two starts while Rachel’s Boy is way better than his last start in the soft and gets first time blinkers.

The De Kock’s and Kannemeyer face each other again in the second. There was plenty of talk on course about Gimme A Fireball before making his debut and although a well beaten third he should have tightened up a lot from that outing. Year older Scotch Again  started favourite on debut on the poly but was all at sea. He does look progressive and can make Gimme A Fireball work for victory along with AMC Roy On Fire was not far back to the promising Benny And Paul on debut and is likely to improve.

Hollywood Racing have had another stellar year and are the leading owners by a country mile, and if the De Kock’s are successful in the first two races, Sparrow Man can add to their tally that last week stood at 175 winners for the current season.

 Sparrow Man made a smart sprint debut on this course racing very green. He steps up to a mile which should be more to his liking judged on his pedigree and could prove difficult to beat. A possible threat is Yogas Govender’s Trip To Venus who was narrowly beaten over course and distance last time out with a claiming apprentice aboard and now gets a seasoned rider. The Flat Cat could also be a threat. He has shown recent improvement after being stepped up in trip and the extra furlong should suit. United Tides has not been too far back in a couple of sprints and he too should prefer the step up in trip and is one to watch in the market.

Justin Snaith’s string will be headed back to Cape Town soon but he can still fire a few shots. Hazel Green was disappointing in her local debut but was taking to the poly track for the first time. Her Cape form was promising and she should have a strong chance on that form. Blenheim Palace has been improving with each outing and was close-up over course and distance last time out and should contest the finish. Soho Celebrity made good improvement last run over course and distance and finished just ahead of Blenheim Palace when last they met and her apprentice rider stays aboard.

In the fifth, Sohot Sowhat has run two promising races on the poly and had consistent Cape form on the turf but she could face a tough nut in Snaith’s filly Match That. She tried a mile in the Eastern Cape Fillies Guineas last run but came up against star Anotherdanceforme. She has been rested but back to a sprint in this company she should be competitive. Seven No Trump makes her local debut off useful Cape form over this trip and a light weight while Light Of Gabriel was not far back when lumbered with a big weight on the poly last time out but she is useful and should go well in this line-up.

The last two races are wide open handicaps. In the seventh, Spirit Of Shimla was a beaten favourite on the poly last run in what was a below par effort. She had consistent form prior to that and a return to her best should see her close. Treasure Island is taking time for her second win but goes well over this trip and is seldom far off the winner. From the best of the draw she is a strong contender. Act Of Grace was second best on the poly last start but her most recent win came on this course while Another Dream has dropped two points in the handicap and is also down in class. She carries top weight but is at home over this trip.

Finally, Fort Usher can sign off on the day for Darryl Moore. He made a promising debut behind Benny And Paul before going on to shed his maiden next time out and as mentioned before the Benny And Paul form has worked out well. From the best of the draw can follow up. The filly Christmas Rose has a difficult draw to contend with but was a recent maiden winner over course and distance and she does look progressive and faces modest older opposition.  La Maddalena is back over what looks to be a more suitable trip and can feature from a wide draw.

RACE 1

8 SCOTS WAE HAE    3 LENOXX   5 NAUTICAL FIRE   9 RACHEL’S BOY

Preview: LENOXX (3) has been knocking at the door for some time. He started as a narrowly beaten favourite last start and has put in two smart efforts on this course. SCOTS WAE HAE (8) found solid market support in a promising debut. He is relatively unexposed and Lenoxx has had his chances. NAUTICAL FIRE (5) has shown promise in his first two starts. Second run after gelding. RACHEL’S BOY (9) is way better than his last start in the soft. He gets first time blinkers. (Andrew Harrison: 8-3-5-9).

RACE 2

3 GIMME A FIREBALL   1 SCOTCH AGAIN   5 FRENCH WAR LORD   7 AMC ROY ON FIRE

Preview: There was plenty of talk about GIMME A FIREBALL (3) before making his debut and although a well beaten third he should have tightened up a lot from that outing. Three-year-old SCOTCH AGAIN (1) started favourite on debut on the poly but was all at sea. He does look progressive and can make amends. FRENCH WAR LORD (5) has not been far back in two starts and can run into the money. AMC ROY ON FIRE (7) was not far back to the promising Benny And Paul on debut and likely to improve. ARKADIN (6) has had his chances but has not been too far back with 4kg claiming apprentices up and can finish in the money. (Andrew Harrison: 3-1-5-6).

RACE 3

4 SPARROW MAN   5 TRIP TO VENUS   2 THE FLAT CAT   6 UNITED TIDES

Preview: SPARROW MAN (4) made a smart sprint debut on this course racing very green. He steps up to a mile which should be more to his liking judged on his pedigree. TRIP TO VENUS (5) was narrowly beaten over course and distance last time out with a claiming apprentice aboard and now gets a seasoned rider. THE FLAT CAT (2) has shown recent improvement after being stepped up in trip. The extra furlong should suit. UNITED TIDES (6) has not been too far back in a couple of sprints. He too should prefer the step up in trip and is one to watch in the market. (Andrew Harrison: 4-5-2-6).

RACE 4

8 HAZEL GREEN   6 BLENHEIM PALACE   1 SOHO CELEBRITY   4 MAGICAL SPRING

Preview:  HAZEL GREEN  (8) was disappointing in her local debut but was taking to the poly track for the first time. Her Cape form was promising and she should have a strong chance on that form. BLENHEIM PALACE (6) has been improving with each outing. She was close-up over course and distance last time out and should contest the finish. SOHO CELEBRITY (1) made good improvement last run over course and distance. She finished just ahead of Blenheim Palace when last they met and her apprentice rider stays aboard. MAGICAL SPRING (4) was much improved last run from a wide draw in a Maiden handicap. She needs to repeat. (Andrew Harrison: 8-6-1-4).

RACE 5

8 MATCH THAT   9 SOHOT SOWHAT   2 SEVEN NO TRUMP   3 LIGHT OF GABRIEL

Preview: SOHOT SOWHAT (9) has run two promising races on the poly. She had consistent Cape form on the turf and appears to have improved with a tongue-tie.  MATCH THAT (8) tried a mile in feature company last run but came up against Eastern Cape star Anotherdanceforme. She has been rested but back to a sprint in this company she should be competitive. SEVEN NO TRUMP (2) makes her local debut. She has useful Cape form over this trip and a light weight. LIGHT OF GABRIEL (3) was not far back when lumbered with a big weight on the poly last time out. She is useful and should go well in this line-up. (Andrew Harrison: 8-9-2-3).

RACE 6

6 COAST OF THE SUN   9 PHUTULICIOUS   2 THE MARQUEE   1 KLEIN KAROO

Preview: COAST OF THE SUN (6) shed his maiden in fine style when beating Benny And Paul who has since franked that form. Possibly a touch unlucky to have been a reserve in recent features. PHUTULICIOUS (9) has the widest draw but seldom puts in a below par performance.  He has gone close in his last two over course and distance. THE MARQUEE (2) was touched off over course and distance last time out. He is seldom far back and should put in another forward showing. KLEIN KAROO (1) won first time out on the poly. The turf holds no fears and from the best of the draw he should be competitive. (Andrew Harrison: 6-9-2-1).

RACE 7

7 SPIRIT OF SHIMLA   2 TREASURE ISLAND   4 ACT OF GRACE   3 ANOTHER DREAM

Preview: Wide open. SPIRIT OF SHIMLA (7) was a beaten favourite on the poly last run in what was a below par effort. She had consistent form prior to that and a return to her best should see her close. TREASURE ISLAND (2) is taking time for her second win but goes well over this trip and is seldom far off the winner. From the best of the draw she is a strong contender. ACT OF GRACE (4) was second best on the poly last start but her most recent win came on this course. ANOTHER DREAM (3) has dropped two points in the handicap and is also down in class. She carries top weight but is at home over this trip. (Andrew Harrison: 7-2-4-3).

RACE 8

1 FORT USHER   13 CHRISTMAS ROSE   11 LA MADDALENA   2 SPLASH OF LOVE

Preview: Wide open. FORT USHER (1) made a promising debut behind Benny And Paul before going on to shed his maiden next time out. The Benny And Paul form has worked out well and Fort Usher, from the best of the draw can follow up. The filly CHRISTMAS ROSE (13) has a difficult draw to contend with but was a recent maiden winner over course and distance. She does look progressive and faces some modest older opposition.  LA MADDALENA (11) is back over what looks to be a more suitable trip and can feature from a wide draw. SPLASH OF LOVE (2) was narrowly beaten first up out of the maidens. She is down in class and from a handy draw should be competitive in a difficult race. (Andrew Harrison: 1-13-11-2).

Soccer13 Thursday 30 July 2026. Carryover R1 494 562. R4 Million (If only One 13 of 13 Winner). Pool Closes at 18h30. Sport 11 Pool 1.

Please note: South African Quartet Pools with fractional betting offered at Ffos Las and Goodwood(World Pool) (UK) – 28 July 2026.

David Thiselton

The Justin Snaith-trained Eight On Eighteen enhanced his already glittering CV by adding a career fourth Gr 1 victory on Sunday at Hollywoodbets Greyville and with a magnificent pedigree behind him his stallion value would have reached rare heights.

He won the Gr 1 wfa Champions Cup over 1800m from his stablemate See It Again, ensuring another big race exacta for prolific Durban-based owner Nick Jonsson.

Illness had seen Eight On Eighteen having an interrupted Summer Season and it took him a while to find his feet after fully recovering.

However, Richard Fourie had confirmed he was back to his high class best when putting in a superb gallop at Hollywoodbets Greyville on the day of the Hollywoodbets Durban July Gallops.

The confidence increased as the Champions Cup approached and he shortened right into 2/1 at one stage.

He drifted out to 9/2 on the day as See It Again and The Real Prince were supported starting 28/10 and 5/2 favourite respectively.

However, that did not stop Fourie riding Eight On Eighteen as if he was a good thing.

Fourie sat on him from the off after jumping from draw three in the eight horse field and had him one from last.

However, he did ensure he was one off the rail, because there was no false rail on the day and one had to switch outward at the top of the straight to ensure a clear run.

Fourie got him going early in the straight as the pace set by Dave The King had not been fast and Eight In Eighteen gave a superb burst of speed to soon hit the front.

He lugged inward away from the lights and might have inconvenienced See It Again a bit by carrying him towards eventual third-placed Main Defender.

See It Again was making late inroads to be beaten only 1.05 lengths. Jonsson and Snaith might not have been as happy afterwards if their sole horse in the race had been See It Again, although Fourie was probably correct in saying Eight and Eighteen had put the race to bed by the time of that incident anyway.

The stipes report said the incident had been caused by Eight On Eighteen rolling in at the same time as Legal Counsel had rolled out and brushed Main Defender, causing the latter to be pushed outward.

Nevertheless, See It Again, who did not have to break stride at all, rallied superbly. He did enough to be a certainty for the Equus Horse Of The Year award, which was won by Eight On Eighteen last year.

It will be the third time Jonsson has won the Equus Horse Of The Year award, having also won it with Do It Again in 2018/2019.

However, the Snaiths have now won it seven times with Legislate in 2013/2014, Futura in 2014/2015, Oh Susanna in 2017/2018, Do It Again in 2018/2019, Captain’s Ransom in 2021/2022, Eight On Eighteen in 2024/2025 and See It Again looking a shoe-in this year.

Incidentally, many feel Jonsson’s Snaith-trained Jet Dark should have got Horse Of The Year ahead of stablemate Captain’s Ransom in 2021/2022.

Nevertheless, Jonsson will feel like he has the world at the feet with Eight On Eighteen still being an entire and See It Again being a gelding.

See It Again looks to have another season in him, despite the fact he will be seven next term.

Eight In Eighteen is by Lancaster Bomber, who has been proven to be a huge loss, and he is from one of thee best family’s in the stud book. His dam Sempre Libre is not only out of the champion broodmare and iconic matriarch  Mystic Spring, but she is also by the influential champion sire and leading broodmare sire Captain Al.

Eight On Eighteen is part-owned by Johann Rupert, whose wife Gaynor owns the Drakenstein Stud who bred both Eight On Eighteen and See It Again.

Eight In Eighteen is sure to stand at Drakenstein one day.

There has not been any announcement of his retirement though, so he will hopefully be racing again next season, which will be much to the joy of his devoted groom Philip Sengeza.

David Thiselton

The second biggest race in Durban, if not the country, used to be the Gold Cup and Glen Kotzen has now done the career double of two iconic races, albeit 17 years apart with Big City Life having won the July for him in 2009 and the big Vercingetorix gelding Holding Thumbs winning the World Pool Gold Cup on Sunday.

Jockey Chad Little is old enough to recall that great racing era when the 3200m long Gold Cup was huge.

After executing one of the rides of the season he likened winning Sunday’s big World Pool-sponsored race to winning the Hollywoodbets Durban July, even though it has been downgraded in recent years to a Gr 3.

Fittingly, Holding Thumbs was bred by the Oppenheimer family’s Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein stud operation.

The victory falls 68 years after Chad Little’s grandfather Benny Little gave Harry and Bridget Oppenheimer of Mauritzfontein Stud their first July win in 1959 in his first July ride on the homebred Tiger Fish.

The Gold Cup win ensured the Breeders Championship had been regained by Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein, who pulled away on the final big day of the season from this season’s nearest rival Varsfontein Stud to win it by over R2 million.

The sire phenomenon Vercingetorix took his number of stakes wins for the season to 34, which was one more than last season, but despite winning three stakes races on the day with Zeitz, Palace Of Avernia and Holding Thumbs respectively, the Maine Chance Farms-based stallion’s tally of individual stakes winners in a season remained on 21, two short of the SA record he had set last season.

Nevertheless, Vercingetorix has run away with his second Sires Championship, finishing close to R11.5 million clear of the three times Champion Sire Gimmethegreenlight.

For owners Messrs P Bamford, D D MacLean & Gary Player Stud Farm (Pty) Ltd, Mrs J Doyle & Mr L S & Mrs Rayna Govender it was also a huge moment.

Gary Player also part-owned last year’s winner King Pelles and this was his third Gold Cup win in all.

It would have been a race of mixed emotions for Player as King Pelles, who started as hot 13/10 favourite, was pulled out of the race by Lyle Hewitson. Thankfully, the horse was okay, although he did have to be subject to ongoing veterinarian checks.

Last Tuesday at Summerveld Glen Kotzen had ended an interview by saying,  “I don’t think Hollywoodbets Greyville suits Holding Thumbs, but we’ve got a plan.

It was easy to work out that with no obvious pace in the race and Holding Thumbs being a big galloping type the plan would be to go to the front.

Kotzen had also said in the interview that the Champions Season hadn’t been great for Holding Thumbs, “but I think we have now turned him for the Gold Cup.”

It was revealed after the race on Sunday they had made some changes to his work program and in particular he was given more short, sharp work as opposed to long work.

Kotzen said it could be seen when Holding Thumbs walked into the ring that the new program had made all the difference.

Kotzen said about Chad Little’s ride, “Chad is a top jockey, he just needs confidence. This win is going to give him that confidence.”

Holding Thumbs jumped from draw 13 of 13, which at least allowed him a clear passage to the front.

The big bay pinged the gates and was far enough clear when reaching the turn to slot in front of Shoot The Rapids.

Little had got his trigonometry just about perfect with Holding Thumbs having gone on virtually a straight line from starting stall to the inside at the end of the first straight.

That ensured he would have expended as little energy as possible in the first 450m and it also meant he had the rail for the rest of the journey i.e. the shortest way home.

That was the first prerequisite for a perfect ride ticked off.

He then ensured no more than a steady pace from then onward.

King Pelles was in midfield sitting in a one wide position with cover when he suddenly came off the bit and began backpedalling as they approached the 1000m mark. Hewitson had no option but to ease him out of the race. He had run a fantastic third in the Hollywoodbets Durban July, but it had been tough race for him and the Gold Cup might have proved a bridge too far.

Meanwhile, the second favourite Ahead Of The Facts was travelling well, but his supporters’ concerns were  mounting, because he was closer to the back than the front in a relatively slow run race.

Richard Fourie had the room to switch Ahead Of The Facts out at the 800m mark and he began inching closer as they came up the hill.

The exceptional turn of foot Ahead Of The Facts had displayed in his Gr 3 Durban Gold Vase victory over 3000m was evident in the straight as he had soon mastered the chasing vanguard.

However, Little had fulfilled more criteria for a perfect ride by giving his horse some rein as they approached the straight and then by kicking away at the top of the straight.

This was a vital move aboard a resolute galloping type and he had soon opened up a four length gap

It was apparent the long-striding horse was going to be hard to haul in.

Little showed perfect timing in drawing the stick as late as the 250m mark.

He later executed a deft change of whip hand which saw Holding Thumbs changing legs and finding another gear.

He pulled off another whip hand change when Holding Thumbs hung in on to the rail.

However, he can only be given 99% for the ride because in his understandable excitement he stood up and saluted  a stride or two before the line.

Ahead Of The Facts stayed on well for a two length second, leaving Justin Snaith still chasing a first Gold Cup.

The Robbie and Shanon Hill-trained filly Jazz Cafe enjoyed a third successive step up in trip and stayed on well for a 2,90 length third.

In exciting news for the South African horseracing industry it has been announced the UK have opened a direct equine export route from South Africa, which cements two-way trade for the SA Equine Industry.

SA Equine Health & Protocols NPC (SAEHP) sent out the following press release:

UK Opens Direct Equine Export Route from South Africa, Cementing Two-Way Trade for SA Equine Industry

Cape Town, 15 July 2026 — SA Equine Health & Protocols NPC (SAEHP) is pleased to announce that the British Government has confirmed a decision permitting direct import of live horses from South Africa to Great Britain. Following a positive assessment of South Africa’s disease control measures, imports will be permitted from the approved vector-protected quarantine station in Cape Town, for registered equines complying with UK import conditions.

This milestone reflects sustained collaboration between SAEHP, the South African Department of Agriculture, and the Western Cape Department of Agriculture — a powerful demonstration of this public-private partnership’s success in maintaining South Africa’s equine disease control measures to the highest international standard and translating that credibility into real market access.

The announcement follows closely on South Africa’s opening of imports from Dubai, New Zealand, and Australia earlier this year -making genuine two-way trade a reality for the South African equine industry.

Adrian Todd, Managing Director of SAEHP, thanked the Hong Kong Jockey Club for its funding, technical support, and vision in opening South Africa to the world, noting that the growing number of trade partners now opens a world of opportunity for South Africa across all equestrian disciplines.

About SAEHP:SA Equine Health & Protocols NPC is a South African public-private partnership established to ensure the sustainability and security of the African Horse Sickness control zones through risk mitigation measures and controls, operating under the authority of the South African National Director of Animal Health in partnership with the National Department of Agriculture and the Western Cape Department of Agriculture.