Andrew Harrison

Andrew Fortune has been the subject of more headlines, good and not so good, than most jockeys in their entire careers and he added another chapter as he steered From The Island to a game victory in typical style in the third at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth yesterday and followed up with another tremendous ride on Super Free in the eighth, both for Justin Snaith.

Seven weeks ago he was laid up with six broken ribs, a punctured lung, a broken collarbone and a broken shoulder blade. Faith in his ability, a determination to make it back into the saddle and many session in the hyperbaric chamber has paid off and he may still reach his dream of winning the Hollywoodbets Durban July.

An inspiration, on the advice of Gaynor Rupert, was reading the exploits of many-times English champion jump jockey Tony McCoy, now Sir Tony, who broke every bone in his body in his 20-year career but was hardly ever sidelined for more than a few months.

An uncanny ability to bond with his mounts, a horseman and rider with an exceptional tactical brain, Justin Snaith has tapped into the 58-year-old Fortune’s talents and it is paying dividends.

Fortune candidly admitted that he had cherry-picked his two comeback mounts and his ride on From The Island was vintage Fortune.

He took no prisoners in the early exchanges, ‘coming over if you like it or not’ and riding with his typically long rein. In the straight he then played his fellow riders on the break and it was only inside the final furlong that he resorted to a couple of backhanders that were enough to hold off the challenges from It’Sgood It’Snice and Uncle Sam.

Many a seasoned jockey will tell you that it is criminal to let a horse through on the inside rail. There was no love lost in the eighth as Fortune’s son Aldo Domeyer aboard Marcus Aurelius, shut the door in his father’s face forcing Fortune to ease up and switch around. Super Free responded with a smart turn of foot to catch Marcus Aurelius and given this showing he is a horse to follow as he steps up in trip.

Magma Flow showed the benefit of experience as he put a small field to bed at the start of the first race. Piet Botha’s charge was out and running from the jump and Keagan de Melo had to do little more than a steering job as Magma Flow raced home on his own. Navasnine chase home in forlorn hope while the filly Nadia Nerina was slow out and although a long way back in third she does look capable of good improvement.

The cleverly named Black Nightshade impressed when making a winning debut for Vaughan Marshall in the first leg of the bi-pot. First time at the races is never easy but Sean Veale had no hesitation in taking his filly to the head of affairs and there she stayed. Pressed hard by the more experienced Virgina Bluebell, who had some fair form in feature race company, this was a showing full of merit.

Mauritian apprentices are more dedicated than most and Varun Jodhee made full use of his 4kg claim as Pacific Waters kept rolling in the fourth to snaffle long-time leader Theleia  on the line to deny De Melo a second win.

It took a little more than 30 minutes for De Melo to go one better for his second winner of the afternoon as he drove  Lucinda Woodruff’s gelding Sky Rocket to the line to hold off a late charging Pritti United who somehow got lost in the early exchanges but finished with a flourish – possibly an unlucky loser.

De Melo rounded off his day with a treble as he got Andre Nel’s Phantom Man home in a tight finish to the ninth.

Given a confident ride by Muzi Yeni, Magical Place made short work of his rivals in the sixth as Yeni slipped the recently gelded Eric Sands-trained striking chestnut up the inside rail for a comfortable win with Flying Finley doing the chasing for another De Melo second.

Unlike his father who has sweated down to the early fifties from a top that at one stage tipped the scales at 90kgs, Aldo Domeyer is happy to ride 60kg and above. After a testing ride on favourite South Of France in the seventh, he would probably have weighed in a few pounds lighter. Finding a gap at the top of the straight, Domeyer had to press hard on Candice Bass’s filly and she responded gamely to hold off Richard Fourie and Somebody Somewhere  in a tight finish. Domeyer intimated that the removal of the blinkers made his task a lot more testing so one can assume that the ‘scoops’ will be back on next time she races.

David Thiselton

 

The Hollywoodbets Durban July first entries are on Monday the 20th of April and “July Fever” will begin building from the first entries announcement on Wednesday April 22 until the big race on July 4.

 

One of the annual questions is whether any July records will be broken.

 

Andrew Fortune could become the oldest jockey to ever win the race, with the oldest to date probably being Piere Strydom who was 50 years old when winning on the Joey Ramsden-trained The Conglomerate in 2016.

 

The record for the youngest jockey can never be broken.

 

Frank McGrath was just 12 years old when winning the July in 1922 on the J Gard-owned and trained Collet.

 

Allan “Snowy” Reid was both the last apprentice and last teenager to ride a July winner when successful on the Fred Rickaby-trained Naval Escort in 1969.

 

Both records could potentially be equalled by leading apprentice Mxolisi Mbuto.

 

Blaine Marx-Jacobson’s current momentum makes him the favourite for the apprentice title, but only one of the records is available to him as he is already 20 years old.

 

The record for the youngest trainer cannot be broken this year as David Payne was just 24 years old when sending out the great In Full Flight to win the July in 1972.

 

Payne to this day regards In Full Flight as the best he has ever trained and a coincidence is that he lives in New South Wales in Australia, because In Full Flight’s sire was called New South Wales.

 

Payne also became the youngest to ever both ride and train a July winner, having ridden the Brian Cherry-trained Chimboraa to victory in 1968.

 

He joined Syd Garrett, who rode Goldwing and Pamphlet to victory in 1919 and 1920 respectively, before training all of Full Dress (1930), Sadri II (1941) and Left Wing (1960) to win the great race.

 

Bert Abercrombie later joined that elite club as winning rider on the Ralph Rixon-trained Jamaican Music in 1976 before training Bush Telegraph to win the race in 1987.

 

Current trainers in South Africa who have won a July as a rider include Garth Puller, Michael Roberts and Robbie Hill.

 

The record for most wins as a rider can’t be challenged this year.

 

Anton Marcus is the only one to have had five July wins and the trio on four wins are no longer riding i.e. Piere Strydom, Anthony Delpech and the late Harold “Tiger” Wright.

 

Richard Fourie could join that trio as he has had three wins.

 

The record for most wins as a trainer, held by Hall Of Fame trainer Syd Laird, cannot be caught this year either.

 

Justin Snaith and Mike de Kock have both had five July wins and can join the late great Terrance Millard on six wins, although De Kock has a joint-operation these days with son Mathew.

 

Dean Kannemeyer will be going for a fifth July win and his charge The Real Prince will be out to become the seventh dual winner and sixth back-to-back winner.

 

Lady Laidlaw’s Khaya Stables owned The Real Prince and will be going for a third victory as an owner, which is well short of the record of six July wins as an owner held by Bridget Oppenheimer, three of them in partnership with her husband Harry.

 

The Oppenheimer winners as owners were Tiger Fish (1959), King Willow (1965), Principal Boy (1975), Spanish Galliard (part-owned 1992), Greys Inn (2004), Hunting Tower (2008).

 

Of those winners the Oppenheimers bred all of them except for Spanish Galliard.

 

Harry and Bridget’s daughter Mary Slack bred the 2003 winner Dynasty and owned the 2022 winner Sparkling Water, which she bred in partnership with her daughter Jessica Jell. Jessica Jell bred the 2017 winner Marinaresco.

 

So that is a total of nine July winners for the Oppenheimer family either as owners-and-breeders or as owners or breeders.

 

Mary and Jessica can add to that record this year operating under the banner of Wilgerbosdrift Stud and Mauritzfontein Stud respectively.

 

The most prolific July-winning extended family is the Laird family.

 

Alec Laird, still training today, belongs to this July-winning dynasty. He has won it once himself as a trainer with London News (1996); his grandfather, also called Alec Laird, won it once as a jockey in 1911 on Nobleman; his great-uncle Syd Garrett won it twice as a jockey and three times as a trainer as mentioned earlier in this article and he also owned all three of the winners he trained; Alec’s Hall of Fame father Syd Laird won the big race a record seven times as a trainer with (Kerason (1961), Colorado King (1963), Java Head (1966), Sea Cottage (1967), Mazarin (1971), Yataghan (1973) and Politician (1978)); Alec’s cousins Dennis Drier and Charles Laird won it once apiece as trainers with Spanish Galliard (1992) and Hunting Tower (2007) respectively. That is 16 July wins for the family dynasty in total and 18 if Dennis Drier’s father-in-law trainer John Breval is included (King Willow (1965), Principal Boy (1975)).

 

Alec could add to the dynasty’s success this year as the trainer of the like of Gr 1 winners Fire Attack and Atticus Finch.

 

The Real Prince won last year after a 62 day layoff, the longest layoff for a winning horse since Sun Tor was off for 161 days before winning the July in 1934.

 

The record in this respect is likely held by the 1929 winner Gifted as this import from England only got off the boat on January 20 and the July was his first run in the country.

 

See It Again will be having his third run in the July this year, well short of his half-brother Do It Again’s record six appearances which included two wins, one third and three fourths. Do It Again was the best performed horse at the weights in his first four Julys, second best performed in his fifth appearance and the best-performed in his final appearance. He is undoubtedly the greatest July horse in history.

Soccer10 Friday 17 April 2026. ADD-IN R200 000. Estimated Pool: R2 Million. Pool Closes at 19h30.Sport 12 and Pool 1.

Soccer4 Saturday 18 April 2026.  ADD-IN: R25 000. Estimated Pool: R 150 000. Pool Closes at 16h00. Sport 20 Pool 2.

Soccer6 Saturday 18 April 2026. ADD-IN: R75 000. Estimated Pool: R500 000. Pool Closes at 15h00, Sport 4 Pool 1.

Soccer10 Saturday 18 April 2026. ADD-IN: R200 000. Estimated Pool: R2 Million. Pool Closes at 15h00. Sport 17 Pool 1

Soccer Any 13Xtra Saturday 18 April 2026. Carryover R200 000. Estimated Pool: R500 000. Pool Closes at 13h30. Sport 13 and Pool 1.

Soccer13 GUARANTEED JACKPOT Saturday 18 April 2026. R17.5 Million (If only One 13 of 13 Winner). Pool Closes at 15h30. Sport 10 Pool 1.

Soccer10 Sunday 19 April 2026. ADD-IN: R200 000. Estimated Pool: R2 Million. Pool Closes at 15h00, Sport 14 Pool 1.

Alistair Cohen

Before seasonal rain arrives in Cape Town due in the coming weeks, horses with sheer speed will hope to take advantage of fast track conditions. Candy Town is one of the quickest around. She has not been easy to keep racing regularly but she seems to be into the swing of things. These factors could take her to victory in race 6 over 1000m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Wednesday.

She once topped some of the best around. In January 2025, she turned over subsequent Grade 1 placed and Grade 2 winner Questioning over this track and trip. She broke them coming out of the stalls with her natural pace and the light weight she had to carry helped her propel across the line. When she is in the mood, she can run nearly anything off their feet.

She did not race for three months between December and March but she returned to the course with a pleasing 0,75-length second behind Sardinia Bay over 1000m at Hollywoodbets Durbanville. She drifted in the market giving signs that she was expected to need the run. There was layers of speed in that race and her sharpness might have been tested. She still came through that effort without losing any marks and she should be able to build on that effort under Richard Fourie for Andre Nel. It is a good sign that she races a few weeks later considering her usual sequence of usually months between outings.

Elusive Winter is such a good-doer and he too had tons of speed. His outside gate of No 8 is a slight worry because he might have to track across and once he does, Candy Town could get a useful early advantage. Trainer Michelle Rix has shrewdly used Sifiso Bungane on this horse to lighten the load but senior jockey, Corne Orffer takes over. He is stable rider for the Rix yard. The weights in the race behind Sardinia Bay do not read ideally being 4kg worse off for being nearly a length behind Candy Town. Whenever Elusive Winter runs over 1000m at this course, he is given close attention.

North Point has been slightly below his best lately but he could come bouncing back at any stage simply because he is a good sort. He ran behind Candy Town at Hollywoodbets Durbanville and they meet on identical terms. One could argue that North Point was less assured at Hollywoodbets Durbanville than he is down the straight. He has also had a run in between which was not his best in the Easter Sprint when he finished two lengths behind Dance Variety. He cannot be taken lightly.

Andrew Fortune is back in the saddle with two rides for Justin Snaith. Both of them must have serious winning chances. From The Island runs in race 3 over 1400m. The weights suggest that he has 3kg against him for beating Hero’s Journey by a short head over this trip at Hollywoodbets Durbanville last month. They should fight this out unless a Vaughan Marshall-trained debutant is of fair quality. He trains Hero’s Journey so check the market for clues.

Fortune gets aboard Future Free in race 8 over 1600m. He has to get the better of Show Off who has been terribly unlucky in his last few runs. Show Off could simply be best suited to this trip while Future Free could crave slightly further. It is an intriguing contest because both look capable of stepping up a division in the coming months. Show Off has the services of Richard Fourie for James Crawford. His last run came behind Prairie Dawn who is upwardly mobile. He finished a neck behind over this trip at Hollywoodbets Durbanville. Prairie Dawn gives the impression that he is narrowly ahead of Future Free over this trip. Anything further, Future Free could have his measure.

Magma Flow easily has the best form on offer in race 1 over 1000. Keagan de Melo takes the ride. In four starts to date, he has run in two feature races. Although not a threat to the judge, he still ran fairly. Unless a first timer is quite good, Magma Flow should exit the maiden ranks.

Peach Cobbler is not a confident choice in race 2 over 1200m. Despite good improvement from her debut to her second start and coming from a frighteningly in-form yard of Candice Bass, her last run behind Preacher Man might not be the most solid piece of form to follow. She was beaten into third by 4,5 lengths over 1000m at Hollywoodbets Durbanville. There is simply little else to be confident with on paper. It will not take much for a first timer to do the business so another market check is advised.

Theleia stands out as the best bet on the card in race 4 over 1400m. She was tipped out so narrowly in her last run by Little Nimbus over this trip at Hollywoodbets Durbanville when she tried to steal the race. She easily has the best form on offer. Craig Zackey is serving a weeks’ suspension so Keagan de Melo takes the ride for Andre Nel. If she fails to win this, she might battle to get a deserved win.

If From The Island succeeds in race 3, that will enhance the claims for Le Concierge in race 5 over 1200m. He finished 4,55 lengths behind when they met last month over 1400m. Le Concierge seems to be back to a more suitable situation in a sprint with his speedy pedigree. Again, the opposition seems to be taking its time to find a rhythm and consistency. There is always a disclaimer with two-year-olds facing older opponents but he looks set for a big effort.

Candice Bass has a good hand in race 7 over 1400m and it could be a tip from the saddle that Aldo Domeyer has opted for South Of France who has an obvious chance as opposed to the upwardly mobile Peaches And Cream. Both carry heavy weights so that would not be a reason. South Of France has finished runner-up in her last two runs behind the useful Star World and the solid Gin Palace.

Masterofthemoon could be an appropriate winner of race 9 over 2000m if he sees out this extra distance. He hit the line with plenty in hand last time over 1600m at Hollywoodbets Durbanville when he had his second run after a 10-month rest. If he is not stretched or this run comes too soon, he should triumph under Fourie for Crawford.

Please Note; South African Quartet Pools with fractional betting offered at Newmarket and Southwell (UK) – 15 April 2026