Andrew Harrison

Eight On Eighteen, off the boil for much of the season, was back with a bang as he put a high-class field to bed in the Gr1 HKJC Champions Cup at a packed Hollywoodbets Greyville yesterday.

It was a masterful training feat by Justin Snaith who although having earmarked this race a long way out for last season’s three-year-old champion, was still on tenterhooks after a below par performance in the Gr1 Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge.

However, his horses turned just before the Hollywoodbets Durban July with Note To Self winning and Eight On Eighteen also turning the corner.

There was some drama at the start as See It Again, who does not seem to favour Hollywoodbets Greyville, gave the starter’s assistants a hard time at loading but once in, he jumped with relish.

Former winner Dave The King was quickly out to make the running ahead of Legal Counsel with all the fancied runners handily placed.

Crossing the subway there were plenty in with chances, but Snaith’s runners went wide for a clear run at the wire. Eight On Eighteen, back to his best, quickened up past them all in commanding fashion chased by stable companion See It Again with the balance scrapping for the shallow end of the purse. Both winner and runner-up carried Nick Jonsson’s silks.

Post race Richard Fourie said he was always confident of the colt’s chances. “July morning, post-race the gallops he was there. I galloped Note To Self and I said I’ll win the July and when I came back I said to the whole Snaith team and everyone that was there you will need a crowbar to get me off this horse.

“He’s back and it felt like goosebump stuff. In the race today the gates opened so relaxed, got a little bit worried before we straightened up but I just tightened the bit in his mouth and he was ready and waiting. He quickened past them really really well and he saw the lights and carried on like he’s a youngster. He put them to bed with a phenomenal turn of foot.”

As good as the season’s been this is a race that you always want to win and to win it with a colt that has a pedigree to die for.”

“It was when Note To Self turned around. We figured out where that downfall was in the Daily News where we lost and the Gold Challenge which was an absolute disaster. When Note To Self started coming back to himself and I saw him run well I knew that I was on the right road. I knew; boys watch out they are going to come in strong.”

It took Louis Goosen 35 years to win his first Gr1 but he was always confident that his gelding Erik Dubois had it in him. In a tight battle to the line, Erik Dubois finally got the better of Kazenoyoni  in the Gr1 World Pool Moment of the Day Champion Stakes with former champion jockey Lyle Hewitson celebrating in his first meeting back from Hong Kong on home soil.

Kazenoyoni was always up with the pace set by Vibe Check who was pressed hard from his outside draw to make the pace. His early exertions  saw him run out of puff crossing the subway with Kazenoyoni fighting off challenges with Hewitson getting a dream split through the middle of the chasing pack joining battle with Kazenoyoni, slowly grinding down his rival with the balance of the field well beaten.

“There was a lot of confidence from everyone associated with this horse and I probably needed a little more confidence put into me but when I worked him on the day he filled me with a bit of believe and he obviously showed it today,” said Hewitson. “He’s a lovely horse and I still don’t know what his distance is. He could get faster and stronger and come back in trip but he showed resilience today and it was a good win.”

Goosen, unusually almost lot for words commented, “We aimed at this race which is the beautiful part. It’s fantastic to be here on a day like this. We don’t get many chances but we got one today.

“When he got off the float I said this horse has tightened up. He’s been soft and I’ve never got to the bottom of him. Everything was to peak and today was the day.”

Buffalo Storm Cody defended his Gr1 Mercury Sprint crown in emphatic fashion to confirm his status as the highest rated horse in the country. It was his second Gr1 victory of the season after winning the Gr1 Computaform Sprint and Gavin Lerena made full use of his favourable draw sitting in the box seat in the early exchanges as O’Tenikwa took a hold of the bit and barreled off at a solid gallop. Market rival Questioning had it all to do as he pushed forward from his wide gate which told when it came to the sharp end of the race.

Buffalo Storm Cody took over early in the straight chased home by recent Gr3 Post Merchants winner Jet Force but the win was never in doubt. The mare Asiye Phambili kicked on late for third to pip Questioning in what was possibly her final race of a distinguished career.

“We obviously had a better gate today,” said Lerena when questioned about last year. “He quite enjoyed it up front last year and won a phenomenal race. Today we took a sit in behind O’Tenikwa, he was quicker than me, but Buffalo has a good mind. What every you want him to do he adapts to it and he switched off beautifully. He was always full of run coming into the straight. A great training feat by Tony and uncle Paul Peter, they had the horse really well again.”

“You know what. The champions train themselves” said Tony Peter. “He is a really, really proper smart horse. He is very easy to train. He’s got one quirk about him is that he doesn’t like the lights and that found him out the last two years on July day.”

King Pelles was his nemesis last season, but Holding Thumbs made all to go one better in the Gr3 World Pool Gold Cup for Glen Kotzen and Chad Little. King Pelles was favourite to go back-to-back but was unfortunately eased out of the race at the 1200m mark by Hewitson but was reported to be in good order after the race.

Little dictated a pedestrian pace from the jump and was never challenged as he skipped clear at the top of the straight and was not for the catching with Ahead Of The Facts and rank outsider Jazz Café making late inroads.

Kotzen was frank in his assessment. “He doesn’t really like this track and the decision was to take him to the front and do his own fractions. I think Chad did the most amazing job, he never went too fast and at the same time kept them honest. He’s a proper galloper and I think the plan is to take him to the Summer Cup and take on the Jo’Burg boys.”

 The plan, said Little, “was to make them burn a little bit and he got there and pricked his ears and it was never in doubt. Today he won a very good race. Well done Glen, he got him right.”

Serino Moodley brought up his century of wins for the season in fine fashion as he punched the grey Zeitz through a tight gap on the inside of a charging field and get up on the line in the Listed Tote Stakes. Major Master finished with a rattle but just not able to peg back Zeitz with Go Grayson Go always handy in third. It was a courageous effort from the winner as Green Gateway shifted in, squeezing Zeitz onto Field Marshal but once clear he quickened up for the victory.

Craig Zackey confirmed his place at the top of the Jockey Championship with a comfortable victory on the odds-on favourite Palace Of Arvernia in the Gr2 World Pool with Race Coast Debutante Stakes. Dean Kannemeyer has played a large role in Zackey’s ascendance so it was a fitting victory. Lyle Hewitson, second ride back from Hong Kong, looked to have caught all napping, making the pace on Perfect Sky and skipping clear but Palace Of Arvernia always had her in her sights and when asked for maximum she quickened up well to win with authority.

French rider Mickaelle Michel may have missed out on the ride on Hollywoodbets Durban July ante-post favourite Star Major after the horse was scratched but she and James Crawford have teamed up well and Crawford gave her a fitting send off back to France when 20-1 chance Fish Tales caused a boil-over in the Gr2 World Pool Bet With the Tote Stakes. It was never going to be an easy race with 14 in the line-up and Fish Tales drawn 12. However, Michel benefitted from a searching pace set by US Ranger keeping all honest and she managed to navigate a place two off the rail behind the well-backed Benny And Paul. She then drifted Fish Tails out off the false rail for a clear passage and ran them all down with Bisou Bisou staying on for second just ahead of World Series who was caught three wide all the way home.

US Ranger didn’t do the Fairview form any favours finishing closer to last than first in the earlier race but there was plenty of market support for fellow Fairview raider Marchland in the Gr2 Douglas Whyte Stakes in the face of hot favourite Alice B Toklas. Those that kept faith were rewarded as Muzi Yeni slipped Marchland up the inside rail to win as she liked to keep her unbeaten record in tact and put her name in the hat for and Equus Award. Hewitson set another blistering pace on Doesyourmotherknow and she stayed on for second ahead of Royal Tiara with Alice B Toklas battling home to a rather lackluster fourth.

Mocha Blend put her somewhat disappointing Hollywoodbets Durban July run behind her as she round off her season with a comfortable victory in the Gr2 Bet With The World Gold Bracelet. In a race run at no great pace, Frank Robinson’s filly quickened past them all with Kisshoten staying on for second ahead of Rahhabba.

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Please note: South African Quartet Pools with fractional betting offered at Pontefract (UK) – 26 July 2026.

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.

David Thiselton

 

The Hollywoodbets Durban July conditions have been finalised and the final field panellists might be in for an interesting evening before the Final Field And Barrier Draw Ceremony, whilst the three-year-olds look to be on the back foot at present.

 

There will be a longer handicap this year with a 10kg spread in the weights from a topweight of 62kg down to a bottom weight of 52kg.

 

Furthermore, it will just be a straight handicap, unlike recent July conditions in which there was a maximum and minimum weight for certain age groups and genders.

 

If the final field happens to have a spread that is less than 10kg, the topweight will still be 62kg. If, for example, there is a weight spread of 7kg among the entries, then the bottom weight will be 55kg.

 

If the topweights are scratched after the setting of the weights, then the new topweight will be dragged up to 62kg. For example if the topweight after scratchings is 60,5kg, it will be dragged up to 62kg and after the rest of the field have been dragged up the bottom weight will become 53,5kg.

 

The final field will not necessarily be chosen by merit rating order.

 

Justin Vermaak, Executive Racing and Bloodstock of Race Coast, said, “There will be a final field selection panel like before and merit rating will be a leading aspect, but the panel will also take current form and distance suitability into account etc.”

 

In recent years the final field panellists have not had it too tough as the field was cut up before the final field announcement, with a lot of horses being scratched due to the recognition by the connections they do not have much chance, either due to the weights not favouring them or due to them being off form – the final declaration fee could have, in those cases, been considered a waste of money.

 

However, with the longer handicap, there are going to be more horses who still have form chances on paper.

 

Looking at last year’s July for example, third-placed Selukwe was rated 111 and had to carry 54kg due to the condition that the minimum weight for an older male was 54kg. He was thus 2kg under sufferance with the 127-rated topweights, both older horses, and he was 4kg under sufferance with the officially best weighted horse, the 129 rated (nett 125-rated) Eight On Eighteen, who was set to carry 57kg despite being the highest merit rated horse in the race due to a condition that three-year-old males could not carry more than 57kg.

 

In last year’s race Oriental Charm carried 60kg, Eight On Eighteen carried 57kg and Selukwe carried 54kg.

 

Under this year’s conditions the weights for those three horses would have been: Oriental Charm 62kg, Eight On Eighteen 61kg and Selukwe 54kg. Selukwe would have been 2kg and 4kg better off with Oriental Charm and Eight On Eighteen respectively under today’s conditions.

 

He would have been 2kg better off with the winner The Real Prince too and, on paper, would have been beaten 0,30 lengths instead of by 2,65 lengths.

 

There could theoretically have been a horse who would have been even more favoured by today’s conditions than the 111-rated Selukwe example.

 

Using last year’s race under today’s conditions, an older horse who had been rated 107 would sneak into the handicap under today’s conditions.

 

A 107-rated older horse last year would have had to carry 54kg, 6kg less than the topweight, but under today’s conditions it would have only had to carry 52kg, which would be 10kg less than the 62kg topweight.

 

Therefore, there are theoretically going be a lot more horses standing their ground at the time of the final field selection process this year, because a lot more of them will have chances of winning on paper than would have been the case under the old conditions.

 

Furthermore, with stakes of R10 million up for grabs there will be less cases of horses being scratched due to the  connections deeming them to be off form. They might still want to take their chances.

 

The difficulty for the panel will come in deciding whether a lower rated horse is deemed to have better recent form or better distance suitability than a higher rated horse.

 

For argument sakes let’s assume that we go back to last year and there are still many horses standing their ground until the bitter end. After the top 17 are selected, according to the last log and current form, let’s assume the next two horses are the 115-rated Madison Valley and the 120-rated The Real Prince.

 

The Real Prince is rated five points higher than Madison Valley, but he has never run a race beyond 1600m before.

 

Madison Valley on the other hand finished a close fourth in the Betway Summer Cup over 2000m and in his final run before the July he won the traditional July pointer, the Hollywoodbets Dolphins Cup Trial over 1800m.

 

Which one are they going to put in the all important 18th slot?

 

Such a scenario is going to have much more chance of happening this year.

 

Although it has been said that weight avoidance tactics are going to be used this year, those who do take that route are probably going to run a bigger risk of not qualifying than ever before.

 

Now on to the three-year-olds.

 

Eight On Eighteen was held in high regard last year and came into the race 2kg well-in, according to official merit ratings, and yet he was not able to win the race.

 

Under today’s conditions he would have had to carry 61kg, effectively 2kg more.

 

So it was tough last year for a top, top three-year-old who was favoured by the old conditions.

 

How tough will it be for good-but-not-great three-year-olds under the new conditions, considering there is no maximum weight for them and no minimum weight for older horses?

 

Likewise it will be tough for females.

 

Furthermore, this year’s three-year-old crop are arguably overrated off their current merit ratings.

 

For example, Gauteng Guineas runner up Grand Empire could not win the Wolf Power 1600 against older horses when 2kg under sufferance off a 102 merit rating (effectively a 106 merit rating), yet he is now rated 120. There will be cries of “but the handicapper is clueless” when looking at that, but those who do say that are clueless themselves, because the handicapper rates a race on that race, not on past races, and Tin Pan Alley had earned his 117 rating by beating older horses and Grand Empire had then beaten him. Furthermore, Grand Empire was likely not at his peak for the Wolf Power with the Triple crown series looming.

 

Nevertheless, the overall impression is the current three-year-old male crop is not shining and it is questionable whether any of them have properly earned a rating of 120 or above.

 

It could well be an older horse July, but on the other hand there is an impressive unexposed horse like Note To Self among the three-year-olds and more such types might emerge.

 

The build up to this year’s Hollywoodbets Durban July is going to be more intriguing than ever!

 

David Thiselton

The 2026 Hollywoodbets Durban July will be a milestone one with the prize money doubled to R10 million and with a longer handicap introduced as the topweight will be upped to 62kg and bottom weight lowered to 52kg.

It will fittingly fall on the 30th anniversary of the centenary July, which turned out to be one of the greatest of all Julys as it was won by the legendary Alec Laird-trained London News, who went on to put South African racing on the map by winning the QE II Cup in Hong Kong.

The renowned South African wildlife painter Henk Vos released his celebrated work, the Painting Of The Century, depicting a century of July winners, after the July’s centenary running.

The iconic painting now hangs in the Classic Room at Hollywoodbets Greyville.

Alec Laird actually ordered one of the prints of the painting before it was completed as the print had the first of his great Uncle Syd Garrett’s five July winners on the left and the greatest of his father’s record seven July winners, Sea Cottage, was in the centre.

The right hand side just had a blank with a silhouette of a horse, because Vos did not know yet which horse he was going to paint there.

Alec, who trained out of Randjesfontein on the Highveld, related, “He hadn’t made up his mind what horse he was going to put in the last panel (the 20th panel) and he even said to me ‘I would like you to win the July because I would like to put you as the last painting.’ With about a year to go I said to him I’m not going to make it.’”

However, fate then had it that London News not only became the 14/10 favourite for the 100th running of the July, but he was also saddle cloth number 20, being the only three-year-old in the field and the bottom weight.

Piere Strydom recalled, “I remember at the traditional Friday night cocktail Henk Vos was there with his big painting and there was one spot left for the 100th winner and I can still remember saying to someone that I think my picture’s going to be up there.”

London News duly won the race and Alec, London News and Piere Strydom are now at the forefront of the famous painting’s 20th panel and the horse is fittingly carrying the no. 20 saddle cloth.

The London News story starts at the National Yearling Sale of 1994.

Alec recalled big owners Laurie and Jean Jaffee’s chief aim at that Sale was to buy a yearling by their own 1987 July winner, Bush Telegraph.

Alec recalled Harmony Forever being his number one choice at that Sale.

However, he remembered London News being “a nice horse.”

He added, “On the first day a Bush Telegraph colt called Mr Newspaperman went for about R300,000. London News looked more athletic and Jean Jaffee actually said to me, ‘What about this one?’ On the first day they didn’t get a horse, the second day they didn’t get one and the more they asked me about London News the nicer he got, because I was otherwise going to go home without a horse!”

The Jaffees managed to secure London News.

Alec recalled, “He was a light youngster and even as a three-year-old was quite light. He didn’t show immediately, but we always had the feeling that he would be a nice horse when he matured.”

In fact, London News made a particularly inauspicious debut, beaten no fewer than 16,5 lengths under Anton Marcus in a 1200m Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1200m at the Vaal on June 6, 1995.

However, he got better and better and when he smashed the Greyville 2000m course record, which still stands today, in the Gr 1 Daily News 2000, he had won six out of eleven starts including the Dingaans and two middle distance Gr 1s.

Piere Strydom was aboard for the Daily News 2000 too.

He reflected on the 1996 July, the first of his four victories in South Africa’s greatest race, “London News was a lekker horse to ride because he had gate speed, a lot of natural speed and he would travel right up there in front and he had a good kick. But at the top of the straight (having led) I thought with a light weight let me just let the reins go a bit and get a length or two for the short straight. But he accelerated way quicker than I had expected and that’s when he made up three or four lengths on the field. Obviously it was going to tell at the end and he was stopping quite badly at the end. I heard the horses coming and I was just hoping for the line and he held on.”

Alec added, “Mike Rattray had invited me to watch in his box because it was on the line and he won by a neck but my eyes wouldn’t believe it because there was so much pressure. I wanted to see the number up!”

Alec described the emotion of being on the honour roll together with his late record-breaking seven-time July-winning father Syd.

In fact his extended family is comfortably the most prolific July-winning family in history with his grandfather Alec winning one as a jockey, his great Uncle Syd Garrett winning two as a jockey and three as a trainer, his father Syd winning a record seven as a trainer, and the cousins Dennis Drier, Alec Laird and Charles Laird each winning one July apiece – a total of 16 for the July dynasty.