Please Note: South African Quartet Pools with fractional betting offered at Lingfield and Wolverhampton (UK) – 20 March 2026.

David Thiselton

Athandiwe Mgudlwa suffered a neck sprain and concussion in a bad fall at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on January 25, but he is back riding work and hopes to race ride again on the 27th of this month at the Hollywoodbets Greyville night meeting.

Athandiwe recalled waking up in hospital and had no recollection of the incident at all and said the whole day was quite blank in his memory.

However, there were no broken bones or fractures and he said, ” I fortunately did not have to have any kind of operation.”

He has wisely taken the recovery step by step and done it thoroughly with no atttempt to rush anything.

He continued, “I am still having appointments to strengthen the neck muscles. I have had the follow up appointment and the doctor has given me the go ahead to proceed. I went as far as having an MRI scan and I have also taken the time off to make sure I am ok. Sometimes you rush an injury and a couple of years down the line it comes back worse. I have gone through every step to make sure I am alright. I still want to compete at the highest level, so it had to be done.”

Athandiwe might be back at the meeting at Greyville this Sunday, the 22nd of March, but only if he gets a ride that has half-a-chance. He said he was otherwise targeting the 27th.

He has been feeling good and strong while workriding and added it was probably a blessing he did not remember the incident as such a happening could play on the mind.

He said, “Not remembering is a way of protecting me as it helped me to be able to get on to a horse again.”

He added, “I’m grateful to be able to get on the horses and carry on doing what I enjoy.”

He is not attached to any yard at the moment and said he would start off by riding work as much as he could and hopefully pick up a couple of rides to get back into the swing of things.

He said, “Things look to have tightened up a bit in Durban, so it doesn’t look easy, but I ride light so I should be able to pick up a few nice rides.”

David Thiselton

The first entries stage for the Champions Day races to be held on April 4 at Turffontein Standside closed on Monday and the Gr 1 World Pool Premier’s Champions Challenge over 2000m had some interesting entries.

The WSB Met winner See It Again, who comes off a second place finish in the Gr 1 wfa Wilgerbosdrift HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes at Turffontein,  is one of the raider entries.

His Justin Snaith-trained stablemate Okavango, who comes off a fine fourth in the Met and a win in the Listed King’s Cup, is also entered.

Both of these Cape horses are being prepared out of Summerveld.

The Nathan Kotzen-trained Madison Valley is a Summerveld resident who has also been entered, although he has a bit to find under weight for age conditions.

Kotzen’s former winner of this event, Royal Victory, is also an entry although he is now trained by Weichong Marwing.

Last year’s winner the Alec Laird-trained Fire Attack is entered and so is his former Betway Summer Cup-winnning stablemate Atticus Finch.

Tony Peter has two entries in The Ultimate King and The Equator, who both have tough tasks off 117 merit ratings.

This season’s Summer Cup runner up Olivia’s Way is an entry and she will have a tougher task under wfa conditions than she did in the Summer Cup, although going on the actual form of the Summer Cup makes her an interesting runner.

The talented Jimmy Don returned recently for a new stable, that of Joe Soma, after a layoff of about two-and-a-half years but Soma has worked miracles before in Gr 1 events.

The Gr 1 HKJC World Pool SA Classic winner and runner up Grand Empire and Trust are entered and another three-year-old, Copper Eagle, is also entered but will be severely under sufferance.

It is certainly going to be an intriguing race.

Soccer10 Friday 20 March 2026. ADD-IN R200 000. Estimated Pool: R1.9 Million Pool Closes at 19h30. Sport 12 and Pool 1.

Soccer10 Saturday 21 March 2026. ADD-IN R200 000. Estimated Pool: R1.9 Million. Pool Closes at 15h30. Sport 16 and Pool 1.

Score10 Saturday, 21st March 2026. ADD-IN R10 000. Pool Closes at 14h30. Sport 9 and Pool 1.

Soccer Any 13Xtra Saturday 21 March 2026. Carryover R250 000. Estimated Pool: R750 000. Pool Closes at 15h00. Sport 13 and Pool 1.

Soccer13 GUARANTEED JACKPOT Saturday 21 March 2026. R17.5 Million (If only One 13 of 13 Winner). Pool Closes at 16h30. Sport 10 Pool 1.

Soccer CORNERS Carryover R 3 081. Saturday 21 March 2026. Pool Closes at 16h30. Sport 71

Soccer SCORES Carryover R 1 937.Saturday 21 March 2026. Pool Closes at 16h30. Sport 72

Soccer4 Sunday 22 March 2026. ADD-IN R25 000. Estimated Pool: R 100 000. Pool Closes at 14h00. Sport 20 Pool 1.

Soccer6 Sunday 22 March 2026. ADD-IN R75 000. Estimated Pool: R 400 000. Pool Closes at 16h15. Sport 5 Pool 2.

Soccer13 Sunday 22 March 2026. Carryover R1 357 264. R6.5 Million (All-13-Correct Pool). Pool Closes at 15h30. Sport 11 Pool 1.

David Thiselton

 

The Race Coast Sales Premier Yearling Sale held on Friday and Saturday at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth set new ground and highlighted the positive vibe sweeping through horseracing in South Africa at present.

 

Of the 251 lots offered 224 were sold, up from 121 in 2024 and 219 last year, the aggregate of R145,210,000 was up from R65,345,000 in 2024 and R122,800,00 last year, the average of R648,249 was up from R540,042 in 2024 and 560,731 last year, while the median compared favourably as it was R400,000 in 2024, R325,000 last year and R400,000 this year.

 

The top buyer at the Sale, Jonathan Snaith, said, “The 2026 Race Coast Premier Yearling Sale was a tremendous success and a clear step forward for the Sale.

 

The quality of yearlings on offer was exceptional and buyers responded accordingly, which is reflected in the strong aggregate of over R145 million and an impressive average of R648,259.

 

The medium of R400 000 is an important figure, which was up 23% on last year.

 

There was great depth across the catalogue with plenty of athletic, well-presented individuals.

 

It’s encouraging to see breeders supporting the sale with quality stock and buyers backing it with confidence.

 

Sales like this are vital for the continued growth of the South African breeding industry and horse population.

 

Race Coast Sales created a welcoming and vibrant atmosphere that was enjoyed by all buyers, contributing to a thoroughly successful and enjoyable Sale.

 

A sincere thank you to the entire Race Coast Sales team, as well as the owners and buyers whose support makes this Sale possible. They make the magic happen.”

 

Snaith spent a total of R 26,075,000 for 25 lots at an average of R 1,043,000.

 

Justin Vermaak Equine bought the most horses, splashing out R 22,250,000 for 29 lots at an average of R767,241.

 

Jonathan Snaith had a memorable Sale for more reasons than one. He is a shareholder in the new stallion Jet Dark, who had a sensational return at his first ever Sale. The Drakenstein-based Trippi stallion had 20 lots sold for a total return of R 17,550,000 and an average of R877,500. That must surely be a South African record for a stallion’s first Sale. His service fee for 2026 has been raised to R30,000 accordingly.

 

Reigning champion stallion Vercingetorix was the leading Sire, which has become the norm. He deserves that status having set a new record last term of 23 stakes winners in a season and this season he has already had 14 stakes winner. His 23 stakes winners won 33 stakes races between them last season and this season his 14 stakes winners have won 19 stakes races between them.

 

Vercingetorix Sale return was 22 lots sold for a total of R 32,975,000 and an average of R 1,498,864.

 

Rafeef was not far behind with his 21 lots fetching a returning a total of R26,850,000 for an average of R1,278,571.

 

Rafeef had six stakes winners of nine races last season and has had four stakes winners of four races this season.

 

Jet Dark, who was a five-time Gr 1 winner who won the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate twice and he also won the WSB Cape Town Met, was the third highest selling stallion by aggregate, although Master Of My Fate was third highest by average, his six lots returning an average of R 1,020,833.

 

Gimmethegreenlight’s seven lots averaged R842,857, One World’s nine lots averaged R 708,333 and What A Winter’s 16 lots averaged R 554,688.

 

The big improver at the Sale, not surprisingly, was The United States, sire of the South African horse rated highest in the current Longines World Ranking, Tin Pan Alley.

 

The Moutonshoek Stud-based The United States’ six lots went for an average of R 554,167.

 

The highest average on the Sale was actually by the overseas-bases stallion Cracksman, a son of the legendary Frankel, but he was not included in this article’s average rankings as he only had one lot.

 

Cracksman’s one lot was a Drakenstein Stud-bred colt out of a three time-winning Free Eagle (High Chaparral) mare, covered to Southern Hemisphere times, and he went for R1.5 million.

 

The highest lot at the Sale was on Day Two, lot 197, which was vendored by Winterbach Stud as agent and was purchased by Adam Marcus for R4.5 million. This Vercingetorix colt called Caesar’svastghost is out of the five time-winning stakes-placed Jet Master mare Come Fly With Me, which makes him a half-brother to the Twice Over Cape Guineas and Met winner, Double Superlative.

 

The highest lot on Day One was lot 94, a Narrow Creek Stud-bred Rafeef colt called Rafa’s Tune, who was the first foal of the Gr 1 SA Fillies Sprint-winner Singforafa. He was sold to the Hong Kong Jockey Club for R4 million.

 

There were no fewer than 47 seven figure lots with Vercingetorix responsible for 15 of them, Rafeef for eleven, Jet Dark for seven, What A Winter four, One World three, Gimmethegreenlight two, Master Of My Fate two, The United States one, Cracksman one and Futura one.

 

The Race Coast Sales team will be buoyant after this excellent Sale and it augurs well for their future.