Please note that tomorrow’s Vaal race meeting 27 November 2025 has been relocated to Turffontein, on the Inside Track.

 

The Vaal received nearly 100 mm of rainfall yesterday and remains waterlogged, while Turffontein recorded only 0.5 mm.

 

At this stage, the Turffontein Inside Track is raceable, despite rain forecast for today and tomorrow.

 

Voluntary scratchings will close at 11:30am today.

 

Race times remain unchanged.

 

Distance changes are as follows:

 

• Races 4, 5, and 6 – 1450m
• Race 9 – 1000m

David Thiselton

Pick 6 fever will grip the race going nation on Saturday as there is a carry over for the Betway Summer Cup meeting and with an expected pool of R5 million it will be well worth playing.

The first leg is the Listed Blu Voucher Carry On Alice Stakes over 1160m and Whistle The Tune makes most appeal. She proved her ability last time when coming back from a layoff of more than three months to win at this course over 1000m. She was beaten 1,40 lengths by Mia Moo in the Gr 1 wfa SA Fillies Sprint over 1200m and faces the latter on wfa terms here but she has an advantageous high draw by trends as opposed to the latter being drawn one and Mia Moo is also making her seasonal reappearance after a layoff of four months. Mia Moo does have Richard Fourie up though and as horses have been winning down the middle on the Turffontein straight he could make a plan from the low draw. Whistle The Tune is officially 3kg well in with Rodeo Drive, but the latter has come into her own lately and has a nice high draw too. Those three could get punters through, although Fatal Flaw can be considered as a dual Gr 1 winner running fresh over shorter from a nice high draw. Rachel Wall will probably be a popular choice as a progressive sort and she can be considered, but she does officially have a tough task at the weights.

The second leg is the Gr 3 New Turf Carriers Merchants over 1160m and the one to beat could be Truth. Now that it has been decided to stick to sprints with him he could blossom and he has a high draw under in-form jockey Serino Moodley. Quantum Theory has a middle to high draw and has been in fine form in sprints, so he should be in the shake up under leading jockey Craig Zackey. Future Variety ran a bit of a flat race last time, but he has a devastating turn of foot when at his best and he could bounce back here from a middle draw. Barbaresco gave Quantum Theory 8kg and a beating over course and distance back in January so can’t be ignored from a nice high draw, although he does have to bounce back from a disappointing Charity Mile run. Melech and Pistol Pete can’t be ignored and should be right there. The three-year-olds officially have tough tasks at the weights but African Pride looks to be one who could be going places and he could progress beyond his current merit rating.

The sixth race is the Gr 3 Ducat Africa Fillies Mile and a chance is taken here on Hazy Dazy putting her highly disappointing last run behind her and bouncing back. She looked to be a progressive sort and from a good draw might enjoy coming down in trip on this tough course. Littlemissmillion should not take much work being a small horse so she can return from a layoff to make a bold bid as she has made a big impression in her two runs which yielded easy wins. She has a big action and a fine turn of foot and will enjoy this course and distance. Those two could be enough for risk-taking punters, but beyond them it is a wide open race.

In the Gr 2 Betway Dingaans Jan Van Goyen would be banker material if he was at his peak, but he is returning from a four month layoff so that could be a bit risky. Tin Pan Alley has won both of his starts this season in fine fashion and the form has been franked by the like of the smart Atticus Finch. Chronicle King, Trust and Shadowfax also have the class to be involved.

In the Gr 1 Betway Summer Cup King Pelles is the Equus Champion Stayer but has a tremendous turn of foot and has shown lately to have the class to be effective over shorter trips, so he could be the one to beat. Atticus Finch is the defending champion but looks to be in the form of his life having made the rest of the Charity Mile field look like low division horses such was the ease with which he beat them. Madison Valley has also blossomed and could do better than last year when fourth as he is better as a gelding and looks to be improving all the time. Former winner Royal Victory can always be relied on to run a fine race. The Equator has been working very well and should be ideally suited to this course and distance as a big galloping type. On My Honour looks to have a lot of ability and could show what he is made of.

In the last leg over 2000m the ones to side with could be Field Marshal, Money Heist and Cape Eagle.

South African Quartet Pools with fractional betting offered at Newcastle and Southwell (UK) – 26 November 2025

David Thiselton

Luke Ferraris is within grasping distance of getting a berth in the world’s most famous jockeys competition, the International Jockeys Challenge at Happy Valley, which will take place on December 10.

The three berths given to locally based jockeys are for champion jockey, leading jockey of the current season and leading homegrown jockey.

Zac Purton is well clear in the current championship, but had already earned a berth as champion jockey, so the berth for leading jockey goes to the second-placed jockey.

The contenders are Ferraris, who is in second place with 15 wins, Bowman who is on 14 wins, Alexis Badel on 12 wins and Lyle Hewitson and Karis Teetan who are both on elevens wins.

The Happy Valley meeting on Wednesday (26 November) is the last meeting which counts towards the choice of local IJC riders.

Hewitson won the last race at Sha Tin on Sunday to give himself a mathematical chance of still winning a berth, although it is highly unlikely he will do so and it looks to be a straight fight between Ferraris and Bowman.

The fight for a place among the homegrown jockeys has also developed into a two horse race after Vincent Ho and Jerry Chau both struck at Sha Tin on Sunday.

Ho leads Chau with 11 wins to 10.

Ho is the only homegrown jockey to have ever won the IJC, winning it in 2023 and earning the fist prize of HK$600,000.

Gavin Lerena was the last South African to have won the IJC in 2015. He won the last two races of the four-race competition that year.

Douglas Whyte has also been a previous winner of the challenge.

The ten jockeys who are already in the IJ are Zac Purton, defending champion Mickael Barzalona, James McDonald, Christophe Lemaire, Umberto Rispoli, Hollie Doyle, Rachel King, Joao Moreira, William Buick and Ryan Moore (subject to fitness).

Meanwhile, the world’s best sprinter, Ka Ying Rising extended his unbeaten run to 15 races on Sunday at Sha Tin when romping home in the HK$5.35 million Gr 2 BOCHK Private Banking Jockey Club Sprint over 1200m.

He obliterated nine rivals in clocking the second-fastest time in history over 1200m at Sha Tin, 1m 07.33s, marginally outside his own track record of 1m 07.20s, despite being eased down over the last 100m by jockey Zac Purton.

Conceding five pounds to the rest of the field, the world’s highest-rated sprinter jumped cleanly to lead from barrier ten before settling in second place behind Beauty Waves and, such was his superiority, Purton said the tempo was still not fast enough, despite a blistering sectional of 21.93s from the 800m to the 400m.

Purton quickly put the issue beyond doubt on straightening as Ka Ying Rising surged clear inside the last 200m before being allowed to saunter to the line.

The winning margin of two-and-three-quarter lengths flattered runner-up Fast Network (123lb) with Helios Express third, a further length-and-three-quarters away.

Ka Ying Rising’s 15th consecutive win leaves him third overall for the most wins in a row by a Hong Kong-trained horse behind Silent Witness (17) and Golden Sixty (16).

The world’s highest earning racehorse in history, Romantic Warrior, made his comeback from a layoff at the same meeting on Sunday.

Resuming after 232 days between races after surgery to his left fore fetlock, Romantic Warrior lifted his world record earnings to HK$217.7 million as he became the first horse to win a third Gr 2 BOCHK Jockey Club Cup after victories in 2022 and 2024.

David Thiselton

See It Again has been scratched from the Betway Summer Cup, but there will still be plenty of raiders with former winner Royal Victory still standing his ground alongside Madison Valley, King Pelles, On My Honour, Mocha Blend and Shoot The Rapids as well My Best Shot from the East Cape and Otto Luyken from the Cape.

Frank Robinson was not tempted to supplement Field Marshall after his runner up finish in the Gr 3 Betway Victory Moon Stakes as he said he would not beat Madison Valley.

However, he said, “I may run the filly Mocha Blend, although I don’t know whether she is going to make the final field. She’s good but very laid back and she walked out the pens in her last start in Jo’Burg, that’s what beat her.”

Mocha Blend was carrying join topweight in the Listed Summer Pudding Handicap over 1600m and was beaten 0,30 lengths by joint topweight Kisshoten.

Frank will school her in the pens and she will stand her ground as he pointed out the good record of fillies in the Summer Cup. There have been nine female winners in the last 50 years, including Roland’s Song winning it twice.

The four-year-old Mocha Blend is rated 105 and will be 5,5kg under sufferance as things stand, but Frank believes she is capable of running above her rating.

Frank revealed, “I am going to take Shoot The Rapids and am probably going to run him in the Stayers race on the day (The R350,000 ROA Stakes over 3200m).”

Frank said Madison Valley was very well and had been “flying” at home.

Five-year-old Madison Valley is rated 116, which sees him only having to carry 54,5kg.

He was beaten 2,35 lengths into fourth last year by the winner Atticus Finch and will now be 5,5kg better off and he beat Royal Victory by 0,65 lengths and will now be 1,5kg better off.

However, on Hollywoodbets Durban July form Royal Victory comes out ahead of Madison Valley as Royal Victory gave the latter 5kg and a 0,30 length beating and he now only has to give him 4,5kg.

Nathan Kotzen is equally happy with Royal Victory, who has benefited from his sessions with the “horse whisperer” Glyn Redgrave, who has solved the issues the six-year-old was having in the preliminaries such as “sticking up” on the way to the start.

Nathan was happy with the final preparation run of Royal Victory in a Conditions Plate event over 1600m at Hollywoodbets Greyville in which he finished 0,95 lengths back in fourth place.

He did lament the slow place of the race but his new jockey Chad Little ensured he was driven hard all the way up the straight and he should be at his peak on the big day.

Asked whether Royal Victory was as good as he was when winning the race in 2023, Nathan mentoined his turn of foot not being as instantaneous.

However, in the long Turffontein straight that should not be too detrimental with the main thing being he still possesses a resolute finish, which he proved in the Hollywoodbets Durban July, coming from near the back for a 2,85 length fourth.

Royal Victory is one of the most consistent horses in training and only twice in his 29 start career has he finished more than 3,75 lengths behind the winner.

Therefore, he represents good each way value at 20/1, despite having to carry 59kg off his 125 rating.

The Gareth van Zyl-trained King Pelles was the most eye-catching runner in the aforementioned Conditions Plate race at Hollywoodbets Greyville over 1600m and was comfortably the best performed horse in the race at the weights. He ran on strongly from last without being given a hard time at all..

King Pelles biggest career successes have come over staying race trips. However, he has an exceptional turn of foot and has proved in his last couple of starts he is not a one trick pony.

He will carry 57,5kg and has been backed into 11/2 with the sponsor and will still have plenty of supporters at those skinny odds.

The winner of the aforementioned conditions race at Hollywoodbets Greyville was the Glen Kotzen-trained On My Honour, although he was well in at the weights under Serino Moodley.

He was strongly fancied for the Hollywoodbets Durban July, but it did not pan out well for him.

In the Gr 3 Hollywoodbets Dolphins Cup Trial over 1800m before that he was beaten 0,3 lengths by Madison Valley when receiving half-a-kilogram.

He will carry half-a-kilogram less than him in the Summer Cup too.

Off his 116 rating the four-year-old sneaks into the handicap with the minimum weight of 54kg and represents fair value at 16/1, especially considering Madison Valley is 10/1.

My Best Shot should relish the long straight of the Turffontein Standside course as he is very effective at Fairview, which also has a long straight.

Richard Fourie will ride the Alan Greeff-trained stalwart, who is an interesting each way prospect at 20/1.

The James Crawford-trained Otto Luyken won the July consolation race on Hollywoodbets Durban July day, albeit in  slow time, and he will enjoy the step up in trip from his preparation race when a far from disgraced 5,25 length fifth in the Gr 2 Allied-Steelrode Onamission Charity Mile over 1600m. He will be 3kg better off with Atticus Finch from that race off his 116 rating, so will be up against it on that evidence, but as one who represents the Garrix form over 1800m in Cape Town he could be a dark horse and the sponsor is treating him with respect as they have him as a 14/1 chance.