Please Note: South African Quartet Pools with fractional betting offered at Chepstow and Sandown (UK) – 3 July 2026

David Thiselton

This year’s Hollywoodbets Durban July over 2200m at Hollywoodbets Greyville, not only has the stake doubled to R10 million, but for the first time in many years it will be a straight handicap without any weight restrictions applying to horses of a certain age or gender.

The topweight is thus going to have a tougher task than usual as he carries 62kg and will have to give 10kg to the bottom weights, who carry 52kg.

The topweight is Legal Counsel and there are only two horses who are officially under sufferance, Regulation who is 1kg under sufferance and the second reserve runner Curious Girl, who came in after a second scratching and she is a whopping 6kg under sufferance.

Legal Counsel was a hair’s breadth away from being a Gr 1 WFA winner last time out when only just denied in the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge over 1600m and he was also runner up in the Gr 1 WFA WSB Met over 2000m. He has become a calm horse as he has matured and he will handle the razzmatazz of the day. He stays on well from handy positions. However, it will be a supreme weight carrying feat if he does it under Callan Murray, although his plum draw of five will help.

Regulation is well regarded and has put in some eye-catching performances in the past so was expected to qualify by winning the Gr 3 WSB 1900, but he was caught wide from a wide draw and worse was to come because when out to make amends in the Gr 3 Betgames Cup Trial over 1800m he was caught wide from a wide draw again and then choked up. He has landed a plum draw so should now be able to produce his best and he could defy his handicap mark. However, the one concern is he has had a wind operation and Justin Snaith did mention a breathing issue after the July Gallops, although he added that the gelding had been clear winded on that particular day.

The original favourite Star Major was scratched and that left two three-year-olds, the gelding Note To Self and the filly Wish List as the joint favourites.

Note To Self is progressive but is a big rangy type and the question is whether he can quicken quickly enough at the top of the relatively short straight. He did look trimmer at the July Gallops and more mature, but he would still like the pace to be as searching as possible.

Wish List is a dual Gr 1 winner and will have come on from her last start. She is ultra tough and is “flying” at home and can make 59-year-old Andrew Fortune the oldest jockey in history to win the July. She has a great draw of seven and this nuggety daughter of former July winner Legislate should be staying on strongly.

Gladatorian is capable of a strong finish and significantly has drawn eight this year as opposed to 16 last year when not disgraced in a five length seventh. Last year there were no females in the race and he carried joint topweight of 60kg with the bottom weighted male older horse being on 54kg, and the bottom-weighted three-year-old male being on 53kg, while this year he carries second topweight of 61,5kg, so gets half-a-kilogram from the topweight and he has to give the bottom weights 9,5kg, so it could be argued he has a tougher task, but on the other hand the field doesn’t look as strong as it was last year.

Native Ruler has had a perfect preparation and struck as a classy customer when winning his last start over 2400m. He ran a fine race from a wide draw in last year’s race and jumps from draw ten this year under Keagan de Melo. He is merit rated only two points higher this year, so is a contender.

Mocha Blend has come in with a perfect preparation. She has run on in eye-catching fashion over shorter in her last two starts and this distance is her game. She should have come into her own too, so is a big runner, although her draw of 13 is tricky.

Zeitz looks to be on the up and is the choice of many a pundit. He has a nice galloping weight of 53kg. Draw 12 is tricky and an indication of the stamina doubt he has is that the blinkers have been removed.

King Pelles has a good turn of foot and is effective over this trip. He has had a fine preparation and carrying 59kg is not out of it. His draw of 17 will be viewed as tough by some but in the July wide draws have been doing well in recent times.

Minogue stole a march in the Gr 2 Woolavington 2000 field and nearly held on. This is tougher and she will not be able to dictate on her own terms here and she also has a tough draw over a trip she has not been over before. However, she put up one of the most eye-catching July gallops, striding out powerfully.

The Ultimate King has been scratched.

Isivivane is drawn in pole and jumps well and is strong, so should be able to hold his position. He has a chance on the form of his WSB 1900 win and on pedigree he should relish this step up in trip.

Hazy Dazy went close to landing the Triple Tiara, but her run in the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 at Hollywoodbets Greyville is off putting as she was beaten 11,40 lengths and has a tougher task with the three-year-old males who beat her as she does not get a gender allowance here.

Aladdin’s Lamp is on the up and caught the eye with his Jubilee win and also put in one of the most eye-catching July gallops. He carries only 53kg and is in with a chance of giving the De Kock yard a sixth July victory, although he will have to do it from the widest draw of all.

Viva’s Liberte tends to take a bit of a hold which blunts his finish, but if getting covered up and relaxing he could earn from draw nine. The yard are confident of a big run and he is probably the most backed horse in the field since the final field announcement.

Olivia’s Way should enjoy the trip but as one who often runs on too late it will be tough from draw 15.

I Salute You is weighted to reverse form with Zeitz and put in an eye-catching official gallop. However, it won’t be easy from draw 14.

Choisaanada comes in as first reserve and will give Rachel Venniker, who became the first woman to ever ride in the July, the opportunity to be the first to win it. He has some good Highveld form and stretched out superbly in his official July gallop. He travels for the first time and is high in the weights which will make it tough.

The Gr 1 SA Derby winner Curious Girl has an ultra-tough task at the weights, but comes off a good run over 2400m. She is still maturing and would likely prefer further.

The selections Wish List to beat Gladatorian with Native Ruler and Mocha Blend next best and Isivivane and Aladdin’s Lamp could take the 5^th and 6^th places respectively.

David Thiselton

The Gr 3 TAB Sea Cottage Stakes over 1800m is the headliner at Turffontein Standside on Sunday and the exciting prospect Errol Flynn could make another step towards a likely Gr 1 Betway Summer Cup long-term target.

The Master Of My Fate gelding bounced back from his Gr 1 SA Classic flop, for which he had genuine excuses, with two impressive victories over 1600m in which he put daylight between himself and the opposition. He now has another chance to prove he stays this trip. He should get stamina from his sire and although his dam was by sprinter What A Winter the latter can throw some stamina and in this case the mare’s two wins were over 1400m and 1600m respectively. He has a fair draw of five in the eight horse field and Keagan de Melo is up.

Copper Eagle ran a fine second in the Gr 3 Jubilee over 1800m and if the winner Aladdin’s Lamp does well in the Hollywoodbets Durban July, then it will enhance his chances here, although he has a tricky draw of six.

Chronicle King has some class and should stay the trip, so has a shout from draw four under Gavin Lerena.

In the first leg of the Pick 6 over 1400m Spirit Of Gabz is the form choice, but has a wide draw. The dangers could be Dear Doc and Snowblade, who are both well drawn.

In the fifth race over 1160m the one to beat in an uninspiring race could be Campo Formio, who wasn’t disgraced on debut behind a fair sort. WhatsdamatterwithU has been well beaten in all his starts but has faced quality opposition and has not been totally disgraced. Pole Position is a first-timer by Gimmethegreenlight out a Var mare who has produced  a couple of horses rated higher than a 100, so he could be a threat from a nice high draw.

In the sixth race over 1800m Hawkbill will enjoy the trip and is the selection in a wide open event with just six runners. Putting the whole field in the Pick 6 might be the way to go.

In the eighth race over 1160m the in-form pair Taxi To The Moon and African Pride could fight it out, with preference for the latter because he is on the up, while Taxi To Moon is likely using it as a preparation race for the Gr 1 Mercury Sprint.

In the ninth over 1400m Master Christmas is well drawn in three and should make a bold bid over a suitable trip. The fillies Kensal Green and Warning Sound, if she takes her place after running on Thursday, could be the chief dangers.

In the third race over 1400m Within Reach is the form choice. Impressive won in taking style over this trip last time and although officially having a hard task at the weights with Within Reach on their last meeting she looks to be on the up.

In the second race over 2400m Enflame has tremendous Highveld staying form and can carry topweight to victory from pole position under Gavin Lerena.

In the first over 1160m Irish Wilma can go close if able to reproduce her penultimate start.

In the tenth over 1600m the progressive War Reporter can continue on his winning ways from a plum draw.

David Thiselton

Owner Jonathan Bloch has a fascinating history behind him as a horseracing fan and owner and he almost certainly created July history just over a week ago, because after the announcement of the Hollywoodbets Durban July final field he was part-owner not only of the favourite Star Major, but also of the two joint-second favourites, Wish List and Note To Self.

Of course Wish List and Note To Self are now the joint-favourites after the shock scratching of Star Major, but whilst the scratching was disappointing for Jonathan as well as for trainer James Crawford and the other part-owners Neville Isdell, Ravi Naidoo and Prakashni Pillay, Jonathan knows the correct decision was made.

He said, “I I grew up riding and have always loved horses. I would never harm a horse. It can be asked ‘Could we have got him right for Saturday, could we have got his temperature down?’ Maybe. But if I am a partner in a horse it ain’t gonna happen. We will come back to fight another day. The other thing was we were not going to take him out on Friday or Saturday to deprive somebody else from having a chance to run, it’s just not the way the game is meant to work.”

He continued, “It was a disappointment for everybody, but all the owners have been absolutely amazing about it and philosophical. That is the secret about having the right partners.”

He added, “The person I really felt for was Neville Isdell as he is now 80 years old and he had previously had a fancied July runner, Zapatillas, who was also scratched on the week of the race. It was also a hard knock for our jockey Mickaelle Michel (although she now gets a ride on second reserve Curious Girl).”

Jonathan commented on Wish List and Note To Self, “Both horses are really well and are looking good. Their bloods are good and they are both working nicely.  They are in a good space and we will have some fun.”

He added, “If you had to say which one is closer to my heart it would obviously be the filly, because she is just such a trier and has just been the most amazing horse (five wins including her last four starts consisting of two Gr 1s and two Gr 2s). If she can just reproduce her Derby run. But Note To Self is a very interesting horse too. When we bought him he was immature, but a magnificent yearling and we didn’t overpay. The penny dropped in his run before the Derby and his Derby run was also good. He has furnished well and is looking magnificent. Richard (Fourie) has been riding him in work and is feeling comfortable with him and is quietly confident.”

Jonathan said it was fitting both horses run in Nancy Hossack’s colours because he not only described her as the “perfect partner to have in racing,”, but the colours were her late father Jack Mitchell’s colours and the latter owned the respective sires of the two horses, Legislate and Futura.

Jonathan’s feat of having the three July favourites might just be one of the records he has established this Champions Season, because it is believed he might also be the first owner to capture all of what used to be KZN’s four classics. He won the Gr 2 WSB Guineas and Gr 1 Daily News 2000 with Star Major and the Gr 2 WSB Fillies Guineas and Gr 2 Woolavington 2000 with Wish List, although the latter race is no longer a classic as it is now open to older horses.

What makes the records more incredible is that although he is a long-time owner he is not a particularly prolific, big-spending owner. In fact he has only ever had one July runner before and it was 27 years ago, a horse called Ess Five Beaches, who finished 13th in 1999.

Jonathan was fortunate to be able to mix with some of horseracing’s greatest industrymen when he was fresh out of university.

He recalled, “I came into racing in about 1989-90-91. When I had finished university and started off as a young stockbroker I met two amazing guys by the names of Abe Swersky and Arnold Golombick. They were doyens of racing and very involved with the like of the great trainer Terrance Millard. They were just amazing to me and opened the doors for me. So at the beginning of my career I had Swersky, Golombick, Graham Beck, Laurie Jaffee as my clients. I was unbelievably blessed, but more importantly having them as my clients I also had them as my mentors. So I was a young guy in my early 20s being mentored by these captains of industry, it was just beyond belief, and 35 years later those relationships still continue.”

He continued, “I took small shares in horses back then and when Swersky stood down from the Jockey Club I landed up replacing him. However, I then had a difference of opinion with Markus Jooste in about 2003 and got out of racing until coming back about five years ago.”

The story of Ess Five Beaches is a fascinating one as Jonathan was asked by the family of big horseracing owner Len Salzman to accompany the latter to the Sales in New Zealand Sales with the aim of trying to help control his spending.

Jonathan, recalled, “Len was a great character, but uncontrollable and I failed dismally in my task! He ended up buying a jumbo-load of horses.”

He added, “One of them was this lovely grey by Zabeel which I took a share in and he was my first and only July runner to date. Len lived in the same block as Graham Beck in a residential estate called Beaches and he was in apartment S5. So his address was S5 Beaches and his wife’s name was Esther, so the horse was named Ess Five Beaches.”

Jonathan should improve on his July record to date on what will be a much anticipated race meeting on Saturday.

David Thiselton

In further Hollywoodbets Durban July breaking news the Tony Peter-trained The Ultimate King was scratched on Wednesday morning when found to be lame on his near hind.

This was bitterly disappointing news for owners Suzette and Basie Viljoen as they felt he had “a good chance.”

The couple had a runner two years ago, Hoedspruit, who finished unplaced, but Suzette confirmed the disappointment and added, “There are a lot of races, but the July is definitely every owner’s dream.”

The second reserve runner now comes into the race.

The Gr 2 SA Derby winner Curious Girl thus gives Mike and Mathew de Kock a second runner in the field of 18 and she also gives champion owners Hollywood Racing a second runner.

History is now going to be made as Mickaelle Michel has been declared for Curious Girl, which means there will be two woman jockeys in the big race.

Mickaelle became available when the favourite Star Major was scratched yesterday (Tuesday), whilst Rachel Venniker was declared for the first reserve to come in, the Erico Verdonese-trained Choisaanada.

Rachel became the first woman to ride in the July two years ago and ironically she was aboard the Suzette and Basie Viljoen-owned Hoedspruit.

Mike de Kock has won the July five times and will be out to land a first one as a partner with his son Mathew.

Curious Girl comes into the draw vacated by The Ultimate King, the plum barrier position of three.

The fairy tale story behind French jockey Mickaelle Michel is now alive once more, but instead of being on the favourite she is now aboard the horse who officially has the toughest task. The Futura filly is officially 6kg under sufferance carrying bottom weight of 52kg off a 100 merit rating.