MISS KANSAS, with Rachel Venniker up, is led into the number one box by her trainer Michael Roberts after their victory in the Bet With Tote Maiden Plate at Hollywoodbets Scottsville yesterday. Picture: Race Coast/ Candiese Lenferna

Andrew Harrison

Dean Kannemeyer did a masterful job to get The Real Prince to stay the Hollywoodbets Durban July trip after just one warm-up run and there was many doubters. But Kannemeyer is rather set in his ways as he likes his horses to quicken from off the pace and finish off their races.  He learnt well from his father, the legendary Peter ‘PK’ Kannemeyer and PK’s long-time stable jockey Garth Puller who had many a supporter reaching for their blood pressure pills after a tight finish.

Kannemeyer’s colt Green Gateway was given a copybook stable introduction in the first at Hollywoodbets Scottsville yesterday. The opposition will probably not go to ‘Hollywood’ so the win is taken with a pinch of salt but the eye-catching son of Gimmethegreenlight did everything that was asked.

 Bringing up the rear for much of the race, he quickened past his rivals when asked by title-chasing Gavin Lerena to win rather cozily from Mohave Prince who tried gallantly to stay with the winner. Interesting is that Green Gateway cost R2.2 million as a yearling, Mohave Prince R140k demonstrating they run in all shapes and sizes no matter their price tag.

Lerena has the Jockey Championship all but sewn up after today’s meeting. He was 12 winners clear of current champion Richard Fourie at the start of the day and extended his lead by another three by the time that he coaxed Vision To Achieve home in the sixth after making most of the running to win on  Bad Medicine in the C Stakes over 2400m for Alyson Wright.

Rachel Venniker, out of action for three months after breaking her leg in an early morning fall, was quickly into the winner’s enclosure as she steered the Michael Roberts-trained Miss Kansas to victory in the opening leg of the PA. Venniker showed no signs of rustiness from the lay-off as she kept Miss Kansas hard to her task in the face of stiff opposition from Blazing Beauty and 4kg claimer Jacey Botes as Tienie Prinsloo’s filly made a smart debut for the stable.

Next Of Kin started favourite in the opening leg of the Pick 6 but the grey hardly raised a gallop as Meerkat Moon and the filly Catch A Penny fought a bruising duel up the straight with Mark Dixon’s charge scraping in by the narrowest of margins. Lerena looked to have his second winner on the card in the bag as Catch A Penny eased clear of her rival, but Calvin Habib was not looking to go away easily and Meerkat Moon stuck to his rival and came back to snatch it on the line.

As former top rider MJ Odendaal has often alluded to the fact that a jockey never forgets the name of his first winner and the name of Sneeuwitjie will be forever etched in the memory of Dezahn Louw. It was not a polished ride as the filly took a hold of the bit and dragged him off to the front, but Tienie Prinsloo’s filly kept finding in spite of drifting under pressure. Lerena did not have it all his own way as favourite Flying South encountered a few traffic problems at the top of the straight but stormed home late only to be denied by under a length.

But Sneeuwitjie dropped the Pick 6 bomb, starting at 100-1 she paid nearly R40 on the tote.

Paul and Beth Gadsby battle along with a small stable of mostly modest horses but the filly Vision To Achieve is testament to their ability as trainers. A three-time winner and two seconds from her last five starts with Gavin Lerena aboard in her last three wins, he has worked her out that the filly does not respond to the sick. Punching her under hands out over the final 400m, Vision To Achieve responded to the kid-gloves and went on to win the fifth race of her career.

Lerena flew home to Jo’Burg happy that he almost has the championship title in the bag as he rounded off the meeting with his fourth winner of the afternoon, 16 clear of Fourie, on the Justin Snaith-trained Dafnes Daughter. It was anyone’s race coming through the final furlong with a wall of horses in contention, but Dafnes Daughter powered home to put the race to bed in a matter of strides and give leading owner Nick Jonsson his second winner of the afternoon after Miss Kansas.

Please Note: South African Quartet Pools with fractional betting offered at Ayr and Windsor (UK) – 21 July 2025.

Durban, South Africa – The countdown has begun! The 129th edition of Africa’s premier horse racing and social spectacular, the Hollywoodbets Durban July (HDJ), is set to take place on Saturday, 5th July 2025, at the iconic Hollywoodbets Greyville Racecourse. As the most anticipated fixture on South Africa’s racing calendar, the event seamlessly blends world-class horse racing with high fashion, entertainment, and a memorable social experience.

Staying true to the theme of “Marvels of Mzansi,” this year’s racing extravaganza promises an iconic line-up of South African talent, featuring a diverse array of artists set to captivate all attendees throughout the day. The national anthem will be beautifully performed by one of the country’s leading songstresses – look out for the reveal in May. With these performances, the thousands of attendees expected at Hollywoodbets Greyville will have a memorable experience. Stay tuned for the full artist line-up. All ticket holders can look forward to a day filled with live entertainment that will be talked about for years to come, as this year’s HDJ celebrates Mzansi’s vibrant spirit. 

Tickets for this outstanding event are now officially on sale via Ticketpro (www.ticketpro.co.za). Priced at R230 for general admission, your ticket grants access to a day of thrilling racing action, live entertainment, fashion showcases, gourmet food experiences, and an array of engaging activations from event partners. For added convenience, onsite parking is available for R170 per vehicle.

For those seeking an elevated experience, the VIP hospitality packages provide exclusive access to luxurious enclosures, premium viewing areas, and top-tier catering. These options can be explored on the official event website (www.hollywoodbetsdurbanjuly.co.za). Please note that VIP hospitality packages do not include general admission tickets, which must be purchased separately via Ticketpro.

This year’s theme, “Marvels Of Mzansi”, was unveiled in late February, marking the official commencement of the Hollywoodbets Durban July Fashion Experience, presented by Durban Fashion Fair. The fashion programme includes the much-anticipated HDJ Young Designer Award, showcasing the best up-and-coming talents from KwaZulu-Natal. The winners will share the spotlight with the HDJ Invited Designers and DFF Rising Stars at the HDJ Fashion Preview Gala, set to take place at Gateway Theatre of Shopping in late June.

Racing enthusiasts can also look forward to the announcement of the first official entrants on Wednesday, 23 April 2025. With last year’s champion, Oriental Charm, emerging as the early ante-post favourite, excitement is already building. 

Secure your tickets today and experience Africa’s greatest horse racing and social event, the Hollywoodbets Durban July!

Please Note: From December, Unit cost of all Soccer10 Pools closing on Wednesdays will be R3.

The R3 unit cost on Wednesdays is on a trial basis only & follows requests from many customers to increase the Soccer10 Unit.

The unit cost of Soccer10 Pools on all other days remains R2.

All systems go on 1 January 2025

Horseracing in KwaZulu-Natal took the next step to the dawn of a new era with the publication on Thursday of a revitalized racing programme and the news of the introduction of incentives and stakes adjustments that will align the province with the status quo in the Cape.

The introduction of the new-look programme and policies on the East Coast comes into play as a result of the proposed acquisition of Gold Circle by the Hollywood Sportsbook Holdings group, which now hinges on the required approval of the KZN Economic Regulatory Authority (KZNERA).

Whilst the outstanding approval of the KZNERA is critical to the transaction, and will be the final step in transferring ownership, Hollywoodbets and its appointed Chairman Designate of Gold Circle, Greg Bortz are in management and strategic decisions during the interim period, with Hollywoodbets investing funds at its own risk to ensure the continuity of horse racing in KZN, and the survival of Gold Circle.

Programme and related reading matter, click here.

Subject to the fulfillment of other outstanding conditions precedent, the deal effectively unlocks a R500 million rescue injection from Hollywoodbets, and a takeover of the sport in the holiday province, which is set to include track upgrades and other infrastructural and operational initiatives.

The new KZN programme covers the period 1 January to 28 February 2025 and introduces the stakes-boosted class racing structure to the province, while unveiling financial incentives via the RaceCoast incentive scheme with the ultimate aim of improving racehorse ownership in KZN and achieving enhanced field sizes with the knock-on vital lifeblood of increased betting turnovers.

Down South, the RaceCape incentive programme has proven a winner and has underscored the unprecedented turnaround in Cape horseracing by providing further opportunities for the local racing community and increased employment prospects for grooms and work riders, as well as raising the bar for all related and ancillary horse racing services.

“We are very excited about future plans for KZN racing,” Cape Racing Executive: Racing & Bloodstock Justin Vermaak told the Sporting Post on Thursday, as he outlined broad plans to revolutionise the appeal of the sport across the board for all stakeholders in KZN.

“We need to provide owners and trainers with an even and attractive playing field that makes them want to race. Stakes and rewards need to be meaningful. That ultimately leads to better field sizes, more exciting racing and improved betting turnovers. Punters are key to the success of the process. We are implementing a first world reform in terms of transparency when it comes to information. Items like horse weights, for example, will be published. They are, after all, a form assessment tool. Horses working at our training centres and tracks will all have easily identifiable bar-coded saddle-cloths. So, there are no secrets. If Oriental Charm or One Stripe is on track, the public will share in it,” added Vermaak, who confirmed that barrier draws after acceptance was another operational change which would be implemented on 1 January 2025.

Veteran KZN trainer Garth Puller, who attended a recent stakeholder’s meeting at Summerveld hosted by Greg Bortz, Justin Vermaak, Gold Circle and Hollywoodbets officials, enthused that he was thrilled by the news of the takeover by business-minded racing people who were brave and bold enough to step in and turn the ship around.

“This has come very late for me at my age, but it’s a lifechanger and the future is brighter than it was yesterday,” reflected a delighted Puller as he told the Sporting Post that the adjusted stakes and ‘very welcome’ incentives would boost cash-flows,  while also making it so much easier to help him and his colleagues market the basic ownership product.

“And we are getting draws after acceptances. Wonderful! I was calling for that 25 years ago at Hollywoodbets Durbanville. Bigger fields mean a faster pace, means better form, means better truer results. It’s an ecosystem of positivity. It all feeds on itself,” added the horseman who is never scared to pass an opinion.

Puller said the repair of the Polytrack at Hollywoodbets Greyville was ‘definitely quite overdue and welcome news’.

“That’s our stage. The track must be safe for horse and rider, be true and competitive, and have credibility with all role-players. That’s not a negotiable.”

On the ‘abolition’ of the committee structure to facilitate decision making and policy, Puller said that he was so pleased to hear that all reasonable suggestions will be considered by management.

“Wonderful! So there are no more long-winded committees to hide behind and to dither over. How refreshing.  I believe every stakeholder in this sport in KZN needs to doff a cap to Hollywoodbets and Mr Bortz. This investment and takeover is a brave move. But we know that with the passion for horse racing of the local population in this province, we can make it work. And by putting the structures in place they are making sure we have no excuses. Let’s look forward and get on with rebuilding KZN racing. I am absolutely thrilled. This is good news,” he concluded.