Please note: South African Quartet Pools with fractional betting offered at Chepstow and Thirsk (UK) – 2 July 2025.

David Thiselton

Crawford Racing will be out to achieve a treble in the Holywoodbets Durban July on Saturday. although James Crawford will officially become the youngest trainer at age 25 to win the big race since David Payne won it with In Full Flight at the age of 24 in 1972.

James is bullish about defending champion Oriental Charm and said, “He is doing very well, I could not be happier with him.”

He said about the Vercingetorix colt’s pole position draw, “He’s typically had to do a little bit more than the rest of the competition around him because of not having the best of draws. With his gate-speed and how he likes to dictate on his terms from the front of the field, I think the draw is absolutely perfect for him.”

He said about the defending champions’s form this season, “If you have to take him based on his last run (when a neck second in the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge over 1600m) that run was a prep. It was a race that he was fit enough to win, but he was always going to be a better horse after the race. I expected him to run well, but the manner in which he ran surprised everyone, including myself. His prep couldn’t have gone any better. His work at home has been awesome. I can’t fault him.”

The most significant aspect of is form this season is he has improved from a handicapper into a genuine weight for age horse.

In last season’s Hollywoodbets Durban July he only had to carry 53kg and was 5kg better off with weight for age than the topweight See It Again, who would have got closer than a 1,80 length fifth had he not been hampered late.

However, this season Oriental Charm won the Gr 2 WSB Green Point Stakes over 1600m carrying a 2kg Gr 1 penalty, he finished a half-a-length second to Eight On Eighteen in the Gr 1 weight for age WSB Met, and he finished a neck second in the Gr 1 wfa Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge to Equus Horse Of The Year Dave The King. He beat See It Again in both of those weight for age starts. 

Oriental Charm faces Met winner Eight On Eighteen on 1kg terms worse than weight for age on Saturday, so will have a tough task reversing form, but on the other hand the right-handed Hollywoodbets Greyville track suits him better than the left-handed Hollywoodbets Kenilworth, because he tends to hang to the right.

He hung right in the Met and that took him all the way to the outside rail. On Saturday, he will have the advantage of the inside rail the whole way around from pole position, so should make a bold bid of becoming the first since Do It Again in 2019 to carry topweight of 60kg to victory.

He is one of three joint topweights together with See It Again and Gladatorian. 

James said about the lightly raced six-year-old gelding Pomodoro’s Jet.

He said, “He’s doing very well, I really do like him. I don’t know if he’s quite good enough to beat Oriental Charm or Eight On Eighteen and I would have preferred him to have run in the Cup Trial going into this kind of race, but in saying that his work and his well-being at home has been really, really good.” 

Pomodoro’s Jet’s white blood cell count was sligtly high before the Cup Trial, not terribly high but high enough for James to not take a chance and run him.

He said about Pomodoro’s Jet’s stamina capacity, “Personally I don’t think it’s going to be a problem. He ran fifth in the consolation race last year by 3,50 lengths and for me he is twice the horse this year than he was last year.”

Pomodoro’s Jet has drawn eight and James said, “There’s a lot of speed around this year and there’s a lot of horses carrying bottom weight, so I’m sure there’s going to be quite a bit of a tussle to get into a good position and I think draw eight coupled with his good gatepeed will keep him away from the argy-bargy.”

James runs dual Gr 1 winner Fatal Flaw and Gr 2 WSB Fillies Guineas winner Mon Petit C in th Gr 1 Ridgemont Garden Province Stakes.

He said Fatal Flaw had not been herself when beaten 5,55 lengths in the Gr 1 Maine Chance Farms Majorca Stakes.

He added, “Her work was really good and everything else, but we’ve done a little bit of research and she wasn’t quite 100%, there was something amiss with her after her WSB Cape Fillies Guineas win. I think she’s a massive runner on Saturday. She had a more challenging prep into the Gr 1  Empress Club (which she won), because I had to re-acclimatise her and take a little bit of time with her after the Cape season. She did come right that final week going into the Empress Club, but she wasn’t by my standards and what I know about her at tip-top fitnes. I think her class carried her through. This time around she has had an absolutely great prep, so I think she’s a real force to be reckoned with in the Garden Province.”

He said about her draw of ten, “Obviously, a better draw would have been nice, but she’s got a lot of gate speed and I think she’ll be leading on her terms quite comfortably.”

He said about Mon Petit Cherie, “She is also flying at home. I had her fit enough to win the WSB Filllies Guineas, but she was always going to be a better horse after the race an she’s comfortably improved five to six lengths from that last run.”

He also pointed to a recent line through Spumante Dolce which puts Mon Petit Cherie much closer to Fatal Flaw than she was in the Cape Fillies Guineas, where she was beaten 6,65 lengths.

James is bullish about Otto Luyken and Count Huhtikuu in the Gr 3 Splashout 2200.

He said Otto Luyken loved short run-ins and thinks if he could get within striking distance he will go close despite carrying topweight. He has always liked Count Huhtikuu and believes he is on the up and a big improver, so has a chance despite officially being under sufferance.

David Thiselton

Gavin Lerena has ridden eight winners in the last two meetings on the Highveld, a treble at Turffontein Inside last Thursday and a five-timer on Saturday at the Standside track, to pull four clear of Richard Fourie and seven clear of Craig Zackey in the thrilling three way battle for the title.

Craig Zackey had responded to Lerena’s treble on Thursday by riding a four-timer at Fairview on Friday, while Richard Fourie’s double at the latter meeting had seen him reclaim the lead by one at the close of play on Friday.

Zackey went within three of the lead when winning the third race on the smart Tony Peter-trained William Longsword first-timer Titan Of The Turf on Saturday.

However, Lerena then rattled off five wins in the last six races to roar into the lead.

His run began in the first leg of the Pick 6 when the big Clinton Binda-trained Season’s Greeting built on his good third place finish in his previous start, a race which had already seen the second-placed and fourth-placed horses coming out and winning. It was clear a long way out Season’s Greeting’s pace had left the Zackey-ridden favourite Wise Counsel with too much to do and so it proved as Season’s Greeting ran out a 2,10 length winner with the 33/1 chance first-timer, the Mark Khan-trained Queensland (Querari), running second and Wise Counsel, who should win when going over further, third.

In the fifth race over 1000m Lerena had a low draw on the Johan Janse van Vuuren-trained Vercingetorix gelding Chieftain and although that is perceived to be the wrong side he was content to bide his time until the halfway mark at which stage he drove his mount forward. This turned out to be perfect timing as the 99-rated three-year-old ran on strongly to win the MR102 contest by a lengths from Troppo Veloce with the favourite Rodeo Drive once again disappointing and running a 2,25 length third.

In the sixth race over 1000m the Tony Peter-trained Rafa Bay looked to be the one to side with based on some good Cape Town form and a good Highveld debut and Lerena rode him with confidence to win by 2,70 lengths at 83/100 odds from the second favourite Hemisphere with Dontshootthebarman next best.

The Fabian Habib-trained Miss Hannigan with S’Manga Khumalo up spoilt the Lerena sequence by winning the seventh race over 1400m.

However, Lerena was back in the groove for the last two races, winning the eighth over 1400m on the 13/10 shot, the Fanie Bronkhorst-trained Pomodoro mare Princess Ilaria.

He then clinched the five-timer by winning the last over 1160m on the Johan Janse van Vuuren-trained topweight Ensuing, who carried 63kg to a one length victory having been backed in to 9/4. That was a second win for the underrated sire William Longsword.

Earlier in the day the unfashionable Jet Master sire Skit Skizzle produced the winner of the first race, the Robbie Sage-trained Valentina Balducci, who has high profile owners Larry Nestadt, “JJ” Van der Linden and M Lieveaux. She won at odds of 25/2 under Kaidan Brewer.

The second race saw a smart performance from the Paul Matchett-trained Duke Of Marmalade colt The Last Duke, who romped in over 1160m by 4,25 lengths. He looks to be one to follow.

Meanwhile, Lerena has given high praise to his Hollywoodbets Durban July runner Madison Valley. The Frank Robinson-trained Mambo In Seattle gelding put up a good gallop at the official Hollywoodbets Durban July gallops and Lerena said afterwards he felt he was a “massive runner”.

Madison Valley will be out to give Sid Moodley a dream win in the country’s biggest race with his  first July runner.

Madison Valley shorted in from an opening final field call of 33/1 in to 20/1 after the Gallops. However, the biggest mover in the Hollywoodbets Durban July marker has been another horse who also opened at 33/1 after the final field announcement, On MY Honour, who has halved in price to 16/1. 

Please Note: FNB is currently Offline.

Durban, South Africa: A bright and exciting future for horse racing in South Africa is on the horizon! That was the underlying message to emerge as the birth of South Africa’s new age coastal racing operator was celebrated at the official launch of the Race Coast brand, which was attended by a wide spectrum of local government leaders, racing personalities, and the media, in Durban today. 

A vibrant new force in South African horse racing, Race Coast was spawned from the merger of Gold Circle’s operations in KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape-based Cape Racing, united under the Hollywoodbets banner.

Committed to modernising all aspects of the industry with integrity, while rebuilding the foundation of a legacy that will last beyond our lifetimes, through ensuring the preservation of the rich tradition of a sport that dates back over a century in South Africa, Race Coast has endorsed a philosophy to reignite a passion for the sport, while attracting a new and diverse audience. 

It’s a socio-economic reality that, against the international background of the thrills and glitz and glamour of high-octane entertainment, horse racing creates employment, with commercial spin-offs, that includes the fuelling of tourism.

With a focus on innovation and community engagement, Race Coast is unequivocally dedicated to ensuring a bright and exciting future for horse racing in South Africa. 

Speaking on behalf of the Hollywood Group, Brand & Communications Manager, Devin Heffer said that the excitement and anticipation of a brighter future was palpable amongst industry stakeholders present at the launch function.

“What a vibe! It is so encouraging to feel that this is the gamechanger that everybody has been crying out for. We are thus determined to raise the bar with world-class professionalism, performance, and prestige. That doesn’t happen overnight, but starts with the basics of safety, fairness, and quality,” enthused Heffer, who added that operations are already underway and policies have been introduced that will ensure modernisation with integrity, and the construction of a legacy that lasts.

“We have the structure, foundation and human capital in place and we are committed to introducing a new era where racing has a place and appeal for everyone. Simply put, it’s a bolder, fresher, and more inclusive approach than ever, and we’re determined and equipped to focus on rebuilding the trust, excitement, and excellence from the ground up.” 

South African champion trainer Justin Snaith is extraordinarily celebrating a half century of KZN winter season assaults for the famous family operation. His Dad Chris, still a key member of their team, first raided with a string from the Cape in 1975.

Snaith reflected on the initial success in his home province of RaceCape, initiated by Cape Racing and Hollywoodbets. 

“That structure has proven a tremendous success! It has not only boosted ownership and field sizes in the Western Cape, but has also provided trainers with additional funding to enhance their operations. And today we mark the historic beginnings of Race Coast, which is another generous initiative by Hollywoodbets, aimed at promoting ownership in KwaZulu-Natal and the Cape, while boosting the horse population.” 

Snaith reminded us of the very recent past, recalling that after the COVID-19 pandemic, many feared that horse racing in South Africa might not survive. 

“However, the dedicated efforts of a few individuals have not only saved the sport, but have also paved the way for an exciting future. This is a future that we can shape and reinvent, making it better for all stakeholders involved. Race Coast marks the beginning of something special for the province and the future of horse racing in South Africa. On behalf of all our owners, staff, and horses, we want to express our sincere gratitude,” he concluded.

South African horse racing’s pre-eminent 21st century global ambassador Mike de Kock, who recently joined forces with his son Mathew in a powerful training partnership, said: “De Kock Racing has been around for a long time, but as a new training partnership, Mathew and I are excited to be involved with the innovators behind Race Coast. We have already seen the evidence of their vision and commitment, and we have positioned ourselves to grow with them. We look forward to what the future holds.”

Three-times Hollywoodbets Durban July winning veteran trainer Dean Kannemeyer said that a refreshing wave of enthusiasm and hope had already been tangibly felt in the Cape.

“The improvement and upliftment have been felt in bricks and mortar, communication, and incentives and stakes across the spectrum in the Cape, and looking today at the rejuvenated Hollywoodbets Greyville landscape, it’s a revelation and a passion driven work-in-progress, in simple terms. The Hollywood Team have made a difference in short time, and one gets a very warm feeling that the sport is in exceptionally good hands. We are all united under the flag of future prosperity, and, on behalf of our owners and the DKR team, I extend sincere onwards and upwards best wishes to Owen Heffer and his Team,” said Kannemeyer. 

In a fitting climax to a month that will go down as a turning point in our modern horse racing history, the cream of South Africa’s equine speed stars will line up in the Golden Horse Festival Of Speed at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Saturday 31 May.