Hollywoodbets and Gold Circle are delighted to announce a ground-breaking R10m – 3 year naming rights sponsorship of Greyville and Scottsville Racecourses hereafter to be named the Hollywoodbets Greyville Racecourse and Hollywoodbets Scottsville Racecourse. Whilst stadium sponsorship has become commonplace in other forms of sport in South Africa, this represents the first deal of its kind in the South African Horseracing Industry.

Gold Circle is part of a multi-faceted and integrated industry, organising thoroughbred horseracing events throughout KwaZulu-Natal and is now partnering with Hollywoodbets which is South Africa’s most dynamic bookmaker, offering the widest range of betting markets on Horseracing, Soccer, Lucky Numbers, and all other Sporting codes.

Hollywoodbets is proud of the contribution it has made to horseracing over the past years through their trainer and work-rider sponsorships, and the number of horses that run in the Hollywood Syndicate colours.

The collaboration between Hollywoodbets and Gold Circle will encourage other bookmakers and corporate brands to get involved in sponsoring the Sport of horseracing.

Hollywoodbets and Gold Circle look forward to working together in ensuring that KZN continues to be the ultimate racing destination in South Africa. Together we welcome the world to Hollywoodbets Greyville for the 123^rd running of the Vodacom Durban July on Saturday 6^th July 2019.

The reigning Equus Horse Of The Year Oh Susanna has been priced up at 12/10 by Track and Ball for the Grade 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes over 1600m to be run on Vodacom Durban July day having drawn well in three.

Her stablemate Snowdance was not as lucky and is drawn widest of all in barrier 14.

Trainer Justin Snaith said about them last week, “They are flying, Snowdance has just gone to another level. She needed the run in the SA Fillies Sprint. She was meant to be in a barrier trail before that but they cancelled it, so she never got to have her proper prep. She’s come on lengths from that race. Oh Susanna has come on for her Tibouchina win. She’s not a 1400m filly, she’s better over a mile. So I think the Garden Province is going to be very interesting.”

Oh Susanna was allowed to go to the front in the Tibouchina which favoured her as she is hard to catch once she winds up into her huge stride. This time the jockeys might not allow her to have her own way and the danger is she will begin racing too strongly if she does not reach the front. This will blunt her excellent turn of foot and punters might have to exercise caution.

Snowdance might have no option other than to go to the front from her wide draw. This might suit her as her best performances have been when allowed to stride freely behind a strong pace. In this race last year she started pulling in a handy position behind a slow pace and after showing her usual superb kick those over-racing antics then told as she was caught late after looking the winner. She showed she can settle well enough in front when leading in the KRA Fillies Last year. She was caught late in that race too but might well have needed it as it was her first run since winning the Majorca more than three months earlier.

Santa Clara showed a blistering turn of foot when winning the Grade 2 KRA Fillies Guineas at the first meeting of the SA Champions on May 3. She also showed fine gatespeed that night and was able to find the rail in front from a wide draw of ten and ended up in the box seat. If Oh Susanna does indeed go to the front Bernard Fayd’Herbe could get her into the box seat again with the same tactics.  

The Grade 1 SA Fillies Sprint winner Celtic Sea was unplaced in the KRA Fillies Guineas, but a line can be drawn through that race as it did not pan out at all well for her. She was caught one wide near the front without cover and did not settle.  She was drawn seven of 13 in that race and now has a better draw of six out of 14. If she does find a nice position she is capable of turning it on. She finished third in the Grade 2 Gauteng Fillies Guineas on the tough Turffontein Standside track so should get the easier Greyville 1600m.

The classy Front And Centre finished strongly in the KRA Fillies Guineas for second but has the problem of a wide draw. It is particularly problematic due to her tendency to hang inward, which might have cost her the Daily News 2000. This time she might have to be dropped right out and make a run down the inside. 

Vistula is an up and coming three-year-old who possesses a superb turn of foot. She is the dark horse and represents good each way value at 40/1 with Track and Ball, although her draw of nine is tricky.

Al Danza has her second start for the Dennis Drier yard, who are no strangers to winning this race. If able to recapture the form which saw her finish close seconds in both the Grade 1 Empress Club Stakes and Grade 2 Ipi Tombe Stakes she will be a runner, although she will have to overcome a wide draw, which as a handy sort will not be in her favour.

Temple Grafin stayed on well for third in the KRA Fillies Guineas from a handy position, but now has a wider draw. However, she came home strongly when dropped in from a wide draw in the Umzimkhulu Stakes over 1400m so is a contender if it pans out as well again.

Stablemate Elusive Heart ran a fine race in this event last year, coming from near the back to run third and she will be looking to repeat this feat from a similar draw of eleven.

Rose In Bloom is a talented horse with a good turn of foot and finished third to Snowdance in the Majorca last year, but the mile does probably stretch her.

Roy’s Riviera has a fine turn of foot and showed in the King’s Cup when just behind Dark Moon Rising and Matador Man that she enjoys a mile, although she has had a busy campaign.

The enigmatic Desert Rhythm won the Golden Slipper over 1400m here as a two-year-old two years ago and looks to be better over shorter than a mile.

Being Fabulous struck as a classy sort from day one but after becoming disappointing she flew home to win the Syringa Handicap over this trip in her penultimate start. However, on weight for age terms here she has a tough task.

Twice As Smart will appreciate the step up to 1600m and although outgunned at the weights on paper she does have close up form behind the like of Lady In Black and Camphoratus, so can’t be ignored.

By David Thiselton

Every serious punter in the country sat up and took note when Mike de Kock indicated on Winning Ways 17 days ago that Barahin had a better chance of winning this year’s Vodacom Durban July than the favourite.

Yet Hawwaam still heads the market at around 18-10 and, surprisingly, Barahin has hardly come down from the 7-1 at which he was available at the time of the James Goodman interview – but Muzi Yeni shares De Kock’s view about the horse’s chance and that he (Yeni) is the right man for the job.

“I’m at a prime age for a jockey (32) and over the years I have gained good experience of the July,” he says. “I know the dos and don’ts of the race, I can read the pace and how to understand how the track is running. Also I know my way round Greyville and all this will allow me to ride the horse accordingly and to the horse’s strengths.”

Greyville, apparently, is difficult and the July makes it more so: “It’s tight and in the July they tend to go fast early before slowing it down and then turning it into more of a sprint.”

Yeni has had a long association with De Kock, starting with his first winner Storm King and including Solo Traveller who finished fifth in Mike Rattray’s colours – less than a length and a half behind Pomodoro, seven years ago.

Yeni believes he could have won that year. “Solo Traveller was the best chance I’ve had so far but listening to other jockeys who had ridden him gave me the wrong idea and may well have cost me the race. Mine was the fastest 400m to the finish and, if I’d had him closer and in a better position, he would have gone very near.”

He has yet to ride Barahin in a race but this time he has put a lot of concentration into sussing the horse out for himself rather than consulting those who have partnered him in public. “I have worked him and I found him a bit of a lazy horse, the sort who will do better and give you more on a raceday.”

Yeni has also studied the horse’s racecourse performances – “He is reasonably straightforward. He doesn’t show a lot of pace in the early stages and I don’t think he is a horse that likes to be bustled so I am going to allow him to find his feet and get into the race at his own rhythm.

“My draw (6) will help as I am with fancied horses who run similar to the way he does which is coming from mid-field, or a little bit further back, so I will have my dangers around me.”

Yeni has had six previous July rides and did best on his first, Thundering Jet, who finished fourth to Big City Life in 2009. Happy Valley was fifth to Bold Silvano 12 months later but eighth is the closest he has come in three subsequent rides. 

He has put a phenomenal amount of effort into trying to win the championship this season. Which would he rather win, that or the July? He grins and shakes his head. “I am not fussed – just one of them would be fantastic.”

You have to go back to Hunting Tower in 2007 to find the winner starting from gate six and, curiously, the high numbers have proved best in recent runnings. Indeed in the last nine years the winner has only twice come from a single figure pen. The winners were drawn 10 (2009), 2, 10,20,11,11,18,8, 15 (2018).

During this nine-year period four-year-olds won the race three times and three-year-olds on all the other six occasions thus supporting the long-held view that the one to go for is an improving three-year-old – like Hawwaam or Barahin.

By Michael Clower

Stuart Pettigrew seldom leaves for home without drawing some blood and it was no different at Hollywoodbets Greyville yesterday as American Indian continued his good form with a fluent victory in the fifth.

Apprentice Luke Ferraris – who unfortunately will miss out on the Vodacom Durban July with his mount Magnificent Seven being scratched yesterday – had something of an armchair ride as he went clear a long way out. He was chased home by the luckless Silva’s Bullet who must surely have a change of luck soon.

The scratching of Magnificent Seven left the way clear for the filly Camphorates. Robbie Hill has her entered for the KZN Million Mile this Saturday and it will be interesting to see whether he scratches from this Saturday or next Saturday or races the Gr1 Empress Club winner in both.

Hill was in the winner’s box as Hey Jude motored home in the fourth. Bernard Fayd’Herbe was hard at work on favourite Isikhwami Sami a long way out and just when it looked as if his vigorous efforts had paid off, Anton Marcus arrived with a wet sail, Hey Jude rattling home under hands and heels.

Point Of Sale looked to be the right horse in the opening leg of the Pick 6 but she found one too good for her in Jack’s Bird. Well handled by apprentice Ashton Arries, Jack’s Bird flew home to collar Point Of Sale with the balance well beaten.

Michael Roberts has high hopes for the filly that was part of the groom’s cooperative at Cheveley Stud and bought for R175k.

Apprentice Jason Gates rounded off the day with a double and will next step out claiming 1.5kg. It was a welcome change for Lowan Denysschen as Eternal Words put plenty of daylight between herself and favourite Kilvington.

Gates was on the mark again, this time for Brett Crawford with Oloye revelling in the switch back to poly.

Dons Assembly, an entry for the Super Sale at Greyville next week, scored a timely win in the second for Dean Kannemeyer. Badly hampered at his last start, Dons Assembly made short work of his opposition. “He’s on the market,” concluded Kannemeyer.

By Andrew Harrison

Muzi Yeni was delighted to find, soon after his arrival at Kenilworth yesterday, that Barahin had collected one of the plum draws.

He said: “Six is a very good draw and I appreciate getting it, particularly as I am drawn among the fancied horses like Rainbow Bridge (4) and Hawwaam (3) while I have Richard Fourie on Do It Again on my outside at ten.”

Barahin will be Yeni’s seventh July ride whereas Keagan de Melo on Head Honcho will be riding in the great race for only the second time. He had mixed views about picking up slot 19 and said: “It’s not a good thing but on a front-runner it’s not a bad one either. I am just going to have to make my own luck.”

Doublemint, one of Justin Snaith’s five-strong armada, will be July ride number six for Corne Orffer who said: “Twelve is better than 18 but I would have preferred eight (the draw of Magnificent Seven) but I am going to make the best of it.”

Last year’s winner Do It Again is the ninth in the July for Richard Fourie who won on Legislate (drawn 11) five years ago. “Ten is brilliant,” he said. “I prefer being drawn out a little because the inside is a big tussle.”

Lesedi La Rona, for whom great hopes were held this season after she won her only two starts last term including the Perfect Promise, finally returned to form with a comfortable success under Lyle Hewitson in the Pinnacle Stakes and looks set to stay in training as a four-year-old.

Mark Bass, representing sister, Candice, said: “We thought very highly of her but she injured herself in the Diana Stakes when she pulled muscles quite badly. We sent her back to Drakenstein but in her last start she choked so we fitted a tongue tie here.”

Kevin Sommerville, Gaynor Rupert’s racing manager, said: “We will sit down and discuss things but it’s likely that she will stay in training. There are some nice black type races for four-year-olds over today’s sort of trip.”

By Michael Clower