(Durban, 4 July 2026) – NOTE TO SELF stormed to victory in the Hollywoodbets Durban July Gr 1 at Hollywoodbets Greyville.

In a thrilling finish before a capacity crowd and in a one-two in joint owner Nancy Hossack’s colours, NOTE TO SELF got up to touch off the filly WISH LIST, and deny 59-year-old Andrew Fortune a race that he was hoping to bookend his career. Third was rank outsider KING PELLES with VIVA’S LIBERTE in the shallow end of the purse.

Champion trainer Justin Snaith is now one short of equalling the legendary Syd Laird’s record of seven July wins when he saddled the first two past the post in the R10 Million Hollywoodbets Durban July Gr 1 at Hollywoodbets Greyville today.

Fortune had high hopes as WISH LIST burst out of the pack, racing over the subway and looking to have the race in the bag. However, Richard Fourie, who had been biding his time in the pack, produced NOTE TO SELF with a telling late run down the outside of the straight.

Fortune was supremely confident before the race but in a gesture of sportsmanship, stretched out his hand to congratulate Fourie after crossing the line.

Fourie was circumspect when quizzed about his early move at the 800m mark and said, “I don’t know. I blacked out at the top of the straight. There’s no better feeling than winning it the first time, but today’s win is a great feeling. Just doing it in front of the HWB Greyville crowd is such a rush. I can’t explain the sound when everybody is shouting at you in the middle. It’s like being in a canyon. It was just a lovely race, and the win was as sweet as it can be.”

Country Allure theme produces winning fashion moments

The vibrant spirit of South African style was on full display as racegoers embraced this year’s Hollywoodbets Durban July’s Country Allure theme on Saturday in the Raceday Fashion Awards presented by Durban Fashion Fair.

The Pulse Stage was transformed into a spectacular showcase of fashion as the entrants in the four race day fashion competitions faced off.

From sophisticated tailoring and contemporary silhouettes, to hand-crafted accessories and beautifully considered details, entrants expressed themselves with imaginative and striking interpretations of the theme, proving once again that the Hollywoodbets Durban July remains one of South Africa’s premier celebrations of fashion and creativity.

The annual Raceday Fashion Awards – open to the general public – attracted 150 stylish entrants, all hoping to impress the judges in the coveted categories of Most Striking Couple; Classic Racewear – Female; Classic Racewear – Male; and Exceptional Raceday Hat or Fascinator.

The Classic Female winner was Gistine Kifubula, who wore a Nqobisa Ndabeni design that epitomised classic Country Allure in deference to the official race day theme. Kifubula said she was “so grateful and amazed to have won.”

The winning couple, Larnelle Maddocks and Pamela Shabane, repeated their win from last year with regal matching outfits in bronze and ivory, designed by Brenda Warring.

Richard Tulinatbitu took first prize for Classic Male with his striking earth-toned ensemble of brown jacket with matching wide-leg trousers that blended contemporary tailoring with traditional African-inspired craftsmanship.

The winners of each category in the Hollywoodbets Durban July Raceday Fashion Experience presented by Durban Fashion Fair won R5 000 from Race Coast and Schweppes as well as a Kryolan professional make-up and full body massage vouchers. from Mangwanani. Second and third all won cash from Race Coast and Schweppes.

Young Designers showcase their talent

There were scenes of jubilation, emotional embraces and tears of happiness as Mlungisi Ndlovu from Durban University of Technology (DUT) was named winner of this year’s Young Designer Award sponsored by Metro FM.

Ndlovu captivated the judges with an incredible Nguni-inspired design. Drawing inspiration from the colours of the iconic animal, the winning garment featured the shapes and textures of the official ‘Country Allure’ theme through contemporary couture. Showcasing exceptional craftsmanship, intricate detailing and confident storytelling, the design beautifully reflected this year’s theme.

“I can’t believe it. It feels unreal. I am happy but I can’t believe this is happening. I really didn’t think I had a chance,” said Ndlovu, who stained the fabric with coffee to create the winning effect.

As the overall winner, Ndlovu will receive a fashion travel package to Johannesburg to experience SA Fashion Week 2026, courtesy of Race Coast and SA Fashion Week, R70 000 in bursary funding from the Hollywood Foundation towards existing or future studies, as well as R10 000 in cash courtesy of Race Coast and Schweppes, and a Kryolan Professional Make-Up voucher valued at R2 500.

Second place went to iGoda incubator student Dalisu Vumase who was over the moon. “I have no words,” said a clearly emotional Vumase. Hailing from Esikhawini township near Empangeni, Vumase said he had turned to fashion design as a means to create his own employment.

His strips of colour-crafted fabric, captured the Country Allure brief, combining originality, technical skill and contemporary flair.

He will receive R50 000 in bursary funding from the Hollywood Foundation, R3 000 in cash courtesy of Race Coast and Schweppes, and a Kryolan Professional Make-Up voucher valued at R2 000.

In third place, Thato Selekane’s, design featured iconic grey river beads, and was inspired by the Pedi culture. Selekane, also from Durban Institute of Technology, was overjoyed with her achievement. Her imaginative creation completed a remarkable showcase of South Africa’s emerging fashion talent.

Reflecting the outstanding quality of this year’s competition, each of the ten finalists also received R2 000 in cash, courtesy of Race Coast and Schweppes.

 

David Thiselton

 

Rising young jockey sensation Zac Lloyd has been booked to ride the Justin Snaith-trained Happy Verse in the Hollywoodbets Durban July.

 

The Vercingetorix gelding looks to be one of the most progressive horses in the country.

 

The three-year-old has always been packed with potential, but became a bit disappointing,

 

However, he is now clearly coming to hand with gelding and should be spot on for the July.

 

Zac will be hoping to break the famous July trend of his legendary father Jeff, who never won the big race but finished third on no fewer than nine occasions, although he did finish second on his final mount in 2018.

 

Zac Lloyd has ridden 6 Group 1 winners in his career already.

 

The 22-year-old secured three Group 1 victories within the span of a single month in early 2026.

 

The highlight of his career to date has been winning Australia’s biggest sire producing race, The Aus$5 million Golden Slipper this year on Guest House.

 

He is currently on a busman’s holiday in the UK and rode a double at Doncaster on Saturday in his first meeting in the country.

 

Happy Verse is set to carry 54,5kg in the Hollywoodbets Durban July as things stand and is at a price of 6/1 with the sponsor.

David Thiselton

Star Major is the second favourite for the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 and this progressive Querari colt has been in fine fettle at Randjesfontein after his superb win in the Gr 2 WSB Guineas.

Tim Woodruff is the Randjesfontein assistant to trainer James Crawford and he said about the Maine Chance Farms-bred bay, who is owned by passionate Durban-born owner, Ravi Naidoo, together with Neville Isdell, Mr J I Bloch and Mrs Prakashni Pillay.

Tim said, “He is all good, we have just tried to freshen him up because it is a quick turnaround between races, but he is doing good. You do get your things between races you sometimes have to deal with, but I do think he will be alright for the Daily News.”

Star Major jumped from a wide  draw in the WSB Guineas and was dropped out.

He turned for home in last place with a number of lengths to make up, but then produced a good turn of foot followed by an impressively resolute finish coupled with an eyecatching late gear change that saw him surging to a 0,90 length victory over the hot favourite Tin Pan Alley.

 Of course sectional timing invariably shows that apparent late surges or apparent flying finishes are usually an optical illusion caused by the other horses slowing down at a more rapid rate than the apparently strong-finishing horse. Invariably the surging horse is actually also slowing down.

Indeed the sectional timing of the WSB Guineas shows Star Major’s 100m to finish time to be his slowest sectional of the entire race.

However the fact that he was able to have the fastest 100m to finish time of the whole field, despite having had to make up many lengths to get there, seems to show that he has got some stamina.

He did win the Gr 3 Politician Stakes over 1800m and finished a fair 3,20 length fourth in the Gr 1 Lucky Fish Cape Derby over 2000m, both at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth. In the latter race he ran on despite having been a bit keen in the running.

That would illustrate he has the stamina, but hopefully he will be able to settle better this time.

He settled very well in  the WSB Guineas and due to his wide draw Tim Woodruff said the same tactic of being dropped out will be employed.

He added, “Obviously it’s a short straight so it’s obviously not ideal. But just looking for a good run  and then obviously the July afterwards.”

He gave his opinion on the 2000m distance, “He should get the trip.”

Querari won a Gr 1 over 2000m and Star Major is out of a mare by stamina influence Silvano and this mare not only won over 1900m, but was an own sister to Follow The Star, who won the Listed Glenair Trophy over 2800m.

So on pedigree he will easily stay the trip.

Mickaelle Michel retains the ride and if winning it she will become only the second woman in SA history to win a Gr 1, the only one to date to have won one being Lisa Prestwood on the Buddy Maroun-trained Al Nitak in the Golden Horse Sprint on June 1, 2023, almost exactly 23 years ago.

Mickaelle has been in excellent form and Tim confirmed that if everything went well in the Daily News she would keep the ride for the Hollywoodbets Durban July too.

Tim agreed she had been outriding many of her male weighing room colleagues and added, “She has got the touch.”

It would be somewhat ironic if Mickaelle did win the Daily News with a horse conditioned by assistant trainer Woodruff, because Tim’s mother Carol (nee Millard) was the first woman to have a professional license in SA. She had started riding work for her legendary father Terrance Millard at the age of 12 and from age 14 started riding in and winning many amateur races. She was apprenticed overseas and rode in the tough school of England and Germany in professional races. However, the SA authority of the time refused to allow her to ride in professional races in SA, gross unfairness. To get around the legalities the authority installed a rule that overseas apprentices wee not allowed to ride here. This came back to bite them because years later a top apprentice from Europe came over only for everybody to discover he was not allowed to ride here. Carol was able to ride in Cape Hunt races against professional jockeys, ironically a more dangerous discipline than flat racing, and she was able to ride in Zimbabwe under a “Day” license, which was usually utilised when there were not enough professional riders available. She remembers winning a Cape Hunt race on Hawkins, who had formerly been one of Terrance Millard’s many Gold Cup winners. She also finished second in “The Schweppes” in Zimbabwe.

But back to Star Major, who is still a colt meaning a Daily News win will look very good on his stallion CV.

Tim said, “If you win the Guineas and the Daily News it is just next level.”

Tim said Star Major had a fine chance of realising the dream of Ravi Naidoo and no doubt all the other owners too, a win in the R10 million Hollywoodbets Durban July.

He concluded, “He is ticking all the boxes, He’s a machine.”

David Thiselton

 

The July build up of 60 years ago was like no other before it and It is fitting that this year’s Hollywoodbets Durban July, carrying a record-breaking stake of R10 million, falls on such an auspicious anniversary date

In the month of May 60 years ago the great Sea Cottage began his July preparation by running in a race often used by Syd Laird as starting point for his best July contender, the Gr 1 Newbury Stakes over 1200m.

Sea Cottage beat another famous horse in the 1966 Newbury renewal, the previous year’s Gr 1 SA Guineas winner William Penn, whose story bears repeating.

Willaim Penn had won six Grade 1s up until being retired to stud in 1969 and was a July runner up by half-a-length in 1968, carrying topweight and giving the winner Chimboraa 24 pounds.

His wins included the 1968 J&B Met with topweight. He was two-one up in meetings between himself and his more celebrated half-brother Hawaii, who went on to become USA’s Champion Grass Horse as well as a successful sire, standing at Claiborne where he produced 25 stakes winners including Epsom Derby winner Henbit. William Penn proved infertile at stud, siring only nine foals, although they included three stakes winners. He was brought out of retirement as a ten-year-old and the first run of his comeback was in the J&B Met of January 1972. He flew up for second, three lengths behind the winner Force Ten to whom he gave 18 pounds. He went on to race successfully until he was eleven, the best performance of his final season being a 0,2 length second to the great In Full Flight in the Grade 1 Champions Stakes over 2000m at Greyville, beating another champion, Mazarin.

Back To Sea Cottage who was back at Greyville a week after the Newbury Stakes to win the Gr 1 SA Guineas by 3,5 lengths, his eleventh career victory in just 12 starts.

Six days later the country woke up to shocking news.

On that bright Friday morning Sea Cottage had been shot while walking under the Blue Lagoon bridge on the way to the Syd Laird ring on the beach.

The story is well documented with the shooter Johnny Nel being apprehended later the same day. The well-known gangster had foolishly used his easily recognisable yellow-coloured convertible to drive to the shelter on the south side of the bridge, which is still the same structure today as it was back then, to perform the dastardly deed.

He was allegedly acting on behalf of bookmaker Sonny Chislett, who had allegedly approached the owner of the Monaco Club, Monty Labuschagne, with the news that if Sea Cottage won the July he would have to close his business and therefore he demanded the debt he was owed by the latter be paid up.

Labuschagne’s alleged response was what would it be worth if they stopped Sea Cottage from winning the July and Chislett’s alleged response was that he would forego the debt.

It was Nel, a bouncer at the Monaco club, who hatched the plan.

If Nel can be forgiven to any extent it was in his later testimony that he had found it difficult to shoot an animal and had deliberately aimed for the soft flesh of the hindquarter in order to not kill him.

Syd Laird was still able to nurture Sea Cottage through the worst of the injury and he had him ready to run in the July three weeks after the shooting.

The big bay unfortunately suffered interference at a crucial stage and ended up running a four length fourth.

It was a bitter-sweet day for Laird because Sea Cottage’s six-year-old stablemate Java Head won the race.

However, the following year saw the July’s most celebrated renewal.

The 1967 SA Guineas winner Jollify, who was receiving 27 pounds from Sea Cottage, stole a march at the top of the straight under a fine ride by John Gorton.

Sea Cottage had a lot of ground to make up, but began eating up the ground.

He had to get around King Willow, who was going straight, before the natural instinct of shifting towards the leader, was able to happen.

A flying Sea Cottage with his enormous stride bore down on the three-year-old, despite the latter showing no signs of stopping.

The two Birch Brothers-bred horses flashed past the post together.

But had Sea Cottage got there in time?

Commentator Ernie Duffield thought not and said, “I think Jollify has held on.”

Minutes later the on course crowd let out a roar when the numbers were put up together to declare a dead-heat.

But the rest of the country apparently had to endure an agonising wait for news as the radio commentary ended and they went back to the  studio.

Craig Peters, who has by the way commentated 39 Julys, ten more than Ernie Duffield’s previous record of 29, recalled that day, at which time he was a young boy living with his parents in Mayfair, Johannesburg.

He said, “It was only sometime later on Pat Carr’s Forces Favourites program that we heard it was a dead-heat and I was absolutely elated (especially considering he had shed tears after Sea Cottage’s defeat the previous year). We saw the photo in the Stop Press and about two weeks later we watched the African Mirror footage of the race at the Drive-In. I remember also being at Sea Cottage’s last ever race, the Cutty Sark at Gosforth Park, which attracted a massive crowd. I watched by standing on the bonnet of my father’s car.”

“The immortal” Sea Cottage won twenty of his 24 races and there was still a reminder of him nearby at Hollywoodbets Greyville until recent years.

Syd Laird had always been terrified somebody would “get to” Sea Cottage and had metal plates fitted over the air vents on the road side of his stable.

His old stable served as a vendor stall in recent times at The Stables Lifestyle Market next to the Hollywoodbets KIng’s Park rugby stadium.

His stable was the third one down from the main entrance.

Those rusty metal plates were still in place across the air vents on the roadside of the stall until the closure of the market in March 2020.

Sadly, the building soon became completely dilapidated and an intriguing piece of Durban history went down with it.

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