Race 1: Preview: DAFFODIL DELIGHT (1) won with authority on debut and seems a very talented filly. She is confidently selected to remain unbeaten after this. ROCK ME MAMA (6) ran a fair race first time out and is sure to progress and be able to get way closer. SABOTEUR (8) has scope to build on fair debut and can be given serious place claims and MARCHLAND (3) could do well on debut – watch the market trends as race time looms. (Warren Lenferna 1-6-8-3)

Race 2: Preview: BUFFALO BILL (1) can set off a very good day for the Tara Laing yard – they have some exciting runners today. This gelding has run eight times for four wins and four places – he is confidently selected to reel off the hat trick. POMP IT UP (3) can be expected to provide plenty of cheek to the first choice. His Cape Town form is solid. ROYAL KINGDOM (2) has done very little wrong and is clearly loaded with ability – strong each way claims. SILVA CITY (5) should be in the shake up. (Warren Lenferna 1-3-2-5)

Race 3: Preview: SUSURRANDO (3) has had two runs thus far in the Eastern Cape and looks cherry ripe for a winning one. BUGLE (4) is having his eleventh bite at the cherry at getting it all right but should do so soon. Big chance. KHICHDI (6) has a place chance and MAKAJIMA (7) can go very close in his local debut – respect and include in all bets. (Warren Lenferna 3-4-6-7)

Race 4: Preview: CHAMPAGNE BLAZE (3) has never been too far adrift the winners in Cape Town and this should see him very competitive in his Eastern Cape debut and is therefore the firm winning selection. KENTUCKY LASSIE (2) can be forgiven for the last effort and judged on attractive earlier form – each way chance. LANA VIEW (4) and WITCHING HOUR (5) are natural inclusions for the quartet. (Warren Lenferna 3-2-4-5)

Race 5: Preview: ZINOVI (1) does have an awkward draw to contend with but we will leave that to big race rider Richard Fourie to handle for us! LANCIAFIAMME (9) is proving an ultra-consistent gelding who is one that can never be ignored. He starts form the best gate and must be followed. GET IMPRESSED (6) ran an absolute cracker when nearly beating Kinda Wonderful in Cape Town last time and is a serious contender here. ZATARA MAGIC (2) returns to home base and can-do way better than he did last time behind Ahead Of The Facts. (Warren Lenferna 1-9-2-6)

Race 6: Preview: GUY GIBSON (2) has solid form, nearly beat Fairy Knight last time and has serious winning claims. ANUSCHKA’S WORLD (1) gets valuable weight off his back and should be in the firing line – strong each way chance. ROMAN AGENT (4) showed guts and determination to win last time and can follow up – big runner. GOLDEN PAVILION (8) is a must for trifectas and quartets. (Warren Lenferna 2-1-4-8)

Race 7: Preview: SYMPHONY IN WHITE (1) is taking time for the next victory but in saying that has posted some exceptional efforts in top quality company. She is the narrow first choice in a very competitive race. Stable mate, OCTOBER FEST (10) has been knocking loudly at the door and can provide plenty cheek all the way home. Serious chance. WILD APPLAUSE (8) is one for the shortlist and can never be ignored from any bets – big runner and PRINCESS HANNAH (5) is the place value selection. (Warren Lenferna 1-10-8-5)

Race 8: Preview: LADY BOMBER (1) is winning impressively and her last victory was her best by far and based on that alone, could be hard to beat while in search of the hat trick. ROYAL MISSY (6) has won two out of her last three and should be a massive contender again for top honors. DESERT CLOUD (7) is holding form and should earn again – strong each way chance. BACK FOR MORE (2) has strong claims too in a competitive end to the days racing. (Warren Lenferna 1-6-7-2)

Ends

Please Note: South African Quartet Pools with fractional betting offered at Ludlow and Newcastle (UK) – 19 March 2026

Warren Lenferna

“Winter Pirate will have to walk from here to get beaten,” were the words of racecourse caller Alistair Cohen ahead of the first race at Hollywoodbets Durbanville yesterday — exactly what supporters of the favourite would have wanted to hear.

The What A Winter colt from the Eric Sands yard was heavily backed in the market and started at red-hot odds of 4/10. Keagan de Melo, who rides mainly for the Wernar family — owners of the colt — had plenty of time to look around and take in the scenery on the way to the finish line. The promising runner looks set to win his fair share of races going forward.

Galactus was victorious in the second race and produced a gutsy performance under the urgings of replacement rider JP van der Merwe. He is trained by Mike Stewart, whose stable is currently in tremendous form. Owner Jimmy Burgess made the trip to Hollywoodbets Durbanville and expressed his delight during the winning post-race interview with Brandon Bailey.

The well-supported Heavenly Prince and Quiet Place went eyeball to eyeball all the way to the line in the third race. Keagan de Melo managed to extract just a little more from Heavenly Prince to deny Quiet Place the bragging rights. The application of blinkers clearly helped the runner-up, whose effort was a marked improvement. He should not remain a maiden for much longer.

There were a few apprentice races on the card, and several young riders are attracting attention with their progress and talent in the saddle. One of those is undoubtedly Mxolisi Mbuto, who rode a superb race aboard the Adam Marcus-trained son of Horizon, True Horizon. Breaking from the ace draw, Mbuto guided his mount perfectly to win the fourth race of the day.

Sooty and the heavily backed Street Outlaw looked set to fight out the finish of the fifth race, but Lady Look Alike — for trainer James Crawford and jockey Luyolo Mxothwa — had other ideas and arrived late to snatch victory close to home. Dawn’s Early Light drifted in the betting as race time approached and failed to place.

Mauritian apprentice Varun Jodhee rode a mature race to take the honours aboard the Snaith-trained Music Of The Night in the second apprentice race, which was the sixth event on the card. There was little market support for the daughter of What A Winter, which caught a few punters off guard, but she produced a fabulous late finish to snatch victory from Girl Like Us and Black Erika.

Overall, the racing was competitive, the weather played its part, and several exciting finishes unfolded on the Country Course during the midweek meeting. Racing returns to Hollywoodbets Durbanville in the Western Cape on Saturday, 21 March.

David Thiselton

Athandiwe Mgudlwa suffered a neck sprain and concussion in a bad fall at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on January 25, but he is back riding work and hopes to race ride again on the 27th of this month at the Hollywoodbets Greyville night meeting.

Athandiwe recalled waking up in hospital and had no recollection of the incident at all and said the whole day was quite blank in his memory.

However, there were no broken bones or fractures and he said, ” I fortunately did not have to have any kind of operation.”

He has wisely taken the recovery step by step and done it thoroughly with no atttempt to rush anything.

He continued, “I am still having appointments to strengthen the neck muscles. I have had the follow up appointment and the doctor has given me the go ahead to proceed. I went as far as having an MRI scan and I have also taken the time off to make sure I am ok. Sometimes you rush an injury and a couple of years down the line it comes back worse. I have gone through every step to make sure I am alright. I still want to compete at the highest level, so it had to be done.”

Athandiwe might be back at the meeting at Greyville this Sunday, the 22nd of March, but only if he gets a ride that has half-a-chance. He said he was otherwise targeting the 27th.

He has been feeling good and strong while workriding and added it was probably a blessing he did not remember the incident as such a happening could play on the mind.

He said, “Not remembering is a way of protecting me as it helped me to be able to get on to a horse again.”

He added, “I’m grateful to be able to get on the horses and carry on doing what I enjoy.”

He is not attached to any yard at the moment and said he would start off by riding work as much as he could and hopefully pick up a couple of rides to get back into the swing of things.

He said, “Things look to have tightened up a bit in Durban, so it doesn’t look easy, but I ride light so I should be able to pick up a few nice rides.”

David Thiselton

The first entries stage for the Champions Day races to be held on April 4 at Turffontein Standside closed on Monday and the Gr 1 World Pool Premier’s Champions Challenge over 2000m had some interesting entries.

The WSB Met winner See It Again, who comes off a second place finish in the Gr 1 wfa Wilgerbosdrift HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes at Turffontein,  is one of the raider entries.

His Justin Snaith-trained stablemate Okavango, who comes off a fine fourth in the Met and a win in the Listed King’s Cup, is also entered.

Both of these Cape horses are being prepared out of Summerveld.

The Nathan Kotzen-trained Madison Valley is a Summerveld resident who has also been entered, although he has a bit to find under weight for age conditions.

Kotzen’s former winner of this event, Royal Victory, is also an entry although he is now trained by Weichong Marwing.

Last year’s winner the Alec Laird-trained Fire Attack is entered and so is his former Betway Summer Cup-winnning stablemate Atticus Finch.

Tony Peter has two entries in The Ultimate King and The Equator, who both have tough tasks off 117 merit ratings.

This season’s Summer Cup runner up Olivia’s Way is an entry and she will have a tougher task under wfa conditions than she did in the Summer Cup, although going on the actual form of the Summer Cup makes her an interesting runner.

The talented Jimmy Don returned recently for a new stable, that of Joe Soma, after a layoff of about two-and-a-half years but Soma has worked miracles before in Gr 1 events.

The Gr 1 HKJC World Pool SA Classic winner and runner up Grand Empire and Trust are entered and another three-year-old, Copper Eagle, is also entered but will be severely under sufferance.

It is certainly going to be an intriguing race.